Scales of Ash & Smoke

By: Emily Schneider

Narrated by: Emma Faye, Adam Skousen

She lived her whole life enslaved to the dragons.

But now she’s one of them.

Seventeen-year-old Kaida, a human, has spent her entire life enslaved to the dragons who slaughtered half the human population 1,000 years ago. She is forced to serve her ruthless master, Eklos, until one deadly summer day when the Prince of Elysia saves her life.

Prince Tarrin steals her away to the royal palace, shocking Kaida when he reveals that she is mutator formarum. He promises her safety, but when they uncover a dangerous conspiracy to rid Elysia of the royal family, she begins to question how safe she truly is. And when desire blooms between Kaida and Tarrin, in the midst of fighting for their lives, she must choose whether to save the very creature she swore to hate, or allow him to perish…

And destroy her own heart.

©2021 Emily Schneider (P)2022 Emily Schneider

Critic reviews

2021 Best Indie Book Award Fantasy Winner

“…a masterful work of YA fantasy fiction which contains all the must-have ingredients for a thrilling read, from a compelling central pair of characters to a lavish and atmospheric setting filled with danger and intrigue.” (Readers’ Favorite)

Surprised by this story!

I enjoyed this book! I’m not much of a fantasy person, but the writer is one I want to support. The story line seemed kind of strange to me, not gonna lie, with the shape shifting dragons. It took me a while to “see” the characters. As the story progresses it get better. The pacing is great! Near the middle of the book several events happened that I didn’t see coming at all, so huge props to the author on that. Other events were foreshadowed well. I think the writer did a great job!

Phenomenal book and phenomenal narration!

I am generally not a fan of fantasy. However, this book hooked me from the beginning and was extremely enjoyable all the way through. The characters were relatable and I couldn't wait to hear what happened next throughout the whole book. I LOVED the narration too! The voices of the characters were consistent and pleasant. I hope to hear more narrations from these narrators. Everything about the book and narration was very well done! The book is also clean so I can recommend it to others with no reservations.

A story unlike one I’ve yet to read

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up Scales of Ash & Smoke but I thoroughly enjoyed it! Schneider created a rich world (that I’m very glad I don’t live in) where dragons reign over the human slaves. I’ve never read a book where dragons take on human traits so I found this very intriguing and a lot of fun to read (listen to?)! I absolutely loved the magic system Schneider created, and Prince Tarrin, of course. If you’re looking for a fun, magic-filled dragon read with a cruel villain, give SOAAS a read!

Loved

I loved this book and the narrators. Kept me completely focused. Can’t wait to listen to book 2.

It’s fluff

The story has no substance. Predictable. It was fine but nothing to recommend. All flash and fluff with no depth.