Hot Off the Shelf: Scales and Scoundrels by Sebastian Girner, Galaad, and Jeff Powell
[I received free copies of these books in exchange for an honest review and I honestly LOVED them. Post contains an affiliate link.]
I’ve been in something of a reading slump lately. Part of it is that my brain is so focused on finishing my own book that I haven’t had the mental energy to give as much to others. Whenever I get into a slump, I turn to graphic novels because even when my brain feels like scrambled eggs, they keep my attention. Not only did Scales and Scoundrels hold my attention, but I was so engrossed I couldn’t put it down! I stayed up well into the wee hours reading because I had to know what happened next.
This spoiler-free review is for Scales and Scoundrels books 1 and 2, Where Dragons Wander and The Festival of Life. Before we dive in further, here’s what they’re about:
Book 1: Where Dragons Wander
It's hard to make an honest living in a land brimming with magic and mystery, and treasure hunter Luvander is tired of being a penniless adventurer. Ever in search of gold and glory, she sets off for a fabled dungeon The Dragon's Maw, an ancient labyrinth, at the bottom of which slumber endless wealth...or certain doom! A loner by trade, Luvander is forced to team up with a team of scraggly adventurers, each hoping to find a treasure of their own in the forbidden tomb. There is Prince Aki, of the Scarlet Sands Empire, anxious for first taste of adventure yet blind to the consequences. His royal Shadow and bodyguard, Koro, whose very honor hangs in the balance of her prince's success. And Dorma Iron, a stocky young dwarf whose journey will take her deeper into the darkness than she ever wished to tread. For these scruffy heroes, what starts out as a road to riches becomes the first step on an epic journey to destiny, for Luvander holds a secret in her heart that will shatter the chains of fate, and bring light to a world encroached upon by an ancient darkness."
Book 2: The Festival of Life
Following a tense standoff with her elders, Luvander sets off to find a way to break the chains of her cursed fate. Undeterred by danger, she travels to the frozen northern wastes of the Spine of Winter, to a reclusive monastery whose monks guard a secret entrance to the Dragon Dream, the shared plane of consciousness of all Urden, living or long passed. What she finds there will set her on a journey beyond where any mortals, and few dragons have tread, to uncover an ancient secret from the darkest corners of history. Continuing the epic journey of the cursed dragon princess and her fellow scoundrels in a world bent on undoing itself.
I was hooked from the first chapter because I love a story with a witty, adventurous chick who takes no shit and whoops up on dudes. Luvander does not disappoint! She’s the kind of character I think all girls and women dream of being, and she makes the “scoundrel” label look like a compliment. If she’s a scoundrel, I want to be a scoundrel too. She’s smart, knows how to read people, is super athletic, and did I mention she can turn into a dragon?!
Which explains her ability to sniff out treasure. I can’t help but love a protagonist who’s willing to risk it all for an invaluable treasure because… have you seen the shit I go through for a good bargain?! I get it. If I lived in Luvander’s world, I’d totally be a treasure-hunter too. But while being a dragon allows Luvander to have the nose to detect treasure, she doesn’t hunt alone. Every hero(ine) needs a rowdy gang of sidekicks, including one who pretty much hates her because their personalities don’t jive––and Luvander has a motley crew of dedicated adventurers by her side.
Honestly, my only complaint is that one of the members of the gang isn’t with the other three for the majority of Book 2, but Book 2 ends on a cliffhanger, so I’m holding out that the character will be back in the fold in Book 3. It could be the classic Scooby-Doo move where the gang splits up to cover separate ground and both groups find each other at just the perfect time. Fingers crossed!
I don’t make the Scooby-Doo reference as a jab––I love an adventure tale that’s sliiiiiightly formulaic in a comforting way. Those are the kind of stories I gravitate toward to get me out of a reading slump, which is part of why I loved Scales & Scoundrels as much as I did. The other part of it is that the art is excellent, the characters are distinct and get their own moments to shine, and the world-building is simultaneously new and interesting, yet classic and comforting. You can easily dive right in and understand the characters’ motivations. I’m not trying to break my brain with a million worlds and characters like Game of Thrones––I just want an enjoyable read that doesn’t make me work too hard and that’s what Scales & Scoundrels delivers.
I also really appreciated that there’s diversity in race throughout the book without racism being A Thing. What I like about fantasy and sci-fi books is that the world is so unlike ours. There’s enough of our human nature in the characters that they feel relatable, but if there’s an element of reality that’s unsavory or doesn’t fit the world, you can leave it out. I love the idea of Black and white people living harmoniously in the world, which is what Scales & Scoundrels shows. I’m here for it!
Speaking of worlds, there are a handful of different locales in Luvander’s world and each is interesting and unique without being overwhelming. It’s easy to keep straight who lives where and what their customs are, which I appreciate. Again, there’s no 200 distinct regions like Game of Thrones––and thank goodness for that.
Scales & Scoundrels has themes of wandering, finding treasure, and making friends––all of which are things I can relate to more than usual right now. Wandering, because after being unable to travel for 18 months due to the pandemic, my wanderlust has been through the roof. Finding treasure because, while not traveling, I picked up the hobby of creeking, which is when you go dig around in creeks for interesting rocks (or in my case, historic bricks). And making friends because five––yes, FIVE––of my close friends are all moving out of state by the end of the summer, so my ass is about to be real lonely. I’ve been putting myself out there more and getting to know people. (Have I mentioned that making friends as an adult isn’t the easiest thing?)
All that to say, Scales & Scoundrels checked a lot of boxes for me. Sometimes a book you need finds you at just the right time and that’s how I felt reading it. I’m already looking forward to the next installment!
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