Scars Beneath a Serpent's Scales

Stephanie White

Slow burn story

"I would give the book a 4.5 and only because I think it was a little to long? We have a magical world, where it appears that mostly everyone has a "tie" to a "fate" - which there were 12 but now are 11 - and Emmaline is a teacher at the academy. She is brought in by the head of the academy along with Roremar to solve murders taking place on the island. I will tell you - who I thought was the bad guy - wasn't the bad guy and left me shocked - and the one secondary character that was murdered left me the same way. Also, the truth about Emmaline's powers. We got unique world building, two main characters that really don't like each other to begin with, friends that are like family, I wish there had been found family at the end - but maybe in the second book? ["

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April 16, 2026 Verified Purchase

Paige J.

HOLY FATES - Read this!!

"HOLY FATES. This book is so special. Everything in this book flowed so beautifully together - the characters, the relationships, the world & magic, the descriptions & imagery, and even the meddling fates. While simultaneously weaving a delicious mystery and investigative plot, Nicole also manages to give us raw characters, mental health and grief rep, and the most painful slow burn. This book had me gripped from the first damn page, and kept me guessing until the very last page. It made me laugh, it made me yearn, it made me cry, and most importantly it made me feel. I love our flawed and gritty FMC, Emmeline. And I love our protective and sassy MMC, Roremor. I love the relationship they (try?) to build and how they navigate breaking down emotional walls. I can already tell The Fatesworn Saga is going to be another god-tired series after just this book. I am so excited, and scared, to see what else Nicole’s brain has in store for us in this series. ["

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May 2, 2026 Verified Purchase

Jenna's Just Reading

A Slow-Burn Romantasy with a Dark, Twisty Mystery

"⭐⭐⭐✨ 3.75/5 Plot / Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing Style ⭐⭐⭐ Atmosphere/Vibes ⭐⭐⭐ Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️ If you’re in the mood for a romantasy that blends celestial magic, a murder mystery, and a very slow-burn romance, let’s talk about Scars Beneath a Serpent’s Scales by Nicole Platania, because this one definitely has some things going for it. First, I listened to the audiobook (thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the ALC), and I have to say: the dual narration was so well done. It really pulled me into the story and made the character dynamics feel more immersive, especially during some of the slower moments. The story is set on the gritty and dangerous Isle of Lyra, where we follow Emmeline DeLeoste, a fate-reader who can communicate with the stars (which is as cool as it sounds, but also comes with consequences), and Roremar Silventa, who has a reputation, a past, and just enough mystery to keep things interesting. When women start turning up dead, marked in unsettling ways, the two are forced to work together to figure out what’s going on. What I think this book does really well is balance character and plot. Yes, there’s a murder mystery driving things forward, but the heart of the story is definitely in the characters and their relationships. I found myself genuinely invested in Emmeline and Roremar, and their dynamic felt natural and earned. It’s a slow build, but if you like that kind of tension, it delivers. The mystery element also kept me engaged. It gave the story momentum, especially in the second half, and I kept wanting to go just one more chapter to see how things would unfold. Now - where this one didn’t fully land for me. The worldbuilding and magic system are really interesting in theory - things like the Fates, readings, and fate ties - but I did find myself wishing for a little more clarity. There were moments where I felt like I was supposed to understand how something worked, but didn’t quite have enough information to fully grasp it. A bit more explanation would have made the world feel more immersive instead of slightly confusing at times. The writing style and atmosphere were good, but not quite as vivid as I personally tend to love. You know those books where you feel completely dropped into the world? This one didn’t quite reach that level for me, but it still held my attention. The romance is definitely slow-burn, and there is some spice (🌶️🌶️🌶️), but it feels earned and fits the story rather than overpowering it. And then… the ending. Let’s just say, it very clearly sets up book two. If you’re not a fan of cliffhangers, consider yourself warned. I will absolutely be continuing, though, because I need to know what happens next. Overall, I enjoyed this one. It didn’t completely blow me away, but it kept me engaged, made me care about the characters, and left me wanting more, which is always a good sign. If you enjoy romantasy with: a murder mystery plot character-driven storytelling slow-burn romance and a slightly darker, grittier setting …this is definitely one to add to your TBR. Especially if you liked Crescent City and want something with a similar blend of magic and investigation. ["

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March 30, 2026

H Henderson

The romantasy/mystery combo you didn’t know you needed till now!!

"♾️⭐️{infinite} Nicole does it again folks!! Another beautifully written story that’ll have you on the edge of your seat, with characters you would kill for by the end! The banter and slow burn between Emmeline and Roremar had me meltinggg! The friendships forged 🥹🥹 And trying to figure out who the killer on Lyra is had me trusting nobodyyy. This was a mystery done so SOOO right. And the blend of the celestial magic, romantasy, and murder mystery was truly a combo I didn’t know I ever needed! And the way the narrators brought the characters and story to life was just outstanding (so grateful for the ALC from @netgalley)! Highly recommend the audiobook for those of you that love them like I do! And recommend an immersive read even more!! I’m utterly obsessed with this one and cannot wait to be able to re-read and uncover things I missed. And Nicole, I’m sending my therapy bill to you cuz what in the heck were you trying to do to me with that ending 😅😱😰 I may never recover. But also cannot wait to see where you take this story next!! Just go read it okay?! You won’t regret it. This is everything a romantasy should be and I’m telling you now that it’s going to take the world by storm!! 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮: 🐍 celestial magic 💫 slow burn 🐍 mürder mystery 💫 dual pov 🐍 reluctant allies to lovers 💫 lots of emotional damage 𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼: “ɪ’ᴠᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇᴅ ꜱᴏʟᴠɪɴɢ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴡᴀꜱ ꜰᴏʀᴇᴘʟᴀʏ” “ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪɢɴɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋɴᴇꜱꜱ, ʜᴜɴᴛʀᴇꜱꜱ. ʏᴏᴜ ꜱʜᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɪʀ ꜰᴇʟᴛ ᴛᴏᴏ ᴛʜɪᴄᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴛᴏᴏ ʜᴇᴀᴠʏ.” “ɴᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴜꜱ ᴇxɪꜱᴛ ɪɴ ɪꜱᴏʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. ᴡᴇ’ʀᴇ ꜰᴏʀɢᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ʟɪᴠᴇꜱ, ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ᴜꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇꜱ ꜰᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇꜱꜱᴏɴꜱ ʟᴇᴀʀɴᴇᴅ.” “ᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴀʏ,” ᴇᴍᴍᴇʟɪɴᴇ ᴍᴜᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ, “ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ɪ’ʟʟ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ… ᴍʏ ᴇᴍ… ɪ’ʟʟ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀʟᴀxɪᴇꜱ.” ["

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March 26, 2026 Verified Purchase

Booktokqutiepie

A unique twist on a genre fav

"This book completely pulled me in with its unique storyline and immersive fantasy world. Blending celestial magic, fortune-telling, and an academy setting with a gripping murder mystery set deep within a jungle, the story felt fresh and atmospheric. Roremar, our fiercely protective MMC, and Emmeline, a fearless FMC hiding secrets of her own, made an unforgettable pairing. Their dynamic was filled with sharp banter, tension, and undeniable chemistry that drew me in immediately. Both characters carried layers of mystery, and watching their walls slowly crack while danger closed in around them was incredibly satisfying. The world-building was rich and vivid, and the magic system felt inventive and different from anything I’ve read recently. Between fated magic, whispered prophecies, and hidden truths lurking within the academy, the story kept me constantly guessing. The murder-mystery element was especially well done , no one felt safe, and every character became a suspect at some point in my mind. The tension between Emmeline and Roremar was delicious. The banter, the emotional push and pull, and the spice were perfectly balanced. Listening to Roremar’s chapters was an experience I genuinely wish I could relive for the first time again. I experienced this story through the audiobook, narrated by Annalee Scott and Xander Stone, and it elevated the entire journey. Xander’s raspy voice was absolutely perfect for Roremar, capturing his intensity and vulnerability beautifully. Annalee brought depth and emotion to Emmeline, making every revelation hit harder. Together, they brought the full cast to life and created an incredibly immersive listening experience. Overall, I’m giving this book a solid 4 stars and 3🌶️ for spice. I highly recommend experiencing this story on audio if you want a fantasy filled with magic, mystery, romance, and emotional intensity that fully pulls you into its world. ["

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May 10, 2026