Tightly woven and thoroughly engaging; this middle grade fantasy novel will win over boys and girls of all ages. Thought to extinct for decades, merrows have only lived in the imagination. Merrows were water breathing humans able to live on land and under water and were thought to be quite magical and strong although no one is sure why or when they disappeared. When eleven year old Mira is abducted from her cozy little coastal town along with her best friend Peter, they have no idea what kind of adventure they are about to embark on. Everything they knew about their kingdom and their lives is about to be flipped upside down as they try to keep one step ahead of the shadowveils who are hunting them and their new companions. Mira and Peter as well as a flying horse, a mischievous young boy, a sly gnome, and a saucy woman must race against the clock to discover the secrets of the merrows, rescue their kidnapped friends, and evade the shadowveils. Accompanying each chapter is a gorgeous illustration to really help paint the scene. Wonderfully paced and imagined; this fantasy novel is unique and readers will be eagerly waiting for the rest of this series. ( )

Hidden Scales offers away a wonderfully imagined world with courageous and likable characters that were thrown in an adventure towards solving mysteries and unlocking some secrets about themselves.

I like the story, mainly because it feels like I’ve found another magical and fantastic story where I can be a kid myself again. I enjoyed joining the characters in their journey onto finding answers to their questions and also their curious minds. I also like the narration. The town, the capital, and other places were impressively described that you’ll feel like the places were slowly showing itself around you. The way the author tells the story is fascinating because even though I’m not a kid anymore, it does not make me feel bored on reading this. I also love how things were discovered and how most of the stuff in the story is unpredictable.

We have a handful of characters here, but I will talk about Mira, Kay, and Peter the most.

Mira is the main character here. She’s a merrow, but she didn’t know it yet until she saw those silver scales on her feet and she triggers a curse that will lead her to an adventure – to find stuff about being a merrow and to run away from dangerous spies. As a character and also a kid, it is understandable at times why she acts in some ways like being excited over things that are new to her eyes and getting curious over stuff that is unknown and yet intriguing to them. I also remember Bella of Twilight in Mira, in some ways, but I won’t say how because it will spoil you.

Kay is one of the characters here. If I will describe him, he’s fast-learner, dependable, and smart. Kay can quickly react and find some solution in every situation. He is also supportive of his companions, especially with Mira.

Peter. Peter is me, I think lol! He is the bookworm in the group because he likes books. And when he needs to find some answers to every problem they have been experiencing, his always go-to is the books. He knows that books might have the possibility to carry answers to their questions. He is a quiet yet bright kid.

The plot is amazing. And I know that many kids and older readers will enjoy this novel. It offers a variety of things that will surely make you engaged until the end. I hope to see more development in the next book, and I’m looking forward to seeing more about the merrows and other creatures in the story.

Overall, this middle-grade fantasy will surely be loved by MG readers. I am recommending it to anyone who likes MG fantasy and anyone who wants to try MG fantasy.

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader's copy from the author. ( )