Bound in Scales (2017) is a fantasy series written by Steven De Luca in which the first book follows Alduce, a human Science Wizard who after a life-changing encounter with a Galdor, a dragon, pursues his life-long passion of completing 'The Atlas of Dragons'—a definitive guide to dragon lore. Using a combination of both sorcery and science, he grants himself the ability to turn into a dragon in order to better study their colony. However after befriending Sunburst, a kindred-spirit and the accidental aquisition of the dragons' most-guarded knowledge, his dragon self becomes more than just an alter ego (quite literally). Following an incident in which Alduce's human identity is revealed to Sunburst, the dragon mysteriously vanishes the day after. Torn between embracing his new-found way of life and continuing his scholarly pursuits, Alduce chooses to leave the dragon colony in search of his friend's whereabouts.
The sequel, Bound in Black (2020) picks up on the story several months after the ending of the first. Its first half is a prequel, revealing the backstory of Galdor the Green and how he ended up imprisoned in Alduce's world. The second half follows Alduce and his companion's visit to Galdor's world where they are entangled in a conspiracy involving Blaze who had declared open war on humanity after taking Galdor's spot as The Leader and the other dragons, who have gone into hiding.
Bound in Scales provides examples of:
- Dark and Troubled Past: After Alduce's parents died, he was taken by an incredibly abusive orphanage, until after several attempts of begging, ends up apprenticed to a wizard.
- Early Personality Signs: Alduce has always had an early fascination with dragons even as a child, when his father would read him bedtime stories to sleep.
- Humans Are Bastards: The entire reason why the dragons have hidden themselves far away from humans is to avoid being hunted by them. Humans are also the people who kidnap Sunburst in the first book to extract his blood as a magic component.
- Lost Technology: Flaire artifacts have their own kind of magic and are used to travel between worlds and act as magic batteries with nearly-infinite capacity.
- Magic Versus Science: Averted, in that both humans and dragons wield magic. Alduce is the only character shown to have a working laboratory using electric lightbulbs for lighting.
- Scaled Up: Alduce can switch between his human and dragon forms, although at a high metabolic cost.
- Split Personality: Nightstar eventually manifests into a second mental voice, although their relationship is amiable and their minds remain fused together most of the time.
- Superpowered Alter Ego: Nightstar has a mind of his own, complete with a dragon personality and mentality. In addition, the ability to wield human magic allows him to resist most of the magic that humans cast at him.
- The Magic Goes Away: According to Sunburst and the intrinsic knowledge granted to all dragons at birth, dragons are part of a natural cycle in which they are fated to decline due to humanity and when all dragons are gone, human magic and the fantastical elements of the world disappear as well, to be replaced by technology.
- Sworn Brothers: Dragon blood is inherently magical and, after Nightstar and Sunburst give each other their blood and a scale on two separate occasions involving saving the other's life, they are able to view the memories of the other, giving them a bond closer than brothers.
- Wrong Context Magic: Alduce can cast both human and dragon magic, which have interesting effects when they interact.
