Chatoyant Scales follows the perspective of Natalie Steward. When Humans settled the Horus Space Liner on her planet, she watched. Humans weren’t technically supposed to settle on a planet with life that had the potential to become human-equivalent species, but there was only her. The rest of her species were defined as dinosauriformes-like terrestrial vertebrates called Chatoyants. So, there was only a little grey area to fudge. A couple hundred years later, and Natalie lives as a reporter within the human walls like a chameleon. She is forced to face the consequences of the decisions that were made without her when she discovers that poaching her species has continued.

This book basically takes place on a plant with massive dinosaurs that have highly desired scales.