#Review - The Heretic Royal by G.A. Aiken #Fantasy

Series: The Scarred Earth Saga # 3
Format: Paperback, 336 pages
Release Date: December 27, 2022
Publisher: ‎ Kensington
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy

In the G.A. Aiken’s fantasy follow up to the USA Today bestselling Scarred Earth Saga’s The Princess Knight and The Blacksmith Queen, two sisters battle for a single throne, warring factions take up arms, a land is divided, and uncertain allies become very certain lovers . . . With subtle commentary on today’s political polarization, this riveting epic celebrates strong female characters and champions the underdog within a diverse, high fantasy framework.

Gods save the queen!

Ainsley Farmerson has always planned to break free of the family business—and the family drama. But what was once farming, smithworking, and bickering over the dinner table has turned into open warfare between sisters. Sides have been taken, lives are on the line, and Ainsley has no doubt which sister must be queen. She’ll do whatever is necessary to take down the soulless Beatrix. Even if that means joining forces with angry battle nuns, irritating monks, and overbearing centaurs.

Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan has no time for human beings. And yet . . . there is something about the uncontrollable princess that he can’t ignore. Maybe it’s the way her eldest sisters underestimate her. Or her bravery facing down dragons and mad queens from distant lands. Whatever the reason, Gruff is willing to fight by this human’s side. Not only for the entertainment value, but because she’s right. Beatrix must never be queen. So whatever he has to do, whoever he has to destroy, Gruff will battle beside Ainsley. Fast. Hard. And with absolutely no mercy . . .

The Heretic Royal is the 3rd installment in author G.A. Aiken's The Scarred Earth Saga. The saga of the Farmerson clan pits sister against sister with divided loyalties making for inherently high stakes drama. It has become apparent to me, that the author intends to write a story about the entire Smythe-Famerson Clan. Well, maybe just the sisters. The first installment featured blacksmith Keeley, who is now Queen of her own realm. The second installment featured Gemma, who is a former War Monk, now raised to the position of Princess Knight. 

Now, this third installment seems to focus most of its time split between Ainsley, Gemma, Keeley, younger sister Isadora and the evil sister, Beatrix who has no soul. Ainsley Farmerson has always planned to break free of the family business—and the family drama. But what was once farming, smithworking, and bickering over the dinner table has turned into open warfare between sisters. Sides have been taken, lives are on the line, and Ainsley has no doubt which sister must be queen. 

Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan of Centaurs has no time for human beings. And yet there is something about the uncontrollable princess Ainsley that he can’t ignore. Maybe it’s the way her eldest sisters Keeley and Gemma underestimate her. Especially Gemma. Or her bravery facing down dragons and mad queens from distant lands. Whatever the reason, Gruff is willing to fight by this human’s side. Not only for the entertainment value, but because she’s right. Beatrix must never be queen. 

Ainsley will do whatever is necessary to take down the soulless Beatrix. Even if that means joining forces with angry battle nuns, irritating monks, and overbearing centaurs as well as newly arrived dragons led by Annwyl, the Bloody who from passed over the Amichai Mountains to encounter the person who has been stealing children. Griff will also do whatever he has to do, whoever he has to destroy, Gruff will battle beside Ainsley. Fast. Hard. And with absolutely no mercy. 

Even though this book is more or less filled with snark and some romance, it is the Dragons and Centaurs that once again carry the weight of the story with their antics, and desire for bloodshed. While this story focuses on Ainsley and Gruffyn; Keeley and Caid plus Gemma and Quinn do feature in the story too, and readers are introduced to Isadora, yet another sister/daughter. But, never forget that sister Beatrix, who nearly killed Keeley, is waiting patiently to make her move.

I am curious about one thing however. The author's Dragon Kin series made to 6 books. Are we to expect the same of this series as well? If you have read the Dragon Kin series, expect to see not only Annwyl, but Fearghus, Briec the Mighty, Gwenvael the Handsome, Dagmar Reinholdt aka the Beast, Ragnar the Cunning, and Ghleanna the Decimator and others. It is fair to say that my rating was for the lack of action. While there is some towards the end of the story, it's more or less a game of chess where the players are putting all their pieces into place before moving ahead. 

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#Review - The Princess Knight by G.A. Aiken #Fantasy

Series: The Scarred Earth Saga # 2
Format: Kindle, 370 pages
Release Date: November 24, 2020
Publisher: Kensington Books
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Fantasy

In New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken’s gripping new fantasy romance series, the Blacksmith Queen must confront armies and pretenders desperate to take her new-won crown. But with the Princess Knight at her side and a centaur warrior clan at her back, she’ll risk everything for victory . . .
 
LONG LIVE THE QUEEN
 
Gemma Smythe dedicated her life to the glory of battle. With her fellow War Monks, she worshipped the war gods, rained destruction on her enemies, and raised the dead when the fancy took her. Until her sister Keeley became the prophesied Blacksmith Queen, and Gemma broke faith with her order to journey to the Amichai Mountain and fight by Keeley’s side.
 
The Amichai warriors are an unruly, never-to-be-tamed lot, especially their leader-in-waiting, Quinn. But when the War Monks declare support for Gemma’s ruthless younger sister Beatrix, the immaturity of her key ally is the least of Gemma’s problems. She has to get to the grand masters, dispel their grudge against her, and persuade them to fight for Keeley and justice. If her conviction can’t sway them, perhaps Quinn’s irritating, irreverent, clearly unhinged, ferocity will win the day . . .

The Princess Knight is the second installment in author G.A. Aiken's The Scarred Earth Saga. This story digs deeper into the background of Gemma, sister of Queen Keeley Smythe, and Monk Knight of the Order of the Righteous Valor who worships the War God Morthwyl. When Gemma left home 10 years ago, she dedicated her life to the Order after giving up her plans of following in her sister and mothers footsteps. She has vigorously trained and fought for her God but was prevented from being promoted by a jackboot with an axe to grind. 

But when the events of the previous book happen and a prophesy of a Blacksmith Queen is made known and coming true, she drops everything to go to her family as the late King's heirs will kill Keeley, Gemma's sister, before letting her come to power. Gemma is very different from her sister in many ways. Where Keeley, who carries a huge hammer, accepts everyone and offers no judgement and has demon wolves who follow her everywhere. Gemma is paranoid and sees danger in every corner. She also has a hard time at letting anyone in or near her heart. Gemma also has the ability to raise the dead.

Then there's Amichai warrior Quinn of the Scarred Earth Clan whose people have allied themselves with Keeley, Queen of the Western lands. Amichai's are centaurs who can take human form. Quinn does everything he can to break the ice surrounding Gemma's heart. He tells his cousins and brother that Gemma actually adores him. Both Gemma and Quinn could be a bit ridiculous at times, but it just added to the overall fun of the story. The eventual romance between Gemma and Quinn takes backstage amid the battles, the politics, the plans and every new character that appears.

Gemma, Keeley, and their allies discover that someone is tearing through houses of worship and stealing their artifacts. Since Beatrix worships to no God, that leaves only one person to blame; Cyrus who has his own army and plans on attacking Keeley when he has enough support behind him. Gemma decides that it is time to put away her past and pull together as many allies as she can to stand with Keeley. That includes walking back into the den of the beast and asking the Monk Knights for help.

There is part of this story that is from Beatrix's part, and let's just say that this girl is cold as ice and lacking any soul or emotions. She literally tried to kill her older sister who did nothing but be supportive of her for her entire miserable life. One of the sisters has to die, and we all know who I am hoping for to fall. We also get Ainsley, the 19-year-old sister of Keeley and Gemma who seems to have been ignored by her family. She's grown up to be a remarkable young woman who excels with her bow and arrow, and it's a good thing too since Ainsley becomes an important cog in the story's overall resolution. 

One could honestly say that the story took too much time away from Keeley, but seemingly introduces the next villain in the series who appears out of nowhere along with several dragons looking for a certain queen who shall remain nameless for fear of spoilers. I am sad that we haven't had a new book in this series since November of 2020. Yes, I know what the world was dealing with folks. I'm just saying that there absolutely needs to be a third installment in this series to resolve the presence of a new character who arrived in style.

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#Review - The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken #Fantasy

Series: The Scarred Earth Saga # 1
Format: Kindle, 306 pages
Release Date: August 27, 2019
Publisher: Kensington Books
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Fantasy

When a prophesy brings war to the Land of the Black Hills, Keeley Smythe must join forces with a clan of mountain warriors who are really centaurs in a thrilling new fantasy romance series from New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken.  

The Old King Is Dead
 
With the demise of the Old King, there’s a prophesy that a queen will ascend to the throne of the Black Hills. Bad news for the king’s sons, who are prepared to defend their birthright against all comers. But for blacksmith Keeley Smythe, war is great for business. Until it looks like the chosen queen will be Beatrix, her younger sister. Now it’s all Keeley can do to protect her family from the enraged royals.
 
Luckily, Keeley doesn’t have to fight alone. Because thundering to her aid comes a clan of kilt-wearing mountain warriors called the Amichai. Not the most socially adept group, but soldiers have never bothered Keeley, and rough, gruff Caid, actually seems to respect her. A good thing because the fierce warrior will be by her side for a much longer ride than any prophesy ever envisioned …

 

The Blacksmith Queen is the first installment in author G.A. Aiken's The Scarred Earth Saga. This story has the most action packed scenes of any book I've read this year. When the Old King dies, his sons immediately begin killing each other as well as anyone else who could possibly challenge them for the throne exactly as the King predicted it would. Marius, wielder of hate, is the eldest & ends up with 1/2 of his fathers army; Straton, the Devourer, has an army of mercenaries at his beck and call; Cyrus, the Honored, has the other half of his father's army. If you thought the opening scenes were out of this world, you haven't seen anything yet!

According to the Witches of Amhuinn, a prophecy claims that a farmer's daughter will be the next queen. As the brothers prepare to scour the Earth trying to find this farmer's daughter and raise any town that stands in their way, the question becomes, which daughter? Could it be Keeley Smythe who the oldest and a blacksmith with her own forge who carries a deadly battle hammer? Or, Beatrix who is a young woman with her nose always in books and who seems almost too introspective? She also wears the finest clothing anyone has seen and she is always wandering off.  

Everyone assumes that daughter is Beatrix, as she appears the one best suited to someday becoming a queen. To add even more craziness to the story, Sister Gemma, who left 10 years ago, is back and she's a War Monk! A War Monk is a Knight who has given up her life and soul to fight for one of the Gods called Morthwyl. She also has the ability to raise the dead and use the dead as her own army. Then the author adds a group of Centaurs led by Cade and Laila to the mix. They have been sent by the witches to test whether nor not Beatrix is the alleged Queen to be but arrive just in time to see Straton destroy everything in his path. 

Keeley does everything she can to stand up against the mercenaries and armies who invade her village, but it's a hopeless cause. Keeley, Beatrix, Cade, Laila, and Gemma's squire Samuel, travel to see the Amhuinn witches. After a disturbing betrayal, Keeley finds that she has been named as the prophesied Blacksmith Queen. All she needs to do is put an army together, ask the Centaurs, Dwarves, Elves and Barbarians to fight for her and viola! she's Queen. The degree of treacherous deeds by Beatrix in this story is mind blowing. 

The death and destruction that abounds in this book because of greed and the quest for power is staggering in most cases but we'll deserved in others...no good or bad deed goes unpunished. Keeley is a badass. She’s rude, surly, and violent, but she’s fun, very protective of her family, totally selfless and thinks outside the box. She's has her own forge, can wield a battle hammer capable of crushing a man's head in, and really stands out while Beatrix is a scheming off screen and Gemma is coming to terms with who she should stand by.

Although most family members constantly bicker, especially Keeley and Gemma, they always stand together as a family against any outside threat. The parents, Emma and Angus, are no joke when it comes to fighting and protecting their family. Add in the crazy uncle, the strange cousin who is either extremely sleepy or drunk all the time, and Keeley herself with her strange affinity for dangerous creatures that most people are calling demon wolves. Aiken uses secondary characters to share the experiences and it offers something different and gives us a more menacing light on some.  

Another added piece of information, this book takes place in the same world as the authors Dragon Kin series and there may or may not be a crossover in the third installment. If you are looking for a story that is filled with action, humor, twists,  betrayals, and heroines who have an attitude and humor, then congratulations you've found the right book for you!

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