The Princess Knight (The Scarred Earth Saga, #2)

by G.A. Aiken

USA Today Bestseller
An Amazon Best of the Month Selection

“Electrically fun...turns the usual fairy-tale class dynamics upside down...this is a book that encourages trust in people’s goodness, if not their patience or good sense. It’s light on the romance, but prodigiously good for the heart.”
—The New York Times 

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 . . .
 
Praise for The Blacksmith Queen
 
“It may be laugh-out-loud funny, but at its heart this is a story of a woman who cares deeply for both the family she has and the one she creates.”
—Bookpage

“Tilting more toward fantasy, this paranormal romance will be a hit with fans of both genres who enjoy tales that are lighthearted and humorous.”
—Booklist

• ISBN10: 149672125X
• ISBN13: 9781496721259
• Publish Date: 24 November 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Kensington
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781496721259

Reviews

[FranJessca @ A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog]

The Princess Knight is the second book to G.A. Aiken’s The Scarred Earth Saga. I was anxious to start reading the second book in the series, especially after the first book. I was surprised that this book would mostly focus on Gemma and Quinn. Don’t get me wrong; I loved getting to read their POVs. I enjoyed the action and getting to know the other characters, more though in this book. 

My Thoughts: First off, be advised that Princess Knight picks up two years after The Blacksmith Queen. I was a little confused when I started reading this book because of some things that happened, and I didn’t expect it to be so far ahead. I felt lost and was hoping for a refresher. There was also an overload with additional characters in this book that I was not prepared for, and it makes me want a companion book to keep up with them. I will give G.A. Aiken props because I don’t know how she keeps up with all the characters. I will also give her props for her world-building skills. A lot is going on in this series, which is why I would love a companion book or even a map to keep with it all.

The main couple in this book are Gemma and Quinn, and they are continually bantering with each other. (They remind me of an old married couple.) It drove me crazy at times with these two because Quinn was annoying at times. I will say that these two tended to bring out the best in each other. If Gemma were doing something that she shouldn’t, then Quinn would call her out on it. (Believe me there is a lot of these two helping each other in this book.) Gemma is an angry person, which is why she fits nicely as a War Monk, especially meeting the other War Monks in this book. (They are some scary people.) Although Keeley will always be my favorite in the series because she’s kick-butt, but she’s also caring, especially towards animals. (Even animals that everyone deems as demon-like creatures.) Don’t get me wrong, I love Gemma, but she can come off as too-much at times. I do like her when she wants to go after Beatrix. That sister is someone I don’t like.

For me, this book only gets 3.5-stars, but that’s due to certain aspects that drove me crazy. Some of it I discussed above in my review. I felt the writing was rushed in certain parts of the book, and then the dialogue came off as immature with the characters. I expect the characters to be more mature, especially in this kind of world that G.A. Aiken has created. I do like this book, but it’s not a favorite. I will continue with the series because I need to know if Keeley and/or Gemma, eventually beat Queen Beatrix. That sister is awful! I can’t stand her.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, if you are a fan of G.A. Aiken/Shelly Laurenston and enjoy Fantasy Romance books. If you are a fan of Fantasy Romance stories that focus more on world-building and action-packed scenes, then this book is for you. If you expect steamy romance scenes and characters that fall madly in love with each other, you will be disappointed. This book is all about the storyline and all the characters in it. It’s not just about the main characters.

I need to read the Dragon Kins series because something happens in this book to make readers of her Dragon Kin series happy. I feel like I’m missing out because I haven’t read that series. I promise to make time to read the Dragon Kin series in 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher, Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of The Princess Knight in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Princess Knight is the second novel in The Scarred Earth Saga by G.A. Aiken, a chaotic and brilliant adventure like no other I've seen.

It's been two years since the events of The Blacksmith Queen, yet the war is still impending. Two sisters sit on two different thrones. One fights for love and all that is right. The other fights only for herself.

It doesn't take a genius to know which sister Gemma Smythe declared her loyalty to. Even if Keeley and her can't seem to get along for even five minutes. Still, Gemma walked away from the War Monks, to protect her family and stand by her sister's side.

“Yes',' he finally stated. 'She is a worthy champion.”

The Princess Knight was somehow everything and nothing like what I expected, all at the same time. I knew that Gemma's story would be quite different from Keeley's adventure, but I don't think I could ever have imagined just how much.

Gemma is War Monk, a religious sect dedicated to taking down their foes. Naturally, that in itself says a lot about Gemma. But it is far from her whole story, as I quickly learned upon diving into The Princess Knight.

To put it simply: Gemma's story was quite a bit graphic, but it was also brilliant and intense. It had touches of humor and romance, much like the first novel in this series. Yet it very much stood on it's own as well, showing off all of the differences between two strong and fiercely determined sisters.

“All your scars, however, are 'Not only am I lucky to have survived, but I destroyed everything that was in my way and salted the ground my enemies walked upon.”

I ended up really enjoying this read, not just for the insight into Gemma's character, but for the fact that I got to see more of this world. It's a world I would happily read a dozen more books about. So you can't really blame me for hoping to see more from this series.

On that note – I can't wait to find out who will be the main focus for the next book. Given the pattern established, I can only assume that it will be another one of the many siblings in this family. I have a few theories on who that might be. Granted, I may be wrong entirely about that as well. Either way, I'm very much looking forward to finding out what happens next.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[EBookObsessed]

G.A. Aiken has assembled quite the cast of characters for this adventure.

This is the second book of a fun new series by G.A. Aiken. The second story features my favorite two characters from the first book. The first is Gemma, sister to Keeley, the Blacksmith Queen. Keeley never understood why Gemma would leave her family to become a nun and dedicate herself to a god instead of her family.  But the simple peace nun part was only a disguise.  My favorite parts of the first story is when Gemma would approach some warriors that were trying to attack them and they would laugh at the nun and she'd rip off the nun cloak and underneath was her chainmail and order markings and suddenly warriors were screaming "War Monk" and running away.   Gemma had risen quickly among the monks of her order but shockingly, not every loves the bristly Gemma, not that she cares at all, but there were some who objected to her rising to a leadership role. Her future among the monks was thwarted when her mentor sends her back to her family to protect them from an assassination attempt by her younger sister, Beatrice, who had delusions of grandeur that she was to be queen of all the land, and who is now married to the Old King's son and rules half of the country, while the Blacksmith Queen rules the other half.

The hero of this story is Quinn who is an Amichais (or Centaur) and he is the brother of Caid (Keeley's lover). Quinn is the polar opposite of Gemma. While Gemma is always on guard and no-nonsense, Quinn can't stay serious for five minutes straight. He is simply incorrigible and the more somber a situation, the more he needs to screw with everyone for no one's entertainment but his own.  Quinn is the youngest son of the family and will likely never be a leader to his people.  Hence he has no real responsibilities and as the baby of the group, he never has any worries.

Quinn has made himself part of Gemma's protection. Protection that a well-trained War Monk doesn't need but as Gemma is a princess now to her sister Keeley's throne, she find herself mostly being tossed back behind Quinn as Gemma is usually out front in any battle with sword in hand. Romance-wise, Gemma and Quinn's connection is more laid back. We have seen this dynamic in prior G.A. Aiken/Shelly Laurenston stories, especially her honey badgers, where the hero is very laid back and really just follows around the heroine who is kind of bat-shit crazy in a hold-my-hoops, already ready to fight way.   His job is to guard her back while she's kicking butt and taking names and maybe, sometimes, stop her before she tries to take on someone too big to battle alone.  While there is no grand gesture romance or passionate longing looks, we do have Quinn always ready to stand beside Gemma in every battle she gets into or starts...mostly starts.

In The Princess Knight, someone is attacking and killing the various religious orders in the country. Monasteries, churches, temples, etc. are all being attacked and burned and the leaders inside murdered. Keeley always feels the need to protect everyone, which makes her a perfect Queen.  So regardless of the fact that none of these factions and their various gods get along,  Gemma agrees to locate surviving witches, peace monks, temple virgins, divine assassins and the like and offer them a place a safety with Queen Keeley. Gemma also wants to go take care of the War Monks of her Order, none of whom knew about her assignment to protect her family, and even knowing they believe Gemma abandoned her duties, she goes to offer them safety with Keeley.

And while Gemma is out and about the countryside, she decides its time to visit little sister Beatrice's castle to find out whether or not she is behind the attacks on the religious orders and even if she isn't (and who else could it be) but knowing Beatrice, that evil brat is to be up to something, and Gemma is determined to find out what before Beatrice and  her army sneak up to Keeley's door. Of course, the various religious misfits Gemma and Quinn have collected want to come along.  Well, maybe having a common enemy will keep them from killing each other.

This series is just so fun and it is an interesting twist on the usual G.A. Aiken/Shelly Laurenston stories but like most of her stories, the cast of characters is such an eclectic collection of oddballs that you have to keep watching just to see what they are going to do next. We meet some more crazy characters at the end so I am not sure who will be the focus of the next book.  Whether it will be another little sister since Gemma's parents can't seem to stop procreating, or one of the new characters just tossed it, we will need to wait and see.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

See more at EBookObsessed.com

[ashycandle]

This is an adventure to read, so much was going on and every page made me want to rush through it. I typically don't like reading contemporary books and more of dystopian, royal, and fantasy. This is exactly what is was like reading it and of course there is romance which personally makes the story more interesting for me.
I think there might've been a first book to this called the Blacksmith Queen I believe and even though I didn't read that yet, which I will in due time, the story flowed well and was able to catch me up. If you are like me and love fantasy and romance, then I totally recommend reading this. Although I think there is a first book to this, so read that book first lol. Overall love it!

[stacey_is_sassy]

Blink and you will miss the love story…

The Princess Knight was a bloody good story but it wasn’t a great “love” story.

I could easily leave my review at that because I think it sums it up quite nicely.

But… I can’t help myself, and I probably need to explain my 5-star rating for a not great love story, so, here goes…

G.A. Aiken again proves her stuff writing such a thoroughly entertaining para/fantasy. The characters were strong, determined, obstinate, and extremely passionate about protecting and caring for those they love. The humour in this tale is off the charts and you can’t help but wear a goofy grin while reading. The storyline is riveting with very clear goodies and baddies and the goodies have me wanting to strap on armour and raise my sword to the cause.

This may not appeal to some, but I absolutely love the clarity identifying the good and bad guys. I don’t like suffering (along with the characters) when a friend turns out to be a foe. Sure, I get over it, but there is a little part of my book-loving heart that breaks with the betrayal. G.A. Aiken makes you feel connected to The Blacksmith Queen, her loyal Princess Knight, and the motley crew who stand with them. She also gives you a clear target with the very greedy, deceitful, and unemotional Beatrix. I know where my loyalty lies.

The family dynamics are a little crazy with siblings Keeley, Gemma, Beatrix, Ainsley, and a whole bunch of other brothers and sisters we haven’t formally met yet. Beatrix, obviously, is not really part of the family. She showed no loyalty, love, or care for her family, so she’s out and I’m very satisfied that in this instalment she reinforced the need to completely ostracise her. I really can’t see the author redeeming her, to be honest. Between Keeley, Gemma, and Ainsley, they squabble like most siblings but it’s obvious they love and care for each other. We also have the centaur siblings Cade, Laila and Quinn (forgive me if I've spelt their names wrong). Again, they squabble but they definitely have each other’s backs.

So, we get to the romance… or maybe lack of romance, part of the story. You’re going to laugh at this but it kind of worked. See, Gemma and Quinn are not mushy gushy people so we weren’t going to 'see' them pining over each other. They’ve seen some truly horrible stuff since the *War of Sisters* (my words, not a quote) began. Gemma is a War Monk who deals death blows daily. While she is passionate, she’s never really had the time or inclination to dedicate to someone who she could love. Quinn is such a great character with a dry sense of humour I really appreciate. He is strong, a great fighter, and very proud whether he has two legs or four.

Initially, Quinn and Gemma seem odd together, because they appear to hate each other. I even had to go back to the blurb to work out who the main couple was supposed to be. When they do eventually connect, it’s a blink and you could miss it type of connection. But, you realise that is was just the final piece to their love story that needed to be placed.

The Princess Knight was everything I hoped for and more. Packed with action, adventure, intrigue and a huge dose of humour, I loved every minute of it. I’m just sorry it took me days to get it read. I’m tempted to read it again when I can dedicate some serious hours to reading. I kind of miss those days where I could dedicate hours on end to sit and concentrate on a book. While I still love reading, there are too many things going on in my world… our world, that's messing with my concentration.

If you haven’t read a G.A. Aiken and love para/fantasy with a decent dose of humour, I highly recommend giving The Scarred Earth Saga a try.

Stacey is Sassy, received an advanced copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.