G. A. Aiken can always be counted on for an action-packed and fast-paced adventure that doesn’t skimp on humor. The Princess Knight is no exception.

Gemma Smythe, currently a war monk and now a princess as well, helped her sister Keeley establish her kingdom in the western lands, while holding off her other sister Beatrix, who married Marius, the king of the eastern lands. She’s been away from her order for two years, but when religious orders are sacked and left to burn, she returns to figure out what’s going on. In between killing the leader of the order and trying to figure out what to do about the war horse she raised from the dead that’s returned and loves both Gemma and fresh blood, there’s also her battle cohort, some determined centaurs, and oh shit, is that her little sister? There’s also the remaining members of some sacked orders who’ve shown up as well, and while temple virgins and blood warlocks aren’t fun, NOBODY likes the truce vicar who just won’t stop talking.

Aiken manages to move the plot along quickly, with tons of characters from previous books fleshed out as well as new ones. The romance, like in The Blacksmith Queen, is very much a C plot in this, but it’s conducted with affection and friendship, which is what a War Monk facing down her evil sister and accompanied by a zombie warhorse needs.

G.A Aiken has done it, once again........ this is the second book in the series and whilst it can be read as a standalone I recommend reading the previous book to set the characters in place .
The book is in two parts - Gemma's relationship with her War Monk Monastery colleagues and a combination of the fight against Cyrus the Honoured and what Queen Beatrix is up to .

War Monk , Gemma - sister to blacksmith Queen Keely , and Queen Beatrix - has a nightmare/premonition .
Her Monastery in flames , her colleagues dead ! Determined to find the truth she goes back - to find that many Monasteries , Nuneries , Covens etc had been attacked and destroyed - their magical artifacts stolen by Cyrus the Honoured .
Tasked with saving as many factions as she can she returns to her sister Keely with a Blood Warlock, a Truce Vicar, Witches, Nuns and Blessed Virgins to aid their cause .
Can they defeat Cyrus ? Can Beatrix be foiled ?

The book is full of diverse realtionships , politics and family bonds - with great one liner snarky comments -
a great character driven book.
Do watch out for the brilliant surprise at the end !!!

I was given an arc of the book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Firstly folks - Beatrix transcends evil in a way that I think would be hard for real life people to do. There's monsters throughout history that the majority of the public agree are evil in every secular way a person can be evil.

And then there's Beatrix, who puts them all to shame.

Much like Keeley's book this is less a romance and more of a fantasy with emotions turning up occasionally. If I'm being strictly honest, that describes all of Aiken/Laurenston's books whether fantasy or paranormal. They don't follow the traditional romance novel trappings.

Oh Gemma talks about her feelings and Quinn certainly expresses his. The word love is tossed out and there's sex. Discussion of future plans together and how Gemma's life fits with Quinn's.

That's like 5% of the book. The rest involves squabbling religious sects who NEED to get along, sibling fighting, battles, necromancy and some interesting discussions about the nature of faith in a world where the gods will talk their followers as they like.

Maybe.

Or talk to a cheerful heretic queen who os a blacksmith and just happy to know her blacksmithing is probably going to save the world.

This felt a bit like a middle book, in that another piece had to be cleared off the table (Cyrus), except there's the twin oft-mentioned and the ending of this book would lead one to wonder how Beatrix would even survive long enough for Gemma to pound her into a bloody pulp.

I hope Ainsley is up for a book, though we haven't met any other single centaurs (Laila uh being seduced by one of Gemma's battle cohorts) and I can't stress this enough, the end of the book opens up a lot of possibilities.

Oh but about out to Ferdinand, a cheerful, boisterous truce vicar. At first he was kind of just there, but him and his fellow vicars are hilarious and truly they belong with Keeley for so many reasons.

I was really looking forward to this book.
Needed G. A. Aiken's special blend of genuine, over the top and thoughtful characters to remind me that things get better :)
I really like Gemma, she reminded me of Max from 'Badger to the bone' in a lot of ways and I guess it's why I couldn't get where she was coming from with all her worrying but I really appreciated her journey.
My only downside is the way multiple POV's are handled. You get used to it but, especially in the first few chapters, it is a little hard to keep track of who's insight you're getting.
I am in awe of the author's worldbuilding and was delighted to see references to the Dragon Kin series!
The ending was intriguing and opens to a lot of exciting possibilities.
Looking forward to see what comes next!

Another great story by G A Aiken. This continues the Symthe family story where Gemma has 14 brothers and sisters. And several are feuding Queens. Very light on romance but so much humor and kickass women. This book does have a lot of gory battles. Contains witches, centaurs, dwarfs,demon pups, zombie horse, Brother Cries-A-Lot, and close family relationships

I love the world of G.A. Aiken. The saga continues - in two parts! We first get to experience Gemma's life as a Brother of the monk-knights. Then the fight continues for Keely and Gemma against their evil younger sister and the King she married in order to carry out her plan. ILoved the build up of Gemma and Quinn's relationship. As always Aiken combines romance with tons of excitement. Can't wait for the next in the series.

This book was received as an ARC from Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was one of those books that sounded great but difficult to understand and follow at first and then when the plot thickened and the characterization started to flow along with the storyline, I was hooked and could not stop reading. The dilemma of Gemma breaking free from the war monks to fight alongside her sister Keeley The Blacksmith Queen was a no brainier and the commitment, love and passion she had for her sister was breathtaking. Also, there is the little sister Beatrix where the War Monks have now declared full support for and with her immature mindset, Gemma now adds this to her plate but when it comes to family, nothing will tear the bond apart not even war itself. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I know our community will have a few insightful words to say about it.

We will consider adding this title to our Sci-Fi collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

4 stars

When you pick up a G.A.Aiken/Shelly Laurenston book, you know two things for a certainty. One, you will get the most badass, kickass female characters and two, craziness will ensue in every shape, way or form. With multiple POVs, an abundance of quirky side characters and gory battles, this book was a ride and a half.

As this is an ARC I'm not sure what I can say and how I can explain without spoilers so bear with me. Gemma is a War Monk that has dedicated her life to a War God, Morthwyl. One of their powers is raising the dead. She has vigorously trained and fought for her God. 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.

Two years later when this book picks up, Queen Keeley is establishing her territory and has to deal with the remaining heirs. I fell in love with Keeley, who was the main character in the first book and I loved every appearance she made here. To be honest I think I loved her a bit too much and because of that I didn't quite get Gemma, her sister, the protagonist in this book. I enjoyed her but I didn't love her. Gemma is very different from her sister in many ways. Where Keeley accepts everyone and offers no judgement, Gemma is paranoid and sees danger in every corner. One thing the two do have in common is their deep love of their family and willingness to protect them from any harm. We also get a bit better acquainted with another sister, nineteen year old Ainsley, who I'm hoping the next book will follow.

Once again this wasn't about the romance. The eventual romance between Gemma and Quinn takes backstage amid the battles, the politics, the plans and every new character that appears. And like in the previous book, I didn't feel any earth shattering chemistry. Their relationship was more of the best friends that needle each other, letting down their guards and becoming a devoted couple. I prefer my romance to have a bit more sizzle and push and pull but that's just me. I enjoyed reading about them getting together but I actually loved everything that was happening around them more. Like the heirs individual plans to destroy Keeley and the consequences from it all. The blurb doesn't even cover 2% of what actually goes on and that was a real roller coaster.

The events that happen during this book change the dynamics between Queen Keeley and the remaining heirs. The power struggle is real, the battles are awesome, and the side character additions made this into a pandemonium of a book. But I loved it all and I can't wait to find out where this is going.

Yes! Thank you for providing me a copy of an ARC. I enjoyed this book and it took me awhile to write this review since I needed a refresher and I’m glad I did. There are some characters that you need background on from the first book in order to understand the depth better. I couldn’t put this book down!

I adore GA Aiken and wanna live in her world! I have read and will read every book she puts out. That being said, The Princess Knight was not one of my favorite. I enjoyed the humor and found myself laughing hysterically in some parts. The peripheral characters were amazing and I can’t wait for some of their stories, especially Ainsley, Gemma’s “forgotten “ sister! However, (and I cringe when I use that word), there were so many back stories and rushed interactions, that I felt there was never a finished plot. Gemma and Quin’s romance was summed up in three pages...sorry, but true:(. But..... I absolutely cannot wait for the next book! The cliffhanger was spectacular!

This is probably the least romantic book G.A. Aiken has ever written but it was still amazing. Gemma and Quinn we’re together for the entire book but they didn’t get romantic till close to the end. They are still adorable together though and tease each other relentlessly. The real reason to the read this book is for the continuation of the plot from the first book with the two sister queens fighting and still dealing with the Old King’s bastard children. It was definitely different then I was expecting based on the description since a lot more happened then just Gemma dealing with her Brotherhood. Like there always is in G.A. Aiken books there was a battle and then multiple other fights all throughout the book. You of course get to see more of Keeley’s demon wolves and now there are even demon wolf puppies (and possibly a demon horse). This book made laugh so hard a couldn’t breathe multiple times and they did a great job of showing who might become the future allies of Keeley. Also the best part ever, Annwyl showed up!!! If you haven’t read her other series then you don’t know who this is and you must read them now so you will understand the sheer joy of realizing that you will see Annwyl again. She is the original badass, psychotic, animal loving, slavery fighting, bitch queen, and she will become the love of your life. The epilogue also made it seem like she could potential ally be joining Keeley in her war against Beatrix along with the help of her dragon lover and all of their friends and family. I can’t wait to find out who gets the next book maybe Laila since her brothers already had book and Kelley's other siblings are still young. Seriously just read the book you won’t regret it and if you already read the first one and the Dragon Actually series by G.A. Aiken, the book will go from good to awe inspiring!

The Princess Knight is an adventure romance that will be fun for fans of G.A. Aiken's The Blacksmith Queen - it continues the story, showcasing another of the Smythe siblings - Gemma, the War Monk, now also a princess as the sister of two warring queens. A little light on the sex compared to the average Aiken book, the relationship building is more about being good backup and knowledge of one another, but it's believable. The worldbuilding continues as Aiken uses this opportunity to develop the character of Ainsley (the sister Gemma & Keeley keep forgetting they have) and connect this series to her Dragon series. I didn't love this quite as much as The Blacksmith Queen, but it was very enjoyable and keeps G.A. Aiken on my "immediate buy" list.

The Princess Knight is the book I needed to read right now. I enjoyed it much more than The Blacksmith Queen mostly because I was more familiar with the world but also because I relate more to angry Gemma than I do to kind and generous Keeley!

This story picks up where The Blacksmith Queen left off. Keeley and Gemma are worried about squaring off against their sister Queen Beatrix when a new foe, Beatrix's brother-in-law Cyrus, makes himself known. He has been murdering members of all the many different religious sects so that only believers in his god remain. Gemma finds this out the hard way when she returns to her monastery only to have to make a run for it with a handful of her fellow war monks when Cyrus's army shows up and slaughters most of her compatriots. As she returns to Keeley's castle, she and the war monks pick up the remaining members of the other sects including a truce vicar, divine assassins, witches and an Abbess with a talent for using her staff. Gemma and Keeley reunite for only a short while before Gemma has to find out what Beatrix's evil plans are and Keeley and her army go to battle against Cyrus.

I loved this story mostly because of all the wonderful female characters who are completely badass but also totally human. The family relationships are messed up and hilarious. There's also a romance between Gemma and Quinn the centaur but as in the more recent G.A. Aiken novels it is more of a secondary plot to the main story. I didn't even mention the war monk nicknamed Brother-Cries-A-Lot, the zombie war horse or the demon wolves. The characters really make this novel a delight to read! I can't wait for the next novel in this series.

4.5 stars but I rounded up because of the epilogue where we see some old friends from The Dragon Kin series in a teaser for the next book.

Well of course this was freakin awesome! This series so different with characters you don’t commonly read. I loved all the twists and turns and the ever evolving storyline. The uniqueness of this sci-fi....no mythical...no, paranormal..... hmmmmm not sure exactly what category I would put this, but it will have you turning pages quickly.

Oh how everything stops when GA Aiken drops a book ! No matter what I’m reading , it’s put to the side. I love her books no matter what series it is or what pen name it’s under, she is my favorite! I know I’m in for an adventure!! The Princess Knight does not disappoint.
We are two years into Queen Keeley’s rein. Brother Gemma and Quinn have been fighting side by side and expanding their armies with Kelley and gang to fight their sister Queen Beatrice.
This series is so enjoyable and snarky. I had so many LOL moments. I loved catching up with everyone. Gemma and Quinn are the main attraction in this one but this series is more story than romance.
Quinn has Gemmas back throughout the story as they recruit and go pay Beatrice a visit.
So much fun and adventure till the end. What a great ending setting up the next release ! I can’t wait !!

I can’t say how happy I was to get an arc copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review. I love to read this author’s stories with its blend of paranormal/sci fi, humor and a slow build up of heat. I truly find myself laughing out loud with the hilarious comments and situations these characters get into. “Brother “ Gemma is a war monk helping her sister Keeley defeat the “evil queen “ aka their psychotic younger sister Beatrix but she soon finds herself fighting a bigger battle as the one chosen to unite the many different religions that have been displaced or killed off by another crazed royal. Sounds serious right? Well not when your dealing with witches, nuns that have samurai skills, assassins and the like. And who decides to help Gemma , well the crazy centaur Quinn who has problems pushing Gemma’s boundaries. There is a lot of laughs with this book, and it definitely focuses more on the long term goal of defeating the evil queen but the chemistry between Gemma and Quinn , even when they seem to hate each other is great. I love, love, loved this book which is book two of the series and I highly recommend reading book one in preparation for this one ( and also because it’s a great book too).5 stars must read! I received an arc copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.

Gemma Smythe was a War Monk until a mission from one of her War Monk Grand Master sent her home to assist in a war that was brewing between two sisters. Two years later Gemma finds herself a Princess to her sister Queen Keeley and ordered to go back to her War Monks as to explain the destruction of other religious sectors of all sorts. Gemma is faced with a new challenge that directly involves the betrayal of her sister Queen Beatrix and the misguided beliefs of another King who needs to come to an end.

What Gemma doesn't want to deal with is Quinn, a Amichai Warrior and Centaur who is determined to stay by her side. Quinn delights in driving Gemma mad, he has a way of aggravating her that no one else can. As they set out to right some wrongs and help, they find themselves faced with having to admit their feelings as well as protect all those in their care.

Loved Blacksmith Queen and absolutely loved The Princess Knight. I am so excited for the next book after this unexpected ending to this story. The way this story evolves is outstanding and you are riveted from page one until the very end. I wasn't sure what to expect from Gemma as she was a bit of a mystery but she is fascinating. Quinn is perfect as a match for Gemma. High praise for the second book in The Scarred Earth Saga.

This book isn't one that you should read in public. My family looked at me strangely many times while I was reading it because I was laughing out loud so many times. The first book in this series was hilarious, over-the-top and totally insane. This one is just as good if not better. I love the Smyth family and all the characters there. Love it!

Imagine Terry Pratchett's Discworld, Monty Python, LOTR and a certain series involving Honey Badger shifters got together and made a book baby! This would be that baby! A Marvellous mash of genres into one tasty treat!

I somehow did not know about this series, even though I'm an avid reader of the authors other pen names. That has now been remedied (Yes I read series out of order - I always get them back to front LOL).

Military trained monks, blacksmithing queens, wrong-in-the-head sisters, famil feuds, unlikely allies..oh and a pack of hellish wolves, loyal only to the most unlikely queen in the history of queening!

Gemma had to run from her order and now instead of being with her cohort causing mayhem and destruction she is a Princess, but still manages some destructive chaos! She feels put upon by a certain handsome Centaur, who seems to get right under her skin! With one sister trying to heal the world and the other trying to rip it apart, Gemma has a lot on her plate. But now she has to play mediator to a group of misaligned religious folk, Witches, Assassins, Dwarves and a mishmash of other unlikely allies!

I cannot stress how much this story made me laugh! Read during the lockdown of the COVID pandemic this was the perfect tonic to take me away from reality and dump me on the most manic, funny, magical and downright dangerous dimension! Switch off the logic in your head and just fall in love with the madcap characters.

My favourite scenes without a doubt (and without revealing spoilers) are the hot springs tub and a certain hammer that gets "upgraded". OMG I almost wee'd myself laughing!

Now off to read book 1 LOL.

I loved this book. It picks up from where the first one left off but explains Gemma's appearance from the first book. It has a few moments of confusion for me but all in all a great book from my favorite author. Its a must read if you have read all her Dragon books.