Four and a half awesome stars!

See there's this War Monk called Gemma who becomes a Princess and she goes on a mission with a Centaur because she thinks her evil younger sister is killing holy people for some nefarious purpose.

Oh, and there's Witches and Virgins and Assassins and a Truce Monk and a Blood Warlock and a Nun and two Queens (one of whom is really a Blacksmith) and Dwarves. Sorry, forgot the chainmail. And Gods, how could I forget the Gods?

If all that sounds intriguing then I think you are going to love this. Every single member of the supporting cast of mages, witches, warlocks, nuns etc deserves their own book because each of them is intriguing (well, okay maybe not the virgins). There are battle and feasting, sometimes battles during a feast and that isn't even the best bit. Because, the end, holy cow … I. Did. Not. See. That. Coming!

If you've loved G.A. Aiken's other series Dragon Kin then I know you are going to love this and if you don't? Well have a go anyway.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

After reading The Blacksmith Queen I was eagerly waiting to see where G.A. Aiken would go with The Princess Knight. She went full speed ahead, with wild but lovable characters; fighting sisters, religious sects, centaurs, dwarves, and lots of blood and gore. In other words, a typical Aiken book.

Gemma is a War Monk, and sister to both Queen Beatrice and Queen Keelie. Gemma left her order to fight to keep Keelie safe, and is torn between leaving her religious order and protecting her sister. She spends a lot of time with the centaurs and I really enjoyed the banter between Gemma and centaur Quinn. Quinn is so sweet and says whatever comes into his mind, mostly annoying Gemma. There are also a wide variety of magic users who are introduced, some who are quite surprising.

What I liked the most was the relationship between Gemma and Quinn. In some ways he seems so innocent, and he definitely helps to protect Gemma and temper her impulsive reactions, giving her time to think before acting, sometimes.

The pacing seemed a little off, but it was still a fun book and the epilogue was amazing! I can’t wait to see what Aiken does next.

I was lucky enough to receive an ebook ARC of The Princess Knight through NetGalley and this is my honest review.

I received this book from Netgalley for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

The Princess Knight is a magnificent piece of writing! I laughed, cried, screamed, and read as fast as I could to see what would happen next. I love Gemma and her complexity. She is a war monk but at the same time she is a sister. Quinn is hilariously perfect for her. The novel picks up two years after the Blacksmith Queen and Gemma is tasked with bringing different sects to safety and some spying on the side. Quinn is tasked with staying close to Gemma and as they navigate the complex world of dragons, gods, witches, and dwarves, Aiken does a superb job of weaving the plot together. And I have to say ...the ending! It is not a cliffhanger, per se, because the storyline was wrapped up nicely, but if you are a fan of Aiken AT ALL, you will absolutely die at the end of this book it is so good and suspense and hasn’t to wait for the next one is excruciatingly painful. I highly recommend this book and will purchase a copy for my library to support the author because it is worth the buy.

G.A Aiken Didn't disappoint again. Another awesome book!. She's one of my favorite arthur's. Thiis is the 2nd book that I've read with this pen name. I've read all her books more than once under Shelly Laurenston. If you feel in luv with the characters in the book Blacksmith Queen you'll also luv this

This book is like a low class reality show.
Filled with lines like
"I'm a princess now, b!t*h"
It is crude and corny and I love everything about it.

I can't remember the last time I was so excited for an ARC. I have been searching "G.A Aiken" on NetGalley for MONTHS. And finally... the Blacksmith Queen sequel is here!

This book focuses on Gemma, Keeley's war monk sister.
We see glimpses of her life in the brotherhood , and the circumstances surrounding her departure.
The battle between Keeley and Beatrix continues, and new adversaries and allies join the fight.

The characters are great and the way they interact with each other is often quite funny.

As a whole this book is funny and fresh and entertaining and I can't get enough.

I have my favorite Shelly Laurenston/G. A. Aiken series and I never think a new one will be as good. I am also wrong every time. This is the second book, after The Blacksmith Queen, of the Scarred Earth Saga and it is just as funny as all her others.

When I read The Blacksmith Queen, I did not think I particularly liked Gemma. However, this book explains her backstory and makes her a lot more understandable. It doesn’t make her nice by any means. But really, are any of this author’s characters nice? No! And that is why we love them.

The Princess Knight, and yes, Gemma hates that title, continues the war that began in the last book. I can’t say much more than that due to spoilers. (READ THE PREVIOUS BOOK FIRST! You will regret it if you don’t.) Anyway, there is a not-really-new enemy. He was in the first book, but I had almost forgotten about him. There is also a focus on another of Gemma’s and Keeley’s sisters. Keep an eye on her. I think, hope, she will be the star of the next book.

There is an influx of new characters and that is my only problem with the book. A lot of new people are introduced almost at one time and I felt like I needed a cast list to keep track of everybody. They all had a part to play, so no one was superfluous. We’re talking witches, assassins, and virgins, oh my . . . and we can’t forget the centaurs!

The ending was wonderful. It was a solid ending with a not-quite-cliffhanger and an appearance of a surprise character. I cannot wait for the sequel!

This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I very much enjoyed this story it was awesome. The plot was great and the new characters were great we git a chance to see how Gemma became a war monk and the friendship she had with her mentor. The entire book was fantastic. Can't wait for the next one

The Princess Knight by G. A. Aiken is the continuation of the story started in The Blacksmith Queen. The story takes place two years from the end of the first book and follows the tale of Queen Keeley’s sister, Brother Gemma-The War Monk. As the story progresses we find that Gemma is torn between two loyalties, Family and Faith, each with its own strong pull on her. Gemma finds support from Quinn, the brother of Centaur Caid as she finds her balance during the fight against her Sister, Queen Beatrix. Gemma and Quinn start on a journey to discover what Beatrix’s plans are to take over the lands while also fighting a new foe who may have worse intentions. The Author brought tears to my eyes when we discover Gemma’s true path in life. I also had laugh out loud moments as well when the humor this is prevalent in all of the authors writings came thru. I hope the next story brings us more of Ainsley, another of the sisters, as I found her character heartwarming. Would love to see her story soon. Fans of the Author and her incredible world building will be at odds when they reach the end of the story and realize that they have to wait another year for the Scarred Earth Saga to continue as the ending truly left me speechless.

The Princess Knight

I love this series. The latest installment is better than Blacksmith Queen, which was a great book.

This one follows Gemma, who even though I didn't love as much Keeley, is still a delight to follow. Gemma's problem is that she left her War Monk order with a possibility of having betrayed them. Then someone is wiping out all of the orders including her own so she has to go back even if they kill her.

I love all the characters. Considering there are a lot of characters that are introduced in this book who are bad-ass with the same sense of humor, I had an easy time distinguishing everyone. This is an amazing feat. I've read a book series where all the main characters had the same voice. This became a problem when previous main characters speak to the new main and I got confused remembering who was who.

Warning: there is sex, graphic descriptions of violence, and cursing. Personally, I didn't mind this because everything felt tongue in cheek. Not that this was being done for a supposed historical accuracy. But if you want your reading material 'clean' and 'pure', this isn't it.

This is based on an advanced copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

The Princess Knight by G.A. Aiken
Book 2 in the Scarred Earth Saga
5 out of 5 stars
Epic Fantasy, Damsel Handling Distress, Simmering Romance
Release Date: November 24, 2020

The Princess Knight takes place two years after The Blacksmith Queen and the reader is immediately thrown into the action and craziness of this world and it’s people. I was very excited the hear that Keeley’s sister Gemma was going to be the main female character in this story, I loved her as a secondary in The Blacksmith Queen, and I am happy to say that she did not disappoint.

Aiken’s tends to write all her main female characters to be bad-ass, smart, and with take-no-shit personas. That sounds repetitive, but Aiken is able to flesh them out in such a way to give them such unique characteristics, quirks, and personalities that they never come off as repetitive. Gemma is no different. When Gemma’s character is presented in The Blacksmith Queen, a little is given and seen through her interactions with other characters to establish Gemma’s character. The Princess Knight follows through on what is set up in the prior book and does an excellent job on building on what was already there.

More character and history was given to Gemma then to the main male character Quinn, but given that the plot flow was more focused on Gemma’s needs and actions this was understandable. Quinn was also a secondary character in The Blacksmith Queen, and while he did get a significant amount more “screen time” in The Princess Knight, his character growth wasn’t as fleshed out as Gemma’s. But it didn’t really need to be. What I loved about Quinn was his interactions and acceptance of who Gemma was.

The main plot for this book is establishing and protecting Keeley’s rule. The synopsis implies that the book is focusing on Gemma returning to her sect of War Monks (who are awesome) to gain Keeley support, but that plot thread is wrapped up before the book even reached the half way mark. Everything in this book works in building the world and progressing the plot thread of establishing Keeley as the sole ruler of this part of the story’s world.

Besides persuading the War Monks to fight by Keeley’s side, other religious sects are learned about, there is conflict with a religious zealot, maneuvering against the villain of the last book (who is looks to be the series villain), and numerous character interactions that help build the world and the characters of the people who will be the central focus for this series. I enjoyed every minute of it, and at no point did any of it feel rushed or incomplete.

While there were many aspects that I enjoyed from this book, what I really loved was the unashamed violence of the female characters. Any time these characters got pitched into battle, which was often, reading about Gemma fighting and taking heads, disemboweling enemies, and occasionally raising the dead thrilled me. I absolutely adore Aiken Heroines, which is why the scene at the end made me squeal with surprise and excitement….. I can’t wait for book 3!

This book was just as good as the first in the series! I wasn’t sure if she could do it again because the first one was so funny and so entertaining, but she did it. I do recommend reading the first in the series though just so you can be more familiar with the characters including our heroine. There isn’t a boring moment in this book, it hits the ground running and doesn’t really stop until the end. I loved Gemma I. The first book so it was great to see her as the main character in this story. I would say though that this is more of a fantasy than straight up romance. The romance is there but not super central. Recommended for sure if you enjoy flesh out fantasy worlds and love to laugh.

With thanks to Kensington and Netgalley for my ARC.

Ok, first up, squee, I was so excited when I saw I was going to get to read and review an ARC! I have literally been constantly checking to see when this book would be available since reading, “The Blacksmith Queen”. While this title focuses on Gemma, the war monk, as the main protagonist, plenty of the story still involves Keeley, the titular queen of the first book in the series.
If you haven’t read the first book yet, do so, not just because it will help with story continuity but because it’s a fun, engaging adventure in its own right. “The Princess Knight” continues the story of the Smythe family, although the focus has switched from Keeley and centaur Caid to Gemma and her centaur ally, Quinn.

The quest to overcome their soulless sister Beatrix and her equally nasty husband, King Marius continues in this rollicking adventure, abounding with laugh out loud moments, a smidgeon of romance, and ferocious fighting.

This second book after The Blacksmith Queen centers on Gemma, her sister. A War Monk, she leads a misfit bunch of enemies that come together for the mutual good of each other when their orders are systematically eradicated to near annihilation. As they hunt the deeds of Beatrix, the war between the sister queens heat up. Great characters, snappy dialog, magic, mayhem...cliffhanger. The author is one of my favorites. She is a master of great dialog. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

What can I say I have read all of G.A Aikens books over the years and this new series has been amazing and there is a link to the dragon kin series too with the territory’s separated by a mountain range.
We in this book continue the war between Queen Beatrice and Queen Keeley, it’s been 2 years on since the initial story and we get more back story on Gemma the War monk and general now to Keeley’s army.
Other religious sects are being destroyed and desecrated and they need to find out why. Gemma returns to her war sect with Quinn one of the Amichai warriors and who seems to be her permanent shadow/bodyguard.
This brings about a third element to the story as neither sister is involved with this slaughter.
This book is brilliant I read it in under 24 hours I’m exhausted but smiling high.
Please read this if you’ve read any of Shelley’s books you won’t be disappointed, read Blacksmith Queen first though or you won’t understand the references and history.

I enjoyed Gemma’s storyline as much as Keeley’s from The Blacksmith Queen. Both are distinctively different women, but since they are sisters they are destined to push each other’s buttons in a typical GA Aiken/Shelly Laurenston way, which they do constantly and with glee. Keeley is still very much a main character, which makes sense since she is the Queen and family to Gemma.

The friendships in The Princess Knight were wonderfully satisfying, with lots of banter and teasing. The author’s signature humor was everywhere. Both Gemma and Quinn could be a bit ridiculous at times, but it just added to the overall fun of the story. Also they matched beautifully, had each other’s back, and almost understood one another without talking. Overall a pretty awesome couple.

For me Gemma and Quinn’s romance was even more slow burn than in The Blacksmith Queen. I feel the romance is just an afterthought at this point, and the fantasy and the story-building is in the main draw. So, please don’t expect much romance, this is really mostly a fantasy series.

Honestly, I love how reliable these books are, they give me exactly what I want, and it was exactly the book I needed, entertainment for hours, and an awesome escape from reality.

First off, I'd like to say that this new series from my point of view is brilliant. It's funny, the fight scenes are amazing and the overall storyline plus the possible connection to the previous series with the mad queen just makes it soooo darn good. I'm not giving away any spoilers.

Pros is that it has a solid story line. It's fun and the characters are flawed but endearingly so. I couldn't wait to finish but damn it I'm mad that I'm done.

Cons is that the pace is a little fast. By that I mean there wasn't enough time for the two main characters (lovers) to connect more. Their relationship seems a little rushed since it was mostly action that they bonded on. There wasn't much insight into Quinn or Gemma's feelings which is disappointing but understandable in the circumstances. There might be a bit of an error (although I'm not sure) on the last part of the book where the nuns were talking to Gemma about the battle between Keeley and Cyrus. They addressed Gemma incorrectly as Ragna. Again, I'm not 100% sure but it's just from my perspective.

Overall, I still liked the book warts and all. I can't wait to read the next one. I think it's partially due to Annwyl and the dragons. I adored that series!

ARC from NetGalley

This one didn't have me laughing as much as The Blacksmith Queen. I'm quite fond of most of the characters. Even Beatrice is an interesting read. I can't quite hate her because she doesn't have enough substance. I just kind of dislike her on principle all the while being sort of impressed by her maneuverings.

I have similar complaints to the previous in that everyone sort of speaks in the same voice. There are some subtle differences, but most of the characters kind of blend together. That said, still a good read, still would recommend.

Sex was decent, could have been more. Love Quinn, would shag that crazy bastard. Quite fond of Ainsley, hope she's up next. I like where the book ended, and I'm excited to read what comes next.

I've loved G.A. Aiken as an author ever since I read her Dragon Kin series so I was excited to receive the opportunity to read The Princess Knight.

Once again Aiken has managed to create characters that instantly suck you in. Gemma is a fierce War Monk who is, at times, conflicted between her loyalty to her order and her family. Quinn is a crazy Centaur who has no filter whatsoever and loves to torment Gemma. However, no matter if they're at odds, they always watch out for each other. There is also a new cast of characters to keep you entertained throughout the book including more War Monks, Temple Virgins, Truce Vicars, Divine Assassins, War Priests, Nuns, Witches, and Ainsley, poor, forgotten Ainsley.

As much as I enjoyed the by play of the characters, the plot felt a bit rushed to me. It was one main event followed by another and another throughout the entire book. I liked the way the story went, I just would have preferred it to slow it's roll a bit. With the speed of the plot I did not feel like I could relax and enjoy Aiken's brand of humor. Instead, I was in a hurry to get to the next point in the book.

Overall, I enjoyed The Princess Knight and wish to thank the publishers as well as G.A. Aiken for the opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review.

Following The Blacksmith Queen, The Princess Knight picks right up on the story line. The interaction between her characters is fantastic and the dialogue is delicious - I laugh out loud a lot. The family dynamics makes you want to be part of the family. I can't wait for the next story.

I honestly don't know how to describe The Princess Knight or how I feel about it but I will try my very best.


The Princess Knight is truly funny and constantly made me smile. It has a super interesting and unique cast of characters and I absolutely adore how each book focusses on a different sister, while still telling the overall story. The characters cover the whole fantasy spectrum, ranging from witches to blacksmiths.


Unfortunately, G.A. Aiken's wringing style takes away from the story. At times, the writing and the dialogue she chose to use made everything seem rushed and worst of all, it made the characters seen childish and immature, something you don't want in adults.


The story is captivating and action-packed and there is never a dull moment. How could there be, with war, secret spy missions and the best animal companions ever including but not limited to demon wolves?


I have to admit that despite the fact that I didn't love the writing style and dialogue, I am invested in this series and I will probably read the next book.


I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.