4.5 stars

I am living for this series! The Scarred Earth Saga just keeps getting better and better!

First, I am a huge G.A. Aiken /Shelly Laurenston fan, so keep that in mind because I am fairly sure unbiased cannot be achieved here. <insert maniacal laugh here>

Also, you must read the first two books! Nope, no arguing, you will be terribly lost. Moreover, if you happened to read or listen to book 4 or 5 of the Dragon Kin series, it wouldn't go amiss.

Now, it is no secret that I am a HUGE fan of a gruff grumbly male lead, so it will be no surprise when I say I loved Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan with all of my salty shriveled heart. There is just something about a character that gives less than a, well, you know. Le sigh.

Honestly, I don't even know how to write this review because it will just be a bunch of gushing about how much I loved it.

Ainsley was kind of a sleeper character for me, I didn't pay much attention to her in the previous books, but I liked how slyly competent she was, yet a bit vulnerable in certain areas. Also, the secondary characters that recognized her skill and pushed her to "be" who she wanted to be without seeking permission. Yeah, I really was a huge fan of that.

Oh my, and the Dragons crossover. I just... so much love. The craziness and constant bickering. To me, it's hilarious, because it so mirrors my own life. It may get a bit much for some, but I'm going to ignore that.

Overall, the story was fantastic. The action and adventure were super fun. I wish there was a bit more smexy times like back in the OG Dragon Kin books but c'est la vie.

I cannot wait for the next book. I have no clue who or what it will be about but I'm super excited nonetheless!

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I enjoyed the two previous books in this series and was thrilled to receive an ARC for this book. Honestly, I was a little concerned early on because I had some trouble settling back into the storyline. It's been a while since the last book and I had to get my head back into the ongoing plot. In addition, the author brought new characters into this series. I believe they are from an older series of hers but I haven't read it yet. Of course, I'll be remedying that soon. Fortunately, I stayed with the book and soon found that I fell into the story again and was eagerly clicking my e-reader button to get to the next page.

This book gives us updates on all the family members. However, it does primarily focus on the middle sister, Ainsley. She has a very contentious relationship with her older sisters, especially Gemma. She feels that they don't respect her so she's determined to do things without their knowledge in an attempt to benefit and protect their family. In this book, Ainsley has been assigned a centaur bodyguard, Gruffyn. He's typically quiet and reserved but he connects to her and actually talks to her and doesn't just answer with grunts. As the story progresses, so does their relationship.

But the book doesn't just focus on Ainsley, it also continues the storyline with Beatrice and her goal of destroying her family. There are some chilling developments in this book that will carry over to the next one in the series. In many ways, this book felt like a set up for the remainder of the series. It meant that this one wasn't extremely fast-paced but it also meant that the next one should be stellar. Regardless, this book was still enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

First of all, I love anything & everything this author writes, as G. A. Aiken or Shelly Laurenston and this book does not disappoint. A continuation of the series (I would suggest reading them in order) that was funny, action-packed, violent, and bloody. All by favorite characters showed up, including Queen Rhiannon & Bercelak the Great.

Ainsley Farmerson will do anything to protect her sister, Queen Keely, from their other sister Beatrix. When Annwyl the bloody and the dragons arrive let the party begin.

I received this advance review copy from from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

This is seriously one of my favorite book series. G.A. Aiken’s characters will never get old. I have laughed so many times through this book. I love all the teasing and the name calling. Love getting all the different povs. Beatrix released more of her evil plan in this book but now I have soooo many more questions I can’t wait for the next book. I love reading about Gruff and Ainsley’s relationship and how it changed throughout the book. I very very highly recommend this series if you are looking for an action packed funny story with a mix of romance in it.

Absolutely, wonderfully wacky

This is book 3 in The Scarred Earth Saga where the worlds of the Smythe family and the world of the dragons finally collide. It’s definitively NOT a standalone, so, to get the full impact of madness going on, you should not only have read the first two books in the series, but also ALL the Dragon Kin stories, since most of the dragons make an appearance or are at least referred to.

This story focuses on Ainsley, the third (or actually the fourth) Smythe sister, who hasn’t yet found her calling in life, aside from aggravating her sisters, especially the pious Gemma. It takes some time for her to emerge as the lead character in this large ensemble cast and she also remains mostly oblivious to her love interest, Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan, a centaur, until almost the end, despite his rather impressive attributes (I am speaking of his antlers, so get your mind out of the gutter).

The romance part takes a back seat to the overarching story line of Beatrix trying to solidify her power by eliminating Queen Keeley and her whole family. In order to test the waters, she is sending smallish attack forces to Keeley’s Queendom.

On the other side of the Amichai mountains Annwyl the Bloody has been worrying about the spread of religious fanaticism, and when formerly enslaved children arrive in her realm, she has had enough. Mistakenly assuming Keeley to be responsible, she takes her best fighting dragons, the Cadwaladrs to Keeley’s territory, only to discover that Keeley is under siege herself by her sociopathic sister…

As always, Aiken’s story lives from the crazy family dynamics, be they dragon or human, that are so over the top and yet also so relatable. And from the author’s distinct narrative voice, that is so unmistakable in the fantasy genre.

This is the third book in the Scarred Earth Saga. It's hard to categorize it into a specific genre. It's definitely fantasy (There are centaurs, dragons, wizards, monks, people, and more). There's a romance storyline, but it's definitely not a main part of the story. And there's a fantastic plot line that has one sibling (Beatrice) out to rule the world. Her sister is gathering the troops (all the different kingdoms and factions) to stop her. Ainsley is yet another sister and has more of a main role in this book. She and Gruff (a centaur) find themselves together as they try and help their side continue to win the ongoing battles. Overall, this is a really funny series. There is a lot of slapstick over the top humor that makes me laugh out loud throughout the book. I will definitely keep reading this series.

Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you, G.A. Aiken, Kensington Books, and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.

This is the third book in The Scarred Earth Saga series. I’m really not sure what it is specifically about this series that makes me so happy to read them. I just think they are such fun reads. I know that each book kind of sets up which sister each book will be about, but I was so happy to be right that we got a book about Ansley. This book is definitely fantasy first with a romance subplot. This is also an adult series, personally, I would not let anyone under 17 read it because some scenes are graphic.

If you are looking for flowery prose, these books are not it. These books are written like the characters, very to the point. There is no guessing what the character might have meant. I can see where some might think that the language is harsh, but I find it such a wonderful change.

I love the banter between the sisters and no matter how they are acting towards each other at the time they really love one another and their actions are usually driven by the need to feel like they are protecting each other. More than once I found myself laughing out loud while reading this book. This series definitely keeps you engaged even when they are not fighting.

I really liked the addition of the new characters, especially Annwyl. I have a feeling that Annwyl will have a larger part to play in the next installment. Also, I am sure anyone who has read this book knows who the next book is going to focus on.

Even though this book is focused on Ansley, it felt very middle book, like it was just there to move things into place to set up future books. This book also felt like it could have been longer, the ending kinda felt abrupt to me.

I am enjoying this series and this book was so much fun. I loved getting to see old friends. There are a few mistakes in this but nothing to bad. Unlike the last book I really enjoyed this couple. It was fun to watch them fall in love.

This is book 3 in the Scarred Earth Saga and I would absolutely read the previous books before reading this one. In this one we get Ainsley Farmerson and Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan's story. Ainsley had never had any intention of joining her family's business. She had other plans for herself, and it didn't include a smithy or all the family drama. But when her family is torn apart and sides have to be taken, she knows that Beatrix needs to be taken down in order for her sane sister to be queen. Gruffyn has never wanted to be around humans. But there is something about Beatrix that draws him in. She is quiet but there is just something about her. Whatever it is, he is more than willing to fight at her side. And in order to keep Beatrix from becoming queen, he will have no mercy while he does so.

I absolutely loved this book! Ainsley has always been a character that I have wondered about. She didn't seem to be like anyone else in her family, and she truly isn't in most ways. But when it counts-she absolutely is! And pairing her with Gruffyn, who is also seriously quiet but fierce when he needs to be? Perfect! I loved all of their interactions and how their story played out. I also loved seeing characters from this author's previous series! I didn't realize how much I missed Annwyl the Bloody and all her dragon's!! I love that these two series and now interconnected!! This one was another hit for me!

So here’s the thing - I loved this book. I feel like I’ve been anxiously anticipating its release for over a year and it was ALMOST everything I was hoping for. It was EVERYTHING I’ve come to love and expect from GA Aiken. Some of the the falling short might be due to my expectations - as in I thought this was a trilogy so we’d be getting some resolution/conclusion in this book but alas we did not. Also, the romance was very much slow burn and very much peripheral but I don’t think that bothers me that much, I am excited at the prospect of MORE books in this series and I love the way that it has crossed over into the Dragon Kin series. That being said, you very much have to read the Dragon Kin series (which is no hardship at all because it is fantastic) in order to truly enjoy this book - which sets it apart from the two previous installments. This was chaotic, imaginative, action packed, unputdownable fun from the first word to the last and now i must lament the time that i have to wait until the next book.

4.5 out of 5 wine glasses.

This is the third installment in The Scarred Earth Saga series, we get Ainsley and Gruff, and with each book, we get a different couple, but they are all interlinked in the story, so I suggest you give it a go with all of them. The world-building is fantastic, I really liked how the author described everything, I also liked the way the characters were built and the interactions between them, the banter was good, the story kept me intrigued and if you like dragons as much as I do, give this series a go.

The main issue I had with this book was the 2 main characters - Gruff and Ainsley - they were almost like side characters. Their scenes were like side add-ons. There should have been more interaction with them, and the ending was so abrupt. I really felt they should have been more fleshed out.

Having read everything this author has written - and loved it all, this book is the first I have not given 5 stars. It is so chaotic. If you have not read Aiken's Dragon Kin series you will be totally lost. Yes, those characters are great, yes, it was great seeing them again, but........ The character development took such a hit with so many characters running around. Wow! Chaos abounds.

Aiken's snarkiness is evident and enjoyable. I did like the book, but, it was a bit much.

Archers, sisters, centaurs, queens (both good and evil), and dragons!!! The Scarred Earth saga (and this book in particular) has it all. It's the 4th sister, Ainsley's story, but it also seems to be a bridge book joining the dragons (from the Dragon Kin series) with Queen Keely and her armies. After all, Keely is gonna need all the help she can get to defeat her evil sister, Queen Beatrice.

This book really had alot going on. I enjoyed it so much. There's danger and laughter and zaniness and heat and...dragons!!! I enjoyed Ainsley and Gruff's adventures, and catching up with Queen Annwyl the Bloody and her dragonkin. And we get a glimpse at who will be featured in the next book.

I recommend reading the previous books in the Scarred Earth saga, and in the Dragon Kin series (although Aiken does do a decent job of bringing in enough backstory to not be completely lost).

Many thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

I have to start by saying READ THE FIRST BOOKS!
This is a continuation of not only the Scarred Earth Saga’s, The Princess Knight and The Blacksmith Queen. But also the Dragon Seiries. G.A. has created a whole world and the characters are intertwined and their goal is to kill the evil sister of the three sisters of this series Beatrice.
Think of this as the marvel movies of books.
Now our main characters of this book are, Gruffyn of the Torn Moon.
Gruff is the holder of grudges and proud of it!
And the tree loving youngest sister
Ainsley Farmerson.
I absolutely loved and adored this book on so many levels.
One the humor is as always laugh out loud and a giggle later while remembering something funny from this book.
G.A. takes you on a journey of her world and at this point in the journey she is introducing both world's beautifully I might add. Yes, there is a lot going on, but it's a chaotic time in there world and if you felt that, I believe it's because you're supposed too.
I mean they're going to war!
But in the middle of this, you find love, humor, friendship, action and a look at a sisterly bond with, hurt, anger, disappointment, bkots of provoking and above all else love.
I love these books, but this book will hold a special place for me. When I was gifted this book, my puppy passed away a week later. During the following weeks I read and re-read this book. It made me laugh when I didn't think I could. So I will love this book forever. Thank you G.A Aiken for making me laugh and taking me away for a few hours to your wonderful world.
Highly recommend because it's just a fabulous read.

The Heretic Royal is the third book in G.A. Aiken's hilariously wild Scarred Earth Saga. Haven't read the first two? I suggest you do so first, or else you'll be hopelessly lost. If bloody violence, hot-and-heavy human and centaur sex and incredibly bad language offends you...well, this is most definitely not the series for you. However, if you aren't of a delicate sensibility, you'll have a rip-roaring time. And to increase the fun, added to the mix are some of Ms. Aiken's most popular characters from her Dragon Kin series. Woohoo!

Ainsley Farmerson-Smythe is one of the younger sisters of Queen Keeley and Gemma the War Monk. She's not interested in being part of the family occupations of farmer, blacksmith or the religious life, and plans to break away. However, their soulless sister Beatrix is now against her former family and wants to see them all dead; she plans on being the last ruler standing. But the rest of the Farmerson-Smythe clan refuses to let Beatrix win. In order to do that, she must join forces with battle nuns (always angry), monks (always bloodthirsty) and overbearing centaurs. Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan of centaurs isn't terribly fond of humans, but for some unknown reason he's attracted to the uncontrollable princess who marches to the beat of a different drummer. Her older sisters underestimate her, and she's extremely brave when facing dragons and an angry queen from another land. No matter what, Gruff plans to fight by Ainsley's side to destroy Beatrix and her evil minions.

This story was a crude, bloody and sexy hoot! All of the characters on the side of right are always entertaining, while the evil Beatrix and her underlings are truly frightening. Ainsley was a lot different from her other sisters; she was a master archer who just happened to live in trees. She liked trees better than most people. She also wanted to break away from her family business. She certainly got the opportunity here when the dragons and Queen Annwyl the Bloody (of The Dragon Kin) arrive, mistakenly believing that Ainsley and her sisters were involved in child slavery. I found Ainsley to be more likable than her sister Gemma, who always seemed to put her down. Gruff the centaur was actually my favorite centaur of the first three books; he was more finely drawn and seemed to have more of a personality than those of the other centaurs. He was the Keeper of the Grudge of his clan (boy, those centaurs could certainly hold a grudge!) and spoke mostly in grunts. Others around him were totally shocked when they actually heard him speak to Ainsley. He was quite endearing and actually seemed to be a little shy around Ainsley. When he let loose, however, he was the MAN (or CENTAUR)! They didn't have a physical romance until near the end of the book, but it was quite, uh, explicit when it happened. The appearance of the dragons and Queen Annwyl were what really made this book so darn entertaining. This story was extremely bloody and violent, the little bit of sex was raunchy and the language atrocious (the "c" word was often used). If all that offends, it really won't be to your taste. But if you can get past that, you will be totally enchanted by these characters. The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but that's okay...it means there will be more fun coming!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Heretic Royal picks up moments after Princess Knight left off. What happens when Keeley and her family meet a mad queen? Anyone familiar with the Dragon Kin series will recognize the new arrivals.

This is Ainsley's adventure. As the next oldest Farmerson-Smythe daughter we've had glimpses of her in the previous books. This is her chance to shine.

With the help of her friends, join Ainsley and Gruff on a quest to find her place in the family and the kingdom with romance along the way.

GA Aiken's dialogue and action are laugh out loud funny.

The Heretic Royal is the third installment in the Scarred Earth series. While it could be read by itself, it is better to have read the previous books and the Dragon Kin series.

Can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review!

Book 3 was okay and had a good deal of entertaining moments/characters, but that wasn’t enough to stave off the disappointment.

The beginning was very confusing. It was a bumbling start for me (and the characters) due to many shifting POVs. Things didn’t seem to settle until Angus Farmerson makes an appearance, gracing us with his pure goodness and loving self. I adore him.

The story doesn’t progress much or at least not as much as I would have liked. There’s too much passive inaction discussing what must be done and introducing numerous new characters on the good side (for lack of better words). Meanwhile, Beatrix and the bad side have been taking active approaches. So I had to agree when it was pointed out that Kaylee’s side would lose spectacularly without mercy and in a deadly fashion if she didn't start getting serious about the major threat Beatrix poses. A harsh but necessary truth that’s usually either left unsaid or not said bluntly enough. As a whole, I’m wondering if book 3 was meant to be a bridge before the actual end.

The bizarre and comical nature of this series continues to hold firm in this third installment. It’s essentially what the world would be like if everyone spoke without a filter, which resulted in lots of humorous dialogue exchanges. All these different families and relationships are to a certain extent highly dysfunctional. Still they bicker as much as they (secretly) care about each other in their own slightly unorthodox and insulting way. It’s chaotic but endearing somehow.

Throughout the story, we get to know characters who others tend to underestimate or have long-held and obviously wrong assumptions about. I liked reading about these misunderstood characters the most.

Ainsley is a cool character. She wants to prove to her older sisters that she is capable and useful. Now is her time to forge her own path instead of waiting for others to decide for her or let her contribute. Ainsley is undoubtedly cut from the same boisterous Smythe-Farmerson cloth. She’s also intelligent, kind, tough, sassy, skilled with a bow, and loyal.

Gruff is a taciturn centaur. Like the rest of his clan, he’s pragmatic, skillful, and can hold a grudge like no other. It’s amusing how Ainsley and his sister, Briallen, can understand Gruff’s grunts, growls, and silence so well. I also liked how Gruff treated Ainsley like an equal instead of a hindrance. I’m still baffled as to why his clan is treated so unfairly and can’t be trusted.

I really liked Annwyl who is known far and wide and even in hell as Annwyl the Bloody and the Mad Queen. Her character is gravely misconstrued. While, yes, she does have some wild, unhinged tendencies, I think she’s a product of her upbringing and exaggerated, fear-based rumors. When you get to really know her, you find that Annwyl is noble, kind, loyal, and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty (or bloody) to put things right.

"The Heretic Royal" had its ups and downs, which is sad as this was an anticipated book. Ainsley and the new characters introduced are what held the story together for me, especially those hilarious dragons. I liked the strong, female leaderships exhibiting what it truly means to be a queen. And I love the pretty cover art. Even though there wasn’t much development I’m still interested in reading on.

I always enjoy GA Aiken's books, but this particular one is definitely not a book to read if you haven't read all of the previous Scarred Earth books, as well as at least a few of her Dragon Kin books. This is a transitional book to tie the two series together. Not only did just about every character from the previous books appear, a multitude of dragon characters also appeared and there were multiple plot lines to go along with all of those characters. Yet somehow, in spite of all those plot lines, nothing much actually happened to advance the plot.

The book was too frenetic for me. I had a hard time following any of the multitude of plot lines or caring much about any of the characters since there were so many to follow, I do plan to read the next book as I'm interested in the overarching story arc and I always love the snarky banter and over-the-top humor, but I hope the next book is more coherent. For the little that Ainsley and Gruff were on page, I liked them but I felt like they really got short shrift in this book because of all the other distractions.

I really enjoyed this book. It was such a joy to be back with these characters. I love this author and devour everything she publishes. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to laugh. This is the 3rd book in the series. Each instalment follows new main characters, but it has a running plot through out all three books. Each one ties up main plot of book with long running plot getting closer to the conclusion. If you haven't started this series yet go pick up book one, you will not regret it.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was clever, steamy, fun, fast-paced, and I didn't want to put it down. This book can be read as a standalone story, though it is book 3 in the Scarred Earth Saga series. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.