It seems like we've waited forever for this book--and it didn't disappoint!!! Yay for G.A. Aiken! From the beginning to the end, it took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Ainsley isn’t your traditional strong-willed heroine—at least compared to her two older sisters. But I love how she and the Hero, Gruff seem to complement each other’s personalities. And I love how we meet the Dragonkin characters again after so many years. I will have to re-read the whole series before the next book (crossing my fingers it’s about the fifth sister, Isadora) so I can get them all straight in my head. And there's so many new characters introduced who might have an interesting future story? (hint, hint) I loved the “Blacksmith Queen” and the “Princess Knight” and I can’t wait for the audiobook of “The Heretic Royal” to come out! I have both the paperback and the audiobook on pre-order! Love, love this series!

When I got approved for GA Aiken's Heretic Royal, I screamed internally & externally. GA Aiken or Shelly Laurenston never fails to make me chuckle, cackle or literally laugh out loud with her banter. This is the 3rd book in the Scarred Earth Saga and is in the same world as her Dragon Kin series. As usual her characters are crazy, out of control and hilariously unhinged.
Ainsley Farmerson, as the 4 eldest sister is constantly trying to find her way without her older sisters ordering her around....and her other sister trying to kill them all. Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan speaks in grunts and holds the esteemed title of Grudge Holder in his tribe (honestly same). As a centaur, humans get on his nerves to know end...except for Ainsley. This book is full of violence, action and great humor. Heavy on the humor.
This book is a 3.75 for me and I just want to note as usual I love how Aiken/Laurenston can write a well-complex character but excels at developing diversity in her worlds.
Please please PLEASE check her out, you will not be sorry!

4.5 Stars

As per usual with this series is chock-full of action, humor, violence, foul language, kick-a*s heroines and just generally a solid good time. The only thing that was a bit overwhelming to me was the sheer amount of names/people to keep track of in this fantastical world Aiken has created. I freaking LOVED the new bunch of characters. They were brimming with chaos and full on entertaining. They were so fleshed out instantly and I fell so hard for them that by the end I'm like PLEASE GIVE US A SPINOFF cause I need Annwyl's whole backstory. And then I made the most incredible discovery....this series already exists! No need to hope and wait, there's like 9 Dragon Kin books plus novellas already waiting for me to consume. Which totally makes sense as to the big introduction and them being so seemingly well established. Having read those first probably would have helped the whole being overwhelmed with all the new people to remember.

Anyhow, back to The Heretic Royal, Ainsley was super fun. I kinda dig her middle(ish) child vibe. Poking at her sisters and able to evaporate from their minds at times and just get up to her own shenanigans. But of course still integral to her family. Ainsley ruffling Gemma's feathers with each passing breath was a fun highlight for me. Gruffyn was a good counterpart for her. His general grumpiness and and aloofness with most people was oddly charming, and the whole champion grudge-holder thing still makes me chuckle. Ainsley probably rants enough for the both of them so him being a more verbally reserved dude works out kinda well. I like that he just quietly was amused by her and had her back from the jump. They established a nice friendship beforehand and it made the leap into something romantic even more enjoyable to me.

Another noteworthy thing about this series, I love that it's really heavy on the fantasy with the smaller side of romance. That's pretty much the icing on the cake for me, gotta love a good solid base. The family dynamics never fail to entertain. I can't wait to see where things go next!

This book lived up to my expectations of being a continuation of the 2 prior books in series and adding suspense and anticipation for the next book. Knowing it is part of a series, should you read the prior books to fully understand this book? Yes, for the enjoyment of snarky whip smart comedy set in a fantasy world with shifters, magic, strong sense of right, wrong and gray area in between. Storyline deftly sucks reader into this medieval Machiavellian feminist forward world, intermingling Aiken's dragon series characters. Using some fancy words but any reader of G.A. Aiken will love it and if you are new to this author/series, this book will have you wanting more. Sorry if I am a bit shy on giving specific details but I don't want to give any spoilers. Heretic witchery using religious zealots who have magic on their side + kickass action from violent monks and nuns + royal politicals, what's not to enjoy?

One of my absolute favourite authors. High energy, over-the-top characters, and constant chaos. Very few authors are this consistently funny. I appreciate that she always brings a lot of focus sisterhood and female friendship. There is a romance but it's not the main focus.

This book was the first true crossover between G. A. Aiken's Scarred Earth Saga and Dragon Kin series, and I really enjoyed the return of the older characters. This book also has a fun romance between Gruff (A True Grumpy) and Ainsley (A Sunshine Middle Sister). I wish I could've seen even more of Ainsley breaking out of her little sister role and finding her place in Keeley's kingdom, but the blend of humor and action was as enjoyable as Aiken's other novels.

Ainsley Farmerson has always planned to break free of the family business—and the family drama. But what was once farming, smith working, 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 third bood in The Scarred Earth Saga also includes characters from Aiken's Dragon Kin series including Annwyl the Bloody, who plays a large roll in the war against Beatrix.

Do NOT start with this book. It will not make sense.

This series is so much fun. They are crazy, bloody (especially since Annwyl joined the cast), and super fast paced. Although this book is supposed to be Ainsley and Gruff's story, there is so much going on that they had to share this book with many, many people.
Be that as it may, this is a good entry to carry the plot forward in the series. I'm not sure how many more there will be, but since the Farmerson family has many children and wars take quite some time to win, there could be quite a few more books. I am here for it.

Mayhem and shenanigans are what makes every G.A. Aiken book so entertaining. This is the 3rd book in The Scarred Earth Saga and I do recommend reading the previous two books to understand what's going on here.

Annwyl the Bloody and her dragons have crossed the mountains to find out who is enslaving children after finding some escaped slaves on her land. It may not sound funny, but trust me. The meshing of the Smythe-Farmerson family and the Dragonkin characters make for pure comedy delight even with the gory, bloody, violence that always takes place. Or maybe because of it. And if you find yourself wanting to read more about Annwyl and the crazy dragons that are her kin you're in luck - there's a whole other series you can binge on after reading this.

This story is loosely based on the developing relationship between Ainsley, Queen Keeley's sister, and Gruffyn the centaur of the Torn Moon Clan. Ainsley is known to hide in trees to get away from her outrageous family; Gruff speaks primarily in grunts and was named Keeper of the Grudge for his clan. Together they play their parts in the fight against Ainsley's other sister, the evil Beatrix.

As with previous stories, romance takes the back seat and we get a fantastical romp full of bickering siblings, undead horses, war monks, centaurs that don't get along and having been holding grudges for 7,000 years, dragons, and the Dark Plains Queen who is known to be insane and has a terror inducing scream but likes to read.

For some reason I had it in my head this was going to be a trilogy, and I'm thrilled that I was wrong and we will be getting more books with these crazy characters. Looking forward to the next one!

I love this series. I was drooling to get my hands on the newest installment. I should have taken that time while waiting to read G.A. Aiken’s previous series about dragons. All of the main characters from that series show up, and I feel I would have had a better handle on this book and found more joy if I didn’t have to get introduced to them and their quirks.

This is still an enjoyable book with hysterical characters, but most of the time was spent getting a handle on many new characters.

The romance between Ainsley and Gruffyn was sweet. It was also interesting to have different-minded (aka battle-hungry) centaurs.

Maybe I’ll read her other series and then reread this one. It’s not going to happen, but it’s a nice thought.

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

Omg this book is so funny! If you like wacky and roll on the floor funny this book is for you as a matter of fact any book by this writer is for you!! A 10+ read!!!!!

Aiken aka Shelly Laurenston has been a favorite author of mine for years and I love this new fantasy romance series. Not only is the world building incredibly well written but the characters are kick-butt women and fantastically loveable heroes whom you will root for. While the book slants more heavily to the storyline then the romance don’t think there isn’t some slow burn steamy on page sex. I can’t wait to see what’s next in this awesome saga. This is the third book in the Scarred Earth Saga series and I strongly suggest reading them in order, so check out the first two books, The Blacksmith Queen and The Princess Knight.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books, Kensington in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Shelly can do no wrong, I love her writing and characters.
I found this book evolved a lot less around the relationship of the main characters and more on plot building for the coming books. For some reason I did think that the series would end after this book and it took my head a while to come to terms that we weren't going to have an ending.
Good story, great characters, I look forward to the next book. But hopefully not too many more after that (in this series) Beatrix needs to die!

I have never enjoyed a book this much. When you have romance, humor, and action all together that’s a good book! Ainsley is the 3 rd sister. She’s kinda overlooked by her siblings. Gruff is the centaur assigned to protect her. Boy what a job he has. Together can they save the kingdom?

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Centaurs and Dragons and Annwyl the Bloody Oh My!!!

All the fun insanity readers of G.A. Aiken have come to expect.

No, you really don't need to have read the two previous books in The Scarred Earth Saga or even the Dragon Kin series of which this is a spin-off but some comments and interactions between characters will mean more if you do. It's like being in on an inside joke.

I highly recommend this book! I've read it twice already first without a refresher of the first two books, then as part of a reread of the previous books. So very enjoyable!



I received this ARC from Kensington Books & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you.

#TheHereticRoyal #NetGalley

Ainsley Farmerson's sister is the queen, and her other sister is trying to kill the whole family. As soon as this is sorted out she can go do something normal... Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan has no time for human beings. He's a centaur that grunts more than talks but when he's assigned to watch Ainsley he's surprised and intrigued by what he sees... an uncontrollable, underestimated princess. She brave, willing to fight for her family and lies to drive her sisters crazy. The entertainment value alone, is worth following her around.

Why I started this book: Found it on Netgalley and immediately requested an ARC.

Why I finished it: Aiken delivers another ridiculous, fun and crazy romance. Fans of her work, know that her heroines take up as much space as they want, fight with the friends and destroy their enemies and are simply captivating to their love interests. Everyone just accepts whatever niche interests or talents they have. Families are the people closest to you, a noisy crowd with insane quirks and the ability to embarrass you without trying. The best part of this story, was that I immediately picked up another of Aiken's books for a relaxing reread. Because sometimes the best comfort, is to have all your crazy on the page of a good book.

Hmm, I'm a fan of this series as a whole, but this installment fell flat. These books are, in general, delightful. They have this blend of comedy/romance/adventure that you don't often find in fantasy, while hitting a lot of the genre's tropes, and are just a fun time.

This one was off for me though. There were SO MANY point of view characters, and they switched around so frequently, that I felt like I was missing out on getting to know Ainsley and Gruff. It made the whole thing feel slightly chaotic and difficult to sink in to. The pacing was also a wild ride. The opening scene took up 20 percent of the book, while the conflict at the end was a few underwhelming pages. Overall, it felt like a placeholder in an otherwise strong series.

I was so happy to be back in this world, and see the cross over with the Dragon Kin series. I loved the humour, loved the dragons, and while I"ve enjoyed the previous two books in this series, Ainsley has definitely been the most relatable heroine so far (for me). I'm really hoping this series isn't wrapped up yet, because I feel like there's a lot more story to be told. Highly recommend!

This is the epitome of a book that you cannot put down. It is the third book in the scarred earth series and after the hint of dragons in the last book I was looking forward to it greatly. All my expectations have been met. GAI can has a managed to merge her scarred earth world with the dragon kin in the most entertaining way possible.

We have previously met Ainsley one of the queen Keeley‘s sisters and knew her as someone good with a bone arrow and one who seem to like to hide in trees. We find out that she’s not hiding but trying to avoid her crazy family especially her sister Gemma. Her sisters insist upon Gruffyn(Gruff) who is a member of another Amichai clan to guard Ainsley. Gruff is the grudge holder of his clan which just helps you understand how grumpy he actually is.

We get to see all of our old fab favorite dragons interact with Keeley and her family. As always the way the dragons siblings deal with each other is highly entertaining as well as all of Anuel‘s antics. It was especially fun to see Gwenvael’s son Var have a bigger role in this book and see how crazy the relationship between father and son is.

Beatrix is most definitely a worthy villain. She is single minded and what she wants and will use anybody and make deals with anybody to get what she wants. It was interesting to see who her newest alliances were with and how complicated her plans actually end up being.

It was fun to see the progression of Ainsley and Gruff’s relationship throughout the book as they were trying to help fight Beatrix. The group of individuals that tags along with Ainsley we’re all fascinating funny and just added to the entertainment of the story.

All in all it was a rollicking fun good time. GAI can build a fantastic world and yet every character seems to get it to do. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.

Heretic Royal is the long awaited 3rd installment of the Scarred Earth Series. With the cliffhanger ending that blew us all away in The Princess Knight I was dying for this book to come out and it truly delivered in all aspects. Not only do we get our beloved Dragon families but we also are given the story of the third sister Ainsley and her figuring out what her true path is in both life and love, with a Centaur of course! Ainsley and Gruff have been around each other for a while, but it takes the craziness of what is going on in their world to have them open up their eyes to the true partner that is in front of them. I could not stop smiling during my entire reading of this book. Not only is it so well written but as most readers have such an emotional connection with the author's characters, you can help but just be happy to see what is playing out on each page. I will be honest in saying that for me, the romance between the two main leads was really secondary to the story of the two Queens, Keely and Annwyl working to bring both of their worlds together to fight the hell that Beatrix wants to unleash on the world. The romance aspect of the book really took longer than normal to get to as there were many things to cover in the story from where the last book left off. I love how two of my favorite fantasy worlds are colliding and I hope we have been given some hints into future crossovers between the two families. I can only imagine some interesting pairings down the road. Warning: Don’t pick this book up unless you have time to read the whole thing, because you will not be able to put it down once you start!

I was thrilled at the end of the last book at the idea of a cross over since Annwyl is one of my favorite characters ever and I loved all of the Dragon Kin series. I was expecting only a little interaction but this book went above and beyond with all of our favorite characters from Dragon Kin mentioned and present for the entire book. The romance definitely took a back seat but when it was mentioned and in typical fashion for this author Ainsley was oblivious to Gruff’s feelings for most of the book. It focused a lot on the family dynamics and set up alliances that will be important in the next book. This one felt like it was mostly setting up the rest of the books and giving us a preview into who all will be involved in the war. I loved it thought finished it the same day I got it couldn’t put it down was happily jumping up in down with joy when I saw I was approved for an ARC copy.