G.A. Aiken, has done it again with a book that marries her Scarred Earth Saga with the Dragon Kin series.

For those readers who feared Aiken was done writing her Dragon Kin series fear no more... she's just moved them over to the Scarred Earth Saga Book 3 and blends both insane families brilliantly.'

I have read and reread (and reread) all of the Dragon Kin books and having them drop in (literally) was like meeting old friends again. Ya know, if you had big dragons as friends.

Book 3 continues to story of two sisters vying for the title of the one true Queen... in one corner, we have Beatrix, who's gone off the rails and will do anything and I mean anything to win the battle... in the other corner we have .Keeley, a blacksmith by trade and a Queen by prophesy (if you believe in those things.) She takes up the mantle because letting her unstable sister win, is just something she's willing to do.

Book 3 is Ainsley Farmerson's story... Keeley's younger has struggled to find her place in her large (and always growing) family... she is a brilliant archer, who often finds herself up a tree - quite literally. As she said "Beatrix was always trying to kill me." (get in line Ainsley - Beatrix is always trying to kill everyone - as previously stated, she has no soul... no mercy... she's not such a nice person!!!)

This book has humans, battle nuns, war monks, lots and lots of centaurs. and of course, some very familiar dragons.

Loved this one and can't wait for book 4.

I rec'd the e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free advance copy of this book I exchange for my honest review.

Overall I’d give this book 3.5 stars, so I’ll round to 4 because I’m a fan of the author and some of my issues have to do with editing errors that I suspect will be addressed in advance of the formal release. I enjoyed the read, and it made me laugh out loud quite a bit. Though at other times it could feel tedious and weighed down by what I might characterize as excessive banter. On the whole I really enjoyed it.

Similar to the earlier books in this series -and possibly even more so - a lot of the overarching plot in this installment has to do with the politics spilling over from the Dragon Kin series. So if you liked that series and like your characters a little unhinged (looking at you, Annwyl) then you'll enjoy. If you struggle with keeping track of more than a core group of characters OR you wanted to spend more time on the romance or the main couple’s core social group, you may be disappointed by how much Annwyl and Dragon Kin action is going on here. Honestly, reading this made me want to go back and read Dragon Actually again, more than anything else.

I will say that while it was an enjoyable read on the whole, towards the end it was tempting to skim through all the various sibling arguments to get to the actual plot resolutions. Meaning, the pacing felt a bit off as we approach the story’s climax.

The romance is very slow to ignite, and once it does it takes up very little space in the plot. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. If you want to read about a romance central to the plot, these are not the books. If you’re ok with slow burn and one spicy scene peppered into one of the final chapters of an epic fantasy saga with lots of hijinks and banter from a broad cast of characters - this will be your jam. I feel like readers of GA Aiken and Shelly Laurenston know what to expect and won’t be disappointed. Excited to see what comes next in the series!

The DRAGONs are back!!
I love that the series are finally connected to the dragon one!

Like all of her other books this one does not disappoint. The crazy, funny, and entertaining characters are everything.

Dragons (of the shapeshifting variety).
Centaurs.
Oh, and demon wolves.
Mix in a messy royal family and humans in trouble.

This book is a lot going on at once. It's Game of Thrones and The Witcher, but more Final Fantasy. Mostly, I just felt confused.

"It was time to go. With the centaurs burned to ash - most likely - and the demon wolves making a mad escape, Ainsley was not about to stand here and wait to be torn apart by the claws and fangs of a dragon."

I, received a free ARC from netgalley for my honest review.

I have waited for what feels like FOREVER for this book. I completely understand why we waited and was happy to wait until G. A. Aiken was able to finish when she could. Which makes me so so so sad to say that this book did not live up to the hype. Don't get me wrong, I still loved it. I love everything she writes and she is an insta-read for me. But, I just kept finding myself straying from reading this book sometimes. She had some places where she seemed to forget where certain characters were supposed to be at times or get their names mixed up. It really just seemed rushed with way to much crammed in all at once. Then there was the romance, or rather lack there of. That was a major disappointment. I absolutely LOVE Aikens way of balanceing out the action and romance in her writing. But there was just barely any romace there. And way to much focus on Annwyl the Bloody like this was the Dragon Kin series and not the Scarred Earth saga. Don't get me wrong, I loved reading about Annwyl and the dragons again, but this is not their series...I just really felt detached from this book. The first 2 books are 5 stars for me, but sadly I'm giving this one 3.

I'm a tiny bit disappointed with this story. I thought it would be a story continuing the younger sister Ainsley and her trials and tribulations, but what I got was a constants run around about Annewyl, The warrior monk Gemmo and the Blacksmith Queen. Keelry And the bickering dragons that I wanted to kick off a cliff. Then to bring the Dragonwitch Queen Rhiannon for a two minute blurb, just didn't cut it. I wanted the Love story (with head bashing) between Ainsley and Gruff. Not two pages in a cave. Sorry, just my opinion, Hopefully Isadora's story is better.

Let me start by saying, I am a huge fan of GA Aiken/Shelly Laureston. I will, and have, read anything she writes. That being said, I’m sad to say, this book wasn’t a favorite of mine. I felt there was so many story lines going on, that Ainsley and Gruff’s characters never had a chance to develop. My favorite parts of the book didn’t involve the main characters. Annwyl’s parts were so entertaining, it made me start reading her story again, for the third time! This book will not change my mind from reading the next one, because I wanna live in her worlds:)!

Netgalley ARC- Feeling very blessed and super lucky to get a eArc for this book! It's been my most anticipated book of the year! I have been a big fan of G.A. Aiken for years! Have reread her series over and over and am fully invested in her characters. It's been leading to major power moves and this one did not disappoint! The ending of The Princess Knight was epic and G.A. Aiken gave her readers the most epic lineup in her new installment! This was more a stepping stone to the next chapter to the series but it did great works to lay the ground work for a strong story in the next installment. I had fun reading this book and smiling the whole time! The world is fantasy but the family drama is relatable.

Shelly Laurenston, writing under her pseudonym of G.A. Aiken, has hit another home run with this long-awaited third installment of her Scarred Earth Saga. Ainsley Farmerson-Smythe is determined to aid her older sisters in their war despite the fact they often forget she's there...or exists. Adding to the general chaos is the arrival of another queen and her dragon family. Those familiar with Aiken's Dragon Kin series will welcome the chance to reacquaint themselves with their favorites. All in all this is a rollicking good time as we've come to expect from Aiken/Laurenston.

If I have one issue, it's the author's tendency to end her mid-series books with a bit of a cliffhanger. But it does whet our appetites in anticipation of the next book in the series.

5 stars - I loved it!

I don’t know what it is about Aiken’s books, but she always does a wonderful job at creating fantasy romances that are action packed, humorous, have great storylines, and have a bit of romance thrown in. This series isn’t just romance or world building focused, but a great blend of both. Also Aiken does a wonderful job at creating a detailed world that is still very enjoyable and fun to read, especially since there are also great characters within it.

This book focuses on the third Farmerson sister, Ainsley. She is the archer, is known to spend most of her time in trees, and is constantly fighting with her sisters, especially Gemma. Ainsley is a strong warrior and protective sister. She does everything she can to take care of her family, but Gemma and Keeley frequently prevent her from helping or thinking she isn’t up for certain tasks. In this book, we see her finally find her place in Keeley’s kingdom. I really loved Ainsley. She was fun, sassy, deadly with her bow, and sometimes a bit clueless.

Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan is known as the holder of grudges. He is grumpy, rarely speaks, hates humans, and yet finds himself falling for Ainsley. Gruff was a wonderful hero. He was protective of Ainsley but recognized she could take care of herself. He let her fight but tried to always be there to protect her back, which I loved. I just really enjoyed Gruff and his unique clan.

A lot happened in this book. Keeley’s kingdom finally meets the dragons and Annwyl. Annwyl is my absolute favorite heroine from the Dragon Kin series so I was so excited to see her pop up in this book. We see most of the main dragon family throughout this book and it was great seeing how they haven’t changed at all. Beatrix also starts to make her move against her family and it gets bloody quickly. I love that with each book we are seeing a lot of character and story development happening together because it makes these books so hard to put down.

Overall, this was a wonderful blend of action, worldbuilding, humor, and romance. I loved both Ainsley and Gruffyn, and all their friends and family. Reading this book made me want to reread all of Aiken’s books again because I just love this world so much and hate that I have to wait to find out what happens next.

Yes! I've needed this story. The dialog these characters have are my favorite. The sarcasm is the best. No mater which story or author name the author goes by she makes the world so much fun. The characters are so much fun, and having old characters there too males it so enjoyable. I can not wait to read more of this series. This world and characters are so enjoyable.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Beyond The Page Publishing, in return for an honest review. As the third book in this series, I recommend reading the preceding two books to fully understand all the many characters and their relationships. This trilogy ties into G.A. Aiken’s long running and very funny series Dragon Kin series. The quirky characters, obnoxious villains and romantic entanglements are all elements in this series too. Keeley Smythe, blacksmith and unintended queen, continues the battle with her evil sister, Queen Beatrix, for their land and then future of all the surrounding lands. As one of Queen Keeley’s many, many siblings, Ainsley is underestimated by one sister and over-protected by another. Gruffyn is a centaur from a unique tribe that’s helping Keeley defeat Beatrix. Somehow, he’s assigned to protect Ainsley and things ensue from there. Lots of sub-plots and action among the various characters. Lots of fighting and gore but that’s also very common for G. A. Aiken’s stories.

4.5 stars. I thought this was the best book so far in the series. I loved Ainsley and Gruff, and I didn't even mind the sex scene. They are such fun characters, as are the rest of the Torn Moon Clan, Sheva and Hilda. Okay, I really just love all the characters. I like that we are getting to know the younger children a little bit, and I'm pretty sure who the next book is going to be about (wink wink, Isadore). The dragons and Mad Queen were also a delightful addition.

I was in a reading slump but this book brought me out of it. It was hilarious. The only issue I had with the book was the ending battle. It just felt anti-climatic in how easy it was. I wish that everyone had been involved, not just Annwyl. It was a little disappointing.

But I still love these books, and even though this one isn't even out yet, I'm already eagerly awaiting the next. I just saw that the dragons in this book are from her other series, so I guess I have found something to help pass the time until the next Scarred Earth book :)

**Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC. All opinions expressed herein are my own**

The Heretic Royal is book 3 in the series about Blacksmith Queen Keeley and her soulless sister Queen Beatrix - neither was raised as a royal and Keeley is leading to save the kingdom from Beatrix. This book is more of the same wonderful writing - hilarious arguing within the family and fighting to save the realm. Love story in this book is younger sister Ainsley and centaur Gruff - their story is woven throughout the book and grows while they engage with family and friends. Author Aiken (Shelly Laurenston) writes strong women characters who have connections and are multifaceted - complete opposite of most books who portray women as victims and dependent on a man. In Heretic Royal, Ainsley supports her sister Keeley, fighting for her and still arguing with the family. Every book is LOL funny becuase the characters are real and awesome.

Also, in book 2, Annwyl from the Dragon Kin series was introduced and that story arc just adds to the series. Annwyl is crazy and strong in the best sense.

Highly recommend Heretic Royal and every book written by GA Aiken/Shelly Laurenston!

I am a G. A. Aiken fan. Each time I pick up a new book, I cross my fingers and dive in. This book was fun to read, made you laugh and had lots of action. This book pulls in many characters from the dragon kin series and melds the two without becoming boring or confusing. Ainsley was always a quiet favorite and this book does a great job of letting her shine. I think all these books can be read as a standalone but reading the series is just a treat.

Good story. I love the humor and seeing so many of my older favorite characters and dragons. As with the other books in the series, I have a hard time seeing these books as romance. They feel more fantasy than any romance. It just kind of gets peppered in there like an afterthought. All in all I still enjoy them and laugh hard. My husband always knows when I read a G.A. Aiken book because my speech pattern changes and I yell Oy a lot more often.

Rated 4.5 Stars

The Heretic Royal was amazing. I loved it. It was action packed, funny, sexy and filled with crossover goodness. I loved seeing characters from The Dragon Kin series make an appearance in this one. It was awesome catching up with them. Although it took somewhat of a backseat role to all that was going on I loved the romance between Ainsley and Gruff. I loved how they got each other. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book especially with the way this one ended. I’m already impatient to read it. I very highly recommend this book and series.

A very engaging and fast paced fantasy romance what was very light on the romance. This book was great. From start to finish I enjoyed myself while reading it. We get the craziness of the Smythe family mixed with the crazy that is Annwly and her dragon’s. It was the perfect recipe in my opinion, every scene was hilarious and you never knew what was going to happen. This book focuses on Ainsley, the 4th Smythe daughter and her centaur bodyguard Gruffyn. I liked them, but definitely felt like we didn’t get to know Gruffyn as much as we could have. And I really wish that all, literally all of the romance, didn’t happen in the last like 3 chapters. As just a fantasy book, this gets 5 stars easily, the world building is amazing and the characters are all so developed and funny. As a romance though it probably gets 2.5 stars. In the end though I enjoyed this book and I do recommend this series to anyone looking for a very well written fantasy that is also hilarious from start to finish. Very much looking forward to the next book, can’t wait to see who it will be about.

ARC Provided By NetGalley For An Honest Review

As always a pleasure to read about this world!
This book confirmed that series is definitely more a fantasy series with a romance subplot than a fantasy romance series.
Ainsley's struggle as a middle child was just as entertaining as the main plot and Gruff's to the point personality was reffreshing!
It would be fair to say that the characters from the Dragon Kin series take over this one a little but really they are just as involved in the plot so it can't be helped. I do enjoy these characters very much so I do not mind!

Very interested in reading more!

Netgalley ARC

Didn't realise this was a 3rd book in the series so haven't read it yet as need to read the others.
From what I've read it's entirely my kind of book and I'm bound to like it. I have read a few pages and loved the writing style.
Will re review once I have read the others!