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The Scarred Earth Saga #3
The Heretic Royal
In this riveting, feminist tale perfect for fans of Katee Robert and Nalini Singh, two sisters battle for a single throne, warring factions take up arms, a land is divided, and uncertain allies become very certain lovers. With subtle commentary on today’s political polarization, this riveting epic celebrates strong female characters and champions the underdog with diverse, expert world building.
Gods save the queen!
Ainsley Farmerson has always planned to break free of the family business—and the family drama. But what was once farming, smithworking, 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 . . .
Gods save the queen!
Ainsley Farmerson has always planned to break free of the family business—and the family drama. But what was once farming, smithworking, 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 . . .
332 pages, Paperback
First published December 27, 2022
447 people are currently reading
7844 people want to read
About the author
G.A. Aiken
56 books4,445 followersA.K.A. Shelly Laurenston
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author G.A. Aiken, Originally from Long Island, New York, lives on the West Coast and spends most of her time writing and making sure her rescued Pittie doesn’t love everyone into a coma. When she’s not writing about sexy dragons, she’s writing about sexy wolf, lion, tiger, and other fang-filled predators under the name Shelly Laurenston. Find out more about this New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors books at www.shellylaurenston.com.
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author G.A. Aiken, Originally from Long Island, New York, lives on the West Coast and spends most of her time writing and making sure her rescued Pittie doesn’t love everyone into a coma. When she’s not writing about sexy dragons, she’s writing about sexy wolf, lion, tiger, and other fang-filled predators under the name Shelly Laurenston. Find out more about this New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors books at www.shellylaurenston.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 536 reviews
January 5, 2023
*** 4.75 ***
Don't read too much into my rating. When it comes to G. A. Aiken while writing in the Dragon Kin Universe, I am completely unreliable as a reviewer. I am in love with the crazy characters, constant absurd situations, and rude and irreverent banter in between, so I am bound to get overly excited every time a new book comes out and I get to be entertained by this, what my friends and I decided to call it, Absurd Fantasy! 😀
These books have bad language, sex and violence, as well as chock full of most unlikely calamities and disasters, and yet, somehow, they are some of the most readable and entertaining, most anticipated reads of my year! And the author never disappoints! We actually get to spend some time with our favorite Mad Queen!!! Yay! And the dead horse steals every scene it is in:)
If you are a fan of The Dragon Kin Series, this is a must read! For the rest of you, I would recommend trying out that series first, then follow it up with the Blacksmith Queen. You never know, you might find a new way to entertain yourself 😀👍🤟
Don't read too much into my rating. When it comes to G. A. Aiken while writing in the Dragon Kin Universe, I am completely unreliable as a reviewer. I am in love with the crazy characters, constant absurd situations, and rude and irreverent banter in between, so I am bound to get overly excited every time a new book comes out and I get to be entertained by this, what my friends and I decided to call it, Absurd Fantasy! 😀
These books have bad language, sex and violence, as well as chock full of most unlikely calamities and disasters, and yet, somehow, they are some of the most readable and entertaining, most anticipated reads of my year! And the author never disappoints! We actually get to spend some time with our favorite Mad Queen!!! Yay! And the dead horse steals every scene it is in:)
If you are a fan of The Dragon Kin Series, this is a must read! For the rest of you, I would recommend trying out that series first, then follow it up with the Blacksmith Queen. You never know, you might find a new way to entertain yourself 😀👍🤟
August 25, 2022
I don’t know what it is about G.A. Aiken, but I always get excited when a new book of hers is released. I don’t read too much Fantasy these days, but I always make room for Aiken.
What I love about her Fantasy Romances is that there’s an uneven focus on the romance and the Fantasy element. Most authors would focus on the romance and while it is still very prominent and passion, I feel like Aiken has the most fun creating this unique world and building on it with each book. The details are amazing and there’s lots of worldbuilding and interconnecting storylines. I find it very enjoyable to read.
So when you have a great base like that, anything else that you do on top of it is bound to make it better. I believe that’s the case with the romance. I enjoyed Ainsley and Gruffyn a lot. If you’re a fan of dragons, then you definitely don’t want to miss out on this series. There’s a big focus on the women in this series, so the character development is well done.
While sometimes a little violent and over-the-top, Aiken has definitely mastered her own style. It’s a style that I’ve come to love because there’s no other author that writes like her. For some hilarious dragon fun, you don’t want to miss this!
What I love about her Fantasy Romances is that there’s an uneven focus on the romance and the Fantasy element. Most authors would focus on the romance and while it is still very prominent and passion, I feel like Aiken has the most fun creating this unique world and building on it with each book. The details are amazing and there’s lots of worldbuilding and interconnecting storylines. I find it very enjoyable to read.
So when you have a great base like that, anything else that you do on top of it is bound to make it better. I believe that’s the case with the romance. I enjoyed Ainsley and Gruffyn a lot. If you’re a fan of dragons, then you definitely don’t want to miss out on this series. There’s a big focus on the women in this series, so the character development is well done.
While sometimes a little violent and over-the-top, Aiken has definitely mastered her own style. It’s a style that I’ve come to love because there’s no other author that writes like her. For some hilarious dragon fun, you don’t want to miss this!
December 27, 2022
Funny. Action packed. Violently Bloody. Entertaining. The Heretic Royal follows the 3rd or is it the 4th oldest Farmerson sister? I can't remember where the evil sister falls in line in age but I think she might be older so that would make Ainsley the 4th oldest. Either way, I had just us much fun with her book as I did Keeley and Gemma's.
These crazy characters are so entertaining. I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud over something one of them said or did. It's not even just the sisters, but all the characters. Most of them are wildly inappropriate. Almost all of them are very violent. And best of all there is a humor that makes me feel guilty for enjoying.
I would highly suggest reading this series in order. It does follow an overall plot and it would probably feel jumbled if you don't start with the first book. I'm so looking forward to the next book!
These crazy characters are so entertaining. I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud over something one of them said or did. It's not even just the sisters, but all the characters. Most of them are wildly inappropriate. Almost all of them are very violent. And best of all there is a humor that makes me feel guilty for enjoying.
I would highly suggest reading this series in order. It does follow an overall plot and it would probably feel jumbled if you don't start with the first book. I'm so looking forward to the next book!
March 21, 2024
2.5/5.0
Wow, I am obviously the outlier on this one. I just can’t understand why. The problems are so obvious! I guess it all boils down to what one is looking for. If one is expecting a plotline that progresses (like myself) this is NOT the book for you. If, however, one just wants to read about a family fighting, whining, hate/loving each other for 300 pages or so, this “story” is perfect!
The biggest problem is there is absolutely NO forward movement of any plot - within this book or in the overall series arc. Nothing at all happens!! Yes, there are a couple of very small skirmishes, but even those were after the halfway point of the book. The rest is seriously just the characters arguing, snarking, whining at each other (I promise, I’m not exaggerating, it really is ALL that goes on in the book!) And there are a LOT of characters. The author pulls in almost every single dragon from all her previous series to make cameos… and bicker and moan with the rest. So many, in fact that it becomes incredibly hard to keep track of everyone.
And did I mention nothing else really happens?… Oh yes, I did. Even in the “romance” area! Ainsley and Gruffyn are on page at the same time but with a couple of short exceptions, they don’t even have conversations (he doesn’t like to talk). She whines about how put upon she is and complains about her horrible sister constantly, while he listens (I guess he’s listening) but is that considered romantic? It must be because suddenly near the end of the book, sex! Then, I love you, and that’s it. Back to the squabbling
In the epilogue there is a teaser that something might be coming in a future book. That’s the most excitement one can hope for. Upon turning that last page, however, I realized this was one of the rare times I actually thought I might have wasted my money in purchasing a book. And I sincerely don’t mean it against the author. I have read many of her books including both of the previous books in this series and have truly enjoyed them. I guess I’m just not a fan of a book whose entire focal point is constant family squabbling (from EVERYONE and every family) even if that fighting is supposed to be entertaining.
Wow, I am obviously the outlier on this one. I just can’t understand why. The problems are so obvious! I guess it all boils down to what one is looking for. If one is expecting a plotline that progresses (like myself) this is NOT the book for you. If, however, one just wants to read about a family fighting, whining, hate/loving each other for 300 pages or so, this “story” is perfect!
The biggest problem is there is absolutely NO forward movement of any plot - within this book or in the overall series arc. Nothing at all happens!! Yes, there are a couple of very small skirmishes, but even those were after the halfway point of the book. The rest is seriously just the characters arguing, snarking, whining at each other (I promise, I’m not exaggerating, it really is ALL that goes on in the book!) And there are a LOT of characters. The author pulls in almost every single dragon from all her previous series to make cameos… and bicker and moan with the rest. So many, in fact that it becomes incredibly hard to keep track of everyone.
And did I mention nothing else really happens?… Oh yes, I did. Even in the “romance” area! Ainsley and Gruffyn are on page at the same time but with a couple of short exceptions, they don’t even have conversations (he doesn’t like to talk). She whines about how put upon she is and complains about her horrible sister constantly, while he listens (I guess he’s listening) but is that considered romantic? It must be because suddenly near the end of the book, sex! Then, I love you, and that’s it. Back to the squabbling
In the epilogue there is a teaser that something might be coming in a future book. That’s the most excitement one can hope for. Upon turning that last page, however, I realized this was one of the rare times I actually thought I might have wasted my money in purchasing a book. And I sincerely don’t mean it against the author. I have read many of her books including both of the previous books in this series and have truly enjoyed them. I guess I’m just not a fan of a book whose entire focal point is constant family squabbling (from EVERYONE and every family) even if that fighting is supposed to be entertaining.
August 24, 2025
FINALLY!!!!!!!!
I've been waiting for what feels like forever 😭😭😍😍
UPDATE:
I can’t believe I’m going to have to admit it out loud that I really did not enjoy reading The Heretic Royal.
I loved The Blacksmith Queen (I LOVEEEEEE) and even The Princess Knight (We took sometime getting use to each other but we truly did enjoy each others company) but this book was just…..tedious?
Ainsley is annoying to be honest
Now before you come at me, hear me out. Ainsley’s entire family is interesting to say the least. They are over the top and I love their uniqueness but Ainsley just annoyed me. I can’t even remember Gruffyn’s characters to be honest except something about his clan holding long ass grudges.
There is next to nothing when It comes to romance..I mean, at least give us some chemistry to go with. Nada. Or maybe that’s just for me (See!I’m trying to be polite).
Alast! I will forever weep at the thought of not liking The Heretic Royal especially after falling in love with The Blacksmith Queen and The Princess Knight. See! Dramatic me would totally fit into Ainsley’s family.
I've been waiting for what feels like forever 😭😭😍😍
UPDATE:
I can’t believe I’m going to have to admit it out loud that I really did not enjoy reading The Heretic Royal.
I loved The Blacksmith Queen (I LOVEEEEEE) and even The Princess Knight (We took sometime getting use to each other but we truly did enjoy each others company) but this book was just…..tedious?
Ainsley is annoying to be honest
Now before you come at me, hear me out. Ainsley’s entire family is interesting to say the least. They are over the top and I love their uniqueness but Ainsley just annoyed me. I can’t even remember Gruffyn’s characters to be honest except something about his clan holding long ass grudges.
There is next to nothing when It comes to romance..I mean, at least give us some chemistry to go with. Nada. Or maybe that’s just for me (See!I’m trying to be polite).
Alast! I will forever weep at the thought of not liking The Heretic Royal especially after falling in love with The Blacksmith Queen and The Princess Knight. See! Dramatic me would totally fit into Ainsley’s family.
November 22, 2022
How unfortunate. I was so looking forward to reading The Heretic Royal. Especially since I enjoyed Aiken's previous novels, The Blacksmith Queen and The Princess Knight. Both of those novels garnered five and four stars respectively from me.
The Heretic Royal didn't quite get my attention. Perhaps it's been too long of a time span (2 years) between the last installment and this novel. I was just lost at the get-go and I didn't really want to re-read The Princess Knight to play catch up. Too bad that I thought I could just pick up and go.
With so many new characters (at least that's what it appeared to me,) I was floundering from the start. At least there was the staple of the four sisters. But it didn't help much.
The same entertaining snarky remarks between the characters were there, but after struggling to recall the plot of the previous novel, I called it quits at 33% I think that had I read The Heretic Royal shortly after The Princess Knight, my opinion and outlook would have been a lot different. As it stands, The Heretic Royal is a disappointing single star.
I received a digital ARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
The Heretic Royal didn't quite get my attention. Perhaps it's been too long of a time span (2 years) between the last installment and this novel. I was just lost at the get-go and I didn't really want to re-read The Princess Knight to play catch up. Too bad that I thought I could just pick up and go.
With so many new characters (at least that's what it appeared to me,) I was floundering from the start. At least there was the staple of the four sisters. But it didn't help much.
The same entertaining snarky remarks between the characters were there, but after struggling to recall the plot of the previous novel, I called it quits at 33% I think that had I read The Heretic Royal shortly after The Princess Knight, my opinion and outlook would have been a lot different. As it stands, The Heretic Royal is a disappointing single star.
I received a digital ARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
October 23, 2023
Find more here: The Heretic Royal
I have to tell you something...
I absolutely LOVED Annwyl!!
I honestly forgot how ridiculous and fun and perfect this series is. The fantastical imaginings of the way this story is told makes me giggle and laugh uncontrollably. I'm constantly in a state of shock and awe, thinking to myself "Did they really just say that?" or "No way did they just do that."
Before I started this book, I remembered I left Keeley and friends being confronted by Annwyl and her dragons. I had no idea what would happen next and I could have never predicted what I found.
While this was primarily Ainsley's book with the aloof and grumpy Gruff, everyone had a huge part to play and still had prominent roles in how everything turned out.
The highlights (without spoilers):
❋ Ainsley was tired of being overlooked and underestimated and Gruff was determined to see her.
❋ Keeley realized that she had some hard choices to make when it came to her evil sister and Annwyl might just be the key. Shoot, Annwyl had some hard truths to lay down on her fellow queen. LOVED IT!!
❋ Gemma was suspicious of everyone (what else is new?) and wasn't looking to make new friends (or any friends).
❋ Annwyl was hilarious and most definitely the best part of this story. Sorry, not sorry.
If you love fantasy, tons of action, reasons to laugh, with a bit of romance thrown in, you need this series in your life!
September 25, 2024
Happy Publication Day!
READ the first two books! For those with Kindle Unlimited, they are free to borrow!
So now we know this will be a series since there is no true ending to this book. Yes, Ainsley Farmerson, sister of the Queen (the good one), gets her guy and has some sexy times with him. There are the fighting, blood, guts, strong women who know themselves and revel in it, laughter, and comedy that we've all come to know and love with this author.
I suggest that you also try to read: at the very least, Dragon Actually
by G.A. Aiken or What a Dragon Should Know
to learn a bit about Annwyl the Bloody because she is a secondary main character in this book and perhaps for some of those to come!. Also, for those with Kindle Unlimited, the first Dragon book is free!
Edited to add: these dragon books have a lot more sexy times and are quite graphic about them!
This book started a tad slow but really picked up quite soon and kept me at the edge of my chair for the rest of the book. I adored it, and for me, that is really a lot to admit. I don't adore a lot of books. This one is going on my comfort bookshelf along with the other two!
*ARC provided by the publisher Kensington Publishing Corp, the author G.A. Aiken aka Shelly Laurenston, and NetGalley.
READ the first two books! For those with Kindle Unlimited, they are free to borrow!
So now we know this will be a series since there is no true ending to this book. Yes, Ainsley Farmerson, sister of the Queen (the good one), gets her guy and has some sexy times with him. There are the fighting, blood, guts, strong women who know themselves and revel in it, laughter, and comedy that we've all come to know and love with this author.
I suggest that you also try to read: at the very least, Dragon Actually
by G.A. Aiken or What a Dragon Should Know
to learn a bit about Annwyl the Bloody because she is a secondary main character in this book and perhaps for some of those to come!. Also, for those with Kindle Unlimited, the first Dragon book is free!Edited to add: these dragon books have a lot more sexy times and are quite graphic about them!
This book started a tad slow but really picked up quite soon and kept me at the edge of my chair for the rest of the book. I adored it, and for me, that is really a lot to admit. I don't adore a lot of books. This one is going on my comfort bookshelf along with the other two!
*ARC provided by the publisher Kensington Publishing Corp, the author G.A. Aiken aka Shelly Laurenston, and NetGalley.
Want to read
March 27, 202227/03/22
June 16, 2023
Overall Rating : C+
"'You will stay with us and we will all die together!' Gemma angrily hissed. 'Like a family.'"
This was simultaneously more hilarious, more serious, and more cracky than the first two books combined if possible. Almost too much but it gets to you after a bit.
Also, I am a little obsessed with Beatrix solely because she is probably the most terrifying, intelligent villain I have read in a long while. I think she's even starting to become my favorite character in the series. Her - the villain! I must be insane!😆
"'You will stay with us and we will all die together!' Gemma angrily hissed. 'Like a family.'"
This was simultaneously more hilarious, more serious, and more cracky than the first two books combined if possible. Almost too much but it gets to you after a bit.
Also, I am a little obsessed with Beatrix solely because she is probably the most terrifying, intelligent villain I have read in a long while. I think she's even starting to become my favorite character in the series. Her - the villain! I must be insane!😆
December 19, 2023
Jedes Mal wenn man denkt, es könne nicht noch bekloppter werden, setzt G. A. Aiken nochmal einen bis einhundert oben drauf. Kurzweiliger Schnellfeuer - Slapstick vom Feinsten, ich hatte so verdammt viel Spaß!
Nur schade, dass Ainsley und Gruffyn sich nun ebenfalls in die Reihe der gefühlt drei Millionen Nebencharaktere einordnen werden, mein liebstes Couple bisher, obwohl ich mir vorstellen könnte, dass Isadora im Reich der Drachen sie mit Sicherheit alle übertreffen wird. Wird der Brüller, ich freu' mich drauf!
Nur schade, dass Ainsley und Gruffyn sich nun ebenfalls in die Reihe der gefühlt drei Millionen Nebencharaktere einordnen werden, mein liebstes Couple bisher, obwohl ich mir vorstellen könnte, dass Isadora im Reich der Drachen sie mit Sicherheit alle übertreffen wird. Wird der Brüller, ich freu' mich drauf!
August 8, 2022
Who knew what this series needed was bickering dragons and a "mad" queen who makes the Smythe family look sane in comparison. I absolutely ADORED these new additions and hope they'll stick around for a good long time. They were hilarious! If you like completely insane, OTT characters who act like children. Albeit insanely bloodthirsty and violent ones. My point is, the shenanigans are not for everyone, but I for one love this adorably mad bunch of idiots to pieces.
That being said, I was sooo looking forward to Ainsley's story. She who is always ignore and underestimated by her family, who loves nothing more but to hide in trees when the family get too much even for her... And I did adore the pairing of her and the -well- gruff Gruff (his clan's appointed Grudge Holder because no one can hold a grudge as well as he can), who became adorably flustered around her. It's just that when two characters who don't really like talking get together, it can get a bit. Well. I found the romance a bit underwhelming because it was so obvious. They are so good for each other in a way. But I thought it a bit sad that they don't interact more when their romance just develops over the story - which I love, they do have more important things to worry about than doing it, namely the mad sister, demon kings, regular demons, queens nicknamed "the bloody" and her dragons...
All in all, it was a super fun addition to the series and oh how I adore the crazy dragon shenanigans. I just found them more interesting than Gruff and Ainsley figuring out they belong together is all.
*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
That being said, I was sooo looking forward to Ainsley's story. She who is always ignore and underestimated by her family, who loves nothing more but to hide in trees when the family get too much even for her... And I did adore the pairing of her and the -well- gruff Gruff (his clan's appointed Grudge Holder because no one can hold a grudge as well as he can), who became adorably flustered around her. It's just that when two characters who don't really like talking get together, it can get a bit. Well. I found the romance a bit underwhelming because it was so obvious. They are so good for each other in a way. But I thought it a bit sad that they don't interact more when their romance just develops over the story - which I love, they do have more important things to worry about than doing it, namely the mad sister, demon kings, regular demons, queens nicknamed "the bloody" and her dragons...
All in all, it was a super fun addition to the series and oh how I adore the crazy dragon shenanigans. I just found them more interesting than Gruff and Ainsley figuring out they belong together is all.
*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
April 8, 2023
#1) The Blacksmith Queen ★★☆☆☆
#2) The Princess Knight ★★★☆☆
➸ Trigger warnings for .
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
August 9, 2022
The Heretic Royal
by G.A. Aiken
Fantasy Paranormal
NetGalley ARC
The blurb at the time I'm reviewing is B.S. It's not exactly what the book is about, it's the romantic subplot. Yes, Ainsely and Gruffyn are whom most of the story centers around, and yes Ainsely wants to be her own person and not be ordered around.
There are other M.C.s that have a few chapters centered around them, but besides Beatrix and her terrorizing the realm to rule it all, and Keeley trying to keep everyone, the humans and centaurs, safe from Beatrix while keeping everyone sane as they all struggle to survive.... Dragons show up.
I loved the first two books of the series, this one not so much. Not much happened because we meet Annwyl the Bloody and the dragons. I had no idea 'The Scarred Earth Saga' is part of the 'Dragon Kin' world. Never read that series, so there are a lot of introductions to these characters, so there wasn't much 'action', there was action but..Spoilers...
There were funnies, interesting happenings, and sadly one graphic sex scene that really didn't need to be graphic. I'm not a prude, but it was gross. So not appropriate for ANYONE under 18. (A star lost some shine because of it.)
It was a quick read, but I kept waiting for more to happen, but it was a big disappointment.
I wish I could give it more stars, but I can't.
2 Stars
by G.A. Aiken
Fantasy Paranormal
NetGalley ARC
The blurb at the time I'm reviewing is B.S. It's not exactly what the book is about, it's the romantic subplot. Yes, Ainsely and Gruffyn are whom most of the story centers around, and yes Ainsely wants to be her own person and not be ordered around.
There are other M.C.s that have a few chapters centered around them, but besides Beatrix and her terrorizing the realm to rule it all, and Keeley trying to keep everyone, the humans and centaurs, safe from Beatrix while keeping everyone sane as they all struggle to survive.... Dragons show up.
I loved the first two books of the series, this one not so much. Not much happened because we meet Annwyl the Bloody and the dragons. I had no idea 'The Scarred Earth Saga' is part of the 'Dragon Kin' world. Never read that series, so there are a lot of introductions to these characters, so there wasn't much 'action', there was action but..Spoilers...
There were funnies, interesting happenings, and sadly one graphic sex scene that really didn't need to be graphic. I'm not a prude, but it was gross. So not appropriate for ANYONE under 18. (A star lost some shine because of it.)
It was a quick read, but I kept waiting for more to happen, but it was a big disappointment.
I wish I could give it more stars, but I can't.
2 Stars
June 27, 2023
Picking up immediately after the conclusion of the previous title, The Heretic Royal introduces readers to a slew of new yet familiar characters. Joining the story is none other than Queen Annwyl of Aiken’s Dragon Kin series. Several of the dragons (from the same series) accompanied the queen to find out who is enslaving children, with their first stop at Queen Keely’s territory. Luckily the truth is discovered (it’s not Keely but Beatrix) before things get out of hand, and soon the two human queens find a tentative truce.
Like the previous titles in the Scarred Earth series, The Heretic Royal is full of chaos, silly bickering, ranting, and fighting. The story jumps from one POV to another without any transition. The families members and friends are highly dysfunctional, extremely obnoxious, but care about each other deeply. Aiken’s writing style can be difficult to take in, and I find it best just to buckle up and enjoy the ride.
The third title continues the overall story of Queen Keely and her evil sister Queen Beatrix, yet has a romantic focus on Keely’s sister, Ainsley and centaur Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan. Ainsley is dedicated to Keely but is often pushed aside by her protective older sisters. She’s an excellent marksman with her arrow and can fight with the biggest of opponents, yet Gemma and Keely often relegate her to cleaning up messes. With Gruffyn’s encouragement, Ainsley discovers how to do what is needed to protect the Queen while balancing her own safety. I enjoyed seeing Ainsley take charge of her own life.
Narration: The Heretic Royal is shared from MANY different, constantly shifting POVs, and Ms. Barron uses the same female narrator regardless of the POV. She is bold, confident, and fitting for the craziness that is Aiken’s storytelling. The narrator uses subtle clues to indicate the quickly moving POV changes. Ms. Barron alters each character’s voice for the dialogue, making adjustments based on gender, age, species, etc. Each character has a unique and identifiable speaking voice, even though their narrator voice is the same as all characters. I enjoyed Ms. Barron’s performance; she keeps the tempo and zaniness intact.
Overall, The Heretic Royal is an enjoyable romance and excellent addition to the series. It is the continuation of the story started in the first book, The Blacksmith Queen, and should not be read as a standalone book. With the stakes getting higher, I look forward to the next Scarred Earth Saga.
My Ratings:
Story: B+
Narration: B+
Review copy provided by publisher
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
Like the previous titles in the Scarred Earth series, The Heretic Royal is full of chaos, silly bickering, ranting, and fighting. The story jumps from one POV to another without any transition. The families members and friends are highly dysfunctional, extremely obnoxious, but care about each other deeply. Aiken’s writing style can be difficult to take in, and I find it best just to buckle up and enjoy the ride.
The third title continues the overall story of Queen Keely and her evil sister Queen Beatrix, yet has a romantic focus on Keely’s sister, Ainsley and centaur Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan. Ainsley is dedicated to Keely but is often pushed aside by her protective older sisters. She’s an excellent marksman with her arrow and can fight with the biggest of opponents, yet Gemma and Keely often relegate her to cleaning up messes. With Gruffyn’s encouragement, Ainsley discovers how to do what is needed to protect the Queen while balancing her own safety. I enjoyed seeing Ainsley take charge of her own life.
Narration: The Heretic Royal is shared from MANY different, constantly shifting POVs, and Ms. Barron uses the same female narrator regardless of the POV. She is bold, confident, and fitting for the craziness that is Aiken’s storytelling. The narrator uses subtle clues to indicate the quickly moving POV changes. Ms. Barron alters each character’s voice for the dialogue, making adjustments based on gender, age, species, etc. Each character has a unique and identifiable speaking voice, even though their narrator voice is the same as all characters. I enjoyed Ms. Barron’s performance; she keeps the tempo and zaniness intact.
Overall, The Heretic Royal is an enjoyable romance and excellent addition to the series. It is the continuation of the story started in the first book, The Blacksmith Queen, and should not be read as a standalone book. With the stakes getting higher, I look forward to the next Scarred Earth Saga.
My Ratings:
Story: B+
Narration: B+
Review copy provided by publisher
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
September 16, 2022
-received from netgalley for an honest review-
This book was just as amazing as all the other books in this series I loved all of the POVs the not the main point romance it was hilarious and one of the most fun books I have ever read. The characters were amazing as always I loved Ainsley and Gruff they fit well together even if that was not the main point. The other characters were great too and added so much to the story I liked reading about the dragon characters it has been awhile since I read that series. This story has the most interesting yet complex family dynamics that make for an hilarious and a super fun and action packed read. I loved the plot it picked up where the last book left off with dragons showing up things going haywire after awhile things calm down and there are many interesting characters doing many interesting and it has great action looking forward to reading more.
This book was just as amazing as all the other books in this series I loved all of the POVs the not the main point romance it was hilarious and one of the most fun books I have ever read. The characters were amazing as always I loved Ainsley and Gruff they fit well together even if that was not the main point. The other characters were great too and added so much to the story I liked reading about the dragon characters it has been awhile since I read that series. This story has the most interesting yet complex family dynamics that make for an hilarious and a super fun and action packed read. I loved the plot it picked up where the last book left off with dragons showing up things going haywire after awhile things calm down and there are many interesting characters doing many interesting and it has great action looking forward to reading more.
August 3, 2025
2 stars
I’m so disappointed! Literally nothing happened in this goddamn book. I waited two years so excited to see what would happen next and NOTHING. It wasn’t until the 90 something percent mark that a battle happened. It was nothing but antics between the dragons/annwyl and the farmersons/smyths, that at first were funny but then became annoying, and some talks about an alliance to defeat the evil sister. There was some page time for Ainsley and her friendship with Gruff—that truly came out of nowhere—and her show of independence and wanting to be useful to her sister’s queendom but no build up of that friendship or romance. And no actual battles or interactions between the sister queens aka the whole point of this series.
I’m so disappointed! Literally nothing happened in this goddamn book. I waited two years so excited to see what would happen next and NOTHING. It wasn’t until the 90 something percent mark that a battle happened. It was nothing but antics between the dragons/annwyl and the farmersons/smyths, that at first were funny but then became annoying, and some talks about an alliance to defeat the evil sister. There was some page time for Ainsley and her friendship with Gruff—that truly came out of nowhere—and her show of independence and wanting to be useful to her sister’s queendom but no build up of that friendship or romance. And no actual battles or interactions between the sister queens aka the whole point of this series.
January 21, 2024
This will likely be most enjoyable to those who have read the dragon series. Lots of cross-over and it's super fun, however, for those who haven't read that series I could see it getting really confusing with way too many characters really quickly.
This was my least favorite of the series. The romance is just kinda meh, and at this point the overarching plot is getting boring. Bring on the war already!!
This was my least favorite of the series. The romance is just kinda meh, and at this point the overarching plot is getting boring. Bring on the war already!!
November 13, 2022
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!
I received an ARC of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this is my honest review.
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!
I received an ARC of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this is my honest review.
August 18, 2022
Five fabulous stars because here be dragons ! I've loved the previous two books in spite of the last book being light on romance because the antics of these incredible characters is just so entertaining. This story amps up the madness and mayhem by including characters from the Dragon Kin series and oh boy is it fast, astonishing and absolutely bat shxt crazy and I love it !
This time the romance whilst never rushed felt real and very much obvious. I enjoyed Ainsley finally finding her feet amongst her very loud and over protective sisters and her family are a total joy to read about. Speaking of families the Dragon's are hilarious, brutal and completely bonkers but that's why we love them. This ends in a way that has this reader smiling but already desperate for more and I cannot think of a higher recommendation than that, more please !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
This time the romance whilst never rushed felt real and very much obvious. I enjoyed Ainsley finally finding her feet amongst her very loud and over protective sisters and her family are a total joy to read about. Speaking of families the Dragon's are hilarious, brutal and completely bonkers but that's why we love them. This ends in a way that has this reader smiling but already desperate for more and I cannot think of a higher recommendation than that, more please !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
December 19, 2022
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Fantasy / Romance
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The Heretic Royal is the 3rd installment in author G.A. Aiken's The Scarred Earth Saga. The saga of the Farmerson clan pits sister against sister with divided loyalties making for inherently high stakes drama. It has become apparent to me, that the author intends to write a story about the entire Smythe-Famerson Clan. Well, maybe just the sisters. The first installment featured blacksmith Keeley, who is now Queen of her own realm. The second installment featured Gemma, who is a former War Monk, now raised to the position of Princess Knight.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Fantasy / Romance
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The Heretic Royal is the 3rd installment in author G.A. Aiken's The Scarred Earth Saga. The saga of the Farmerson clan pits sister against sister with divided loyalties making for inherently high stakes drama. It has become apparent to me, that the author intends to write a story about the entire Smythe-Famerson Clan. Well, maybe just the sisters. The first installment featured blacksmith Keeley, who is now Queen of her own realm. The second installment featured Gemma, who is a former War Monk, now raised to the position of Princess Knight.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
January 24, 2023
I didn’t think I would ever finish. This will be a little ranty.
If you are a fan of Aiken’s Dragon Kin’s series, you will be deliriously happy about this third book in the Scarred Earth Saga. I only read the first book and that was about five years ago. I am embarrassed to say that it took me awhile to figure it out what was going on. I probably should have figured it out at the end of book 2 when the dragon shows up, but I wasn’t thinking cross over series, I was thinking they were introducing new characters.
I loved the first two books in this series. The characters were bizarre and unusual and the whole thing was funny, as I would expect from this author. Queen Keeley the blacksmith wasn’t what you would expect as a future Queen, and her sister, Gemma, the Battle Monk, wasn’t what you would have expected from a Princess. The choice of the heroes of the story being centaurs goes along with these usual characters. Both stories were enjoyable and brought in an interesting cast of secondary characters.
When we got to this third story, I wasn’t so excited about Ainsley. Heck, her little sister toddling around with her baby hammer (which I imagined as more like a tiny version of Thor’s hammer) was more interesting as she whacked everyone with it. The most we saw from Ainsley was the fact that she kept climbing trees to get away from her family but of course, we knew that the author would make Ainsley shine in her own book. So I excitedly grabbed a copy of The Heretic Royal. The problem was there really wasn’t too much Ainsley in Ainsley’s book. Even for her love interest, we had new centaur Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan, who everyone thought was mute since he only grunted at everyone, everyone except Ainsley. Gruff held the title of Keeper of the Grudge for his Clan as they held a grudge against Caid and Quinn’s clan. I thought a title like keeper of the grudge would warrant further attempts at humor, but it doesn’t really come up again.
We spent a lot of time reminiscing with the dragons and being reminded this guy was the scholarly one and that one is very vain and don’t forget that Annwyl the Bloody is absolutely crazy.
Again, if you are a fan of the Dragon Kin, this book will make your dance with joy, but I wanted to find out about the final battle with Beatrix. And…it never came. What? I thought this was going to be a trilogy, but is it going to be a series? I mean Keeley, Gemma and Ainsley have a ton of siblings. Their parents seemed determine to populate the planet by themselves, but most of these kids are young still. Are we doing to be fighting this battle with Beatrix for the next decade so they all grow up to have stories of their own?
As I said, because I never read the rest of the Dragon Kin series, I wasn’t fan-girling this story. The majority of this story was just the dragons and mostly, Gemma going back and forth whether or not one party could trust the other enough to make an alliance to defeat Beatrix. That was it. I can’t even tell you how many pages were dedicated to just Annwyl and Keeley wanting to go off and talk Queen things and discuss what to do but their respective families kept fighting with them that the other party was dangerous and not to trust them. And on…and on…and on. That was most of this story plot.
I can’t tell you how many times I put this book down and read another or just put it aside to do dishes. I just wanted to see how the final battle would play out or I would have tossed it aside halfway through. Once I realized that we were not going to get a conclusion, I was more than simply disappointed, I was pissed off.
Beatrix was actually the best part of this story even though she was only in about 10 pages of the entire thing but in those 10 pages she let an underworld God know that she was unimpressed with his offer to help and wasn’t even impressed by his grotesque visage. Only Beatrix could turn her back on an evil God of the underworld and yawn.
With so much of this story now split with the Dragon kin characters, I don’t think I am coming back for any more of this series. There is a hostage swap which was finally agreed to where one of the dragons will stay in Keeley’s kingdom and one of Keeley’s younger sisters is going to the dragon kingdom, so I am going to imagine that there will be at least two more stories before we can have a conclusion but I think unless there is a story featuring the baby hammer-wielder, I am done. I can’t enjoy a story with 300 pages that does nothing to drive the story arc forward.
If you are a fan of Aiken’s Dragon Kin’s series, you will be deliriously happy about this third book in the Scarred Earth Saga. I only read the first book and that was about five years ago. I am embarrassed to say that it took me awhile to figure it out what was going on. I probably should have figured it out at the end of book 2 when the dragon shows up, but I wasn’t thinking cross over series, I was thinking they were introducing new characters.
I loved the first two books in this series. The characters were bizarre and unusual and the whole thing was funny, as I would expect from this author. Queen Keeley the blacksmith wasn’t what you would expect as a future Queen, and her sister, Gemma, the Battle Monk, wasn’t what you would have expected from a Princess. The choice of the heroes of the story being centaurs goes along with these usual characters. Both stories were enjoyable and brought in an interesting cast of secondary characters.
When we got to this third story, I wasn’t so excited about Ainsley. Heck, her little sister toddling around with her baby hammer (which I imagined as more like a tiny version of Thor’s hammer) was more interesting as she whacked everyone with it. The most we saw from Ainsley was the fact that she kept climbing trees to get away from her family but of course, we knew that the author would make Ainsley shine in her own book. So I excitedly grabbed a copy of The Heretic Royal. The problem was there really wasn’t too much Ainsley in Ainsley’s book. Even for her love interest, we had new centaur Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan, who everyone thought was mute since he only grunted at everyone, everyone except Ainsley. Gruff held the title of Keeper of the Grudge for his Clan as they held a grudge against Caid and Quinn’s clan. I thought a title like keeper of the grudge would warrant further attempts at humor, but it doesn’t really come up again.
We spent a lot of time reminiscing with the dragons and being reminded this guy was the scholarly one and that one is very vain and don’t forget that Annwyl the Bloody is absolutely crazy.
Again, if you are a fan of the Dragon Kin, this book will make your dance with joy, but I wanted to find out about the final battle with Beatrix. And…it never came. What? I thought this was going to be a trilogy, but is it going to be a series? I mean Keeley, Gemma and Ainsley have a ton of siblings. Their parents seemed determine to populate the planet by themselves, but most of these kids are young still. Are we doing to be fighting this battle with Beatrix for the next decade so they all grow up to have stories of their own?
As I said, because I never read the rest of the Dragon Kin series, I wasn’t fan-girling this story. The majority of this story was just the dragons and mostly, Gemma going back and forth whether or not one party could trust the other enough to make an alliance to defeat Beatrix. That was it. I can’t even tell you how many pages were dedicated to just Annwyl and Keeley wanting to go off and talk Queen things and discuss what to do but their respective families kept fighting with them that the other party was dangerous and not to trust them. And on…and on…and on. That was most of this story plot.
I can’t tell you how many times I put this book down and read another or just put it aside to do dishes. I just wanted to see how the final battle would play out or I would have tossed it aside halfway through. Once I realized that we were not going to get a conclusion, I was more than simply disappointed, I was pissed off.
Beatrix was actually the best part of this story even though she was only in about 10 pages of the entire thing but in those 10 pages she let an underworld God know that she was unimpressed with his offer to help and wasn’t even impressed by his grotesque visage. Only Beatrix could turn her back on an evil God of the underworld and yawn.
With so much of this story now split with the Dragon kin characters, I don’t think I am coming back for any more of this series. There is a hostage swap which was finally agreed to where one of the dragons will stay in Keeley’s kingdom and one of Keeley’s younger sisters is going to the dragon kingdom, so I am going to imagine that there will be at least two more stories before we can have a conclusion but I think unless there is a story featuring the baby hammer-wielder, I am done. I can’t enjoy a story with 300 pages that does nothing to drive the story arc forward.
March 7, 2023
I’m disappointed that it wasnt a trilogy. I feel like I wait so long in between books that I forget all the characters. And if you’ve read this authors other series …..she writes in her other series characters into this book and I felt confused for the first couple chapters.
January 2, 2023
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 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.
August 29, 2022
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.
Copy provided by publisher through Net Galley
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.
Copy provided by publisher through Net Galley
September 13, 2023
Ainsley Farmerson had plans for herself, mainly not be part of the family business but when war continues to interfere with those she chooses the side that she knows to be true. Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan had no plan to join the war effort but something about the Mad Queen and there is Ainsley, has him choosing a side. Which side will come out on top.
I think I should have reread both books one and two before picking this one up. Generally I do, but there are so many characters reintroduced plus the new characters I found myself trying to figure out who was who. Had some wonderful moments in the story so I am definitely going to go back and reread all three at the same time which I think will make a huge difference on this one.
I think I should have reread both books one and two before picking this one up. Generally I do, but there are so many characters reintroduced plus the new characters I found myself trying to figure out who was who. Had some wonderful moments in the story so I am definitely going to go back and reread all three at the same time which I think will make a huge difference on this one.
February 2, 2023
The Heretic Royal is book three in The Scarred Earth Sage series by G.A. Aiken and narrated by Mia Barron. It’s full of chaos, bickering, fighting, silliness, and more.
The Heretic Royal picks up immediately after the conclusion of the previous title, The Princess Knight. This book needs to be read in order and not as a standalone.
I’m always excited to read a new Aiken novel. There are so many fun, humorous, and unique characters. At times it can be a bit overwhelming, but it works. The world building and details are amazing. The character development is done well. The violence is a bit over the top, but that’s Aikens style. It’s a style I enjoy in her novels.
In this novel we have several dragons and Queen Annwyl from the Dragon Kin series joining Queen Keely in her territory. The families are dysfunctional, but oh do they care about each other deeply. We continue the overall story arc with Queen Keely and her evil sister Queen Beatrix.
The romance is between; Ainsley and Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan. Ainsley is an excellent marksman, but she’s often pushed aside by her sisters, so she’s not sure where she fits in and how to help. Gruffyn encourages Ainsley to discover what she can do to protect the Queen and balance her safety. It was nice to focus on Ainsley and of course see the Dragon’s from the Dragon Kin series.
Audio: Mia Barron did well in her narration. The novel is full of MANY different and constantly shifting POV’s. She uses little clues to help indicate the changing POV’s and each character has a unique voice, even if at times their narrated voices sounded the same. I enjoyed the performance and had fun listening.
Overall, The Heretic Royal was enjoyable and I enjoyed the romance. The stakes are getting higher for everyone. I’m looking forward to the next Scarred Earth Saga novel.
Rated: 4 Stars
The Heretic Royal picks up immediately after the conclusion of the previous title, The Princess Knight. This book needs to be read in order and not as a standalone.
I’m always excited to read a new Aiken novel. There are so many fun, humorous, and unique characters. At times it can be a bit overwhelming, but it works. The world building and details are amazing. The character development is done well. The violence is a bit over the top, but that’s Aikens style. It’s a style I enjoy in her novels.
In this novel we have several dragons and Queen Annwyl from the Dragon Kin series joining Queen Keely in her territory. The families are dysfunctional, but oh do they care about each other deeply. We continue the overall story arc with Queen Keely and her evil sister Queen Beatrix.
The romance is between; Ainsley and Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan. Ainsley is an excellent marksman, but she’s often pushed aside by her sisters, so she’s not sure where she fits in and how to help. Gruffyn encourages Ainsley to discover what she can do to protect the Queen and balance her safety. It was nice to focus on Ainsley and of course see the Dragon’s from the Dragon Kin series.
Audio: Mia Barron did well in her narration. The novel is full of MANY different and constantly shifting POV’s. She uses little clues to help indicate the changing POV’s and each character has a unique voice, even if at times their narrated voices sounded the same. I enjoyed the performance and had fun listening.
Overall, The Heretic Royal was enjoyable and I enjoyed the romance. The stakes are getting higher for everyone. I’m looking forward to the next Scarred Earth Saga novel.
Rated: 4 Stars
January 2, 2023
Where even to start with this?
I love G.A. Aiken and her alter-ego Shelly Laurenston and I think I've read pretty much everything published under both names. I was really enjoying this new series, I gave four stars to the first book and four and a half stars to the second (which is HIGH in my world) but this book, I don't even know what the point was or frankly whether anything happened, the romance was so muted it was non-existent, and the focus of the story seemed to be either on Annwyl the Bloody (hurrah, love the Mad Queen) or the princess that I assume will be the focus of the next book.
In fact, I keep having to re-read the synopsis of the book to remember who are supposed to be the romantic couple, nope its gone again!
I would classify this as the middle book of the series. Our new family meet Annwyl and her dragons (which sadly goes to show how much more depth of character they have compared to the new characters), the evil sister is even more evil than before, dragons are being dragons, most heinous, I don't recall any super smexy love scenes when the Dragon Kin series was wall-to-wall hawt dragon shenanigans between the sheets.
Overall, without Annwyl and her bickering children this would have been a two star at best.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
I love G.A. Aiken and her alter-ego Shelly Laurenston and I think I've read pretty much everything published under both names. I was really enjoying this new series, I gave four stars to the first book and four and a half stars to the second (which is HIGH in my world) but this book, I don't even know what the point was or frankly whether anything happened, the romance was so muted it was non-existent, and the focus of the story seemed to be either on Annwyl the Bloody (hurrah, love the Mad Queen) or the princess that I assume will be the focus of the next book.
In fact, I keep having to re-read the synopsis of the book to remember who are supposed to be the romantic couple, nope its gone again!
I would classify this as the middle book of the series. Our new family meet Annwyl and her dragons (which sadly goes to show how much more depth of character they have compared to the new characters), the evil sister is even more evil than before, dragons are being dragons, most heinous, I don't recall any super smexy love scenes when the Dragon Kin series was wall-to-wall hawt dragon shenanigans between the sheets.
Overall, without Annwyl and her bickering children this would have been a two star at best.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
February 21, 2023
It took a while for this read to settle down - to be honest I was a little embarrassed for G.A. Aiken - as the first 3-5 chapters were just awful. As the reader is shifted from POV to POV, to some random dude's POV who only hangs around for like a page and a half before dying horribly, then on to a series of more POVs. Plus the awkward info dumps that came with these POVs... clunky and really badly parsed out.
This was Ainsley's story - no, I'm not kidding. Hard as it is to believe it is supposed to be her story. I know, that's shocking, right? Since she hardly gets any page time. Doesn't resemble the character the author presented her as in the first two books and really, quite simply, does nothing.
Besides the constantly shifting POV, the older sisters bitching, the dragons bitching, everyone being afraid of Annwyl - nothing happens. NOTHING.
I wouldn't have been so resentful of this read - even though the romance isn't just on the back burner but barely a two day old smoking ember - if the story itself had in anyway advanced. But again, I apologise for being repetitive, but nothing happens in this book.
This was Ainsley's story - no, I'm not kidding. Hard as it is to believe it is supposed to be her story. I know, that's shocking, right? Since she hardly gets any page time. Doesn't resemble the character the author presented her as in the first two books and really, quite simply, does nothing.
Besides the constantly shifting POV, the older sisters bitching, the dragons bitching, everyone being afraid of Annwyl - nothing happens. NOTHING.
I wouldn't have been so resentful of this read - even though the romance isn't just on the back burner but barely a two day old smoking ember - if the story itself had in anyway advanced. But again, I apologise for being repetitive, but nothing happens in this book.
December 30, 2022
I kind of hate myself saying it because I love Aiken, but I didn't love this book. The L-word between Ainsley and Gruff came out of nowhere for me. There was so little interaction between the two, instead we got plenty of our dragon buddies and Annwyl, whom I love. But bloody hell, I wanted centaurs!
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