I have been a fan of G.A. Aiken/Shelly Laurenston ever since I found one of her books, Hunting Season on Scribd back in high school. I adore her stories, the crazy shenanigans of her characters, the strength of the cast of characters and the developing romance between characters. I have binge-read almost all of her series because I adore her writing.

‘The Blacksmith Queen’, the first in a brand new series, did not disappoint. It had absolutely everything I love in a book: three-dimensional characters with unique personalities, witty (and hilarious) banter, interesting magical system as well as well-written world building- literally everything! As I was reading this book, I realised that one of Aiken’s strengths lies in the ability to masterfully create such unique characters but especially strong female characters. Aiken has always written female characters that are incredibly strong, and I’m not talking only just physical strength though many of Aiken’s female characters have that in spades. These women are fearless, they know their mind and refuse to be a doormat, most of the time THEY are the ones running headlong into battle with the men sitting around TALKING about it. It’s hilarious but also so epic because Aiken’s women are incredibly independent and intelligent women in their own right. What makes this more wholesome and awesome, and it was especially seen in ‘The Blacksmith Queen’ was that the male characters were not intimidated by the strength and fearlessness of the female characters; it was more as though it was the norm, if that makes sense.

In terms of the storyline itself, it had me hooked. I won’t go into detail as I really don’t want to spoil the story but Aiken is setting up such an intriguing, action-packed series with The Blacksmith Queen and I can honestly say that Keely and Cain’s adventure has just started,. Watching these two characters slowly fall in love whilst battling, dealing with the infighting, the betrayals - was fascinating and made my heart pound.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the characters, but the reason as to my rating of 4 out of 5 stars is mainly because I sometimes felt that the dialogue between the characters were slightly childish or immature, especially considering the age of the characters (I’m assuming at least in their twenties). And though I am familiar with the way Aiken writes the hilarious and over the top shenanigans of the characters and between the characters, some situations or scenes I felt were just an exaggeration of ‘over the top’ to the point that it was slightly cringe-worthy.

However, overall, I really enjoyed this book and I am excited for the rest of the series and I cannot wait for what happens next!

This was the first time I've read anything by G.A. Aiken, and I'm so glad I got an E-ARC for it. It was a rollicking, bloody good time from start to finish. I don't think I ever wasn't entertained by the characters and the plot. I also thoroughly love when a book makes me laugh out loud in public, which The Blacksmith Queen succeeded in doing multiple times. Can't wait for the sequel!

Strong characters, action packed storyline, betrayal, fantasy and a little romance make THE BLACKSMITH QUEEN a well rounded story.

I loved Keeley's drive to do what's best for and protect her family. The world was full of interesting characters and creatures. I enjoyed the secondary characters and the way that they fit into the story.

Count me in for book two.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I found out after finishing this one was that this was a reprint of another title. Which seems to be something going on with older titles right now. This one I never did read the first rendition of this story. But this book was amazing! I love dragons and this one along with the queen I just could not put down. I do think that it could have been a little longer but other than that I loved it. The secrets surrounding the world were spot on and the characters hit it out of the park. I can not wait for the next title.

This is the first book that I have read from Ms. Aiken, and I am in love with her work! Ms. Aiken builds a tale of life and loss, love and hate, monsters and saviors all mixed in with humans and non-humans. The Blacksmith Queen is told from several points of view, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love how the Smythe women are strong and independent as well as the men. I was completely enthralled and found The Blacksmith Queen to be engaging and suspenseful. Just when I thought that I had figured out who had done it and why, Ms. Aiken threw a twist. I absolutely loved this book, and I can not wait to find out what happens next. If you love medieval eras mixed in with beings only read about myth and fantasy, then you will enjoy The Blacksmith Queen. There is a lot of swearing and bloodshed through out this book, but I didn't find that it deterred from the plot. Thank you NetGalley for introducing me to a new author. I look forward to finding out what happens next.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. This was just a wonderful book to read and it was just easy to lose yourself in the story. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I could go either way with The Blacksmith Queen. I enjoyed the different views from each of the characters, but I felt like the background could have been developed much more fully. Since this will be a series, the background will be so important as the story progresses. I will be open to reading the second book. 3 stars

The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken is the first book in a new fantasy series The Scarred Earth Saga. G.A. Aiken was a new author to me so I was not familiar with previous work but have read this series is set in the same world as an earlier series. Most readers are saying you do not need to be familiar with it however I felt a lack of world building in here and wondered time and again if I had missed something.

The story is this fantasy is told from multiple points of view during a time when after the death of the king their is unrest. A prophecy has come into play in the kingdom that a queen will be the next to take the throne which of course is not news the sons of the king wish to hear.

One thing I walked away from thinking after reading The Blacksmith Queen was the old saying not to judge a book by its cover. This one felt way too modern than I had ever expected it to be from the description and cover which really threw me off right away. There also was a ton of cursing in this one that also made it feel completely off from the type of book I expected it to be and while I’m not one that is opposed to it being f-something er other every paragraph it just added to my disconnect. In the end I’d say this was just a case of wrong reader since most seem to enjoy the story.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

In G.A. Aiken’s new series, a blacksmith and her family get embroiled in political shenanigans and end up smack dab in the center of a bloody war of succession for a throne they don’t want. Decapitations, mass-destruction, bickering siblings, full-frontal nudity, political scheming, and gloriously campy epic battles all ensue.

How I love Keeley Smythe, let me count the ways. First off, she’s a caretaker alpha. She’s the oldest of twelve (for the moment), serves as a third parent to most of her younger siblings, and cares deeply for and respects animals. Second, she’s a bad-ass blacksmith and her passion is palpable. She loves blacksmithing to her core and would be happy spending the rest of her days forging away. Third, she’s a bad-ass warrior. She carries around a ridiculously oversized war hammer and frequently uses it to fuck shit up. She’s multifaceted and I love her.

I feel like this book is inherently about perseverance and not giving up in the face of tyranny. Keeley and company suffer more than a few demoralizing betrayals and set-backs and still keep on. Because letting the bastards win, and destroy everyone in their wake, is just not an option.

“Ahhhh. The women in her family. They were amazing. And insane. Because you needed to be both if you wanted to survive this world the way they did. Making their own choices and rules and ignoring all the men who tried to tell them no.”

Aiken’s books have been leaning more heavily toward fantasy than fantasy romance over the last few years and I feel like this leans all the way in. There is a very nice romance between Keeley and centaur warrior Caid, but it is definitely a minor subplot and not the main driving force of the book. I actually love this budding romance. It’s a slow burn with accidental and intentional hand holding and it features an introverted man who hates when people talk to him but loves when Keeley does.

“Caid had to admit… the longer he knew Keeley, the more he liked her. But that wasn’t unusual, he liked lots of people. Oh. Wait. No, he didn’t.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved Keeley and her bad-ass family. I loved Caid and his ridiculous siblings and his loyal father. I want to see the primary villains get what they deserve so badly. I’m extremely excited for this new series and can’t wait to see what adventures Keeley and her friends and family get into next.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

WHEN CAN I GET THE NEXT BOOK?

The Blacksmith Queen was such a fun book to read. I honestly couldn't put it down once I started (which is really hard for a fiscal year end close). Ever since the first sentence in this book, I was in love. I couldn't wait to meet all the characters and fall even more in love with this book.

Yeah, it happened. I fell in love.

Even after an interesting beginning (which was quite humorous) we meet our main girl Keeley. Now, she was lovable all on her own. She was like a bad ass Snow White or any other type of Disney princess - maybe Pocahontas? She loves animals and her family.. yet she is a strong ass independent black smith. #BADASS

There's a lot happening in this kingdom, besides the brothers going at it with one another. Long story short, a LOT happens in this book. From predictions to meeting some very unique and interesting characters along the way. I loved every second I spent reading and I can't wait to dive back into this book when the second one comes out.

Overall, so freaking happy that I got this and I really need the next one to come out right now.

The Scarred Earth Saga #1, I'm no stranger to Shelly Laurenston but this is my first time reading her under the name Aiken. I'm picky about the fantasy genre I read and I was hesitant to pick this one up fearing it would be overly dramatic, long winded, and full of political backstabbing bs but then I remembered who the author was and read it........And loved it. The beginning of the book with The Old King dying and the sons all killing each other off kind of reminded me of Stardust except less humorous and way more violent. I didn't dislike all the violence, because this book is full of it, I was surprised by how gorey it was described, again not a bad thing for me I just wasn't expecting it. True to form Aiken writes her female characters full of snark. With Keeley you see many sides of the strong fighter standing up for those who can't and when she's around her family you see a funnier side but overall she is protective. But when it comes to her sister, Gemma, you see a more childish side like picking fights doing things she knows bug her. Gemma and Keeley are both head strong and very similar which causes them to but heads and argue at the drop of a hat but you see throughout the book they are starting to trust each other more and more and that there is love between them. Keeley has plenty of depth. Aiken wasn't gratuitous with the sex either, like some others, for which I am grateful. I loved how the story played out and how the narrative switches to other characters so you get the full picture, one reason I prefer third person I must know everything. I liked the characters everyone has quirks that make them unique and memorable. Caid, I really like, he's a good strong warrior and you can see the gradual change in him the more he's around Keely.

It all started as a simple journey protecting her sister, the girl who would be Queen, but turns into an all out war with Keeley in the lead. Keeley must now find allies to fight with her against The Old King's remaining sons. Overall, it was a fun read. There is no cliffhanger there is a definite end to the book but it's far from over.

This series is different than Aiken's dragons. It's bloody, violent and primal. It has its moments of funny and sarcastic but not what I was expecting. It's a very urban fantasy type of story. Yes there's a romantic moment and you can see it building throughout the book but it could have ended up a platonic friendship with the lack of sizzle in the story. It is full of action, battles and unexpected turns of the story. I never knew what would happen next. Overall the story was not what I was expecting but a good story and I'll need to read the following installments to see how Keeley finally secures her crown.

Keeley Smyth is a blacksmith from a family of blacksmiths who is all about family and being kind to everyone especially animals. We quickly meet a young man, Simon hanging in a tree, who needs rescuing which she can't walk away from. Her sister Beatrix, the nerdy oddball of the family, has been named as the next queen of the land by the Witches of Amhuinn. Keeley and a contingent of protector centaurs accompany Beatrix to see her confirmed. Within this contingent is Caid who becomes Keeley's love interest. When meeting the witches Keeley is also named queen as well and Beatrix. Beatrix does the unforgivable thing of trying to kill her sister to be the only queen. After that Beatrix calmly leaves to meet up with Marius, the elder brother battling for his late father's throne. She's been corresponding with Marius' mother Maila for quite a while planning the coup over the other surviving 4 brothers. This is the set up for the series. We meet more centaurs, her sister Gemma a War Monk, her insane Uncle Archibald, Stratton The Devourer-one of the royal brothers, devil wolves with fire eyes, dwarfs, wood elves, barbarians and even a dark plains dragon from her Dragon Kin series. It's a constantly moving brutal adventure.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a fun read! I’ve never read anything by this author before but I’ll track down earlier books on the strength of this. Engaging characters, great world building and witty dialogue. I was really in the mood for slightly lighter epic fantasy and this delivered.

I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I have read other works by this author and for me some were a hit, some a miss. The Blacksmith Queen was a total hit. I liked the characters and look forward to the rest of the series. Family, Funny, and unexpected. 4.5* out of 5 stars.

I've read this author's dragon series. This is similar with the family ties, etc. The stories are so chaotic, I stopped reading those.

This started the same. The story is awesome, but I'm tired of the characters calling each other names, etc. And we head-hop into every characters head.

The story is compelling, but the writing was too chaotic.

This is the first time I have read one of G.A. Aiken's novels and now I am wondering how I have never read her work before. Definitely my loss! Aiken creates a high fantasy that reads like an urban fantasy. Well-paced and dialogue-driven, her characters are smart, sassy, funny, and loveable. This is not traditional epic fantasy, and if you prefer your fantasy to be literary, go somewhere else. This is fun and fast-paced with shape-shifters, dwarves, alliances and fights and at times a pinch of the ridiculous, but this is what makes it so enjoyable. Her characters are so enjoyable and a delight to follow.

This story follows Keely and her family, a mixture of blacksmiths, farmers and a few other professions thrown in for good measure. When Keely's sister is prophesized to be the new queen, their life changes forever - and not in the way they thought.

From faithful readers of Aiken, I understand that this book is set in the same world as her previous series, so the world-building from point zero is not in this novel. This did not worry me in the slightest, but her strong female characters, fun flair with dialogue and her writing style make me want to go back to the beginning of her work and read through it all. This book has made me a fan. I devoured it so quickly, I definitely need more. This bok being newly released and the first in the series, it might be a while to wait before the next one. Lucky for me, I can go back and read the other series.

2 unroyal ★★✩✩✩
This book is for you if… find dialogue-driven and silly new adult fantasy novels appealing.

⤐ Overall.
I had a hard time getting into this and the plot felt very forced and ungenuine. At one point I told somebody else that this book comes across like the dialogue-driven mocktail version of a proper original I didn't know of yet. I didn't notice how heavily G. A. relied on dialogue and that it seriously messed with the quality of this novel until another reviewer on here pointed it out. It hits the nail right on the head, though. Not only was there too much dialogue but it was also very bad and silly. What could have been a humorous book, just felt forced and annoying right around 25%. In general, there are some really funny lines in there but the overuse just makes it bland and exhausting.

I was also very disappointed that the author depicted all of the female characters she deemed powerful and righteous as violent warriors/blacksmiths. I notice and appreciate trying to give a wider range of powerful women roles to the readership - it's great - but this did not turn out well. While the villains all seemed like intelligent and resourceful vicious ladies, the good characters just pulled their axes to call it a day.

⇢ I agree that physically strong women with visible muscles and all are important. MY exboyfriend is one of these petty creatures stating women shouldn't have six-packs because it's not feminine, all the while sporting a beer belly himself [facepalm].

⤐ What’s happening.
"The great king had barely taken his last breath before one brother took the head of another."

And this is when a wild and merciless race is kicked off. The witches have prophesied a new queen and the brothers will do everything to either kill her or instrumentalize her. Keeley will not let her sister be the puppet or murder victim of a bunch of entitled tosspots, but that is not quite as easy said as done
Con:
⇢ several royal brothers, all of them hostile and ruthless
⇢ traitor sister is super annoying
⇢ family can't stay serious for half a minute

Pro:
⇢ sexy new allies in the form of changeling creatures
⇢ dire wolfs and wild horses totally kick ass
⇢ many shiny weapons and powerful women wielding them
_____________________
Writing quality + easy of reading = 2*

pace = 2*

plot development = 2*

characters = 2*

enjoyability = 2*

insightfulness = 2* (it is possible, to mess up strong female characters)

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

From time to time I'm in the mood for Fantasy. Kings, Queen, dragons, kingdom's, curses, wars, the whole thing. The Blacksmith Queen was such a good book, dark but detailed and with a good world building, plus the book cover is seriously stunning!

Treachery, a dying king, a whole set of bloodthirsty princes, a love story (don't worry, it isn't sappy) and a dash of fantasy. Plus a believable FEMALE main character you'll actually like. I loved this story. The only thing I didn't love is that the end felt a little...unfinished? Like there should have been a little *more*. We never found out exactly how things ended with the sister. More I will not say - just in case there's a sequel. Highly recommended.

*ARC via netgalley*