I absolutely adore this series and this will be a very frequent reread for me. The subversion of the "chosen one" trope and the found family here really appeal to me.

Once again into the world of strong, funny women with their male sidekicks, grin. It is a joy to read Aiken's take on a "real" female lead with laughter and conundrums and family life too. Prepare to read in one sitting ;o)
I received a e-ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

I have really enjoyed this book. A bit slow to start in my opinion, but worth it. Such a good story.

There was nothing in this book that caught and held my interest. After reading the first book, I was eager to get my hands on this one.... I'm sorely disappointed.

A second book in the series, wish I knew it before picking it up because of its interesting title and cover. But as you know the title is about a princess who works as a knight, the story is same the princess Gemma is a knight who works as war nun? I am not sure about that but there is certainly a war god and monks in monastery concerned. The story is basically about two reigning queens who also happen to be sisters and our MC helps her elder sister fight younger sister.

Interesting plot, the writing was really engaging too. The only thing that hindered my enjoyment was too many characters and I lost track of who was who specially as I read an eBook copy, it definitely made me wonder who is doing what.

I received this arc from Net galley in exchange of an honest review.

The second book in G.A. Aiken's Scarred Earth series picks up with the sister of the Blacksmith Queen (book 1), Gemma Smythe. As we learn the story behind her history with the War Monks, we see a more complex character than revealed in the first book, someone unsure and conflicted, faithful and faithless, and torn between irritation and admiration for the Amichai warrior Quinn. The story follows Gemma and Quin as they race to fight for Keeley, their queen, as they are forced to both face their ghosts of the past and their passion.

Book One in The Scarred Earth Saga - The Blacksmith Queen - was a breath of fresh air to me, where women are not damsels in distress, but will fight and brutally defeat their opponents. Be ready for a wild ride with Queen and Princesses (mainly one).
As the time has skipped - 2 years - since the end of book one, Keely has ruled her plan for this time, and on her side, we can still see Gemma, her sister, War Monk, that is bout to start a journey of her own. A rumor got to the court (which is later a truth) that people living on religious grounds are being killed and some new religion is trying to set roots in their place. Gemma needs to inform other Monks and gather forces to protect her sister's lands - as without that everything will be lost.
If you are looking for a romance that will give you hot scenes or at least a few scenes it's not it, as Ms. Aiken concentrated on strong females that take no prisoners when threatened or when their loved ones are in danger.
I was in the mood for high fantasy with a "drop" of romance, concentrating on strong females that will bring armies to their knees with their abilities. Can't wait to put my hands on book 3!

I did the thing again, where I read the first book in a trilogy, fall in love with it, and then wait forever to read the next one. In this case, I read The Blacksmith Queen in 2019 and adored it. I loved how irreverent, fun, and even steamy, the book was and it was my first introduction to Aiken's writing. So why did I wait this long? No one knows, not even me. But once I started The Princess Knight I did not stop. I even laughed out loud at it, despite being on a train journey that was plagued by delays and cancellations. So that's saying quite something! Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While technically listed under the Romance genre, The Princess Knight is not chockfull of romance. I wanted to start with that not because there is anything wrong with a book full of romance, since there is absolutely need for that. But rather I wanted to highlight the way in which the romance is a natural but not forceful element of Gemma's story. The romance is, in many ways, a consequence of her growth, rather than a predestined destination or fix-it-all. The Princess Knight, like The Blacksmith Queen, is not necessarily "deep" in the way one might expect from Fantasy if your only other reference point is The Lord of the Rings. But that doesn't mean it is without its gravity. It's a deeply empathetic book, in a way I hadn't expected. Gemma is a bit of a raging disaster with a deeply loyal and empathetic heart at her core. She is a messy woman who terrifies many around her, and yet she is deeply loved by her family and highly appreciated by others around her. I loved that for me and any other female reader who may not always feel likeable. On top of that, I simply adore how sex- and body-positive these books are. Keeley and her sister Gemma are strong women, far from willowy damsels or elegant elves, often covered in grime and blood. They are capable and fearsome. And they are loved for these things. And they get to develop their relationships slowly, at their pace, consensually, and, finally, they get to enjoy sex. And that this is still such a joy for me to find in a Fantasy book is probably quite sad.

Gemma Smythe is in a situation. Her older sister is queen, but so is one of her younger sisters. Having left behind her order of War Monks in order to support her oldest sister, Gemma nonetheless feels lost. Who is she, if not a War Monk? What do people want from her? And what is she fighting for at this point? This is where Gemma is when The Princess Knight starts. Cut off from her previous life, she is moody and unpredictable, but also still a menace on the battlefield. The novel tracks Gemma's story as she tries to find a new path for herself that combines both her past and her future. Along the way there is plenty of bloodshed, as suits a War Monk, but also loads of sibling snark, sassy retorts, and moments of genuine pathos. A lot happens in this book and it is not always super-clear where the plot is going, yet each scene in its own way contributes either to the plot or the characterisation. Keeley continues to be fleshed out, while new characters get put in the spotlight as well. What I appreciated most is that the two-year time jump between this book and The Blacksmith Queen is a thing that has consequences for the characters. Keeley and Gemma are weighed down by their responsibilities, by the things they now have to face. Allowing their experiences to have impact, even in a fun way, is so important.

G.A. Aiken, also known as Shelly Laurenston, writes prolifically when it comes to sexy fantasy. How did she make a centaur sexy to me? It's a gift, truly. What I enjoyed most about The Princess Knight, however, is the clear relish with which Aiken writes. She clearly loves writing this book and as a direct consequence of that the reader enjoys themselves as well. The Princess Knight is definitely a little ridiculous, with all its cursing, bloodshed, sassy comebacks and more. But it is delightfully so! I truly couldn't help but enjoy myself once again, even with the occasional eye roll. Utter mayhem breaks out in every chapter and it is so much fun! I have recently started playing D&D again and I truly hope I get to be as chaotic as Aiken's characters at some point in the future because it is delightful.

The Princess Knight, like its predecessor, is riotous and irreverent one. With wildly modern dialogue, a healthy attitude to sex and love, and plenty of blood and gore, this novel is an incredibly fun rollercoaster ride.

Love this series. The women are totally bada$$ and don't take crap. I love the humor weaved throughout the book. Sometime I think I read these for the side characters short scenes because they are so entertaining. Every character is so well thought out. Amazing descriptions of the background. Great author. Always look forward to her books.

This was a hard novel to get into. I did not like the multiple perspectives. It detracted from the plot. I also could not get into the story and it’s characters. Still, I recommend this fans of Realm of Knights!

Great book for a mix of fantasy and romance combined. I find it hard to get engaged with the romance when there's a lot of world building to keep track of, but if you enjoy leaving more into the fantasy aspects, this is a good read.

I did not finish this book. I tried to read it but I won’t be finishing it. I won’t be rating this book.

Strong women, multiple POV, battles that stay interesting and engaging. Enjoyed the first book slightly more.

Gemma Smythe is a war monk. She left the monastery when her sister Keeley became queen and needed her help. Gemma is now finding allies to help them defeat their other sister Beatrix who is also a queen. This is an action packed story with adventure and bloody battles they must fight. Battles that must be won if they are to defeat their sister Beatrix. There are a lot of interesting side characters in this book. Many who readers first met in the first book. This is the second book in the Scarred Earth Saga fantasy. I did not read the first book in the series. It took me a few chapters to get interested in the book and to care about what was happening. Once I became hooked the book was quite good. I really
enjoyed Ainsley who is Gemma’s younger sister. She is so full of energy and has lots of potential. Hopefully she gets her own book. Quinn, a shapeshifting centaur, has an interesting sense of humor. Quinn and Gemma banter back and forth constantly. They fight enemies together and have each other’s back. They like to give each other a hard time. They are not your typical romantic couple but they are good together. I will read the first book to understand how Keeley became the prophesied Blacksmith Queen. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

So Gemma rubbed me wrong in The Blacksmith Queen, but she grew on me by the end. What I loved here is that we got to know her fully, see her be ridiculous, and fall in love with Quinn quietly and so very deeply. Along with that there was all the crazy that she had to go through on her quests and assignments that brought her back to her accursed horse, fantastic friends, and endearing family. And crossing this over to the Dragon Kin series?!?!?! Damn...............I don't know what to say other than this story is freaking fantastic and this series is addictive. With well-rounded characters, active storytelling, spice after foundation, suitable drama, fickle gods, conniving and complex villains, complicated relationships and quests, intricately balanced and nuanced and fantastical worldbuilding, I just think this author doesn't know how to write a bad story.

The first book was so much better than this. The story felt disjointed. Too much focus on annoying banter. Terrible romance. Plot had so much potential that was completely wasted.

THE PRINCESS KNIGHT is the second book in The Scarred Earth Saga and I was really excited about getting this book because I’m always a big fan of Aiken’s Fantasy series.

As you can expect, there’s a lot of hilarious banter and action. If you’re looking for something different and a little over-the-top, then I always recommend Aiken. She’s got an interesting set of characters that never fails to entertain me. You may need to exercise some patience though if you’re looking for fast-paced action and romance. However, I like that her books are written differently from the other Fantasy novels out there. You still get the same amount of Fantasy elements, but the pacing and presentation may just be a little different.

All in all, this book was enjoyable and I look forward to seeing more Fantasy novels from Aiken.

Amazing book!! I couldn't put it down need! I need to know what happens next especially with that ending!!!

I read the first book in this series when it came out and loved it so much that I bought copies for several friends. I can say that I enjoyed this one just as much and have been talking about it non-stop. I love the strong female characters who are allowed to make mistakes and grow throughout the books. I love that the males are alpha males but respect and love strong women and aren't intimidated by them. I even love the villains in this series - they are complex and interesting. Aiken does a good job with world building without the reader getting bogged down with long pages of description.

Those fans of G.A. Aiken, aka Shelly Laurenston, will love this newest story about the loyalty of family being split when a royal crown comes to play and the future of a country falls into the hands of two sisters. Anyone without a bit of a twisted sense of humor or the willingness to just step back and let the world burn sometimes for a good laugh, might not be huge fans of this series, but for the rest of us, Aiken rocks it as always. Gemma is the younger sister of the new warrior queen of their nation, but she is certainly a badass in her own right. Her youngest sister betrayed the family and seized a different crowning, giving the nation two queen and inciting civil war and Gemma and her older sister are in for the fight of their lives. Quinn and his family, and clan, have joined up with Gemma and Keeley to fight for the safety and freedom of all, but he finds himself strangely drawn to the warrior monk and she makes him crazy as much she turns him on. Gemma is on a quest to protect the sacred religious factions in their world from her psychotic younger sister and a killer even worse than her and Gemma’s ragtag team is just the backup she needs. As they battle on every front the danger and chance of demise is terrifying, but soon neither of them are able to resist the draw and connection between them. Gemma is a serious kickass, a little bit (or a lot) crazy, but honestly one of the best characters I have read in a while in that she manages to keep her crazy under wraps until she needs to utilize it to fuel her in battle. Quinn is a fun and sweet guy who seems totally laidback until he is in battle then he becomes just as dangerous as Gemma or any of his other battle-hungry siblings. When the two of them stop denying their urges and come together, the sensuality and fun of the heat between them is explosive and sweet which is something I doubt Gemma has ever had before. I really enjoyed this story of crazy characters finding their perfect match and working together to decimate their foes. The side characters were interesting, the plot and dialogue perfectly constructed, and the ending leaves you salivating for the next in the saga. And of course without giving away a spoiler, there is a series crossover with some serious FIREPOWER (hint hint) that I cannot wait to see play out in the next story! Definitely more magic from the slightly insane and always fabulous G.A. Aiken, and one for the ages.