With thanks to Kensington and Netgalley for my ARC.

Ok, first up, squee, I was so excited when I saw I was going to get to read and review an ARC! I have literally been constantly checking to see when this book would be available since reading, “The Blacksmith Queen”. While this title focuses on Gemma, the war monk, as the main protagonist, plenty of the story still involves Keeley, the titular queen of the first book in the series.
If you haven’t read the first book yet, do so, not just because it will help with story continuity but because it’s a fun, engaging adventure in its own right. “The Princess Knight” continues the story of the Smythe family, although the focus has switched from Keeley and centaur Caid to Gemma and her centaur ally, Quinn.

The quest to overcome their soulless sister Beatrix and her equally nasty husband, King Marius continues in this rollicking adventure, abounding with laugh out loud moments, a smidgeon of romance, and ferocious fighting.

This second book after The Blacksmith Queen centers on Gemma, her sister. A War Monk, she leads a misfit bunch of enemies that come together for the mutual good of each other when their orders are systematically eradicated to near annihilation. As they hunt the deeds of Beatrix, the war between the sister queens heat up. Great characters, snappy dialog, magic, mayhem...cliffhanger. The author is one of my favorites. She is a master of great dialog. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

What can I say I have read all of G.A Aikens books over the years and this new series has been amazing and there is a link to the dragon kin series too with the territory’s separated by a mountain range.
We in this book continue the war between Queen Beatrice and Queen Keeley, it’s been 2 years on since the initial story and we get more back story on Gemma the War monk and general now to Keeley’s army.
Other religious sects are being destroyed and desecrated and they need to find out why. Gemma returns to her war sect with Quinn one of the Amichai warriors and who seems to be her permanent shadow/bodyguard.
This brings about a third element to the story as neither sister is involved with this slaughter.
This book is brilliant I read it in under 24 hours I’m exhausted but smiling high.
Please read this if you’ve read any of Shelley’s books you won’t be disappointed, read Blacksmith Queen first though or you won’t understand the references and history.

I enjoyed Gemma’s storyline as much as Keeley’s from The Blacksmith Queen. Both are distinctively different women, but since they are sisters they are destined to push each other’s buttons in a typical GA Aiken/Shelly Laurenston way, which they do constantly and with glee. Keeley is still very much a main character, which makes sense since she is the Queen and family to Gemma.

The friendships in The Princess Knight were wonderfully satisfying, with lots of banter and teasing. The author’s signature humor was everywhere. Both Gemma and Quinn could be a bit ridiculous at times, but it just added to the overall fun of the story. Also they matched beautifully, had each other’s back, and almost understood one another without talking. Overall a pretty awesome couple.

For me Gemma and Quinn’s romance was even more slow burn than in The Blacksmith Queen. I feel the romance is just an afterthought at this point, and the fantasy and the story-building is in the main draw. So, please don’t expect much romance, this is really mostly a fantasy series.

Honestly, I love how reliable these books are, they give me exactly what I want, and it was exactly the book I needed, entertainment for hours, and an awesome escape from reality.

First off, I'd like to say that this new series from my point of view is brilliant. It's funny, the fight scenes are amazing and the overall storyline plus the possible connection to the previous series with the mad queen just makes it soooo darn good. I'm not giving away any spoilers.

Pros is that it has a solid story line. It's fun and the characters are flawed but endearingly so. I couldn't wait to finish but damn it I'm mad that I'm done.

Cons is that the pace is a little fast. By that I mean there wasn't enough time for the two main characters (lovers) to connect more. Their relationship seems a little rushed since it was mostly action that they bonded on. There wasn't much insight into Quinn or Gemma's feelings which is disappointing but understandable in the circumstances. There might be a bit of an error (although I'm not sure) on the last part of the book where the nuns were talking to Gemma about the battle between Keeley and Cyrus. They addressed Gemma incorrectly as Ragna. Again, I'm not 100% sure but it's just from my perspective.

Overall, I still liked the book warts and all. I can't wait to read the next one. I think it's partially due to Annwyl and the dragons. I adored that series!

ARC from NetGalley

This one didn't have me laughing as much as The Blacksmith Queen. I'm quite fond of most of the characters. Even Beatrice is an interesting read. I can't quite hate her because she doesn't have enough substance. I just kind of dislike her on principle all the while being sort of impressed by her maneuverings.

I have similar complaints to the previous in that everyone sort of speaks in the same voice. There are some subtle differences, but most of the characters kind of blend together. That said, still a good read, still would recommend.

Sex was decent, could have been more. Love Quinn, would shag that crazy bastard. Quite fond of Ainsley, hope she's up next. I like where the book ended, and I'm excited to read what comes next.

I've loved G.A. Aiken as an author ever since I read her Dragon Kin series so I was excited to receive the opportunity to read The Princess Knight.

Once again Aiken has managed to create characters that instantly suck you in. Gemma is a fierce War Monk who is, at times, conflicted between her loyalty to her order and her family. Quinn is a crazy Centaur who has no filter whatsoever and loves to torment Gemma. However, no matter if they're at odds, they always watch out for each other. There is also a new cast of characters to keep you entertained throughout the book including more War Monks, Temple Virgins, Truce Vicars, Divine Assassins, War Priests, Nuns, Witches, and Ainsley, poor, forgotten Ainsley.

As much as I enjoyed the by play of the characters, the plot felt a bit rushed to me. It was one main event followed by another and another throughout the entire book. I liked the way the story went, I just would have preferred it to slow it's roll a bit. With the speed of the plot I did not feel like I could relax and enjoy Aiken's brand of humor. Instead, I was in a hurry to get to the next point in the book.

Overall, I enjoyed The Princess Knight and wish to thank the publishers as well as G.A. Aiken for the opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review.

Following The Blacksmith Queen, The Princess Knight picks right up on the story line. The interaction between her characters is fantastic and the dialogue is delicious - I laugh out loud a lot. The family dynamics makes you want to be part of the family. I can't wait for the next story.

I love Shelley Laurenston! So imagine how stoked I am to have been given an opportunity to review the ARC?!

I've finished two chapters, and this is a very preliminary review that talks about the story so far. Will update it once I finish, and will publish a complete review, closer to the date of release.

If I'm honest, I wasn't aware of the story or even who was going to be the MC when I came across this title on Netgalley. (I know, I know, shame on me!) It's been a while since the first book came out, and while I knew the second would be releasing sometime, I hadn't kept track of it at all. Nonetheless, I saw the book and bam! I had to have it! Can you blame me? It's a G A Aiken book, people! I'd read ALL her books without any prodding.

In the last book, we spent a lot of time with Keely and her family - especially Beatrix and Gemma. I must admit, Gemma was my favourite of the lot in The Blacksmith Queen, because she was such a badass. The reveal of her status as the War Monk came out of nowhere! This book is Gemma's tale, and two chapters in, I can tell you that I already relate to her. She is such a joy to read. She just leaps off the pages, which I must admit, is quite rare.

This has started off really well, and fingers crossed it concludes the same way.

***ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***