I have now devoured both of the books in this series so far in less than a week and I’m wondering how I will make it until the next volume is written. This book is funny, violent, romantic, and emotional and it somehow works perfectly. The book shifts between Keeley, Gemma, and Beatrix again but the focus this time is on Gemma. Gemma’s sect of war monks is aligning themselves with Beatrix and Gemma needs to try to save her brothers. Because they’re all facing a new enemy, the Old King’s religious son Cyrus who has decided to honor his god by destroying the worshipers of all other gods. War, adventuring, some drunken romance, and a half dead horse await Gemma on her path to attempt to murder her sister Beatrix. The writing of these books is easy to read and full of the characters’ personalities and humor. And amongst the humor was some subtle commentary towards religious sects as enemies in this story had to work together to prevent everyone from being destroyed. I can’t wait for the next book and I hope it features a lot more of Ainsley, the invisible sister.

The Princess Knight is a winner any many levels. It is laugh out loud funny. It has action and adventure. It is a strong family story. And it is full of surprises. I immediately started rereading it as soon as I finished. This book centers on Gemma, the warmonger monk. and Quinn the unhinged centaur. Gemma's sister Beatrice is working on taking over the world, Gemma learns how strong she really is and what she is willing to do to save those who belong to her. I just loved this story. You cannot go wrong with a G.A. Aiken book.

First of all, let me just say that I am so glad that G.A. Aiken crossed my radar with The Blacksmith Queen (the first book in this series). The covers drew me in initially because they are gorgeous, but the story has been an absolute adventure. Note: you do need to read the series in order to understand and follow the main storyline(s).

In The Princess Knight, we continue to be introduced to more characters and more POVs, and that went so well. I didn't feel lost once throughout the book, and I actually appreciated so many viewpoints.

The representatives of the different religious sects that Gemma was responsible for bringing together were surprisingly humorous. Their bickering made me laugh multiple times, even in the midst of the blood and gore of battles.

This series has everything I could want: fantasy aspects, battles, mayhem, mystery and intrigue, strong family connections and friendships, a dash of romance, the list goes on. Usually I like the romance to have a stronger role in the story, but I didn't mind so much that this wasn't the case here. There was enough action and adventure to keep me entertained, and the romance played out as a slow-burn (which I greatly enjoy).

So far, The Blacksmith Queen focused mainly on Keely and The Princess Knight on Gemma, and I am seriously anticipating who the next book will focus on (I'm not even sure) and where the story will go.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

Oh my gosh I LOVED this book! The humor and romance are over the top in this awesome new book by G.A. Aiken! This is book 2 in the fun fantasy romance Scared Earth series. This book features Gemma who has dedicated her whole life to fighting as a War Monk. When her sister, Keeley becomes the Blacksmith Queen she leaves her order to fight along side her sister. Quinn is a centaur warrior and he and his Amichai Clan fight for the Blacksmith Queen. You immediately know that they are meant for each other and their adventures are crazy fun! This book is laugh out loud funny but also has the emotional feels that a good book needs. There is family drama, hot romance, thrilling adventure and love. I absolutely recommend this book and can't wait for the next one in this series!

This was a wonderful second installment in the series and it was fabulous. Definitely read book one first though!

For sone reason, I can never do justice to fantasy books by summarizing them, so I’m just going to say that thus book had me laughing out loud at times, had an absolutely awesome protagonist, wasn’t all light and fluffy (there’s definitely gore in the battle scenes), much more of a focus on fantasy as opposed to romance, but the romance aspect is there too. So there’s definitely a bit for everyone in this book and as always, engaging writing by G.A. Aiken.

as with book 1 in the series, this is more fantasy than romance, there is a romance, it's just that it happens organically & subtle through the story. In this story we learn more about Gemma's war monks as well as some of the relationships of other religious orders as one of the old king's sons begins to attack them and Gemma helps her sister Queen Keeley protect them. there is lots of action adventure and humor to entertain and a few surprises to keep the pages turning. looking forward to the next installment.

i had enjoyed the first book on the series Blacksmith Queen, so I was excited to read this book. It did not disappoint the characters were great and I really enjoyed going on this journey.

Although this is not my normal read, I liked the book. I found that I enjoyed the humor and charm of the characters. The Witty banter between the characters was fresh and not to overwhelming. The action and constant drama was great. It kept me as the reader in suspense with each flip of the page. The young adult readers will enjoy this book. I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.

The Princess Knight is the second book in "The Scarred Earth Saga" series. We continue the story of Keeley Smythe a tomboy like blacksmith who is to become Queen. Keeley has the support of her War Monk sister, Gemma. Their younger sister Beatrix believes the title to belong to her and the three sisters find themselves on opposing sides.

Aiken and Shelly have built a story around three very strong females characters. The first book in the series was more Keeley centric while this story focuses more on Gemma. The story is less about love and more about war and strategy.

It will be interesting to see where the Smythe family finds themselves in the next installment.

The second book in Aiken’s series focuses on Gemma, the war monk sister of Queen Keeley. She’s not as overwhelmingly larger than life as her eldest sister, but she makes a compelling lead character too.

Two years has gone since the first book. The war hasn’t begun yet, and Keeley has had time to settle down in the town she’s claimed as hers. Then someone starts to destroy all the various religious sects and kill the worshippers of the myriad gods. The war monks could be next, so Keeley sends Gemma to warn them. She hasn’t been back with her people since she left two years earlier, and she’s considered a traitor of the order. She might face death when she returns, but she goes anyway.

This is in many ways a smaller book than the first. The plot isn’t quite as epic in scope, concentrating more on Gemma and her dealing with her past. The cast of characters is smaller, though random point of view characters still pop up at odd times for a couple of paragraphs. There aren’t as many huge fights between the sisters. The plot about the worshippers of one god never rises to become the threat it’s supposed to be. Beatrix, the evil queen, is mostly in the background. Even the love story, the inevitable consequence of mixing genres like epic fantasy and paranormal romance, sort of happens in the side-lines, despite Gemma and Quinn spending most of their time together, and Quinn remains a bit of a cardboard character. Worst of all, there isn’t enough Keeley. Her larger than life character carried the first book. Here she is mostly observed from the outside, with only a couple of point of view chapters towards the end. I missed her greatly.

This being said, Gemma was strong enough a character to carry the book by herself. The plot was entertaining, there was constant action in one form or another, and the group of people she ended up gathering around her were interesting and different from the people around Keeley, so there was no repetition. In the end, she rises as a more determined and less angry person who is ready to lead her people. And the twist at the end ensures that I’m more than eager to read the next book too.

I don't even know where to begin to describe how much I love this series. The characters, the story, the banter, the action, the dialogue, the world-building, it is all so delightful and thrilling. Reading these books is like watching an action movie while riding a roller-coaster. Your stomach sometimes feels like it's down around your feet and sometimes as if it's up in your throat. You're gasping for breath in some scenes, holding your breath in others, and laughing your head off almost all the time because the writing is so good and the dialogue is so witty. I can't say enough good things about this series. Go buy THE BLACKSMITH QUEEN right now so you've read it by the time you can enjoy THE PRINCESS KNIGHT. And then join me in impatiently waiting for the rest of the books in the series because you will be hooked by the first paragraph and instantly jonesing for more. This is fantasy at its very best with absolutely superb worldbuilding and female warriors who know how to fight, drink, and love with equal abandonment. I want many, many more books in this series. Please give them to me now!

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review!

Content Warning: serial rape and sexual abuse by a religious authority

"The Princess Knight" wasn’t quite what I expected and had some bumps in the road, but was still an entertaining read. The Monty Python-like humor that amazingly colored the first book continues in this sequel.

As I've come to expect, love and admire of any Smythe woman, Gemma is unapologetically herself. She is self-sacrificing to a fault, odd, brash, and fights as fiercely as she loves. A woman of faith who’s brittled with faults, Gemma owns up to them, her past, and works hard to overcome the unexpected challenges she and others face in this book.

I liked getting to know her better, what drove her from home, what she had been up to for the decade she was gone training to be a war monk, and why she went home.

The arc covering her return to the co-ed monastery was the best, saddest, darkest, bloodiest part. There are great characters we get to meet; good, bad and crazy. I wish there could have been more scenes with Gemma’s mentor and her battle cohorts.

We get to know another Smythe sibling named Ainsley. The poor young woman. She just wants a purpose and to be useful and her siblings always forget about her or treat her like a child. You really feel for her plight. But I enjoyed Ainsley's storyline and wouldn’t be surprised if she gets her own book. She is very much a Smythe with her own brand of sass and skills to throw around.

Gemma and Quinn's relationship is like oil and water. It’s a comical clash of stubbornness, ridicule and teasing - mostly by Quinn. I adored all of their interactions.

I was surprised by the threats Gemma and company face and the effects of dealing with these conflicts. It was interesting to see different sects altogether; a sometimes amusing hodge-podge of colorful characters.

I enjoyed the previous book more than this one. Some parts stagnated but, as I mentioned before, "The Princess Knight" is still a good read. The ending of book 2 really opened the overall story up to really exciting possibilities for the next installment.

I could read this over and over. Edge of the seat mayhem, intrigue, knights, priests, nuns, battle, and did I mention centaurs? And watch out for the end!! I loved it!

What a fun second installment! The Princess Knight follows Gemma and we dive DEEP into her life as a badass war monk. I really enjoyed seeing her backstory as well as her new journey with Quinn. I didn't absolutely love this one as much as the first but it was great to see all the familiar characters and I am still looking forward to the next one.

The Princess Knight was precisely what you would expect from a G.A. Aiken novel. Funny, fast-paced, and entertaining with deft world building and a cast of characters you just want to keep reading about. I liked that it was less of a romance novel than a dark and violent Frozen for grown-ups. While there is a wonderful romance sub-plot, it unfolds quietly in the background. The story is action-packed, includes a road-trip with an extended crew of characters, and offers up plenty of humour. I simply adore this series, and frankly wouldn't mind reading about almost any of the supporting characters in The Princess Knight in the next book.

So before I read this book I made sure to do a quick recap of the first book. I wanted to make sure that I didn't miss a thing. I have been waiting for what seems forever for the next book in this series. The Blacksmith Queen has sat in my desk drawer for like eight months now in preparation for this book. WOW! What can I say, I was not disappointed. G.A,/Shelly really came through for this one. I wasn't expecting for this book to be in Gemma's perspective, but I really enjoyed it. Gemma's character is so different to that of Keeley. I particularly enjoyed the progression of the relationship of Quinn and Gemma. They go from bickering to subtle affection in the blink of an eye. It's very entertaining to read. There were several moments in the story that I teared up, not from sadness, but from the sacrifice that is made. The loyalty some of these characters show in this novel is unfounded. I'm actually jealous that they have something to be so loyal to.

The Demon wolves are even better in this book than they were in the first. They show personality, if that's even possible, and it's interesting to see them interacting with all the other characters. The fight/battle scenes are very detailed, perfectly so. The author doesn't focus too much on one specific thing unless it is warranted, like Keeley's hammer.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about the ending in this one as, in The Blacksmith Queen, I felt that it was a bit rushed and there was plenty more that could have been said. But I must say that, while the story was still left off on a cliffhanger I didn't feel as if there was something missing. In fact, the ending of this book left me on the edge of my seat and absolutely excited to the next book. Although, I will advise readers to read the authors series, Dragon Kin. This will make a lot more sense toward the end if you do.

One of Aiken's strongest suits is that she is able to engage the reader immediately. There is no long boring intro or a full recap of the previous story, you just jump right in and align with her main character(s).
This, the second book in the Scarred Earth Saga, centers around Gemma, sister to both the "Blacksmith Queen" Keeley, and to the evil queen, Beatrix. Gemma has been a "war monk" for most of her life, but when there is a choice between helping and protecting her family, (Keeley), or staying with the order she chooses family.
This book occurs 2 years after The Blacksmith Queen, and finds Gemma with a small groups of friends caught up in the machinations of a couple of "evil" factions.
Gemma's sense of self is stretched because she has no clear path, is she a war monk or a sister to the crown?
Aiken always adds a ton of snark and a lot of fighting into her books, be it siblings, enemies, or allies, it makes no matter, there will be throw downs.
As a side focus there is a romance between Gemma and her centaur companion, Quinn. He is always her voice of reason and constant companion.
Aiken's books always have a slew of crazy side characters and I hope that some are going to have their own stories.
The end of the book has a cameo of a few characters from one of her other series and it's good to see that nothing has changed, LOL!

Aiken does not disappoint with her follow up to The Blacksmith Queen. The Scarred Earth series is different from other fantasy romance series. Fantasy series tend to fall in 1 of 2 categories-
1) There is one main protagonist and the overall plot travels through the entire series. Or 2) Each book focuses on a different protagonist and we get a HEA even if the background plot carries on to the next book.
Aiken has seamlessly combined these two formulas to create a series where each individual book features a different heroine and love interest but the overall plot carries on from one book to the next. Romance is NOT the staring plot line. The love stories blend into the larger picture of a battle between siblings for a crown.

We first met Gemma as the warrior sister of Keely, the blacksmith Queen, in book one. She is just as fiercely protective of her family as Keely but seemingly abandoned them for ten years to join the feared War Monks. Now she is determined to protect and fight beside her newly crowned sister.

However, her determination to protect her family is clashing with the Order of War Monks that she has devoted her life to. Her Order is in trouble, and despite being considered a deserter, Gemma needs to help them.

In this book, Gemma is struggling to figure out her role. She has a hard time letting her Queen sister lead and make decisions. She questions Keely’s choices, priorities, and trusting nature. She is also questioning her place in the Order she has devoted her life to.

The amount of heart stopping action we saw in The Blacksmith Queen is continued in The Princess Knight. Beatrice only gets more conniving and evil. Other sisters begin to shine.

Book 3 can’t come soon enough.

If you love the kickass female characters in G.A. Aiken's stories you won't be disappointed in this book/series. Scary & crazy with a side of quirky this book has it all with gory (and I mean gory) battles to boot. The banter between the characters will have you laughing out loud. Terrific world-building in all her books and it looks like we're going to see members of the Dragon Kin series in the next book. I CANNOT wait.

Once again I stayed up through all hours of the (K)night to finish a book written by G.A. Aiken and it was worth every hour of missed sleep.

The Princess Knight, the second book in the Scared Earth Saga and Gemma's story is fantastic.

Gemma's prologue gives a bit of background for her story... why she left the monastery (you have got to love the name the ORDER OF RIGHTEOUS VALOR) to go home and save her family from being killed.

We start the book two years later to find our friends in battle (not with each other) ah, some things never change!

Without giving away major plot points, we meet some new friends, are reunited with some old (THAT ENDING) and find love and hysterical laughter along the way.

What more could you want?

LOVE THIS BOOK... series just gets better, as we get deeper into the story and the characters.

Can't wait to see who's next.