This one had a very interesting premise but a lackluster execution. There's a lot of happenings and characters at the get-go that I never truly knew any of the characters shown thus, not caring for any of them as the book continues. The writing is also not for me. I was genuinely confused on what's happening and the descriptors were so generic and sometimes not even there that at first I don't know who fought the soldiers in the first chapter, are they giants? Are they dragons? Who knows. Then imagine that kind of very vague and generic descriptions until the end of the book. You're lucky if you even got a single idea as to what the eff is going on. It's a no for me.

I saw this book and was intrigued. Not wanting to start a story in the middle of the series, I went back and read “The Blacksmith Queen” and “The Princess Knight” first. I’m so glad I did. While “The Heretic Royal” can be read as a standalone, it’s so much more enriching to read all the books together to get the full feel of the background and the storyline.

The Heretic Royal was the best book yet. Fast paced, intriguing, with many twists and turns. Add dragons (some of them sassy) to it and you have a book that was impossible to put down. Great story, warriors, etc. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series. I just realized that the back stories of several of the dragons in this book are in her Dragon Kin series. Guess I will be binge reading that one next! Especially Annwyl's story.

*scroll to the bottom for content warnings*
Cover rating: I love the covers for this series, featuring stunning depictions of the sister's weapons of choice- we get the bow with this one
General review: First, you absolutely cannot start the series with this title. The majority of the book will not make ANY sense unless you've read all 11 Dragon Kin books. The first 2 in this series could be read without that, but not this one. And you need to read the first and second in this series- at the very least the first- to have any idea what's happening. That said, this was a little politics and battle heavy for me. Aiken (and as Laurenston) has been doing this a lot lately with her works and I think that alienates new readers. There were only hints of my favorite laugh out loud Aiken humor- and only then because I know all the dragon players well. This book only made me want to go back and read Dragon Actually again. I enjoyed this one, especially how Aiken's world building is so damn good she's taking the story places you never see coming. This series just isn't my favorite of hers- Saga is definitely the word for it and those are never my favorites. Aiken does it masterfully though and she stays an autobuy, will devour immediately author for me.
Angst style: no angst between the H & h, Aiken doesn't do that
Relationship stage reached: a couple. You don't see them actually together-together until 87% through. Prior to that they're always in each other's company as H is h's guard.
Epilogue? Yes, giving us a look at the villian's next move and confirming we'll get more of the Scarred Earth Saga
Content warnings: demons, child slavery, gory battles
I recieved an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.

The Queen is back! And I mean all the Queens. Annwyl, the Dragon Queen, Keeley! This is Ainsley’s story and it is as crazy and chaotic and a fabulous read,
I love Ainsley and her coming out story. Her character becomes more complex as she gains the confidence in herself and Gruff is her perfect match. There to help her when she needs it but supports her in an amazing way. The story advances further and establishes alliances between the dragon world, Annwyl and Keeley that will definitely be needed as this series continues. Definitely a GREAT read.

As always another AMAZING book by G.A Aiken. Started laughing in the first few pages and I was very glad I was not in public as the snorts and yells while I read the book would have made people wonder for my sanity! I do not want to give away any of the plot but the book sucks you in from the first page and I did not want to put it down until the end! It was great to see some of the characters from the dragon books again too! I cannot wait for the next one :-).

The romance and mystery are mesmerizing. I really enjoyed reading this story, the world-building was captivating and kept the story intense with well-developed characters.

I absolutely ADORED The Heretic Royal!!!!! This is book 3 in the Scarred Earth Series, which exists as a continuation/branch of the Dragon Kin Series. You can read the Scarred Earth Series without reading the Dragon Kin series, but you will miss all the fun! I recommend reading the first 2 books in the Scarred Earth Series before you read The Heretic Royal.

Things I love:
Strong female leads!
Ainsley is an expert markswoman who used to throw herself out of trees!
Ainsley is finding her way in a large family, and as the 3rd born.
Ainsley's strong female friends!
Gruff talks!
Gruff's family.
Ainsley's reaction to Gruff's battle form. ❤️
Gruff's absolute devotion.
I know this is Ainsley's story, but I am sooooooo excited to see Annwyl and her Dragon army!!!!!!! It's like visiting old friends!

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Heretic Royal (The Scarred Earth Saga Book 3)
3.5 Stars

I've been waiting a few years for the third installment of The Scarred Earth Saga series. I was so excited to get my hands on this book and it was a really good read. I fell in love with G.A. Aiden's writing, reading her Dragon Kin series and have been following her ever since. Ms. Aiden's strong female leads, dynamic characters, sense of humor and awesome action scenes keep me pre-ordering her books.

I'd recommend reading this series in order, starting with The Blacksmith Queen. You may want to read the Dragon Kin series (She connected two series).

That said, I have mixed feelings about this book and I'm going to attempt to explain them.

This is Ainsley and Gruffyn's story. Gruffyn and his clan have been assigned to be Princess Ainsley's protection. This book begins right where The Princess Knight left off. I was so excited for the throw down between Queen Annayl the Bloody and the Blacksmith Queen and family. It didn't happen, and I was a little disappointed. Que politics!

~What was done well~

-I enjoyed incredible world building, and intriguing characters. I didn't want to put the book down. It well written.

- What I love about this story is how invested I'm in the Farmerson-Smith family. They're some interesting kiddos. Team family loyalty and crazy religious groups are a hoot.

-I loved catching up with Annanyl, the dragons, and receiving updates on their lives and family. Their children are now adults.

- What didn't workout -

-For me, it was the very slow start and middle. The pace and flow were off (the plot wasn't moving the story forward smoothly).

-The first two books in the series have a strong romantic aspect. Gruffyn and Ainsley romance seem an afterthought in the last few chapters of the book. So their HEA was lackluster.

-Our author spends a great deal of time developing an interesting backstory for Gruffyn with no conclusion or explanation. Another missed opportunity.

-Ainsley adopts a creature, like her sisters, and doesn't use it in battle. One sister uses her horse, the other demon dogs. But Ainsley stayed in her bedroom. IMO, it is a wasted opportunity.

-I kept waiting for something to happen, and was disappointed it didn't. I loved the first 2 books. This one is not much.

~ What I loved and disliked equally ~

-Annayl the Bloody and a few characters from the Dragon Kin series stole the show with their dazzling personalities. Though I loved catching up with old friends and crazy dragons.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot for nostalgic reasons. Although, I'd imagine if you haven't read the Dragon Kin series. I'm looking forward to reading more of G.A. Aiden's work. Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Books, for providing me with a digital ARC for an honest review.


The Blacksmith Queen 4.5/5. Stars
The Princess Knight. 5/5. Stars
The Heretic Royal 3.5./5 Stars

Third in an ongoing series, this book is about Ainsley, sister of the new queen Keeley, and Gruffyn who is a centaur. I loved this book, and the crossover with the Dragon Kin series. I was especially excited to catch up with the characters from those books. Sometimes the main storyline got a bit confusing, having so many people to keep track of, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I will admit it, there was happy dancing and fist-pumping when I realized where this story was headed!!! Ainsley and Gruffyn are amazing together, overlooked by most, but known to everyone, they connect on a whole other level. Of course, they don’t’ connect as they should on some levels, and when they do, they rush full forward <3

Full of action, with all the wit, joy, love, and clashes we’ve come to expect from the authour, this book had it all. What it also has, well, it has some of the most beloved characters we know, and where this story is going, we’re all going to be following it through!

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

I’ve read all of G.A Aiken’s aka Shelly Laurensten’s books and the problem I have with them is that I have trouble not highlighting every page! The fact she brought her Smythe family of royals and her dragon family of royals together is a great way for her fans to visit both worlds and they’re hilarious characters. As always her h & H are both strong, quirky characters. How can you not love centaurs, dragons, witches, demon wolves and the crazy humans that love them? Can’t recommend enough reading through this book and then reading or re-reading her other series.

If you love other G.A. Aiken books then this series is for you. Warrior wonks, dragons, wolves, witches, etc are all present and hilarious. I love the snark and wit in this series. They may be bloody but they're funny. And I would love to see an Annwyl backstory novella or book b/c she is deliciously psychotic.

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.

Evil Queen vs Good Queen - centaurs - witches - war monks - magic - the war for the empire! And - YES - Dragon Kin and Annwyn the Bloody are back! Yes back and in the midst of the war and intrigue and adventure and you know, a lot of snark and fun and a bit of clueless romance! This just keeps getting better with each book! A winner!

I absolutely LOVE this book!!! The sisters that G.A. Aiken has depicted in the story are so powerful and inspirational that you can't help but love them. Not to mention how beautifully rich and intricate the fantasy world she created is. I was able to easily immerse myself in the story and cannot wait to see what else is in store for the main characters. All good things I hope!

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

Woohoo! It’s been a wait but it was worth it… because Queen Keeley and her family finally meet Annwyl and the dragons. Meanwhile Queen Beatrix, erstwhile daughter and sister of the Smythe-Farmersons is still working to create her Empire, and if that means eliminating her family in the process, well, too bad. While this story focuses on Ainsley and Gruffyn; Keeley and Caid plus Gemma and Quinn do feature in the story too, and readers are introduced to Isadora, yet another sister/daughter. .

If you haven’t read “The Blacksmith Queen” and “The Princess Knight” yet in ‘The Scarred Earth Saga’, then you really need to race out and get them so that you can properly understand the storyline.

While you don’t have to have read any of the Dragon Kin series it certainly does aid in keeping track of and understanding the back stories of Annwyl (Queen, but don’t call her that,) and the many dragons who arrived at the end of “The Princess Knight”, btw they’re also great to read purely for the enjoyment factor, too.

Just love this series and all the works of Shelly, she is such a talented writer and it is a pleasure to recommend all her books.👏👏👏