The Heretic Royal by G.A. Aiken
Series : The Scarred Earth Saga #3
In this riveting, feminist tale perfect for fans of Katee
Robert and Nalini Singh, two sisters battle for a single throne,
warring factions take up arms, a land is divided, and uncertain
allies become very certain lovers. With subtle commentary on
today’s political polarization, this riveting epic celebrates
strong female characters and champions the underdog with
diverse, expert world building.
Gods save the queen!
Ainsley Farmerson has always planned to break free of the family
business—and the family drama. But what was once farming,
smithworking, and bickering over the dinner table has turned into
open warfare between sisters. Sides have been taken, lives are on
the line, and Ainsley has no doubt which sister must be queen.
She’ll do whatever is necessary to take down the soulless Beatrix.
Even if that means joining forces with angry battle nuns,
irritating monks, and overbearing centaurs.
Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan has no time for human beings. And
yet . . . there is something about the uncontrollable princess
that he can’t ignore. Maybe it’s the way her eldest sisters
underestimate her. Or her bravery facing down dragons and mad
queens from distant lands. Whatever the reason, Gruff is willing
to fight by this human’s side. Not only for the entertainment
value, but because she’s right. Beatrix must never be queen. So
whatever he has to do, whoever he has to destroy, Gruff will
battle beside Ainsley. Fast. Hard. And with absolutely no mercy .
. .
I just finished reading the ARC of The Heretic Royal by G.A.Aiken
two weeks ago. This was book three in The Scarred Earth Saga and I
actually binged the first two book back to back before getting to
this one because I found them on KU😆 And I really enjoyed them! I
loved The Dragon Kin books and a few others that she's written
under - Shelly Laurenston, but these were equally fun(and bonkers)
with more focus on action and with the romance being a sub
plot.
So, these books are centered around a family of siblings, who get
pulled into a political conflict when two of their sisters are
prophesied to be the next Queen in a warring land - one who is a
blacksmith who puts her family first and the other who is
basically a soulless psychopath who doesn't mind killing off her
whole family to gain power. I guess you can understand what would
happen 👀😂 Book one - The Blacksmith Queen gives us Keeley's
story followed by Gemma's in The Princess Knight and Ainsley's in
The Heretic Royal.
Though Ainsley is the fourth oldest among their brood, she's
often overlooked unless they need her to shoot something as she's
a talented archer. And it doesn't help that she likes to climb up
trees and hide there lol 🤣 With the increasing fights between the
different factions the stakes keep increasing and unexpectedly
Annwyl, who has a reputation for being crazy and ruthless, shows
up with the dragons. And this might be dangerous or a good
opportunity for an alliance depending on how things play
out.
Among their centaur allies is also Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan
and they hold grudges because of their past. And Gruff is just as
grumpy as his name would suggest 😂 But he makes a nice pair with
Ainsley. And as they start working together the relationship
between them deepens, but there's also a lot of chaos with the
addition of the dragons and Beatrix's schemes that threaten
them.
This one was just as action packed and chaotic as the first two
books and filled with bickering and moments of humor! As much as
these sisters love each other they're always bickering too lol🤣
And I loved the crossover from the Dragon Kin series with Annwyl
and the others. They can't help but steal the show whenever they
show up on page! But one thing that was pushed aside would be the
romance - or futher development of the relationship between
Ainsley and Gruff. I'd have definitely loved seeing more!
In the end, it was a great installment in this series and I'd
definitely recommend this one if you're in the mood for an amazing
fantasy series with kick ass women and bickering families who love
each other (with a touch of romance of course 😆). Can't wait to
read the next book!❣️✨
You can also find this review on my bookstagram here
*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest
review*
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author G.A. Aiken lives on the
West Coast and spends most of her time writing and making sure her
rescued Pittie doesn’t love everyone into a coma. When she’s not writing
about sexy dragons, she’s writing about sexy wolf, lion, tiger, and
other fang-filled predators under the name Shelly Laurenston. Find out
more about this New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors books
at www.shellylaurenston.com.
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