B

The Princess Knight

CW: gruesome violence, discussion of rape and slavery

I DEVOURED The Blacksmith Queen, the first book in this series. I’ve read it and reread it and will probably read it again. So it was with VERY grabby hands that I reached for this sequel. I present for your edification and delight (hopefully!) 5 Steps to Loving The Princess Knight.

Step 1: Get Ready for Some Violence
This book is brutal in its portrayal of violence. I had either not been paying proper attention during The Blacksmith Queen or my sensitivity levels have shifted (both, equally possible) but some of the violence and the glee with which that violence is perpetrated unsettled me a bit. So adjust your sensitivity levels prior to picking up this book.

Step 2: Prepare for Some Anger
A huge part of my love for The Blacksmith Queen is wrapped up in Keeley as a character: kind and protective. Gemma, her sister, is an entirely different creature with a very different vibe. Gemma is Angry, with a capital A. She’s a bit lost since she left her order of War Monks and aligned herself with Keeley. She responds to that lack of clarity of purpose with anger and frustration. An understandable response, but it is a big shift from Keeley’s default kindness.

Step 3: Standby for Bickering
Gemma’s friend and her lover-apparent, Quinn, seems to exist purely to irritate Gemma. The vast majority of their communication is bickering. Sometimes, this bickering became too much for me. If enemies-to-lovers is your catnip, then this book was written with you in mind. Quinn and Gemma snipe at each other a whole lot, all while building an unbreakable bond.

Step 4: Pay Attention to Who’s Who
The cast of characters EXPLODES in this book. Pay attention to each and every new character; they are all important. We pop into a lot of different POVs which can be a little dizzying, but adds beautifully to the immersive world building of it all. The world of the Scarred Earth clans is deeply magical, and not just because there are literal magical creatures. Everything feels real from the first page, in part because of the cast.

Step 5: Savor the Adventure
This plot is PACKED with developments and it MOVES. Try to slow down, and savour each development, rather than munch it up quickly so you can get to the next word (like I did!). There are battles and quests and journeys (of the literal and figurative kind) all building towards an earth-shaking climax.

Overall, while it might not reach the dizzying heights of my experience with The Blacksmith Queen, I really enjoyed the furious adventure and romance of The Princess Knight.

– Lara

In New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken’s gripping new fantasy romance series, the Blacksmith Queen must confront armies and pretenders desperate to take her new-won crown. But with the Princess Knight at her side and a centaur warrior clan at her back, she’ll risk everything for victory . . .

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN

Gemma Smythe dedicated her life to the glory of battle. With her fellow War Monks, she worshipped the war gods, rained destruction on her enemies, and raised the dead when the fancy took her. Until her sister Keeley became the prophesied Blacksmith Queen, and Gemma broke faith with her order to journey to the Amichai Mountain and fight by Keeley’s side.

The Amichai warriors are an unruly, never-to-be-tamed lot, especially their leader-in-waiting, Quinn. But when the War Monks declare support for Gemma’s ruthless younger sister Beatrix, the immaturity of her key ally is the least of Gemma’s problems. She has to get to the grand masters, dispel their grudge against her, and persuade them to fight for Keeley and justice. If her conviction can’t sway them, perhaps Quinn’s irritating, irreverent, clearly unhinged, ferocity will win the day . . .