Title: The Blacksmith Queen
Author: G.A. Aiken
Series: The Scarred Earth Saga #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Medieval fantasy, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2019
I absolutely, freaking loved this story! I couldn’t put it down, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and I just loved absolutely everything about this story. Every time I thought that I had a bit of a grasp of what was going on, or even, what was going to happen… well, I would be thrown some kind of curveball. It was completely unpredictable, but in all the best ways. I can’t believe just how much I loved this, and how many plot points caught me completely by surprise. Which, of course, is what I absolutely loved about Aiken / Laurenston’s writing.
Keeley is, as with pretty much all of Aiken’s female leads, an absolute badass. I mean, she might not be the first female blacksmith I’ve read featured in a book. She is the first one to lay about her with a hammer and just… destroy everyone. Yet, in amongst all of her power, violence and chaos, is an amazing heart and a kind spirit. I really loved this balance, she isn’t all or nothing, but a complex character that I absolutely fell in love with. I love that, for all of the challenges that get thrown at her throughout the happenings in The Blacksmith Queen, she chooses to rally, gather those she loves around her and just… do the right thing. Even if it’s not quite the easy choice, or even the one that she wants to make.
I originally thought that I knew who the “Blacksmith Queen” was going to be, and then I thought I’d guessed wrong, then I thought I’d guessed right… I mean, the whole thing had me on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out not only who the “Blacksmith Queen” would be, but also how the prophecy, the conspiracy, everything was going to unfold. That alone would’ve pulled me in and made me intrigued. But then, there was the connection to the centaurs and the dwarves. And the machinations and dramas of two maybe-queens setting up alliances, ready to be at war with one another.
I’ve read a lot of different books with mythological creatures, but this is definitely my first centaur romance. And now I wonder why I haven’t got more of these on my shelves! Particularly centaurs the way Aiken writes them, they are just as insane and violent as all of her other characters. And just as unforgettable. I absolutely adored everything about this concept, and now I can’t wait to read more about Keeley’s asencion to the throne. Plus, the next story is about her War Monk sister, Gemma’s romance… something I also can’t wait to sink my teeth into!
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Earth and Skye 