Really Short Review: The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken

The Blacksmith Queen
(The Scarred Earth Saga #1)
G.A. Aiken
Release: August 27, 2019
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When a prophesy brings war to the Land of the Black Hills, Keeley Smythe must join forces with a clan of mountain warriors who are really centaurs in a thrilling new fantasy romance series from New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken.  

The Old King Is Dead

With the demise of the Old King, there’s a prophesy that a queen will ascend to the throne of the Black Hills. Bad news for the king’s sons, who are prepared to defend their birthright against all comers. But for blacksmith Keeley Smythe, war is great for business. Until it looks like the chosen queen will be Beatrix, her younger sister. Now it’s all Keeley can do to protect her family from the enraged royals. 

Luckily, Keeley doesn’t have to fight alone. Because thundering to her aid comes a clan of kilt-wearing mountain warriors called the Amichai. Not the most socially adept group, but soldiers have never bothered Keeley, and rough, gruff Caid, actually seems to respect her. A good thing because the fierce warrior will be by her side for a much longer ride than any prophesy ever envisioned …

Review:

I was expecting The Blacksmith Queen to be a Fantasy Romance. While it does have a compelling romance plot, the multiple POVs make it feel more like a Tolkien-style adventure. The dragons, dwarves, and elves help give that impression too. The tone is is light, though. And family is more important to these characters than the found family you expect to find on a quest together.

As the title suggests, Aiken has fun subverting stereotypes. The plain, bookish girl is not the princess heroine and the role of Drunk Uncle is played by a female cousin. Even the love of family Keeley and Caid share is the opposite of the usual fairytale characters. They both have two living, non-evil parents along with assorted siblings.

I really enjoyed The Blacksmith Queen, but the ending is very much a "to be continued." I’m looking forward to finding out what’s next.

    

4  stars

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