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threegoodrats's review against another edition
3.0
I didn’t expect this to be so silly. I was pleasantly surprised by the humor, though maybe it was eventually a bit much. But I loved all the strong kick-ass female characters (even though the most kick-ass one was an alcoholic who was always throwing up - what was that all about?) Loved that it included centaurs, elves, and even a dragon. It was fun, but I’m not sure I’ll read the next one.
mixmastermaeve's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
maeve_ever's review against another edition
Loved everything about this except the writing. 😫
kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
First in The Scarred Earth Saga fantasy series, a spin-off from Aiken's Dragon Kin series and revolving around a female blacksmith who believes in protecting people.
My Take
Whoa, this one starts out violent! Chopping off heads, hacking up anybody who's not them.
Who's them? Everybody not me.
How can you NOT adore Keeley Smythe!! She's so tolerant of everyone and everything. And fairly blinkered in her assessments.
It's too funny. Okay, yeah, it's really violent, but it is funny with the silly sibling rivalry. I adore the acceptance that Keeley's family is into as well as their practicality when their farm is invaded. Boo-yah!!
The Blacksmith Queen eventually makes vague references to some dragons, and Aiken is getting my hopes up that we'll be seeing some of the dragons from Aiken's Dragon Kin series. Fingers crossed.
It's mostly an introduction to this world and its various peoples, Aiken's characters are similar in their irreverence to the Dragon Kin ones. Sure there is a TON of action, but it all feels more like a prologue. A too short story. And I've gotta know how it gets resolved. It's Keeley's belief that power is for making people safe. It's not what her sister believes. And I wanna read how that sister gets hers...!
The Story
The Old King is dead and the succession is hotly contested. Keeley Smythe, a entrepreneurial blacksmith, finds that war is great for business. But a prophecy claims Keeley Smythe's younger sister, Beatrix, is the next queen.
It's war and destruction with the remaining princes after Beatrix and her family, whom Keeley will do everything to protect 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 prophecy ever envisioned.
The Characters
In the Hill Lands
Keeley Smythe is a talented blacksmith who loves her hammer and her extended family. She's also good with bones and muscles. Of her eleven siblings, Gemma is the slightly younger sister who ran off ten years ago and became a nun. Endelyon intends to work with Keeley as a blacksmith. Isadora. The self-centric Beatrix prefers to read and wear pretty dresses. Angus Farmerson is her father, a former warrior who is now a farmer. Emma is their mother, the Blacksmith Maiden, from a line of blacksmiths. Keran the Unforgiving is her cousin, a fighter, who's retired. Archibald is Angus' nutjob brother who's very paranoid. Archie's horses include Brim and Frannie. Big Bart is one of Angus' horses. Butch had been their mother's dog.
The gray mare's son is Keeley's friend. Nelly is/had been a midwife. Rob is a perv who gets what's coming to him. Daniel is a shoemaker. Old Stump runs a pub.
The Witches of Amhuinn...
...live in the mountains and prefer math, science, and logic. Belinda is the Witch Queen. Delora is the so-called seer. Turns out Delora's mother was brilliant in math, science, and logic but had lousy taste in men.
The Amichai are...
...considered to be barbarians, centaurs who can blend into any herd of horses. They also seem to be referred to as Protectors. Caid and his sister, Laila, are of the Scarred Earth Clan; Laila is also the Only Daughter of the Clan Chief. The crazy Quinn is their brother. Gaira is their Mother and Chieftain of all the Clans while Hearn is their Father and the Chief of their Clan. He's also the one who saved Angus that day. Farlan and Cadell are with Caid and Laila. Kel is one of the centaurs who follow Hearn. Henok is Hearn's personal messenger.
Petra Azhischenkov of the True Horse Blood of the Black Sea of Pain and Longing in the Far Reaches of the Steppes of the Outerplains is the strongest healer. Diarmad is the young idiot son of the Chief of the Clan of the Red Rivers.
The Dwarves
Mundric is king. Vulfegundis is his queen. General Unroch is a warrior. Soiffart's Anvil is a test.
The Elves
Lord Elouan is the king's emissary, intent on prolonging their talks.
The Barbarians
Torin-sa is their leader.
In the Black Hills, of all the Old King's sons...
...only five princes remain to rule. Prince Marius the Wielder of Hate is the oldest and most feared. He currently holds the castle and half his father's men and is partnered with his unmaternal mother, Lady Maila, the lead consort who claims to be the Dowager Queen. She'll force Agathon, a cousin and the Old King's Follower of His Word, to be her Keeper of Her Word. Duke Gennadius raises a challenge and finds his child a hostage.
Prince Straton the Devourer has an army of mercenaries. Lars is one of his. Prince Cyrus the Honored took the other half of their father's men. Princes Theodorus and Theotimus haven't yet earned an epithet but they are renowned for their viciousness.
A port town
Efa and her sister manage to hide out when their town was attacked. The Ó Broin sisters are all nature witches.
Peace Monks are religious zealots. War Monks are greatly feared knights who dedicate their lives and souls to Morthwyl, a war god. They can also raise the dead. Samuel is a War Monk-in-training. The Warlocks of Godomor. Ofydd Naw is the Amichai's eight-legged war god. Maelgwn is the demon wolf god. Sichar is a powerful dwarf god who lost some gold.
The Cover and Title
The cover is essentially black and red. The red of charcoal and flames of a blacksmith's forge and the gleaming steel of a crown inset with rubies of varying sizes. The text is all white but for the pale yellow of the testimonial at the bottom. At the top is an info blurb with the author's name writ large below that and above the crown. The title is centered below the crown.
The title is the primary protagonist, for she may be The Blacksmith Queen.
My Take
Whoa, this one starts out violent! Chopping off heads, hacking up anybody who's not them.
Who's them? Everybody not me.
How can you NOT adore Keeley Smythe!! She's so tolerant of everyone and everything. And fairly blinkered in her assessments.
"Live is too short to go around hating things I know nothing about."She also has quite the capitalistic enterprise and employs a variety of people in her forge. Keeley is also somewhat annoying in that she loves that the women in her family are independent — "ignoring all the men who tried to tell them no...but they still won't always do what she tells them.
It's too funny. Okay, yeah, it's really violent, but it is funny with the silly sibling rivalry. I adore the acceptance that Keeley's family is into as well as their practicality when their farm is invaded. Boo-yah!!
There are several points-of-view. The first is the historian, a cousin, using first person point-of-view. But then it quickly evolves into a third person global subjective point-of-view with a number of characters giving their perspectives."'Well, after ten thousand children, one had to be bad.'
Despite the tears, Keeley gave a short laugh. 'My mother did not have ten thousand children.'
'I've sat at dinner with all of them...it felt like ten thousand.'"
The Blacksmith Queen eventually makes vague references to some dragons, and Aiken is getting my hopes up that we'll be seeing some of the dragons from Aiken's Dragon Kin series. Fingers crossed.
It's mostly an introduction to this world and its various peoples, Aiken's characters are similar in their irreverence to the Dragon Kin ones. Sure there is a TON of action, but it all feels more like a prologue. A too short story. And I've gotta know how it gets resolved. It's Keeley's belief that power is for making people safe. It's not what her sister believes. And I wanna read how that sister gets hers...!
The Story
The Old King is dead and the succession is hotly contested. Keeley Smythe, a entrepreneurial blacksmith, finds that war is great for business. But a prophecy claims Keeley Smythe's younger sister, Beatrix, is the next queen.
It's war and destruction with the remaining princes after Beatrix and her family, whom Keeley will do everything to protect 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 prophecy ever envisioned.
The Characters
In the Hill Lands
Keeley Smythe is a talented blacksmith who loves her hammer and her extended family. She's also good with bones and muscles. Of her eleven siblings, Gemma is the slightly younger sister who ran off ten years ago and became a nun. Endelyon intends to work with Keeley as a blacksmith. Isadora. The self-centric Beatrix prefers to read and wear pretty dresses. Angus Farmerson is her father, a former warrior who is now a farmer. Emma is their mother, the Blacksmith Maiden, from a line of blacksmiths. Keran the Unforgiving is her cousin, a fighter, who's retired. Archibald is Angus' nutjob brother who's very paranoid. Archie's horses include Brim and Frannie. Big Bart is one of Angus' horses. Butch had been their mother's dog.
The gray mare's son is Keeley's friend. Nelly is/had been a midwife. Rob is a perv who gets what's coming to him. Daniel is a shoemaker. Old Stump runs a pub.
The Witches of Amhuinn...
...live in the mountains and prefer math, science, and logic. Belinda is the Witch Queen. Delora is the so-called seer. Turns out Delora's mother was brilliant in math, science, and logic but had lousy taste in men.
The Amichai are...
...considered to be barbarians, centaurs who can blend into any herd of horses. They also seem to be referred to as Protectors. Caid and his sister, Laila, are of the Scarred Earth Clan; Laila is also the Only Daughter of the Clan Chief. The crazy Quinn is their brother. Gaira is their Mother and Chieftain of all the Clans while Hearn is their Father and the Chief of their Clan. He's also the one who saved Angus that day. Farlan and Cadell are with Caid and Laila. Kel is one of the centaurs who follow Hearn. Henok is Hearn's personal messenger.
Petra Azhischenkov of the True Horse Blood of the Black Sea of Pain and Longing in the Far Reaches of the Steppes of the Outerplains is the strongest healer. Diarmad is the young idiot son of the Chief of the Clan of the Red Rivers.
The Dwarves
Mundric is king. Vulfegundis is his queen. General Unroch is a warrior. Soiffart's Anvil is a test.
The Elves
Lord Elouan is the king's emissary, intent on prolonging their talks.
The Barbarians
Torin-sa is their leader.
In the Black Hills, of all the Old King's sons...
...only five princes remain to rule. Prince Marius the Wielder of Hate is the oldest and most feared. He currently holds the castle and half his father's men and is partnered with his unmaternal mother, Lady Maila, the lead consort who claims to be the Dowager Queen. She'll force Agathon, a cousin and the Old King's Follower of His Word, to be her Keeper of Her Word. Duke Gennadius raises a challenge and finds his child a hostage.
Prince Straton the Devourer has an army of mercenaries. Lars is one of his. Prince Cyrus the Honored took the other half of their father's men. Princes Theodorus and Theotimus haven't yet earned an epithet but they are renowned for their viciousness.
A port town
Efa and her sister manage to hide out when their town was attacked. The Ó Broin sisters are all nature witches.
Peace Monks are religious zealots. War Monks are greatly feared knights who dedicate their lives and souls to Morthwyl, a war god. They can also raise the dead. Samuel is a War Monk-in-training. The Warlocks of Godomor. Ofydd Naw is the Amichai's eight-legged war god. Maelgwn is the demon wolf god. Sichar is a powerful dwarf god who lost some gold.
The Cover and Title
The cover is essentially black and red. The red of charcoal and flames of a blacksmith's forge and the gleaming steel of a crown inset with rubies of varying sizes. The text is all white but for the pale yellow of the testimonial at the bottom. At the top is an info blurb with the author's name writ large below that and above the crown. The title is centered below the crown.
The title is the primary protagonist, for she may be The Blacksmith Queen.
the_caro_show's review against another edition
5.0
I couldn’t put it down. Read in less than 12 hours, even as a busy mom. So much action, betrayal, & the friendships I just ugh!!!! I love the little tidbits of the building romance & then FINALLY getting what we all wanted to see!! I’m sprinting to the 2nd book.
avalin1's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
ladyleofn's review against another edition
5.0
All Hail the Queen
A great start to a new series. G.A. Aiken has done it again. Ms. Aiken has a wonderful way of bringing a new cast of characters together for me to love. She has tied her new characters into a world that is both familiar and new. I look forward to enjoying the many adventures that Ms. Aiken will take us on. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book.
A great start to a new series. G.A. Aiken has done it again. Ms. Aiken has a wonderful way of bringing a new cast of characters together for me to love. She has tied her new characters into a world that is both familiar and new. I look forward to enjoying the many adventures that Ms. Aiken will take us on. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book.
renpuspita's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Just like your usual Aiken's book, although if you new to her works then her writing style especially the PoV's changing can be too overwhelming. Also, full of dialogue, but there's some narrative too. If you had read her Dragon Kin series, chance you already familiar with the world building though Scarred Earth saga took place in Black Hill and I don't have slighthest idea where is it. There's no map. A map will be nice, especially there's mention of Dark Plain which is Anwyl's territory and one of the Daughter of the Steppes with their ridiculous long name make appearance.
So..new characters, new places, new power dynamic, same family focused theme, sisterhood, female rage, over the top fighting between siblings (still fun) and light romance. The romance is SO LIGHT it's more like an afterthought. So if you want to read romantic relationship between Keeley and Caid, you will be disappointed because their romance more like...err..lukewarm? They have sex just once, but if there's no sex that okay too. Didn't affect the story at all. I think Aiken try to focus to so many things, so the romance got sacrificed. For fantasy aspect and action also violence you get plenty, just like your usual Aiken's trademark.
Even The Blacksmith Queen is about Keeley that come to term with her being a queen from the prophecy and face her little sister, Beatrix's betrayal, the end of the story seems like Keeley's journey is not end yet. The next book, Princess Knight will be about Gemma Smythe, another Keeley's sister whom already suspect Beatrix's evilness while Keeley remain oblivious (or choose to oblivious at first and want to protect Beatrix until Beatrix stab her in the stomach). Just like Dragon Kin, I think Keeley's story will be continue in Gemma's book and there will be many new players to introduced.
A good book if you had read Aiken's works before and worth to try if you new to her books. Also recommended if you like your fantasy romance is heavy on fantasy rather than romance
So..new characters, new places, new power dynamic, same family focused theme, sisterhood, female rage, over the top fighting between siblings (still fun) and light romance. The romance is SO LIGHT it's more like an afterthought. So if you want to read romantic relationship between Keeley and Caid, you will be disappointed because their romance more like...err..lukewarm? They have sex just once, but if there's no sex that okay too. Didn't affect the story at all. I think Aiken try to focus to so many things, so the romance got sacrificed. For fantasy aspect and action also violence you get plenty, just like your usual Aiken's trademark.
Even The Blacksmith Queen is about Keeley that come to term with her being a queen from the prophecy and face her little sister, Beatrix's betrayal, the end of the story seems like Keeley's journey is not end yet. The next book, Princess Knight will be about Gemma Smythe, another Keeley's sister whom already suspect Beatrix's evilness while Keeley remain oblivious (or choose to oblivious at first and want to protect Beatrix until Beatrix stab her in the stomach). Just like Dragon Kin, I think Keeley's story will be continue in Gemma's book and there will be many new players to introduced.
A good book if you had read Aiken's works before and worth to try if you new to her books. Also recommended if you like your fantasy romance is heavy on fantasy rather than romance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Alcohol, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Toxic relationship and Religious bigotry
halem13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Sexism, Violence, Murder, Blood, Death, Body shaming, and Sexual content