In "The Blacksmith Queen" by G.A. Aiken, the story revolves around Keeley, a strong blacksmith who finds herself unexpectedly thrust into the role of a queen due to a prophecy. The plot is filled with action, adventure, romance, betrayal, and humor as Keeley navigates through a world of sibling rivalry, royal plotting, and magical creatures like demon wolves, centaurs, elves, and dwarves. The writing style is fast-paced, filled with snark, offbeat humor, and strong character development, particularly focusing on Keeley's journey to protect her family and fulfill her newfound destiny.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include violence, gore, themes of betrayal, fratricide, attempted sexual violence, murder of animals, alcohol use, and manipulative behaviors.
Has Romance?
The romance involves a slow burn and is not the central focus of the story, though it plays an important part in character development.
From The Publisher:
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 ... Praise for The Dragon Who Loved Me "A chest thumping, mead-hall rocking, enemy slaying brawl of a good book." -All Things Urban Fantasy "Aiken aces another one." -RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
Ratings (11)
Incredible (3) | |
Loved It (4) | |
Liked It (1) | |
It Was OK (3) |
Reader Stats (30):
Read It (14) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (13) | |
Not Interested (2) |
2 comment(s)
This book was a solid 3-star for me. It was enjoyable enough to finish, but nothing that I would re-read. It honestly read somewhat as fanfic, with its continuous humor and overall lighthearted feeling.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who wants to be emotionally impacted by a story—this is not where you'll find that. The Blacksmith Queen is a book to read when you want something light and easy to get through, with some ridiculous humor along the way. I appreciated the levity at first, but I must admit that it became rather tiring and juvenile. I can only take my MCs overpowered and joking for so long before it gets jarring.
It's unlikely that I'll be reading the sequel, but I wasn't mad at reading this one! Long-term, I don't think this author's writing style is for me, but I appreciate what their work does for people who enjoy it.
I love G.A. Aiken/Shelley Laurenston. Her books are always hilarious and full of action and fluff. I loved all the characters and the plot was insane.
I had two issues with this book though. The first is that, I often felt I was reading a redone version of
Hot and Badgered. It made it feel a bit predictable. Keeley, Gemma and Keran are very similar to Charlie, Max and Stevie in temperament. I mean, the plots were different in many ways, but it mainly felt like Charlie, Max and Stevie were transplanted to a different world. On the other hand I loved Charlie, Max and Stevie so it wasn't a huge issue, just a noticeable one.
The second issue I had though - and was the same issue I had with
Hot and Badgered, was the language. At one point the c*** word is used and I hate that word so utterly much. It's so unnecessary - it adds nothing and jolts me out of my enjoyment of the narrative.
Beyond that, this story was really good. Although I'm not sure it's as good as some of her other books. I loved the humour, G.A. Aiken is a master of witty dialogue and quick banter. I loved Keeley and Caid - their relationship was sweet and enjoyable. They just made sense. There was no unnecessary drama just a plain romance that moved along at a decent pace with swoon worthy moments. I can't wait to read Gemma and Quinn's story - I'm sure it will be just as insane and adorable.
Overall 3.5 stars. It was really good but it was just not quite as good as some of her other books and it loses one star for the language.
What can you read after
The Blacksmith Queen?
About the Author:
G.A. Aiken is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Dragon Kin Series and the Scarred Earth Saga. When she's not writing about sexy dragons and feminist blacksmiths, she's writing about hot wolf, lion, tiger, and other fang-filled predators as Shelly Laurenston, the acclaimed and bestselling author of the Pride series, the Call of Crows, and the Honey Badger Chronicles. Originally from Long Island, she now lives on the West Coast and spends most of her time writing and making sure her rescued Pitbull doesn't love everyone into a coma. Please visit her online at www.GAAiken.com.
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