Friday Friyay: 'The Heretic Royal' by G.A. Aiken

Happy Friday! I managed to bring back a cold from my trip to Germany. I think it was the getting in and out of air-conditioned trains while it was super hot outside and also me being really tired in general. So I'm gonna try and take it easy this weekend, or at least take it easy on Saturday. And part of that relaxing is The Heretic Royal. I'm way late with reading the last two installments of this trilogy but I just read The Princess Knight on the train back and I can't wait to get into the lovely ridiculousness of these books again!

In the G.A. Aiken’s fantasy follow up to the USA Today bestselling Scarred Earth Saga’s The Princess Knight and The Blacksmith Queen, two sisters battle for a single throne, warring factions take up arms, a land is divided, and uncertain allies become very certain lovers . . . With subtle commentary on today’s political polarization, this riveting epic celebrates strong female characters and champions the underdog within a diverse, high fantasy framework.

As two sisters battle for a single throne in G.A. Aiken’s newest fantasy, warring factions take up arms, a land is divided, and uncertain allies become very certain lovers . . . GODS SAVE THE QUEEN!Ainsley Farmerson has always planned to break free of the family business—and the family drama. But what was once farming, smithworking, and bickering over the dinner table has turned into open warfare between sisters. Sides have been taken, lives are on the line, and Ainsley has no doubt which sister must be queen. She’ll do whatever is necessary to take down the soulless Beatrix. Even if that means joining forces with angry battle nuns, irritating monks, and overbearing centaurs.   Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan has no time for human beings. And yet . . . there is something about the uncontrollable princess that he can’t ignore. Maybe it’s the way her eldest sisters underestimate her. Or her bravery facing down dragons and mad queens from distant lands. Whatever the reason, Gruff is willing to fight by this human’s side. Not only for the entertainment value, but because she’s right. Beatrix must never be queen. So whatever he has to do, whoever he has to destroy, Gruff will battle beside Ainsley. Fast. Hard. And with absolutely no mercy . . .

Book Beginnings is at home on Rose City Reader, hosted by Gilion Dumas, and Friday 56 at Freda's Voice, hosted by Freda. I'll also be joining the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.

BB:

'"Deal with them."

He could not actually hear those words over the sound of all the thundering hooves crashing against the ground - his queen's battalion charging into the town the false ruler had built for herself and her friends - but he could hear the woman's words whispering through the wind, could see her in his mind, standing tall and gesturing toward their riders with a toss of her hand.' 1%

What an opening! It literally picks up right where The Princess Knight ended but this perspective is from an unknown character who I don't think has very long to live... I love that we're jumping straight into the action as well!

F56: (warning, cursing ahead!)

'"You are a very disturbed person," Gemma said, walking away. "So very fucking disturbed."' 56%

Aaaah yess, this is the Gemma I know and adore. She was a beautiful mess in The Princess Knight and I'm glad to see Aiken is not letting up on the cursing in this third book. It might not be for everyone, this kind of writing, but there is something so loose and fresh about it that I absolutely revel in in-between all my more serious, non-fiction reads for work.

BBH:

This week's question was suggested by Elizabeth from Silver's Reviews:

If you receive a request from an author to read his/her book and you don't have time, do you suggest another way to help the author?

Great question! I actually currently have a message on my blog asking to not be contacted directly, because I have an insane TBR and when I work with an author directly I want to be able to really engage with them and not give them a disappointing experience. But when authors do still contact me, I do sometimes offer them a guest-post spot where they can tell us about their book and writing process and anything else they'd like or a Spotlight post where I just give some information on the book itself.

Even then, I am a little hesitant on doing that with everyone because not every author who contacts me writes books I'm in to. So then I have to weigh up for myself what I want to do. And so often I don't actually find the time to check my inbox regularly so I think what I'm realising while I'm writing this post is that I need to be on-top of these things a little bit more...

So that's it for me! What do you think of The Heretic Royal?