This was a great book with a lot of strong female characters, and was done in a very well-written way.
Sometimes authors feel the need to really emphasize that their characters are strong without offering any substance to back it up. Aiken simply lets the male and female characters blend together in a very cohesive manner. I also like how one of the main characters is a female blacksmith. I first balked at this idea because in history female blacksmiths are almost unheard of, but in a book with magick, centaurs and gnomes, why can't there be female blacksmiths? In addition to all the strong characters there's also witty dialogue and stories being told from the viewpoint of multiple characters.
I read this book without reading the first book in the series, "The Blacksmith Queen", and was able to understand what was going on, which I always appreciate in a series.
A few thoughts on the cover of the book. The cover it stunning, it has beautiful colorwork and a nice soft-touch feel to it. However, at the bottom of the cover there is a review from "Smexy Books", which I never heard of before, but that review made me worried as to what type of book I would be reading. This is a plot-driven book with only one sex scene (that is not overdone), so don't let that review give you doubt to read this book.
Sometimes authors feel the need to really emphasize that their characters are strong without offering any substance to back it up. Aiken simply lets the male and female characters blend together in a very cohesive manner. I also like how one of the main characters is a female blacksmith. I first balked at this idea because in history female blacksmiths are almost unheard of, but in a book with magick, centaurs and gnomes, why can't there be female blacksmiths? In addition to all the strong characters there's also witty dialogue and stories being told from the viewpoint of multiple characters.
I read this book without reading the first book in the series, "The Blacksmith Queen", and was able to understand what was going on, which I always appreciate in a series.
A few thoughts on the cover of the book. The cover it stunning, it has beautiful colorwork and a nice soft-touch feel to it. However, at the bottom of the cover there is a review from "Smexy Books", which I never heard of before, but that review made me worried as to what type of book I would be reading. This is a plot-driven book with only one sex scene (that is not overdone), so don't let that review give you doubt to read this book.