As chaotic and full of snarky humor like The Blacksmith Queen, The Princess Knight is book 2 of Scarred Earth Saga featuring Gemma Smythe, the second oldest Smythe sister and a war monk. The story itself happen 2 years after Keeley become the queen from the prophecy and going to war with another Smythe's daughter, the soulless Beatrix. To be honest, I enjoy Gemma's story more compared to Keeley's, maybe because the world building already established although Aiken keep adding new characters. The constantly changing PoVs can be too exhausted or confusing to read although all of them written from 3rd PoV. As for me, I know that the fast changing PoV is one of Aiken's trademark, together with snarky female heroines and back and forth comedy between its characters. 

Gemma herself is snarkier and grumpier compared to Keeley. I think I prefer reading about Gemma, because in this book Keeley kinda like become Anwyll ver. 2 bit by bit although Keeley still maintain her love for animal. But, sigh, do we need another Anywll while one Mad Queen is already enough? I like that despite her warmongering, Gemma loves her brotherhood and devastated when said brotherhood got annihilated by one of Old King's son. As for the romance, just like book 1, more like an afterthought. BUT, I prefer Gemma and Quinn's gradually romance, from friends (or allies) to lover compared to Keeley and Caid in book #1. Goodness, it's like the romance in book 1 written just so the book can be considered as fantasy romance and I don't get the chemistry between Keeley and Caid. While for Gemma and Quinn, their friendship already happen from the beginning, their witty banter is funny and the romance is more believable so they work as a couple. Quinn himself also have a more lively personality compared to Caid in book 1 that barely there. Also the steamy scenes are written well.

Plot wise, the ever growing characters make it hard to follow, together with constantly changing PoV. But the fast pace kinda amend that. Compared with book #1, book #2 deal with religious sect in the Black Hills since they become target to be annihilated by Cyrus since Cyrus only want one religion to be accepted in Black Hills. Heh, feels familiar already. After introduced to war monk, we will get characters that are temple virgins (I don't know what differentiate them from shrine maiden. Because they are virgin?), war priest (no, don't know what make them different with war monk), divine assassins, truce vicar (basically, a peacemaker?), Abbess nun that love to smash her enemy regarding her meek appearance and many others. The centaurs also still one of the main player and the gods make cameos. The gods part kinda irked me because Keeley is just like Anwyll with both of them greeted by gods despite they are kinda didn't believe in gods at the first place.

The epilogue will be hilarious if you had read Dragon Kin series and a sign that Aiken will continue Dragon Kin story with incorporated them into Scarred Earth saga. For a series that called Scarred Earth, the centaurs kinda not the main spotlight so I don't get why use their clan name if the story focused more to Smythe's sisters? The next book, The Heretic Royal will be about Ainsley, the fourth oldest daughter (Keeley have 11 siblings after all), that just got introduced in book 2. Funny thing about Ainsley is, she's so invisible her siblings forget about her! While the humor about Keeley and Gemma always forget Ainsley's existence can be too tiresome to read, I want to read Ainsley's story just because the Cadwaladr dragons will be part of her story as well!