This second book in the Blood of a Fae series was non stop gripping action about 1/3 into it. Once the trials started, I found myself clutching my kindle. Continued fantastic world building and court politics were engaging. I have to admit this almost felt like a completely separate story because we hear very little about events from the first book. But that's ok, because this one had little bits sprinkled in revealing more of Morgan's unknown history. I have to admit, I was little frustrated with Morgan's continued defiance. I get it at first, but after while it became tiresome, just admit your feelings already! As for Draven, I liked him, but wanted to see/feel more of his point of view. I also hope to see more of all the side characters in the next book.
Overall great second book and that cliffhanger has me hanging on until the next book. I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

I have never read this author before - sorry didn’t read the first instalment, but I will. Loved it, if you just want to escape from your troubles just pick this up and enjoy. Loved the characters- not so keen on the swearing - times we live in now unfortunately.. Fantasy and romance great combination. Characters Draven & Morgan are a couple you just want to succeed together. You can visualise the scenes so vividly, I couldn’t put it down.

I had high hopes for this book after reading the first one in the series, Queen of Roses, which I loved. However, I was disappointed by the lack of character development, plot consistency, and romance in this sequel.

The book starts with Morgan waking up in the Siabra court, where she is bound to Draven, the dark fae prince who killed her love interest, Lancelot. She has to navigate the politics and dangers of this new realm, while also trying to figure out her feelings for Draven, who is not what he seems.

The premise sounded intriguing, but the execution was lacking. Morgan's character arc was flat and inconsistent. She went from hating Draven to trusting him to loving him in a matter of days, without much explanation or justification. She also seemed to forget about Lancelot very quickly, which made me question her sincerity and loyalty. Draven's character was also poorly developed. He was supposed to be a morally gray anti-hero, but he came across as a jerk who lied, manipulated, and abused Morgan. His redemption arc was rushed and unconvincing.

The plot was also full of holes and contradictions. The world-building was vague and confusing. The magic system was not well explained or explored. The conflict between the fae courts was underdeveloped and resolved too easily. The twists and reveals were predictable and clichéd. The ending was abrupt and unsatisfying.

The romance was the worst part of the book for me. I did not feel any chemistry or connection between Morgan and Draven. Their relationship was based on lies, betrayal, and coercion. There was no respect, communication, or consent between them. They had a lot of sex scenes, but they lacked emotion and passion. They did not act like a couple who loved each other.

The only positive aspects of the book were the writing style, which was smooth and engaging, and the secondary characters, who were more interesting and likable than the main ones. I especially enjoyed Beks, the human boy with magic who befriended Morgan, and Gwen, the fae princess who helped Morgan escape.

Overall, I was disappointed by this book, and I do not recommend it to fans of fantasy romance. It had a lot of potential, but it failed to deliver on its promises. I hope the next book in the series will be better.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Court of Claws was a pleasing continuation of the Blood of a Fae series. This second volume was a little more action-packed than the first; however, I found Morgan a bit too whiny compared to how she had been in book one. Still, the story ended on a gripping cliffhanger and I would be interested to read on to book three to see how things conclude. I would recommend the series if you like steamy fantasy romance tales and don't mind a bit of violence along the way. I am giving this book four stars.

I would rate this a little higher than a 2.5 but this 3✨ is a round up. Okay I was so hoping that Morgan’s character would develop more but alas, hard no. In my review for Queen of Roses, my biggest issue was misalignment in character development and actions. That was even more pervasive here, but now tack on an enormous amount of plot holes. What makes it even more infuriating though is that this story has SO MUCH potential. I will read book 3, but definitely hoping that we finally learn who Morgan is and am hoping loose ends are tied up.

*I received an ARC copy of this book via NetGalley*

*SPOILERS*

Very impatiently waiting for the release of Empress of Fae! I am really enjoying this series, and Court of Claws was even better than Queen of Roses.

I was going to rate this a 5-star read until the last 10% or so - Morgan’s attitude to Draven really started to irritate me, and there were just some completely random things thrown in towards the end (like Draven cutting out a piece of his own heart and surviving…WTAF?), but I would still place this at 4.5 stars overall.

The plot flows really well, and I’m excited to see how Morgan’s return to Camelot plays out in the third book. Is Kaye safe? Will Lancelet become a total badass? Will Morgan stop Arthur? How will the people of Camelot react to Morgan’s transformation? Will she take over Camelot and be a Queen there as well as the Empress of Siabra? Will she get over herself and just let herself be happy with Draven??? Will Draven follow her to Camelot???? SO MANY QUESTIONS.

Onto my favourite part of this series… Draven himself… SWOON. His protectiveness and “who did this to you” attitude is adorable but even better is that he sees himself as an equal to Morgan, and not better than her in any way - LOVE THIS! And the spicy scenes (yes, there is some good spice in this book, it is definitely a slow burn)… the PRAISE from that man’s mouth - “Be a good girl and wait” and “There’s a good girl. F*ck me back like you mean it” - JHEEZ.

Grab Queen of Roses, get some background info in your brain, then devour Court of Claws like I did. (Check trigger warnings first if you have any potential triggers though!!)

PS. Avriel should have had a much more horrific death. He was scum.

Such a good read! Already cannot wait for book 3! Criminally underrated.
Morgan and Draven- Chefs kiss

"I was trapped in a palace with a horned man who had told everyone I was basically his bed toy."

2/5 🌶
___

She's captured by her enemy in a foreign court with even more enemies. She has to pretend they're something else and they're more entwined than she's aware of.
___

This book is the sequel to Queen of Roses and I enjoyed it much more than the first.

The pace was faster, way better and I really didn't expect the storyline.

Morgan has grown so much, I loved seeing that. How she stands up for herself but is always full of love for everyone else.
Draven is a horned man who grew on me. He would do anything to keep Morgan safe. If you want your heart to melt, he's your man.

I enjoyed their dynamic and connection as it developed and became something beautiful.

I definitely recommend this series after reading Court of Claws and can't wait for the last book, because this cliffhanger was so heartbreaking.
___
also reviewed on Amazon, but it's not posted yet. I will also post it on my Instagram soon.

I really enjoyed Court of Claws and inhaled it over the course of two days! I loved being introduced to the Court of Umbral Flames, learning more of Draven’s brutal and often heartbreaking backstory and the addition of characters such as Lyrastra and Beks (and Nightclaw - I definitely want an exmoor now!) but I think I would have loved it even more than I loved Queen of Roses had it not been for Morgan’s continued stubbornness and her inability to believe that Draven might actually have a good heart, even though she acknowledges how good he is multiple times across both novels and all he does (apart from some admittedly morally grey lies) is show her how much he cares, and when that is not clear enough, he tells her - and everyone - how much he loves her in no uncertain terms!

By the end I was practically begging Morgan to open her eyes and stop being so petulant all the time. Some of her reactions were absolutely understandable considering what she has gone through, how men have treated her and her family history, but with her and Draven I just felt like what could have been great snarky banter at times came across as Morgan being frustratingly and wilfully unaware, and that got little grating as the book went on and unfortunately stopped this from being 5 stars for me.

I really enjoy Briar Boleyn’s writing and will definitely be reading book three when it comes out! Hopefully, Morgan will be able to come into her own a little bit more in the next one, and I am definitely intrigued to see what happens next after reading that epilogue!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed Queen of Roses, but I liked this book even more. This book had more of everything! More mythical creatures, more battle, more spice, and more magic wielding!

Morgan finds herself in a different Palace and is understandably confused and upset. She wants to get back to Camelot to help her younger brother escape his older brother, King Arthur’s, wrath. The King has started a war and people are suffering. She’s desperate to help, but she can’t possibly help all on her own. Draven has promised his help, after he wins the Blood Rite and is crowned Emperor….But he has to complete three deadly trials first!

We get to see Morgan learning how to control her fire power, and let Draven into her heart- just a little bit. We find out more about where she came from, and how. We learn a lot more about Draven’s terrible family and why he was banished- and why he returned.

I loved so much about this book. I love the world building. Absolutely necessary in a fantasy book, especially when the palace is way below ground! I loved all of the mythical creatures. They are truly unique and some are nightmare fuel like the undead children -shudder-. I thought we were done with them, but we were definitely not! Harpies with their womanly features and long beaks who will not hesitate to bite your head off, the creepy trolls, and the exquisite exmoors (love).

I loved the unique fae features of each individual character. Most books I’ve read only have beautiful, human like fae. This book gives them much different features- sometimes scales, other times it’s hooves or horns, or something else. These fae also have unique talents or magic that I’ve never read about before.

The three trials were interesting, the first two were more deadly and had a lot more detail than the final one. I felt the final one was too easy and too short? It just… ends?

I didn’t like how MUCH Morgan pushed back at Draven and for EVERYTHING. Could she not see how much he had helped her? How much he wanted to help her? It irritated me how much she detested him. I wish they had more time of building trust and love in this book. More spice would have been nice but it wasn’t necessary.

I don’t want to put spoilers so I don’t think I can say much else but that ENDING. I was NOT expecting that. So much happened in the last 100 pages. Rychel!?

Definitely need book 3 ASAP.

I love this series that retells and enhances the stories of Camelot. The relationship with Morgan and Draken is explosive and has so much potential. There's so much betrayal and intrigue involving the royalty that it can be a challenge to tell who is on the right side. The worldbuilding is beautifully done and quite expansive. Morgan and Draken have plenty of flaws but are strong and courageous. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Let me start off by saying the first book was great I loved it…this book was even better!

I can’t wait for the 3rd book to come out! Super invested to see what happens next. Draven and Morgan’s banter is so comical🤣😂…the ending 🤦‍♀️when will Draven learn…I think he means well but I hope he learns to speak up and be honest from the beginning… poor Morgan I hope she finds her footing soon she is not having a good couple of months…my only thing about Morgan is she seems a little wishy washy at times she will say one thing make a commitment or stand about something then before you know it she’s taken 5 steps back in her characters growth…I just wish she would make a choice and stick with it have a bit more conviction.

Overall I feel like the plot and romance are paced quite nicely for the most part.,I hope to see some more of where and when Morgan’s from in the next book.

I would definitely recommend this series to my book friends!

We pick up straight from the end of book 1. This book was my favourite of the two - it continued to build on the political intrigue, but the romance really steps up which adds something to the whole story.

In this book we see Morgan become more of her own character. She’s feisty and I love the challenge she presents to those around her.

Draven is everything you need a male hero to be - hot, strong, commanding and protective. We learn so much more about him in this book which I loved and the dynamic between the two is amazing to read.

The introduction of new side characters and familiars really adds to this story and I loved these added elements.

There were so many plot twists in this story, that it really served to keep the mystery and intrigue going and the ending had me floored. I can’t wait for the next one…I need to know what happens.

Court of Claws

When you wake up, you expect to know where you are, even if you’ve been traveling. Well, Morgan Pendragon has no idea where she is, how she got here, why she can’t move or who the hell these people are in the room with her.

Once that’s figured out, there are a million more questions that need answers. Where did those horns come from? Why can’t she go home? Most importantly, she’s who?! And how old?!

Dive into this book knowing you know nothing of Camelot and Eskira, and be ready to be thrown for a loop. Morgan’s world breaks wide open and so much more information comes with it. On a journey of learning about herself, she also learns about Draven and who he really is-so she thought-as he battles his way to the Umbral Throne.

~spoilers~



I love how Morgan never backed down in this book-continuing on with her backbone from traveling before. Every time Draven wouldn’t give up information she pushed him harder and found ways around it. I hated how secretive he was with her and kept disappearing for training, but I loved the opportunity for Beks to come in and help her navigate the tunnels to get information. Usually it’s another love interest, and I love that there wasn’t another one, even when she’s angry at Draven. Beks was a great add to this story in a small way, and I was very sad to see him go in the end.

I was disappointed in the simple way Avriel died because he deserved so much worse! The whole third trial seemed too easy, and simple, compared to the first ones. I was also disappointed in the way Morgan left Draven, but that twist at the end with Lancelet was pretty out of nowhere! Can’t wait for book three, will be looking out for it on netgalley!
#courtofclaws #netgalley #fantasy #fae

There was so much fun action in this book! I was on the edge of my seat during the trials. The idea of “trials” wasn’t particularly unique but I thought the actual tests themselves were interesting. The author has invented some very cool creatures. I love the exmoors! And that ice wolf! And the harpies and creepy zombie children!

Morgan herself leaves me feeling a little apathetic. She grew on me during this book and she really opened up her heart to Kairos which I thought showed some real growth. There were times when she seems very immature and I want to tell her to appreciate Kairos! But also Kairos has lied to her like a billion times and, obviously, as the reader you can tell he sincerely loves her, but she has a legitimate reason to be mad at him. He’s very “I did this for your own good” but that’s not going to be a good enough excuse for our tough, independent MC.

The supporting cast is fleshed out well and I think these characters really help add to the story.

My biggest concern is that maybe the author is trying to do too much as far as plot goes?? I actually kind of forgot about the whole Camelot part until the end! I’m wondering the author will be able to wrap everything up in one more book or if there will need to be a fourth. Bottom line…I will absolutely read the next one and am looking forward to it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review!

What a cool sequel! Boleyn steps away from the Arthurian originals to develop her version of the fae and their Blood Rise for the crown. I enjoyed diving into this world, and I liked our new characters. This very much gave "Rhys' persepective of Feyre during her Trials" which was a nice vibe, although I think ending of <spoiler> Morgan having to step up was a little obvious and a little overdue. She had a lot of sitting and watching in this book. </spoiler>.

Morgan continued her streak of being simultaneously way too trusting and way too suspicious, picking and choosing her allies with all the discernment of a piece of chalk. She needs to sort herself out! Get some therapy, girl.

Also, Rychel is such a jerk!! <spoiler> I really liked her at first but she tricks Morgan into taking Draven's place without giving her all the facts and almost kills everyone. I kind of hope she dies in the next one. Really annoyed me. </spoiler>

<spoiler> Avriel's end was also a bit anticlimactic but that was acknowledged in the book and I do understand that even though he felt like the antagonist of this book, at best he was a distraction. </spoiler>

The ending was really fun! A little peek back at Camelot and a tease of more Arthurian myth to come. I'm definitely reading the next one! 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads.

The second book in the (Blood of a Fae series) by Briar Boleyn. Oh boy, reading this book was like being on thin, cracking ice. I didn’t know what was going to happen next or which character was going to implode – but not in a good way. I’m still struggling to get my head around it all, to be honest. There are a lot of trigger warnings that should be moved to the first page of the book, not the last!

I can appreciate where the author wanted to take this book. The idea behind the plot had potential but I think it was let down by the female protagonist, Morgan, and some questionable things suggested by the other male main character, Draven.

I’m a reader who does enjoy a well-written dark fantasy, I expected good things, but this book at times took it over the edge with how toxic the dynamics were between Morgan and Draven. I stuck this book out because I enjoyed The Queen of Roses (Book 1). I had some issues with Morgan’s character in book one, but you could overlook those flaws because of the strength of the plot and the interesting angle the author took on a re-telling of Arthurian legends – world-building was top-notch in book 1. Morgan’s character seemed to devolve in this book into the worst version of herself. Reading her felt like torture: I wanted to slap her and tell her to grow up. Yes, she was placed in an awful situation - lied to, forced imprisonment, and forced to endure deadly trials – but her behaviour turned me cold to her. I felt sorry for Draven being bound to her for the rest of their lives.

This scraps a 3-star review from me by the skin of its teeth because I do like Draven as a character, the world-building is generally good and while too extreme for me in parts, the plot could be engaging.

I absolutely loved Queen of Roses 🌹 so how did I like Court of Claws?
It was breathtaking, I might even think of it as a masterpiece ❤️ I just couldn’t put it down.

In the second book of Blood of a Fae series Morgan formes new relationships, learns more about her mother, her own past.
We follow Morgan and Draven to a new place, dangerous court where almost everyone seems to hate Morgan for who she is.
The story is perfectly paced, with many twists and important informations revealed.
I loved new characters, most of all Nightclaw. Can I have him in real life please?!
Draven must fight for his throne and for Morgan’s heart as well. He definitely should have said what was happening to her! I don’t blame her for freaking out. But maybe she has some trust issues? Well who would blame her after everything she’s been through.
And what the hell?! That ending was just spectacular. I need to read Empress of Fae asap. What will happen next and just how did that one person survive?

Vague and minor spoilers.
This book is...fine. The first in the series was also fine. I like the story and the world building. It is interesting. I do find the MFC to be a little hard to relate to. There are times where I do not understand why she is fighting the MMC so much. Maybe it is an over abundance of pride? Maybe it ia that she is finding it hard to trust and the fact that she is blindsided by some things fuels that? Idk. There were some plot holes that do not hurt the story necessarily, but kind of stick in your mind. One issue I have is that she never asks about the little girl after she wakes up. Just never does. She remembers her, but does not wonder where she is?I see it is a device so that that information and other information can be held back but that is annoying. The other thing, is that for someone who is so angry about not getting the whole story, she tends to let so many things just drop. "You would not believe me if I told you." Well try me, buddy. Just answer me.
Anyways, I am reading the third one when it comes our because even the very last part of this book does not answer the basic question, but how did you get from there to here and I want to know.

Words can not describe how happy I was to be reunited with the stubborn Morgan and the dreamy Draven! What a torturously slow burn…

I can’t believe how quickly I devoured this book. I mean, I actually CAN because it was just so good. Every second of Morgan and Draven….I soak it up.
I’m so sad the way the book ended between them, but I feel positive for the future.

Dark fantasy lovers? This book is for you.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for my access to this book, Court of Claws! I’m already eagerly awaiting the third book!!
will be sharing this review on my Goodreads account: https://www.goodreads.com/user/edit/profile/profile_url