Great second book for this series! This one takes place in a different city after their epic journey. New characters, same back and forth enemies to lovers, and a hunger games type contest! I really enjoyed it and I cannot wait for the next part!

A big thank you to Starwater Press, Briar Boleyn, and Net Galley for granting me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4.5/5– The descriptive imagery crafted by the author continues to be brilliant and thorough. The details of gowns and clothing is one of my favorite aspects of Briar Boleyn’s writing, and inspires me to want to break out the sketchbook after going too long without doing any designing. I also really enjoyed the setting of this book, the environment was both eerie and beautifully magical and I hope we get to see more of it in book three!

The only reason I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first is because I personally found the pacing to be a little too fast– I wanted to spend more time in the magical world the author has created! I also thought the ending was a bit rushed and confusing, but maybe I was just so captivated that I read it a little too fast ;)

Whew I lived this! I can't not wait for the next book! The spice was just right for me and the themes didn't bother me but some would want to check the trigger warnings. I loved it!
I just reviewed Court of Claws by Briar Boleyn. #CourtofClaws #NetGalley
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I dove straight into this one after Queen of Roses and I didn't not regret it!

The story was fantastic, I could not get enough of this book, I was absolutely hooked into this book, I love Draven & Morgan, I hope things go well in book three which I desperately need in my LIFE!!!

Highly recommend this series

Once I got to the last third of this book, it was impossible for me to put down. It came along with me to the bathroom, kitchen, and I was reading while eating dinner.
Briar does really well with making the last 100-some pages count; the action is well thought out and cleanly portrayed.

I did, unfortunately, not like the first two-thirds of the book as much. I grew to hugely dislike the main character and her attitude - I felt like if her blantant unkindness was due to trauma or something, that should have been better explained and acknowledged, but because it wasn't addressed head-on I felt like I was reading from the perspective of a pouty mean girl whose side I was supposed to be on.
I also have a huge personal dislike of using "boy" or "girl" when talking about men and women, but especially in s*x scenes. "Good girl" is one thing, but "be a good boy" is another, and it just gave me the ick. I had to put the book down for a few seconds after reading that haha.
I felt like the Draven we were initially introduced to was not the Draven the book ended with. I *am* all for character development, but I didn't feel like there was a great progression between the two? His confessions of affection often felt really stilted and out of place for me, as well.

The last third of the book is absolutely worth reading the preceding chapters - without a doubt - and I felt the same with the last book as well. I believe this is Briar's first series in fantasy though, and fully believe in giving grace for growth in writing, and I know I won't always love every single thing I read.

Ultimately though, I really truly enjoyed this story and will be reading the next book(s?) in this series. I look forward to witnessing the growth in the characters and seeing how Morgan bad-asses her way through everything coming up. These books leave me with my heart in my throat, and I admire authors who do so well at making readers feel something.

As always, thanks to Netgalley and the author for allowing me access to the digitize copy of Court of Claws in exchange for an honest review.

Court of Claws picks up right where we left off in Queen of Roses - but now we’re on an entirely different continent, we’re at Draven’s home, where he and Morgan must keep up pretenses of being in love while he fights for his crown.

Normally, I absolutely love this types of books. But… unfortunately after picking this book up and putting it down over and over, I’ve decided to DNF it at 25%.

I truly do love the world that the author has built. It’s extensive, it has its own deep lore that varies from region to region. She’s included detailed history of the world, unique traits to the Fae, questions that desperately need answering. Draven is an amazing character that I thoroughly enjoy reading about and the cast of side characters that I was introduced to seemed to work well with the main characters.

I just still.. cannot… stand Morgan. It feels like every time she opens her mouth, it’s to start a fight or be a spoiled brat. I already disliked her from the first novel, but completed it because I loved the author’s writing more than her poor behavior irked me. But this is book two and we’re back to acting like all the trust and attraction built up in book one flew out the window and landed in a volcano.

Clearly, this book and its main female character is not written for me, so I’ve decided to DNF and move on. Life is too short to force one’s self to read books where they do not vibe with the main character.

If you love bratty FMCs, this book is for you. The writing is beautiful. Draven is an excellent book boyfriend. The plot is fascinating. You’ll fully enjoy yourself if bratty FMCs are you thing!

3 stars - I normally give DNFs a 1 star, but her writing is absolutely beautiful, her plot building is excellent, and if it wasn’t for the FMC, I’m beyond positive I would adore this book.

Wow!! It’s not often that a second book in a series is better than the first but this one was amazing! I could not put it down once I started it.
The world building was fantastic in this book and the plot was fast paced with plenty of action. I really enjoyed all the trials that the characters faced in this book and it definitely felt that we see a lot of character development In this book.
I really enjoyed discovering more about Draven and his backstory as well as meeting his family.
I’m so glad that we got the romance that was hinted at in the first book. I liked that it didn’t just jump straight into the romance. The romantic attraction between the two main characters are strong and I liked seeing how Morgan learns to trust Draven more.
I really enjoyed meeting the new side character and felt they were really well written in this book. There were some I absolutely loved and some that left me feeling torn.
This book definitely has plenty of emotions throughout this book, love , grief , strength and more.
I can’t wait for the next book in the series

Just a heads up, this book does have trigger warnings. So please be aware if you’re planning to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Publisher and the author for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Really struggled with this book, I enjoyed the first in the series
I found that the beginning was too slow and I had but given up.by the time I got to the middle of the book!.

Court of Claws starts off with a bang. It builds on the events from the first book and the time transition is smooth.

Morgan is feisty and has grown some serious backbone. I love seeing her as an independent woman!

Draven is more than he let us believe in Queen of Roses and I like this side of him. You get to know more about him and what he has been through. I really enjoyed getting to know more about the fae history of this world.

Beks was one of my favorite characters in this story. Whereas most of the characters are a bit jaded, Beks has an almost innocent quality to him. He has an interest in the world around him and wants to know everything.

The spice level in Court of Claws has gone up from book one and I loved every bit of it!

This was a five star read for me because the storyline was fast paced, the spice was great, and the cliffhanger left me wanting more!

I really enjoyed this follow up to Queen of Roses. In fact I probably enjoyed it even more! Loved the character and relationship development. Can’t wait for the third instalment!

Court of Claws is the second installment of Briar Boleyn’s Blood of a Fae series. While this book continues on with the story set up in Queen of Roses, this book has much more emphasis on the main character, Morgan’s growth, as well as her relationship with Draven.
I personally enjoyed this book so much more than Queen of Roses, there was just the right amount of world building, new characters, and exploring the relationship between Morgan and Draven. Morgan showed a lot more growth in this book through training and adapting to the new world she was placed in and I enjoyed as she got more fiesty.
While some people might not like the predictibleness of the climax of the story, I did not mind but it is something to keep in mind that you might not always be surprised. My biggest issue with this book was that the end just seemed rushed compared to the rest of the series. There were events that were glossed over while less important things earlier in the book were described in great detail.
I would definetly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good romantasy read that has creative world building, some spice, and a festering war that is sure to play out in book 3.

First things first. Briar, I need book 3 please!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Briar Boleyn.

Continuing right where we left off in Queen of Roses, Morgan is back and on another continent, saved by Kairos Draven. Her best friend gone, her kingdom at war. And she's living with the Siabra who hate her. All while fighting her powers, her man, and her duties.

Kairos Draven longs to take over his Kingdom to right the wrongs of his father and Sephone, but the trials are deadly. Can he win to protect his Kingdom and save Morgan and her people?

There's a lot to unpack in this book. I enjoyed this one even more than the first book. Although I have to say, Morgan, stop pushing back!!

I am OBSESSED with this series! I cant wait to read more of Draven and Morgan in the next book. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance, fantasy, or found family books, or who enjoyed A Court of Thornes and Roses series.

Book 1 ended on such a cliffhanger okay, I was excited for this book for so long, and it really delivered! This book is set in a totally different environment, with a whole new set of politics and backstabbings and history reveals to navigate. I loved the new world and character reveals, things became really fae really fast. Also, please, there was yet another cliffhanger :')) Can't wait for book 3!

TWs - violence, murder, death of children (past)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Thank you very much to Briar Boleyn and Starwater Press for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Court of Claws is the second book in the Blood of a Fae series by Briar Boleyn.

Morgan and Draven are now in the Court of Umbral Flames and Draven names Morgan as his paramour ( mistress or courtesan) Morgan is furious and distrustful of him. Draven's reasoning is he's protecting her from the Queen Regent and her court, Morgan however feels a prisoner in his land.

I'll just start by saying I bloody loved this book I crammed down each chapter as I went along more as I got to the second half, it's faced paced and full of absolutely delightful characters and intensifies more with the fascinating world building included are;

* enemies to lovers
* strong powerful FMC and MMC
* Fae
* powers
* action
* deadly competition
* forced proximity
* power of blood
* continued legend retelling

I've already checked when the next book is out Empress of Fae it's released November 15th I can't wait to continue the series.

This is a bit of a mixed bag for me. Overall I really enjoyed the actual plot, but from about 50 pages in, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to finish the book. I absolutely hated Morgen, the main character. I was a bit iffy about her in the first book but she is absolutely insufferable in this one. She comes across as a petulant little brat, she just complains about everything and hates everyone, luckily, the remaining characters carried the story so I was able to plod along. It felt a bit long winded leading up to the middle, almost like pages for the sake of pages, but after the halfway (ish) mark I read the rest in one sitting (one of the times I've been thankful for being incapable in DNF-ing a book).
There are some really great characters in the book, and, courtesy of some great writing, some absolutely stunning Fae. The characters have a lot of depth to them, with the exception of the very one dimensional Morgen, they're all very dynamic. My particular favourites are Rychel and Lyrastra, and of course, Nightclaw. This rich array or characters carried the story until the plot really got going. I'm giving this a 3.5 star rating. I'm not rounding this up to 4 as that's the rating I gave the first book and I enjoyed that one a lot more than this.

I'm so happy I got to read Court of Claws, sequel to Queen of Roses, by author Briar Boleyn.

It was a great read and probably my favorite of the two. I loved reading about Draven's back story and everything that happened to him. It showed a different side to him than what was in book 1. The tension between Morgan and Draven was the best, along with the spicy moments.

My favorite storyline was for sure the trials that Draven faced along with the other contestants. While I'm not particularly fond of gore, I felt it was done in a manner that wasn't too grotesque. It definitely kept me on my toes and made for a great read.

I'm so looking forward to book 3!!!

*I would like to thank NetGalley for kindly offering me a copy of this book to review - all thoughts and opinions are my own*

This book definitely topped the first one in the series. There was significantly more character and world development. The second book in a series has a habit of being bad, but not this one. The whole idea of the Champions Tournament definitely caught and held my attention. Plots based around any kind of competition or game are always so much fun! Though, Morgan really gets under my skin. She needs to take a chill pill. I understand wanting to make a strong female lead, but she is just too difficult sometimes and frustrating to read. Overall a great read!!

I'm so thoroughly impressed with this book. Court of Claws picks up shortly after Queen of Roses leaves off, finding Morgan in truly unfamiliar territory as she grapples with what happened in Meridium. And, as if that's not enough, she's thrust into playing a game of pretend with Draven in the name of her safety. But is it really pretend if, the longer their situation goes on, the more she starts to wish it to be true?

From start to finish this book was packed with action and plot twists that kept me on my toes and, at times, precariously flailing at the edge of my seat. Although we don't see many supporting characters from book one on the page their fate is constantly in question through Morgan's thoughts and demands, and a whole new cast of side characters gets introduced, each one just as intriguing and unique as the others. Personally, I adored Crescent and Odessa. The fact that they bring more diversity and representation to this universe is a much appreciated added bonus.

And Morgan and Draven? My God. If I thought I loved them before I'm probably a super fan of them now. Their banter is so cheeky and entertaining. Their chemistry is off the charts. As someone who always enjoys a good spicy read I can officially say there was more than enough material here to leave me sweating. It was all woven so seamlessly into the overall story, though. There was a never a point where I felt like the plot was sacrificed for the romance developing between them. No scenes that I felt detracted from the pacing and progression purely for the sake of added in another encounter between the MC's.

All in all, I think Boleyn did an impeccable job with Court of Claws. The pacing wasn't rushed nor did any parts of the book drag on. The characters were as much of a delight as I've come to expect in her writing, and the plot twists were THAT GOOD. The last few chapters had me absolutely screaming and I can't wait to see how things pan out in the next book in this series.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
Ugh, I really wanted to love this, but I struggled.

First off, I struggled with liking Morgan. I felt like she had so much potential to grow into herself and become this strong, powerful leader. But I felt like instead, she got whiny and almost childish. And while I also wasn’t a fan of Draven (and did not love him keeping SUCH A BIG AND IMPORTANT secret from her), I felt that often she was just blaming him for problems she didn’t even attempt to fix. I feel like she completely disregarded her own kingdom, until the end when she realized she can’t really rule two kingdoms. I felt like her time in the third trial helped show her in as a strong and powerful FMC, just for her to immediately regress when it came to defending the castle. (Which also that entire scene was weird? Was it the Valtain? The dead children? I’m still confused…)

Like I said, I didn’t like Draven. I felt like we got very little of him in this book. And when we did get something of him, it turns out he’s been keeping the literal biggest secret ever of all time From Morgan. Which doesn’t even make sense, because he’d previously been encouraging Morgan to rule her kingdom and usurp Arthur. Just to turn around and be like “justttt kidding you must now take the throne in MY kingdom :)”. Ugh. I loved Draven in the first book. But it’s going to take a lot in book 3 for me to come around to him again.

It took more than half of the book for anything exciting to happen. Most of the beginning was dialogue that I struggled to get through, mainly because as previously stated, I found it repetitive and childish coming from Morgan. I also sensed a strong ACOTAR influence (trials, especially a riddle trial, the descriptions of the Umbral Throne/Noctasia was giving Court of Nightmares vs Velaris, even what Morgan wore to the pre trials gala was almost an exact description of what Feyre wore to the CoN, the court of Draven gave Inner Circle vibes, the if you die I die bond, even some of the quotes, etc.).

For me this was not nearly as strong as the first book. I’m interested to see what Morgan does in her own kingdom in regards to Arthur. Also the cliffhanger at the end has me intrigued. I wish there was more about Excalibur since that was the entire point of the first book and then we heard nothing about it. I’m also really interested in Morgan’s actual past and who she really is. I’m read the next one because I have a lot of unanswered questions, but I did think the first one was much stronger.