*2.5 stars, rounded to 3

An Arthurian retelling, with strong From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses vibes.

Was this book awful? No. Was it amazing? Also no. This book was ok at best.

I think this book had so much promise. For the first half I was hopeful. I thought, once we get situated with the world and the quest begins, it will really start to pick up. In reality, I preferred the first half. We didn't get a ton of character development in the book, but any development we did get was in the beginning. The second half was just dull. It was a journey, which provided plenty of opportunity to develop the characters and relationships, but instead it just had a few action sequences that lacked urgency.

I also felt like we really lacked character motivations, especially when it came to Arthur. Why was he so evil? I don't think we ever got a true explanation for why he is the way he is, apart from having an evil daddy.

My biggest issue was probably with the whole love triangle storyline. The secondary love interest came out of nowhere and the relationship moved way too quickly. There was no pining, no build up of feelings - I couldn't feel the attraction at all. That being said, there really wasn't much of a relationship between the FMC and the main 'love interest'. I was really expecting to see some more development there and feel a connection between them, but it just wasn't there.

All in all, I think this book needed some serious editing. It was ok and readable, but I think it had potential to be so much better.

2.5 ⭐️

💫Camelot retelling
💫Fae
💫Forced Proximity
💫Hidden Powers
💫Who did this to you?
💫Quest

Overall, I thought this book had a lot of potential. The basic plot line was very intriguing and there were some solid moments that I thoroughly enjoyed. I especially like how fast paced it was and found it be an entertaining read.

With that said, this book had some down falls for me. The character development and story itself lacked depth. They both got halfway there but never pushed through to be something greater. It didn’t draw me in like I wanted it to. Some of the plot points were a bit all over the place at times as well. And there is ALOT of word repetition that gets tiresome.

However, the ending left me wanting to know what happens next so I will be reading the sequel.

**thank you to NetGalley and the author for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This book was so well written! The setting of Camelot was an interesting choice but it set the story up very well. The author did such am amazing job describing every scene. I truly could see every location in detail thanks to the author. The underlying romance is there and I am excites to see it progress in the next book. I love the magical twist with the fae in the already magical time of Camelot. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy!

Quest for Camelot meets FBAA meets Plated Prisoner
This one is a slow burn but it is well worth it. It had some of my favorite tropes:
-“Who did this to you?”
-Forced proximity
-Slow burn
-Grumpy/sunshine

The lore around this story may have taken some time to dive into, but after finishing the book, I feel excited to expand on what I’ve learned about this world. You’ve got fae, court intrigue/politics, an epic quest, monsters and creatures galore, and an interesting retelling of King Arthur(‘s sister).
Morgan is one of my favorite types of FMCs. She’s headstrong, righteous, brave, a little naive and trusting, but not afraid to speak her mind. I can’t wait to see how much she grows as she learns to accept who she is and what she’s capable of.
Draven’s protectiveness of her from the start was admirable and I was rooting for something to happen between them the whole time. He gives off Slade from the Plated Prisoner series vibes. I hope they get to know each other better and we get more of his backstory in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for this ARC!

I am not familiar with King Arthur and Camelot, but I definitely enjoyed this book. It began a bit slow for me, but the world building was very worth it and done very well!

This had some of my favorite book elements such as the morally grey characters, slow burn, fae, action, and so much more. I do wish I felt more connected to Morgan and some of the other characters, just wish I saw more to them. At first I was frustrated with Morgan, but as the story went on I did enjoy her more. The representation in this book is a huge plus; I loved seeing diversity be so normal and accepted in this world.

I am a dark fantasy reader and expected a bit more “darkness” from this, but it is a great read for someone looking to get into this genre. I will have to read of Camelot before I can comment on the retelling.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and will recommend it to any fantasy reader! The ending left me behind ready to jump into the next book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I originally seen this book on Booktok and was intrigued… I finished it in a day I couldn’t put it down! This is a Camelot retelling with a fae twist.

Morgan Pendragon is supposed to be queen until her father kills her mother and. due to her being half fae the roll is given to her eldest brother while she is to be given to the temple of three. When the king dies her brother becomes the king. Her brother seems to be going down a dark path fast. When he sends her on a quest to find a sword with the new caption of his guard Draven things start to get dicey fast. But things are not as they seem when it comes to her Draven and she’s clearly in over her head.

I love Morgan’s character! Morgan and Dravens banter is super entertaining and keeps you laughing throughout the book. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!!!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

🇺🇸: This book definitely deserve more hype!!
Is one of the best retelling I’ve read this year so far.

Queen of Roses is the first book of blood of a fae, it’s a King Arthur retelling. The main character is Morgan, the half sister of the king. She’s a half-fae, a young woman who never left Camelot, the first daughter of the king and she should be the queen. But her farther declaimed she will never be queen of Camelot and her life will be devoted to the temple. After her father died Arthur became the king, even if she tried her best to help him, he became a tyrant like their father. He’s doesn’t trusting her because of her half blood fae, but he send her away to search a powerful weapon, the Exalibur sword,she’s the only one suitable for the task.

The first half of the book is concentrated on Morgan’s life in the castle, we can read about her background history. The second half follow the journey she make to find the sword. Is not just a physical journey is also a research of her true self.
I’ve loved reading about her character development, in some part I’ve found her a bit naive, but is in line with her story. She’s been through a LOT!
I can’t wait to see her embrace her fae self in the next book.

The male main character is Draven, he’s the morally gray love interest, full of secrets. He’s caring with Morgan, he swore to protect her during the journey. I’m very curious to read more about him, we haven’t seen enough. The writer did an amazing job with his character.

The world building is interesting, well described and the writing is fluid, I didn’t find boring part, I couldn’t stop thinking about this book. It end with a maggior cliffhanger.

I’ve also loved the fact that the writer decided to change the gender of Merlin and Lancelot. They’re both badass women in Queen of Roses.

Tropes:
- Princess and Guard
- Forced proximity
- Only one bed/tent
- Retelling
- Slow burn
- “Touch her and you d*e”
- “Who did this to you?”
- Found family / ride or die BFFs
- Betrayal, intrigue, mystery


Thank you NetGalley, Briar Boleyn and StarWater press for the chance to read this book in exchange of my honest review.

🇮🇹: Questo libro merita sicuramente più hype!
È uno dei migliori retelling che ho letto quest’anno.

Queen of Roses è il primo libro di blood of a fae, è una rivisitazione della storia di Re Artù.
Il personaggio principale è Morgan, la sorellastra del re. È una mezza-fae, una giovane donna che non ha mai lasciato Camelot, la prima figlia del re e dovrebbe essere lei la regina. Ma la suo padre ha declamato che non sarà mai la regina di Camelot e la sua vita sarà dedicata al tempio. Dopo la morte del padre Artù diventa il re, anche se lei fa del suo meglio per aiutarlo, lui diventa un tiranno come il padre. Artù non si fida di lei a causa del suo sangue mezzo fae, così le ordina di andare alla ricerca di un'arma potente, la spada Exalibur.

La prima metà del libro si concentra sulla vita di Morgan nel castello, possiamo leggere alcune scene del suo passato e del presente. La seconda metà segue il viaggio che fa per trovare la spada. Non è solo un viaggio fisico è anche una ricerca del suo vero io.

Mi è piaciuto leggere dello sviluppo del suo personaggio, in alcune parti l'ho trovata un po' ingenua, ma è in linea con la sua storia. Morgan ne ha passate davvero tante nella sua vita!
Non vedo l'ora di vederla abbracciare la sua parte fae più di quella umana.

Il personaggio principale maschile è Draven, è l'interesse amoroso morally gray, pieno di segreti. Si prende cura di Morgan, ha giurato di proteggerla durante il viaggio. Sono molto curiosa di leggere di più su di lui, non ne abbiamo visto abbastanza. La scrittrice ha fatto un lavoro incredibile con lui.

Il world building è interessante, ben descritto e la scrittura è fluida, non ho trovato parti noiose, non riuscivo a mettere giù il libro.

Ho anche amato il fatto che la scrittrice abbia deciso di cambiare il gender di Merlin e Lancelot. In questo libro sono donne.

Tropes:
- Princess and Guard
- Forced proximity
- Only one bed/tent
- Retelling
- Slow burn
- “Touch her and you d*e”
- “Who did this to you?”
- Found family / ride or die BFFs
- Betrayal, intrigue, mystery

Trama:

Un amore condannato, una missione pericolosa e un regno sull'orlo della guerra...

Una principessa sfatata

Nata in una vita di dovere e sacrificio, il destino di Morgan Pendragon non è mai stato suo. Si dice che porti il sangue contaminato delle fate nelle sue vene, il suo diritto di nascita le viene rubato quando era una semplice bambina. Cresciuta all'ombra di suo fratello il re, è stata promessa alle dee. Quindi, quando suo fratello le ordina di cercare un'arma fae di potere leggendario, Morgan coglie l'occasione per liberarsi dalle catene del suo destino.

Una tentazione pericolosa

Mentre viaggia, Morgan si ritrova trascinata in uno strano gruppo di emarginati, guidati da un guerriero oscuro ed enigmatico il cui spirito acuto e la cui feroce bellezza le hanno dato fuoco al cuore. Ma mentre Morgan lotta per riconciliare i suoi desideri con il suo dovere, lei e i suoi nuovi compagni scoprono pericoli che li attendono al di là di qualsiasi cosa nei loro incubi più selvaggi.

Un regno addormentato risvegliato dal sangue

Si ritiene che sia scomparso generazioni fa, un regno fae temuto dai mortali sta salendo ancora una volta, destinato a reclamare ciò che è stato perso dalla violenza e dallo spargimento di sangue. Mentre il mondo dei fae, con la sua intricata rete di bugie e misteri, viene lentamente rivelato a Morgan, viene portata alla terribile consapevolezza che i segreti che porta nel suo sangue la rendono una minaccia più grande di quanto avrebbe mai potuto immaginare.

Grazie NetGalley, Briar Boleyn e StarWater press per la possibilità di leggere questo libro in cambio della mia onesta recensione.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The beginning was not really all that interesting at all and the play off of Camelot with the names was more silly to me than anything. It seemed more like the author couldn't be bothered to come up with her own names (which I'm sure is not the case, but still). I read many reviews where people applauded the author for her inclusion of gay characters, but I really hate when that's done simply to pander to being politically correct. And that's what it seemed like here because none of it ever had any sort of bearing on the story. I did like how the Fae were woven into this world even if we only get pieces of history and lore about them. I also appreciated how the author did not shy away from some of the violence done upon the main character. It was surprising but made it a more engaging read than if everything was just glossed over.

Morgan frustrated me a lot with many of her choices and her lack of caring about herself. As first born to the king, she should have been next in line to rule. But her father declared her unfit to rule because of the fae blood running thru her veins from her mother. So the crown went to her younger brother Arthur. She felt no resentment towards him, but she fears the kind of king he is becoming. A king worse than their father was. Morgan always does as she is told and tries to live without attracting too much attention. She knows she is to be given to the temple soon because of promise made by her father, but she's not all that happy about it. Still, she has a couple close friends and has been training alongside the knights learning to fight. That's where she first meets Kairos Draven.

The story definitely picks up when Kairos shows up. Everything about him being there and then his immediate promotions is suspicious. But he's always so aloof and blunt that you can't help but want to read more with him around. And we get that soon enough. Turns out that Arthur has been busy with many things that Morgan had no idea about. He also ends up being more cruel than she thought. Morgan eventually learns that she is to leave their kingdom on a search for the legendary sword excalibur with only two guards to accompany her....and a believable threat should she return without it.

Obviously one of the guards is Kairos and it doesn't take a psychic to know that he was eventually going to end up the only guard. Which was completely fine by me. I really enjoyed how he treated Morgan and how he was turning out to be not quite what she was expecting. Unfortunate events happen though that gain these two another traveling companion. And wow, I think this was the most aggravating part of the book! The first person to flirt with Morgan and show her any little sign of affection, she ends up falling for and trusting completely in a matter of hours. Like, doesn't this girl have a brain? Did she not find ANY of it suspicious?! Well, at least she learned her lesson in the end I suppose.

Speaking of the end. I really did like how this one ended. First of all because Kairos got a freaking battle cat! We even got the last chapter from the cat's perspective which was just fun. Let's just say that things with the sword do not go as planned at all. By anybody. But someone else they picked up along the way turns out to be not who they seem and we also get teased with what Kairos really is. And let's not forget what he has to do to save Morgan's life.

Really, the end is what has me happy I already have the next book because now I want to know so much more about Kairos and I can jump right in.

Fantasy, Romance, Fae, Magic? I am here for it. It is hard to write a unique book in the romantasy genre because all of the plot devices can be pretty generic. I felt that Queen of Roses left me feeling satisfied that I read more of a unique take on this genre. This is the first book I've read with ties to Camelot/King Arthur and it worked well with the plot. Boleyn was successful at stringing the reader along where breadcrumbs of information was left as the action and suspense wore on.

This is definitely a slow burn in the sense that there is an underlying sense of desire between two characters but it pretty much remains in the enemies category for the entire book. My suspension is that the relationship will develop further in the second book (which I will be reading next!).

Check the trigger warnings. I was hesitant because *child death* is mentioned as a TW and I am particularly sensitive to that topic, however, it wasn't graphic or what I expected and I was able to handle it just fine. There is depiction of animal death through out though.

A pronunciation guide would be helpful because I am inept at pronouncing anything that isn't phonetic.

Thank you to Briar Boleyn,Starwater Press and Netgalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion

Welcome to a world combining fae and the legends of King Arthur.( I love it ! )

We follow the story of morgan, fi fae-mi human who is a princess who finds herself in search of a precious weapon under the orders of her brother king arthur.

I liked the sympathetic, altruistic and protective side of morgan. Despite a childhood full of trauma, she was able to develop and learn to defend her values.

I didn't like the "love triangle" in the story, if you can call it that. I didn't understand the sudden arrival of a character and her interest in the story, but that's my opinion and didn't stop me from being invested in the story.
I enjoyed the twisty ending and couldn't wait to find out what happens next in Volume 2.

When I read this book genre is dark fantasy, I expect something that really dark and what people called toxic nowdays. But it wasn’t that dark for me compared to dark fantasy books that I’ve read before but it still have some trigger warnings. Please look up to the trigger warnings before you read this book, such domestic abused, death, child death, gore.

This book isn’t bad but also it isn’t the best dark fantasy book as well. It’s mid and I am still going to recommend it to anyone who want to read dark fantasy book as a beginner. This might be a good start for you so you won’t be shocked if you read something like this later.

Queen of Roses is a book I would say is inspired by the legends of Camelot and King Arthur, rather than a direct retelling. Its main protagonist is Morgan, Arthur's half-sister, and I immediately found her an interesting character to follow. The action in this book moved at a good pace and the world building was nicely handled. The story held my attention throughout and I was keen to move straight on to book two once this one ended. The romantic content begins lightly but then builds, and it looks like it will continue to get even spicier as we advance through the series. I am giving this first book four stars. It was an enjoyable fantasy romance that left me excited to find out what will happen next.

I received this book as an eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had forgotten the blurb of this book when I started reading, but actually it just made me really excited when I started noticing the little Arthurian subtleties and name references!

I really enjoyed this book, I started reading while I was in a bit of a book-hangover from a previous story and had struggled to get interested in anything I was reading. This story really gripped me and kept me hooked, wanting to find out what was going on. The secrets and stories are revealed gradually in a way that keeps your attention, wanting to find out more about what is going on, without dumping all the info on you at once.

I've always loved the legend of King Arthur, but this book gives a completely unique spin on it, and I loved it. I am a little mad that Arthur is a bit of a bad guy, but I have my theories about him that may or may not explain why he's such a d!ck...

I also loved the LGBT representation in the story, I identify as a cis-straight woman, but I appreciated the way the topic was approached in the story. There are references to homophobia in this book, but I think the way it is used to highlight the support and understanding from some characters, and to discredit others is a powerful tool.

I will definitely be picking up the rest of the series, and I can't wait to see what happens!

Wow! I haven't read such an interesting take on the Arthurian legend maybe ever. This books has so many peaks and valleys, as well as a few surprises I wasn't ready for (and that's saying something).

I enjoyed the main character Morgan; although, she did come off as naive and annoying at times. Her character development was also frustrating for me. Throughout the story I felt she'd made significant strides forward with her maturity, and then in the next chapter she was back to the whiny young woman bemoaning her situation.

I loved Draven. He is definitely going on the book boyfriend list. I can see such potential for his character development as well (including letting us in on his secrets, of which there appear to be many).

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to any fantasy lover.

I received a free copy of this book for my honest review.

I wrote this, and it will post on 7/31/2023 on www.amrauthor.com. I will have a post about my review linking back to my site on my Goodreads, The Story Graph, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook accounts as well. On All but Pinterest I am @amrauthor and on Pinterest, I am @theamrauthor.

Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn

Rating: 4 stars
Adult - Spice: slow burn
Genre: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Mythology, Romance
Tags: Arthurian, Fae, Morgan La Fae, Magic, Retelling, Abuse, Book Review
Blood of a Fae Book 1

This is the first book in the Blood of a Fae series. It is a retelling of King Arthur, but from Morgan’s perspective. There is also the twist that they have the same father, not the same mother. Morgan is a half fae, and wants to help her people and live a quiet life within the temple. Arthur has other plans and sends her off to find the legendary sword Excalibur. It is dangerous, but Morgan has no choice.

I got this book from the author. The story differs from the Arthurian retelling I have read in the past. It isn’t the first from Morgan’s perspective, but the changes that are in this one make for a very different characterization. It makes for a rich tale and keeps you wondering where it the story is going. I love that there has been a gender change of Lancelot. I like reading this book and can’t wait to read Court of Claws.

Tell me if this has helped in your choice to add this book to your TBR.

To see what I am reading next, you can find me on Goodreads or on The Story Graph. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook.

Until next time, enjoy what you're reading.

Pages: 375
Read: Digital
From: Author, is also available on Kindle Unlimited

4/5 ⭐

I had absolutely no idea what this book was about when I started it. The first bit of the book was a bit slow, a lot of world building and background history of the FMC. But in the end I couldn't put it down and had to finish it asap.

At first I was really annoyed witht the FMC, she is pretending to be a badass woman, learning how to fight, sneak out at night to help people, but still when confronted with battles of her own she just doesn't fight back and plays the victim.

But then I got sucked into the story, the drama, the fights, the fastpaced plot. Yes, some of it might be predictable if you read a lot of fantasy books, but that didn't stop me from liking this book a lot.
The plot of the book in the beginning feels like a lot of info dumping, but it gets better. I like the banter, the fight scenes, the betrayel, the revenge and the plottwists which kept the book very entertaining.

For me there wasn't really a lot of romance, maybe you can describe it as a snailpaced slowburn, so if you are looking for that I don't suggest this book.

I did end on a cliffhanger, but one I am really excited about as I have part 2 already so I can directly continue with the story 😄

*I received a reader's copy by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Morgan pendragon, the once destined queen of Camelot, is having a very rough go of things. After being removed from the line of succession and being promised to the temple upon her next birthday, her brother Arthur, now king of Camelot, has tasked her with a quest to retrieve the fabled sword Excalibur. The journey is fraught with peril and political intrigue - and unexpected attraction.

I really enjoyed this. It’s such a fun and fresh take on Arthurian legend. Yes there are a lot of names that you’ll recognize but all the actual characteristics have been changed from the original legend. I like how Boleyn was totally unafraid to make these super classic characters villains or gay and totally change up their background for the purpose of this story. I also really appreciate that she wasn’t afraid to give us some gut punches.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Wow this book had me hooked from the prologue! From about 10-40% it was very much world building and character building, which is to be expected in a Fantasy book! But oh my goodness once it picked up I couldn’t put it down!

This book felt like Throne of Glass meets Arthurian Legend and I couldn’t get enough!!

The FMC Morgan is the older sister of King Arthur! Basically Arthur is a jerk, Lancelet is Morgan’s best friend and a GIRL, Galahad is a monk and Merlin is a high priestess!

I absolutely loved the way Boleyn has written these characters and their different personalities and I cannot wait to start the second one.

Everyone needs to pick this book up it’s absolutely amazing!

5/5 stars and will be recommending this book to everyone!!

First, thanks to Netgalley, Briar Boleyn, and Starwater Press for the ARC!

I. Loved. This. Book.

Morgan Pendragon is a naive part-fae princess with complicated family dynamics and a longing for adventure. She is sent by her brother (the King) to find the sword Excalibur. As you can guess, the trip does not go entirely smoothly and the book ends on a cliffhanger!

I loved the easy-to-read writing style, and the action scenes were not ones I wanted to skip over - which is my gripe about some fantasy books. I could have used a lot more spice, but she said it's going to get spicier with each book. Off to order the next!

This book started out slow for me then piqued my interest the further we got! This is a fae enhanced retelling of Camelot and Excalibur. Morgan is the eldest of 3 and half fae, skipped over for the crown and destined to go live in a temple instead. Her younger brother, Arthur, is a cruel brother and king, and sends her on a quest to find a weapon with 2 men to guide her.

I’m very excited for the next in the series as this ended on a cliffhanger!