🌹 TROPES & THEMES 🌹
✔️ Forced Proximity
✔️ Dislike to 👁️🫦👁️
✔️ Slow Burn
✔️ Hidden Powers
✔️ Camelot/King Arthur vibes, but make it fae
✔️ He’s her guard/protector 😎
✔️ Going on a mission/travel together
✔️ That cliffhanger EEEEEEEEEEEEE 😵‍💫

Firstly, thank you so much for the arc NetGalley! And for the author, she’s so sweet as well. I really enjoyed this book!!

Morgan is our FMC, and she’s the kings daughter… and was meant to take the throne to become King. But family is TOXICCCC so they decided to send her to their temple to be celebrate for 30 years and her brother takes the throne instead. And he’s a NASTY ruler, just like theirs as was.

Their world has a lot of hate towards the fae. And they don’t even exist anymore. Some have fae blood, like Morgan. But they are very uncommon. She takes a medicine every other day to help to dull the fae side of her.

There is a lot of world building and story building at first. But I found it easy to follow and still fun! The side characters added to the story and I enjoyed them a lot!

Draven is a big ol mystery, starting out as coming from a farm to join the kings guard. He and Morgan butt heads. In the best of ways. 🤣

Morgan starts to see that the kingdom is not all sunshine and rainbows - their people are starving. And her brother doesn’t care. He eventually tells her she must go a long distance to find a legendary weapon to bring back and prove her loyalty to him - the Excalibur.

This part of the story was so fun!! Lots of plot twists. The ending was WILD!!! I’ll need book 2 like today. 🤣 I had a lot of fun reading this. It checked off a lot of my must-haves for a romantacy. I can’t wait to see where the story goes!

A retelling of the traditional Camelot stories with a twist, instead of Arthur being a hero he is instead the villain of the tale, focusing instead of his sister Morgan (who with rumoured fae blood has been outcast within the royal household) who is sent by her brother to look and recover a legendary fae weapon, beginning a tale of fantasy, adventure and naturally romance in the form of enemies to lovers trope.

An interesting take on Camelot lore, though I do think it's the kind of book I would have enjoyed more as a late teen than I do as an adult? Definitely a series for those into fantasy romance.

Fabulous Fae quirky re telling of Camelot. What if Arthur was the villain, Merlin a high priestess, Lancelot a female Knight who beds women and the true hero a suppressed Fae/human princess who should have been queen? I flew through the pages of this book and devoured it in one day, absolutely loved the plot and morally grey characters. Please be warned that the book may contain triggers for some readers, the book does have a list of these triggers.
Spicy, gory, fantasy at its best!

Queen of Roses (Blood of a Fae #1)
by Briar Boleyn

3/5 ⭐

Queen of Roses is a Morgan Pendragon (Camelot) retelling through a fantasy romance lens. It is the first book in the planned Blood of a Fae seies by Briar Boelyn. I am not a huge King Arthur/Camelot gal, so this character and the storyline were all completely new to me.

I liked but didn't love this book. It had a lot of tropes I enjoy, including:

*enemies to lovers
*touch her and die
*who did this to you
*witty banter
*slow burn
*forced proximity

That said, something just didn't click with me. I enjoyed going on Morgan's travels but I didn't get fully emotionally invested. There was enough good stuff there that I would read the next book; I think there is a lot of potential. It wouldn't be the first time I've thought a first book was just setting the table for a fabulous full series.

Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn (pen name of Fenna Edgewood) is the first book in the Blood of a Fae series. It’s a retelling of the Camelot stories with a fae twist. The book follows Morgan Pendragon, the princess of Camelot whose rumored fae bloodline has caused her to lose her birthright to the throne. Her younger half-brother, King Arthur, sends her on a quest to recover a weapon of legendary power as he anticipates an upcoming war. She finds herself on a perilous journey with two guards, of equal dangerousness. Readers follow her on her journey as she gets to know her guards, explores new-to-her lands, and meets new people along the way.
 
Overall I enjoyed this book. It felt a bit slow at the beginning but quickly picked up the pace. There’s a lot of history and information that I was left wondering about by the conclusion and I have a feeling the next book will reveal all of most of that. I am looking forward to reading the next book to see what happens next! I think most fantasy readers would enjoy this series. It’s available on Kindle Unlimited.

Such a fun twist in the Arthurian legend and definitely a series I wish to continue . Our heroine is what you could describe as a cast off Princess due to being removed from her ascension to the throne as her younger brother Arthur was named instead. I won’t repeat the history of just why but Morgan whilst dissatisfied is still very protective of her two brothers and clearly wants to be supportive. When told she must search out a powerful Fae weapon she’s absolutely gobsmacked because for so long she’s been considered less and virtually unimportant ! The Fae have left the world so why such a dangerous request although if I’m honest there’s absolutely no way for Morgan to refuse as those she’s trusted turn on her . Morgan finds herself in a strange land having to rely on a dangerous male but her journey has just begun with everything she was told truly being turned on its head !
Such a fabulous idea to take characters we all have perceived ideas about and do something completely different with them. Whilst not exactly a romance the stage is definitely set for Morgan and Draven to at some point light up the pages because he’s just so protective and yep pretty dreamy ! Haha I love slow burn and enemies to lovers tropes but what tickled me here was the juxtaposition of Lancelot and Galahad and I sincerely hope for more of the same. I think the next book will show a different side of Morgan as she’s no longer under her brothers control and I cannot wait to discover more about the Fae .
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I simply loved this epic fantasy which involved a retelling of Excalibur and the pageantry involved. The characters are multifaceted and intriguing. It is hard to tell who to trust in a world that is so duplicitous. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. I read this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The character names and location names confused my brain. I thought it was a Knights of the Round table retelling, but there are no similarities in the story. I found it very predictable. If it didn't have the tiny bit of spice, I would recommend it to the YA audience. I actually think it would be better as YA book.

Well well well!

I have to say I had my doubts at the beginning because Morgan seemed to be this strong warrior but then at the same time no backbone when it mattered!
I cannot be happier that I was wrong! This story is amazing, I cannot wait for book 2.

Much better than I anticipated! It started a bit slow for me but picked up rather quickly and wound up being a solid 4 star read!

I expected very much of this book and I wasn't disappointed. I love it, how Morgan has to deal with her own problems but also wants to help her people. Her father decided, that she would never get the crown, because of her Fae blood, but she doesn't want to rule, she only wants the best for the people in her kingdom.

I also love, that Morgan has to decide, whom to trust and that she has to decide, what to do next, for example, when her brother do terrible things.

Who doesn't love Arthurian legends, fae, magic, and romance! This book has plenty of tropes that anyone on booktok would be familiar with and love. I wish there had been a little more character development, but considering it's the first book in a series I'm not too stressed over it. Looking forward to book two!

Wow! Wow! Wow!

This is probably my new favorite read of 2023! I will always think about this book and definitely will want to reread!

This was a Camelot retelling with the focus on Morgan Pendragon. And with a Fae twist!! This book was filled with amazing world building, romance, intrigue, and lots and lots of pain and hardship.

First thing I wanted to say is that the reimagining of the original characters is amazing and I could not get enough! Merlin as a female?! Lancelot as a female?! Yes freaking please. What a powerhouse!

I appreciate how each character in this book went through amazing character development, and it further helped this book feel more engaging. Don’t get me wrong, although it is nice to see a FMC grow, if everyone else in the books stays stagnant, it feels weird. Right?? So 10/10 for me there!

The first installment follows Morgan as she goes through her life in Camelot as the sister of King Arthur. She relives and lives through the trauma of being a daughter of the terrible and abusive late king and the terrible reign of her young brother Arthur. She mourns the loss of her mother, the first queen, who was fae, and the affects it has in her life in court.

The story does not feel rushed but it also does not feel like it dragged on. Everything that Morgan went through, served a purpose for the main adventure/mission she embarks on.

She is asked by King Arthur to go in search of Excalibur and to bring it back in hopes of “protecting” Camelot. She makes this trek through old fae territory, alongside her companion of sorts, Draven. I would not say their relationship is “enemies to lovers” but it was more of a, “I don’t know you, so I don’t trust you.” There is banter but never cringy or eye roll worthy!

Overall, She is fae/human ish and has her faults but it just makes for a great read. Her learning to love, dealing with heartbreak, family loss and trauma, and abuse, adds to her growth.

The plot twists were amazing and I usually can tell who is not to be trusted and I WAS BLOWN AWAY!

I am so excited to read book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for the eARC of Queen of Roses in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️/5

I was actually quite surprised by how much I ended up liking this book! It definitely had me hooked from the very beginning, leaving me constantly wondering on where the story would go, although I have to admit that some parts of the story were quite predictable, but not so much that it took away from the story. I love that it’s a King Arthur retelling with a fae twist, with all kinds of fabled creatures. And while I did enjoy the entire book, the last couple of chapters REALLY kicked it off and turned it up.
Now for the lows of the review, like I said I did find bits of the story to be a little predictable but maybe that’s just me! I also wish there was almost more…”substance” to the characters. While I feel like we’ve learned a bit about the MFC, there’s just not enough for me to really feel anything for her or any of the other characters really. They’re kind of just there. Although I do feel like the way this book ended may be leading into more of character backgrounds, which I’m excited to see!
All in all I found Queen of Roses to be an entertaining read and I can’t wait to see where the storyline goes in the follow up book, Court of Claws.

A King Arthur retelling meets From blood and ash.
I had never read a book were King Arthur was an evil character and I enjoy it.
I hope his sister to teach him some manners on the next book.
Morgan's story is heartbreaking, specially the part she still needs to discover.
The love interest, Kairos, is the best morally grey character that ever existed.
I love the pair they make and hope they can explore that soon.

This was such a fun variation of a fae book! I’ve never read anything with Arthurian roots and I thought it was such a creative way to tell a fantasy story rooted in history and legends.

I love the friendships Morgan had in this story! I love when the FMC has strong friendships before the story begins that she can lean on in the story. I do wish the romantic relationships had a little more focus on them, but it seems we will get that in book 2 which I cannot wait for.

My only big criticism is that the writing style was a little underdeveloped in this, but I have already begun book 2 in the series and the writing is much better! I still enjoyed the story and cannot wait to find out what happens next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
3.5/5 stars

Started off really slow but got better as the story progressed. I hadn't put it together that it was a Camelot story before reading so that was a nice surprise. I thought the plot line was interesting and I liked the characters enough. Overall, I was a little disappointed by the execution and the ending.

This was honestly such a good first book in a series, i’m so glad I can delve into book 2 straight away as that ending had my jaw on the floor! Slow burn romance, amazing magical creatures and fae- what more could you want?
At time it did feel a little slow but apart from that it was incredible.

I struggled with this book. The first 100-150 pages especially. I cannot comment on this being an Arthurian retelling because I do not know the original story well enough. I found the book a tad confusing. The book seems to make the assumption that you know these characters, or at least a version of the story, so I think my confusion would be remedied if I knew the original better.

I thought the premise was interesting. The end of the book was dramatic. I think it struggled with pacing, which I understand is difficult, but the end had a lot happening with too little pages. I also wish that Morgan and Draven’s relationship was better fleshed out. I’m assuming that is going to be a major focus of book 2.

My absolute biggest issue with the book, and had this not been an ARC I would have DNF’d, is the fact that trigger warnings are included, but DO NOT include sexual assault/rape.

There are explicit scenes that HEAVILY insinuate that Morgan is raped. Nearer to the end of the book, she comments that “it didn’t go that far” but her assailant literally drugged her, tied her to a bed, cut her clothes off, and carved his name into her chest. This is how the chapter ends, and technically no rape occurs on-page, but the implication of the final paragraph seems to heavily insinuate what is about to happen.

“I watched as Florian positioned the dagger over my left arm. As he began cutting away the fabric of my tunic, I closed my eyes, praying to the Three that whatever drug he had slipped into my drink would take me far away again.”

Minimally that is sexual assault. It was very jarring to read, because I did check triggers prior to starting the book, and was extremely surprised that this did not make it into the warning list. I actually stopped reading the book, read a couple others, before deciding to come back to it.

I understand this is supposed to be a darker Romantasy, and I have read The Plated Prisoner series which follows a similar darker vein. I didn’t have a problem with that series. My main issue was that a list was provided, and this very glaring moment was left out. This is not at all a small, throwaway scene. It leaves large ripples in the story, and understandably the main character suffers from it. So, it really isn’t something that was *missed* and not put on the list, rather it seems to have been intentionally left out; either for shock factor or because it is later revealed he “didn’t go all the way” so perhaps the author didn’t think it counted.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book. I do not want to bring down the Goodreads rating, especially because I honestly think a lot of people would enjoy the story, so I will not be posting a review there.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶️🌶️/5

First off, thank you to NetGalley, Starwater Press, and Briar Boleyn for an ARC of the first book in the Blood of the Fae series!

In this retelling of the legends of Camelot and King Arthur we follow Morgan Pendragon (known as Morgan le Fay in the legends), the king’s older sister, as she struggles with the potential fae blood she might possess - which in this world means she’s tainted - and how to serve a throne that should have been hers. Sent on an epic quest to collect an ancient fae weapon for her brother, Morgan begins to discover the world of magic and fae while traveling with a dark and handsome warrior and starts questioning everything she grew up believing.

I really ended up loving this book! I mean I’ll always love an Arthurian legend but throw Fae in there as well and I’m hooked! While there was some slow world building in the beginning (which is to be expected since this is recreating a known legend) this story quickly picks up with nail-biting plot twists and actions that had me staying up wayyy past my bedtime to keep reading about!

I loved watching the journey of Morgan as she dealt with truly horrible things happening in her life because of her blood and then learning how to be her own person with her own power. The mystery surrounding the fae builds and builds in this book as she is discovering the world outside of Camelot and I can’t wait to get some answers in book 2 hopefully!

The romance in this book was both expected and unexpected (I know that sounds confusing but if you read it you’d understand haha) and I loved the slow steamy burn! This series does promise to up the spice with each book so I’m super excited to get more of that!

This book was packed with surprising plot twists, betrayal, mystery, action and an insane cliffhanger that I did not see coming! This has the potential to be an amazing Romantasy series and I can’t wait to read the rest!

As always, please check with the trigger warnings as there are a decent amount in this book! Your mental health comes first so please take care of yourself!

Read if you like:
Enemies to Lovers
Slow burn romance
Forced Proximity
Magic
Morally Grey MMC
Touched Her and Die
Who did this to you?
Bonded Protector