Skip this book if animal cruelty is a trigger.
Content Warning: domestic violence (verbal, physical, cheating, m*rdering spouse), child of domestic violence, child watches m*rder of mother, graphic execution of child, graphic slaughtering of wild boar, FMC dr*gged and tied to bed then has word cut into her skin, stalker/unhealthy obsession, assault, attempted r*pe, strong language, explicit dream, deceased plague children attacking the living, unaliving said children, betrayal, s*x under false pretenses, animal cruelty (Ch 15- mother cat/lion and cubs m*rdered senselessly, mother's head mounted to tree separated from body; Ch 17- m*rdering a horse in cold blood, throat slit)

Book reminded me of Jennifer Armemount style fantasy but with Victoria Aveyard flair of graphic writing.

Tha k you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. This review is voluntarily written, and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

A solid fantasy! I enjoyed the characters, although the plot dragged a little at some points. I don't think I'll be immediately reading the rest of the series, but I still enjoyed my time reading this one. The writing was easy to get into and the story itself was interesting.

I was originally drawn to this book because I saw a review saying how this book gave the same feels as From Blood and Ash and while I do have to disagree, that's not to say that Briar Boleyn does not gives us an enticing and enjoyable story from start to finish!

I loved the pacing of this book and was engaged the whole way through! It wasn't quite unputdownable but it was close! This is only the second Arthurian fantasy I have truly finished and I can say that it definitely changed my mind about the retellings in general.

ALSO, the slow burn was just :))))

This is a dark fantasy romance inspired in the Arthurian legacy and the quest for Excalibur with a touch of the Fae world. It’s a slow-burn romance with a lot of good things such as mythical creatures, tension, magic, betrayal, and unexpected twists.

The world building of this book is very good, and the character development is very well achieved. The plot is so captivating, and I couldn’t stop reading since it is a fast-paced book with action and magic and twists.

I really liked the fact that the book was focused on the action and the intrigue of the plot and let the slow-burn romance happen in the background of the story. I really like the Arthurian legend and the way it was reimagined and bought to light in such a new way was impressive.

Overall, it was such a good read and I’m starting the next book right away since this one ended in a cliffhanger and I’m too anxious to find out what will come next in this story. I really recommended to everyone who enjoys a fantasy book that focus on the fantasy part and brings such a popular legend back to life in such an innovated way.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

If you are a fan of Arthurian legends and always secretly thought Morgana was the better character this one is for you.

A twist in the classic story from Morgana POV, gender swapping and some well written queer characters make for an interesting and gripping read.

There’s a dark and brooding male lead but don’t be mistaken in thinking this princess needs saving she’s pretty bad ass herself.

Loved the writing and story an epic retelling of a classic story.

Very much enjoyed this spin on Arthurian legends, lots of gender bent characters with Morgan (Arthur’s sister) being the main character. I really enjoyed the added element of fae and their relationships with humans explaining magic wielders like Merlin. There’s also some LGBTQ+ characters!! There’s definitely some darker elements to the book and I have to say I didn’t enjoy Vesper’s character but other than that I loved the characters and thought the plot was an interesting twist. Definitely interesting to see where the story goes

Okay Ms. Briar excuse me but WHAT WAS THAT ENDING IM SOOOO CONFUSED WHAT IS HAPPENING! And what is a SIABRA!??? Okay but seriously this book was so good it was unexpected and I can’t wait to start the second book of the series so I can understand that ending! This book is so different from all other fantasy books. This is a King Arthur retelling with Fae thrown into the mix. I loved it! I found myself screaming at Morgan like have some common sense! Stop trusting so blindly. I found myself blushing hard a couple of times! And I was so damn happy when Florian got what was coming to him. I’ve already recommended this book to a friend before I even finished it. The ending of the prologue hooked me from the start, I was ALL IN! This was a great read #briarboleyn #arcreview #netgalleyreads #arcread #QueenofRoses #NetGalley

In exchange for an honest review, I received an E-ARC copy of Queen of Roses from Briar Boleyn.

The Blood of a Fae series begins with Queen of Roses. It is a slow-burn romance with a Fae twist and includes solid world building and an introduction to the politics of their world, inspired by King Arthur's stories. As Briar Boleyn introduces the characters, I have to admit that some of the characters are making me love/hate them. It ends with a crazy cliffhanger in this first installment. It will be interesting to see what happens in the rest of the series.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Thank you to NetGalley, the author Briar Boleyn, and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.


I didn’t know what to expect going in and I was so pleased - I really enjoyed reading this and am already starting the next one!


“I was born to be a queen. But even queens could be set aside and forgotten. Or worse. Remembered but relegated to shadows.”


What to expect:

Dark fantasy retelling of Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend

Fae, human, part-fae, and other creatures such as exmoors

FMC in early 20s

Queer representation

Slow, slow burn

Morally grey MMC

Enemies to lovers trope

Epic quest


Author provided trigger warnings: “Abduction, Abuse, Alcohol Consumption, Animal Death, Assault, Child Abuse, Child Death, Deceased Family Member, Domestic Violence, Drug Use, Poisoning, Sexual Assault, Violence / Gore”


*Do NOT read past this point if you want to avoid spoilers*

The plot of this book essentially follows the half-fae Morgan Pendragon on a quest to find a magical item in order to aid their kingdom in an impending war as ordered by her younger brother, King Arthur, whilst being guarded by the morally grey MMC, Draven Kairos.

I don’t know what it says about me - and let’s agree to not look into it too much - but, I loved that it started with five year old Morgan having the misfortune to watch her father beat her mother to death. It just gave the book awful, dark vibes it needed from the beginning; it was just the beginning of many things she would need to overcome and survive. On the same note, the characters in this book that are written to be horrible people are SO easy to hate - I won’t give details on who and why as that gives away too much. Just know that I viscerally hated some and got creepy, gross vibes from others.

From what we’ve seen of Morgan so far, she is portrayed as having some conflicting traits - such as naive yet strong - but, I do think that is for the best. No one is only one thing and everyone has flaws. Her naivety makes complete sense - she was isolated and sheltered because she was a discard royal; and she seemed a bit privileged because - again - she is royalty.

My favourite thing so far isn’t the somewhat predictable plot nor is it the well-paced adventure of the quest. It is the BANTER and the SASS. I LIVE FOR IT. My only hope is that the romance picks up a bit in this next book - I appreciate building a platonic relationship first and am not a fan of insta-love in books. But, I have a feeling the romance is going to be top tier!

Huge props to the author for managing a book that is a fae-meddled retelling of an Arthurian inspired story that ALSO has child zombies without any of it seeming out of place or poorly done. I’m having a great time and would recommend others join in!

* I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending this ARC in exchange for my honest review of the book *

‘Queen of Roses’ took me by surprise with its gripping tale of a cast-off princess, Morgan Pendragon, set against a kingdom teetering on the edge of war. The story unfurls as Morgan, driven by a desire for freedom from her predetermined fate, embarks on a perilous quest to retrieve a legendary fae weapon.

The dynamics between Morgan and Kairos, the dark and enigmatic warrior leading a group of outcasts, injected an enthralling sense of angst into the narrative. Their complex relationship added depth to the story, entwining romance with the looming threat of a reawakened fae kingdom. The unraveling of the fae world, laden with secrets and dangers, lent an air of suspense and intrigue, complementing the characters' journey.

While the setting and writing were commendable, particularly within the realm of fantasy romance, the inclusion of Vesper felt unnecessary. His presence seemed more like a distraction, and the plot could have thrived without his involvement. Moreover, Morgan's initial characterization wasn't entirely likable, making it challenging to root for her from the start. Although engaging, a slightly tighter narrative could have enhanced the pacing and overall impact of the story.

Overall, ‘Queen of Roses’ presents a promising start to an action-packed series, boasting a blend of magic, danger, and a slow-burn romance. With a richly woven world and the promise of intricate character development, this book caters to fans of Holly Black, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Sarah J. Mass.
Despite some minor hiccups, the book leaves readers eagerly anticipating the next chapter in Morgan's enthralling journey. I really hope Net Galley approved my request to read the second book, I can’t wait!

Goodreads Review posted 12/15/2023
Tik tok video will be posted either 12/16 or 12/17/2023

2 Stars
Pros:
a quick read that has easy to comprehend world building and doesn't overwhelm with a million different characters that one cant follow - especially if you're new to fantasy, it was easy to understand

MMC - I enjoyed Draven and personally never found anything he did to make me mad, or make him seem villainous or "enemy" of the like. while we don't know much about him, his actions so far have all been pretty grand to me. Morgan's perception of his actions was wrong (in my opinion haha but I don't know much about him so maybe im ignoring red flags)

a great cliffhanger ending- i also respect a book that regardless of how it began, the ending made me want to keep going bc it truly started to pick up in the plot and just left me hanging....

Kaye- that sweet poor boy is the only one i care about

Cons:
it felt like more attention was often given to the details of what the food, decor and buildings looked like, rather than the actual characters and scenes. I would often be able to see the picture but feel lacking in the plot for many of the bigger scenes.

Florian - this storyline really bothered me from the start- we're told via Morg he is evil, yet were not given ANY context or details. no back story, no explanation as to why he is so fixated and it really annoyed me that the bedroom scene was essentially left to our imaginations. WHAT HAPPENED IN THERE??? Also his death should've been drawn out more. I felt zero feelings about his death solely bc I knew nothing about him to feel any in the first place

Morgan - gahhh nothing annoys me more than reading from the POV of a clueless and too easily trusting MC that ignores all red flags (Vesper was COVERED in them from day one) and lacks any situational awareness. She also did literally nothing the entire book, she just sort of existed

Overall, the book starts out very slow and is lacking in a strong plot. I understand it is a part of a series and with the cliffhanger i would definitely keep reading because it felt like it could've gotten really good, but it ended before it really started.

Not that I need to start another series (I know how many ongoing series I have, I just don’t want to know) but I liked this! It was a good start to a series and kept me engaged throughout. I hope I get approved for the next ones because I definitely want to carry on with them.

I loved the Arthurian inspirations! It was fun and I liked the addition of the Fae – a genre I’m happy to be exploring more of. I liked that Boleyn focused on Morgan and not Arthur as most retellings/inspired books tend to do. She’s a strong character, wants to prove herself, and she wants more for herself. I always root for the characters who have this fiery need to prove themselves.

I’m thanking Boleyn a ton because she added the line: “who did this to you line” to the book. Instantly I wanted to read it quicker because that line will always get me to read a book faster. The line comes from the other main characters and while he seems to be your “typical brooding bad boy”; of course you find out he’s much more than that. I always enjoy seeing the path that a character takes and specifically how he ‘ll walk his path. Plus I get to see the romance blossom over the series 😁.

There wasn’t a lot of action as they were in the castle for the first half and travelling for the second. But what action we did get I liked so I want to see how Boleyn might do in a big battle. Usually with Fae there’s magic involved and we got a glimpse of that here and I want to see how she writes more magic.

I liked that we’re slowly getting to know more about the Fae through someone who doesn’t really know much about them – so we’re learning along with the main character. I like that the Fae “lore’ (so to speak) changes with the various books as different authors decide what to keep and not in their respective books. Some books might keep the same characteristics here and there, but Queen of Roses proves to be more subtle and different than the common (not that it’s a bad thing) wings and pointed ears.

Thank you, Briar Boleyn for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book. Queen of Roses was wonderfully written. I can't wait to finish the rest of the story in your next books.

***SPOILERS***

Queen of Roses is a different take on the traditional King Arthur and Camelot. It's told from his sister Morgan's (or Morgana) POV. It is the first book in the Blood of a Fae series.

I enjoyed the fast paced aspect of the story. Most people are familiar with Camelot, so there wasn't a massive need for world building there. But as the Fae sides started to merge, the world building took hold and was explained so well that I could actually visualize where everything was.

I was NOT expecting King Arthur to be a paranoid and evil King. One that is hungry for power. One that does not trust his family, nor his closest advisors or guard.

Morgan, on the other hand is such a strong soul. After watching her mother die at the hands of her father, most would expect her to run or live in constant fear. But she used that hate to make her strong. She used it to try and protect her brothers. However, as Arthur grew up, she saw she didn't protect him well enough. He became his father in all the wrong ways.

As Morgan sets out on this journey Arthur sends her on, she realizes that all is not what it seems. She learns of her Fae side and that it isn't ugly, but wonderful and beautiful. She also realizes that she holds a power she never knew of and makes her think of her mother and what else she was hiding from her.

The story ends with us learning her traveling companion isn't who we all think he is and I CAN"T WAIT to read Court of Claws (Blood of a Fae, Book 2)

Morgan is rumored to have fae blood in her veins from her mother, which is punishable to her father. At 20 she watches as the people in her kingdom are suffering and has to witness her brother Arthur rule from the throne that was supposed to be hers. As things begin to get worse and she begins to question everything, Arthur sends her on a quest to seek out a fae weapon of legendary power giving her the chance to break free from the confines that she is living in.

During her journey she begins to get close to her guard Kairos Draven, but she knows she can't trust him, or can she? And when they meet a handsome stranger on the road that causes her to feel new things, she thinks that maybe there will be more out there for her. Along the journey she begins to question who she really is and what that means. More importantly, can she hand over this magical weapon to her brother and watch him drive their kingdom into the ground?

This is the first book in the Blood of a Fae series and what an entrance into it. After finishing it, I immediately wanted to download the second book and continuing reading Morgan and Kairos' journey. The abuse that Morgan has been through in her life has caused her to be submissive and timid in her interactions and in her ability to express what she wanted. Throughout the novel she begins to grow into herself and develops self-awareness into what it is she wants.

Kairos is a strong MMC and is written in a way, (especially at the end!!) where you want to know more about him. He is a mysterious character that we really don't know much about, but things start to slowly be revealed throughout the book. He is morally-gray but always respects and defends Morgan in a way that she has always needed from someone, which makes him all the more endearing.

The story is a slow burn, and it is very slow. This novel is a true enemies to lovers, but they are not lovers in this novel yet. The romance is slim to none in this book, and I would have loved more in it, or at least more tension between Kairos and Morgan. I feel like this book may be leaning more New Adult because of the triggers, but the romance level is more YA. The cliff hanger at the end of this book is *chef's kiss* and sets up the second book nicely.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to those that like fantasy books and retellings. The book is generally fast paced and the action begins to really take place in the second half of the book. I would definitely recommend that any potential readers check the trigger warnings on this book before reading it though.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Queen of Roses is a good first book in the Blood of a Fae series. Inspired by the stories of King Arthur with a Fae twist, the book has some solid world building and a great introduction to the politics.
Briar Boleyn does a great job at making me hate some of these characters and I really enjoyed what I got of some of the side characters like Kaye and Lancelet as well as the gorgeous
Very slow burn which I wasn’t aware of before reading but it definitely worked and I’m looking forward to seeing how the relationship between the two main characters develops!
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me this eARC in return for an honest review.

Okay so I was very excited by the blurb of this book, Arthurian legend but make it fae and magic with gender-bent and queer side-characters but for about the first 16% of this book I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it, I wasn't quite gripped. Then once the adventure away from the castle started I couldn't PUT IT DOWN! I was talking myself into reading a chapter in between every other task I was doing. This is a slow-burn in every sense of the word but it still manages to give you teases of Romance and spice (with a Sarah J Maas touch of not trusting certain love interests). Once the quest began, and I was in the world, I really enjoyed watching as Morgan began embracing her true self. The work is filled with tropes I love such as forced proximity, found family, who did this to you and this has set a good base and interesting world-building that I am looking forward to seeing develop in the rest of the series and I can't wait to see what happens next after that cliff hanger! I'd give this book 3.5 stars as the initial base (rounded up to 4 stars because I couldn't put it down then).

A King Arthur inspired** fantasy with a fae twist?? Sign me up! (**inspired - do not go into this book expecting a retelling, because that is not what it is!)

This book is filled with everything popular in the romantasy space right now - a grumbling bodyguard, a princess cast out by her court, and a seemingly impossible quest. I think my favourite aspect of this book is the extensive creatures within this world, I’m excited about the existence of powerful creatures beyond fae. The first half of this book is slow, but provides a lot of backstory/world building for the FMC. I’m extremely hopeful that the series only goes up from here, this book was a pretty solid start to what could be an amazing story.

I would have loved to see a little more character progression for the MMC, as well as a little more growth from the FMC (less self-loathing about her appearance, for example). Again, I’m hoping this all leads into everything I was missing being in book two. I really enjoyed the book overall, and if you’re someone who enjoyed FBAA and the like this is definitely worth the read.

E-Book copy of this book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! ✨

First off thank you NetGelley and Briar Boleyn for giving me a chance to read this!!

This novel sucked me in immediately, it was so descriptive with the fantasy elements I felt like I was a character! There was a certain character who had me second guessing multiple times throughout and I loved that I couldn't call the ending, but that cliffhanger though...
I loved the book and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series!!
Will be recommending this to others for sure!!

This is a solid debut novel, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. There were some flaws and wasted opportunities, but I feel like the author was carefully placing her pawns for the rest of the series—and that it has tremendous potential.

Pros
World building and evocative descriptions
Side characters and the fluffy sidekick (aww!)
Cliffhanger ending

Cons
Weak FMC
Some predictable plot twists
Unnecessary violence and animal deaths

Plot:
I love epic quests with reluctant companions and slow-burn romance. The flow was slightly inconsistent at first, but once the characters embarked on the quest, the pace picked up and it became compelling and hard to put down. But the SLOW BURN. I loved how it was all attraction and repressed feelings rather than a tedious series of near misses. Authors often opt for the latter strategy and it drives. me. nuts. I can’t wait for the spice, hehe!

Note: this is NOT your typical Arthurian retelling! As someone who grew up OBSESSED with all things Arthur, I was slightly taken aback by the way things were reimagined. Also make sure to read the trigger warnings, as there are many and things get pretty dark here and there.

Characters:
Morgan. I didn’t dislike her, but she was way too naive and submissive to my liking. Some of it was understandable, given the many traumas she experienced, but other times she only felt immature and, well, slow-witted. This made it hard for me to care about her and her struggles. I feel like there could have been more character development, but we still have 3 books to go, so I’m hopeful.

Draven. Okaaaaay I love an enigmatic badass MMC with dark hair, a chiselled jaw, and top-tier sword skills who is also a cinnamon roll. Can’t wait to see more of him.

Vesper (spoilers). I loved him and I feel like his character could have been used in another way. I had strong doubts about his motives and truthfulness, but I really hoped I’d be wrong and we’d be treated to a “Why Choose” trope. Oh well.

Writing:
The world-building, the place descriptions, the banter! I enjoyed reading this and thought it was well written (except for the couple of typos I found that made me cringe).

Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5
Queen of Roses is an Arthurian retelling centered around Morgan Pendragon. In Camelot, King Arthur rules with an iron fist. When he tasks Morgan with finding the legendary sword Excalibur, she ventures into unknown lands accompanied by two dangerous guards. But royal guard Kairos Draven is not what he seems, and Morgan finds herself inexplicably drawn to him. She hopes retrieving the mythical sword for Arthur will strengthen the trust between them, as he despises her fae heritage. Morgan faces many dangers on her quest, but the worst of all would be returning to Arthur empty-handed.

I enjoyed the worldbuilding and retelling the most. The setting is in Camelot with the typical Arthurian characters but they are spun in a new light. One of the strong points of this book for me was seeing Arthur slowly descend to madness. I wish the book showed more of Morgan navigating Arthur and his court. Both the King and Florian were genuinely scary characters. Morgan is more childish than I typically care for in a main character, but I’m trusting that there will be character growth and her tone will mature in the next two books. Honestly enjoyed this book and excited to see where it will go! Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the advance reader copy.