I received this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Please read the triggers prior to starting this dark fantasy.

This was fun and one of the better debuts I've read. The chrmistry between the two main characters could have used some help but overall it was an engaging book. If you're a fan of From Blood and Ash you will like this slow burn romantasy.

I was lucky to be sent through this book from Netgallery for a honest review.

I found it hard to put this book down. I can’t wait to pick up and read the next one.

The main character is a female who is learning about her self and learning to be strong. She seems weak and fearful. But it is a very powerful coming to strength story that has not even scratched the bigger story yet.

There are 2 love interests with darkness and intrigue to both of them! It had be guessing who’s side I wanted to be on!

And the end was a fantastic cliff hanger making you thirst for the next book!

A great start of an epic fantasy series! Love the setting and all the lore. The first few chapters did a great job hooking me in and I enjoyed the rest of the book. Also love all the characters and the underlying arthurian theme. Looking forward to read the next one!

For now this book strongly lives in the romantasy realm. More romance they’re not. I’m not because there’s a lot of romance in this book, but because it is very very predictable. To the point that even the secret identity characters are immediately clear who they are and what they are.

I’m hopeful that this first book was just set up for a larger series and character development.

But I really don’t like Morgan’s character. She is so oblivious and blind and prejudice to her surroundings. I guess we’re using the excuse of her being a princess. But she’s been abused and neglected, she should’ve been at least a little bit world wise from that.

Also, I really hate when authors and let it character know something that they never reference ever again. Like, Morgan’s mom‘s last words to her and Morgan never even thinks about them or considers them.

So far it’s meeh… nothing special, if’ve you read any books in this genre, you already know the content of this book just with a Camelot background.

Queen of Roses is book 1 in a dark romantasy retelling of Camelot/Arthur legends. This was a great first book in the series which sets up the characters and world. It's only very loosely based on the legends and felt more of a fae fantasy series so it would be enjoyed by fans of Sarah J Maas and similar. There is a little bit of spice but it's a slower burn romance with more to come on later books. I enjoyed the one POV even if the main female character was a little naïve at times. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley.

An easily digestible dark romantasy. I felt like I could turn my brain off and enjoy what was being given to me. This is a sexy Fae King Arthur retelling. The slow burn had me on my knees BEGGING. Also, the cliffhanger at the end had me feeling every emotion all at once. A solid 4 star read for me: thank you Net Galley!!!!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am not going to lie, I did not like this book in the beginning (Please read to the end!!!). I felt the writing was very simplistic and choppy. The narrative seemed bored and flat. It seemed like the MC had no real emotions or thoughts and was just going through the motions in a very 2D sort of way.

This series is inspired by Camelot and King Arthur. It has many parallel characters to the origin story but has a twist of Fae. It follows Morgan as she leaves Camelot on an adventure to retrieve Excalibur. Other that the main character being half-fae, it really takes 90% of the book before the Fae twist really comes into play. It was hard to get into the book and to feel any connection to any of the characters to begin with, other than Arthur. He was written in a way that makes the reader hate him instantly. I feel that the author just forced in some LGBT+ characters that really weren't well thought out and seemed out of place. (Nothing against these characters, I just feel they didn't get written into the story well). The name changes and gender swaps seem unnecessary and again forced. I kept rolling my eyes at the name Lancelet (Lancelot) and Merlin being a high priestess. It's a bit of a stretch, however, I could move past that once I stepped out of the mindset of the origin story.

This book is split into 2 books and I gave the first book 2 stars max. Some of the story line seemed very rushed like the author was trying really hard to dump background information and character dump that left that flat feeling. It felt like the author was just trying to rush to the second book. There was necessary background information, but I don't think it was well introduced.

Another thing I really did not like were the conversations between characters. They seemed to drag on and take forever to accomplish the point of said conversation. For example when Sir Ector was trying to warn Morgan about Captain Draven [(He started as a recruit at the beginning of the book and in the course of a week (maybe 2) he was promoted through the ranks to Captain.) (Seemed very forced to me to push to the second book plot)] the conversation was so drawn out, if it actually happened that way in real life, they would have been interrupted and nothing of importance would have been said. It would seem if you were really trying to warn someone, you wouldn't drag it out for the other person's feelings, but would speak your truth quickly so everything could be said.

However, I absolutely loved book 2. It honestly felt like the 2 parts were written by different people (other than the conversations). Book 2 is much better paced, has more action, and the story progresses nicely. There is quite a bit of foreshadowing, and it was nice to be correct about characters. I am glad I continued to read through part 1 and gave this book more of a chance than I originally was going to. There are a ton of questions not answered by this book and the last 10% just caused more questions to come up.

This book is an extreme slow burn with just a couple "spicy" scenes. Always interrupted though. The main character is a virgin meant for the temple. This book ends on a cliffhanger and I was hooked enough by the second part to instantly start reading the second book in this series, Court of Claws. I am very excited to continue the series and see where the author takes us.

I would rate this book 4/5 because the beginning was very slow and not enjoyable to me, but the second part made up for it.

Morgan is not your typical Princess, half fae and training with knights, she’s more woman than most.
Having had a painful childhood and current circumstances not getting any better, a trip away from home could make things better or more worse.
I enjoyed the depth of history given in this book, the immediate connection felt with Morgan.
Her relationships with other characters were established well and enjoyable. The later characters maybe slightly predictable but understandable for a young woman.
My only slight negative of this book and the only reason why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was that I felt the chapter lengths were a bit long. Personally I like them to be broken down a little more just to make it easier to squeeze in a chapter or two during work breaks. Especially as I didn’t want to put the book down!
I look forward to the next book!
Thanks to NetGalley and Starwater Press I for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book!!!

This is an interesting retelling of the King Arthur series that has all the characters completely recast into new roles and I was HERE for it!! I loved that Merlin and Lancelot were females and that there were FAE scattered into the mix- because let's face it, at this point, Fae make everything better! :)

This was engaging and I found myself getting hooked pretty quickly. I felt like some of the aspects of it were kind of juvenile and listening to Morgan's train of thoughts could get a little tedious since she seemed so simplistic, but I also really liked how her character evolved. I am giving it a solid 3 stars as a start to a series and am interested to see where it goes!

This is a whole new genre of novels for me and I was quite unsure whether to request this but reading the reviews I really wanted to give it a try and I am glad that I did.

The characters and the vivid imagery of the world really astounded me and I have found a new series that I have fallen in love with and will be reading avidly the whole lot.

The novel is apparently based loosely on King Arthur and with the amazingly added twist of a fae world, which is so new to me that I did have to look up a fair few facts.

We meet main character Morgan who is just brilliants, I love Morgan as a character and found her extremely interesting to read about.

Thanks to Netgalley, Briar Boleyn and the publishers for allowing me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

First things first, I gotta say, this book has got me hooked from the get-go. The way it's written, you wouldn't even guess it's the author's first crack at a novel. I also was very thankful that there was a trigger warning list so that I could prepare for what I was going to read.

The way this book paints its world is so darn good that I could practically see every place the characters strolled through. It's like a fresh take on Camelot and King Arthur, with a sprinkle of fae magic – you can totally spot the similarities.

What I really enjoyed was how most of the main characters are women, like Merlin, Morgan, and Lancelet. And props for including characters with same-sex interests. Now, this book might seem like it's heading into spicy territory, but it's more on the steamy side.

At first, it's all about building the world and introducing the characters, but it doesn't drag or get boring. Once you hit the second part, things start picking up speed, and I couldn't put the darn thing down.

And here's the kicker – the book ends without wrapping things up, leaving us hanging on a cliffhanger. I'm itching to dive into the second book ASAP. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's into fantasy, retold stories, and a bit of family drama thrown in for good measure.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Briar Boleyn and Starwater Press for providing the eARC in exchange for a review, but all thoughts are my own*

This is an ARC ebook, provided in exchange for an honest review. A big thanks to Netgalley, Starwater Press & the author, Briar Boleyn, for such a wonderful opportunity.

Blood of Fae #1
Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn
A Morgan Pendragon retelling with dark fae twist.
Morgan, the eldest of the Pendragon royal family, denied of her birthright, witnessed her mother's death, went through physical abuse and lots during her childhood. She was promised to the temple by her father. The people, whom she trusted, be it her father, brother, uncle or her (so called) lover/ boyfriend, broke her completely. Despite everything going on in her life, I loved how strong the FMC was.
The only good thing happened with her was Kairos Draven. I honestly loved this character so much, he was such a sweet, caring and also a complete bada$$, when required. He respected her decisions, was possessive, and was like a father figure to her (personal opinion) who tolerated all her sassy behaviors which was also acceptable for the things she went through previously in her life... I too loved the character of Morgan's younger brother, Kaye, he's such a sweetheart.

Most Favorite Quote
"She was everything beautiful, everything good. She was all I knew of that mystical emotion called love".

"She’s purring,” I exclaimed in delight.
“Stop taming the battlecat,” Draven said, looking slightly annoyed. “She’s a killing machine. Not a house pet.”
“Says the man who snuggled beside her all night,” I retorted.

He moved his lips to my ears. "I would burn for you, Morgan. You've set me aflame..."
"Then let the flames consume us," I whispered back.

Troops
-Mythology
-Fae fantasy
-Magic
-Forced proximity
-Touch her and you'll die
-Who did this to you
-Slow burn
-Enemies to lovers
-FM romance

Review- 4/5 (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

The first book of the series was fantastic, would absolutely love to continue with the second part.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for providing me an e-copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Queen of Roses is an Arthurian/Morgan Pendragon retelling, with a side of fae added in. QOR follows Morgan Pendragon, King Arthur’s half-fae, half-sister, on her journey to find herself, rescue her people from the rule of her brother, who is unforgiving, cruel and manipulative. Sent on a perilous journey to find Excalibur, Morgan crosses the country with our fabulously morally grey MMC, collecting tag alongs along the way. She faces thought to be extinct fae creatures, “adopts” a war cat (I need one), realises her fae powers, and face sthe ultimate betrayal. We end on a cliffhanger that has me searching for book 2 immediately.

There is slow-burn romance, enemies to lovers, love triangles, forced proximity, betrayal and plot twists throughout this story. I couldn’t put it down!

This story is great for those that love Arthurian retellings, slow-burn romantasies, and books like ACOTAR and fourth wing. As this is a dark romance, please read the trigger warnings before you read.

3.5 stars, rounded up. This was my first foray into romantasy and I can definitely see why this genre is so beloved especially in recent years. A fae book with a King Arthur retelling twist is a really interesting concept. I had some trouble feeling connected/invested in the FL, but I enjoyed the slow burn romance for what it's worth and I think the world has a lot of potential to grow in future installments.

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to read the rest of the series! I really loved the world building in this first book and the plot twist with the main leads.

An easy to read book but the ending did leave me wanting more - it did feel like we were missing crucial information for context at the very end (as in, last few pages end) to make it really pop. That being said, I devoured this book within a few hours.

The romance part of the book was a major plot piece, and we’re certainly left with plenty of cliffhangers and unresolved tendrils of plot so the book does read a bit as a great prologue to the second book in the series.

Looking forward to seeing where this all goes…

Have you ever read a book by an author you’ve not heard of before & after finishing said book thought to yourself “why did I not hear about this book sooner?!” Because that’s exactly what this book did to me 😍

Queen of Roses is a reimagining of the King Arthur story featuring my all time favourite mystical beings, the fae.

I loved this book & it has fast become one of my favourite fantasy reads this year. From the first couple of pages it had me hooked & I couldn’t put it down.

The characters were fab, the storyline was gripping & I now have a new fictional boyfriend to introduce to you all & that is, Draven. Broody, mysterious, protective & drop dead gorgeous. He’s definitely on the never-ending list of boyfriends now 😂 even the not so nice characters in this story (& there’s a few 😬) I enjoyed hating them & watching them get what they deserve 🙊

I found the pacing to be perfect, it wasn’t too rushed or too slow, especially during the scenes involving all of the action!

If you like ACOTAR, ToG & the likes, I think you’ll enjoy this series too! It has action, mystery, magic, romance, forced proximity & what I think will turn out to be enemies to lovers too (my favourite troupe 🥹)

The ending of the book leaves you on a cliffhanger & like me, you’ll find yourself wanting to dive straight into the second book.

I gave Queen of Roses a 5 🌟 rating over on my Goodreads & I will definitely be continuing with the rest of this series.

Thank you again to & for sending me this book in return for a review! ❤️

Let me know if you’ve read this book & if you enjoyed it! 🥰

4 stars ⭐️
Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers!

Queen of Roses, the first book in the Blood of a Fae series by Briar Boleyn, is a fantasy romance story set in a world where fae and humans coexist, but not always peacefully. The story follows Morgan, a half-fae half-human sorceress, who is forced to flee her home in Camelot and embarks on a rather interesting journey.
It is a complex and captivating story that will appeal to fans of fantasy, romance, and Arthurian legend. It is a story about love, loss, and the power of finding oneself.

The first half of the book was a bit uneventful, still it was important to understand the whole backstory, how it all came to be and what Morgan's place in this world is.

The reason I can't give it 5 stars is because for me it lacked depth. Although it's written in Morgan's POV I don't really feel connected to her and fail to understand her motives sometimes.
I also think the storyline with Florian and what he does to her/her body could have been portrayed a little more shockingly, I feel like it was kinda glossed over that he carved his name on her chest.

I also really love a good old slow burn love story and I loved the banter between Morgan and Draven and his protectiveness over her (Vesper who???). Still, I am a little disappointed that there wasn't any romance or tension between those two yet.
Finding out through Lancelets arrival that Arthur started a war and that things have been bad in the kingdom for quite some time was top tier.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. The author's writing style was beautiful. The storyline kept me interested and I couldn't wait to find out how it ends and if they'd retrieve the sword. The author masterfully weaves together elements of Arthurian legend, fantasy lore, and a captivating slow-burn romance. The cliffhanger at the end of the book left me curious so I am looking forward to reading the second book!

Thank you to NetGalley & Briar Boleyn for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was super promising! I am always itching for a good fae romance and was excited to pick this one up.

I want to start by noting this is considered dark romance and I recommend checking the trigger warnings out before you read it.

I enjoyed the book and plot as a whole. I will say this book almost felt like the entire thing was world-building, but many fantasy series feel like that to me, and I always struggle to get into them until the second book. This is an ultra-slow romance and its enemies to lovers which I enjoyed.

I’m eager to see where the next book takes things. Overall I think my biggest con was that the book had so much detail it was confusing at times and I felt like the pieces of this universe that made it so unique could have been explained better but I’m still excited to finish the series.

3.5. Glad I kept going with this one!

Queen of Roses was a real slow burn for me, I was 50% in before I started enjoying this book.

I was at 65% before I *really* started enjoying it and bumped it from a 2 star to a 3.5!

I love the premise, big fan of all things Fae and magical but the initial chapters of this just dragged for me, it felt very repetitive at times.

BUT, as soon as that 50% mark hit, the story telling came into its own and the pace improved.

I was disappointed with the cliffhanger ending but it’s achieved what was intended and I will absolutely be reading the next instalment.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.