I devoured this book in 24 hours. It has been a while since I have been so engaged in a book on the edge of my seat. I love the twists and turns and the moments of "I KNEW IT!". I really enjoy when I have a feeling that something is going to happen but I can't piece together how and then when it does, the action is fantastic! Nothing felt forced or rushed and I cannot wait to see where book 2 takes me with all I've just learned!
The only issue is that when opening this on my kindle or through NetGalley, the map is sooooo tiny :( I love stories that have maps and wish I had been able to see it larger. It wouldn't even let me zoom

UNPUTDOWNABLE!
It’s been a long time since I read an awesome book based on Aurthurian legend. I was not disappointed by this one. The twists on the classic characters, the Fae element, action and slow burn made this first installment a very gripping page turner. I loved how Morgan was written. The world & character building done beautifully. I truly found myself immersed as if it all played out like a movie in my head. Such a unique take on Arther & Merlin. I’ll be delving into the second installment right away! Thank to Briar Boleyn and NetGalley for the ARC. (I already purchased from Kindle)

This book swept me away into a mesmerizing retelling of the Arthurian legend, where Morgan le Fey takes center stage. Right from the start, I was captivated by the poignant backstory of our protagonist and the clever twists that breathed new life into the familiar tale. The slow-burn romance between Morgan and the enigmatic Kairos Draven had me positively giddy with anticipation. The sparkling banter between them added an extra layer of delight. The world-building transported me effortlessly into this enchanting realm, although there were instances of slightly overwhelming information towards the end. With its blend of betrayal, intrigue, and unexpected revelations, this book left me yearning for more. If you crave a spellbinding fantasy romance with rich characters and a fresh take on Arthurian lore, looking forward to the next one.

Queen of Roses offers a dark and intriguing twist on the legend of King Arthur, blending it with the magic and mystery of the Fae realm. The book is divided into two parts. Although the first half was rather dull, the second half more than makes up for it. The second half of the book features an impressive expansion of the world-building. Additionally, all the characters undergo significant development in this part of the book as well. However, I’m still unsure about my feelings towards the main character, Morgan. Although she has great potential, I feel that she remains rather underdeveloped by the end of the book.
Now, as for Draven, his role in the story is rather ambiguous and intriguing. He could be a hero, an anti-hero, or a true villain lying in wait. Since this is only the first book in the series, his true nature is yet to be revealed. He is however, the most fascinating character, with a mysterious background and a complex personality that defies easy categorization. He is also the most developed character, with layers of depth and nuance that appeal to fans of morally grey villains.
The book does feature a variety of secondary characters, but they could have been more fleshed out and memorable. The plot shows promise, especially in the latter part of the book, where the pace and tension pick up. The book also introduces some fascinating creatures that enrich the fantasy world. Despite the book having a slow start I did find the story to be good overall. I have a feeling that this is one of those cases in where the sequel will surpass the first.

A fair start to what can be an exceptional fantasy romance series!

The world building, society, lore and magic systems were really well thought out. The combination allows the reader to simply immerse into the story and focus on where the narrative is going rather than the details of the world it is occurring in. With the exception of the main character, Morgan Pendragon, the other characters are strong, interesting and definitely intriguing. Morgan begins as a very naïve, sheltered and unassertive individual who is surrounded by friends and enemies who are strong, assertive, intelligent and lethal. Her journey should mean more character development and while it happens to a degree I found her slow uptake very frustrating at times. But this is the first book and I am sure that her development will escalate as more challenges and truths are revealed. As for Kairos Draven, simply yes! Include some frustration with Florian and all is set for some romantic complications.

This gets a four star must try rating because of that exceptional world building and weaving in parts of Arthurian lore so delightfully.

Review of "Queen of Roses" by Briar Boleyn

Disclaimer: I received this audiobook as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Queen of Roses" is a book that left me with mixed feelings. It attempted to weave a tale reminiscent of Camelot and King Arthur, but in doing so, it often felt like it struggled beneath the weight of its own inspiration. Strangely, I found myself wishing it had detached itself completely from the legendary lore and built its own world instead. Once I managed to overlook the vague similarities, the story improved considerably. However, there were moments where I found myself puzzled, questioning the decisions of the characters.

The main character, despite being destined for greatness as a priestess and supposedly undergoing training with the guard, seemed oddly passive. Her actions didn't align with her roles, leaving me a bit bewildered. Additionally, certain plot points were predictable, and the slow burn promised by other reviewers seemed to continue without a satisfying conclusion. I couldn't help but feel that the story's potential was only partially realized.

Despite these frustrations, there was an odd allure to the narrative. It compelled me to keep turning the pages, even though I found myself questioning the foundation of the story. I have conflicting emotions about the book, yet curiously, I'm looking forward to the next installment. There’s an inexplicable intrigue that keeps me invested, despite my reservations.

In summary, I'd recommend "Queen of Roses" to readers who enjoy a blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure. However, if you're a fervent lover of Knights of the Round Table tales, be warned that this might not meet your expectations. It’s a book that challenges traditional Arthurian legends, and if you can look past that, you might find something compelling within its pages.

Thank you to Briar Boleyn, Victory Editing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Queen of Roses (Blood of a Fae, Book 1).

SUMMARY: Queen of Roses is a dark fantasy romance retelling of Arthurian legend that follows Morgan, the heir to the Pendragon throne who has been cast aside because of her fae lineage. Her tyrannical brother, Arthur, cruelly displays his hatred for the fae and his thirst for power. He tasks Morgan with a mission, threatening her loved ones if she doesn’t comply.

REVIEW: I enjoyed Queen of Roses. I didn’t have any expectations going in beyond reading the blurb. Make sure to take a look at that long list of trigger warnings - some items on that list go into detail.

The story felt like it started out a bit slow. There’s a lot of setup and following Morgan to establish what her life in Camelot is like. The first 14 chapters of the book took me a bit longer to get through, but once Morgan departs on her quest, I felt like I couldn’t stop reading. In hindsight, I really appreciated the slower world-building and getting to know the cast of characters because once things ramp up, there’s no stopping. There’s so much action, and we get hints of what’s really going on along the way. The last chapter was crazy and ends on a major cliffhanger. It made me immediately want to pick up the next book in the series, Court of Claws.

This is most definitely a slow burn, with the promise of more spice later in the series. I won’t go into to detail about the romance due to spoilers, but prepare to be frustrated (in a good way).

Overall, I’d recommend Queen of Roses to readers who like From Blood and Ash. There are some common themes/tropes, and I think the female protagonists have a lot of similarities, but vary enough for it to feel like a different story.

Rating: 4/5
Spice: 1.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.


I really enjoyed this one. It's quite an interesting Camelot reimagining, where fae exist, Lancelot is now Lancelet (a female), Merlin is a woman and a priestess, Galahad is about to enter the temple, and Morgan is sent on the quest for Excalibur at the behest of her younger brother, Arthur. Old characters who you may have known as being noble and good, are now evil and corrupt, and it's difficult trying to discern the new characters' motives throughout. This is still a magical tale, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the original stories of Camelot, or to anyone who loves tales involving the fae. Excuse me now while I run to grab book 2.

I enjoyed this story very much. It grabbed me with its first sentence. The characters are well done. I did get a little confused with the King Arthur and the knights of the round table names especially since the male names were women (Lancelot and Merlin are women,) but I quickly figured it out. I understand the story is based off the King Arthur and his knights but it ad libs in the best way. Fae, Fae creatures, cruel brothers, and handsome men swoon. Exciting with some great twists. I’ve already started book 2. Can’t wait to read more.

Engaging. Addictive. Enthralling.

First of all, thank you to Briar Boleyn and Starwater Press for sending me this book on NetGalley, I am very grateful.

Second of all, wow! I have read so many fae romance and dark fantasy books and honestly, this is certainly up there with the best. I was hooked from start to finish, as I write this, I am currently a quarter of the way through the second book!

This Arthurian retelling was seductive, exciting, and kept me enthralled throughout, the characters felt so real, and I felt as if knew them personally. For me, that is the sign of a fantastic fantasy series. The world building was fantastically paced; some fantasy books, particularly first books, often ram loads of strange names down your throat and leave the reader overwhelmed or they give too many long paragraphs of boring lore. This was not the case; the lore was interweaved seamlessly throughout and didn’t feel overwhelming at once. I particularly love a world that features corruption in power and the contemplation of the lesser evil. I am a HUGE fan of The Witcher books and games, and this is the only other novel I’ve read that has gotten me close to the feeling of that world, the darkness and corruption, the twists and turns and the monsters, both human and non-human.

In terms of the Arthurian concept, I thought this was very well done. There are so many Arthurian retellings that just stay to the traditional story, and I loved that Boleyn put her own spin on this and adapted some of the characters. Lancelot (Lancelet) and Merlin being women was brilliant and totally worked. I love strong women and these characters really embraced that. Speaking of a strong woman, let’s talk about our main girl Morgan.
Morgan was a brilliant protagonist, in many romance novels strength is gained due to love or to save the one they love, in this Morgan is strong already. I loved that she wasn’t fighting for a man and her sole purpose being that of justice and helping those who do not have the power to help themselves. She is likeable from the start; I can’t wait to see how her character and her strength develops in the series.
Vesper was annoying, at first, I thought he reminded me a bit of Dandelion from the Witcher but as the book went on, he irritated me more and more. Which I’m guessing was the desired effect.
Kairos is sexy. Really intrigued to see where things go with him... That’s all. (hehe)

It was also great to see some LGBTQ+ representation, I love that the fantasy genre is becoming more and more inclusive. I look forward to seeing, hopefully, some inclusive romance further on in the series! I also hope that there will be some more steamy scenes further on, which I see has been promised by Boleyn already, so I am excited for those.

Thank you Briar Boleyn for this wonderful addition to the romantasy genre, I look forward to binge reading the rest of the series!

thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is the first book in a series. This book is a great retelling of the tales of Camelot, Arthur, Merlin and all the others from the great tale. This was a good fantasy story with some romance. The romance is a slow burn be prepared, if you are looking for spice this is not the book for you. The book was fast paced and very little was predictable. The plot was great and so was the world building. The book does end on a cliff hanger and I think a lot of things that may have been small plot points will be important in the next book. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

** spoiler alert ** HOLY CROW. Could not put this down! Kept coming back for the world building, the imagery, the complex relationships. A+. I did find it a little sus that they were in this cavern at the end and the zombie children didn't, not to sound morbid... have an odor? How are you setting up camp and not noticing anything beyond the vibes being off? How was there no blood or stains or clues? That's my only quandary but that's small. Love the cliff hanger, love it even more that the next book is already out!

Love this first book in the series. Definitely a different and fun take on the King Arthur tale. I highly
Recommend this for all those that love fantasy. The characters are great and the story is face paced.

Published: Saturday, October 4th

I JUST finished Queen of Roses and it was just what I was looking for! Like a ton of people, Fae romances have taken over my reading and when I saw the overview for this I knew it was going to be right up my alley!

𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤
Dark Romance ✅
Enemies to Lovers ✅
Found Family ✅
Slow burn ✅

ℙ𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕤

First and foremost, I LOVED that this book brought in myths from Arthurian legends! I really enjoyed the twist on the myths and felt that it really separated this book from others for me.

The world building also was very strong throughout! Through the conversations characters had and new places being explored, I feel like it really set the stage for the next book. Personally, I really enjoy world building and felt like the groundwork laid will really help in the second book!

As for characters, I really loved Morgan! She did seem naive about some things, but I feel like that was completely understandable considering how sheltered she was. As the book went on she definitely started to gain more of an edge and started to take some charge and questioning things! I’m super interested to learn more about her from the foreshadowing at the end!

Kairos Draven? New book boy obsession. The mystery surrounded him made me want to learn more about his character because he was definitely shady at points! The dynamic between him and Morgan was the perfect start to a slow burn, and I’m excited to see where it goes!

I also loved the supporting characters (besides Florian and Vesper)! Lancelet was a truly amazing character and I loved her quick wit and her friendship with Morgan. Their friendship was a big highlight for me in this book! I’m really hoping we see her again despite the end!

For me, I also enjoyed that this wasn’t an insta romance. I enjoy the budding romance between Morgan and Draven and that it isn’t rushed! I personally enjoy the slow burn dynamic and am happy it wasn’t forced to happen within the span of one book!

The ending has been wanting to start the second book immediately! From Morgan’s past being more than it seems and Draven’s own secrets, I feel like this book was the perfect start to the series!

It laid groundwork, has strong characters, and had an ending that’ll lead perfectly into the second book!

ℕ𝕖𝕘𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕤

Truly, there wasn’t a ton for me! I went in wanting a romance novel with the fae and some fantasy adventure, and that’s exactly what I got!

This is not true negative, but this book definitely seems like the first in a series that is setting up for much more! That’s not a bad thing, but it definitely focused on establishing the characters and plot which I think will help in the rest!

𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝

For a debut novel, I think it was very strong beginning and am excited to see how this story grows!

Despite being the eldest child, Morgan Pendragon is passed over for the throne in favour of her brother, Arthur. Rumours swirl through the court that Morgan has fae blood in her bloods, and that her mother had even been a full born fae. This has caused her to be an outcast princess, basically ignored until she is handed over to the Temple on her 21st birthday. But then Arthur asks her to retrieve a weapon of the gods, Excalibur. Despite the danger of the journey Morgan sees this as a chance to break free. Accompanied by a mysterious warrior who seems to know more about the sword than he is letting on, Morgan sets out not knowing the path she is setting out on will change her forever.

A new twist on the Camelot mythos, I found this refreshing. I found the characters and the world building very intriguing. Arthur and Florian were easy to hate and while I was glad to see Florian get what he deserved I cannot wait to see the same for Arthur. I enjoyed the tension between Morgan and Dravos. Even with the brief interlude with Vesper I'm sure these two are endgame. The slow burn is great, and I can’t wait to see this come to fruition. Now onto the next book.

Rating 3.5 stars
*I received a review copy from NetGalley for my voluntary and honest review

Having read the first title in this series I was keen to follow it up. The author did not disappoint, it was exciting and mysterious, although the heroine did frustrate me at times for her inability to believe our hero.
Needless to say, as with part one, it ends with a major cliffhanger and a change of scene again. I have just downloaded the third part to keep giing

“Queen of Roses" by Briar Boleyn is a thrilling New Adult fantasy romance! Romantasy will always hold the key to my heart and boy did this deliver!

We have magic, danger, duty/honor and conflict between desires and that duty/honor, and morally gray characters to boot! Gray is my favorite book color.

As a Camelot geek I loved how she honored the legacy of Arthurian mythology and gave it a super fun fae twist. As well as taking the old good and evil legend and reversing it until your head is spinning!!

Princess Morgan Pendragon has spent her life with a shadow looming above her due to her fae bloodline. Yet she lives through duty and sacrifice even though she has a horrible destiny when she comes of age. But her brother offers her a way out by sending her on a quest. Her brother who is…not what you would think him to be. I hope we get more on his motives in the next books!

Enter found family, who did this to you, romance, chosen one, conflict and all the fun and angst of these tropes!

I love how the story progresses in this fast paced plot and the secrets we learn at the end. Prepare to have book 2 in hand!

Reminded me of what it would be like if ACOTAR, blood and ash and King Arthur had a baby.

Make sure you read the trigger warnings prior to delving into this book! While the prose is great, it does touch on some heavy topics. The trigger warning on netgalley for some reason is at the end of the book, not sure if it’s this way on the actual book.

My only problems with the book were just some random grammar errors here and there which is really only a me problem, they seek me out and haunt me in every book I read.

Thank you again to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for offering me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!!! :)

this was a fun romantasy, for the most part. it started off so well: i was incredibly invested, the slow-burn was really slow-burning and giving me all the feels, plus the worldbuilding and arthurian retelling was so interesting! it's rare to get arthurian retellings, especially in casual romantasy novels, so i really appreciated that aspect.

but then vesper got introduced... and i hated him. just a little (a lot). i won't spoil, but the addition of his character - while possibly necessary for the plot - irritated me a little. other than him, i adored the side characters. the platonic bonds between characters was so beautiful to watch, and i also quite liked our fmc.

i'm intrigued to see how this series continues, because this book certainly had a captivating plot. i also need to see the main couple continue to grow closer!
thank you so much to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the arc copy provided.

Trigger Warnings: abduction, abuse (on page, graphic descriptions of beatings), alcohol consumption, animal death (frequent instances, descriptive, assault (on page descriptions), child death (referred to and then seen on page), deceased family member (referenced, witnesses family member being killed), death from child birth, domestic violence (on page, graphic descriptions), drug use (forceable drugging), poisoning, sexual assault (referenced, inferred, manipulation in to sexual acts), violence / gore


I quite enjoyed this novel! I liked how Boleyn took inspiration from Camelot and the story of King Arthur. It was interesting to see those story elements weaved in, and I’m excited to see where the story will go.

The story was quick to read and easily devourable, I was always intrigued to see where the story would take us next. Mostly I was hoping it would take us to a place where Morgan had some wits about her. In some instances I understood her naïveté as a lot was kept from her about herself, the history of her country and its present. In other instances I did not. For someone who was constantly in danger she had absolutely zero common sense, always trusting strangers and drinking and eating things from people that have given her no reason to trust them. She grew up knowing most people were out to get her, but she didn’t act like it!

I also thought this story had an interesting political plot but sadly it felt underdeveloped as we didn’t get to see a lot of it. I also felt this way about the story of the Fae and Excalibur. I understand not everything was to be revealed, but there was a lot of confusing info dumping and I honestly could not tell you who anyone was or what happened or when it happened.

Overall though I did enjoy this for the most part, and I think it was a good starting point for the series, and I think it has the potential to be better.

If you like retelling, you’ll like this Arthur/Excalibur/Camelot. The first half, while it has a lot of world building and was bit clunky for me.. I enjoyed it. However the second half I wish it gave a little more. The story kept me engaged enough, but ultimately I don’t love the mmc, Morgan. Her decisions drove me nuts. However with the fae twist, and how the author changed up some things, it kept me reading and reading. The ending does make you want to chuck your reading device, so make sure to have book 2 on standby. I’m hoping as the series progresses, Morgan will start to figure herself out.