I really enjoyed this loose retelling of Camelot/Arthur/Morgana add a mix of fae and I am intrigued. I really enjoyed the slow burn of this, and the story line. I enjoy seeing what the next book will bring.

Lets start with the good:
It's such a unique retelling of Arthurian legends. The author certainly put her own twist on the tale and the characters, and I really enjoyed the liberties she took with the story. The religious system is really interesting and I hope it gets expanded in the future books.
Now, the bad:
The driving force behind the plot feels inorganic. There's a lot of unnecessary dialogue that feels clunky to read. I feel as though a lot of the plot points come out of the blue, and some things that feel like they should have some importance simply. don't.
Morgan:
Weak willed and petulant. As the main character, I feel she should have played a more active role in the story but it felt like things were just happening TO her. I felt the authors INTENTIONS for her more than I was able to see the execution. We have a tragic heroine, which is an amazing trope if done correctly, but she doesn't use any of it. She gets motive about halfway through her hero's journey and then it feels like an afterthought. I wanted to root for her.
Draven:
I never understood why Morgan hated him. Like she saw him and got mad. He is the broody, tall, dark and handsome type, and he exists in a close proximity to Morgan. His motive was never established, not really, and his relationship with Morgan felt forced. She started to like him only because the plot needed her to.
Arthur:
A cruel king with no REASON. Like he's just an asshole. A villain needs a MOTIVE to be believable and he just. isn't.
It's awesome that you hate fae and are homophobic (/s) but like. WHY.
It felt like it had been plotted out as it was being written.
Ideas were introduced with no warning, and dismissed on the same wind and that made it hard to follow at times.
BUT it leaves room for growth, as I saw quite a bit as the story progressed, and I'm excited to see how she expands in the next few additions to the series.
* Thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *

As a merlin girly growing up, this was the perfect combination of Merlin and the Fae world of fiction. It was giving a mix of the best of both the ACOTAR series which I loved, and the Merlin TV show I grew up on. I was hesitant at first with majority of the names of both the characters and places being so similar to the tale of Merlin, but I absolutely loved this book. I waited a full 5 minutes to catch my breath and re-focus after finishing this before diving into the second book. Cannot recommend this enough!

Favorite Quote: "'Who?' I jumped. 'Who did this to you?' Draven's voice was a guttural growl.

The Deets:
This Arthurian based fantasy romance had a lot of the tropes I enoy! "Who did this to you?" obviously being one of the main ones as Draven, one of the Royal Guards to Princess Morgan Pendragon, gives off the 'touch her and die' vibe! The story focuses on Morgan, living a life that was chosen for her by her horrible father, and now her brother, Arthur - who is not the good King you normally read about in Arthurian retellings! I liked that twist to it, as well as the character names being utilized in different ways. There is an underlying mystery around the fae and why they aren't around as much as they may have been in previous years. The book has some good twists at the end and leaves you with questions about more than just one character after the last page.

I'm so tired, only because I could not put this book down and had to read it into the night. This book follows Morgan, an ousted heir to the throne of Camelot as she comes into her power with the help of a mysterious quest and a handsome stranger. While the book felt predictable and a bit cheesy at times it still managed to surprise me with much of the ending. This book has some similarities with Of Blood and Ash, but does go on to build a larger world and plot than that series. If you're a fan of books led by female characters coming into their own, political and magical intrigue, and romance, this is the book for you.

"Queen of Roses" by Briar Boleyn is a thrilling New Adult fantasy romance that brings together elements of danger, magic, duty, and morally gray characters in a tale that weaves the legacy of Arthurian mythology with a captivating twist. In this gripping story:

A cast-off princess: Morgan Pendragon has spent her life bound by duty and sacrifice, her destiny predetermined from birth. Her rumored fae bloodline casts a shadow over her life, and she's meant to be offered to the goddesses when she comes of age. However, the opportunity arises for her to break free from these chains when her brother orders her to seek a legendary fae weapon.

A dangerous temptation: Morgan's journey introduces her to a group of outcasts led by an enigmatic and fierce warrior. Her heart becomes entangled with desires and the allure of something she's never known before, as she struggles to reconcile her desires with her duties.

A slumbering kingdom: A feared fae kingdom, thought to be lost for generations, resurfaces, determined to reclaim what was lost through violence and bloodshed. As Morgan uncovers the secrets of her own blood, she realizes that her heritage makes her a far greater threat than she could have imagined.

The story unfolds with action, magic, morally complex characters, and a slow-burn romance that builds in intensity over time. If you enjoy books by authors like Jennifer L. Armentrout, Raven Kennedy, Rebecca Yarros, and Sarah J. Maas, "Queen of Roses" is sure to captivate your imagination.

Reviewers have praised the book for its fast-paced plot, world-building, and its fresh take on Arthurian mythology. It's a tale that's bound to leave you begging for the next book in the series.

Please note that "Queen of Roses" contains mature situations, adult language, and a slow-burn romance that develops into a more intense dynamic as the series progresses. Multiple trigger warnings and content warnings are available for reference within the book.

King Arthur retelling but make it fae and put some great female main characters in there? Tick!

I really enjoyed this, without being high fantasy it was the perfect balance of new lands, magic, politics all pulled together with a bit enemies to lovers and a darkness (please do check the trigger warnings).

It ends on a massive cliff hanger so I’m excited to delve into the second book!

Thanks to Victory Editing for the free copy in turn for an honest review.

This book gave me heart flutters and not many books do that! I have already added the series to my book store's cart!

One of my favourite Arthurian retellings EVER!!! The character twists were perfect, and I love how there was so many secrets and mysteries woven into the story. You're kept in suspense all the way through, and I left book 1 with the need to devour book 2 immediately.

There were definitely things I liked about this book. I’m always a fan of an Arthurian retelling and this one was so loosely based upon the original that the storyline stayed unpredictable. The world-building was gradual and effective, with no information dump at the beginning for the reader to slog through. The portrayal of the fae grabbed my interest from the very beginning and maintained it throughout.

Overall, though, this just wasn’t for me. I found it slow going for the most part, with long fight scenes and a lot of description that didn’t serve to either develop the characters or advance the plot. The writing around Draven and Morgan’s nascent relationship was cliched in enough parts that I couldn’t get invested, and while I appreciated the diversity of the supporting characters, they weren’t finely drawn enough for me to care about them and their outcomes. The writing style wasn’t a good fit for me, either, with loads of one-sentence paragraphs (which decreases rather than increases dramatic impact when they’re too numerous) and sentence fragments in place of full sentences.

I’m glad I gave this series a try because I can see it appeals to a lot of readers, but it turns out I am not quite in that target audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the reader copy.

This was such a wonderful and enjoyable read!!!! I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a fan of enemies to lovers slow burn and Queen of Roses certainly delivered. From the very first pages, I was hooked. Admittedly, after seeing all the Arthurian names, I thought this was going long to go in a different direction and I was pleasantly surprised I was wrong. Draven is written handsomely and I loved how much attention was spent on emphasizing his growing care and concern for Morgan. I hope this series becomes everything because I am obsessed with Morgan Pendragon and I have to know what happens after that cliffhanger.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The above is my honest opinion on Queen of Roses.

A very loosely based Arthurian legend retelling but with fae. A subplot of a slow burn enemies to lovers romance with great potential, featuring a love triangle. Including plenty of action scenes.

Everything was beautifully written, I could vividly picture all aspects of the book in my mind - characters, environment and creatures. It was set at a great pace, keeping me thoroughly hooked.

And poor Morgan having dealt with great loss and betrayal. Constantly hiding her true self, not only from others but herself as well. It lovely to see glimpses of the real Morgan shining through as they got closer to their destination.

I was definitely not expecting the twist at the end. It has me hooked and ready to ready the next book, Court of Claws.

Queen of Roses is the first installment in author Briar Boleyn's Blood of a Fae series. It is a loose retelling of the Arthurian legend. When Morgan Pendragon was 5 years old, her mother Ygraine was murdered by her own father. 15 years later, Morgan, the eldest of the Pendragon's who was expected to become Queen of Camelot, has been brushed aside for her younger brother Arthur. Morgan is a half-blooded Fae, who knows very little about her Fae heritage. In this world, both Merlin, High Priestess of the Three Sisters, and Lancelot, are both women.

Born resented by her family for her mother’s heritage, Morgan is forced to suppress her part-fae side for as long as she can remember by taking an unknown medication. She's also been promised to take over the role of Priestess of the Temple of the Three Sisters when she comes of age which is 1 year away. So, when Arthur entrusts her with a quest to retrieve a Fae weapon of legendary power: the sword of Perun, Excalibur, in a far off land that likely will take months to find, Morgan seizes the chance to break free from the chains of her fate.

Accompanied by men she loathes, Captain Kairos Draven and Ragnar Whitehorn, she embarks on her long and unbeknownst perilous journey, only to find that things she once believed to be myth are in fact very real. Draven is dangerous as we slowly discover after Morgan is brutally attacked and disfigured by a psycho attack who I refuse to name because I hate rape scenes. But while Morgan struggles to reconcile her desires with her duty, she and her new comrades discover dangers that await them beyond anything in their wildest nightmares.

It is fair to say that most of the male characters, except Galahad, who is apparently gay, and Sir Ector who has been training Morgan for years, and her brother Kaye who is innocent as they day he was born, are really awful. Arthur is not the legendary figure that most of us have read in the past. What he allows to happen to Morgan is indescribable, and for what? Power? The story is filled with betrayals and danger and some truly unexpected reveals before everything then comes to its thrilling conclusion in a delicious cliffhanger.

*Thoughts* This is a very dark book with lots of trigger warnings that I won't post in this review. Because of the fact that Morgan has been kept in the dark about her heritage for 20 years, and tried to remain in the background while learning how to help herself, she is a bit on the naive side. Arthur is truly deranged. The lengths he goes to keep her from knowing the truth about herself and her mother, goes to show that you can easily make a hero a villain in a flip of a script. As for Draven, there is some very understandably twisted things about him that I won't share. As the book ends on a cliffhanger, I am hoping to learn more in the next book which the author gracelessly sent to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is was a great start to a new fantasy series. I really enjoyed the world the book was set in. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC of this book.

A fae twist on Camelot with romance? You’ve hit all my favorite things.

What I really enjoy about this book is how there is story building AS you read. No major brain dump before you even start, and you learn things as you need them. I couldn’t put it down I was enjoying it way too much.

I need the next books in the series like yesterday!

Possibly one of my favorite reads this year so far, it's definitely a 5/5 for Queen of Roses!

This book is a loose retelling of King Arthur and Camelot with a fae twist, and is book 1 in the series. When I first saw the book it was tagged as Young Adult for whatever reason, but there are some darker themes that are apparent pretty early on. New Adult is definitely a better fit, which I see is in the author's note at least.

The pacing of this book was pretty fast, and the author managed to pack in a lot of good worldbuilding and character background throughout. Within pages she managed to make me get bad vibes from Morgan's brother, Arthur, and by halfway through I hated him lol. I do kind of hope for a redemption arc, but I'm pretty sure there's no coming back from what he's doing. Also I would love to see what made him turn out the way he did, like was it all his father's influence or something more??

I know people tend to complain when female main leads are too naïve or let the people around them make all their decisions, and I did see a couple reviews mentioning that about Morgan, but honestly I thought it fit for this book. Morgan has been through quite a bit of trauma in her 20 years, is constantly being put down for things out of her control, and it seems like her every attempt to do something beyond what she is told is met with death. Is it really completely out there for her to just agree with people to keep the peace, or to become trusting in people who offer her the slightest bit of kindness/sanctuary... no!! I feel like as long as we get to see Morgan evolve and become more confident in herself and her decisions, this is a good starting point for her.

I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series, and also seeing where the romance starts to go between Morgan and Draven !

Thank you to Briar Boleyn, Victory Editing, and NetGalley. Queen of Roses was great. I enjoyed the story and the characters and I did not want to put it down. The story held my attention. I felt very connected to the characters. I also felt a few gut punches along the way. This was pretty much everything I want in a fantasy romance book. I can’t wait to read the next part of the story!

My only VERY TINY complaint is that it feels like it should have been proofread one more time. Especially since it is already released. A few words or sentences repeated too closely together or words that were left out or wrong in a sentence. Again- very tiny- and did not make the story difficult to comprehend. Just stood out enough to maybe say something.. I don’t want that to turn people away from a great story.

I really loved this book! It was full of adventure and I loved how the author developed the characters! I was never bored because of how well the author kept the story going. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

Well this was an unexpected delight! Honestly I wasn’t sure what to expect reading the blurb (and I was a little worried that this might be a very surface level, overly cliché fantasy romance) but this was honestly so much better than I was expecting and I thoroughly enjoyed Queen of Roses. It’s a solid 4 star read for me and I will absolutely be picking up the next instalment (Court of Claws)

There are a couple of disclaimers that I think are important here though;
-- It’s posed as a dark fantasy romance and while I do think that’s accurate this is not the sort of romance that we are seeing flood this genre right now. It’s a slow burn. Don’t expect instant love and graphic scenes the moment the love birds are alone because this just isn’t that sort of tale. I think that while the romance is very central, the plot tries really hard to assert itself so if you’re purely interested in the romance aspect then this might not be the right fit.
-- Just like the romance being a slow burner the whole pace of the book is slow (Which surprised me honestly given what actually happens in the book and the blurb mentioning it being action packed). But if you’re not a fan of slower paced reads then this might be one to skip as while I really, really enjoyed it this was a touch too slow even for me (and I love some slower paced reads as they can offer so much space for character development and world building)
-- There’s lots of references to the tale of King Arthur but don’t go into this expecting this to be a retelling of that age old story - there’s a whole magical world that’s been created here with it’s own developing mythology, an amazing caste of characters and it’s own complex plot (I say that so that no one is put off by the King Arthur aspect as I know for me the idea of a King Arthur retelling wouldn’t normally interest me!)

I loved how the story developed here and how more and more layers to the world seemed to be slowly revealed as we went on this journey. Morgan discovers more about herself, more about her country, her family, her whole world really and we’re along for the ride. I thought this was actually a really clever way to start introducing some of the magical underpinning to the current
to the world and political climate without there being huge info dumping.

I still don’t entirely know how i feel about Morgan, but I think that’s intentional. She’s been closeted away for so long as despite some small acts of rebellion she’s mostly been raised to obey so it makes sense to be that she’s overly subservient throughout. I did feel like she was slowly starting to grow into herself in this book and as she did she definitely became more likable so I’m feeling optimistic for the next books in this series!

That ending! While I saw the majority of the twists and turns coming and I knew ‘something’ was going to happen at the end I loved how it ended and that final reveal!!!

Overall there was so much potential here and I’m really excited to see how things develop in the next instalment. I think Morgan’s character development it really growing on me, I love the twist the plot has taken and I feel like the next instalment is going to be so much better.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for the chance to read Queen of Roses in exchange for an honest review.