I feel like this series gets better and better with every book! This one was a wild ride, and I can’t wait for the final installment.

❤️ Strong FMC
❤️ Nicely done “Forced Separation” trope
❤️ Side characters and fluffy sidekicks
❌ Predictable “Betrayal/False Friend” trope

Make sure to read the trigger warnings, as there are many and things get pretty dark here and there.

Plot:
The stakes are high: Morgan’s youngest brother is in mortal peril, her best friend is alive but drastically changed, people are dying on the streets, enemies are closing in from all sides, and she is sent to the viper’s nest to spy on Arthur and his court. There’s court intrigue, action, trauma healing, friendship, love, etc. The balance between plot and romance/spice was juuuust right, and I feel like Morgan and Draven’s time apart was a very good thing. In the previous book, there was too much arguing for the sake of the slow burn / hate to love tropes, and I’m more than happy that Morgan is out of her “I hate you” phase.

Characters:
Morgan is, finally, growing on me! She is coming into her own and embracing her power. She is still a little too naïve for my liking (she *should* have suspected who was the traitor right from the start), and I can’t forgive her actions toward Lancelet in this book, but I still liked her better than in the first two books. We didn’t see a lot of Draven in this one, but he was *chef’s kiss* every time he was there. As usual, the side characters are great. Hawl has my whole heart. Love Gawain. Guinevere was a great addition. And why do I love Orcades so much?!

Writing:
I love Boleyn’s writing. The descriptions are vivid and evocative, the dialogues feel natural, and the pace in this one was superior to the first two books. The only thing that annoys me a little is that some of the characters’ features are mentioned many times, and described exactly the same way each time. Instead of reading over and over that Draven’s skin is bronze-tinted and that Guinevere is curvy with brown hair, I’d like to know more about their other features, or even about how they talk or walk.

Briar Boleyn's Empress of Fae is the third installment in the authors Blood of a Fae series. Key Characters: Morgan Pendragon aka Morgan Le Fay, and Kairos Draven of the Siabra Court. As the story opens, Draven is angry that Morgan has run away through a gate to her home, destroying any chance he has of following her. Morgan arrives back in Camelot knowing that she may be the only one to save her younger brother Kaye from Arthur's growing darkness and destruction with a distraught Javer who lost his acolyte.

Upon her arrival in Camelot, things have gone from dark, to hopeless for the people of Camelot. People are struggling to find food. Arthur has gone to war with once allies. He has brutally subjugated people, taken a women hostage who was meant as his wife (Guinevere) and tried to destroy her. He made a familiar face Queen who now bears his child. A child that comes with a prophecy. And, apparently Lancelot and Merlin and a few other notable characters are now members of a resistance trying to overthrow Arthur and save their Kingdom.

Morgan also has a new enemy: Fenyx, Arthur's general and right hand man who is evil as they come and is willing to treat Morgan as a play thing. The one thing that does change is that Morgan and Draven are now able to speak to each other, and do other things, while in dream world. In dream world, Morgan comes to realize that she made a huge mistake in running away from Draven. Especially when he has a powerful army that is at her call now that she is Queen of the Fae.

Meanwhile, Draven asks for volunteers to travel to help Morgan's people, and dethrone Arthur once and for all. But nothing is as easy as one thinks. Upon arriving at their destination, Draven and his army are surprised by an attack by creatures not seen in these parts. And, it appears that a certain High King is pulling Arthur's strings, and looking for his lost daughter who may be even more powerful than she believes. This is by far the darkest book of the series, and yes that includes the sexual assault that occurred in the first book.

*Thoughts* In order to enjoy this series, one must forget everything you though you knew about the legend of King Arthur, and focus on Morgan le Fey instead. You must forget about Merlin and Guinevere. They have been written to be totally different people. You must also be willing to open your minds to the possibility that Arthur wasn't a good person when all is said and done, not if you read about the May Day slaughter he directed.

I know that there will be a fourth book in this series set to be released in 2024. We may finally to meet the most dangerous person alive, Morgan's father who has been searching for her after she was taken from her by her mother.

3. 75 ⭐

The writing definitely improved here. The whole story has more depth than the former books; I am quite intrigued by the twists this book has. Although I do have a few problems: one, maybe it's just me, but I really couldn't feel the chemistry between Draven and Morgan. I feel like their relationship is forced. The other one is Lancelot's revival. She was brought back but I honestly don't know what she contributed to the story aside from making Morgan feel guilty for not saving her when she was being eaten alive. Lastly, I really thought we were going to have multiple POVs from 4 different characters but it was only in the first few chapters. There are also new characters introduced and I couldn't keep up with them anymore.

Setting those aside, I like this book better than the other two in the series and I hope the fourth book will even be much better.

This series was one that just keeps getting better and better with each book. Briar Boleyn does a wonderful job at throwing the reader right into the thick of things, along with the feelings that the characters are experiencing.

Per usual, there are some big plot twists near the end of the book - I definitely did not know how the Orcades or Javer situations would turn out, and I’m left with questions. I also appreciated how Draven and Morgan worked through things in their own special way even before being reunited; I do wish that there was a little more banter between them though, since it was spot on in the first two books.

I also really appreciated the author highlighting a super sad and messed up piece of history that is not commonly known - the Mayday Masacre. I always had an icky feeling about King Arthur, and now I know why. Thank you for bringing this important piece of history to light. And thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of the book - all reviews and ratings are entirely my own.

When we last met Morgan Pendragon some say La Fae she had just won the obligatory YA tournament to make herself the empress of faryland or some such nonsense. So time to teleport through a one time gat to go and held Merlin, who has been holding down the fort as the resistance to the evil King Arthur. Its a discount distaff party as Merlin (a woman), and Lancelet (ditto) are all around trying to infiltrate the court. Now in the process of winning her obligatory YA tournament Morgan picked up handy superpowers and a flying battle cat thingy, so it remains unclear for the whole book why she doesn't just use them to blow up Arthur. Except he does seem to now be married to the Lady In The Lake, who gave him Excalibur and turns out to be Morgan's sister from 100 years ago or something. Anyway Briar Boleyn (go with it) decides to stick to one bit of Arthurian legend she's read and gets him to kill a load of first borns before Morgan's sexy nemesis turns up and - wait I was promised a discrete trilogy. What do you mean TO BE CONTINUED. Pah

EXCUSE ME I NEED MORE OF THIS, MORE OF THEM.

I love Morgan and Draven, and the way Briar Boleyn has crafted this world, sucked me in, and taken me on the journey of Morgan's growth is incredible. At the start, I was fairly apprehensive about so many different POVs, but the story is so enriched because of it. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a free copy in exchange for a review.

I cannot wait for the next book.

I really like the third book also , I love the fact that it has POV from Morgan and Draven , i love the storyline and the twist in the book , it was very excited. The all three books was good , and i am ecstatic for book 4 . The story was thrilling and kept giving.

Posted on Goodreads

Once again I’m tossed back into this Camelot/King Arthur inspired story by Briar Boleyn. In Blood of Fae Series Book 3, Empress of Fae, Morgan is back in Camelot and things are an absolute mess. King Arthur’s rule of terror is far more than Morgan could have anticipated. A new enemy lurks and old friends unite.

One of my biggest pet peeves from book 2 was that Morgan was too whiny and showed not much growth from book 1. However, I feel her development was much better in this book.

The dual POVs of Morgan and Draven worked exceptionally well and learning how those two could still communicate even at such distance was 🤌🏼.

Draven has my heart. In a world where there seems to be a lot of Cody’s (search come on Cody wedding vows) get you a Draven who will move mountains for you.

The author has done a wonderful job building this world and I cannot wait to see what book 4 brings.

This is a dark fae fantasy so please review trigger warnings.

Thank you to the author and netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book

Morgan Venator ladies & gentleman, MY EMPRESS! ugh this third installment in the dark and mythical Arthurian inspired romantasy series is by far the best yet. not only in plot, but the switch to multiple POV was for me, personally, an incredibly enriching and engaging experience. I’ve grown to love Morgan’s strength and independence throughout the first two books, but hearing Draven’s inner monologue particularly had me SQUEALING. a “my wife” moment right off the start? Just swoon worthy. I adore Draven even more in this book, despite the betrayals and secrets he’s kept that have helped to drive him and Morgan apart. there’s just something about him, his charm, his wittiness, his ability for compassion, his undying devotion to Morgan. I love all of it. and their bond! I enjoyed watched Morgan’s gradual shift in her feelings toward Draven, her husband and mate. Her initial rejection and eventual acceptance of their bond was both painful and beautiful. It was also exciting to see her stand on her own and hone her power in her own right, without Draven’s support at the start of this quest. It only reinforces the belief that these two are well-matched and equals in both magic and skill.

I truly did not anticipate how this book was going to unfold. I loved that we’re fleshing out the history of more characters, like Lancelet, Guinevere and especially King Arthur Pendragon. getting more insight into his character didn’t absolve his sins by any means, but it absolutely added a layer of complexity to my feelings towards him.

I’m extremely excited for the fourth book in this series! this author and these characters continue to surprise me. I find this world to be such a beautiful and intriguing blend of dark and fantastical magics and established Arthurian legends. and I’m so invested in our fated couple, Draven and Morgan’s future! I need them and allllll their friends to have a happily ever after!

Thank you to Briar Boleyn and NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

**Thank you Briar Boleyn, publisher and NetGalley for selecting me as an ARC reader in exchange for an honest Review**

Empress of Fae is the third installment in Briar Boleyn’s Blood of Fae Series, an Arthurian retelling where King Arthur is ruthless, Merlin is the High Priestess and Morgan must save the Kingdom. After a cliffhanger ending in book two, book three did not disappoint. The beginning of the book starts with first person POV from four different characters which overwhelmed be a big so I was slow getting into this book. HOWEVER, don’t let it deter you because the remainder of the book is in 1st person POV of only Draven and Morgan. With that little tid-bit out of the way, the rest of the book was fast paced, action packed, and will leave you guessing.

This book is full of loss, triumph, cruelty, kindness, hope and heartache. Morgan and Draven did not leave each other on the best of terms in the previous book. Of course, I love them so it wrecked me a little that book two ended the way it did. I’m happy to say though that our beautiful Fae Empress and her stunning Prince are again an unstoppable team in this book. I love how their relationship developed in this book after being a little disappointed in the previous one. I also love how several of the relationships develop through this book, but I won’t say more, you need to read them for yourself!

There are a few twists and turns that I predicted but several others that I didn’t see coming which makes this series awesome. It keeps you on your toes, but I didn’t feel blindsided ever! The end of this book was not quite the cliff hanger as book two! I’m thankful for this because I now must wait until the final installment to see how Morgan and Draven are going to navigate their next big problem.

Overall, I’m still recommending this book and this series. I will be somewhat patiently waiting for the next book. I can’t wait to see how Draven and Morgan’s relationship progresses and how they navigate the next big problem as a team. I would give this book a 4.25/5 rating with spice rating of 2/5.

Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2.5/5
Morgan Pendragon finally returns to Camelot, but finds it in a very different state than when she left. Amidst war, Camelot’s people are starving and being executed in the streets. Kaye is sent to the front lines despite only being a child. Merlin is overthrown as High Priestess and a new god is worshipped. King Arthur is wed and expecting a child, but the queen is not who she seems. Morgan has a lot on her plate if she hopes to bring Camelot peace. Can she save Arthur from his madness, or is it too late?

Sadly this book just didn’t resonate with me. I enjoyed the first book and thought the series had a lot of potential, but the second and third books just weren’t to my liking. I felt like these books were a mashup of two completely different stories- one being an Arthurian retelling of Morgan coming into her power and the other being a typical fae romantasy. I was hoping the story would be more focused on Morgan and Arthur’s dynamic as his madness developed, as well as the court of Camelot. I believe it had the potential to feel like Game of Thrones. Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the advance reader copy.

I really liked the third book, it was my favourite book of the series so far. I loved the fact that you could read from the POV of Morgan as well as Draven. I thought it would be nice however to also read a bit more about Draven, but I get that the story didn't revolve around him as much in this book. I loved the storyline and al the twists and turns and am excited to read the fourth book in the series!

The third addition to the Queen of Roses Series. This was my favourite of all three books and I am so glad I picked this up. I would highly reccomend reading the series, but especially this third installment.

The book starts with an immediate plot twist that leads on from the ending of Book 2. Morgan has been transported back to Camelot and finds herself in the temple surrounded by her old friends, including Lacelet who she believed to be dead. I enjoyed once again the change of setting back to Camelot as this allowed the plot to move forward quickly and stopped the story feeling stale. From the very beginning of this installment to the series the drama explodes and it steadily gets worse until the conclusion at the very end. I like that all the issues and conflict over the past two books were mostly resolved in this story, albeit in a dramatic and intense way. I felt pleased with the ending. I believe that Arthur got what he deserved, and the revelation about the true root of his evil tirade was shocking and a clever twist.

Morgan's character development over the past 2 books really showed in this 3rd installment as we saw her show what a strong and courageous woman she had become. She protected her friends at all costs and defended herself against Arthur's wingman in a way she had felt unable with Florian in book one. I hated the Merlin died, yet her sacrifice was necessary to the plot so I did not feel it was a stupid death for shock value only like in a lot of fantasy books. The way Draven and Morgan are able to overcome all their issues in this book and form a stronger bond than ever was lovely to read. Morgan was finally able to admit her feelings to both herself and Draven and vice versa. They went from being hard, tough people unable to let their guards down to letting each other in entirely. The mate bond between them is well written and a nice fantasy addition to their romance.

I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars. I would highly reccomend reading this series. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this series

Morgan feels she has to leave the life she was forced into to save the life she left behind. She wants to save her brother Kaye from the actions of her other brother, King Arthur. The only way she knows to do this is to run from her mate.

Draven refuses to let Morgan fix her kingdom alone even though she has instructed him to let her be. He is determined to follow her to whatever end even if it means taking “the long way” to find and help her.

It makes me say that they are apart for most of the book! But I like how they are able to meet in a dreamworld. I think it is good that Morgan has him to go to throughout the book even in a dream because it gives her someone to trust even though he is the last person she wanted to give her trust to.

I’m sad that the fourth book isn’t out yet! Now we must wait….

This series has become my comfort fantasy read. The characters and plot developments are exactly what I look for in any fantasy, not to mention the smut.

I wasn't bored for a second, this one was way more fun than the 2nd book despite the fewer interactions between the MCs.

I'm always in for a Round table rewrite and this one never disappoints. Arthur as the evil king and the even more evil king to defeat in the 4th book 😵‍💫 I'll be there!

This is the third book in the “Blood of a Fae” series and picks right up from the cliffhanger of the previous book. For me, this one it’s the heaviest of the three books since we have a lot of politics involved (such as war crimes, starvation, torture, and so on) and it gets a bit darker.

We experiment an adventure with multiple POV’s from characters in different parts of the world we dive into. There’s a lot of action and we get to learn a bit more about the secrets of Morgan’s lineage.

I really enjoyed see Morgan’s character development since the beginning of this journey until now. She’s amazing with the sword while she avoids power and really tries to run for it instead of feeling suitable to wield it. The relationship she has with Draven it’s so good and I really feel like they are perfect to each other.

This one is my favorite so far, with a fast-paced story, that felt so intense with all the things that unravel through the story. I enjoyed the suspense, the journey of self-discovery, and the twists kept me so engaged to the story.

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

This entire book set is beautifully written, I’m ecstatic for book 4. Briar wrote with so much intricate detail that I had a hard time putting book 3 (Empress of Fae) down. I read this book in practically one sitting if you don’t count the 4 hours of sleep I actually got. This story was thrilling and kept giving even when I wasn’t sure how things would turn out. The creativity? The sheer scale of thought and emotion that this produced? I’m at awe with how much I loved this book series. I’m a huge fan of dark fantasy/ dark romance/ and epic fantasy and these books delivered hitting all 3 categories.

Empress of fae you will find adventure, but also heartache. I love these kinds of stories because they reach into the reader with so much depth that you can’t set it aside. This dual POV hit all the right places getting into the thoughts of both characters when in the previous books you don’t get to divulge into. The personalities of the MFC and the MMC were well balanced and complimentary. I look forward to the next book once it releases end of March. I really wasn’t ready to give up this world as it was encompassing and powerful. Thank you Briar for a chance to read Morgan and Kairos’ story. It was truly beautiful.

Furthermore always check your TWs when reading this series.

This is the third instalment of this series and I enjoyed this continuation of the story. While I was a bit bummed about some distance between the main characters, I did really like the interesting and unique way that plot line went. This story was a bit more tense than the others which just the state of the setting and war going on but not so much that it made it harder to read. I was definitely left wanting the next book in my hands.

I am screaming, crying, throwing up after finishing this book. Please read the trigger warnings before starting this book. This entire series has been fantastic but this last book completely broke my heart. It was so well written. I would like to thank the author for her note at the end. It helps to understand where she was coming from with parts of the book. I really can't wait for book 4

Thank you NetGalley and Briar for letting me read this book.


Yessssssssss!!!! This is what I needed and now I need more. While I’m glad we got to find out why Arthur was the way that he was, I think in the end he got what he deserved and so did everyone else. I’m so happy for Morgan and her mate, I love their love sometimes.

The dream world might have been my favorite, it was nice to see the growth within that world for them and see the bond clicking into place.

Definitely the best book of the series and I cannot wait for book 4 to see what kind of damage these fae can do!

How do I get a Draven and an Exmoor??