Member Reviews

An action packed romantasy, with a powerful FMC and an MMC who would do anything to keep and protect her. Twist, cliff hanger ending leaves you hungry for the next book.

Multiple POV, Spicy, Forced Proximity, Touch Her and Die, Found Family, Fae Mates

Was this review helpful?

After finding out her true heritage, Morgan Pendragon races back to her brother Arthur's kingdom. She's running from the knowledge of her true family, and the knowledge that Kairos Draven is a whole lot more to her than a brooding romantic anti-hero. When she arrives, however, she quickly discovers that things have not gone well in her absence; Arthur is power mad and had taken the kingdom to war. Morgan, along with her not-so-merry bad of misfits and renegades, begins to plot to take Arthur down. On his way to help is Draven - but he may not arrive in time to provide Morgan with the backup she needs.
This third entry in the "Blood of a Fae" series is heavy on the court drama and politicking, and no amount of plot contrivances will sell readers on this being a romance. Here's hoping that the fourth installment, due out in 2024, will draw readers back in and provide a satisfying conclusion.

Was this review helpful?

This was an amazing book! I could not put it down! I cannot wait for the next one! The author has done ana mazing job building the world and growing the characters!

Was this review helpful?

DNF
But I will! I promise!



I will update my GoodReads review once I have read all three in this series.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I cannot get enough of this entire series!

I did struggle through this one a bit at first because there just wasn’t anything happening except talking. But it picked up and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

All in all this entire series has been one of my favorites. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve recommended this series to people.

4/5 stars for me would highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

Empress of Fae (Blood of a Fae – Book 3) - Briar Boleyn

I was given a copy of this story through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Briar Boleyn is a Canadian author, however that is her pen name. Her real name being Fenna Edgewood – a bestselling romance author, with books such as her Gardner Girls series.



Now Morgan finally knows who she truly is, what her name really is – Morgan Le Fay. Rejecting the future that Draven made for himself and Morgan she flees Siabra and heads back to the lands of Pendrath and her brother – King Arthur.

But Draven won’t be dismayed so easily – he sets off in pursuit of Morgan and to help defend her no matter the cost. He will protect his wife and the Empress of Siabra whether she likes it or not even if it spells his doom.

However, his help may not even be needed, Morgan is starting to grasp the true extent of her powers and the flames she wields.

Yet she must be careful with the dangerous game she is playing – back in Arthur’s court she must hide her powers and her true identity and try to determine Arthur’s plans and his true intentions – without being discovered and putting herself in danger.

Morgan is determined to do what she must to protect her little brother Kaye and the innocent people of Pendrath – she just hopes Draven comes in time to help because she realises she can't live without him and her decision to leave him, may not have been the smartest choice she ever made. Because they both know they are stronger together than they are apart.



“Empress of Fae” was the surprising third instalment in the author’s Blood of a Fae series. The character progression for Morgan Pendragon has been great to read and she has grown a lot over the series so far. But damn, have to say Draven is my favourite character by far and I am very glad Morgan came to her senses with him. This book wasn’t left on a cliff hanger, but there still feel there is more left to be told in this story, so I am intrigued to see where the author takes this next.

Was this review helpful?

This story was perfect, the way it built up, and how everything falls into place. It was seamless. I'm sad to have it end, but excited to see what's coming in the fourth book!

A special thank you to netgalley, victory editing, and of course the author, Briar Boleyn, for letting me have a copy of the book!

Was this review helpful?

Morgan and Draven are now separated. Morgan has to find her younger brother and help her people. The distance between Morgan and Draven is too much. Will he come to her aid?

This series continues to get better and better. I am ready for the next installment. I am totally invested.

Thank you to Briar Boyeln, the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for a honest review

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Briar Boleyn & Starwater & Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I tried so hard to not speed through this - I'm on a small trip and I was able to slow down some, but I finished and I am feral about it. I need the next book YESTERDAY! This series really turned out to be everything I love about dark fantasy romances. We have bonded mates, enemies to lovers, touch her die (swoon) but also I'll let her handle it as she wishes because she's a motherf'n powerhouse on her own, mysterious magics, creepy experiments, betrayal, heartbreak, super villainous villains with LAYERS of villainy - let's just say I'm crying, I'm laughing, I'm swooning. I'm raging. It's a lot.

I adore the character development for our main and side characters. They change in so many ways to become better, stronger versions of themselves. Having Morgan work repair her relationships, fake certain loyalty, and nurture her long distance relationship added a surprising amount of complexity to the relationships without getting murky.

I am counting the moments until I can get my hands on the final installment of this series. Honestly, I'll likely read anything Briar puts out at this point.

Was this review helpful?

I think Empress of Fae was probably my favorite book of the series so far. I enjoyed the pacing of the book and think it set up nicely for the final book in the series.

The communication between Morgan and Draven was so much better in Empress of Fae than in Court of Claws, and I was living for it. I was honestly expecting for them to spend much more of this book struggling with communication again, but they got over it pretty quickly, which I really appreciated. Their dynamic was fun, as always. I think we got more POVs from Draven in this book as well!

Blood of a Fae has been a really great series to read for me. I find myself easily sucked in to the world and eager to learn more about it. I can’t wait to read the last book once it comes out this spring!

Thank you NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This series just keeps getting better! Fand of ACOTAR and Blood & Ash...get ready for a new favorite! Briar Boleyn has done it again! This book is book 3 in the Blood of a Fae series, so you'll want to make sure to read Queen of Roses, and Court of Claws before reading this one!

This book mixes so much of Arthurian lore with fae lore in the most perfect way. Book 3 picks up after Morgan made a desperate run through the arches, leaving Myntra and Draven behind to return to Camelot.

This book focuses on politics and moving the storyline along, which was nice after I was left wanting more plot in book one. Book 3 is also darker with less spice, but I was still left wanting more! darker than the first two books

*BONDED MATES,
*STRONG FMC,
*TOUCH HER AND DIE
*MAGIC
*MYSTICAL CREATURES
*ROMANCE, SPICE
*FOUND FAMILY
*HEARTBREAK
*SACRIFICE

This book focused more on Morgan and her character development, as she was apart from Draven for a good portion of the book. I really missed their relationship in this book, but it did allow for Morgan to shine through. The ending was not a true cliffhanger but it does leave you wanting more!! I cannot wait to read book four in March 2024!!

I received an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This story is told from multiple POV's which helps the story along. The last book leaves you with Morgan leaving Draven and coming back to Camelot after destroying the portal. This book starts immediately from that point. More world building is done in this book which I loved and also plenty of SPICEEEE. I could have used a bit more in terms of romance, but it was still so amazing.. I almost felt like the ending was a bit rushed and I feel their is much more to Guinivere then what is being said. I wish we also had more touch points with other characters, but Morgan and Draven ALL THE WAY!!! Either way I enjoyed this quite a bit and can't wait for the next book!

Was this review helpful?

Empress of Fae was an improvement on the pacing issues of the earlier books. I was so excited to see that. And there was even more intrigue now that Morgan was back at Camelot. A few parts had me on the edge of my seat. But I feel like overall, it fell just short of my expectations.

There were some things I really liked. Allowing Morgan and Draven to communicate through dreams and heal their relationship was a nice touch. It kept them apart but helped the romance grow. The new characters at Camelot were a great addition. And I felt like the story really found ut;s stride.

The series shifted from a single POV to four POVs, although sadly, only two POVs were widely used. It was such a letdown to have only one chapter from Lancelet and Guinivere and then to never be treated to their POV again. Particularly since I was very excited to see that Guinivere was introduced. Additionally, there were multiple red herrings. It got to the point that when the real traitor was revealed that I wasn't even shocked/didn't really feel betrayed because there had been so many other 'fake' traitors. A red herring is fine, but too many lessens the impact.

Was this review helpful?

I can’t help but love Morgan and draven’s connection. This book is not my favorite in the series, but a lot of plot points were answered in this one. There were a few things that I had not anticipated happening but explained not only a lot, but excite me for the 4th book.

I did get a little bored in the middle, but the ends was worth the push through. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book as there are many directions it can go at this point.

Was this review helpful?

Personally I again feel like this had some of the same faults as the first novel. The pacing was both slow and yet extremely fast. I didn’t particularly enjoy the way Merlin’s death was executed although I understand why it was done that way. I think that for how many main characters there seem to be I would like more on characters like Merlin and Guinevere but at least for the latter I have hope for more of her in the next book. It was nice to explore Lancelot’s and Morgan’s relationship after Lancelot believes she was left to die. The Draven pov’s were necessary to move plot but it just made me sad that him and Morgan weren’t rougher yet and reminded me that the plot was a little slow. The only part I loved whilst Arthur was ruling was Orcades and Morgan’s relationship. I love how worked as sisters and there wasn’t again a lot of drama between them. I will say Arthur’s death was certainly satisfying even if I would’ve liked to see him grovel I think it’s fitting that he doesn’t get a chance at redemption. I can’t wait to see where it goes with the High King.

Was this review helpful?

The way this book has been written, the spice 🥵🔥 the plot, just absolutely amazing! Can't wait to see what the next book brings us! Be prepared for the emotional rollercoaster this book brings! Also, please read the TW this is not for the light hearted!.

Was this review helpful?

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice level:🌶️🌶️

Read if you like:
▫️multiple POV
▫️second chance
▫️fae and magic
▫️courtly intrigue, politics, and spies
▫️revenge and betrayal

Thanks to NetGalley, Starwater Press, and Briar Boleyn for the ARC!

I don’t know how Briar Boleyn does it, but each book in this series just keep getting better. I loved Queen of Roses with its slow burn enemies to lovers. Court of Claws was spicy and fast-paced and amazing. And this book? This book was crazy! I think I held my breath the whole time I was reading it. A lot of it focuses on politics and moving the storyline along, but I loved it! It was a lot darker than the first two books, but I think it was necessary with the way the overall story seems to be going.

Draven and Morgan are apart for almost the entire book, so it doesn’t focus on their relationship like book two did. (Which was a little sad for me). But, the separation really allowed Morgan to shine. She returned to the home she grew up in, where she had been powerless and mistreated, and instead got to be powerful, strong, and badass. I loved her character arc and development.

And shout out to FINALLY getting Draven’s POV! I’ve only been longing for it for two entire books! He didn’t get a ton of chapters, but what we did get was magical!

We also get introduced to new side characters and get to know some old ones better, and it just made the entire world more vibrant and complex.

I love the way this story reimagines the myth of Arthur, Excalibur, the Round Table, Merlin, and Morgan. It is so wildly creative and entertaining. It’s just a very compelling story, and I can’t wait for the fourth book! Please do yourself a favor and read this series!

Was this review helpful?

5 stars!
I loved this book and the 3 before it. I could not put these books down and ate them up! I can’t wait for the 4th book to come out this year. I have always been a sucker for a King Author story and this one did not disappoint. I even wrote my first research paper on King Author in high school lol.

The twist the author has taken in this story is sooooo good. Bringing the fae world into this mid-evil story was so exciting! This series had everything I love in a book. Please check trigger the warnings.

Thank you NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for the opportunity to read this series!

Was this review helpful?

i read this immediately after the court of claws. i couldn't wait. my brain needed answers.

was i given those answers? yes
did i have to work for it ? also yes

we left the last book with Morgan finding out that she was indeed married to Draven and to our shock, Draven had masterminded her rise to the throne. all hail empress Morgan!she of course fled through a arch because what else are you going to do when you've been thrust into a seat of power that you have no desire for. Any way, Morgan arrives back home and of course its a disaster. Arthur has basically destroyed his kingdom and is living in complete and utter denial.

Briar didn't hold anything back. she wrote about war in a way that was brutal and real. she included elements that were hard to swallow but of course that is war. She thankfully didn't go into gruesome detail when describing the atrocities of battle. i think if she did then it would have really altered the entire vibe of the book. this is a fantasy book with elements of battle and war not a book about war.

we have court intrigue, we have betrayal, we have badass twists and turns. im honestly trying to find something about this book that i disliked, im coming up empty.
theres not much i can say without giving any spoilers.

i really loved how Draven while not really present int he action, was still utilized. he was that voice of reason for Morgan, her shoulder to lean on. He never tried to influence her decisions and i think hes going to be an amazing consort for our new empress.

the ending to this book had me shooketh. i wasn't prepared at all for the turn it took. im so glad that Briar included that particular myth in Arthur's legend. while it was gruesome and dark, it was in keeping with how warped and depraved book Arthur became.

i really cant wait to see where this series goes from here. weve concluded some plot lines but unlocked a while new bag of sh*t and it is going to hit, the. fan. i cant wait.

Was this review helpful?

With the multiple POVs (mostly two people) and some of the characters being apart from each other, it gives the book a high level of intensity in my opinion, which I really like. Briar also was clever with how these characters communicate while being apart as well.

Was this review helpful?