An Arthurian Fantasy, with Endless Action and Plot Twists

In this epic fantasy, Arthur is not the king of legend you learned about. He is evil. Morgan, his sister is the heroine of the story. There is endless action, adventure, and plot twists that will keep you turning the pages.

Morgan escaped from Draven and went from the frying pan into the fire. She left to rescue her friends and younger brother from Arthur's tyranny. Would she succeed? Did she realize that when she abandoned Draven, she left a part of her soul with him? Will the two find a way to unite despite the unimaginable distance between them? For the answers, you might want to read this enthralling story. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to those who like stories with magic, myth, and romance.

"Shattered or whole. Kneeling or standing. I'll get to her, and I won't ever leave."

Empress of Fae - Briar Boleyn
Pub date: Oct 25, 2023
★★★★☆

(Thank you to Netgalley for the free copy in exhange for an honest review!)

Morgan is back to her homecountry, to her own kingdom who is now burned in a self made war, leaving her husband and mate Draven. The state of Pendrath was a lot more severe than she thought, people were no longer starving to death but also hanged in public. With Excalibur was now in Arthur's posession, the war was inevitable and keep growing everyday. Morgan realized how valuable the hand offered by Draven actually was. How much she wished Draven himself was here fighting with here by her side. How much she missed and loved her husband.

This one is sure the peak of the whole series and it shown by how every pieces from the first book until now compiled and exploded in the form of war and betrayal. We got some character development from the main characters which is good and it is the one i'm actually waiting for this whole time. It's a shame they did Javer dirty by making his role minor with no justification in his part, his action, or his feeling this whole time. They simply bring him along with Morgan only for THAT.

I thought this series would stop giving me surprise but there's a bigger picture, a bigger problem than what's shown in the first three installments which i'm excited to see in the last book.

Thank you starwater press and netgalley for the gifted arc.

Unfortunately, I dnfed the first book and will not be continuing the series at this time. I was so excited for this series after seeing the Goodreads ratings, but it’s not for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

As I read each next book in Briar’s Blood of Fae series, I think I come in prepared for anything she can throw at me. And each book she blows me away with her writing ability. I am left surprised, reeling, broken, amazed, and wanting more! I know there’s twists coming, but even when they do, I am not ready for it.

One thing I do love about this series, is that Briar picks up one the previous book ends. There isn’t missed times where a back story has to be filled in with less details than the reader wants. We pick up the book like it is the next chapter.

Morgan… Morgan, Morgan, Morgan! You have redeemed yourself. How book two ended and the immediate regret you feel, is your redemption. She learns to take responsibility for her decisions and live with the consequences. All while trying to get back to where she needs to be and who she needs to be with. Dream walking plays a big part in this book for her too!

Draven continues to be Draven. He won’t give up on Morgan and their relationship, but understands that he has his duties while she figures things out. He is so gentle with her, but freaking scary with his enemies. I AM HERE FOR IT ALL!!!

I loved having the multiple POVS in this story. When you have so many characters that readers begin to care about, it’s nice to see things from all of their perspectives, not just one still. There is to many emotions, thoughts, actions, etc., to just keep the POV limited.

Briar slayed with this book and I am so excited for book 4! I don’t want it to end, but know it has to. I am going in blind though, not trying to figure things out, and ready to be broken and put back together again.

As always review trigger warnings before reading.

Tropes:
🦋Morally Grey Characters
🦋Magical Powers
🦋Badass Characters
🦋Mystical Creatures
🦋Bonded Mates
🦋Dual POV

The Blood of a Fae series is a great read for fans of Sarah J Maas- accessible for romantasy novices and pacing is easy to move through. Plenty of spice, romance, action, and high stakes. We'll written characters and chemistry. Overall an entertaining easy to read series with an intriguing world build and enough momentum to keep you reading

Book 3 from the Blood of a Fae series. The pacing seemed to slow a little getting into this third book. The multiple POVs is handled really well. Continuing on with book 4. I feel like you experience the writer's growth throughout this series as well.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this book in exchange for my honest option.

I think this book was a little bit slow for me. Even though I was super excited to start it, I didn’t get to enjoy it until maybe 50% of the book but after that I enjoyed it alot. I think Morgan is one of my favorite FMC ever she is badass and strong I wanna be like her. Can’t wait to read the last book and I’m so scared to do that.

Another day, another series read.

2024 is the year of series for me!

Book 3 out of 4 for the Blood of a Fae series, and it kicks into speed to say the least.

Empress of Fae picks up right where Court of Claws left off (book 2). This one however immediately jumps into the plot. I don't know if it's because all the world building is already done, or that there isn't the 'quest' and the 'forced kidnap' but this one just picks up and takes off like a Derby horse.

All of a sudden Moran (FMC) is back in Camelot and having to hide everything that's happened to be able to spy on her brother Arthur.

I feel like this takes place over a month, but the book makes it seem like it is 4 days or so, either way, a lot is packed into this novel. Definitely set up for the final book of the series, that's for sure.

Thank you NetGalley and Starwater Press for my DRC!

I could not wait to start this book and it did not disappoint. Morgan is one of my favorite fmc and she stays being so much fun to read about. Spicy and thrilling, I am sat and ready for the next one

I struggled with the first 40% of this book, as it’s book 3 I was expecting action from the get go but it does have a slower lead up focusing on Morgan catching up on what’s happened since she left, and figuring out the next steps as she’s no longer on Arthur’s defence. From that point onwards though I was invested in the story a ,of more and the pace picked up.

What I liked: chapters are split into different POVs in this book which was good for me. I had been finding Draven and Morgan a struggle together as there is so much miscommunication but they’re separated in this book and it really gave them a chance to reflect and finally get on the same page. I enjoyed the secrecy focus in this book and how Morgan has definitely grown since book 1 in her bravery and confidence. The story starts to come a bit more together in this book. The action scenes are a bit more extended in book 3 so they’re also a little more exciting and I really enjoyed the Fenyx twist.

What I didn’t like so much: the magic focus was much lesser than in the last book which was something I really enjoyed in Court of Claws, the reveal of Draven’s hidden power was also underwhelming for me. I found the plot a little slow and the action was lacking - the focus was much more on sneaking around. I liked the tournament scenes but aside from those I had hopes for some epic battles. Draven’s journey to Morgan was also rather… short. That had potential for excitement. There are also some annoying gaps for some characters for me - the Javer thing felt a little pointless as he was just missing the entire book.

Overall I still want a bit more from this series, it feels like it’s been a really slow build up but we end book 3 on the verge of the biggest plot. I’m hoping book 4 delivers on the epic action and magic I’m desperately seeking. Another respectable 3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4 for NetGalley and Goodreads scores.

The beginning was super slow and did not entertain me at all. I got a bit bored of Lancelot but once the tension started ramping up around the 40% mark I was more intrigued - however it does take a while to get to the juicy stuff in this one.

It's definitely the darkest of the series so far, and I understand that it's building for the final book but honestly, I didn't gel with it. Draven's POV was a little more tolerable than Morgan's. Though the pet name gave me the ick. I'll still read book four because I'm curious enough to want to know how it ends. Book one had been my fav so far in the series.

That being said, the writing has definitely improved and it had a lot of the tropes I love: betrayal, surprising friendships, and a dash of magic and found family. It's a mixed bag some parts weren't great and others were... Hard to pin point my thoughts on it.

Empress of Fae is a captivating read for fans of fantasy, especially those who enjoy stories of political intrigue, magical realms, and strong, multifaceted characters. Briar Boleyn has crafted a tale that is both timeless and innovative, making it a must-read for anyone looking to be swept away into a fantastical adventure.

I truly have devoured this series so far, and made myself take a break to read a different genre. I picked this one up to continue and ugh it was so good. I would say this is my favorite one so far but they have all been absolutely bingeable

🌹🌹Book Review🌹🌹
Book 3 #empressoffae by @briarboleynauthor

BOOK 3 in the “Blood of a Fae” series and follows Morgan Pendragon, also known as Morgan Le Fay, as she navigates her true heritage and her bond with Kairos Draven ♥️♥️

FAVORITE SO FAR!! Spice when from 0 to MY HERO 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵 So many ups and downs and OMG NO WAY’s that I instantly jumped into book 4!! You need this series in ur life!!!
The story follows Morgan as she leaves her possible future as the ruler of the fierce Siabra fae and the wife of the Prince of Claws to return to Camelot and the Rose Court, where her friends and younger brother are in ‼️ The book explores themes of identity, power, and self-discovery, set against a richly imagined fantasy 🌎

This third book in the Blood of the Fae series had me hooked from the start! It kicks off right where the last one left off, with Morgan back in Camelot and Draven crossing oceans to reunite with her.

The characters keep growing and the story weaves in some Arthurian legends, but with a fresh, unique twist.

This was a great continuation of the series. It picked up right where we left off at the end of book 2 and whilst it felt like this book was a little slower than the previous, it was still a gripping story throughout.
The slowness at the start of the book for me did make it a little harder to get into but still a great book.

There's always a book within a romantasy series when the two main love interests get separated (it's usually the third book). I know it's meant to be a way for the FMC to grow on her own. And while I do love when the girlies learn to stand and defend for themselves, I love when they grasp how powerful they are on their own, becoming a force in their own right - and Morgan certainly does that here - I always end up looking ahead to see how long it'll take for them to be reunited again. In this book, specifically, I appreciate how Morgan fled, destroyed the arch, and then immediately regretted her actions. She acted on impulse because she was rightfully angry, but she also knew that Draven was her true ally and she felt comfort in his company.

Morgan returns to find the home she's always known has fallen. Arthur has turned his back on his people and his allies. His general is, to keep this relatively PG, the freaking worst, honestly. Merlin is doing what she can, forming the rebellion, and eventually her move puts Morgan back into the castle and in a position where Morgan can get information on Arthur's movements. All of these are big, important things happening to and around Morgan. She has no one to lean on for strength - not even Lancelet, whose grudge against Morgan I didn't really care about? - or support and has to find her own grit to push through all the trials she faces.

I really loved watching Draven try to get to Moran and, eventually, how Morgan pulls him to her when she needs him most. I liked seeing her take out her vengeance against the one trying to hurt her. I also liked how the relationship with her sister developed and, by the end, how Arthur took responsibility for his actions, even if there was much more going on beneath the surface.

This book felt like a good continuation for the series. And even though I was antsy for Morgan and Draven to find their way back to each other, I could appreciate all that happened when they were apart. And how they reunited, strong than ever.

Briar you have done it again, constantly raising the bar for us all and doing it flawlessly.

I’ve said this once and I will say it again, I love Morgan as the female main character. I think she her character development throughout the series is unmatched. She’s grown confident in herself, her background and her abilities. She’s comfortable with who she is and she doesn’t care what anyone else has to say. I’m obsessed with her truly.

Going into the story, I loved that we were able to go back and forth between Morgan and Draven. I think that getting to see both of them complete their own separate missions (even though Draven’s mission was mainly just getting his wife back lol) provided such a well rounded view of the entire plot and what exactly is going on in the war. I loved the political scheming and spying that was happening with Morgan and her allies.

Spoiler alert*** On the romance side I absolutely adored that Morgan and Draven could communicate via their dreams. That was really cute.

I also love that the side characters are not forgotten and they also get to have full and complex character development and emotions.

All in all the the series gets better with each installment. The twists and turns have me clinging to every word and I cannot wait to complete the series.

I seriously adore this series!

I have grown so attached to the characters and the world they're living in. I think this is my favorite book of the series so far. I've loved watching this story expand and getting completely lost in the pages.

Books like these are exactly why I love giving indie authors and their books a try. I'll be forever recommending this series to romantasy fans! I can't wait to read book #4 although I'll be so sad to reach the end.

I’m glad I kept reading, because this book definitely picked up the pace. In this book we find more of the fmc’s past, which spells danger! This book definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat.