*Romantacy
*Enemies to lovers
*Blood Bonds

Absolutely love this author and this storyline! It has been one of my favorite series to read! I love the world building and the way she draws you into the charaters. I was hooked from book one and now, I cannot put this series down! I cannot wait to continue this journey and find out what happens next! Thank you netgalley and Briar for allowing me to read this!

This series is really fun so far. I definitely really enjoyed this one more than book 1 and can’t wait to see where the next two books go.

Following the devastating end of book 1, Morgan starts this book in the Court of the Siabra. This builds on the retelling of Camelot with lost of twists and introduction of fae into the world.

I liked the uniqueness of this fantasy and this had a nice amount of adventure compared to book 1.

Love, trials/ games, betrayal, mythical creatures, and more!

I really enjoyed this book! It was a captivating read that held my attention from start to finish. The story was well-paced, and the characters felt real and engaging. I’m grateful to the publisher for providing an early copy—it was a pleasure to read!

Screaming

- Royals
- Fae
- Spice
- Magic
- M/F romance
- Queer side characters
- Animal companion

This book was so good I devoured it. The romance in this is indeed a slow burn extended from book 1 and still going in ways I won't spoil.

The magic in this books is really cool and I enjoy how people have different powers.

Beks is my favourite and Nightclaw <3
I cannot wait to read the rest of this series its so good. Not sure why I didn't read it sooner

I love this series. Such a good story which is excellently written. Great development of the characters and I love the mythology mixed with fantasy.

I absolutely adored every second of this book. The whole thing felt like a crossover of the challenges under the mountain in ACOTAR, and the hilarious banter of Fourth wing all mixed in with hints of Arthurian legend. In other words, a splendid fantasy novel and enthralling sequel.

To make things better— it was a bit spicier than Queen of Roses. I'm hoping to see this continue with the other books in the series.

The rising romance and banter between Morgan and Kairos was well written in my opinion for the rest of the plot going on around it. I loved getting to see their characters get more attraction to each other and to see character development grow stronger in them both as the book went on.

I received this book through Netgalley and I absolutely can't wait to see where the rest of this series goes!

⭐️ 4
🌶 2/5

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review.

Wow, this book took a turn for excitement. It is vastly different than the first in the series, but in a good way. It picks right up where the cliffhanger of the first book left off and doesn't stop. It's just go, go, go in non stop action. There's danger around every corner so I wish there was a moment to breathe and not constantly wondering if my favorite characters are going to die. Morgan is less annoying in this book having finally to stand up for herself. Unfortunately everyone she thinks she trusts is still giving half truths and hiding secrets for their own survival. She is a force to reckon with but everyone constantly just uses her. I hope she rises up to her own worth in the next book. I still just love the world building of this series, I feel like I can picture everything that happens like I'm actually there. And there's a slight cliffhanger in this one that's annoying too, but at least I have the next book to just jump right into.

Really enjoyed the series, was hooked the entire journey. Was invested in the characters the whole time.

I really enjoyed this book. Thank you so much Netgalley for an arc of this book. I apologize for the late review.

This was a great follow up to book one. I was engaged throughout and loved seeing the plot progress.

Court of Claws by Briar Boleyn** Court of Claws is a standout fantasy that grips you from the start with its unique premise and richly developed characters. Briar Boleyn’s storytelling shines as she weaves a tale of ambition, betrayal, and unexpected alliances. The protagonist is incredibly relatable, facing challenges that resonate on both personal and political levels. Boleyn expertly builds tension, keeping readers on their toes with clever twists and turns. The court setting is vividly depicted, immersing you in a world that feels both familiar and fresh. What I particularly loved was the emotional depth of the relationships. Boleyn doesn’t just create heroes and villains; she gives them motives and vulnerabilities that make every interaction feel impactful. Overall, Court of Claws is a gripping read that balances adventure with heart. Boleyn has crafted a compelling narrative that will stay with you long after the last page. Highly recommended for fans of immersive fantasy!

Rating: 4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️.5
Format: e-ARC (409 Pages) - Already Out

This book picks up right from the cliffhanger in Book 1, where we discovered that Draven, the sexy bodyguard, is actually a fae. He saves Morgan, the protagonist, by performing a mysterious ritual.

Morgan finally heals and wakes up to find herself in a foreign land where the fae live after the wars among their kind. This place is actually located beneath a volcano, which is so cool! We also learn that Draven is a prince and must face deadly, vicious trials to compete for his throne alongside other candidates.

We delve deeper into the fae world, the origin of Excalibur, and the fact that fae tend to marry within their family-ish, not exactly incestuous, but for example, marrying your sister-in-law. The world-building in this book is amazing. The trials were brutal and so well done, and we finally got some smut and it’s spicy! Love it!

But this one ends with another cliffhanger, followed by a fantastic epilogue from a different POV. I’m super excited to continue with the series! 🥰🥰

I received a free advance review copy and am voluntarily sharing my thoughts. Many thanks to the author @briarboleynauthor and @netgalley for providing it.

Trigger Warnings: Kidnapping, physical abuse, amputation, animal death, animal abuse, cannibalism, child abuse, child death, parent/family death, domestic violence, homophobia, execution, murder, violence, infertility, misogyny.

Court of Claws is the second book in the Blood of a Fae - a romantasy series that is a genderbending retelling of King Aruthur. Book one is available here: Queen of Roses Like book 1, there's a lot of worldbuilding in this installment because this whole book takes place on a completely new continent. I loved how eloquently Boleyn lays out this new country/court system. I still wish there was a map available but maybe there will be for book 3??? I found the worldbuilding in this installment to be more natural when compared to Queen of Roses. Boleyn did a better job of showing, rather than telling the reader about the rules of this new court/country. I give Boleyn credit for this improvement in her writing.

However, where she's improved in world-building, the character development side of this book would take one step forward and two steps back...especially with our MFC, Morgan. Throughout the book, Morgan would have these spots of true insight & rational thinking and then do a complete 180 in the next paragraph - suddenly being so whiney and honestly insufferable. Sadly, the stupidness of Morgan is SO ANNOYING throughout this whole book - she complains about being 'kidnapped' when all the MMC did was save her f***ing life. Around 70% of the way through, the romance kicks off and I truly thought we were done with the FMC being stupid - and this is true until the very end when she reverts back to creating a new plot point by suddenly deciding the MMC again. It feels like the author can't create cliff-hangers/engagement for the next books in her series without creating some sort of false fight between the two characters - cuz this was very similar to book 1.

BOTTOM LINE: This book struggles throughout the first half, with Morgan continuing to be ABSOLUTELY INSUFFERABLE. Sadly, we got some character development for her throughout the second half of the book, but it's all reversed out within the last couple of chapters. At this point, I'm planning to DNF the series.

Thank you to Starwater Press, Brirar Boleyn & NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I fought with this book for the better part of a year before finally admitting to myself that I just can't finish it. There are two major problems with the book that make it an absolute slog to read.

The first is the nature of the plot in this book. Epic tournament plots require stakes outside of the tournament, because the reader knows from the beginning what the outcome of the tournament will be. This book has none. The stakes are just the tournament, and the reader knows who will win the tournament. By flipping to the dramatis personae of the next book, I learned that apparently our FMC wins instead of our MMC, but that twist doesn't work to increase the stakes, because the stakes are established long before that with that not being an option. I saw that in the next book and considered finishing this one to see how it happens for about two seconds before concluding that wasn't worth my time.

The second is the stitching. Teleportation is incredibly difficult to balance in a story. No effort was made to do it here. A stitcher can teleport an unwilling companion simply by laying hands on him. A stitcher can teleport an unspecified number of people a great distance by simply holding hands in a circle. I as the reader am thus left wondering why, exactly, the stitcher doesn't just teleport the evil brother into the middle of a volcano and leave him there to die. Or teleport him so far away he's disqualified before he can get back. This compounds the above problem, which is that there's no reason to ever read this book. There is no tension, there are no stakes, and the slow burn romance can't carry the weight of those missing elements.

I really enjoyed this book. Was not expecting it to be as good as it was! This is the first Arthurian Fantasy book that I have read and I really enjoyed the genre. I loved the mix of banter and world building. Will definitely be on the lookout for more books from Briar in the future.

I devoured this in one day unable to put it down until I reached the conclusion. This book was absolutely outstanding and so honored to be able to review the series! Fast paced and action filled with a nice little bit of romance. The ending was explosive and made me eager for book number 3!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has so much going on! We’re transported to a different place than in the first book, and the author’s descriptive language made it so I could see everything vividly in my mind which I loved. Lots more death and gore in this one, but loads of banter and spicy moments too. And a huge cliffhanger! I’m excited to pick up the rest of the series.

⭐️Trials
⭐️Magical Powers
⭐️Enemies to Lovers
⭐️Mythical Creatures
⭐️Cannibal Children😬

Thank you, NetGalley and Saltwater Press, for this advanced reading copy of this delicious series! Please note that these opinions are my own.

The book picks up right where the first book ended, with Morgan hanging on for dear life and Draven bonding them in hopes of saving her life with the mysterious being disguised as a child. She awakes from a coma in Draven's bed with two individuals gawking over her unconscious body. Let's talk about privacy!

The twist comes when Draven tells her she is his concubine and must pretend to earn favor amongst the Royals in the Umbral Flames Court. From then on, she is in for a ride, and all she wants to do is go home to protect Kaye. She is trying to stay hidden and out of the way but Draven is not being forthcoming with information as he should. He is a Prince who was banished for ten years for killing his brother but hasn't returned home for twenty. There are new individuals in the mix surrounding and protecting her, which gives Morgan a way of learning the Siabra way and things about Draven that begin filling in the gaps—these gaps not only about his history and ways but also about the fae. Danger does not linger away long since she learns Draven has to participate in the Blood Rising to claim the throne, and the opponents will do anything to win.

Where do I start!?!!?! I stumbled upon this series when I was binge "Requesting" a bunch of new releases on NetGalley, and I will say I am not mad at myself for my troubles! This whole series was juicy, and I could not put it down! I lost sleep and could not work because I had to know what would happen next. The book is straightforward in giving the reader more background into the fae's history. I love that the author built an entire world of retelling the King Arthur story, and it does not disappoint! This story's imagery, folklore, and magical realism are impressive. I love how the author details the world without doing too much. The characters that are added fit just right and complement each other well. I did find Morgan to be a little annoying, but I understood her frustration. We get to know Draven much better, along with his stubbornness and unwillingness to be vulnerable. The ending will leave you gasping at the events leading to the next book.

“I will never apologize for saving you. I will never fucking regret coming for you. And I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Court of Claws - Briar Boleyn
Pub date: Jun 30, 2023
★★★☆☆

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

Morgan successfully gain the sword of Excalibur only to lost it to some kind of powerful existence and nearly got killed by her former lover, Vesper. The story continues after Kairos Draven saved Morgan from certain death by forming an unbreakable bond between them. To ensure her safety, he then brought her to a whole different place, to his home—the Court of Umbral Flames. Turns out Draven is not the person he was on the journey to fetch Excalibur along with so many other truths Morgan needs to know. With Pendrath on the verge of war, she gotta work on how to escape Siabra Empire and return to Pendrath to save her people.

I jumped into this one right after finishing Queen of Roses. The story is very much solid to me complete with the perfect cliffhanger at the end of the first book. Court of Claws reveal a whole new chapter of this story as the map expanded, new characters showed up, and truths untold unveiled one by one. We get to know more about Draven that seems mysterious and untouchable in the first book, including his true self and his back story. I enjoy this one: the plot, the rivality, the forced proximity, and the development of Morgan and Draven dynamic.

Alas, there are some icks that's almost fatal for me. First, no character development. Morgan in this one is being unreasonably stubborn and annoying. She could have been assesses the situation better and act more mature knowing the burden and responsibility she held so high on her kingdom's sake. She acted all time savage even when she didn't need to resulting a rude behavior. Secondly, no matter how much i love the experience, i feel Court of Claws is messy and and poorly coordinated in terms of scenes and conflict-resolution placing. When there's so much happening, it made the story flows unsmoothly.

Either way, i'd love to know more of Morgan and Draven story in the next installment!