ACOTAR, GoT, Hunger Games = Blood of a Fae
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5/5
🌶️🌶️2/5 spicy meter (not much more than the first book)

I absolutely adore the premise of a more fairytale-esque fae retelling of a classic story known by many. In this part of the story, Morgan wakes up in Kairos Draven’s homeland, unknown that she is bound to him in more ways than one. Throughout this story the two go through many, many trials together, make ups, more trials, and more.

I really enjoyed the tournament premise, and that it truly was a fight to the death with the other opponents. I think we saw how bloodthirsty some of the contestants were early on when Morgan and Beks spied on the training. This whole concept of the story was very exciting to me.

I did enjoy seeing a whole new court, and enjoyed each of the characters that were introduced. I will however, say, this book felt very heavily ACOTAR coded. Is that an issue? Not necessarily. ACOTAR is my favorite series of all time, and I think it was the beginning of a new era of fantasy, so obviously writers take inspiration (knowing or not) from that. Also, is anything really truly original anymore? However, some things just really rang a bell for me.

-Three items of power (when wielded together by one special person) - just like the Dread Trove
-A court underground with a beautiful city above worth protecting - just like the Court of Nightmares and Court of Dreams
-A 3 step tournament (but with more Hunger Games vibes) - similar to the premise of Feyre having to break the curse, but like I said, more Hunger Games for sure
-The quotes right after the first tournament reminded me exactly of the infamous ACOMAF quote “To the stars who listen and the dreams that are answered…to the people who look up to the stars and wish”
Said quote: “To the far and mortal dreamers…to the hope that lies in dreams. To those who possess the heart of a dreamer”. This might be the only similarity that really did irk me.

I loved Draven even more in this book, but maybe that’s because I just adore our morally grey characters. Morgan is insufferable at times, but I find it hard to find a FMC that often isn’t, that just seems to be how they are coded lol. Draven was sincere in his feelings to Morgan and also explained the role they would be playing, and I felt like Morgan was quite immature. Draven saved her life.

I am loving this series - eating it up! I finished this in less than a day. I can’t wait to read the next. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this ARC!

✨💫Book Review💫✨Court of Claws by Briar Boleyn is book two of the Blood of Fae series. The story continues where Queen of Roses left off — we continue to follow our fierce and sassy FMC, Morgan, as she learns more about herself and her powers. This is a continued journey of self-exploration and self-discovery with a lot of hidden secrets, action and adventure, and plot twists throughout. This book focuses on world development as the reader is immersed in a new world full of mythical creatures, deadly competition, and elemental magic. Morgan begins to learn more about her heritage, who she is, and who she wants to become. This was a page turner for me — It was hard to put down!
🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book has so many fabulous tropes (my heart couldn’t take it…in the best way of course):

💫Mythical creatures
💫Epic World Building
💫SPICY SPICE 🔥🌶️🥵
💫Elemental Magic
💫Found Family
💫Only One (insert creature here — haha)
💫Deadly Competition
💫Sassy and witty banter

Quotes:
“You’re all I think about . You’re all I see. I’m so tied to you I barely know who I am anymore.”

Thank you so much to @briarboleynauthor and @Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend this series!

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I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This series is interesting but feels too similar to other trending books for me to fully separate plots.

Book one was an exciting ride, and I couldn't wait to get started on book two! This being said, I believe this book is far superior to the first. As in the first book, this book contains extraordinary detail, amazing world building, and incredible character development. In this fantasy, the romance and spice were intensified, making it even more compelling. It's refreshing to see new characters written, and it's fantastic to see pronouns that are gender inclusive. The ending was certainly not one I had anticipated, and I am eager to start book 3!

Thank you Netgalley & publishers for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review!

I was sent this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review for a full review see my Amazon and Goodreads pages.

I loved this book I can't wait to read the rest of the series!!!!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

"Court of Claws," the thrilling sequel in Briar Boleyn's series, surpasses its predecessor with an intensified blend of romance and fantasy that's utterly captivating. In this installment, we delve deeper into the tumultuous enemies-to-lovers relationship between Morgan and Draven, which is artfully portrayed with a tantalizing push and pull that keeps readers voraciously turning pages.

Morgan's internal struggle with her burgeoning feelings adds a delicious layer of complexity to her character development, making her more relatable and her journey more compelling. The romantic tension builds to a crescendo, culminating in scenes with Draven that are both emotionally charged and exquisitely satisfying—definitely worth the wait.

Briar Boleyn excels in crafting vivid, dynamic scenes that transport readers right into the heart of the action. The pacing is relentless, almost necessitating the book to be devoured in one sitting. It’s a testament to Boleyn's skill that the story flows so smoothly, with each chapter seamlessly leading into the next, escalating the stakes and deepening the intrigue.

A special thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this mesmerizing sequel. "Court of Claws" not only lives up to the expectations set by the first book but exceeds them, cementing itself as a standout in the genre. Eagerly having downloaded the subsequent books, I am thoroughly excited to see where Morgan and Draven's story will lead next. This series is a must-read for fans of fantasy romance looking for their next addictive read.

There was lots I liked about this book and lots that I did not. I found that Morgan jumped between hating Draven to being obsessed with him to hating him again to be too dramatic/extreme for my taste and gave me a bit of whiplash. I get having conflicting feelings, but hers were always expressed in extremes one way or the other.

I also found Draven a bit shallow(?) as a character. He didn't feel as well fleshed out as I wanted him to be. There also felt like there were many opportunities for him to be more forthcoming about things, and there never seemed to be a solid explanation for why he wasn't. It felt like some of those aspects could have been more well thought out/better explained.

Overall, I am enjoying the story and looking forward to the next book.

Loved the world building in this one! Underground world with a volcano and lava outside the window : l Additional lovable characters introduced. Hawl and gender-inclusive pronouns, thumbs up!

Whewwwww what a way to go into the second book of a series!

Such a roller coaster of emotions! Devastating loses both past and present, heart-stopping declarations that make you go back and read them several times they're so good, and so many twists along the way that will make your eyes pop!

Morgan continues to be awesome, and handles whatever is thrown at her with courage and determination. She is fighting her feelings (mostly hate) towards Draven, trying to accept her reality, wanting to get back home to protect Kaye, and most importantly survive this savage court of Fae that does not follow any rules.

Draven is out here being seemingly supportive and understanding and making the reader love him. Not saying that we shouldn't (I actually really love him) but man....he makes some dumb choices.

I love the developing relationship between Draven and Morgan, and I love getting to see her walls come down. Not to mention, we get to see more of her magic (with some super unexpected twists), and we get an animal side-kick!

Morgan starts understanding a bit more of who she is, but even at the end we know that there is so much more to uncover. I'm excited to continue on!

Overall: Highly Recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.

“Court of Claws” by Briar Boleyn is Book 2 in the Blood of a Fae saga.

After the wild ride of Book 1 in the series, I was more than ready to get my hands on this second book! I absolutely loved all the scenes with Nighclaw the battlecat! The addition of Draven’s sister Rychel was a saving grace, because she was a fascinating character. Also, the major competition during this story was action-packed and exhilarating!

While the storytelling is still just as good as the first book, I was extremely put off by the excessive adult language (it almost felt like the author was getting paid extra for every time she had characters drop F-bombs), and I was taken aback by how different Morgan was in this book. She was born and raised as royalty her entire life, but once she enters Draven’s kingdom, all of her royal etiquette goes out the window. I wasn’t expecting her to act exactly the same outside of her kingdom, but I was expecting more self-control and definitely less swearing. I was often frustrated with her, which was the complete opposite from the first book.

Those who enjoyed the first book will definitely enjoy the continuation of the story in this second book. If excessive swearing isn’t distracting or a turn off for you, then you shouldn’t have issues with this book. However, I was so put off by it that I won’t be continuing this series.

"I see you, Morgan Pendragon. I see you truly for everything you are and everything you will be and I claim you as mine."


Queen of Roses had been a promising read, so I was eagerly looking forward to reading the second installment into the series, Court of Claws. Morgan Pendragon finds herself in the court of Siabra, a dangerous court where she finds all the love she had once felt is gone from her heart.

She was sent on a quest to secure the Excalibur for her destructive, chaotic, dark brother.

Except, now, she has been marked as the consort for the Court of Umbral Flames.

The one man she had chanced to give her feelings, her emotions, has died. A monster has taken his place. A lie, a cruel twist of fate. Morgan wants to run. Kairos Draven will never let her go, never stop hunting her. He will do anything to have her at his side.

The Blood Of Fae part 2 was not a let down, but it also certainly was not an amazing sequel. It gave me similar vibes as hunting competition/trials reads, all fighting against one another to win the final prize, or for the chance to simply live.

The female lead, I felt, backtracked a bit in her character development. The romance was not as compelling or sensual. In the first novel, she was focused, smart, and witty. Intelligent. But there were also plenty of good aspects to this novel.

There were enemies-to-lovers vibes in this dark fantasy. A simmering undertone of bodyguard/over-protective male lead type. Some found family, which is an instant love for me. Court politics and world building is fascinating.

There are plot twists with intense betrayals, some suspense, some spicy scenes. There was the usual action and adventure. We get more insight into Morgan's mysterious past.🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

I absolutely loved this series! This first book had me hooked from the start, the characters are so lovable which just builds more & more through each book. I’ve loved reading them one after the other and spending each day with them. Definitely recommend to all romantasy fans!

This was much faster-paced which I really enjoyed! The character growth was exactly what I was looking for and I am beyond excited and ready to dive into book 3.

A page turner sequel that was hard to put down. Morgan makes you want to turn the page to see what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Starwater Press, and Briar Boleyn for a free copy of this book.

This is the second book in the Blood of Fae series. This one had a lot of what the first one was missing - the romance, the spice, the interesting side characters, and some twists and turns. I found the first book a little predictable but this one certainly was not. I agree with some of the complaints about Morgan and the ending conflict frustrated me but I can only hope that it gets resolved quickly in book 3. I loved the new characters in this book and I can't wait to see what happens on Morgan's journey next!

GoodReads link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6503573845

Wow! The second instalment in the ‘blood of a fae’ series did not disappoint! It’s fast paced, full of action, a bit more spicy and, oh hello, some dangerous challenges! A new cast of characters join Morgan & Draven in this story and we learn more about the magic & history of the world we are in.
I was fully immersed & invested the whole way through and cannot wait to read more!

This was much better than the first book; even the dialogues and style has improved although it still needs more editing.

In this book, Draven's world is explored more which I liked since I get to understand his fierce demeanor and why he seems to hold many secrets (because he does) and how he truly feels about Morgan is expressed here.

Morgan, on the first few chapters, somewhat annoyed me because I don't understand how she's all mad with Draven when he'd all nice to her. She's very stubborn. Other than that, she is not naive which is one of the things I like her for. She also discovered more of herself, including her past and how it affected her present.

The plot itself is okay. What got me was that ending because that character was my favorite and I am just glad that the character was mentioned again. It is a cliffhanger so I am definitely heading to read the 3rd book of the series.

The second book in Briar Boleyn's Blood of A Fae series, Court of Claws, adds to the action and drama of the first book. Where the first book was about the main character's uncertainty, this book is about her hurt and (mostly) justifiable anger: at herself, at the MML, and at those around her. As you read the book, the reader can feel the rage as it drips off the pages, then on those all to brief respites the MFC seems to get, you get to wallow in the joy with her that ends all too soon. In book two, the MFC is starting to let herself feel for the MMCM but every time she does, she think she's been betrayed somehow and her anger flares up once again. Just like with book one, the reader will have a difficult time putting the book down. Be aware, it leads directly into book three so be sure to have it handy.

After the cliffhanger in book 1, I dove into Queen of Claws head-on. Although the first storyline still hangs in the background, it was amazing to read about the different kinds of fae and to see the development of our heroine and the start of this love story.

We learn that monsters and claws don’t always mean evil and that there is beauty and love in all things. We finally discover who Draven really is, and we see a three-part trial taking place where, in the end, Morgan is “forced” to enter the last one and wins. This last trial, I must say, ended too quickly. The bad guy’s end was way too fast; in a way, it was a breath of fresh air, but it left me wanting more. The ending felt a bit off with the development they both were making, and she just left him behind to go back to Camelot. She meant well, but still, she could have waited just a little bit longer and gone back with help. All in all, great world-building and the new characters added some nice relief from the gloom and doom of the characters from book one.

Though I enjoyed Court of Claws, I didn't love it nearly as much as Queen of Roses. can't wait to start the next one in this series