A twisted new retelling of King Arthur with magic, betrayal, lust and power at its center. Each page was a surprise

The world that this book created in my mind was incredible. I felt like I was part of this book.
The poetic language used was so beautiful.

I would have liked the ending to be more concluding, although I'm aware this is a series. So much will probably be answered in the next book. Which by the way, I can not wait to read!

I loved Dravens character, I feel like he really does care about Morgan.
Morgans's character was equally as amazing, she was brave, caring and so kind.
I'm exited to see where their characters end up in the next book.

The Queen of Roses was written so well. The only critique I have is that the beginning was very slow, although after around 25% it started to get a lot more interesting.

Thankyou to Briar Boleyn and Netgalley for providing me with the e-copy of this book to read and review.

**Queen of Roses** is an Arthurian-inspired dark romantasy that had me invested straightaway! From the first chapter, I was hooked on this rollercoaster of a story. The grumpy male main character (MMC) would do anything for the female main character (FMC), Morgan. Their relationship unfolds through one of my favorite tropes: hate to friends to lovers.

Morgan's character development was phenomenal. Watching her grow and change throughout the story was a delight. The world-building in this book is exceptional, painting vivid, immersive landscapes and a rich, magical society. Despite being a slow-burn romance, the story captivated me from the beginning and never let go.

Evil, magic, action, trauma, heartache, tension, and the perfect amount of romance—this book has it all. The balance of these elements kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly turning pages to see what would happen next. It's a story brimming with depth and emotion, ideal for fans of Holly Black, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Sarah J. Maas.

As the first book in the Blood of a Fae series, **Queen of Roses** leaves me with so many questions - I can't wait to dive into the sequel and see where Briar Boleyn takes Morgan and the rest of the characters next.

Thank you so much to Briar Boleyn, Starwater Press, and Netgalley for this ARC copy! I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.

OOOOO this was GOOD. I thought the plot was quite original for being a knights of the round table and fae inspired book! I ate up all the twists, ESPECIALLY the very last one. And the last chapter was so cryptic, I loved it!!! The atmosphere was immaculate, the writing style was great, and the characters were *chefs kiss* Can’t wait to read book 2!!

This was quite a slow book which I appreciated as this was a first book in a series. So there was a lot of introducing the characters and lore as well as world building. Initially I wasn't sure how I felt about the rewrite of Arthurian legend just as that was not something I had read in a book before (probably says more about books I read rather than anything else), but once I started to get into the book I really started to enjoy it. Parts of it reminded me a bit of the TV show Merlin (which is a show I loved so was a bonus for me).

I really liked the world. The world felt really tangible, probably because it was drawing on mythology from the real world so it made the world seem more accessible and didn't take too much imagination to see the world. I did struggle with some of the magic side of things, but again I think this is because it is a first book in a series and by the end of the book I did have a much better understanding of the magic system in the world (I think the reader learns alongside the FMC which is nice as again it makes elements of the book feel more tangible).

I am a sucker for dark haired brooding male love interests. So when the love interest was introduced I was already sold on his character. I liked that we get to see the FMC grow throughout the book. However, there were times I was a little bit confused by the personality of the main character, but again I think this is because we are just starting to know the FMC and see the world through her eyes. So I am looking forward to seeing how the character grows into herself in the next books. I also really enjoyed their relationship dynamic and am interested to see where it goes!

I think my main issue with the book was the pacing. I think this is something that happens a lot in first books in series is the heavy focus on world building, introducing lore and characters which can make the first half to 60% of the book quite slow as you have to get to know the characters and the world. But to me the pacing made it hard for me to get into which made me take a long time to read this book as it needed a lot of brain capacity to get my head around things, but once it did pick up around the 60 - 65% mark I did really start to enjoy it and my reading pace did speed up.

Overall, I would give this a 3.5 stars and would recommend to anyone looking for a new romantasy series!

Thank you to net galley for providing an ARC of this book! I look forward to reading other instalments in this series!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great start to a series and I am in love with the world and characters. I am really looking forward to the next book in this series.

Queen of Roses is an Arthurian-inspired dark romantasy that had me invested straightaway! The book was a rollercoaster with a grumpy MMC who would do anything for the FMC, Morgan and there was the with hate to friends to lovers trope which I love!

Morgan’s character development was amazing and the world building was exceptional. It was a slow-burn book but I was sucked into the story from the first chapter.

There was evil, magic, action, trauma, heartache, tension and perfect amount of romance in this book. I enjoyed this book. It is perfect for fans of Holly Black, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Sarah J. Maas.

It’s the first book in the Blood of a Fae series and I am left with so many questions. So excited to read the second book💖

Thank you so much Briar Boleyn, Starwater Press and Netgalley for this ARC copy!

I went into this book blind and was not expecting a spin off/ re telling of King Arthur but I really enjoyed it. I am a big fan of stories around the fae so it was a good addition to the book. I enjoyed that the book was fast paced and kept me engaged throughout the story. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series to see where Morgan’s journey takes her.

Tbh I was just a bit underwhelmed by this one. This is partially on me as I perhaps should have been a bit more familiar with the story this is a retelling of, as maybe that would have helped me connect to it more? I was just a bit bored and disconnected from this one and felt like I was just waiting for something to happen... but it didn't.

4/5 stars! I DEVOURED this book!

When Morgan Pendragon, an outcast princess, embarks on a journey to find a famed sword with the new captain of the royal guard, Captain Draven, lies unravel and truths about herself and her family are revealed. This book had tension, betrayal, and political intrigue- really all the things you look for in a good fantasy read. My only mild dislike (which I eventually overlooked because I didn't realize it was a retelling going into the book) was the parallel/ references to the Knights of the Round Table/ Medieval lore. I would have enjoyed a completely new world rather than half-building upon this lore with the addition of fae or other creatures.

Anyway, I also really enjoyed the characters, especially the side characters- it felt like they all had dimension and actually added to the story. I'm excited to see how they develop in the next book. Additionally, Morgan, the FMC also had the perfect backstory. Sometimes, in fantasy, I feel like the FMC can sometimes come off as whiny or almost too girl-boss (in a forced way), but Morgan was written perfectly.

Also, this writing style was great. I felt like the dialogue wasn't too formal or casual, and the world-building flowed super well with breadcrumbs spread throughout.

Otherwise, it was a wonderful book that I quite literally finished in one sitting because I was so intrigued. Needless to say, I'll be reading the next book ASAP. I must know what happens!

The imagery written in the pages of this book immediately captured my attention. As the book progressed, I grew fond of world building and character development. It is appealing to me that the story is based on the lore of Camelot, and I enjoy that lore quite a bit. Throughout this story, I felt such hatred and betrayal for the antagonists, just as the main character did. My pride for the character was immense as a result of the victim serving her own justice. Toward the end, there were so many twists coming our way, which made the cliffhanger highly anticipated.

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

First - thanks to NetGalley and the author for giving me ARC copies of this entire series! If you are a fan of Sarah J. Maas or Jennifer L. Armentrout, you need to check out this series!

I am a huge Romantasy reader and I always struggle to find series that live up to SJM and JLA series. This series really does the trick. You will love the characters, the story, the action, and of course the romance.

Add this series to your TBR immediately and cure any ACOTAR or FBAA hangovers you may have!

I WAS NOT PREPARED!!

I am a big lover of fae, romance books and this did not disappoint! The detail that went into the description of the scenery to the characters was incredible. From the very first chapter I was hooked and couldn’t put it down!

To my fellow ACOTAR devotees- DONT SLEEP ON THIS SERIES! Page turner 100% I lost so much sleep over these books because I needed more! I was so excited to be able to read them all! The slow burn, feel the tension in the air..chefs kiss! Please, more!

Thank you to NetGalley, Starwater Press, and Briar Boleyn for a free e-copy!

Queen of Roses is a fantasy romance that follows Morgan Pendragon, a half fae princess, on her journey to find a legendary weapon.

I enjoyed this book! It reminded me a lot of From Blood and Ash at times. There was a sufficient amount of world building, but it was easy to follow. The twists were a little predictable but I didn't mind since it was still an interesting story! It had some of my favorite romance tropes e.g. "who did this to you?" I'm still waiting for the slow burn to catch fire so I am excited to read book 2!

GoodReads link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6434024104

This book slaps. I loved it so much. The world building was epic and the characters sucked me in from the beginning. I cannot wait to read the rest.

I liked this, definitely fast paced enough to keep me reading, but there was a lot of telling rather than showing, I’ll likely continue the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for giving me an ARC copy of the Queen of Roses to read and review.

I am impressed by Boleyn's twist on Camelot, Arthur, Merlin and the legend of Exacliber. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I started to read this book. I was immediately drawn in and held captive. I am so excited to start book two and am grateful I was given a copy of that book as well from NetGalley. If you are looking for adventure, a slow-burn romance, fantasy, fantastical creatures, mystery,
and intrigue, then Queen of Roses needs to be added to your must read list. Don't sit on this book. Banish any doubts and pick it up. You'll be happy you did!
My favorite character so far is Draven, but Morgan is a close second. I'm looking forward to seeing where their journey takes them and how the story will unfold. Boleyn has done an excellant job of developing her characters as well as the world her characters reside in.
I will say this book series contains many topics that could be triggering for some readers. Boleyn has provided a warning at the beginning of the book to see the list of trigger topics located at the back of the book. I personally felt this was very considerate of Boleyn to provide for their readers.
Overall, Queen of Roses was a very enjoyable read that kept me on toes! I will be recommending this book to others to read! By others, I mean everyone I know who loves a good book series involving the fae!

Queen of Roses is a dark fantasy romance that is very slow burn with enemies to lovers trope and a love triangle (sort of). While there was a lot of action and adventure as you got further into the book, it took me a while to get into it. The character development and individual story arcs are interesting but the writing style wasn’t necessarily my favorite. I found that there were a lot of details that were repeated. I think this would be a great book for someone who was new to fantasy since it can be hard to know what details are important. Overall, this book definitely picked up for me in the second half and the cliffhanger makes me want to read the second book.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

★ ★ ★ | 🌶

check TWs 18+

Note: I try my hardest to not include spoilers in my reviews. However, spoilers and how you define a spoiler is subjective. Proceed with caution.

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I wanted to love this book so much.

I went into this pretty blind, so I had no idea that this was a Camelot retelling. (Though not my first, which is funny). I love that idea for a fantasy, even more so for a fae based fantasy. The storyline and the incorporation of the myth and fae was so interesting. It wasn’t too on the nose, which I liked.

What I had an issue with was the pacing and the execution of the story. The first 50% of the book is kind of slow. And I felt like there was a lot of showing and not a ton of telling. I’m a firm believer that there needs to be a relatively good balance of both.

That being said, I’m not sure if I will read the next book.