What a great fast paced fantasy! I didn't realize this was a Camelot retelling, which was a surprise but I thought it was done so well! The world building was easy to follow and the book was overall fast paced and kept my attention the entire time. It was also the perfect amount of spice! I would definitely recommend this to a fantasy loving friend!

Love Love Love Love. Cant say enough good things about this book. Highly recommend especially if you like dark romance and dark fantasy.

What a great read the pacing was great and has me itching for more. As a die hard merlin watcher in my youth this was such a fun take on a king Arthur retelling. And I love a slow burn
This was a great read

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book!*

There were a lot of things that I liked about this book:
- changing the gender of people from the Arthurian legends
- making the story queer/feminist to a certain extent

But sadly the majority of the book did not appeal to me:
- the world building was thrown in and nothing really made sense
- the pacing was off, the beginning was super slow, the ending especially was terribly rushed
- the main character was a super annoying Mary Sue and none of her story was surprising
- the 'romance' had no appeal at all
- the plot is pretty predictable and that was especially annoying

I will not read a sequel, I really struggled skim reading this one... Sorry.

Can’t wait to finish the series! Hit all my favorite tropes while still feeling fresh. I felt is was well written and well paced.

3 ⭐️

I struggled getting through this, I mean it was beautifully written but I don't think fantasy is for me!

This may be the most realistic Dark Fantasy book I have ever read. I don't think I have ever connected more to a MC in my entire life! Especially in a Fantasy book! It did have the slowest of slow burns but honestly sometimes that's exactly what a book needs! I cannot wait to move onto Court of Claws next!

I unfortunately DNFd at 40% I tried desperately to push through but I just couldn’t. I felt like that characters were inconsistent and lacked depth. Stuff is made to happen to the characters that really had no relevance to the continuation of the story whose plot wasn’t very engaging either. I found a lot of things to be over-described that really didn’t need to be which made the story to be slow going and ultimately boring. I might to revisit it in the future but at this stage it’s a dnf for me.

I enjoyed this book, it reminded me a lot of ACOTAR and for that, it got bonus points! I'm so excited to continue the journey with the rest of the series!

I love a good fantasy story with fae. And I LOVE retelling of King Arthur and Excalibur!! I haven’t come across one in ages and I was so excited to start this. There were parts of the story that were uncomfortable to read (make sure you read the trigger warning list if you have any triggers, especially SA) but they didn’t last long. I really enjoyed that this story was about Morgan and not from Arthur’s perspective as so many stories are. I also surprisingly liked the gender swapping of certain characters as it added another layer to the story that was created here. The way the world of the fae was intertwined with that of Camelot etc was wonderful. Also: THAT ENDING THO!!!!!!!! I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

What a trip! I’m so glad I was along for the ride! I’ve never read a Camelot/King Arthur retelling, but I was totally in love with this one! The world building was top notch and the writing was beautiful and well developed. The characters were dynamic and the story was excellent! I immediately downloaded book 2 because I must know what happens next! If you’re a fan of From Blood and Ash and Throne of Glass, this book is for you!

I really enjoyed this book. I'm new to netgalley so completely forgot about it but I have now read it and thought it was great

Briar Boleyn has created an interesting romantasy retelling of King Arthur. This is a quick easy fantasy that hooks the reader from the start which makes for the perfect read when you're in a bit of a slump. I did have a little disconnect with our FMC Morgan, she was defined as having a lot of training and being a character who sticks up for themselves but she was often put into situations that made her the damsel in distress so to speak. However, she ultimately has a character arc that builds on that strength that was originally given to her character which added so much to the book. Queen of Roses ends on a bit of a cliff hanger, leading the reader to want more, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story progresses

Briar Boleyn’s "Queen of Roses" is a spellbinding fantasy novel that weaves together elements of magic, intrigue, and romance into a rich tapestry of storytelling. Set in a lush and immersive fantasy world, the novel follows Elara, a young woman with a mysterious past and a burgeoning gift for manipulating roses—a power both feared and coveted in her kingdom.

Boleyn’s prose is lyrical and evocative, painting vivid landscapes and intricate courtly politics that draw readers deep into Elara’s journey. From the opulent palace to the enchanted gardens where roses bloom under Elara’s command, the world-building is both enchanting and immersive.

At the heart of the novel is Elara herself—a compelling protagonist whose strength lies not only in her magical abilities but also in her resilience and compassion. As she navigates the dangers of courtly intrigue and the complexities of her own powers, Elara’s growth is palpable, making her journey one of self-discovery and empowerment.

The romance in "Queen of Roses" is woven delicately into the fabric of the plot, adding an element of tension and emotional depth to the story. The dynamic between Elara and the enigmatic Prince Lysander is nuanced and captivating, filled with longing, misunderstanding, and ultimately, a deepening connection that resonates with authenticity.

Beyond its engaging characters and romantic intrigue, "Queen of Roses" explores themes of identity, destiny, and the consequences of wielding power. Boleyn deftly examines the moral implications of Elara’s abilities and the choices she must make as she comes into her own as a leader.

Overall, "Queen of Roses" is a captivating debut that will appeal to fans of lush fantasy worlds and strong, complex heroines. Briar Boleyn’s mastery of storytelling, combined with her ability to blend magic and romance seamlessly, makes this novel a compelling addition to the genre—a tale as enchanting as the roses that bloom within its pages.

What an ending!

Queen of Roses follows Morgan Pendragon as she navigates Arthur's palace while finding her place in the world. She is tasked to find a sword to bring back to Arthur.

The book was quite slow with not much action until the end. While the ending left on a cliffhanger with so many unanswered questions, the book seemed rather anticlimactic. Scenes seemed forced and lacking. I thought the idea was good though. I'm hoping the next books are a little better

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*

The Gist
An enemies-to-lovers King Arthur inspired fantasy where Morgan Pendragon has to go on a quest to protect her kingdom.

*
What I Enjoyed...
The world was easy to dive into. I appreciated that the author took the time to establish the many facets of Morgan's character - her relationship with her close friends, her determination, her standing in court, her desire to fight for and protect the people of her kingdom, and her innocence when it comes to the greater world. All of these were things that grew and developed during the course of her journey. But, in order to really appreciate the growth of Morgan's character, one needed to really understand where she was coming from to begin with. Boleyn gives us time to see Morgan in action before we're whisked off with her on her quest.

Thoughts & Critiques...
I wanted to see Morgan gain more agency over the course of the book, particularly because many of the men in her life are quite terrible. At the beginning of the book, we see moments where Morgan showcases a quiet kind of strength, and I had hoped that that would turn into something more. There was one moment in particular towards the middle of the book where I really thought Morgan was going to take control over the situation but then Draven stepped in and took the choice away from her.

*

Other Things
*This book ends on a cliffhanger.
*Mind the slow burn tag. If you're looking for fast flame spice, you're not going to get it. I enjoy slow burn and can say that the "enemies to lovers" tag is well-earned here!
*I think I expected a little more worldbuilding when it came to the fae and their lore. I’m not entirely familiar with the King Arthur legends, so I’m sure there were little nods and Easter Eggs I missed. I think someone who really loves the King Arthur legends would be pretty happy with this book.

*

Final Thoughts
3 stars. Unfortunately, while I definitely think there is a readership for this book, this one just wasn’t for me. I liked the main character at times and was proud of her when she was able to stand up for herself, but I got a little annoyed that she continued to be damsel-ified during crucial moments that could have pushed her to break out of her shell. I don’t mind the MMC coming in to save the day, but I just think I personally need the FMC to have a little more agency as the book progresses.

The first book in the Blood of Fae series and I am here for it! You get all the best tropes. It was fast paced. If you are looking for your next fantasy romance read and love books like FBAA and ACOTAR you will love this!

Overall I really enjoyed the premise of the story and I was definitely kept interested throughout trying to work out the secrets behind both Morgan and Draven’s characters. I had early predictions and some were right, some were wrong so having surprises throughout was good.

I enjoyed the world building in this book, we spent a large portion of it travelling due to the mission Morgan is sent on. We’re very slowly introduced to the ideas of a lot of creatures which though most don’t feature in book 1 likely means we’ll see them in future books. The world building itself also has a lot more to go in future books, I can tell we’ve only just scratched the surface. But please be aware this is quite a slow book.

I did enjoy the characters, though I did find Morgan frustrating once she had left Camelot. She proved herself to be more naive than implied early on in the book and she asks a lot of questions. But I can tell this is intentional and I look forward to follow her character development. This is a slow burn book, in fact there’s literally only 1 scene with a little bit of spice and I did find myself wanting, however this is a 4 book series so I’m biding my time for the romance to enter later in the series - I just hope it’s worth it!

Overall this feels very much like a usual book 1 set up book, I’m definitely invested enough to continue the series and see where it’s going. My biggest issue was with the chapter length, most are 20-30 min reads so it did feel like a slow book, because of this I didn’t find myself wanting to continue too long and that’s a big contributor to my 3.5⭐️ rating which I’ve rounded up to 4 for the purpose of this review and on Goodreads.

I love arthurian tales, especially those with a twist.

For me personally, the chapters were a little long, but that didn't detract from the story itself. The beginning was a little slower than I would usually like but I really enjoyed it from about the 40% mark. The adventure Morgan goes on really ramps up the tension and that ending definitely makes you want to continue the series.

Overall, I felt this was a 'beginning book' i.e. something you have to read in order for the rest of the series to make sense but a lot of it could have been cut to make it more fast paced. However, I have high hopes for the rest of the series. Will definitely be continuing.

Loved the world building in this book as well as the start of the slow burn romance. I can’t wait to see where the rest of the series will go!!

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy!