Thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press for the ARC

I haven't dived to deep into the romantasy genre, but I liked this one. I think it was a good start to a new series. The worldbuilding was good and descriptive so I wasn't confused. The fmc was really likeable and I'm excited to see her development in the coming novels.

This is a solid start to a new-to-me fantasy series. It is a slow burn start with a lot of world building but there is magic, action, romance and lots of intricate plot. I think there is a lot people will enjoy about this world and I'm super interested to see what Book 2 brings!

Good fantasy book! King Arthur retelling story full of mysteries , child trauma that lead Morgan to do bad choices , she did get on my nerve most of the times, and sometimes I found the book a little annoying but overall it was a good story with a twist in the story that you’ll love!

Thank you to NetGalley, Starwater Press, and Briar Boleyn for the copy of Queen of Roses in honor of the fourth book release in return of an honest review! The prologue was beautifully written and caught my attention from the get go.
“Who did this to you” trope 💜
The banter was great between Draven and Morgan. Absolutely HATED Florian from the beginning and good riddance, but he did make a great villain. The main characters had good depth, but a whole lot happened at the very end! I’m guessing a lot gets answered in book 2 which I’m starting right now!

I wanted to love this book, an Arthur retelling seemed right up my alley but it ultimately fell flat for me.
My main issue was the main character, her naivety felt overly exaggerated and was just generally whiny which made the book hard to get through

First, I want to thank NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for this ARC of Queen of Roses in exchange for an honest review.

In this King Arthur retelling, the reader follows Morgan, Arthur’s half-fae sister. It is written in first person from Morgan’s point of view and split into two parts: her life in the castle and her life on a quest. There are major themes of spousal, child, animal, and power abuse with a splash of racism. If you are sensitive to those topics, I would not recommend this book to you.

I will be honest and am sorry to say that I found this book difficult to read and was unable to finish. It has a lot of potential to be great. The story telling, timeline, and grammar are passable, but I had a lot of issues with character development, which I will address later in this review. After reading 75% of the book, I couldn’t get myself to want to read it. I decided to clean my bathroom over picking up the book to read. It is listed as a Romantic Fantasy on Amazon so I tried to stick it out to see if there would be any spicy scenes, but didn’t get far enough to find out. Personally, after 75%, if there isn’t even a kiss in sight, I don’t consider it a romance. It was also too slow in the romance department for me to consider it a slow burn.

As aforementioned, the themes didn’t bother me so much as the character development. As the reader, we hear all of Morgan’s thoughts. From the beginning, she trains with knights and seems to be a strong female character. Her thoughts are strong and she seemed to be able to defeat opponents in sparring matches with her strength. Her actions, however, contradict her thoughts. She wants to be strong, but is easily manipulated and submissive. Even in a historical setting, her submissive was a little much for me to stomach.

It is often mentioned that she has been sworn to go to the sanctuary to be with the high priestess Merlin, where she will be devoted to the Three, their favored gods. Morgan says over and over that she has no fae magic, yet she takes a medicine every other night without question. It is clear that this medicine, which her fae mother also took, suppresses any magic that Morgan may have while also making her debilitatingly ill. Yet, she tells herself and the reader that she has no magic.

She also has very striking gray hair that sets her apart from other 20-something-year-old females in the text. At one point, she goes behind Arthur’s back and helps a civilian hunting party kill a boar for food. She has been the princess her whole life with gray hair that makes her stand out, yet she thinks that these villagers don’t know who she is when she shows up to help them. She quickly fell into the “too dumb to live” type of character for me.

There are also side characters whom I wasn’t at all convinced were what they said they were. Namely the assassin, Kairos Draven. In Part 2, he, Morgan, and another character called Whitehorn set off on a quest to retrieve Excalibur. Whitehorn is a power hungry abuser in his own right, but also the lapdog of King Arthur. Whitehorn forces Morgan to take her medicine nightly, instead of every other night. This in turn causes Morgan to become very sick and unable to eat or sleep. Draven tells her to stop taking the medicine because she is growing weaker from lack of food or sleep. She asks him how he knows she’s not sleeping when she’s in her tent and he’s sleeping outside. He tells her that he sleeps near her and can hear her tossing and turning. That is believable to me. Yet, later on in the story, Whitehorn tries to kidnap Morgan by binding and gagging her in the middle of the night. Whitehorn tries to get her onto a horse while he also brutally kills Draven’s horse so that they won’t be followed. Draven only wakes up when Whitehorn turns to try to kill him in his sleep. So Draven can hear her tossing and turning in the tent, but not any commotion of her being abducted and then his poor horse being killed? It is just too far-fetched for me to believe that if he’s a great assassin, that he wouldn’t have woken up.

I could go on with examples of why each major character is flawed beyond believability, but think I’ve made my point. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me.

A fresh take on an Arthurian retelling.

Morgan, our FMC, is the eldest child in the royal family. However, her younger brother Arthur surpassed her to be seated on the throne after their father passes. (Big mistake, Arthur is unhinged).
To get Morgan out of the way, Arthur sends her on a quest, surrounded by enemies, to retrieve a magical object. (I LOVE a good quest plot line). Briar Boleyn does a quest right! Though it spans a long amount of time (long travels can get boring), there were so many action filled encounters with new creatures and people that I never felt bored.
This first book is light on the romance. I can appreciate a slow burn.

My critiques for this book are that it took quite a while for the King Arthur elements to become apparent aside from the obvious character names. Some of the chapters felt incredibly long.

This book was full of surprises! I definitely recommend it and can't wait to continue the series.

Key elements / tropes:
King Arthur retelling
Fae
Quest
Caretaking
Slow burn
Betrayals

In Queen of Roses, readers are invited on an extraordinary journey through a world brimming with adventure, emotion, and discovery. From the very first page, Boleyn masterfully crafts a narrative that captivates the imagination and keeps readers eagerly turning the pages.

One of the most compelling aspects of Queen of Roses is its richly developed characters. Each protagonist is expertly drawn, with their own unique quirks, strengths, and vulnerabilities. As they navigate the challenges and triumphs of their journey, readers will find themselves deeply invested in their fates, rooting for their success and empathizing with their struggles.

But it's not just the characters that shine in Queen of Roses; the world-building is equally impressive. Briar has created a vivid and immersive setting that feels both familiar and fantastical.

There is a lot that I liked about this story and it's got sooo much potential.

Morgan is a strong half fae, forced to blend in with her human family. Her brother, the King, is absolutely a tyrant, and sets her forth on a journey to help "prepare for war".

It's actually kinda bullshit. Lol. I mean that in the best way.

This story is filled with so much political turmoil, who to trust, who's truly protecting her, who and what are these people even.

“Stop. Is that his fucking name?” Draven’s voice was icy. “Is that his fucking name on you?”

Draven was my absolute favorite! While I couldn't tell if I could trust him, their enemies to not even lovers but I hope it does, was really good. He's a cocky, scary, demanding brute of a man.

I found myself hooked to this story after the first few chapters. To follow along on their journey to see who were the good guys. I haven't figured it out yet. Book ends on a cliff hanger!

While I really enjoyed the book, the story was starting to feel a bit long. It was filled with so much travel, while also, just soooo much talking. Weird of me to pick on that but I just wanted a little bit more world building.

Overall, a great start to this series, and I'm invested in continuing.

*Thank you to NetGalley & Starwater Press for sending me a digital copy to review*

I knew this was a fantasy book before I started but didn’t realise it was an adaptation of the legend of King Arthur. I really loved how the author altered these characters - putting Morgan as the FMC and continuing the tradition of Morgan le Fay being fae (or part fae) with this story illustrating her discovery of her heritage. I also loved that Lancelot is a woman in this story but is still a fierce and loyal knight and friend.

In this story, King Arthur is not the same figure we all know. Instead, it is Morgan who is trying to do what she can to help her kingdom even after being stripped of the crown thanks to her fae blood. It’s her love for her kingdom and also her brothers that she agrees to go on this quest for a sword that she doesn’t believe exists.

I thought it was pretty obvious who the MMC was, especially since they started as enemies from the very beginning. I didn’t care for the other love interest, it was obvious to me that he wouldn't be sticking around for long. Morgan is inexperienced when it comes to romantic relationships so I did feel bad for her.

Overall I enjoyed this take on a well-known legend and it ended on an interesting cliffhanger. Not sure yet whether or not I want to continue reading the series.

I received this book as an ARC through Netgalley.

I’m always excited to find a new fantasy read, and this was a super fun first book in a series!

I don’t know the Arthur’s and the knights of the round table story very well, but this was a really fun retelling. And a breath of fresh air with a new inspiration for a retelling.

I was very intrigued to see what would happen to all of our characters, and I loved seeing all of the different relationships that were formed.

There was a lot of twists and turns that kept the plot interesting and kept me on my toes.

I did find this first book fall a bit into the first book syndrome, but I think that has a lot to do with setting up the story. At times it was very predictable, with long long chapters.

Morgan was also extremely naive and trusted too easily at points that were very obvious. It was very frustrating at times, but did not deter my enjoyment of the book. I suspect it will also lead to some character development later in the series.

Overall, I had the best time with this book and it was a fantastic start to this series. I can’t wait to continue!

"Queen of Roses" is a masterpiece of dark fantasy! From the very first chapter, I was completely hooked on this retelling of the Arthurian legend, where magic and intrigue intertwine masterfully. Author has created a rich and detailed world that fully immerses you in the story.

The plot is filled with unexpected twists and suspenseful moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. The balance of romance, action, and magic is so well done that you can't help but devour every page.

The ending leaves you craving more, and I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series. If you're a fan of retellings, dark fantasy, and intense romances, you can't miss "Queen of Roses"! Highly recommended!!

“I burn for you, Morgan. You’ve set me aflame…”

Tropes: Slow-burn romance, enemies-to-lovers, Arthurian retelling, dark romance, fae, bodyguard, brooding LI

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley, Briar Boleyn, and Starwater Press for providing me with a free copy of this book to review.

I knew next to nothing about this book going in, let alone that it was a King Arthur retelling, but I was pleasantly surprised! I enjoyed this book so much. Lately, there have been so many Fae-themed books that it’s easy for all of them to lean on each other, borrowing details and familiar tones and lores. This story felt unique.

Morgan is a well-balanced mix of boldness and naivety. I did enjoy reading from her perspective, but Draven was the true star of the story for me. If you have a thing for mysterious, hot, growling beefcakes, Kairos Draven is right up your alley. He fits all the tropes but in an exciting, anticipating way.

I’m eager to see how Morgan changes in the next books. Her innocence plays a big role in this story due to her upbringing. After that massive cliffhanger though, everything is sure to change for both main characters. And while some scenes were a bit predictable (I knew a certain someone was suspicious!), overall I categorize this book as a must-read for Dark Romance lovers. The writing style is simplistic, making it an easy read. The characters are interesting and kept me hooked (I’m looking at you, Draven). The theme is a blend of fresh and familiar. I’m excited to start book 2!

This was a good read. As with some fantasy books, the world building and introduction of characters makes up the first half of the book. Boleyn does a great job with building a fantasy world with likable characters who grow during the book. The story is well thought out and leaves you wanting to dive into the second book.

This story was a little slow to get going somewhere. The world, magic and characters are familiar for fantasy romance readers. I did enjoy the second half more so and will be continuing.

This book!

A princess who will never be queen. Half fae with a human family, her brother the king who hates fae. Forced to take a tonic since she was a child, forced to hide her true self, she doesn’t even know who that is, she has lived a half life. Awful things happen to Morgan & it’s really confusing watching her acceptance of everything she is dealt… I love the broody & strong MMC, what is a romantasy without one!

The mystery, the betrayal, the character development… the CLIFFHANGER! Starting book 2 asap!

Mmmm I smell a rising new fantasy romance. This has great plot, lovable characters, cool world building and just an all around enjoyable read. I look forward to the next book!

Queen of Roses is exceptional. I absolutely loved the King Arthur retelling. I must admit I was blown away. The mystery, world building and storytelling is so well done I am completely mind blown. This book was sooooo good I am definitely diving right into book two! If you haven’t already read this book get it now you won’t be disappointed. I highly recommend it

This is a new plot and it was exciting. It is filled with lots of twists and unexpected adventures that were thrilling and gave me space to theorise on my own. The story started slow and gained time for the world-building but once it was established, it flowed fast like butter slipping out of hands.

It was told by Morgan’s POV and I didn’t feel the need to get any other POV until it came close to the end, and now I want to know the other aspects too. There was so much happening in the last 30-35% of the book that I didn’t leave the book for anything and kept on reading.

I want answers, why was Morgan taking the tonic, other than the reason that her mother was taking it too? What did she remember at the end? What will happen now? What was the role of Draven? From where did he come into the picture? What is the history of Fae? What are Morgan's magical traits?

There is so much to explore and I can’t wait to do just that. I loved how Morgan took charge of things in spite of being under confident in many things. She has a heart of gold and it clearly shows while reading the book. Do read the triggers first, although they are not elaborated in the story but still do read them first.

Draven is really a wild card with very little information on him throughout but at the end we get some surprising facts. He is one character for whom I made a lot of theories and some were right but some came as fresh surprise and I am all ready to know further. This world is dangerous but is captivating too.

Whew what a whirlwind.

I liked this book a lot and will be reading the 2nd one.

I enjoyed Draven's character more than Morgan's but that tends to happen to me.

I did not see the full twist coming but knew something was up!