Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn
This is book one in a dark, fae re-telling of the well-known Arthurian legend in the search for Excalibur but Arthur plays a bitter and cruel villain and Morgan is the innocent one.

Plot:
Book one follows the journey of Morgan, who is the eldest of the Pendragon children and should have been queen once her father died, but she was disinherited in favor of her half-brother, Arthur, due to her tainted fae blood because her mother was fae.  She suffers abuse by those in the kingdom who should protect her and her brother King Arthur does nothing to shelter her from it.  He sends her on a dangerous campaign to find Excalibur, a weapon that has eluded many who have tried to find it over the centuries. Morgan is accompanied by two very dangerous guards on this quest and her brother doesn't care what they do to her as long as they accomplish the task.  Kairos Draven and Ragnar Whitehorn, have bad reputations and she is not sure they have orders from King Arthur to return to Camelot with her after it is found.  

Characters:
Morgan is extremely naive throughout the story and although had training to fight, did little to stop her abusers.  Once they were on the quest, however, she experienced growth in confidence and strength and began to fight back with those who meant her harm.  Draven is a handsome rugged "take no BS" kind of man.  As hard as he is, he doesn't like to see people suffer and tries to keep Morgan safe and over the time they spend together she sees a different side of him than what she thought she knew.  These two had some fun banter together and meshed well as main characters.  I was shipping them to be more as they spent more time together.  

Merlin, Lancelet, and Galahad are her friends and they all care for each other.  They are all women too which is a nice little twist.  Rather than them being pro-Arthur, they are pro-Morgan.  She is the one suffering and being the punching bag for being a half-breed and never giving them reason to not trust her.  

Worldbuilding:
This world was more interesting with the addition of fae and included some fantasy animals as well.  It took a bit for the story to build up, so if you hang in there, it gets more action.  I assume as the books continue that will keep happening since the first book sets up the scene.  

Overall Thoughts:
In the first few chapters, I was getting used to what was happening since there were some changes in the well-known characters and I needed to get used to that storyline.  Then the chapters stalled out a bit taking time to build what was going on, how she was as a character and how she was treated.  It was very different from what I knew of this legendary tale.  Once Morgan got out onto the road and their journey got going, things started to pick up and she started to stick up for herself.  The characters are great and I have high hopes that they will continue to grow and the realm with new exciting additions.  The book ended on a cliffhanger and will be interesting to see how it plays out. 

Thank you to the publisher and author for the NetGalley ARC of this book to read and give an honest review.

What an amazing surprise! A completely new spin on the legends of camelot, a tale of knights and Kings, of human and fae.
Morgan lives a life decided for her, hidden and overlooked by most, devoid of the magic that her part fae blood is known to produce and at the mercy of men more powerful than she. When great hardships befall the people, and the Kings prejudices becoming more apparent, she must take on an epic quest of danger, violence, romance and mystery!
I can't wait for part 2!

An aurthurian retelling with a Fae world setting, say no more I was sold!

We follow our mysterious FMC, Morgan whose journey has only just begun. With twists and turns, it’s time to discover who Morgan really is!

With chaotic family dynamics, a daring quest and tests of loyalty was completely spellbinding!

What I liked:
* The prologue was a strong start, it had me gripped and asking all sorts of questions, who is our FMC talking about, what lies ahead?
* The world building was super strong, we travelled across Eskria and you were truly immersed into Arthurian times - lovely descriptions including this quote which I could see so vividly in my head “the walls were covered with vibrantly-coloured tapestries that told the stories of glorious battles and conquests.”, and the rose filled throne room, what a delight!
* The detailing of the garments, such finery. The richness of the court jumped off the page, the knights and so forth. The descriptions of the characters were also beautiful, “like the wings of a swan”
* I also felt like I was learning, with all the history of the statues and goddess sculptures, worshipping of old religions and more, it was so interesting!
* The creatures!! Again I really hope there is much more in the next book, it was thrilling.

Criticisms:
* it took me a while to get into the story, I wasn’t instantly connected to the characters and at times the development felt a little flat, particularly the dialogue at the beginning with the friendly character exchanges. However there was lots of potential and I’m glad I carried on as my opinion changed later into ‘book 2’ where as the story progressed so did the characters
* I struggled with Morgan’s and Lancelets friendship, I feel her dialogue didn’t add too much to the story hence I struggled to feel connected to Lancelet and truly feel their friendship which led to later in the book not being a greater revelation unfortunately for me but that’s just my personal opinion.

characters thoughts:
* kaye is such a sweetie, I really hope we see more of him
* I was genuinely upset with how much I disliked Arthur, after loving the tv show Merlin, I couldn’t fathom how Arthur could be so cruel, well done to the author for really changing my opinion!!
* Florian doesn’t get more mention than this.
* Vesper… I sort of saw it coming, it just didn’t quite add up but all the same I loved his role in the story. All I’m saying is well deserved
* Morgan, I’m so intrigued by her. I want to know more, I need to know more. Especially with that ending!
* Draven, our mysterious love interest. So brooding, with a caring streak of course masked, there’s so much we still don’t know about him and I can’t wait to find out more! the twist at the end left me so intrigued, what happens next? Where is the story going to go?

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Starwater Press & of course the author for this opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book has potential. I did like the storyline and the direction it was going. However, I felt like it just dragged on. I don’t know if it was because I didn’t connect that well with Morgan or if she was just too trusting that drove me nuts. I also didn’t understand the whole brother part. I needed more information. I did enjoy reading the book and it was a quick read.
Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read the book and give my honest opinion. Thank you, Briar Boleyn, for allowing me to give my honest opinion. I will be reading more of your work!

Honestly, this book turned out better than I thought it would. The characters were interesting and well written. The ending left enough hanging to push you to the next book. Except for that weird John Wick part in the middle it's a solid fantasy story.

3.75⭐️

Inspired by the Arthurian legend, set in a world with faes and magic, “Queen of Roses” is a romantasy full of intrigues, court politics, lore, action and a little bit of magic. Although I’m sure the last one will change in the following books.
First things first, Morgan is a half-fae knife wife and I immediately loved her for this. Whenever a princess or queen decides to take up sparring or whatever form of combat, I’m immediately on my knees for her.
Now, in this world Arthur is not the heroic noble king we know nor is Morgan (Morgana) an evil witch. To be fair, Morgan is no witch at all.
Her whole character is enveloped in mystery given that both she and us don’t know much about her past and background, given that she’s half fae. What does that mean? Apparently that she has white hair, that’s all we know in the beginning. But of course, with a kind and compassionate heart, combat skills and determination Morgan is meant for more. And we follow along in her journey of discovery to what exactly “more” means.

Now, I really liked the world building. It was not hard to follow, I loved the court politics, the whole world’s politics along with its tradition, religion and folklore. However, I feel like there were some things that could have been explained in more details. What I mean is that, since the story is from Morgan’s pov and she’s always lived in the palace, there are some things about her history and the mythology of her world when she does. In some scenes I honestly felt like as much as Morgan was the chosen one and the one with a mission, she didn’t care much to learn all the whys and hows. If she did, it would have been helpful for us to understand some key elements better. Or maybe it was done on purpose and we’re going to learn more in the following books. We’ll see.
In regards to the “romance” aspect of this romantasy, it’s a slow burn. So there’s not a lot of it, especially since they can’t stand each other. Are they enemies? Kind of. In this regard as well, I think the base for the slow burn romance could have been woven a little more intricately. Based on what I’ve read so far, the two are very far from forming any kind of relationship. There’s only animosity between them and a modicum of respect maybe. Was that enough to justify the final scene? In my opinion, no. It surprised me a little bit, to be honest.
I also felt like the final scenes were really confusing with the introduction of new characters and consequently more lore that gets only mentioned.
I have high hopes for the next book though. I’m curious to learn more about these characters and this world.

In all honesty I almost didn't start this series at all. After DNF on a different Arthurian series I was tempted to skip this one and I am so glad I didn't. Morgan is a strong FMC who has overcome huge traumas but remains selfless and focused on others. I love that even though it was clear that Draven was the MMC to focus on, it didn't feel forced. This story was a fun adventure with just enough twists and turns to make it hard to put down.

Read this if you like:
➡️ Slow Burn
➡️ He falls first
➡️ Political intrigue
➡️ Morally gray characters
➡️ Road trip on horses
➡️ She thinks she hates him
➡️ Who did this to you

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🔥🔥

Takes Arthurian legend and upends it!

Interesting reworking of the Arthurian legend. In this book, Britain’s King Arthur is not the beloved king who pulled the sword Excalibur from the stone but is a cruel, sadistic tyrant. His sister Morgan (presumably she will become Morgan la Fay) is the heroine of the story rather than the villain. Some nice plot development and I would definitely read the next in the series.

📚Queen of Roses, Blood of a Fae Book 1
🖋️Author: Briar Boleyn
📆Publication date: April 15 2023
🗂️Genre: Adult Dark Fantasy Romance

•ARC REVIEW•

5/⭐️

📌Summary:
“Court of Claws” by Briar Boleyn is the first installment of the series “Blood of a Fae”. The series is an Arthurian retelling but focusing on his sister, Morgan.

Morgan who is rumored to have the blood of the fae, is tasked by her brother to find a fae weapon and Morgan jumps on this opportunity right away. As she plunges in the world, she undergoes adventures and she unravels secrets long buried.

📌Review:
This book was such an amazing start to an epic series. I am a sucker for any fae fantasy books and this book was no exception. I really liked the pacing and I adored Morgan. The slow burn was slow burning and I can’t wait to see that’s next.

📌Thoughts:
As I am writing this, I am reading the second book of the series.

I would like to thank Netgalley for the free copy.

Trigger warnings: descriptions of violence, death, abuse, sexual content, Tropes: slow burn, enemies to lovers, one bed/tent, found family, forced proximity, princess and guard, who did this to you
Thank you Netgalley, Starwater press, and Briar Boelyn for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book so much, I personally feel like so many fantasy books start to get really predictable and just when i thought i had everything figured out, the cliffhanger hit and I was running to get book 2. And then, like the impatient person I am, I then got book 2 and devoured it before i remembered to type of this ARC review. I’ve read so many books that I can usually take a pretty good guess about what is going to happen, and not to brag but I’m often right. I was rarely right during this book and I really can’t say I’m upset about it. Throughout the book my heart hurt so much for Morgan, she had been through so much and still she never yielded. Highly recommend for all of my other Jennifer l armentrout, Sarah j maas readers out there who love badass FMCs!

Amazing!!! Couldn't put it down. Such a great spin on the old King Arthur stories. So many plot twists it kept me guessing. Can't wait to read the rest of the series!!!!

Wow! So I went into this expecting a good book, but was blown away. If the rest of the series is like this, it will be moving into my top 10 favorite lists! So good!!

This amazing Fantasy Romance is Book 1 in the Blood Of A Fae series.
The romance in this book is more of a slow burn.
The spice is very mild. The book does have adult themes.
The book overall moves at a steady pace following the FMC as she is tasked with finding an impossible relic for her tyrant king, who is also her brother. Along her journey she has some serious self discovery moments. There is romance, action, mystery, and some shocking events.
The characters are written wonderfully. They have emotional depth, and strong personalities. Their banter really leaves you wanting more.
The world building is complex. Due to this the book does start out a little slower, as the author builds this intriguing world for her readers to slip into.

»»—— ~"War leaves no honor. Only horror." ——««

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the following thoughts and opinions will be of my own!

THE PLOT:
This book is dark fantasy romance retelling of the legend of King Arthur and His Knights on their quest for Excalibur, featuring similar names and locations but with a special spin of fae and other mythical creatures. Born into a life full of duty, cruelty and sacrifice, Morgan Pendragon has never had her own destiny or future. As she carries the blood of the fae in her veins from her mother, her royal birthright is stolen from her while she is just a child and given to her brother Arthur. Coming close to the age of service and promise to the goddesses, Morgan begins to question her whole life and who she is truly living it for. After Arthur commands that she goes on a journey to retrieve a fae weapon of legendary power, Morgan seizes the chance to break free of her fate and duties in order to live life for herself. Drawn into a band of outcasts led by a dark and captivating King's Guard, she and her new friends come across many dangers and unknown creatures waiting for them that are beyond any of their scariest nightmares.

MY THOUGHTS:
To start off this book has some darker scenes and themes, and if you have some triggers I do believe it is extremely important to locate the trigger warning list at the end of the book to see if this is right for you. I am so glad I had the chance to read this book, and this series deserves so much more praise! Both the fantasy and the romance aspects were AMAZING, and I was hooked with the compelling storytelling, world building and well rounded characters. Briar Boleyn has a way of writing that is both lyrical and hooking without being overly descriptive and flowery, it helped to paint a vivid world full of magic, power and danger. The world building was done flawlessly and contains its own unique lore, mythology, history and political struggles that adds depth and layers of complexity to the story. While the romantic relationship between the two main characters doesn't have a lot of page time within this first book, the tension is PALPABLE! This series is a SLOWWWWWW burn where the relationship builds more with each book, and if you're anything like me you'll truly enjoy this style of book. I absolutely adored the "great quest" aspect and while it does start off a little slow, the pace builds up as they go on their journey and I loved every second of the adventure! Queen of Roses does leave off on many cliffhangers that builds suspense for the following books in the series, the information and events that are revealed had me itching to get my hands on Court of Claws ASAP so be prepared! This series is perfect for those who love romantasy, dark fantasy, fae, tension, slow burn, and a very creative and unique take on King Arthur

DNF about 60%

I will say, the first 20-30% had my full attention & I was so invested!! It started off SO good. I’m not entirely sure where it started to go wrong by I just completely lost interest by 60%. I tried SO hard to keep going, I just wasn’t connecting to the book anymore, it was mostly the FMC…. I hope she has some big character development in the next books of the series. I wanted to like her so bad but I just couldn’t get past how clueless she was.
I did LOVE the mmc though! He was written so well.
I think this book had ALOT of potential. I see the other books in the series are raved about, I one day hope to pick this back up and try again!

This is my review for Queen of Roses, first book in Blood Of A Fae series by Briar Boleyn.

Thank you so much for this ARC via Netgalley.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved it so much that I binged the entire series over a weekend.
This book had everything.

*Enemies to lovers
*Bonded mates
*Found family
*Betrayal
*Unstoppable, force to be reckoned with love
*Incredible banter
*Well written characters
*Magical creatures
*Fae of all sorts
*Excellent world building

I got lost in this book. I didn't want the series to end. Emotional attachments were made, and tears were shed. This truly was a book where you fall in love with the characters and experience their heartbreak, love, and friendships.
With an Arthur and the knights of the round table feel, you get immersed in Camelot and the other worlds.
Highly recommend this book

Queen of Roses is a very easy and quick read. As book one of the series, the character and story development move at a nice pace. I look forward to continuing the rest of the series. I would recommend this book to fans of the Throne of Glass series. It is YA-leaning with a hint of romance that seems to be building for the rest of the series.

This is a DNF for me. Personally doesn’t hold my interest. I wanted to keep pushing through but it felt very much forced. I can see how others would be drawn in though.

Queen of Roses Is packed full of action with a slow-burn romance which is everything I love in a story. This retelling of King Arthur had me on edge and I loved it!

This had all my favourite fantasy tropes! I really liked the female MC and can't wait for more spice in the next books.

A dark fantasy inspired by the legend of King Arthur and let me just say I’m OBSESSED. Could not put this down. It’s fun and action packed and the TENSION! I just know this slow burn is going to be so good