First things first. Briar, I need book 3 please!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Briar Boleyn.

Continuing right where we left off in Queen of Roses, Morgan is back and on another continent, saved by Kairos Draven. Her best friend gone, her kingdom at war. And she's living with the Siabra who hate her. All while fighting her powers, her man, and her duties.

Kairos Draven longs to take over his Kingdom to right the wrongs of his father and Sephone, but the trials are deadly. Can he win to protect his Kingdom and save Morgan and her people?

There's a lot to unpack in this book. I enjoyed this one even more than the first book. Although I have to say, Morgan, stop pushing back!!

I am OBSESSED with this series! I cant wait to read more of Draven and Morgan in the next book. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance, fantasy, or found family books, or who enjoyed A Court of Thornes and Roses series.

Book 1 ended on such a cliffhanger okay, I was excited for this book for so long, and it really delivered! This book is set in a totally different environment, with a whole new set of politics and backstabbings and history reveals to navigate. I loved the new world and character reveals, things became really fae really fast. Also, please, there was yet another cliffhanger :')) Can't wait for book 3!

TWs - violence, murder, death of children (past)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Thank you very much to Briar Boleyn and Starwater Press for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Court of Claws is the second book in the Blood of a Fae series by Briar Boleyn.

Morgan and Draven are now in the Court of Umbral Flames and Draven names Morgan as his paramour ( mistress or courtesan) Morgan is furious and distrustful of him. Draven's reasoning is he's protecting her from the Queen Regent and her court, Morgan however feels a prisoner in his land.

I'll just start by saying I bloody loved this book I crammed down each chapter as I went along more as I got to the second half, it's faced paced and full of absolutely delightful characters and intensifies more with the fascinating world building included are;

* enemies to lovers
* strong powerful FMC and MMC
* Fae
* powers
* action
* deadly competition
* forced proximity
* power of blood
* continued legend retelling

I've already checked when the next book is out Empress of Fae it's released November 15th I can't wait to continue the series.

This is a bit of a mixed bag for me. Overall I really enjoyed the actual plot, but from about 50 pages in, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to finish the book. I absolutely hated Morgen, the main character. I was a bit iffy about her in the first book but she is absolutely insufferable in this one. She comes across as a petulant little brat, she just complains about everything and hates everyone, luckily, the remaining characters carried the story so I was able to plod along. It felt a bit long winded leading up to the middle, almost like pages for the sake of pages, but after the halfway (ish) mark I read the rest in one sitting (one of the times I've been thankful for being incapable in DNF-ing a book).
There are some really great characters in the book, and, courtesy of some great writing, some absolutely stunning Fae. The characters have a lot of depth to them, with the exception of the very one dimensional Morgen, they're all very dynamic. My particular favourites are Rychel and Lyrastra, and of course, Nightclaw. This rich array or characters carried the story until the plot really got going. I'm giving this a 3.5 star rating. I'm not rounding this up to 4 as that's the rating I gave the first book and I enjoyed that one a lot more than this.

I'm so happy I got to read Court of Claws, sequel to Queen of Roses, by author Briar Boleyn.

It was a great read and probably my favorite of the two. I loved reading about Draven's back story and everything that happened to him. It showed a different side to him than what was in book 1. The tension between Morgan and Draven was the best, along with the spicy moments.

My favorite storyline was for sure the trials that Draven faced along with the other contestants. While I'm not particularly fond of gore, I felt it was done in a manner that wasn't too grotesque. It definitely kept me on my toes and made for a great read.

I'm so looking forward to book 3!!!

*I would like to thank NetGalley for kindly offering me a copy of this book to review - all thoughts and opinions are my own*

This book definitely topped the first one in the series. There was significantly more character and world development. The second book in a series has a habit of being bad, but not this one. The whole idea of the Champions Tournament definitely caught and held my attention. Plots based around any kind of competition or game are always so much fun! Though, Morgan really gets under my skin. She needs to take a chill pill. I understand wanting to make a strong female lead, but she is just too difficult sometimes and frustrating to read. Overall a great read!!

I'm so thoroughly impressed with this book. Court of Claws picks up shortly after Queen of Roses leaves off, finding Morgan in truly unfamiliar territory as she grapples with what happened in Meridium. And, as if that's not enough, she's thrust into playing a game of pretend with Draven in the name of her safety. But is it really pretend if, the longer their situation goes on, the more she starts to wish it to be true?

From start to finish this book was packed with action and plot twists that kept me on my toes and, at times, precariously flailing at the edge of my seat. Although we don't see many supporting characters from book one on the page their fate is constantly in question through Morgan's thoughts and demands, and a whole new cast of side characters gets introduced, each one just as intriguing and unique as the others. Personally, I adored Crescent and Odessa. The fact that they bring more diversity and representation to this universe is a much appreciated added bonus.

And Morgan and Draven? My God. If I thought I loved them before I'm probably a super fan of them now. Their banter is so cheeky and entertaining. Their chemistry is off the charts. As someone who always enjoys a good spicy read I can officially say there was more than enough material here to leave me sweating. It was all woven so seamlessly into the overall story, though. There was a never a point where I felt like the plot was sacrificed for the romance developing between them. No scenes that I felt detracted from the pacing and progression purely for the sake of added in another encounter between the MC's.

All in all, I think Boleyn did an impeccable job with Court of Claws. The pacing wasn't rushed nor did any parts of the book drag on. The characters were as much of a delight as I've come to expect in her writing, and the plot twists were THAT GOOD. The last few chapters had me absolutely screaming and I can't wait to see how things pan out in the next book in this series.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
Ugh, I really wanted to love this, but I struggled.

First off, I struggled with liking Morgan. I felt like she had so much potential to grow into herself and become this strong, powerful leader. But I felt like instead, she got whiny and almost childish. And while I also wasn’t a fan of Draven (and did not love him keeping SUCH A BIG AND IMPORTANT secret from her), I felt that often she was just blaming him for problems she didn’t even attempt to fix. I feel like she completely disregarded her own kingdom, until the end when she realized she can’t really rule two kingdoms. I felt like her time in the third trial helped show her in as a strong and powerful FMC, just for her to immediately regress when it came to defending the castle. (Which also that entire scene was weird? Was it the Valtain? The dead children? I’m still confused…)

Like I said, I didn’t like Draven. I felt like we got very little of him in this book. And when we did get something of him, it turns out he’s been keeping the literal biggest secret ever of all time From Morgan. Which doesn’t even make sense, because he’d previously been encouraging Morgan to rule her kingdom and usurp Arthur. Just to turn around and be like “justttt kidding you must now take the throne in MY kingdom :)”. Ugh. I loved Draven in the first book. But it’s going to take a lot in book 3 for me to come around to him again.

It took more than half of the book for anything exciting to happen. Most of the beginning was dialogue that I struggled to get through, mainly because as previously stated, I found it repetitive and childish coming from Morgan. I also sensed a strong ACOTAR influence (trials, especially a riddle trial, the descriptions of the Umbral Throne/Noctasia was giving Court of Nightmares vs Velaris, even what Morgan wore to the pre trials gala was almost an exact description of what Feyre wore to the CoN, the court of Draven gave Inner Circle vibes, the if you die I die bond, even some of the quotes, etc.).

For me this was not nearly as strong as the first book. I’m interested to see what Morgan does in her own kingdom in regards to Arthur. Also the cliffhanger at the end has me intrigued. I wish there was more about Excalibur since that was the entire point of the first book and then we heard nothing about it. I’m also really interested in Morgan’s actual past and who she really is. I’m read the next one because I have a lot of unanswered questions, but I did think the first one was much stronger.

This is the second book in the Blood of a Fae series by Briar Boleyn. Court of Claws picks up where Queen of Roses leaves off, making it important to read book one first. Morgan finds herself in another royal court, on a new continent, filled with a species she thought was purely myth. This book revolves around a contest for the new Emperor/Empress, in which Draven is participating. The spice drastically increases in this book. While there are amazing adult scenes, they are expertly woven into the storyline. There is not smut for the sake of smut.
Briar Boleyn builds yet another amazing world within this book. The character development is impeccable. There are new friends, enemies, and some to be determined. I love that the characters come in all forms and with all preferences. If you enjoyed the first book, you will love this one. So much more happens between Morgan and Draven. The ending will have you waiting, impatiently, for the third book. I know I personally cannot wait for it. I read this book in two days.
Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Queer characters, Grumpy meets Sunshine, Found Family, Diverse Characters, Hidden Magic, Magic
Triggers:
This is a dark romance story. There are elements of abuse, kidnapping, animal abuse, infertility, violence, and death.

Right from the get go this book was told at a much faster pace than book one. I was hooked, I couldn’t quit reading it.

While this book is a loose retelling of Morgan, King Arthur’s sister, I felt this book had similar vibes to The Hunger Games & An Ember in the Ashes series. The scenes flowed so smoothly and I could picture everything in this book, and at times I didn’t want to. Dang, Briar can really write some gory scenes!

I am once again OUTRAGED AT THE CLIFFHANGER! I have to wait till November for the next book?!? I am not okay with that!

Thank you Briar Boleyn and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought Queen of Roses was a strong start - however, Court of Claws is EVEN BETTER!!

The world building continued to go from strength to strength in this book and I really loved the little intricacies thrown in. I've got so much respect for the emotions and the need to KEEP ON READING that this author instilled into me. It was wonderful. I also loved that the hunger style games that feature in this book were actually pretty brutal, this author is not afraid to shy away from the action!

Again, I really love the Characters in this book. The twists and turns were amazing. Even emotion was triggered in this book, and the ending has left me ITCHING to read book 3 (seriously, I NEED IT). I read this book in ONE DAY. I Just could not put it down.

The deceit, the characters, the story, the world, NIGHTCLAW. I JUST LOVE IT.

I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for any ARC of the third book - and I think I saw a whisper of hardcovers?! (THESE WILL BE AN INSTANT BUY). Can't believe how quickly this one flew into my favourites. Fairyloot should pick it up and make a special edition out of it!!!

I loved book 1 in this series and I was not disappointed by the second. Great fantasy story, fin, fast paced and exciting to the end.

I enjoyed this one more than Queen of Roses but I also had things that bothered me. First off, I loved how feisty Morgan was in this book. That was a huge improvement for me. But Draven honestly felt like a different character. Maybe that was on purpose since he was in his court and had to play a certain role. I really enjoyed learning more about Morgan's past and all the battlecat/training montages. The trials were a little meh for me. Especially the last one. It seemed like it was over too fast. The ending was a shock. Morgan's reaction to everything was very childish. I thought she had outgrown this streak but apparently not. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and look forward to book 3.

Thank you to the author and Starwater Press for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh. My. Goodness. This book just like the first caught me within the first few pages the last one I finished within a 24 hour period this one didnt even take me that long. I could not stop. The plot twists and the spice make this worth reading. Before reading hunker down with some snacks and drinks because if you start you wont stop either. This one also like the first ends in a cliffhanger but luckily the third and last book of the series comes out November 15th, 2023 and extra bonus all three will be on Kindle Unlimited! I highly recommend reading.

Well! If you thought Morgan had a lot on her plate in book 1 - get ready for a bigger plate in book 2!

She's lost one of her best friends, she's having weird, extremely vivid dreams and she's pretty sure she died at one point. But here she is awake and somehow hundreds of miles and cross the ocean from where she last was!

Morgan was taken to the Court of Umbral Flames by Draven as a last gasp measure to save her. But now he's got politics and his very own tricky family to navigate. His step-mother is right of a fairytale, his sister in law hates him for saving her and his people seem to be split in whether they are happy he has returned or not!

Morgan's reeling from a lot of new information about Draven, the Siabra, Valtain and her place within all this. Oh and the slight matter that Draven told everyone she is his mistress! He says it's to keep her safe but what is his real agenda?

The pacing in book 2 is a bit quicker but no less detailed. The romance is NOT lacking either. Draven is on a mission to cement Morgan to his side, whether to his advantage of hers. He's still not very straight forward with her but you can see that his motivation isn't about control and possession but more about protection and love. He is the epitome of "touch her and die" vibes, lol.

Morgan's walls go up again and again. But as her history unfolds, we can see how some of these walls were not of her own making. She really does have a problem about trusting the wrong people and just when I despaired things were going to go pear shaped she does a truly noble thing. As much as she matures in this book you can still see slices of her naivety and you have to remember that she's not quite 21 yet and dealing with A LOT.

I'm super intrigued to see how book 3 is going to tie up all these loose ends in my head. I mean that last chapter or so - WTH! Now I have to wait to see Merlin and Co fit into the finale.

3 ⭐️

✨Deadly Trials
✨Court Politics
✨Magical Creatures
✨Slow Burn
✨Relationship of Convenience
✨One Bed
✨Found Family

This book was definitely better than the first. I enjoyed the plot and storyline so much more. The idea of the Blood Rise to compete for the empires next ruler, I thoroughly enjoyed.

I also really enjoyed the new characters that we meet in this book and the found family that they have created.

Draven is a total hottie and the fact that Morgan kept denying herself of him for so long is insane to me! I will say though that some of the back and forth with them became a bit long winded.

Some downsides to this book I would say are:

- some things are not fully fleshed out or explained
- there is ALOTTTTT of typos
- a lot of sentence/word/phrase repeating
• the amount of times the FMC said “what do you mean?”
in the last two books is insane!
- the pacing was a bit off for me

Overall I did enjoy this book. It was a very easy ready and I found it very entertaining.

**thank you to the author and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this ARC**

This book wasn't for me. I am not a big fan of the miscommunication trope, which played a pretty big role in this book. The plot also wasn't working for me: it dragged on in the first half of the book, and felt rushed in the second. Also, the MMC is horrible (justifying child abuse, what??). It also reminded me a bit too much of ACOTAR.

Thank you to NetGalley, Briar Boleyn, and Starwater Press for providing me with the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

<strong>NOW THINGS GOT SUPER INTERESTING!!!</strong>

This book was la crème de la crème. Briar Boleyn kept all the good parts in the second book!!! Genuinely loved how Morgan grew up in this novel, not only as a person with power, but as person who would become a great paramour to an emperor and it’s people (regardless of her denying it). Draven and her falling even more was amazing and the smut was wonderful. The ending of the trials really was super fast paced and it felt like I was getting whiplashed. Rychel and Beks threw me for a loop and Sephone in some form of way too. I genuinely loved the writing at the end, I could feel the desperation, the longing and grief. Morgan is super annoying, but I understand. I am SO excited for the 3rd book!!!

Morgan Pendragon has now found herself on a new continent within the kingdom of Sorega, surrounded by a new kind of Fae she never realised existed, the Siabra. She is learning many things about this new court, including their prince Draven who had been in disguise while traveling with her. Morgan is desperate to get back to her own court, which her elder brother has turned violent, but in Sorega an internal fight has begun and Draven refuses to free her just yet.
This sequel to Queen of Roses is a beautiful romantasy retelling of Camelot. I found myself submerged in the story, and I love Briar Boleyn's writing. With Morgan in a new environment, I love that we learn things about Sorega and the Siabra at the same time as her. There are some elements of this sequel I didn't enjoy as much as the first book, including how manipulate the love interest is however that's my personal preference as the world and character building is once again amazing. I definitely recommend this series to all my romantasy girlies.
Once again there are graphic themes, so please check content/trigger warnings.
Thank you so much to Briar Boleyn, Netgalley and Starwater Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.