“if only it didn’t have to be this way. you’re all i think about. you’re all i see. i’m so tied to you i barely know who i am anymore.”

thank you to netgalley for the arc!! <3

court of claws is book two in the blood of a fae series! this book begins shortly after book one ends. except, morgan pendragon wakes up and finds herself in a whole new place.

this place, the court of umbral flames, is the home of the siabra people. better know as, draven’s home court. morgan awakens alone in a room, and finds herself lost as to her current situation. she learns that draven is the prince of claws, and is holding her captive in his suite for the moment while attempting to build an image that the two are romantically involved with one another.

along the way, morgan meets a few side characters, one of them being a young boy named beks… who helps her to escape captivity for a moment and explore within the palace’s hidden tunnels!

the main focus of this story is the three trials for the throne. currently, the throne is unoccupied due to some issues within draven’s past with his family. so, volunteers must attempt to ascend to power by winning these challenges. only one can become the emperor/empress though!

along the way, morgan and draven face many challenges within the court and not only that, but also with one another and trying to accept their fates.

this book was AMAZING! the beginning is a little slow i’ll admit, and draven was feeling kind of tamlin-esque at the start but then realizing what was really happening made the whole situation make so much more sense. i really loved seeing more draven and his history, since book one didn’t allow us much insight into his character.

i did get really frustrated with morgan most of the time, from her continuing nativity to being downright nasty towards draven. like i understand her, i do, but i also believe she overreacts most of the time. i’m excited to see where her character goes in book three, as she’s becoming a stronger person and more independent than ever before!

there were twists and turns that i never would have expected, and these characters really have a special place with me. draven and morgan together has to be my favorite part of this though, they’re simply too cute and i hope for them to continue their journey together in book three.

so excited to read book three and get answers after how this book ends. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. literally need to know what happens next.

**major spoilers**

i am SO ANGRY at how morgan let draven go despite everything. i understand her anger like i said above, but they’re literally meant for one another and are married and ugh. i wish draven told her about the marriage so maybe she wouldn’t be as mad?? idk. and BEKS?? sobbing. deserved better.

“believe me, she’s done worse. but she knows if she dares to lay a hand on my wife, it will spell her immediate end.”

i absolutely adore draven every time he referred to morgan as his wife. like THATS MY MAN !?! morgan if you don’t want him, i’ll take him fr. them being bonded is everything to me.

speaking of bonds, nightclaw being able to talk to morgan through her mind?? LOVE. and the fact he’s a cat and got saved?? love even more. best supporting character!!

quotes i love:

“you’re a force of destiny morgan pendragon. or should i call you morgan venator?” real! kairos draven venator 🤭

“morgan pendragon is not merely my paramour as i have led you all to believe.” his eyes rested on me. “she is also my wife.” PEOPLE (i) DIED?!??! 😩🥰

“do you know how hard i’ve tried to stay away from you?” he whispered. “do you know how long i’ve waited? and in the span of a few nights, all of it has been undone. i can't keep away. i know i don't deserve you. you’ve forgiven too much already. but i’m not strong enough to resist. you’re my every weakness, my every temptation.” i died pt. 2 !!

so yeah, i am so gonna be living for their banter being married when they finally make up and live happily ever after<3

Read if you like
🦋mystical creatures( so many amazing ones😍 including a walking talking bear 🐻
🦋Witty banter
🦋Close proximity
🦋twists and twists and twists
🦋Found family
🦋Fake relationship
🦋enemies to lovers
🦋A library where the books choose you
🦋Bonded mates
🦋ACOTAR and The Hunger

It's going to take me a while to recover from this one! It’s just simply fantastic. From characters to dialogues to storyline. It's full of adventure, action mystery and slow burn. It has all kinds of characters. The world-building is so on point. I’m aways caught blindsided at every point while reading @briarboleyn’s books. I really liked the first book but I loved this one. I can not emphasis enough on how quickly I was turning pages during certain scenes. This is one of the best series I’ve read this years . It just keeps getting better. I can barely wait for the next one.

Thank you Netgalley and the author for this wonderful book.

In the last book, I guessed that this book will give more Hades and Persephone vibes, and I was definitely right about the trajectory of the storyline. Still see new Camelot character names introduced at different points in the book, which is exciting, but this followed more Greek mythology than anything else. Also there was a whole lot of smut too, which was exciting at times and annoying at times because Draven is kind of annoying me more with the whole alphahole thing, whereas I totally loved how badass he was in the last book. Shocking part of this book? That this book also felt more like The Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire, which was AWESOME. All in all, this book was great and I can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you Starwater Press and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

Wow! The first in this series was five stars but I think this was possibly even better. Non stop action with surprising twists and the lead in to the next book, which I am impatient to read. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

Absolutely loved this and cannot wait for the third instalment in October.

The plot and characters absorb you from the very beginning and the action doesn't let up.

Up there with Sarah J Maas in my opinion.

5/5 for this one.

An amazing follow-up to the first book in the series! I love the more in-depth building of the world of the fae in book two and the deeper bond between the characters. I became even more invested in Morgan's story and evolution of her background. I'm can't wait for book two!

I am absolutely obsessed with this series!! I’m loving the Twist that The author put on the classic story of king Arther!!

I found myself screaming at this book for many reasons! I absolutely love the characters and need to know what is going to happen next!

I can’t not wait for the next book in this series!

This sequel is excellent and will be enjoyed by many. There was a lot of scandal and there was a lot of chemistry. I still feel as though the characters presented are fresh and unique to read about and I enjoyed the writing throughout. I recommend this book to the fullest!

2 stars

The beginning was really hard for me to get back into. It felt very clunky and I had quite a few issues right off the bat that almost made me want to put the book on hold for a while and try again later.

I wasn't loving Morgan in the first few chapters. She felt like a brat and I've never been one to care about the amount of "fuck"s I read in a book but it felt over the top and unnecessary here. There are other ways to express anger and emotions without saying fuck four times in one paragraph of four sentences. In chapter one she uses fuck 25 times and 180 for the entire book. Her defiance comes off as childish and immature.

I've also never been a fan of the Q&A world building which happens at the beginning of the book. I don't like the miscommunication trope but I don't hate it. That being said, I hated it in this book because it was used to an extreme degree. The MMC is constantly showing up for you and Morgan still had the audacity to act like she hated him.

This book felt very very similar to From Blood and Ash and A Light In The Flame. I would have liked to have seen more originality to the storyline. It's so heavy on the dialgoue and the dialogue isn't strong enough to carry the entire story.

This story has potential but it just needs so much work. I won't be reading the last book which is unfortunate because I did enjoy the first one.

I was super excited to read this as I loved the first book in the series. This one had a ton of court intrigue, though it didn’t feel as gritty. It was very reminiscent of ACOMAF in that we get to see where Draven comes from and meet his crew. We also learn his deep, dark secrets and get some hints as to Morgan’s past as well. I loved reading about the trials that Draven had to go through as well, and Morgan’s first experiences with this new fae reality into which she has been thrown.

This was also a tad spicier than the first, which is always a plus, but it’s definitely a book you should not pick up unless you have read Queen of Roses beforehand.

I did feel that the “oh, he’s not who I thought he was--stabstabstab” went on a little longer than it needed to. I get it, Morgan is far from the people she loves, was unable to safe at least one of her best friends, and her entire kingdom is at war. Plus, yes, of course—the man she trusted with her life and vice versa isn’t exactly who she thought he was on the outside. It’s a difficult situation, so the timing is understandable from a realism perspective, but it felt like it was getting in the way of the plot pacing at points. This was by no means a serious indictment and is only me being picky.

I truly loved the side characters and the new aspects of the story and I will be so excited to explore them when the third book comes out later this fall!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and Starwater press for the advanced copy in exchange for this review.

Thank you to the author and publishing house for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sadly I DNF this book.

I couldn't finish this. I kept pushing through thinking it just had to get better, especially since I enjoyed the first book in the series, but this second book needed an intervention. The writing was...not great...and that's putting it delicately. Morgan is insufferable! I understand the enemies-to-lovers trope and what the author was going for, but there is such a thing as dragging out a trope for WAY TOO LONG.

I did enjoy this book a lot! I think as far as sequels go, it doesn't quite surpass the first book but overall, I'm happy with it!

I pushed through book 1 and man am I happy I did so! This books is 100% more exciting than the first! And yes the first is a must to read for book 2!

I was waiting for the spice to heat up between Draven and Morgan and I was not disappointed one bit! Spice level 🌶️🌶️🌶️!!! I saw it coming but not like this.

Draven is man of secrets and mystery. He’s got that a**hole, morally gray, touch her and d!e vibes and I am here for every second of it! That man is full of secrets and I know more is to come, there just has to be 🤣 That has been his M.O the last 2 books.

Morgan is badass, powerful, stubborn and just a kickass character. I love her strength and will for people to be treated better and treat each other better. I am in awe of her strength in every way. She has dealt with constant lies and secrets and almost everyone taking away her choices and freedom to do what she wants with her life. She has the strength to fight through all of it and still come out compassionate. The secrets and lies are just starting to come apart and I can’t wait to see her story unfold finally.

This story held me captive from start to finish in the best way possible.

Some many secrets! Some much still to be told! I am now going to, patiently, try to wait for book 3!

Definite a must read. ⚠️Check your trigger warnings first! ⚠️

In the sequel to Queen of Roses, Morgan finds herself in the dangerous court of the Siabra and bound to the one man she truly hates. Even though she hates him, Draven is determined to keep her safe no matter the cost.

This is a slow burn enemies to lovers romance and we finally get some steam in this one! I find myself hooked on Morgan and Draven’s story. I can’t wait to read the next one. Thank you Netgalley and Starwater Press for the egalley in exchange for my honest review.

BRIAR! I thought Queen of Roses knocked my socks off, well this one knocked my SHOES AND SOCKS OFF! I can't wait to get my bands on Empress of Fae!

I can't wait to re-read this again, though I wish it could be for the first time again.

Enemies to lovers - CHECK
Found Family - CHECK!
some spice....CHECKK
Touch her and die...okayyyyy ,<3

This is a series you want to dive into! I am so thankful to have stumbled on to it..though it does end in ANOTHER cliffhanger (BRIAR! I thought you learned after the first one haha)

But honestly, if you loved ACOTAR and Hunger Games, you will love this one!
Huge thanks to Starwater Press, Briar Boleyn and NetGalley for the copy of this book

3.5/5
I really enjoyed this one! I did prefer the first book as I felt the plot was personally more interesting but I still enjoyed the sequel. I would definitely recommend this one if you loved the first book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

4 ⭐️ Im holding out hope Morgan redeems herself.

This book had me hanging on the edge of my seat. Vaguely reminds me of From Blood and Ash. For me it was a constant will they wont they... Morgan says she hates Draven the entier book but he has done everything for her. When the competition for the throne is announced Camelot is essential left behind.

I went through every emotion reading this book. Screaming at Morgan to get it together. Laughing at Beks and all his tricks. And swooning for Draven. The author really put so much effort into making this book and I can't thank her enough for allowing me to read it.

A great sequel to the first book, Queen of Roses, with a lot more smut and chemistry in it than the first book. However, I preferred the tension in Queen of Roses because, to be honest, aside from the romance aspect, the other parts of the book were slightly boring.

This is book two in the Blood of a Fae series. It opens with Morgan awakening to find Draven has brought her to the court of the Siabra, where he is a Prince. The Siabra are a violent and cold race of fae and Morgan is challenged to survive in such a strange environment. This book focuses on Morgan and Draven’s enemies to lover’s relationship, Morgan’s further self discovery and Draven’s participation in the brutal rites to become Emperor. The war being waged by Camelot also weighs heavily on Morgan’s mind and she yearns to return to help her people.

I enjoyed this book even more than the first one. I loved the new characters introduced, both those who support Morgan and those who don’t. The complicated journey Morgan follows in developing her magical skills and in her feelings for Draven kept me reading. The ongoing action and emotions of the story pulled me in while another good cliffhanger ending leaves me ready for book 3!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review this ARC.