Skip to main content

Member Reviews

After the hunt for Excalibur goes awry, Morgan awakes to find herself in unfamiliar territory, surrounded by scheming liars. Desperate to return to her kingdom to save her people, Morgan agrees to follow along with Draven's charade, but what will she do when she realizes that she is in for more than she bargained for? Court of Claws is an epic continuation of the Blood of a Fae series, with cutthroat action, conniving nobles, obscure secrets and unforetold destinies that will leave you on the edge of your seat!

Just when I thought this story couldn't get any better, Boleyn throws many more twists and spicy scenes at us! As with the first book, I could not put this one down because it was an absolute page-turner, and I was itching to know what was going to happen next. The slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance made me so giddy! I am a sucker for witty banter, which was almost nonstop between Morgan and Draven; the tension between the two was palpable. I am so glad that we get to learn more about the Fae and other areas of this world! Boleyn's world building continues to amaze me with Aercanum's complex and fascinating geography, and I would love to have a map to better visualize where all of the cities/kingdoms lie. The action in the second book is intense and the visualizations are so intricately detailed that I felt like I was there with them. This book took me on a near literal rollercoaster: laughing, crying, wanting to through it across the room. With that jaw-dropping cliffhanger, I cannot contain my excitement and anticipation for book 3!! Go read this series now to catch up before it comes out because I promise that you will not regret it!.

Was this review helpful?

Book no 2 was way better than the first one. The romance that was missing in the first one is definitely here and I loved all the found family that we get to meet too. While Morgan grows and learns more about her roots, I found that she was a bit immature at times and was getting on my nerves a little bit. Reading about Draven just made me wish we could have his POV and understand everything that goes on much better.
The end is leaving you hanging, anticipating the next book. At least we will not have to wait too much as I cannot wait to see what it’s in store for our loved characters!
A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC! All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC version of this book!

The second book was exactly what I needed. It had everything that I thought was lacking in Queen of Roses. A great dark romantic fantasy for the Sarah Maas lovers out there. I will be reading the third book!

This book was a very fresh take on a fae world.

Was this review helpful?

Alright, I thought I was at a loss for words after reading Queen of Roses, but that pales in comparison to how I feel after finishing Court of Claws!

Court of Claws picks up immediately after Queen of Roses. However, we meet Morgan and Draven in a completely different setting, a far away kingdom where Draven is the banished prince!?

In this book there is definitely more romance and the relationship between Morgan and Draven grows much more intense. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still very much a slow burn, but that made it so much more enjoyable! The yearning is no joke!

Romance aside, this was such an entertaining book. The story is so good and honestly, if you took out the romance it would still be a really great fantasy novel.

The characters in this book are so much more layered as well. As the story progresses, so do the characters. Boleyn found the perfect balance between introducing plot and revealing character information, especially with Draven.

I also really loved Lyrastra. Even though she’s pretty terrible in the beginning of the story, Boleyn did a great job showing all sides of her character and really adding dimension to her. I NEED to know what happens with her in the next book!

The last 100 pages of this story felt like a rollercoaster with all of the revelations. I felt like I didn’t have a moment to breathe! 😂 And don’t get me started on the cliffhanger, it was even crazier than the first book!

I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait for the next one to come out!

Was this review helpful?

Synopsis:
Court of Claws by Briar Boleyn is the 2nd book in the Blood of a Fae series.
Morgan Pendragon finds herself in the court of the Siabra fae, far from her home Camelot. The court is deadly and Morgan wants nothing more than to return to help those she left behind, but Kairos Draven, her once bodyguard, wants to keep her close.
Surrounded by constant deceit, Morgan works to navigate not only surviving in the fae court, but also understanding her true identity and her connection to those around her.
My Thoughts:
I absolutely love this book and I cannot wait for the next one in the series to come out. I love the reimagining of the King Arthur Legends, and I love the description of the Siabra court.
I absolutely love Draven’s character as well as Crescent and Becks. I did struggle a bit with Morgan’s character in this book. I felt at times she was unreasonably rude which was off putting, and that she was not thinking straight when it came to a number of her actions, however, I hope her behavior will be explained away in the next novel as perhaps being due to the hardship of having her world turned upside down in a short amount of time.
All in all a great read!

Was this review helpful?

These books have had a bit of a buzz around them so I had been eager to see what they were like. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into them at all. I found them to be quite drawn out and by the time I should have been invested, I was nowhere near. Not for me at all.

Was this review helpful?

This book was so so good! Somehow I loved it even more than the first one. The plot was so easy to read as the author was constantly providing beautiful world building and exciting events to pull readers into the story. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Was this review helpful?

This series is absolutely incredible! The romance, the fantasy, the action, the characters, the plot twists, the details. I am seriously obsessed and it is one of my favorite series, I cannot wait for the next one to come out! If you are an ACOTAR fan, this is a MUST read! So freaking good!

Was this review helpful?

Great second book for this series! This one takes place in a different city after their epic journey. New characters, same back and forth enemies to lovers, and a hunger games type contest! I really enjoyed it and I cannot wait for the next part!

Was this review helpful?

A big thank you to Starwater Press, Briar Boleyn, and Net Galley for granting me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4.5/5– The descriptive imagery crafted by the author continues to be brilliant and thorough. The details of gowns and clothing is one of my favorite aspects of Briar Boleyn’s writing, and inspires me to want to break out the sketchbook after going too long without doing any designing. I also really enjoyed the setting of this book, the environment was both eerie and beautifully magical and I hope we get to see more of it in book three!

The only reason I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first is because I personally found the pacing to be a little too fast– I wanted to spend more time in the magical world the author has created! I also thought the ending was a bit rushed and confusing, but maybe I was just so captivated that I read it a little too fast ;)

Was this review helpful?

Whew I lived this! I can't not wait for the next book! The spice was just right for me and the themes didn't bother me but some would want to check the trigger warnings. I loved it!
I just reviewed Court of Claws by Briar Boleyn. #CourtofClaws #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Was this review helpful?

I dove straight into this one after Queen of Roses and I didn't not regret it!

The story was fantastic, I could not get enough of this book, I was absolutely hooked into this book, I love Draven & Morgan, I hope things go well in book three which I desperately need in my LIFE!!!

Highly recommend this series

Was this review helpful?

Once I got to the last third of this book, it was impossible for me to put down. It came along with me to the bathroom, kitchen, and I was reading while eating dinner.
Briar does really well with making the last 100-some pages count; the action is well thought out and cleanly portrayed.

I did, unfortunately, not like the first two-thirds of the book as much. I grew to hugely dislike the main character and her attitude - I felt like if her blantant unkindness was due to trauma or something, that should have been better explained and acknowledged, but because it wasn't addressed head-on I felt like I was reading from the perspective of a pouty mean girl whose side I was supposed to be on.
I also have a huge personal dislike of using "boy" or "girl" when talking about men and women, but especially in s*x scenes. "Good girl" is one thing, but "be a good boy" is another, and it just gave me the ick. I had to put the book down for a few seconds after reading that haha.
I felt like the Draven we were initially introduced to was not the Draven the book ended with. I *am* all for character development, but I didn't feel like there was a great progression between the two? His confessions of affection often felt really stilted and out of place for me, as well.

The last third of the book is absolutely worth reading the preceding chapters - without a doubt - and I felt the same with the last book as well. I believe this is Briar's first series in fantasy though, and fully believe in giving grace for growth in writing, and I know I won't always love every single thing I read.

Ultimately though, I really truly enjoyed this story and will be reading the next book(s?) in this series. I look forward to witnessing the growth in the characters and seeing how Morgan bad-asses her way through everything coming up. These books leave me with my heart in my throat, and I admire authors who do so well at making readers feel something.

Was this review helpful?

As always, thanks to Netgalley and the author for allowing me access to the digitize copy of Court of Claws in exchange for an honest review.

Court of Claws picks up right where we left off in Queen of Roses - but now we’re on an entirely different continent, we’re at Draven’s home, where he and Morgan must keep up pretenses of being in love while he fights for his crown.

Normally, I absolutely love this types of books. But… unfortunately after picking this book up and putting it down over and over, I’ve decided to DNF it at 25%.

I truly do love the world that the author has built. It’s extensive, it has its own deep lore that varies from region to region. She’s included detailed history of the world, unique traits to the Fae, questions that desperately need answering. Draven is an amazing character that I thoroughly enjoy reading about and the cast of side characters that I was introduced to seemed to work well with the main characters.

I just still.. cannot… stand Morgan. It feels like every time she opens her mouth, it’s to start a fight or be a spoiled brat. I already disliked her from the first novel, but completed it because I loved the author’s writing more than her poor behavior irked me. But this is book two and we’re back to acting like all the trust and attraction built up in book one flew out the window and landed in a volcano.

Clearly, this book and its main female character is not written for me, so I’ve decided to DNF and move on. Life is too short to force one’s self to read books where they do not vibe with the main character.

If you love bratty FMCs, this book is for you. The writing is beautiful. Draven is an excellent book boyfriend. The plot is fascinating. You’ll fully enjoy yourself if bratty FMCs are you thing!

3 stars - I normally give DNFs a 1 star, but her writing is absolutely beautiful, her plot building is excellent, and if it wasn’t for the FMC, I’m beyond positive I would adore this book.

Was this review helpful?

Wow!! It’s not often that a second book in a series is better than the first but this one was amazing! I could not put it down once I started it.
The world building was fantastic in this book and the plot was fast paced with plenty of action. I really enjoyed all the trials that the characters faced in this book and it definitely felt that we see a lot of character development In this book.
I really enjoyed discovering more about Draven and his backstory as well as meeting his family.
I’m so glad that we got the romance that was hinted at in the first book. I liked that it didn’t just jump straight into the romance. The romantic attraction between the two main characters are strong and I liked seeing how Morgan learns to trust Draven more.
I really enjoyed meeting the new side character and felt they were really well written in this book. There were some I absolutely loved and some that left me feeling torn.
This book definitely has plenty of emotions throughout this book, love , grief , strength and more.
I can’t wait for the next book in the series

Just a heads up, this book does have trigger warnings. So please be aware if you’re planning to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Publisher and the author for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Really struggled with this book, I enjoyed the first in the series
I found that the beginning was too slow and I had but given up.by the time I got to the middle of the book!.

Was this review helpful?

Court of Claws starts off with a bang. It builds on the events from the first book and the time transition is smooth.

Morgan is feisty and has grown some serious backbone. I love seeing her as an independent woman!

Draven is more than he let us believe in Queen of Roses and I like this side of him. You get to know more about him and what he has been through. I really enjoyed getting to know more about the fae history of this world.

Beks was one of my favorite characters in this story. Whereas most of the characters are a bit jaded, Beks has an almost innocent quality to him. He has an interest in the world around him and wants to know everything.

The spice level in Court of Claws has gone up from book one and I loved every bit of it!

This was a five star read for me because the storyline was fast paced, the spice was great, and the cliffhanger left me wanting more!

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this follow up to Queen of Roses. In fact I probably enjoyed it even more! Loved the character and relationship development. Can’t wait for the third instalment!

Was this review helpful?

Court of Claws is the second installment of Briar Boleyn’s Blood of a Fae series. While this book continues on with the story set up in Queen of Roses, this book has much more emphasis on the main character, Morgan’s growth, as well as her relationship with Draven.
I personally enjoyed this book so much more than Queen of Roses, there was just the right amount of world building, new characters, and exploring the relationship between Morgan and Draven. Morgan showed a lot more growth in this book through training and adapting to the new world she was placed in and I enjoyed as she got more fiesty.
While some people might not like the predictibleness of the climax of the story, I did not mind but it is something to keep in mind that you might not always be surprised. My biggest issue with this book was that the end just seemed rushed compared to the rest of the series. There were events that were glossed over while less important things earlier in the book were described in great detail.
I would definetly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good romantasy read that has creative world building, some spice, and a festering war that is sure to play out in book 3.

Was this review helpful?

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!!

Was this review helpful?