Okay this book blew me away. I'm not I newbie as a fantasy romance reader, and so after a while the stories can start to get, well, repetitive. This book however was absolutely AMAZING. It was a breath of fresh air, and exactly what I needed. The characters, the plot, the worldbuilding... everything was lush, well-written and gripping.

Cannot wait to get into the next book.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I read both this book and the second in the series and I enjoyed the second quite a bit more than the first.

Having read both, I’m still not quite sure what is going on with the King Arthur angle. Obviously the characters share names—there is an Arthur, a Lancelot, a Galahad, a Merlin, etc—and there are some shared characteristics with the grail and Excalibur. But there are so many differences that the references just end up creating moments of cognitive dissonance. It serves to signal that an important character is about to be introduced which feels a little lazy. Ultimately I think the series would be better severing the more overt ties to King Arthur and just sticking with the general inspiration of some of the legends.

Regarding the first book, honestly most of it could have been cut and the whole thing turned into a 0.5 backstory novel for the second book. That’s not to say it’s unenjoyable; I liked Morgan as a character, and the backstory of Camelot. But ultimately if you just told me, “oh yeah one of Morgan’s brothers is super evil and the other is sweet, she is really motivated to get back to her homeland to save her youngest brother,” that’s…. probably all I really needed for motivational backstory.

The first book does drag a bit with the horrors of Arthur and the journey to Excalibur. I’m not saying you don’t learn about Morgan’s backstory and character, or that Vesper wasn’t an interesting addition to explain why she is so distrustful. There’s also the development of Morgan and Draven’s relationship that you see throughout that. But a lot of it felt unnecessary, especially when I felt like book 2 gave so much more information, moved the plot along so much more, did a lot more work in developing the relationship.

The characters
The trauma
The story
The TWISTS

Can we give Morgan a break please, she’s been though so much.

King Arthur’s retelling, it’s about his sister Morgan who is half fae, (I don’t know much about King Arthur) and he sends her on a quest to retrieve an item for him that he needs to win a war.

Morgan has been through A LOT, and still pushes through and does the best she can with what she has. Watching her be more herself as the book went on was so nice.

Draven, I feel like I don’t know much about him personally yet, just that he was set to protect Morgan while retrieving the item. He is essentially though a very grumpy man, who seems to have a way with cats. Do I love him though? Yes.

The world building is incredible, everything was described so beautifully and perfectly it was easy to imagine how everything was looking. I am so excited to read the Court of Claws and continue this story.
I am HOOKED. I need more, I never want it to end.

Definitely a favourite read of 2023.

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Who did this to you
Found family

First off, thank you NetGalley and Starwater Press for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Queen of Roses is a dark fantasy romance with a loosely inspired King Arthur retelling with a Fae twist! The story has an EXTREMELY slow burn romance with a top notch enemies to lovers trope and is filled with magic, mythical creatures, tension, banter, forced proximity, sibling love, friendships, self discovery, love, betrayal, adventure, action and unexpected twists! While I enjoyed the world building, character development and plot I could have used a little more fire and spice. Hopefully, that will be the case in the next book in the series😉! OKAY, OH MY GOSH, what a cliffhanger ending!! Overall, I was completely immersed from start to finish and I am super excited to start reading the second book!! 🥀🥀🥀🥀

✨Because of the nature of this being a dark and twisted fantasy story please check the trigger warnings before reading the book.✨

français :

J'ai reçu un arc via net Gallery en échange d'une honnête critique.
3 / 5 sympas mais sans plus
si je devais décrire cette histoire en une phrase ce serait :
prévisible mais lisible
À lire si :
- vous aimez réécriture arthurienne
vous aimez l'aspect politique dans les livres fantaisie

Points forts :
-le monde
la politique

points faibles :
les personnages
la violence parfois inutile ( après mon niveau de tolérance vis à vis de la violence est extrêmement bas )

queen of Rose est une réécriture des légendes arthurienne, ce que j'adore. Malheureusement je n'ai pas réussi à m'attacher aux personnages.
J'ai trouvé morgane bien trop naïve ce qui je trouve ne va pas trop avec son passé et avec le ton de l'histoire.
Kairos est basique
vesper aurait pu remonter le niveau des personnages, il aurait mérité plus de profondeur et aurait pu être utilisé d'une autre manière,
petit spoiler





comme un vrai personnage au lieu d'un moyen de rajouter du choc
( qui au final n'a pas vraiment choqué puisqu'on s'y attendait)







fin petit spoiler

j'ai aussi parfois trouvé les dialogues trop forcés, surtout ceux de vesper.
Je pense qu'il n'y avait pas assez de passage parlant des traumas de morgane, elle vit de nombreux événements traumatisants au cours du livre et elle s'en remet tout de suite surtout dans la deuxième partie, dans la première le sujet avait commencé à être abordé.

Sinon la construction du monde est très intéressante, nous avons envie d’en savoir plus

D'un point technique je pense qu'il aurait fallu utiliser le chapitre I en prologue, le prologue actuel n'est pas mémorable contrairement au chapitre I.


english :

I received a bow via net Gallery in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 / 5 nice but nothing more
If I had to describe this story in one sentence it would be:
predictable but readable
Read it if:
- You like Arthurian rewriting
- You like the political aspect in fantasy books

Strengths:
-world
-Politics

Weaknesses:
-Characters
-Violence that is sometimes unnecessary ( but I have a really low level of tolerance toward violence )

Queen of Rose is a rewrite of Arthurian legends, which I love. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get attached to the characters.
I found morgane much too naïve which I find does not go too much with her past and with the tone of the story.
Kairos is basic
Vesper could have gone up the level of the characters, he would have deserved more depth and could have been used in another way,

little spoiler




as a real character instead of a way to add shock
( wich in the end did not really work since we expected it)








end of little spoiler


I also sometimes found the dialogues too forced, especially those of Vesper.
I think there was not enough passage talking about Morgane's traumas, she experiences many traumatic events during the book and she recovers immediately especially in the second part, in the first part the subject had begun to be addressed.

Otherwise the construction of the world is very interesting, we want to know more

From a technical point I think we should have used chapter I in prologue, the current prologue is not memorable unlike chapter I. (less)

This was such an amazing read and I'm already eager to start the next one!

I loved that this was a retelling of the story of Camelot and that we follow Morgan who is half fae! I really liked her character and loved watching her character grow throughout this book!

There were soooo many of my favourite tropes in this one and I honestly had so much fun reading this one!

I definitely recommend picking this one up!

As a retelling- I loved this book, a romance, not so much. I went into this book and immediately loved it. I haven't read a king Arthur retelling before, and this one had such an amazing plot line and so many twists and turns. I loved how the story was so original yet an amazing retelling. However, the romance, which I thought would be a large part of this, was lacking. The initial chemistry the two had was amazing and it was easy to tell they were perfect for one another. However, as the story went on, the chemistry began failing-and for specific reasons. Now, this isn't to say that the lack of romance made this a bad book. All I'm trying to say is that it was my understanding that there would be more romance-and the end outcome was disappointing. Overall, the plot of this book was just amazing, the friendships and connections that were so emotional to read.

Morgan Pendragon is the elder sister of King Arthur, prevented from taking the crown by her father when he feared she was too Fae. Despite this, she is not vengeful over her loss of her right to rule but she worries for her younger brother Kaye as he grows up under the cruel rule of Arthur who is growing increasingly violent. Her brother the King suddenly reveals she is going on a quest to find something, and while she experiences hardship romance also blooms.

This was my first retelling of Camelot that I've read, and I loved it! It's fantasy forward with romance that feels very 'will they, won't they'. All the (good) characters were very loveable from Morgan to her brother Kaye to her friend Lancelet and the bad characters were written very well. This was a bit of a classic YA/NA fantasy and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre.

There are quite a few dark themes so I recommend reading the trigger warnings - however it doesn't get too graphic.
I read the ARC of this, however it has already been published, with the second book out soon. Thank you to Netgalley and Starwater Press for this copy in exchange for an honest review 💕

There was so much potential for this to be a 5 star read and I'm so upset that that's not the case! The heavy Camelot/King Arthur/Merlin influence was a lot of fun to read and definitely something I haven't really seen before - especially with a fae spin on it. That definitely gives this book a 'From Blood and Ash' feel to it, as this book is set in a dark/twisted Camelot

Unfortunately I found that the story needed more depth. The characters needed more development and there was so much happening with the plot, especially for the religious aspects, that it was hard to remember and keep up with it.

I think this story needs to avoid the cliches and take more inspiration from the rich myth it's inspired from, and if it could have been either been refined or given more depth then I really feel like this could have been a winner!

I love fantasy dont get me wrong but sometimes the world building and learning its culture is exhausting THIS BOOK made it so EASY to just imagine the world, religion, politics in such a simple perspective it was a breather of what I normally go for.

I loved the MC and the MMC I felt that it was missing a bit of slow burn but nevertheless I can’t wait to read the second book it ended with a cliffhanger that i cant wait to discover.

4 stars !!!! Thank you netgalley and author for giving me the chance for a ARC in exchange for an honest review

3.5⭐️ 1🌶

Big thanks to Starwater Press, Briar Boleyn and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was a great first in a series for a fantasy Arthurian-based tale! I loved the modern edge that the author gave this tale as well as the fae twist that was included (because we all know how popular fae books are right now).

This one did take me a minute to get into with all the world-building that was going on. The MC Morgan was interesting but I do wish that she would have been a little more spunky in a sense. She was all for fighting and learning how to fight - but then at the same time she was so timid and mild when it came to listening to every word that her brother said. There were plenty of times where she could have stood up for herself (ex. the medicine) and she didn't, but then other things she did in secret.

This was said to be a dark fantasy fae series and while I feel this is just the beginning, don't expect much darkness or steaminess in this one. Think of this book as a big setup for the real plot (which is what I am hoping this one was).

Once I hit about the 65% mark, I was hooked. Real action started to happen and things were heating up. I definitely know I want more Draven (especially with that cliffhanger ending).

Definitely a 3.5⭐️ book rounded up to 4⭐️. I look forward to diving into the next one and I hope it picks up from there. I love where it seems to be heading and I cannot wait for the promise of more fae steamy dark fantasy/romance action.

wow. where do i even begin?? this book is fast-paced and will pull you in and keep you reading until you’re at the end and thinking, “i need the next book right now.” i don’t know much about camelot, but this book is based on camelot in some aspects, with other aspects such as fae included!

our female main character, morgan pendragon is inexperienced in many aspects of her life. born resented by her family for her mother’s heritage, morgan is forced to suppress her part-fae side for as long as she can remember. living alongside her brother, king arthur and younger brother, kaye has its ups and downs. family drama is always an interesting topic to read about and trust me, there’s LOTS of it. morgan struggles immensely with accepting herself for who she is, and throughout the story i loved getting to see her grow and develop as a person and become stronger/more confident in herself.

kairos draven is the main male featured in this novel. he’s seemingly very angry most of time, and has a past full of secrets. with his dark hair, tall stature and mysterious vibes, he’ll definitely be a new favorite male main character for me thus far. i love how he is portrayed as flying slow and being super reserved, but slowly opens up and devotes himself to protecting morgan along the way.

i really enjoyed seeing morgan and draven interact with one another, and i’m hoping for more of them in the next book. also, i loved the side characters like lancelet, kaye and galahad who make the story more enjoyable when they are included. i really loved a lot of these characters and how the world-building was included without hindering the progression of the storyline.

i definitely am very excited to read book two!! i need more of this story, especially after the ending of this book… definitely think this one is worth the read for sure <3

Thank you so much to Briar Boleyn and Netgalley Starwater Press for the wonderful opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a spectacular portal into a new, magical world.
I was so truly excited for this read, and it did not disappoint!! As someone who is a sucker for a good fantasy romance, this Camelot fae retelling was so fun to dive into. I loved the majority of the characters *iykyk*, especially Morgan. The world building in this book (which usually bores the heck out of me) dragged me in until I couldn't put the book down. The only thing I would change about this book would be to make it longer and add more spice. The last couple chapters had me a little confused, but I have confidence in this being cleared up in book 2. Speaking of which, I am so excited for the second book in this series!!
Long story short, this book was worth the read, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a great start to a dark, magical, entrancing fantasy series.

Tropes in this book- single pov, fae retelling, morally grey everyone, strong FMC, they take care of each other when they are sick (dying), cliffhanger, first in a series

Overall- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice-🌶🌶
Intensity-😲😲😲

"They say there is peace in death. But I had never known that to be the case."

4.5 rounded up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have been really dragging along with many of my reads. (ADHD-brain makes me a very all-over-the-place mood reader, so sometimes that's just how it be.) But I flew through Queen of Roses! I am not SUPER familiar with the source material/Arthurian legends, but I am a sucker for a good retelling and absolutely loved this one.

I feel like many romantasy books become more romance and less plot and this one was so far from that. I know that more romance is promised from future books, but I love the slow burn of this and that we actually have an interesting dark fantasy plot, with a legitimately badass FMC that doesn't resort to just doing whatever MMC wants once she develops feelings, that takes the forefront.

There are some grammatical issues that interrupted the flow from time to time, but nothing so big that it takes away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I am so happy that the second book is on Kindle Unlimited and it is definitely a priority of mine (especially with that cliffhanger) after I get through a couple of my TBR and current reads. Overall, love this and highly recommend it and I can't wait for more!

Favorite elements:
-Dark fantasy, borderline elements of horror
-Slow burn enemies to lovers
-Romance not at the forefront, but develops with time
-Morally grey characters
-Strong FMC
-Grumpy x Grumpy-Sunshine
-Arthurian retelling
-FMC and MMC nurse each other to health
-Cliffhanger

"His voice was more powerful than the sea. More primordial than the stars. My name was on his lips as he promised unspeakable darkness to any who came between us."

This book dragged me in from the get go. I adored Briar's descriptive writing it completely set the scene for me and in my opinion, her writing style is one of the best out there. The way the language she used and the style of writing lined up to the timeline really made me fall in love with this book and the author too! the tropes are just a must and i adored how the 'one bed' trope was incorporated into the story. overall i gave this book 4.5 stars and the spice for me was 3.5 stars. i cant wait to read the next book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher and author for a copy in exchange for a honest review.

Queen of Roses is the first in a romantasy trilogy of a retelling of King Arthur myths. I don’t know the myths well, but it sounds like it doesn’t follow too closely. Princess Morgan goes on a quest to find Excalibur at the request of her brother, King Arthur.

I enjoy the concept, and I want to know more about Draven and the mythical creatures in the world. Unfortunately, Morgan is really quite whiny and the writing is more tell than show. Example: “His touch was both tender and dangerous, a lethal combination. Especially when someone was as innocent and inexperienced as I was.”

Considering Morgan’s life experience, she comes across as too trusting of certain characters and not trusting enough of her close and supportive friends. She just doesn’t quite come across as believable.

Overall, 3 stars for an interesting world and concept, but could use stronger characterization and writing style. I’ve heard book 2 is stronger, and I am excited to see where it goes and more of Draven.

<b>A Mesmerizing Fantasy Adventure</b>

Wow, just wow! "Queen of Roses" by Briar Boleyn blew me away from the very first page! I didn't know what to expect when I picked it up, but let me tell you, I was in for a surprise. This book is incredible, and I fell in love with so many aspects of it - the slow burn romance, the retelling of Camelot, the enchanting fae elements, and the looming sense of impending war (nothing like a bit of danger to keep things exciting!). It had me hooked right from the start, and I never felt like the story lost its shine along the way.

The adventure that Briar Boleyn took us on was something truly special. It was evident that she put a lot of care into crafting this world, and it paid off. The story had just the right amount of suspense and action to keep me craving more with each chapter. I appreciated the pacing as nothing felt rushed or forced, and I was able to savour every moment along the way.

And the characters?! Wow. Morgans's journey was captivating and I loved watching her grow and evolve throughout the book. But, I ADORED Draven! He's the textbook book boyfriend - a bit grumpy, yet so strong and protective. I couldn't help but fall for his charm along the way. If you loved JLA's from Blood and Ash series then you will very much enjoy this.

The way Queen of Roses seamlessly weaved in the Arthurian legends with a fresh perspective with the inclusion of fae magic was a stroke of brilliance. I feel that the infusion of fae elements added an extra layer of enchantment and mystery, making the story even more captivating and unputdownable.

To sum it up, Queen of Roses is a mesmerizing fantasy adventure that marks an incredible start to a promising series. The slow-burning romance, the inventive Camelot retelling, and the fascinating world will leave you spellbound. The masterful storytelling and expert pacing will keep you eagerly flipping pages until the very end. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any 'romantasy' lover looking for an immersive and enchanting read. Prepare to be swept away on a journey (but do check trigger warnings in the book before diving in!)

Thank you to NetGalley, Starwater Press, and Briar Boleyn for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. If you're interested in reading it for yourself, its currently available on Kindle Unlimited!

This book was fantastic!

As someone who doesn’t know the story of King Arthur and Camelot very well, I was so excited to not be able to predict anything that happened in this book. Usually, I can tell exactly what is going to happen in a book, but this book threw me for a loop.

Morgan is our FMC and she is kind and caring and uncertain in who she is. She has spent most of her life hiding half of herself and trying to make as little impact as possible. She has been taught to be ashamed of her half far blood, and that has defined the trajectory of her entire life. When her brother presents her with a chance to leave the kingdom behind and retrieve a lost item for him, she hesitantly takes the chance to leave her sheltered life behind. As her travels evolve, her confidence grows and she comes into her own. Facing unknown dangers, she must learn to believe in herself in order to survive.

Throw in adventure, hot guys, danger and politics and you have a fantastic retelling of King Arthur and Camelot. This book is everything I wanted and I cannot wait to read the second book. The characters are complicated and multifaceted, the politics are messy, and the adventures are extreme. If you want to be kept on your toes, read this book. You will not regret it.

In Queen of Roses, Briar Boleyn mixes fantasy with Arthurian legends to come up with this enjoyable read. I would highly recommend to fans of Jennifer Armentrout's Blood and Ash and her Flesh and Fire series as well as fans of Sarah J Maas. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series and finding out just where Ms Boleyn leads us in her tale.

Really enjoyed this one! Liked the world building, can’t wait to dive into the next one! I do wish the characters had been a bit more fleshed out. However, I’m excited to see how things progress in the sequel. I feel like there is a lot of potential to go here. Definitely spicy!