4.5 stars!

I love any form of a new take on an old story. A modern day Shakespeare? Absolutely. A pirate Little Mermaid? Heck yes. King Arthur and Camelot and... Faeries? YES PLEASE.

From minute one of starting this book, I was IN the world of Camelot. Learning about all the classic characters with their new twists was so exciting- Morgan Le Fay as an actual fae, swoonworthy Lancelot becoming delightfully deviant Lancelet, King Arthur as a cruel young prince, Merlin as a powerful High Priestess (with only some powers...or so we see), righteous Galahad as a temple acolyte. Book one of this book really set up the world, the characters, the stakes in a vicious and beautiful manner, and book two took us out on the adventure we imagined we would have from an Arthurian tale.

I cannot wait to see what comes in the next book of the series, and I am SO lucky that I have it to immediately begin! The ending left me right on the brink of one of my favorite elements of fantasy/romantasy novels, and (no spoilers) I am so excited to dive right in. I highlighted some potential foreshadowing moments, and I can't wait to see if my eyesight is as good as a fae!

Thank you to Briar Boleyn, NetGalley and Victory Editing for the chance to read this book! The trilogy's most recent book, Empress of Fae came out October 25, 2023.

"Queen of Roses" by Briar Boleyn is a fantastic fantasy read. The engaging plot and unexpected twists kept me hooked, and I'm excited for the next book. Boleyn's storytelling skill shines, creating a rich world with intriguing characters. A pleasant surprise in my reading list, This book is a must for those who love captivating fantasy adventures.
Thank you Netgalley for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read Queen of Roses.
This is a fantastic starter book for a Camelot retelling.
Morgan is a young girl, who lost the throne to her brother who controls her and is bigoted.
He sends her on a quest to retrieve a valuable Fae heirloom.. we can all guess what that is.
There is adventure, love, and enemies.

Queen of Roses (Book 1), Court of Claws (Book 2), and the most recent of the series, Empress of Fae (Book 3),  are the first three books in a developing series by Briar Boleyn. If you are a fan of the ACTAR series, I highly recommend you give these a chance.  I received these ARC ebooks from and want to thank, NetGalley, Starwater Press, and Briar Boleyn, for providing them to me to read and review.  The third one caught my attention first, but to read it, I needed to read the prior two. Ok...how hard could that be?  As I read Queen of Roses, getting to know the characters and the setting, I was intrigued, but not overly so and I anticipated this being just an ok series.  Then came the second book, this one, Court of Claws, oh wow! It really took off and I dove right into the third one, Empress of Fae, even though it was already past midnight.  This one ends in somewhat of a cliffhanger and leaves me anticipating the fourth, that is due out next spring.  You may be able to read one as a stand-alone, but I would highly recommend you start from the beginning and read them all!

Rating : 3.5/5

The writing captivated me from the start, stretching my imagination. However, there were moments that felt 'okayish,' and some scenes felt awkward. Despite this, I adored the well-crafted characters, especially Morgan. Overall, it was an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

Thank you @netgalley and @briarboleynauthor for ARC.

Morgan is a queen who was knocked from her throne and replaced by her brother, Arthur because she was part far. Growing up in Authur’s court has been a deadly affair and she is victim to his court and tortured by his friend, Florian. Morgan is unable to stand up for herself but she tasks herself with learning all she can to protect herself until her brother sends her on a mission to find an object that hopefully her fae blood can find. She is then sent with two other individuals to travel far in search of the king’s wishes. Her only hope is to retrieve the item so she can get back to protect those she loves.

I had a hard time connecting to the main character. In addition this was a dark themed book and got a little too much to read at times due to Florian’s torture. I would say the author did a great job of depicting villains. I would rate this book a two of five. I would recommend this if you like Arthurian retellings. Netgalley provided this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Loved it! I was skeptical at first, expecting it to be another Court of/Queen of blah blah blah formulaic style book but I am thrilled that I was 100% wrong. Highly recommend for fans of ACOTR and the SJM books. Excellent world building and character development. I can't wait to read the next one.

Typically, I hate retellings of old stories, but I absolutely loved this one and ended up finishing it in one sitting since I didn't want to put it down.

An intriguing premise, a reworking of Arthurian legend with the MFC being with elder half-sister of Arthur.

I liked this, I didn't love it. I felt like it took forever for anything remotely interesting to happen, aside from Morgan and the (now female) Merlin, none of the characters were likeable or known enough by me to really care about them.
Morgan is a frustrating character, to be treated so poorly by Florian and let him get away with it but be outraged at other characters behaviour is...odd.
Draven has little personality and spends the book brooding while saving Morgan at every opportunity while there is general cruelty, destruction and threats from almost everyone they come into contact with.

Like I said, I liked it in the sense that, after almost giving up on it, a third of the way through it picked up enough for me to keep reading, by the end I couldn't wait for it to end and felt it was too little too late.
Writing style is easy but also exhaustive in it's descriptions and narrative. Chapters tended to be filled with endless text that offered nothing and took away any pace the story may have had.

Overall a semi-interesting book, I have the other two thanks to Netgalley but I don't feel any urge to carry on with this series unfortunately.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read and review this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this eCopy to review

I was a bit unsure at first about Queen of Roses, I love stories about King Arthur and found this quite different focussing on Morgan and including elves. After reading a few chapters though I was hooked, I really wanted to find out more about Morgan and Draven and was hoping they would get together, I don't want to spoil the story so you'll have to read it to find out.

The monster fae children in Meridium were truly terrifying! I thought all the characters were well developed including the minor ones, the locations were very atmospheric and the plot moves along nicely.

I'm looking forward to reading books 2 and 3

This book was such an enjoyable read! I love the King Arthur link in the story, but even if that wasn’t there, I definitely would have still loved this book. The story was interesting the whole way through, I was never bored nor I was ever overwhelmed by any info dumps. Which leads into my next point, which is how much I enjoyed the world building in this book. A lot of information was given but at no point was I confused or forgetting anything that was mentioned previously and brought up later.

I loved the growth of the main characters, Morgan is going to be so amazing in the next book, I can’t wait to see what happens with her story. Although that ending had me on the edge of my seat!

Overall, I think the book was really well paced and well written. I cannot wait to dive into the next book and see where we go from here!

I definitely recommend this for any fantasy lover who also enjoys the female romance pov! And if you like King Arthur, then even better for you!

Gripping Arthurian fantasy romance with delicious slow-burn, an amazing twist, and perfect pacing. Loved this story, and can't wait to know what happens next.

“Not even a thank you, Princess?” he called as I strode away. “I’ll miss you, too.” I refused to give him the pleasure of another look.

Oh man, I loved this book! I was so taken with this Arthurian/Fae twist dark fantasy romance! The plot, character development/growth, and world building captivated me. I laughed and felt so much suspense throughout this book, never felt bored. I LOVE Morgan, she is such a strong FMC, she refuses to break not matter what she experiences and actually cares about her people despite always being put as an outcast. Kairos is both swoon worthy and lethal. I HATE, Absolutely Loathe, Arthur, Florian and Vesper (i thought i liked him a little during the story but wanted Morgan to be with Kairos but absolutely hated him the end). This fantasy read has a lot of action, intrigue and a slow building romance, not high on the spice but I’m sure that will change in the next book, which I am so excited to read!

Okay so this book has me in an absolute chokehold and I love it so much! This was a premise that was really interesting to me when I first started hearing about it and it's only increased how much more I love Arthurian lore!

This is very much a dark romance that had such great aspects to it, including my personal favourite of slow burn and forced proximity. The characters were written so well & really had such a great mix of banter and chemistry.

And O.M.G. the cliffhanger at the end?? I need my hands on book two as soon as possible because I literally cannot go without knowing what happens next.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is my first King Arthur/Camelot retelling and it was pretty good!

Morgan (the FMC) is a half-fae princess just trying to survive in her half-brother, King Arthur's court.

Only problem is Arthur thinks the fae are something to be eradicated and Morgan is right in his crossfire. However, he knows that she is the only one who can retrieve the legendary Excalibur.

Arthur sends Morgan on a road trip with the mysterious and deadly assassin, Draven (the MMC) to fetch the legendary sword.

This is a *very* slow burn romance, but I almost didn't notice because I was enjoying the world building so much. The secondary characters are very strong as well, and their love and loyalty to Morgan shines through.

🌶️/5

✨ Forced proximity
✨Enemies to lovers ❤️
✨ Slow burn romance
✨ Found family
✨ Fae magic
✨ Road trip 🐎
✨ Who did this to you?

Morgan is a little naïve, but who wouldn't be when you're stuck in a castle all your life, drugged and isolated?

There is also a cliffhanger, that of course, makes me want to jump right into book 2! What does it all mean? I need to know!

There's not much spice, but the author promises more in the next book 😂 Also, if you sign up for the author's newsletter, there's also bonus content that will get sent right to your e-reader!

* Thank you to NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review *

💭 Arthurian legend, as we all know, is one of the most adapted of all time, having been retold for literal centuries. Taking this on yet again is a brave feat in itself, but also one that leaves very few gaps that allow for a truly original and modern story.
With this series, Briar Boleyn takes Arthurian Legend as far as possible not only from the versions romanticised by troubadours in mediaeval and Tudor ages, or by Tennyson's poems, but also away from previously trodden paths, such those seeped in historical realism like Whyte's Camulod Chronicles, and given it the 21st century fantasy treatment.
This allows the freedom to bend norms such as well known characters' genders and traditional roles- why limit knights to brave noble males, or rulers to fair and strong men, when you can throw in real magic, fae and monsters, terrific gender twists and race and sexuality reps? Yes please, more of this.

The world building is truly wonderful and sufficiently detailed to allow for visualisation, without going on too long, which avoids slowing down the pace of the story.

Although the characters are set up well, there is still an element of mystery around some of the main figures, which I expect will be revealed in more detail as the story progresses in subsequent instalments.

The story itself is quite linear, and although suggestions are made in regard to developing dynamics between the MCs, I felt that more may have been added to give these some additional depth, although the introduction of side characters as obstacles creating friction was a nice touch.

Although Queen of Roses is a fantasy adventure, it's a very dark and edgy one, which makes this an uncomfortable read in some points, including the beginning. This led me to a couple of false starts, as I felt the need to reach for some more light-hearted reading, purely due to my own mindset. In spite of this, once I decided to immerse myself in this book, I couldn't put it down. The writing and storytelling are captivating and they set the scene, leaving me wanting to learn more of Morgan and Draven's developing relationship, and about the powers and history of the fae, gods and other creatures.

I didn’t know what to expect since I haven’t had much exposure to Arthurian fantasy. However, it was such an amazing introduction to this retelling with a twist. The story is filled with action and drama that kept me engaged all the way through. The protagonist, Morgan, has been through so much which heavily influences her actions (or lack of). Although some readers might not understand Morgan’s choices, I think it’s important to remember everything Morgan witnessed and endured at such a young age which the author makes a point of showcasing from the very beginning of the book. I love Morgan because she is the embodiment of perseverance. She misjudges and makes mistakes, but that is a part of her growth. I can’t wait to see how her character develops throughout the series.

Did I forget to mention slow burn? You can’t go wrong with two handsome men who guide and protect. You have the juxtaposition between hot grumpy Draven and handsome romantic Vesper, which just had my feet kicking in the air. The ending has so many shocking twists and turns; I went straight to reading the next book in the series. I highly recommend you make this your next read.

This is definitely a slow starter, but then it takes a lot of setting up. It is quite a bit different from the traditional Arthurian stories and I found that quite hard to get my head around at times. Once you get rid of any preconceptions then it starts to fly. By the end, you just want more! Can't wait to read the next book. Brilliant!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Briar Boleyn and the publisher for the e copy to read and review.

This is the first in a series which loosely retells the story of King Arthur but with a Fae twist.

To begin with a struggled with all the character names to remember who was who, however as the story developed it became easier to recount who was who.

Our FMC Morgan is a great character, who is well developed and deals with some really harsh issues. (Check trigger warnings as it's a dark fantasy).

The world building was great, I loved the journey across the lands. The best part being the exmoors which sound so incredible that I want one as a pet.

I really liked the characters Lancelot and Draven. Draven is exactly what you would want from an enemies to lover MMC. A strong assassin but also caring and gentle. The perfect oxymoron. I absolutely despised Arthur and Florian..

This book ends on a cliffhanger and I cannot wait to see where the story goes next.

A solid 4 ⭐

Queen of Roses is the first book in the Blood of a Fae series, a dark fantasy romance Camelot retelling.

Morgan Pendragon is the first born of the King but her half-fae heritage caused her to be passed on as heir to the throne. Instead, her younger brother Arthur is to be king and she would be dedicated to the Temple of the Three Sisters after she turns 21.

Despite her violent and abusive past, she remains loving and compassionate. Morgan is determined to enjoy what’s left of her freedom as much as possible, training hard with her best friend Lancet.

In this story, Morgan’s relationship with Arthur is strained and he is not the just and dutiful ruler of common legend. Rather, he is cruel and is obsessed with pursuing power.

With increasing civil unrest and threat of war, Arthur sends Morgan on a dangerous mission accompanied by the smug and mysterious Captain of the Guard, Kairos Draven.

With the fate of the kingdom on her shoulders, will Morgan successfully accomplish her task and forge her own future?

Tropes/themes:
🥀 Resilient FMC
🥀 Grumpy Bodyguard MMC
🥀 Found family
🥀 Hidden identities
🥀 Epic quest
🥀 One horse/one tent
🥀 “Who did this to you?”
🥀 Magic, gods, fae, creatures
🥀 Betrayal
🥀 Ends in a cliffhanger
🌶️: 0.5/5

“In my heart, I supposed I had always held out the hope of something more. Something else. Anything else”

The author does a phenomenal job infusing elements of Arthurian legend and crafting a unique version of Camelot and its mythology.

The characters are richly developed and I especially love Morgan. She refuses to be the victim any longer. She’s a smoldering force waiting to be unleashed! I cannot wait to continue her journey, especially with that cliffhanger 😳

Queen of Roses is an action-packed adventure with a fiercely loyal and resilient FMC that will have you on the edge of your seat and gasping with each reveal and plot twist! An incredible start to an amazing series!

**I received a free e-ARC and am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Huge thanks to Briar Boleyn and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!**