I really enjoyed this book! I love the story of King Arthur and this book so different from the story we know. I Love that it comes with a Farie twist on it. It was interesting to see Arthur as the villian in the story and not the hero.

I really enjoyed the characters and I loved Draven. I hope we get to learn even more about him in the next book. I did like the FMC Morgan but she jumped too much to trust people that were glaringly obvious using her. She was very naive though I did really like her journey in this book and I can’t wait to learn more about her background as well.

Overall, this was a fun, exciting, interesting world and I especially love the Arthurian take on this book. I am really excited for book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Briar Boleyn for this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

I love retellings of myths, and this one was great! It was a bit slow to get started. The first half of the book is all set up. But I do think it’s necessary to get that initial look at what Camelot is like at the beginning for where things go later. We also get to know our heroine very well. This myth twists things. Instead of Arthur being the hero and the rightful heir who was usurped, needing to claim the throne to bring back peace and balance, he’s a bastard who was legitimized in order to usurp his elder half sister, and ends up a cruel tyrant. We also get a lot of other cool twists on the myth and the characters in it. The author certainly found new ways to spin the old tale, and developed a rich world around it.

The hero here is Morgan. Based on Morgan Le Fay (literally, Morgan the fairy), here she is Morgan Pendragon, half fae, and the rightful Queen who was passed over by her cruel father (Uther Pendragon) because of her fae blood. She’s quite fine with it, all things considered. She’s a bit resentful about not being found worthy, but when opportunity presents itself to push herself forward, she prefers to fade into the background. Her family has been giving her “medicine” for years to keep any fae traits at bay, and her hair turned grey, which she likes to hide.

The plot really picks up when it comes out how her brother Arthur truly feels about her, and that he intends to send her after a mythical weapon, the blade of the god Perun. Excalibur. He sends her with two soldiers, his awful advisor’s right hand man, and the new captain of his guard, Kairos Draven. Draven is an assassin that Arthur hired, but who is instructed to get the sword for him.

He and Morgan have enemies to lovers chemistry right away. I really loved all of their interactions. It had big touch her and die vibes right away. His employer may not care for her life, but he certainly seems to! And that is only reinforced at the end. I’d course, once they begin to get more friendly, interruptions occur!

As the journey progresses, lord of twists and turns pop up. I was able to guess a lot of the twists coming up, but that’s because the clues are all there. The enemies to lovers romance I was anticipating did not come to pass. Not yet. But wily half fae lute players and all sorts of other things come in between the two. The ending promises more to come however.

Morgan changes a lot on the trip. From discovering magic to learning painful lessons at the end. And things between her and Draven are far from settled. I think they are only just beginning. Which I’m down for. We don’t learn much about Draven, and at the end, only confirmed my suspicion as well as laid hints at his past. Morgan is more of an open book for most of this, until she goes to get the sword. A fae guardian is there, and there’s a lot not quite understood here. But one thing is certain, there is more to her memories with her mother to uncover. And her own destiny.

The second half of this book really picked up the pace. With fights against wild animals, mercenaries, harpies, and zombies of all things! I was not expecting that one! It’s a wild ride for this last half and I loved it. I sped through this section much faster. I couldn’t put it down! There’s so much to this world that we’re only just beginning to uncover. It seemed like a fairly simple Camelot retelling at first, but it’s not just the medieval style world here. It’s so much bigger. There’s so much more history of the fae, both factions, to uncover. It seems we’ve now met both leaders, and that the fight is sure to kick back off. Then there’s Arthur and him cracking down in Camelot, doing public executions and everything.

And Morgan’s own destiny is sure to come up. The people in Camelot know Arthur wasn’t originally the heir, after all. And then there’s a Princess of the fae and what she called Morgan. Leading me to believe she’s owed quite a bit more than she may think. Or be comfortable with. After all, even hearing about the horrible things Arthur is doing, and Lancelet’s hints, she doesn’t think of herself. I can’t wait to see where the next book takes this!

I am beyond late doing this review but I beyond loved this book. It was fast paced and kept my attention the entire time. I stayed up way to late reading two or three nights in a row to finish this wonderful book. I immediately pre-ordered the second once I finished this. I also got the bonus chapter from signed up for her email list and wow.

I am so mad I didn't read this book the second I was approved for an ARC of it because I could not put it down.

This book has no right to be as deliciously good as it was. I love most anything involving fae and retellings? Oh they're my jam. So when you combine the two, I'm very rarely left disappointed. But when a book delivers me an Arthurian retelling when some gender bending and then you add fae into the mix? Okay, Ms author, I see you. And I am here for it all.

I was entirely engrossed in the happenings of Morgan and reading her world flip flop from the, well maybe not comfort, but as close as she could get to comfort with the memories she holds. Throwing her brother Arthur as the morally gray-ish turned completely villain last we leave him was just a stroke of genius that left my jaw on the floor. Maybe because my first introduction to Camelot and Arthur tales comes from the whimsical Disney version...but I did hate seeing that character in my head be a giant crap bag.

We also have Lancelet and Merlin as female characters who are strong and independent in the tolerant Camelot...even when Arthur begins to return back to the past.

And I can't forget the dark and mysterious Draven and the half fae Vesper. I won't say much about them...but I am so, so, so curious to learn more about Draven and his back history in the next book. The chemistry between the characters was believable and so were their thoughts, words and actions.

By the time I turned the final page and realized I was at the end of the book, I was thrilled to see I wouldn't have to wait long...it says the sequel is out June 30th. SQUEEEEE!

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

Thank you Starwater Press and NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Morgan Pendragon’s destiny has never been her own. Rumored to carry the tainted blood of the fae in her veins, her birthright is stolen from her when she is a mere child. Growing up in the shadow of her brother, the king, she has been promised to the goddesses when she comes of age. So, when her brother commands that she seek out a fae weapon of legendary power, Morgan seizes the chance to break free from the chains of her fate.
It's been a while since I've read a fae fantasy book, so its gripping beginning pulled me easily into the story itself. Morgan's character has been on journey of a self-exploration and realizing her identity. There's slow-burn, betrayal, and most importantly a dagger to throat. What I caught me off guard was the quick transition between the slow start and the sudden big amount of action filled with one another that made me keep on reading. Though the development of the main characters made me lower my overall rating, I am looking forward to book number two.
Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black should give this Arthurian retelling a try.

I received a reader's copy by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

This is the first book in the Blood of Fae series.
This is also the first book I have read by this author. This is an action packed slow burn magical romance with a unique take on the Arthurian story. I truly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend if you enjoy Fae and legendary stories. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I received this ARC for free in exchange for a honest review. Queen of Roses is a well written book that will grab your attention from the very start. I appreciate how she writes her characters and look forward to more of the authors work!

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

I received and ARC of this book, so thank you to Briar Boleyn and Starwater Press for the opportunity!

I’ll be the first to admit, I haven’t read the original story of Camelot, so I have no idea exactly how much of this book was pulled from it, but I did not mind it one bit. I recognized a lot of names, and I loved the LBTQIA* twist on it!

I also have to admit, it really did take me nearly 50% of this book to actually become invested, which is why I gave it 3.5. BUT, I rounded it to 4 because the second half really made up for it for me! The love triangle was so confusing, unexpected, and the magical elements and creatures added in there made it unique!

3.5 ⭐️

I enjoyed reading the book overall I liked the main storyline. The story needs more characters development, there is so much potential it is just lacking some things.

Thank you NetGalley and Starwater press for allowing me access for an honest review.

I received this book as an eARC via NetGalley courtesy of Starwater Press and let me tell you….I am reeling. I have so many questions!! This book is a twist on Camelot where half-fae Morgan Pendragon is tasked with finding and retrieving Excalibur for her brother and King, Arthur. Most of the book is the traveling, but I was not bored, surprisingly. It does end on quite the cliffhanger, but I cannot wait for book 2. I need to know the answers to all the questions I have! Definitely would recommend as long as the next book doesn’t disappoint. Based on this book, I have high hopes for the next installment!

ℚ𝕦𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕠𝕗 ℝ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕤 ~ 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ♡

4 ⭐️

First, I would like to thank @briarboleynauthor and netgalley for the eARC opportunity. This review is my own honest opinion!

This book surprised me! I read the blurb and found it very intriguing, so I figured I'd give it a go. This is an Arthurian interpretation with FAE. Yes, you read that right!

We got one horse, fae, who did this to you, secrets, lgbtqia rep, hidden identity, forced proximity, hidden powers, and more!

The writing was easy to read, and I have absolutely no complaints when it comes to world-building. The characters felt alive, and the world was interesting and a little mysterious.

Draven 🥵 is the perfect broody, mysterious, dark-haired warrior. He could tell me to shut up, and I'd actually do that for once in my life.

I liked Morgan, too. She's always been different, and she's used to hiding herself. I wish we saw a little more growth from her, but I have no doubts we will see her rise in the next book! I have a feeling she'll be a bad ass fmc by the end of it!

This is a slow burn romantasy. There's not much spice, one scene with some delicious details, but we get steam throughout the story. The author does promise more 🌶 in the next book!

I've never read any Arthurian retellings before, and I don't know much about it. After reading QoR, though, I'm excited to learn more about King Arthur, Camelot, and Excalibur!🗡

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a fantasy with adventure, romance, and plot twists! The ending was absolutely wild, so I'm very pleased to announce that book 2 comes out on 30th June!!

Queen of Roses is available at KU.

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀!

MC Morgan Pentagon was born by the King and a Fae Woman. Because of her mother, she was rumored to carry the blood of the fae in her veins. The King removed her mother, dubbed her brother King, and she was promised to the goddesses when she comes of age to be a high priestess. A role she was not ready for.

A princess of royal blood and the future high priestess of all of Pendeath, who likes to blend in and also sneaks around to help her people as one of them? My kind of story. I enjoyed the detailed world building of the story.

As a high priestess, vowing to the Three, you must also vow to celibacy for at least 30 years. Until one day, her brother, the King, sends her off onto a deadly mission.

Lots of action once the troop was on the road, but I'm left with a lot of questions and in need of answers in book 2.

Spoilers:
I am so glad she stopped drinking the medicine and we got to see her blossom into a fae.
I'm glad she killed Vesper, I had a bad feeling about him from the start.

The romantasy book I needed!!! A doomed love, dangerous mission, a kingdom going to war, and a princess who’s birthright was ripped from her grasps. Danger, magic, and slow burning romance is everything this book has and made me obsessed that i didn’t want it to end. Really good read for those who like SJM, The Folk of the Air series and FBAA series! Thank you Briar and NetGalley for the arc!

I loved Merlin on BBC, so I was ready to dive into a Camelot twist. But the characters felt very underdeveloped and I kept waiting for more relatable moments with them.

This was a very fun fantasy romance. I enjoy most things Camelot-inspired, and I think this provided a really interesting twist on a classic story. I did want a bit more depth from the characters, but am hoping that this comes with future installments.

3.5⭐️
Enjoyable and loads of promise.
I think with more character development this would be a 4/5⭐️ read as the plot is great!
I love the fae bits woven into the medieval background.
The pacing is good throughout.
I just wanted more from the characters as it’s an amazing cast of misfits and morally grey personalities!
Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC, this is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Thank you netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me to read this book. Omg this book was so much fun and insanely captivating! I liked the romance aspect but honestly my favorite part was never being able to predict what would happen next! I cant wait to find out the path Draven and Morgan continue to explore together! I felt connected to so many of the characters and was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire journey to Excalibur. I could not keep up with all the twists and turns and the ending left me truly speechless so I need book 2 right away! I have so many questions that will hopefully be answered in the next book!

Holyyyyy Sh*"" this was an amazing book. I found this author on TT and was approved for an arc. Also I'm not okay after reading this. It's been a month now and I'm still in book hangover and everything I pick up pales in comparison. This was esr the king Arthur retelling I've been waiting for. Dark, Queer representation, slow build far romance. Omg it has it all. The writing was beautifully fluid and the scenes were detailed and amazing. I can see the world the writer created in my head as it was so immersive. I have yet to stop talking about this book and I doubt I will bc it's that good.

This book was so much kore than just a pretty cover. It was a story woven to entrap you in its pages. From start to finish it was truly an amazing read!