This book swept me away into a mesmerizing retelling of the Arthurian legend, where Morgan le Fey takes center stage. Right from the start, I was captivated by the poignant backstory of our protagonist and the clever twists that breathed new life into the familiar tale. The slow-burn romance between Morgan and the enigmatic Kairos Draven had me positively giddy with anticipation. The sparkling banter between them added an extra layer of delight. The world-building transported me effortlessly into this enchanting realm, although there were instances of slightly overwhelming information towards the end. With its blend of betrayal, intrigue, and unexpected revelations, this book left me yearning for more. If you crave a spellbinding fantasy romance with rich characters and a fresh take on Arthurian lore, looking forward to the next one.

A big thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Briar Boleyn for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Queen of Roses a very unique retelling of the King Arthur legend complete with magical creatures and fae. The story follows Morgan, the half sister of King Arthur, who is half-fae. The fae are a race shunned by humans and King Arthur looks down on his sister and wants her out of the way and uses their younger brother to emotionally manipulate her. He sends Morgan off on a mission to recover Excalibur which, in this retelling, is a weapon forged by a god. Morgan is sent off with Draven, a Royal guard and assassin, to recover the weapon. The whole story is one that is hard to put down especially if you love fantasy and authors like SJM and JLA. The ending is insane and I cannot wait to start Court of Claws.

Loved this book! Camelot with Fae. Was nice to read something a little different within the fantasy genre. Can’t wait to read book 2.

Thank you NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this one. The world building, magic and lore was really original with a really good storyline based of the retelling of Camelot and King Arthur. Really good.

I began reading this book with little knowledge of it other than it was a retelling of King Arthur's legend.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am intrigued enough to read the next one right away. The mystery surrounding our FMC, MMC, and the rest of the world is promising.
Still, the plot is a little predictable in a few details, but not enough to put you off reading.

I new re-telling of Morgan Pendragon and Camelot. This story is an exciting fast-paced tale of hidden destiny, family ties, and tragedy. Morgan's life is far from the picture perfect life we imagine for a princess. Kingdom taken away from her, a tyrant of a brother on her throne, and the medication she's forced to take to hide her Fae blood. It's a great retelling, a little predictable at times with the sudden introduction of a second MC, but still enjoyable enough that I will be diving in the next book right away.

2.5 stars

***ARC received in exchange of an honest opinion***

Let me start by saying I didn´t know this book would be a kind of retelling of King´s Arthur myth. Usually retellings don´t work for me, so I´m not the biggest fan of them. And unfortunately this was one of these cases, it just didn´t work for me.

The story is intriguing and has a lot of potential, but the execution isn´t quite there yet, so it fell under the "flat" category for me and I wasn´t able to relate to the characters.

Again, I see a lot of potential in the story, but it needs a bit more developing and editing in my opinion.

This Fae twist on the Legends of Kings Arthur was action packed and a lot of fun. Once the main character and her companions left Camelot and began their quest for Excalibur, I was hooked on the “journey” narrative.

I’m also super into the powerful female character trope, and I only hope now that the MC is growing into her powers, she’ll become a badass in the sequel.

The author also does a great job continuously throwing in twists and turns that keep you guessing character identities and motives up until the very end.

Thank you NetGalley and Starwater Press for the ARC!

“The day my mother died, I was reading a book underneath her bed.”

“My future had been set for me before I was old enough to question it.”

"Not even a thank you, Princess?" he called as I strode away. "I'll miss you, too."

So incredibly and unexpectedly good!!! This first book in a series was nothing like I was used to in a King Arthur retelling and exactly everything I didn’t know I needed !!!! Morgan is who we think she is only her half fae blood as always more a curse than anything. That same blood is the reason why she is kept away from the throne from her father who have it away to her little brother Arthur. The more they grow up the more Arthur is transforming into that vicious, cruel king that their father was once. Morgan is under his rule and despite her love for her brother, she is sent away on a deadly quest to find the sword that will help her brother win a war: Excalibur. Morgan is also Merlin’s apprentice, the High Priestess. Little does she know that her powers are way bigger than she imagines and that her true fae heritage has not even been totally revealed yet. On a journey through peril she will meet a very brooding, hot and grumpy knight sent to protect her, Draven who is hiding something more than just his past. This book made me constantly scared and frustrated and bothered (the tension with the princess and guard trope is there!!!) and enthralled by the magical way the author developed this plot and this world. I knew I would have loved it from the first sentence somehow !!! Morgan will learn more about her powers and her life and her truths and Draven … he will drive her crazy but will also be the best chance at survival she has !!!! I loved each and every character and each and every plot points made in this book. I was interested in the character of Merlin in particular but by that last chapter … I NEED MORE ABOUT DRAVEN AND IT IS ONLY FAIR THAT BOOK TWO IS ALREADY OUT !!!! It was such a massive cliffhanger!!!!

"Who did this to you?"

"Go," he shouted to me, his green eyes blazing, his deep voice resonating across the room. "Go. I'lI find you, Morgan."

"A gift to you then. Forged in blood and darkness. A bond that can never be broken."

Thank you NetGalley & Briar Boleyn for the chance to read Queen of Roses.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dark fantasy romance, with a spin on King Arthur. It was an easy read for me, and I found myself wanting more, and really enjoying the journey this book took me on!


Morgan Pendragon is a "denounced" Queen who has been promised to the temple, while her younger brother, King Arthur rules Camelot. Morgan is a half-blooded Fae, who knows very little about her Faw heritage.

King Arthur is a cruel ruler, and sends Morgan on a journey to find Excalibur. Along the way, she and her "guardians" face many hurdles. We learn more about the Fae and Gods of their world and of the past.

*I will note I am not a King Arthur/ Camelot/ Gods know-it-all, so I did find myself stopping to dig in deeper to understand some of the characters, however that was not necessary, just for personal knowledge.

I would have greatly enjoyed a map to better understand the geography!

I look forward to reading book two in the Blood of Fae trilogy, and finding what is to come of Morgan Pendragon and the world beyond Camelot.

“He was the air I breathed. I could not live without him.”


Queen of Roses is a dark fantasy of Camelot retelling. Arthur is portrayed as the evil King. While Morgan, who is part fae is the hero.

King Arthur demands Morgan to find the sword, for she is the only one able to retrieve it. Joined with two new comrades they must venture to the unknowns. What will become of Camelot? Will they be able to retrieve the sword or will danger come upon them?


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5)
I loved every moment of this dark retelling and couldn’t stop reading! It had just enough spice, making you beg for more. I enjoyed the unexpected twist & turns that left you feeling betrayed. Finally my heart broke at the cliffhanger hoping to find out what happens next.

The book was a bit slow to get into but once it started going you fell right in the story. It was a wonderful first part in this serie. A very detailed worldbuild and amazing character who each fight their own battle. I can't wait to read the next book.

If you like dark fantasy, this one is for you. I however highly recommend looking at the content warnings before diving in because this book definitely has some heavy hitters.

Queen of Roses is the first book in the Blood of a Fae series and is a retelling of the classic King Arthur/Camelot story with a fantasy twist. Instead of us seeing the story play out through Arthur’s eyes, his sister, Morgan, is the narrator. Other characters are pulled straight from the classic story, like Sit Ector, while some are gender bent, like Lancelet and Merlin. I always love when that happens. It gives a different perspective on characters we all already know about it.

Queen of Roses follows Morgan as she navigates living in a Camelot that’s ruled by Arthur, who is her younger brother. When she was a child, her father promised her to the goddesses since he didn’t find her worthy of being a queen and made Arthur his heir instead. One of those reasons is that Morgan supposedly has fae blood in her, which in Camelot is a big no-no. There is history between the fae and humans in this world and to put it plainly, they hate each other. Morgan suffers through a lot growing up because of this. There is so much I wish she didn’t have to experience being so young. It’s not fair to her whatsoever.

When things start to get dicey, Arthur sends Morgan to go retrieve a special artifact that will give him great power over his enemies. He specifically picks Morgan due to her supposed heritage. She isn’t sent alone, though. One of the royal guards, Kairos Draven, is to accompany her for her safety. It is your typical tall, dark, and handsome male love interest, but Draven isn’t who he seems to be, which I kind of figured out early on. Now, there are still questions I have about him which will probably be answered in the next book, but for now, he will remain mysterious.

Overall, Queen of Roses is a good read. You’ve got everything you want in a fantasy novel: morally gray characters, action, betrayal, some of the best romance trope out there in my opinion – one bed (one tent in this case), touch her and you die, who did this to you?, etc. The backdrop of the Camelot story is also incredibly interesting. I don’t think I’ve read a book that has spun this story in the way Briar Boleyn has. I gave Queen of Roses four stars because I found some parts to be a little confusing, almost like there were details missing. It could just be me, but I had to reread certain passages to understand what was happening. The clarity in the action was iffy sometimes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Now on to Court of Claws, the second book in the Blood of a Fae series.

This is a romance, fantasy book with not much romance. She makes the world building easy to understand. Some parts and characters are pretty dark. This is a three book series, and I will definitely be reading the second one in the series when it comes out.


Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book for my honest review

WOW. Just wow.

I absolutely loved this retelling of Arthurian Legend. It was so unique and enthralling that I had a hard time putting it down.

The characters were very well written and felt very realistic. I really enjoyed how some of the characters were gender bent and that we got to see a completely alternate version of the story. Is the Arthur of the legends that we know really the good person we think he was? Were his knights?

The plot also progressed beautifullly as well. The pacing was spot on.

This book isn't "just another fae/fairy story". It's a gripping, twisted, dark, spicy, and fantastical retelling of a classic legend.

Wow........this book is so beautifully written and I devoured it. I love Arthurian Legend and this series is quickly becoming my favorite. Perfect for dark fantasy lovers who like From Blood and Ash, ACOTAR, K.J.Sutton and more.

King Arthur retelling. Amazing story, retold in a new way that keeps you hooked from the beginning. Amazing character development, plots you don't see coming, and a shocking twist at the end that will leave you racing to grab the next in the series. Highly recommend for any fantasy lover.

This book was so good, it had me hooked from the beginning and I was never bored (even during the world building)

I absolutely love the two main characters Morgan and Draven, they were imperfect and Morgan was working through stuff but that made me like them more because they felt more real. Also Draven was the classic ultimate love interest in a book which I’m a sucker for lol. I can’t wait to continue the series, I had so much fun reading about their journey through Eskira:)

Interesting take on the Arthurian legend. I enjoyed the setting, the plot, and the characters. I can see this becoming a great fantasy series!

What did I even just read? I was so sucked in by everything happening (and there was a lot going on) and that ending! I am very glad that I already have access to the second book because… I must know where we are going with this story.

It’s fae royalty, courts and politics. There’s quests to go on across dangerous new lands. Enemies who might not be so bad and friends who are bound to betray you. There’s also super cute, fantastical creatures that I’m wishing I could see in real life. The story moved along quickly most of the time and I was always trying to stay one step ahead, working out the twists and turns.

Anyway, it was fun for me and now I’m off to start book two.

CN for drugging, abuse, DV. It’s got quite a bit of darker elements and there is a list of triggers in the book, but I personally didn’t feel like they were a huge part or focus of the book, but you might want to check them out if you’re worried about it.

Thanks to #NetGallery and the publisher. I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Genre: Romance/Fantasy
Format: Digital
POV: Single
Spice: 🌶️.5 /5
Age suggestion: 18+