It took me a while to get into this book but once I did I couldn't put it down! The slow pace beginning is necessary to the world building and character development. Enemies to lovers trope - a heroine you want to root for and an enemy that you love to hate. Mythical creatures. Magical realms. It's a jam packed book that has the making of something great. It's just missing more in depth character development. I wanted more from these characters, so I'm hoping we see some true development throughout this series as we get to know them better.

Thank you to NetGalley, Briar Boleyn, and the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op group for providing me access to this book! I can't wait to dive into Court of Claws!

I really enjoyed this. It definitely had the normal familiar elements of a Romantasy but being an Arthurian retelling added a new twist I haven’t experienced. The plot was a little familiar in some aspects but I think that is just due to the genre. I’m excited to continue reading the series.

I originally picked up this series because I've always been a fan of the TV Show Merlin which is set in Camelot and features the same characters promised by this book. However, this authors new take on the legend of Camelot is perhaps my favourite yet and the inclusion of the fae just makes this a brilliant and gripping story.

Credit must be given to the author for her incredible world building skills. A lot of care and attention has been taken to craft the intricate political system of Camelot and the society in which our characters live. The background that's given to us about Uther, Morgan's mother and the destructive path Arthur is descending down sets us readers up for a gruesome and horrific set of events to follow. I loved the fact that this book included a journey for the main characters when Morgan sets out to find Excalibur. I enjoyed seeing settings outside of the Camelot Castle which kept the plot from feeling stale or monotonous. I also enjoy watching the characters interact with these new surrounding and watch as Morgan discovers that the world around her is a lot bigger than she thought.

I adore Morgan as a character. She is headstrong, empathetic, wise and caring but has flaws like any other human and is not afraid to admit that. The author has made her into a well rounded, fleshed out character that the readers can really relate to and root for as she deals with horrific treatment by her own family. Morgan is also a mystery to us. We are told enough of her background to get a feel for what she has been for, yet we feel right from the beginning that there is something more to Morgan than we have been told. Seeing the way she was treated by Florian made my heart ache for her, yet I really fell in love with her character when she enacted her revenge on her tormenter. Morgan's friendship with Lancelet and the way they fight for one another was another lovely addition to this story and I found that I really enjoyed the fact that the author has chosen Lancelet to be such a strong woman Knight rather than the male Knight usually depicted in references to Camelot.

Draven is an interesting character. He starts of being a villain, a baby killer. Yet, as the story goes on we start to see him be a warm and caring person, albeit a tad bit frosty. It becomes clear that Draven may also not be who he initially seemed. When he kills the man who murdered the exmoors, I realised he was about to be another of my favourite characters. The slow burn romance between him and Morgan, with the touch of enemies to lovers is gripping and enjoyable to read.

I very much enjoyed the start of this series and I look forward to reading book 2. I rated this 4 out of 5 stars overall. Would highly recommend

This was a well-executed plot with well-developed characters.
I loved the developments of Morgan’s character throughout this as she goes from strength to strength.
The mysterious Draven was a good edition, and I have a lot of unanswered questions about him, which I fully understand is intentional by the author.
The sense of adventure in this one is great, the story flowed well.
That ending was insane. I can’t wait to read the next book!

As always, check the TWs prior to reading.

this was such a fun and action packed read! I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this story, but boy was I pleasantly surprised to find a fantastic and dangerous arthurian inspired quest, with a sprinkling of found-family and spice. The magic system, creatures, fae and political turmoil are well expounded on and easy to dive into. This book seems to have something for everyone in terms of mythical and magical and I love seeing the blend of known epic myths/characters and more supernatural elements.

Morgan, eldest daughter of the cruel former king of Camelot, Uther Pendragon, has lived a life in the shadows, doing her best to blend and not draw attention to herself. although the first born, she was cast aside as heir to throne by her father for her “tainted half-fae parentage” (her beloved mother was also a fae). instead, her ungrateful and selfish younger brother Arthur takes the throne and continues to rule as their father did, with an iron fist. Morgan loves her people and wishes she could do more to help them thrive in Arthur’s Camelot, but there’s only so much she can achieve without threatening her own life. her life has been difficult and filled with pain, but she’s still a lovely and hopeful woman.

abruptly sent on a perilous and mysterious quest by her brother, with a new, but handsome and menacing captain of the guard, Draven. Morgan starts to learn more about herself while out from under the palace eye. watching her nurture that strength on her journey was epic and worthy of the arthurian themes! she blossoms into a more confident version of herself, and I liiiive for the little crumbs of tension and banter with our hottie guard. we’ve only just scratched the surface of these two!!!

this book ended on such a good cliffhanger and I can’t WAIT to start book 2 immediately. I’m team Draven & I hope it heats up even more with him & our smart-mouthed Morgan.

Thank you to Briar Boleyn and NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Morgan has never been able to choose her own destiny. Her father declared that she would dedicate her life to the three goddesses as a priestess when she was a young child, but that was never the life she truly wanted. When her brother, the king, asks her to take part in a journey to find a weapon to help win a looming war, Morgan has little choice but to agree. But this journey proves to be dangerous, and uncovering the truth about the Fae who were thought to have long ago left the area may prove to be more than Morgan had bargained for.
I really enjoyed this book, and I love how Briar incorporated the King Arthur legends and made a new story out of it. Morgan is a very like-able character and I really love how she grows throughout the book. The chemistry between the characters is phenomenal and I can't wait to read the next book in the series! I highly recommend this book if you enjoy fantasy and fae stories. There is a trigger warning list if you are worried about the content but it is stated that reading the trigger list may cause spoilers.
Thank you NetGalley and StarWater Press for this free ebook in exchange for my honest review.

It took me a minute to get into the book, but once I did, I was hooked! A great read, I would definitely recommend it to others! Looking forward to reading the rest of the series

A book that looks at the well known myths and ask what if? The reimagining was a dark and fascinating twist, however; the start and staying so close also caused quite a bit of dissonance too. While plot was predictable the action was engrossing and required big breaths after scenes. Quotable dialogue without substance. Will continue the series as I am curious of the future

First, I want to thank NetGalley and Victory Editing for allowing me to read and review this book. I had never read a book by Briar/Fenna, so I didn’t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised with this book and already downloaded the second one! It gave me Maas and Armentrout vibes. The author does a great job of describing everything in detail and setting the scene in my head. It was more like watching a movie in my mind instead of simply reading words on a screen. This story is full of lies, deceit, mystery, and adventure. It grabbed my attention from the beginning.

If you like FBAA, you will likely enjoy this slow burn enemies-to-lovers series by Briar Boleyn. At first, the similarities with FBAA were almost too similar for my taste, but throughout the course of the book, the differences became more obvious and tasteful. The love triangle in this book was interesting, as it made the reader question what to expect.

I loved the medieval/Arthurian theme of this series, that intertwined some real history with fantasy. I also appreciated a twist on the traditional characters of Lancelot and Merlin being female. The ending of this was a cliff hanger but thankfully I get to jump into my next ARC of this series. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a digital ARC of this series. Please note that all opinions and ratings are entirely my own.

I didn’t think i’d be able to give another fae romantacy a 5* review after finishing ACOTAR, But here we are!
I’m a huge fan and arthurian legends and ate up BBC’s merlin like it was my last meal, so the idea of something like that mixed with fae storytelling had me very, very excited.
But this book is more than just that. First of all, it made me hate arthur, who, was my first ever character crush. Secondly, it goes far beyond a typical retelling and makes it entirely unique. There tends to be a lot of repetition with this trope (which, don’t get me wrong, i love and eat up as well) but this was something completely different.
The world building was excellent; It wasn’t too hard to grasp and luckily I was able to pick up pronunciation quickly due to both the guide and also recollection of other stories. Morgan was a lovable character and the incredibly (incredibly) slooooow burn (that still hasn’t happened fyi but i know it’s coming, it must!) is so tantalising! Draven has the misunderstood brute arc that is similar to that of rhysand and makes me so excited to watch his story unfold.
I’ve already started the second book and i doubt highly that it will take me long to get through it. Don’t stop me now, i’m on a roll!
Overall, Briar Boleyn did a fantastic job creating a brand new version of Arthurian legend and I am beyond ecstatic that I have managed to finally find a series that has dragged me out of my acotar hangover.

If you haven’t guessed, I highly recommend this if you’re a fan of acotar and need to stop being depressed over not having that anymore just like me.

Thanks so much to netgalley for this arc!

This is an excellent read. The detail that went into this book was flawless, and normally world building is extremely boring but Briar came in with all the details and made it flourish. I HIGHLY recommend this series, if you loved acotar/ plated prisoner/ or from blood and ash you will certainly love this. Looking forward to starting Court of Claws!

Queen of Roses is the first installment in the dark fantasy series of Blood Of Fae which presents myths from Arthurian legends in a dark and twisted manner with medieval time vibes throughout the book.

This was a gripping tale from the very first chapter, Briar did a wonderful job for the readers being familiar with the characters- she featured a map & a pronunciation guide. The dialogues between the characters are used to get an insight into worldbuilding to the readers, worldbuilding and lore were great for this book. The description of places was fabulous and detailed (especially roses filled in the throne room of Arthur), Briar nailed it!

Morgan, the protagonist, is the daughter of the first queen and former king who is the rightful heir to the throne but is dismissed as the heir and instead promised to be high priestess of the the temple. She is a half-fae and has suffered abuse for her whole life, which led to her concealing a part of herself. She grew up in the shadows of her step-younger brother, Arthur, the tyrant king of Camelot whom she realizes she no longer knew him or probably never knew him. When her kingdom is on the brink of a war, she's tasked with a dangerous quest of a legendary weapon- the Excalibur. Being the first book it serves as an introductory volume towards world-building and towards the growth of Morgan herself, who, slowly, begins to embrace her true nature and no longer justifies through brotherly love all the actions that Arthur has done towards her and the kingdom.

Draven on the other hand is very morally black and is surrounded by a wave of mystery until the end. I liked the fact that he treated right away with concern and like an equal, despite his rank. The dynamic between him and Morgan was the perfect start to a slow burn. The end was unseen and unpredictable for me!

Other than these two, Lancelet was a truly amazing character for me and I loved her quick wit and her friendship with Morgan. Their friendship was a big highlight for me in this book!

This read is another Sword in the Stone retelling but is definitely a lot different than the others I have read. I really enjoyed that this retelling involves fae and a hidden prince (always love a good prince in disguise plot). I also enjoyed that mythical cats and animals played apart in it also. These book is apart of a series and I am very looking forward to see where these characters journeys take them.

Enemies to lovers ✔️
Slow burn ✔️
Amazing ✔️
Force proximity ✔️
The world building was 🤌🏼

Overall absolutely loved this this book. Finally a Fae read that didn’t feel like an ACOTAR copy paste. It pulls from the story of King Arthur and some type of mythology? From page one I was HOOKED and by the end well…. Let’s just say I need to get my hands on the next book IMMEDIATELY!

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book!

“Forged in blood and darkness. A bond that can never be broken”

A fae take on King Arthur, this was an interesting read about Morgan who is half-fae and entitled to the throne of Pendrath but her father decided to dedicate her to the temple instead and proclaim his second-born child Arthur as heir instead.

Above being replaced from being queen, Morgan faces cruelties that are unthinkable from her brother who is an uncaring ruler as well as his friend who is enamoured with her. When she is sent on a mission to retrieve a legendary weapon, only a company of two is sent with her – Whitehorn, another cruel member of Authurs court and Draven a new guard who has quickly risen to the rank of captaincy. A fae minstrel, Vesper, joins their group and Morgan finds it difficult to resist his charms despite Draven’s warnings.

The world-building is excellent and the twists in the story, keep you turning the pages late into the night. Morgan is a strong female, especially when you consider what she has been through. Vesper is charming and Draven is the perfect morally grey villain.

I found the pacing a little slower than I liked but it did allow for intricate world-building and character development. This story features all the tropes – slow-burn, stolen throne, just one bed and a quest to a dangerous land.

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing co-op for the opportunity to read this series and the fact that I was able to start the sequel immediately as that cliff-hanger was something else.

This was everything I wanted and more. I truly enjoy the twist on the King Arthur Legend. All my favorite things in a book, enemies to lovers, slow burn, a little spice in the mix. And the ending wreaked me. I think that is how all of this series is going to go.

As a fan of the ACOTAR series and a fan of Arthurian legends, this book was high on my TBR list. The author had an interesting twist on the traditional Arthurian legend that provided an opportunity to really build out a new world with fae at the heart. Although it did get better, the first part of the book (almost half) is spent on world building and exposition. As this is part of a series, I can definitely understand the time spent to help build out the world, but it was such a slow start that I struggled not to DNF several times. I do not think that I will continue in the series as the twist on the traditional Arthurian legends is a bit much for me, but I recommend for anyone who is looking for an easy read with supernatural elements!

My reading experience for this book was one of highs and lows. The middle section really captivated me, and I had a hard time putting it down. I love a good travel quest plot with a rag-tag crew, and this aspect of the plot scratched that itch. That being said, it was hard to not have my enjoyment overshadowed by elements that I did not enjoy. I really love the idea of doing an Arthurian spin on romantasy tropes, but I think the execution just wasn't really for me in the end.

I think one of the biggest aspects that deterred my enjoyment was the writing style, especially the dialogue. I can see the style the author was going for, but for me, it was just a bit off, and I found myself thinking about how off-kilter and false the flow and banter felt. It is worth noting this style is one that doesn't work for me very often, so I'm certain part of it is my personal preference. I also felt like the foreshadowing was heavy-handed at times. There were some good plot twist ideas, but I found myself figuring what they were much sooner than the main character, leading me to feel frustrated when she couldn't figure it out or wasn't aware of cues hinting towards them. This aspect I think also limited my ability to be immersed in the story and connect with the main character, as I found myself feeling quite frustrated. I will say though that there were a couple of twists that caught me off guard at the end, so it definitely got better as the story progressed

The other aspect that I did not enjoy about this book was the plot pace, especially at the beginning. The first 30% felt so slow, and while there were definitely plot points that were important for the later plot and the main character's growth, there was also a lot of what felt like filler. That first 30% I had no idea where the story was going to go, and when the plot did kick into gear it felt like a drastic (albeit needed) shift from the pace the plot had been going at. I found the middle of the book to also be slow, but other elements like the crew on the road helped justify its pace. I also think if I hadn't been able to predict many of the plot twists so easily I would have been able to enjoy the plot and pacing, as well as feel more immersed in the world.

All in all, this book wasn't my favorite, and I don't think I'll be continuing on, as the elements that I don't enjoy overshadow those that I do

Queen of roses,

4⭐️
I was sucked in right from the start.
The book is divided in two parts. I enjoyed the second part best.

I loved the world building and getting to know the characters but had a hard time connecting to the mmc. Maybe because we didn’t get to see enough of him. I do really like Morgan the fmc.

The King Arthur retelling wasn’t a problem at all. I liked how similar characters had different genders and even tho some was taken from the original story, I still felt like a new story on its own.

It is a dark fantasy so if you plan on reading, check the triggers. For me it wasn’t as dark as I expected.

I’m exited to start the next book in this serie.

Thank you Netgalley and Briar Boleyn for giving me the opportunity to read this book.