I’m a sucker for a good Arthurian retelling, and let me tell you—this book? Did. Not. Miss. Easily one of the best takes on the Arthur myth I’ve ever laid eyes on. Like, crown it and hand it Excalibur already.

Now, if you’re the kind of reader who devoured From Blood and Ash, lives for the “touch her and die” energy, melts over a good “who did this to you” moment, cheers when he falls first, thrives on enemies-to-lovers chaos, and refuses to settle for anything less than a snarky, stabby heroine with a heart of gold and a dagger in her boot? Yeah, this one’s screaming your name.

Throw in a found family that’ll make you emotional, vibes straight out of a Jennifer L. Armentrout or Sarah J. Maas fever dream, and a spicy romantasy that still manages to feel fresh and original? I devoured it. The writing? Sharp. The plot? Juicy. The world-building? Seamless. This book didn’t just check my boxes—it lit them on fire, smirked, and walked away in slow motion. Instantly a fave. And guess what? The series only gets better from here

⭐ I was torn between rating this book 3.5 or 4 /5
🌶️0.5/5

I enjoyed the story, the fact that the story didn't progress more than it did was slightly annoying though haha, I'm ready for book 2!

The reason why I was leaning on rating this book 3.5 was because of a few "mistakes", inconsistency, odd pacing, lack of clarity/explaining.

Here are a few examples

About the "medicine"
Chapter 4 : She, too, drank this same concoction I am told. Every second night as I do now.
Chapter 10 : “Your mother... She took the same medicine herself. Did you know that?” I let out a small cry of surprise.


Chapter 14: Her brother threatens her life.
Chapter 26: And then, I told myself, things would return to the way they had always been. That last part I had my doubts about. After all, I was conveniently avoiding what I had done to Florian.
... How do you think the only thing preventing for things to go back to normal is Florian death....!?

She keeps referring to Draven as her captor but never actually attempts to escape..

I enjoyed this book, it was fast paced, I liked where the plot was going and I thought the characters were decent.

I can’t believe I missed giving feedback on this series! It’s honestly one of my very favorites and I absolutely love Briar Boleyn’s writing. It was stunning!

A great new fantasy with great world building and a captive plot. Leaves you wanting more, looking forward for starting book 2

Thank you netgalley, this book was filled with such beautiful world building and an amazing plot, it never got boring for me. I loved the Arthurian setting with a fae placement it was so different but in a good way. However the romance elements were a bit disappointing for me but I’m not a big fan of love triangles but I can see this being extremely interesting for other readers

Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn is a captivating and immersive fantasy that blends political intrigue, romance, and a richly detailed world. The novel follows a determined and strong-willed protagonist as she navigates courtly power struggles, complex relationships, and her own identity in a realm filled with danger and secrets. Boleyn’s world-building is lush and vivid, creating a magical backdrop that adds depth to the story.

The character development is one of the book's strongest points, especially the protagonist, whose journey of growth and resilience makes her both relatable and compelling. The relationships, particularly the romance, feel genuine and add emotional weight to the narrative without overshadowing the central plot.

While the pacing is mostly well-balanced, there are a few moments where the story slows down a bit, but these are outweighed by the gripping plot and emotional stakes. The tension between the political intrigue and personal conflicts keeps the pages turning.

Overall, Queen of Roses is an engaging and well-crafted fantasy that will appeal to fans of court politics, magical intrigue, and strong character-driven stories. It strikes a good balance between romance and adventure, leaving readers eager to see what comes next.

I enjoyed the mythological aspect of the story and the accuracy to the myth however I wish that there was more character development within this story.
That to be said, there were a few characters that I instantly loved and wanted more of . The twists and magic system of this book were amazing and I would move on to the second book

*I received this book free via NetGalley*

Queen of Roses starts out this epic fantasy journey, for the ultimate what is still to be known.

Morgan is the first born, she should have been queen when her father died, but she was part fae and according to him that was unsuitable for anything, let alone queen. Instead, her father made her younger brother king and promised her to the temple once she was of age. Being a princess should not have been that bad, but her brother was getting more ruthless by the day, she was being tormented by an unwelcome suitor, and basically poisoned to keep most of her fae qualities from making themselves known.

It's only when her brother sends her on a journey to find Excalibur that she begins to learn the full extent of his depravity.  Her two traveling companions are anything, but mean guards surely sent to keep her in line. One wants to poison her to death, the other's desires are still unknown. As they travel and visit more places she's finds it's not all as bad as she once thought it may be, that is until they get to where they are going. The harpies, the caves...the children.

This book is a page turner that easily keeps you wanting to know what happens next. It is a rollercoaster of emotions, you never truly know who the bad guy is and who is the good. There is corruption, usurpers, hidden magic, betrayals, and unlikely friendships. As this book came to its cliffhanger ending all I could think of was....oh hell, what's next?!?!

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

Review: Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn

I’ll admit, Queen of Roses took a bit of concentration for me to get into at first, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. The story is a retelling of King Arthur, which, as a fan of Arthurian legends, I absolutely loved. The twist? It’s set in a fae world, which was such a refreshing and unique take on the traditional story. Mixing the magic of the fae with the familiar elements of Arthurian lore gave the book a whole new layer, and I really enjoyed how it added depth and intrigue to the world.

The book is definitely heavy in terms of world-building and character development, and I found myself needing to pay close attention at times to fully understand the intricacies of the plot. It wasn’t always an easy read, but once I got into the rhythm of the story, it became really compelling. There’s a richness to the writing that kept me invested, and the characters felt vivid and complex.

Looking back, I kind of wish I’d gone with the audiobook version, as it might have helped me get immersed in the story a bit quicker. Still, overall, it was an enjoyable read that combined my love for King Arthur with an enchanting fae twist.

I’m giving Queen of Roses three stars, almost four. It was a great read, though at times it felt a bit heavy, but once I settled into the story, it definitely captured my attention. If you’re a fan of Arthurian legends and enjoy a bit of fantasy with your historical fiction, I think you’ll really like it!

This story was an interesting story from an author I don’t know or haven’t read before! Will look at finding other things by this author. I am grateful for the early access, thank you to those that allowed it!

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook arc. Whole is was a nice read I can’t really say anything stood out to me. 3.5 stars

I have a habit of wanting to read books based on their covers! That being said, I had no idea what I was getting into when I read this first book in the Blood of a Fae series, and we get a retelling of the Arthurian legend!

The Dynamics and backstory that Boleyn poured into this book was on-point! It served up a great experience in a well crafted world.

The FMC Morgan has potential, I really hope that she is developed and comes into her own more as the series progresses, she was a bit of a wallflower. However, the same can't be said for KD! Now, that's a fantasy MMC done noice!!!

I'm in this for the long-haul, so we'll see where I'm taken I hope!!

*Queen of Roses* by Briar Boleyn introduces an intriguing fantasy world filled with fae, magic, and political intrigue. The premise of the story, focusing on a young woman’s rise to power amidst the complex dynamics of the fae realm, is captivating, and Boleyn does a great job building a richly imagined world. The plot has plenty of twists, and the concept of the fae hierarchy adds an interesting layer to the narrative.

However, while the world-building is solid, the pacing of the story can be uneven. At times, the plot feels slow, especially in the first half, and it took a while for the character development to really pick up. The main character’s journey is compelling, but I didn’t feel as emotionally connected to her as I’d hoped. Additionally, some secondary characters felt underdeveloped, which left me wanting more depth.

Overall, *Queen of Roses* has a lot of potential for fans of fantasy and fae stories, but it doesn’t fully deliver on the emotional stakes or depth I was hoping for. It’s an enjoyable start to the *Blood of a Fae* series, but I’m hoping the next book will build on its foundation and provide a bit more intensity and character growth.

I love a good Arthur retelling and this book did not disappoint! This is one of the best retellings of the Arthur myth that I have read. You need to read this book if- you loved From Blood and Ash, you love the touch her and die trope, the who did this to you trope, you like it when he falls first, you love enemies to lovers, you like your heroines snarky and stabby, you love a good found family, or some of your favorite authors are Jennifer L. Armentrout and Sarah J. Mass. This book really checked all the boxes for me, it was everything I love in a spicy romantasy while still feeling 100% unique from anything else I’ve read before. The writing is on point! It is so well-written I just devoured the book. The characters are intriguing, the plot will keep you guessing, and the world-building is expertly incorporated without sacrificing the pace of the story. This quickly took a spot on my list of favorite books, and it only gets better as you move through the series!

I recently decided to reread 'Queen of Roses' by Briar Boleyn, hoping to recapture the magic I felt the first time around. And let me tell you, it didn't disappoint!

This book still has that same captivating blend of Arthurian legend and fae magic that I loved initially. Morgan remains a compelling protagonist, and I found myself just as drawn to her journey of self-discovery as I was the first time. The world-building continues to be impressive, and the romance between Morgan and the enigmatic warrior still adds a layer of intrigue.

While I still feel like the beginning is a bit slow-paced, the story quickly picks up momentum, and I found myself just as eager to learn more about the fae world and the dangers that lurk within. I'm still particularly intrigued by the secrets surrounding Morgan's heritage and the impact they will have on her future.

Overall, this reread reminded me why I fell in love with the Blood of a Fae series in the first place. It's a captivating story with a strong female protagonist and a unique blend of fantasy and romance.

I loved everything about this. The brooding male and the feisty female. The politics, the rivalry, the danger, and intrigue. I got pulled into this story so quickly and it just kept getting better. The ending was gut wrenching and left me begging for me. Got the second book right away. I don’t want to say too much because I’m afraid of giving too much away

The Arthurian references were neat, but this is definitely not a retelling of Camelot. Lots of twists and turns, and fairly fun to read, but I wasn't captivated enough to want to grab the next book.

Thank you for an advanced copy of this book.

Queen of Roses was a fun read and there were elements which I enjoyed such as the romantic tension and that Morgan wasn't a spoilt princess like in a lot of books. I didn't realise going into it this was Authurian based which I enjoyed. That said I do think there was room for Morgan to grow as a character which she didn't. Another big negative for me- animal cruelty. This always knocks a book down for me.

Overall it was a decent read but I'm not sure I would continue the series.

If you like retellings of King Arthur and Camelot, you would definitely love this (with fae in mix). The world building is spectacular in this. I love the balance and pace of the book. It's a delight for dark fantasy lovers.