First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Queen of roses is a dark fantasy. Emphasis on dark. Please read the trigger warnings prior to reading. It’s a loose re-telling of King Arthur set in the kingdom of Camelot with a fae-twist.

I really loved this story. It starts off a little slow and has some disturbing elements in the beginning, but once the quest kicks in, the plot really picks up and it’s hard to put the book down. There is a lot of good writing and world building and the plot twists were excellent. As with all first novels, there’s a little bit of an information dump with history, lore and characters, so pay attention because they are important going forward.

As for the romance, It is a true slow-burn romance with “who did this to you” vibes and themes of sibling love, friendship, betrayal, protect her at all costs, tyrant rulers, magic, mythical creatures, forced proximity, banter, and many surprises and unexpected twists. If you pay attention, you can see them coming from the way Boleyn writes, like little clues here and there. I have to say, the ending got me and I have so many questions. Can’t wait to read the next book!
Spice level: 🌶️
4/5 ⭐️

4 stars
It took me a little bit to get into this one but once I did I couldn’t stop reading it. This was a very interesting tale of going after Excalibur. Adding in some Fae and magic with Lancelot being a girl named Lancelet and Merlin being a woman. I really liked it and am looking forward to the next book.

I loved this book and devoured it in a day and a half. I feel like it’s really setting the scene and back bone for what’s to come, and I’m so excited for that! It’s definitely a slow burn when it comes to romance, but I’m here for it. I loved the characters and thought they were really well developed. There’s plenty of intrigue, twists and turns and it’s well worth a read if you like a good fantasy romance, with a “chosen one” vibe trope. Will 100% be carrying on with the Blood of the Fae series.

What a wonderful book to end my 2023! I will be honest that I started this and like all intros into a new fantasy world (for me at least) it took a minute for me to get into it but then today on our drive back home I committed and finished it and was NOT disappointed. This has a lot of Lady of Darkness book 1 vibes to it with its own twist.

Morgan has basically been hiding away in her kingdom since she lost her throne by birth to her younger brother. She is part fae which is a no no so due to this her brother Arthur is now the king. Her eyes are starting to open up to how horribly he is running the kingdom. Their people are not being fed. No one knows where the food is going. Morgan tries to help a group of hunters which backfires big time on her when her brother not only finds out but tells her that doesn’t trust her. He is sending her to a far away place to hunt a mythical sword called Excalibur. She will only have a few guards with her one of who is her mortal enemy’s dad, the other is an unknown who we will call a stranger enemy, Draven. Arthur tells her it would not be the end of the world if she dies but that she needs to prove herself and that she cares about her court and their youngest brother Kaye. Morgan is ok with leaving as she has a tormentor who has made her life a living hell. She has no choice but to say yes.

She has always taken a potion if you will at night to keep her fae traits at bay and when they are traveling she is forces to take this potion on a more regular basis. Things come to a head on the trail and she decides she will no longer be hiding who she is. This is when things took a turning point for me. Along the way they encounter mystical creatures that she has only read about in books. She is starting to change- her skin is changing, her hair is changing. She has powers she didn’t know about. All signs pointed to her and Draven becoming a thing which is teased but she has also heard some horrible things about him and doesn’t know what to believe. But then we get a curveball in Vesper- a mysterious part fae who helps Draven and Morgan out of a life or death situation. They all end up making it to hew sword when people’s true colors show up and we realize that Draven will do anything for Morgan.

I enjoyed how much backstory we got in this one. I loved the world building. I loved the hint of the bad guy in Draven- our morally grey MMC who seems to have rounded a curve. This had a lot of Lady of Darkness book 1 for me but with the King Arthur retelling twist. There is a ton of slow burn and kind of enemies to lovers. I can’t wait to see what happens when Morgan wakes up in the fae world which I am assuming is where they are going. I can’t wait to learn more about Draven and his past and I can’t wait for more SPICY scenes!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I would definitely recommend jumping into this series if you haven’t already.

3.5⭐️ this was a good romantasy book!
things I liked:
slow burn romance
the banter
the world building
Kairos
enemies to lovers

things i didn’t love:
the love triangle
Morgan was mehhh
a bit predictable
character development could be a bit stronger

overall a great start to a fantasy series!!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Overall Review (spoilers)

I am a sucker for Arthurian retellings. I plan BBC Merlin, but give me Camelot and it’s history and I melt faster than sugar in water.

Queen of Roses is the first book in a Arthurian retelling, except Arthur is a bad guy, there’s hot fae, and Morgana is powerful…except she doesn’t realize it.

After witnessing her mother’s death, Morgan grows up in the court of her father then Arthur. Having be usurped for the throne from her father, Morgan was suppose to simply be a priestess and hidden away from the world due to her fae blood. However, Arthur decides to send her on a deadly quest with a really hot assassins. If she fails, Arthur has made it clear that she will meet a worse fate than having to serve the gods.

I really like Boleyn’s inclusion of tropes while still managing to tell a new story. The magic system does need a little work, and sometime I feel like Boleyn was explaining things that should have been shown instead of explained via words, but overall this is a pretty great book. I can’t wait to read the second!

Plot Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Genre: fiction, romance, retelling, history

Trigger Warnings: parent death, SA, murder, gore, sexism, dubious consent

This is such a fantastic spin on the old tales of Merlin, King Arthur, Lancelot, and Camelot. I wasn’t expecting that spin to be as intriguing as it was. I never would’ve imagined the spin that Arthur wasn’t such a great king and the realm included fae, magic, and a host of fantastic creatures.

The only reason that this isn’t a 5 star read for me is because I wanted to throttle our MFC through the majority of the first half of the book for being a doormat and being a spoiled brat other times. I loved the mysterious MMC and the host of supporting characters.

Overall, I definitely recommend this read for those fantasy lovers who don’t mind the question, “what if Arthur wasn’t the hero in his tale…”

** Thank you netgalley for sending me a copy in exchange for honest review**

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I knew I this book was going be good the second I realized its a Camelot retelling and it did not disappoint! I will say that it started a bit slow but around 1/3 of the way in I was hooked!

I also loved how Morgan wasn't the usual impractically strong and gifted type of FMC I'm used to seeing. She could be overpowered and has her flaws but could save herself when it mattered. Draven, our morally grey love interest, is fascinating from the start. He's fiercely protective for reasons unknown and always seems to know more than what you'd expect. A captivating mystery from the start.

There's spectacular world building, some magic, and a slow burn romance that makes it hard to put the book down. The cliffhanger ending-- 😱😱😱. Needless to say, I will be reading book 2.

Okay, let's start this off with I LOVED it! It was so good, I got sucked in once I got through the start. The start was a little slow, but it was worth it. It was building up all the backstory you need to get into the quest Morgan is eventually sent on.

It's definitely a slow burn, which is a plus in my book. A lot of slow burns aren't all that slow, but this one definitely setting up the romance for later in the series. I can't wait to see where the romance goes in the next book! Especially with THAT ENDING. I was legit sucked in and could not put the book down for the last 40 pages. I had to know what was going on lol.

I do think that Arthur being evil is something I've personally never read before. I've mostly only read Camelot retellings from Gwen's POV to be fair though. I've never read one from Morgan's! I was instantly intrigued when I read the blurb and realized we were going to be following Morgan. Definitely a character I've personally never seen fleshed out before, so I was stoked.

Also though I figured Vesper was going to be some kind of evil or just not great. It was a little too weird that this guy just shows up and gets to tag along with them and Morgan is instantly connected with him. But it is nice that she got to experience something romantic with someone other than her ultimate love interest. I did like that. Not a lot of fantasy romances ever let the FMC experience any sort of romance fully with another character other than the MMC.

Overall, loved it! Will definitely be going on with the series. I legit already checked out the second book from Kindle Unlimited last night before I even completely finished, because I KNEW I was going to want to read the next book soon. Can't wait to see where this series continues to go!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this title to review!

When I was done with this book, I sat in my car for about five minutes and was happy that I don't have to wait for book 2. Because WHAT!? There was so much going on at the end, I was absolutely hooked! The hits just kept coming.

Overall, I enjoyed the heck out of this book. I was really excited when I figured out that it's a spin on King Arthur because The Sword in the Stone is one of my favorite movies from childhood. It was done very creatively and I loved how she switched some of characters. The entire book I was yelling at Morgan to stand up, but I still liked her (and glad that she stood up for herself when she really needed to). The tension between the two MCs was on point and the mini love triangle was amusing - I was expecting that twist at the end, but not to the extent it was written. Talk about cold blooded! Can't wait to see where this story goes next - more with Draven and his past, the political aspects with the war, how we (yes, we - these are my friends now) are coming back at Arthur, and more.

First, thank you to Briar Boleyn & NetGalley for a chance to read this series in exchange for an honest review.

This has been a ride (and I am immediately diving into book two). At first, the writing style DID have me questioning if this tale would be for me. Fortunately, that quickly because completely moot because the story itself has me trapped.

Positives:
I loved finding little pieces that I feel are foreshadowing. I don’t know the author’s style, but there were some things I felt strongly about (and I was right multiple times some are still unknowns).

The characters. While Morgan drives me a little crazy sometimes with her decisions, I really think it’s going to be an opportunity for excellent character development. I also love her very few trusted people.

Villainy. The villain is villainy as hell. Like I hate him. I can’t wait for her to stop making excuses for him and treats him as the pure evil he is 💁🏻‍♀️

Not so positives:
So many sentences start with “and” and “but” and are choppy partial things. I usually ignore improper sentences but it was driving me a little crazy.

The descriptions got to be a little much. I felt like I was informed of every piece of furniture in every room. Like, I just want to move on with the story. I started skimming a bit when we got into new rooms or areas.

Overall, I had a great time and now want to post this so I can start reading the second book because I am so excited!!

I'm a huge fan of all things medieval, Arthurian, and this story had it all! Starting off slow but builds up the world, the characters, and the suspense as you go. The characters are build so well they seem real. It was very well done, and I'm glad I bought them all so I don't have to wait to read the second one!

And a special thank you to victory editing, netgalley, and of course Briar Boleyn for giving me this arc copy!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4 stars

Liked:
Interesting take on the Arthurian legend

LGBTQ rep

Good world-building without it being clunky or overbearing

Epic journey for a magic weapon

Fun read that is easy to get pulled into

Slow-burn enemies to ?

Good character development

Cliff-hanger leaving me eager for more

Disliked:
FMC can be very naive at times- yes, this is necessary for plot development but sometimes can border on her being completely oblivious and missing things that are rather apparent


Overall, a very enjoyable book!

Notes: Unfinished Series, Cliffhanger, 4/5 stars, 2/5 spicy, CW/TW

I stayed up until 2:30 am because I NEEDED to finish this book! I’ve already jumped into book 2, Court of Claws and I’m so excited to see where this story continues to take us. I did receive a copy of this book through NetGalley, but books 1-3 are available on Kindle Unlimited, and book 4 is set to release spring of 2024.

This series is based on King Arthur and Camelot, but I would not say it’s a retelling. We have our MFC, Morgan Pendragon, who is the sister of King Arthur; Lancelet, a female Lancelot, is the best friend; and last but definitely not least, our morally grey MMC, Kairos Draven. There are plenty of other side characters throughout this book that I can see hopefully making a return in the rest of the series.

Overall, I really enjoyed the start of this series! While Morgan can be a little frustrating at times, a bit naive and spoiled, I have a lot of hope that we’re going to watch her character continue to grow into a strong female lead. Draven is perfect. 10/10. This is an extremely slow burn romance, so don’t expect to have a lot of hot and heavy scenes. Very PG-13 for this most part. The author did an incredible job with world building, and while one of the plot twists I could see from miles ahead, there were a couple of other twists that left me completely shocked and a bit confused. There is a cliffhanger at the end of this book, and whew... Like I said, I IMMEDIATELY snagged book 2 and started it.

I would 100% recommend this for anyone who enjoys Romantasy. I haven’t seen this book talked about much, but I will definitely be recommending this to all my fellow readers and groups!

Thank you net galley, the author Blair Boleyn, and Victory editing for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book!

A gripping, fast paced, fantasy story that kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time!! This is a King Arthur and Camelot retelling about Morgan who is on a quest for her king/brother. With slight world building and politics at the beginning of the story, a quest that leads them on a journey through the world, and the cliffhanger ending all made up for a great story! Morgan has lived her whole life in the shadows of her father, then her brother, and is finally allowed to leave her home in turn to find an object for the king that’ll ad in their war. You follow along her encapsulating journey through eskira.

If you love enemies to lovers, a cliffhanger ending, adventure, danger, fae, magical upbringings and a good slow burn romance this book is for you!!!

I will say that the beginning and the ending of this book is here it picked up for me the most and was held captive by the story. The middle was a little slowly placed for me, but I still wanted to read it.

I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series, I desperately need answers!!

This is a dark fantasy story so please check trigger warnings before reading!

I really enjoyed learning about this world, and it's magic and trickery and power. It simultaneously felt new and old, with the Arthurian elements scattered throughout. I was having a blast questioning everything and finding fun little twists like golden nuggies.

The story is written in such a way that it has you feeling all the emotions. I particularly felt strong hatred toward a certain few, like enraged enraged (iykyk).

I really liked Morgan, but I wanted her to slay her enemies with such force that no one would ever dare cross her. I admired that she cared though, even when people certainly didn't deserve her to.

Appreciated the LGBTQ+ rep!

The ending had me freaking out, wanting more, and that's always a good sign! Can't wait to jump into the next one.

Thank you to all involved for my Netgalley copy of this wonderful story.

★★★★☆

This book was really good! The concept and writing was done well and left me wanting more. There was a Camelot retelling aspect with fae elements that I wasn’t sure would work but it did. This would be a great book for any fantasy romance lover! Can’t wait to continue

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This Camelot retelling adds a fae twist that makes you want to keep reading. I really enjoyed the dialogue throughout this book. The one thing I wasn't fond of was how the hunt was so abruptly introduced. I lost track of what was happening and had to go back and reread to make sure I hadn't missed anything.

Just finished devouring Queen of Roses. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating = 4.5 stars.

I loved this re-imagining of Arthurian legend entwined with fae lore. As much as the names might be familiar, the story is unique. The setting is well-laid, if a little too verbose at times. The characters are intense. The burn is SLOW. A little too slow for my liking, but I anxiously await the spice that seems promised in book 2. That aside, the pacing of the book is near perfect. Never feeling too rushed. Giving breathing room to let the story unfold organically. This, in turn, allows time for character growth and dimension to emerge. For worlds to unfold before the reader. For this tale to be beautifully woven, as we journey with Morgan to free Excalibur. The slow build of trust between her and Draven, a mystery in his own right, yet to be uncovered. In many ways, this book did what I wish many would... it took it's time but was never boring. It built anticipation. It gave us just enough to want more. Well played on the part of the author, Briar Boleyn. I very much look forward to where the rest of the series takes Morgan, Draven, and their companions.

King Arthur Retelling? I LOVE IT!

King Arthur is the bad guy? EVEN BETTER!
Merlin is some kind of weird priestess that is providing guidance to the King?

Fae exist in Avalon and there is she - Morgana, sister of King Arthur, rughtful heir to the Throne and hal fae - this is so brilliant I just can’t!

The plot was awesome yet it was kind of predictible, but I am dying to know what is going to happen next?

And Kairos? That man was everything..