I don't know what drugs Briar Boleyn magics into her writing, but OMG I physically couldn't put this book down! I finished reading LATE last night and ended up waking up early this morning to buy and begin reading the second book before work; I literally cannot stop thinking about it.

I had so much fun. The morally grey-ness of it all is so well written. Each of the characters are fleshed out enough to make them believable, but not so much as you feel you know everything they're going to do/say.
The friendships are written SO well; and I adored the casual queerness of Lancelet and Galahad.

I must say, when i first began reading I did roll my eyes a little bit at all the obvious connections to the Legend of King Arthur (I admit, I was hoping it would all be a little more subtle), but that VERY quickly surpassed once we got into the swing of the story.

Like all romance books, there is a level of predictability, but as a fairly seasoned romantasy reader, I really don't mind that. I will say, however, this book is next level slow burn and there is a very teeny tiny small amount of spice - though I have had a flick through the second book and can see that there is more on the way, so I think Ms Briar is being a bit of a tease and showing us what we're signing up for very slowly ;)

The only thing I'd say I was a little disappointed about was that it's marketed as a Dark Fantasy Romance; with this first book, I wouldn't necessarily say that was quite correct. Maybe I've read some things that are much too dark and so I was just expecting a bit more darkness, but for me (I would say it's definitely on the edge of a Dark Fantasy), but it's not quite there yet. That said, having read things like ACOTAR in the past, I can understand how these types of stories can get darker and darker over their writing and so, again, maybe this was just a preemptive warning and we'll get darker as we go further into the books.
I love that the trigger warnings are in the back of the book (with notice in the front letting you know they're potential spoilers, but should you wish to know them, they are there for you to see); and the TWs were very accurate.

In all, this books was so enjoyable and I really can't wait to see where this story takes us next!! All I
can say is ROLL ON BOOK 2!!

I'd like to say a big thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book through NetGalley to help celebrate the release of book three in this series. <3

Thank you to Netgalley and Briar Boleyn for allowing me to provide this review!
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Queen of the Roses is the first book in the Blood of a Fae series. It is fantasy, romance, and adventure. It has potential to be something great with a few edits. However, I have a feeling that book two is going to be amazing, now that we have a background and a focal point to follow, I think the book will grow as it is written more.

My only major critique is that I wish the main character isn’t as naïve in the second book. There were parts where it made sense to be naive but the whole reunion chapter when they were in the blood lands really put a sour tase in my mouth. How can you be so worried about sleeping and not want to hear everything that you have been missing out on!

Also booooo Vesper, he deserved a longer more brutal ending. Glad he’s gone

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and may finish the rest.

Ok….so….what?!? 🤯
That cliffhanger!!!
Read this in two sittings and struggled to put it down to go to work, Story has consistent movement through adventure, slow burn and twists and turns which kept me gripped the whole way through.
It was a really nice fae twist on King Arthur mythology
So excited to start the next part and see how the story unfolds and how the characters/romance 😉 grow.

I loved reading this! The pacing of the story was just right, with plenty of action and excitement to keep you hooked and wanting to read on. Loved that it was a re-telling of King Arthur and Camelot. I can't wait to read the rest of the series, such a great first book, would thoroughly recommend to all.

I love how Briar Boleyn has woven the characters of Arthurian Legend into a great fantasy novel! These well-loved characters told in a new story is refreshing and exciting! The book took me a few chapters to really get into it, but once I was invested in Morgan I was hooked.


I flew through Book 1 and Book 2 in less than 24 hours, already working through book 3!

WHAT WAS THAT ENDING??????
It was confusing, epic, heart-wrenching. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
I just know I am going to have to read book 2.
It’s not even a want at this point, it’s a definite need

Let me just start this review by saying I went into this book completely blind
I have heard of the author in passing and I love the cover
But I wasn’t expecting anything
And let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised by this book
Both by the depths of the characters, the King Arthur storyline, the amazing engaging dialogues and the world-building that I love
This is not high fantasy — or at least what i count as high fantasy — and it’s so easy to get into this book from the get go that i just couldn’t put this book down

Is it just me or does the character reminds me so much of Fourth Wing character?
Morgan with the silver-hair and Violet Sorrengail
But more than anything I think Kairos Draven is like an older, deadlier, more sarcastic and outspoken, more arrogant version of Xaden Riorson
And I love him okay!
The fact that he’s always been very honest with his expression, the fact that from the get go he cared about her enough to harm the people who harm her! Swoon
He always came to her rescue even when she’s being mean to him too.
And he helped her without her asking, and he never gloat about it afterwards.
Kairos Draven is the blueprint for a new perfect book boyfriend!
I’m surprised I’ve never heard of him before.

Some memorable Kairos Draven quotes:
“Not even a thank you, Princess? I’ll miss you too.”

“His voice was loud and angry as he cursed everything and anything he could think of.”

“My apologies. Should I be more polite because you’re royalty? Pardon me, Princess. And here i thought you enjoyed being treated as an equal.”

“I suppose a princess does not need to eat like other mortals.”

I do not wish to discuss the plot here because i do not want to spoil things for anyone.
I highly suggest just going into this book blind because I did and it was such a delightful surprise; the whole journey of reading this book was.
But if you’re so incline to know I’ll give you some key notes.
The tropes:
- Princess x bodyguard
- Touch her and you die
- Morally grey MMC
- Fae!
- King Arthurian legend

PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS BOOK
I SWEAR YOU WON’T REGRET IT
Five amazing stars for the Queen of Roses

Thank you to Victory Editing, Briar Boleyn, NetGalley for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

I truly enjoyed this book and can already tell I will love this series. I love the spinning of the King Arthur classic characters with the high fantasy fae and other creatures. Although the story was a bit slow to start, this clearly was building up a world and characters that are only truly starting to emerge at the end, and this left me excited to read the next book.
This first book is pretty low on spice, so if that is what you’re looking for, this first book may not be for you, however I could see that changing in the next books.
I love seeing the FMC coming to grips with her realities and her true self, and hope to see her continue to grow in her strengths.
I also absolutely adore the battlecat and Dravan, and also hope this wasn’t the end for Lancelet!
This is a very unique and interesting world, and I appreciate that it feels unique, even for someone like myself who has read ALOT of fantasy that starts to blend together after a while.
All in all, I would highly recommend this and cannot wait to continue the series! This book deserves much more hype!

The beginning of this book was kind of a drag for me. Nothing really happened. It really shined towards the ending towards the end of a journey the characters were on. From there on it got really action packed and you felt invested in learning what was going to happen next. A few twists and turns, and it ends on a cliff hanger wanted you to read book two.

The FMC grew on me throughout the book. Some dark scenes but tame for most dark romance books. Lots of brooding from the MMC. Overall I enjoyed it and read it in a day.

Well this book had all my favorite troupes...
Forced proximity
One bed
Found family
Touch her/you die
Slow burn
Enemies to lovers

I mean that's all I could ask for.
I think one of my favorite things is almost the awkwardness of Morgan in the spicy scenes. It makes real people feel seen and safe.

I loved the world building and beauty of this book.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

Okay who doesn’t love a great retelling of Camelot, I know I do. I have been let down by another book that was a retelling of Camelot this year, so I went into this book a little bit scared but holy smoke! I loved it.

This author took this story and made it her own. I loved the way that Boleyn writes, it’s so easy to read, captivating, great attention to the right amount of details and no info dumping. I was hooked from the moment that I read the first page and I wanted to know more and more about what was going to happen, so I finished this book in one day. I loved the action, drama, the adventure, the romance, and finding oneself through heartbreak and death, and the plot twists. The character development was well done, and I loved that all the characters had a way of getting under your skin or just loving them right away.

Morgan, I absolutely just adored her. I loved that she was loved and cared for by her close friends Lancelet and Galahad. Most especially with her younger half-brother Kay, that relationship is so heartwarming. I found Morgan to be a great FMC for this book. She was relatable and easy to connect with because she is just so likable. I found her to be a strong and determined young woman and I loved that she didn’t want to give up and truly wanted what was best for her kingdom. Her other half-brother Author is a DICK, trust me you will not like him as much as I don’t.

I thought Kairos was an interesting character at first but the more and more that I learned about him I found myself wanting to yell and shake Morgan for not seeing what was right in front of her the whole time. I liked that he was a big bad scary guard but deep down inside he was still protective and really let’s be honest we all know he likes Morgan… I hope... (nail biting). Oh, and can we talk about that slow burn romance!! I need more.

I really wanted to just jump right into book two, but I wanted to write this review first. If you like reading books with slow romance, enemies to lovers, retellings, great characters, and overall great fantasy books; you really need to give this book and the others a try.

I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book, NOW I am off to the second one.

Do you enjoy retellings? I just love retellings! Especially when you add some slow burn romance and sprinkle on some magic! A perfecto recipe to escape into storyland with a royal court, priestesses, and an adventurous mission.

Can you guess what the mission is? That,'s right! To find Excalibur and bring back to the King with the hopes the King doesn't have you killed while on the mission or when you return with what he wants!

Join Morgan and Kairos as they head out for a journey of finding the famous Excalibur and possibly that one true love along the way in Queen of Roses!

Thank you to Briar Boleyan and Netgalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review! I loved the story telling and how Briar Boleyan was so descriptive in how she built the world and characters. It was like being transported right there with the characters! Already moved on to Book 2! 🥰

I was quite impressed with the interesting take of Arthurian legends and I really enjoyed how the author changed up stories that many people know. The plot was interesting and I enjoyed the world building throughout the book, too. There was so much that was added that made everything very immersive and enjoyable to read.

I feel one drawback for me was the main character herself. I felt she was far too naive at times when she really should not have been, and at times, villainized characters for doing the same thing as she praised another one for. It took me out of the book several times to question her before reading on.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I may pick up the rest of the series in the future but I am currently not in a great rush.

I would like to thank the author and Netgalley for the ARC!

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

Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn is the first book in the Blood of a Fae series and is a fantasy romance story based on Arthurian legends, set in a Fae and human world. It is labeled in some places as dark fantasy but it’s really pretty mild. As always, do check content warnings, Tropes include enemies to lovers, who did this, touch her and d!e, political/court intrigue, and one horse.

The Lovely: I loved the characters and their relationships. At first Morgan seems like a spoiled princess but it doesn’t take long to see she’s so much more than that underneath. Draven is mysterious and morally gray but it becomes evident he’s up to something where Morgan is concerned.

The Mundane: I liked the complexity and richness of the world-building but at times there was a lot of information dumped at once, which was a bit overwhelming. There is a lot of lore and legend mentioned that needs to be remembered.

The Mundane: The plot was excellent - I loved the adventure/journeying the most. The tension waxed and waned, especially in the first half of the book.

Rating: 4/5 Stars 2/5 Flames

Recommendation: I received an advance review copy for free from Net Galley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I loved how this book twisted up the traditional Arthurian retellings and had unique characters. Books 2 and 3 are currently available; the fourth (and I believe final) book is due for release in March 2024. If you like fantasy romance with a strong FMC and gods and myths, I think you would like this book.

I revived an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. About half way through I was convinced this book wasn’t for me and was going to DNF it. Ultimately, I am glad I finished it. The last 100 or so pages flew by and really grabbed my attention. I like the slow burn romance with Draven and how the characters have really gotten to know each other. This is thankfully not another instant love. That was going to be my biggest issue with the introduction of Vesper but I’m glad the ick feeling I got made sense by the ending. This book really had a slow start with a few awful wtf moments that almost had me putting it down for good. With how the book ended, I will have to read the second and I’m hoping it keeps the momentum going that we got towards the end.

First of all, this cover is amazing. I love a good retelling as well, and with a twist which is brilliant! World building is excellent. Amazing!

My Rating: ★★★★️️
4 stars.
Spice Level: 0
0/5, No Spice

Okay!! I have to say it here I was not expecting it to turn out so good in the end. 😅😅😅

The book starts slowly with so much detail of everything that got me bored. I do like details of the surroundings that help me picture the whole scene but in this book, it was too much for me. But after half of the book it picked the pace when Morgan started her journey. It gets pretty interesting from there.

the things they see in the way and then Morgan stops taking her medicine and she slowly transforms into a beautiful silver-haired Fae with silver markings and shimmery golden skin. I mean come on I am a sucker for beautiful transformations.

Let's talk about some pretty interesting characters in the picture. I know some people might not like that there are a lot of side characters in a story but I love a book with a lot of different characters playing small significant parts. There is Draven (who has a major role to play in the future) who is the huge handsome Captain of the Guard accompanying Morgan on her Journey. Then there is Vesper who is part fey with ochre color hair they met in a town far way in the middle of nowhere. He is funny and attracted to Morgan and he plays magical songs on his flute; giving it major Legend of Zelda vibes.

Then we also encounter some creatures in the forbidden faraway lands, from exmoors to harpies to zombie kids. It was interesting in short. Although This book throw so many twists that my head spun. In the end, my mind was blown because I had a lot of questions and I cannot wait to read the next book. I enjoyed reading this book and I am giving this book 4 stars. I cannot wait to start the next one.

P.S. Let's appreciate the book cover. It's beautiful and a job well done on the part of the designer.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book.

Originally I picked it up because it has one beautiful cover, but also combining the elements of Arthurian Legend, and far? Yes please!

Despite it being slow burn, and some bits very obvious, it was still a great read from start to finish, and the end leaves me wanting to grab the next books.

I liked the fact that, unlike with some other fantasy books, you get really easily dragged into the story without having to read 100 pages first to try and understand all words. I really liked the story from beginning to end and love the “bad but sweet guy” vibes you get from Draven. I hope to see their bond unravel further in the second book!
I was however disappointed the friendships with Lancelet and Galahad where not developed deeper, so I hope they become a bigger part in the second book!
Overall really liked it and very well written, thank you for the opportunity of reading this book and hoping to get the opportunity to read the second book as well since I can’t wait to see the different relationships unfold :)

This book is a loose, dark, fae retelling of the story of King Arthur/Camelot and the quest for Excalibur. The writing was captivating and the world-building was done beautifully. When I read fantasy novels, I want to feel as if I have been transported to the world the author is trying to emulate and Briar did just that! I grew up reading stories of King Arthur and the tales of Excalibur; this book felt nostalgic but also as if I was reading a new story, with a new quest to embark on.

The story follows the journey of Morgan, as she treks beyond her kingdom to find the elusive sword of Excalibur for Arthur, the king, and her half-brother. During the journey, Morgan is accompanied by two guards, Kairos Draven and Ragnar Whitehorn. The story is brimming with countless twists and turns that will leave you yearning for answers. During the first half of the book, I felt Morgan was a bit too naive, simple-minded, and meek but by the end of the story, she started to find her voice. I felt a greater understanding of her behavior as the story progressed as well. Throughout the book, Morgan is faced with various conflicts and tribulations (internal and external), and the choices she made, helped shape her character and overall added to the growth arc I felt she had while reading.

From the world-building to the character development, the plot twists, and everything in between, this book had me captivated from the beginning. I cannot wait to see what else is in store for Morgan and Draven.

The story ends on a cliffhanger. Overall, I felt like the author did a great job at concluding the plot within the first book and the cliffhanger adds intrigue for the second book.