I enjoyed this story very much. It grabbed me with its first sentence. The characters are well done. I did get a little confused with the King Arthur and the knights of the round table names especially since the male names were women (Lancelot and Merlin are women,) but I quickly figured it out. I understand the story is based off the King Arthur and his knights but it ad libs in the best way. Fae, Fae creatures, cruel brothers, and handsome men swoon. Exciting with some great twists. I’ve already started book 2. Can’t wait to read more.

Engaging. Addictive. Enthralling.

First of all, thank you to Briar Boleyn and Starwater Press for sending me this book on NetGalley, I am very grateful.

Second of all, wow! I have read so many fae romance and dark fantasy books and honestly, this is certainly up there with the best. I was hooked from start to finish, as I write this, I am currently a quarter of the way through the second book!

This Arthurian retelling was seductive, exciting, and kept me enthralled throughout, the characters felt so real, and I felt as if knew them personally. For me, that is the sign of a fantastic fantasy series. The world building was fantastically paced; some fantasy books, particularly first books, often ram loads of strange names down your throat and leave the reader overwhelmed or they give too many long paragraphs of boring lore. This was not the case; the lore was interweaved seamlessly throughout and didn’t feel overwhelming at once. I particularly love a world that features corruption in power and the contemplation of the lesser evil. I am a HUGE fan of The Witcher books and games, and this is the only other novel I’ve read that has gotten me close to the feeling of that world, the darkness and corruption, the twists and turns and the monsters, both human and non-human.

In terms of the Arthurian concept, I thought this was very well done. There are so many Arthurian retellings that just stay to the traditional story, and I loved that Boleyn put her own spin on this and adapted some of the characters. Lancelot (Lancelet) and Merlin being women was brilliant and totally worked. I love strong women and these characters really embraced that. Speaking of a strong woman, let’s talk about our main girl Morgan.
Morgan was a brilliant protagonist, in many romance novels strength is gained due to love or to save the one they love, in this Morgan is strong already. I loved that she wasn’t fighting for a man and her sole purpose being that of justice and helping those who do not have the power to help themselves. She is likeable from the start; I can’t wait to see how her character and her strength develops in the series.
Vesper was annoying, at first, I thought he reminded me a bit of Dandelion from the Witcher but as the book went on, he irritated me more and more. Which I’m guessing was the desired effect.
Kairos is sexy. Really intrigued to see where things go with him... That’s all. (hehe)

It was also great to see some LGBTQ+ representation, I love that the fantasy genre is becoming more and more inclusive. I look forward to seeing, hopefully, some inclusive romance further on in the series! I also hope that there will be some more steamy scenes further on, which I see has been promised by Boleyn already, so I am excited for those.

Thank you Briar Boleyn for this wonderful addition to the romantasy genre, I look forward to binge reading the rest of the series!

thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is the first book in a series. This book is a great retelling of the tales of Camelot, Arthur, Merlin and all the others from the great tale. This was a good fantasy story with some romance. The romance is a slow burn be prepared, if you are looking for spice this is not the book for you. The book was fast paced and very little was predictable. The plot was great and so was the world building. The book does end on a cliff hanger and I think a lot of things that may have been small plot points will be important in the next book. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

** spoiler alert ** HOLY CROW. Could not put this down! Kept coming back for the world building, the imagery, the complex relationships. A+. I did find it a little sus that they were in this cavern at the end and the zombie children didn't, not to sound morbid... have an odor? How are you setting up camp and not noticing anything beyond the vibes being off? How was there no blood or stains or clues? That's my only quandary but that's small. Love the cliff hanger, love it even more that the next book is already out!

Love this first book in the series. Definitely a different and fun take on the King Arthur tale. I highly
Recommend this for all those that love fantasy. The characters are great and the story is face paced.

Published: Saturday, October 4th

I JUST finished Queen of Roses and it was just what I was looking for! Like a ton of people, Fae romances have taken over my reading and when I saw the overview for this I knew it was going to be right up my alley!

𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤
Dark Romance ✅
Enemies to Lovers ✅
Found Family ✅
Slow burn ✅

ℙ𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕤

First and foremost, I LOVED that this book brought in myths from Arthurian legends! I really enjoyed the twist on the myths and felt that it really separated this book from others for me.

The world building also was very strong throughout! Through the conversations characters had and new places being explored, I feel like it really set the stage for the next book. Personally, I really enjoy world building and felt like the groundwork laid will really help in the second book!

As for characters, I really loved Morgan! She did seem naive about some things, but I feel like that was completely understandable considering how sheltered she was. As the book went on she definitely started to gain more of an edge and started to take some charge and questioning things! I’m super interested to learn more about her from the foreshadowing at the end!

Kairos Draven? New book boy obsession. The mystery surrounded him made me want to learn more about his character because he was definitely shady at points! The dynamic between him and Morgan was the perfect start to a slow burn, and I’m excited to see where it goes!

I also loved the supporting characters (besides Florian and Vesper)! Lancelet was a truly amazing character and I loved her quick wit and her friendship with Morgan. Their friendship was a big highlight for me in this book! I’m really hoping we see her again despite the end!

For me, I also enjoyed that this wasn’t an insta romance. I enjoy the budding romance between Morgan and Draven and that it isn’t rushed! I personally enjoy the slow burn dynamic and am happy it wasn’t forced to happen within the span of one book!

The ending has been wanting to start the second book immediately! From Morgan’s past being more than it seems and Draven’s own secrets, I feel like this book was the perfect start to the series!

It laid groundwork, has strong characters, and had an ending that’ll lead perfectly into the second book!

ℕ𝕖𝕘𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕤

Truly, there wasn’t a ton for me! I went in wanting a romance novel with the fae and some fantasy adventure, and that’s exactly what I got!

This is not true negative, but this book definitely seems like the first in a series that is setting up for much more! That’s not a bad thing, but it definitely focused on establishing the characters and plot which I think will help in the rest!

𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝

For a debut novel, I think it was very strong beginning and am excited to see how this story grows!

Despite being the eldest child, Morgan Pendragon is passed over for the throne in favour of her brother, Arthur. Rumours swirl through the court that Morgan has fae blood in her bloods, and that her mother had even been a full born fae. This has caused her to be an outcast princess, basically ignored until she is handed over to the Temple on her 21st birthday. But then Arthur asks her to retrieve a weapon of the gods, Excalibur. Despite the danger of the journey Morgan sees this as a chance to break free. Accompanied by a mysterious warrior who seems to know more about the sword than he is letting on, Morgan sets out not knowing the path she is setting out on will change her forever.

A new twist on the Camelot mythos, I found this refreshing. I found the characters and the world building very intriguing. Arthur and Florian were easy to hate and while I was glad to see Florian get what he deserved I cannot wait to see the same for Arthur. I enjoyed the tension between Morgan and Dravos. Even with the brief interlude with Vesper I'm sure these two are endgame. The slow burn is great, and I can’t wait to see this come to fruition. Now onto the next book.

Rating 3.5 stars
*I received a review copy from NetGalley for my voluntary and honest review

Having read the first title in this series I was keen to follow it up. The author did not disappoint, it was exciting and mysterious, although the heroine did frustrate me at times for her inability to believe our hero.
Needless to say, as with part one, it ends with a major cliffhanger and a change of scene again. I have just downloaded the third part to keep giing

“Queen of Roses" by Briar Boleyn is a thrilling New Adult fantasy romance! Romantasy will always hold the key to my heart and boy did this deliver!

We have magic, danger, duty/honor and conflict between desires and that duty/honor, and morally gray characters to boot! Gray is my favorite book color.

As a Camelot geek I loved how she honored the legacy of Arthurian mythology and gave it a super fun fae twist. As well as taking the old good and evil legend and reversing it until your head is spinning!!

Princess Morgan Pendragon has spent her life with a shadow looming above her due to her fae bloodline. Yet she lives through duty and sacrifice even though she has a horrible destiny when she comes of age. But her brother offers her a way out by sending her on a quest. Her brother who is…not what you would think him to be. I hope we get more on his motives in the next books!

Enter found family, who did this to you, romance, chosen one, conflict and all the fun and angst of these tropes!

I love how the story progresses in this fast paced plot and the secrets we learn at the end. Prepare to have book 2 in hand!

Reminded me of what it would be like if ACOTAR, blood and ash and King Arthur had a baby.

Make sure you read the trigger warnings prior to delving into this book! While the prose is great, it does touch on some heavy topics. The trigger warning on netgalley for some reason is at the end of the book, not sure if it’s this way on the actual book.

My only problems with the book were just some random grammar errors here and there which is really only a me problem, they seek me out and haunt me in every book I read.

Thank you again to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for offering me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!!! :)

this was a fun romantasy, for the most part. it started off so well: i was incredibly invested, the slow-burn was really slow-burning and giving me all the feels, plus the worldbuilding and arthurian retelling was so interesting! it's rare to get arthurian retellings, especially in casual romantasy novels, so i really appreciated that aspect.

but then vesper got introduced... and i hated him. just a little (a lot). i won't spoil, but the addition of his character - while possibly necessary for the plot - irritated me a little. other than him, i adored the side characters. the platonic bonds between characters was so beautiful to watch, and i also quite liked our fmc.

i'm intrigued to see how this series continues, because this book certainly had a captivating plot. i also need to see the main couple continue to grow closer!
thank you so much to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the arc copy provided.

Trigger Warnings: abduction, abuse (on page, graphic descriptions of beatings), alcohol consumption, animal death (frequent instances, descriptive, assault (on page descriptions), child death (referred to and then seen on page), deceased family member (referenced, witnesses family member being killed), death from child birth, domestic violence (on page, graphic descriptions), drug use (forceable drugging), poisoning, sexual assault (referenced, inferred, manipulation in to sexual acts), violence / gore


I quite enjoyed this novel! I liked how Boleyn took inspiration from Camelot and the story of King Arthur. It was interesting to see those story elements weaved in, and I’m excited to see where the story will go.

The story was quick to read and easily devourable, I was always intrigued to see where the story would take us next. Mostly I was hoping it would take us to a place where Morgan had some wits about her. In some instances I understood her naïveté as a lot was kept from her about herself, the history of her country and its present. In other instances I did not. For someone who was constantly in danger she had absolutely zero common sense, always trusting strangers and drinking and eating things from people that have given her no reason to trust them. She grew up knowing most people were out to get her, but she didn’t act like it!

I also thought this story had an interesting political plot but sadly it felt underdeveloped as we didn’t get to see a lot of it. I also felt this way about the story of the Fae and Excalibur. I understand not everything was to be revealed, but there was a lot of confusing info dumping and I honestly could not tell you who anyone was or what happened or when it happened.

Overall though I did enjoy this for the most part, and I think it was a good starting point for the series, and I think it has the potential to be better.

If you like retelling, you’ll like this Arthur/Excalibur/Camelot. The first half, while it has a lot of world building and was bit clunky for me.. I enjoyed it. However the second half I wish it gave a little more. The story kept me engaged enough, but ultimately I don’t love the mmc, Morgan. Her decisions drove me nuts. However with the fae twist, and how the author changed up some things, it kept me reading and reading. The ending does make you want to chuck your reading device, so make sure to have book 2 on standby. I’m hoping as the series progresses, Morgan will start to figure herself out.

I havent read fantasy in so long but this one and the sequel to this have blown me away. I am obsessed with the King Arthur retelling, plus fae! I am so thankful this series has got me back into fantasy. I am just overly obsessed.

Thank you so much to the author of this book for allowing me to opportunity to read and review this book, I truly appreciate it.

Firstly I like to get the bad out of the way first because this is all honestly nitpicky and some probably the way it formatted on NetGalley. I honestly didn't have many issues with this book, there were a couple times where words were repeated by accident or certain punctuation should have been used but I'm not one of those people so it wasn't that big of a deal. I believe the last chapter should have under the number a certain name, just so you would have got it before you got into it (I don't want to reveal any spoilers). Now I'm not sure if this was the format only on NetGalley or if its that way elsewhere but it bothered me to find the actual trigger warnings at the very back of it instead of the front (I think it was just a conversion issue though) but note just in case elsewhere it does end up at the back of the book, there are a lot of heavy things in this but the author does them so well that you know where she's going but she does not shove it down your throat and make you have to go through them. It was done perfectly and I appreciate that so much, theres some really popular authors that would have made some of the things this book touches on, torture you for multiple pages. I am so grateful this author has a way with words that made you get it without having to get it for far longer than should be allowed "for the sake of the story".

Another issue I have with this book, that I expect might come into something later on is the allusion to Arthurian legends. I have no problem with this at all, as silly as this sounds I really wished the author just hadn't. This author has created at least with this book a masterful way with words that doesn't bore you, a story that doesn't slog on, and a wonderful world you can picture that is all her own, I would have loved if she'd called the characters and world's whatever she had wanted because she is an amazing author and this world she has created deserves all that is fully her own for her own genius and recognition! It could let someone down who potentially picked up for those references which at this moment only seem that way. This authors created world is extremely masterful and I would have preferred all that was hers.

Also biggest of all I don't know why this book isn't in every bookstore, I don't know why it's not all over "booktok" it needs to be! This is the best fantasy novel I have read in a long time! I've read a lot of them. It needs to be all over the place, it really really does. This does not drag at all, it flows so well, the world is magical, the details are not overdrawn at all. I never once got bored at all, or fell to skimming like I tend to with a few books because of the over doneness of them.

All I wanted to do when I started this book was keep reading it! I fell in love, yes some things were slightly expected, but not done in a disappointing manner like usually happens with most books. This was done well, so so well! I need more of this author, I love this book, I love Morgan and I need to know what happens next!!! I also need this all over tiktok and in every bookstore. This needs to be known! It is so much better than a few other "popular" fantasy authors creations!

Thank you so much for allowing me the pleasure of reading your book, I can't wait to hopefully be able to read the rest!

I went into this book with absolutely no knowledge/ expectations. I was blown away. I was not expecting the loose King Arthur references with the fae twist - but it is definitely something I didn't know I needed.
I was enthralled quickly and I cannot wait to read the next few books. It is up there with the first couple books of ToG & SJM. I'm excited to continue with this series and get further into this story & this amazing world.

4 stars! Good book abnd got me interested and intrigued for a while. hoped for a more interesting plot but it was still good enough

I really enjoyed this loose retelling of Camelot/Arthur/Morgana add a mix of fae and I am intrigued. I really enjoyed the slow burn of this, and the story line. I enjoy seeing what the next book will bring.

Lets start with the good:
It's such a unique retelling of Arthurian legends. The author certainly put her own twist on the tale and the characters, and I really enjoyed the liberties she took with the story. The religious system is really interesting and I hope it gets expanded in the future books.
Now, the bad:
The driving force behind the plot feels inorganic. There's a lot of unnecessary dialogue that feels clunky to read. I feel as though a lot of the plot points come out of the blue, and some things that feel like they should have some importance simply. don't.
Morgan:
Weak willed and petulant. As the main character, I feel she should have played a more active role in the story but it felt like things were just happening TO her. I felt the authors INTENTIONS for her more than I was able to see the execution. We have a tragic heroine, which is an amazing trope if done correctly, but she doesn't use any of it. She gets motive about halfway through her hero's journey and then it feels like an afterthought. I wanted to root for her.
Draven:
I never understood why Morgan hated him. Like she saw him and got mad. He is the broody, tall, dark and handsome type, and he exists in a close proximity to Morgan. His motive was never established, not really, and his relationship with Morgan felt forced. She started to like him only because the plot needed her to.
Arthur:
A cruel king with no REASON. Like he's just an asshole. A villain needs a MOTIVE to be believable and he just. isn't.
It's awesome that you hate fae and are homophobic (/s) but like. WHY.
It felt like it had been plotted out as it was being written.
Ideas were introduced with no warning, and dismissed on the same wind and that made it hard to follow at times.
BUT it leaves room for growth, as I saw quite a bit as the story progressed, and I'm excited to see how she expands in the next few additions to the series.
* Thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *

As a merlin girly growing up, this was the perfect combination of Merlin and the Fae world of fiction. It was giving a mix of the best of both the ACOTAR series which I loved, and the Merlin TV show I grew up on. I was hesitant at first with majority of the names of both the characters and places being so similar to the tale of Merlin, but I absolutely loved this book. I waited a full 5 minutes to catch my breath and re-focus after finishing this before diving into the second book. Cannot recommend this enough!

Favorite Quote: "'Who?' I jumped. 'Who did this to you?' Draven's voice was a guttural growl.

The Deets:
This Arthurian based fantasy romance had a lot of the tropes I enoy! "Who did this to you?" obviously being one of the main ones as Draven, one of the Royal Guards to Princess Morgan Pendragon, gives off the 'touch her and die' vibe! The story focuses on Morgan, living a life that was chosen for her by her horrible father, and now her brother, Arthur - who is not the good King you normally read about in Arthurian retellings! I liked that twist to it, as well as the character names being utilized in different ways. There is an underlying mystery around the fae and why they aren't around as much as they may have been in previous years. The book has some good twists at the end and leaves you with questions about more than just one character after the last page.