First of all, the cover?! OH SO GORGEOUS 🖤
Second of all, the plot?! the worldbuilding?! and the romance?! CHEF'S KISS 🤌

Queen of Roses is a slow-burn Romantasy set in an Arthurian world and it grabbed my attention from the very beginning. Our main character is Morgan Pendragon, the sister of King Arthur who is most definitely the black sheep of the family due to her Fae lineage. The addition of Fae into the story added an element of pizzazz to the plot and aided in further engrossing me in the story. I appreciated the level of world-building in this book because I found myself more intrigued by that than the romance aspect, mostly because it is a major slow burn. That said, I love it when the FMC falls for her Guard, and that makes the slow burn worthwhile. The pacing of the novel is excellent and because this is the first in a new series, it laid the groundwork for more depth to be added later on. This book is greatly entertaining and I'm excited to continue reading this series, this was a very solid start!

4/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Saltwater Press, and the author, Briar Boleyn for providing me with an e-Arc copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Magic? Camelot? The Gays??? Yes, please!

This enjoyable series by Briar Boleyn is captivating and fun while also managing to highlight the dissonance between toxic power wielding and jealousy. Queen of Roses is an excellent start to this trilogy and leaves you wanting clarity for questions that arise in you in the best of ways.

And as an added note there are also content notes that help readers make informed choices around engagement due to sensitive material in this specific book and the series more broadly.

I love this book so much. I think most of my love is because it seems like a unique take on fae. The fae in this story are the enemies and if you’re part fae you’re viewed differently. There are basically no fae who exist anymore and those that exist are only half fae with abnormal coloring. Pink hair, golden skin, etc. And fae were rumored to have horns and claws which seems to be a very large reason as to why this kingdom is anti-fae.

As for the main character, I think I am 50-50 on liking her. I love that she isn’t your typical princess, she wants to be a warrior and have the strength behind her to stand her ground. I feel she might be a tad cringy in the romance department BUT it makes sense because she’s inexperienced (again, doesn’t feel many MCs are inexperienced).

I love Draven. I’ll be honest, I am not sure if this book is enemies to lovers because if it’s not I might lose it honestly.

I would read the triggers if you have triggers because I feel some may be bothered by a couple spots. The author does a good job skimming over most of it and just insinuating what happened (either that or I grossly misunderstood). But I know some might be bothered.

The spice is very brief and quick (again she’s inexperienced) but it is a dark romance series so I feel the next few books will have spice in them.

Anyways, I love that this has King Arthur, and excalibur, and Camelot, and Lancelet. Again, I haven’t read a book with medieval vibes to this degree, so I truly am enjoying it. I should have reread the last chapter because I read to so fast and SO much happened I just breezed through it.

Queen of Roses is the first book that I have read by Briar Boleyn and it most certainly won’t be the last. I loved reading the beginning of Morgan and Draven’s journey and can’t wait to read what happens next for them. It hooked me from the very beginning.
I highly recommend this fantasy to anyone who likes stories featuring the fae. Just know that it does leave you hanging at the end.

Read this Fantasy series... I do love a strong female character and FAE!
A really strong storyline and well written. I felt like i went right along for the ride.
This one had slow burn and enemy to lovers trope done well.
some of the scenes were sad, but i guess it is realistic- though out time, greed and selfishness have driven people.

I just finished the Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn and here are my thoughts.

Morgan Pendragon knows brutality. Watching her mother being beaten by her father, the King. After her mother dies, her father turns on her and her younger brother Arthur, the brother who will now become King after their father takes her birth right away. The rumors around court is that Morgan has Fae blood running through her veins which is likely the reason Arthur sends her to find a legendary weapon, excalibur.

Sent off with 2 men one more dangerous than the next and with the growing attraction she feels for Draven…. Her course becomes more murky. Draven knows the truth about the fae world that Morgan and her people were made to believe no longer existed and the truth is stranger than fiction. The dangers they are facing along the way end up putting the people Morgan loves the most in danger. How can she reconcile her duty over her heart and save everyone?

How did I not know about this series until now? How is bookstagram not a buzzing with this series? I am not going to lie, I read all 3 books back to back. Only took me 5 days.

Let's start with Morgan. I love her. She is strong but unsure of herself and she loves her brothers and friends fiercely. She is everything I love about strong MCs. Introducing her to Draven…. It was instant dislike and watching them build tolerance for each other, into friendship.. To the love…. SIGHH!!!

I loved all the characters. I liked that Lancelot is a woman and so is Merlin. The idea of retelling King Arthur in such a way where Arthur is the bad guy and there are fae… GENIUS!!
The writing was excellent and I was emerged into a world of darkness and magic and the only hope was a young woman with gray hair and the heart of 10 men. Morgan was given a potion to suppress her fae powers and when she stops taking it, she starts to transform.

I loved the plot, I loved the descriptive prose and I think this might be one of my favorite fantasy series of all time now. It was well paced and exciting.

5 stars

Thank you to @netgalley for my gifted copy

I love this book!

The slow burn romance is perfect, as is the world building. The main character could be quite frustrating at times but in a good way (think Sarah J Maas style) and the rewriting of King Arthur but with fae was brilliant.
Also -
Plot twists!!!

Definitely on to the next.

I need to pick up the second one!! I love a good enemies to lovers trope! I liked the strong female main character and as we journey with her, I would say important to check trigger warnings. I did find it a little slow at first but personally felt that it picked up and definitely left me needing more from this world!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

Queen of Roses is a dark fantasy which is loosely based on the story of King Arthur but with fae. You follow Morgan Pendragon, who never feels like she belongs because she is part fae. When her country is threatened to be invaded her brother, the king, sends her on a quest to retrieve a mythical sword that would change the fate of the kingdom.

Things I liked

I loved the sibling dynamic Morgan has with her younger brother Kaye. Every time he is in a scene my heart melts. I also really enjoyed the overall plot and the writing style. There wasn’t a dull moment or part where I struggled to get through. I also loved the banter between Morgan and Draven. It had me giggling out loud.

Things I didn't like

I was a bit disappointed by the King Arthur-inspired part of the book. I expected more of a retelling and so far the only things I saw inspired by this story were the characters' names and the country. I also thought that there were a lot of characters that were unnecessary or could have been more fleshed out.

Overall I enjoyed my time reading this book and would love to continue the series.

Thank you again to NetGalley for the ARC

Till next time ❤️

Solid 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this retelling of the Morgan Pendragon myth which centers her in a positive way. She was a really interesting character - well rounded and complete. The enemies to lovers thing was a bit obvious, but I was okay with that because the setting and world building was compelling and the characters and plot were well developed.

It took me a little while to really get into the book, but let me tell you when I did. I just started my fantasy journey last year and I am really enjoying the ride so far. I have read other reviews indicating that this was just a retelling of King Author and maybe it was I don't have that much experience with the whole story other than the things I have seen on movies, but regardless I did enjoy this read and would definitely recommend, specially to someone who is trying to get into fantasy. I look forward to reading book 2.

Thank you Netgalley for the privilege.

This book definitely needs more hype. It’s such a good story that’s loosely based on Arthurian legend but has a fae twist which I absolutely loved. The story has been completely reimagined to create something new and unique that seamlessly weaves in elements of Arthurian legend whilst keeping the familiarity of the names from the legends that we all know and love.

Queen of Roses follows Morgan Pendragon, who has the tainted fae blood that is more seen as curse in Camelot and as a result her birthright is stolen from her and now takes a potion that suppresses her fae features so she can blend in. The first half of the book follows Morgan’s life in Camelot before she sets off on her quest to find the legendary fae weapon, Excalibur, for her brother, the merciless and ruthless King Arthur.

The world building and magic was really interesting and thought that the pacing was well balanced without feeling rushed which allowed for continued world building and character development. The plot was really enjoyable and engaging and there was never a dull moment and I couldn’t turn the page fast enough to find out what happens next. There were lots of twists and turns which keeps you guessing and I really appreciated not knowing where the story was going until it happened.

Morgan was a really interesting, well written character. Her childhood trauma is hard hitting and brutal but she is so strong after everything she has been through. It was great to see her grow throughout the book, whilst she is naive (understandably so), she is determined to protect those she loves, especially her younger brother Kaye. Draven on the other hand is a man of mystery and I am sure we will learn more about him as the series progresses. I love that he is morally gray and doesn’t pretend otherwise, but we do sometimes see a softer side to him at times as well. There were so many great moments between Morgan and Draven and I loved their banter and enjoyed their chemistry. Some might say there isn’t much spice but I can imagine this will increase as the series goes on. I personally prefer the slow burn build up to the spice so I thought it was fine.

If you’re a lover of romantasy books that has a slow burn enemies to lovers with forced proximity, who did this to you and touch her and die moments as well as having incredible world building that keeps you guessing from beginning to end then you will definitely enjoy this book. It’s well written and draws you in completely taking you on a rollercoaster of emotions that doesn’t stop until you finish the book and even then it ends on a massive cliffhanger so be prepared.

"Queen of Roses" introduces readers to a version of Camelot they have never seen before. Morgan is a discarded princess who lives totally at the mercy of her cruel and ruthless brother, King Arthur. Her place within the castle is precarious, at best, and she lives in constant terror of what Arthur and his allies may do to punish her and her loved ones next. As political conflict heats up, Morgan finally gets a chance to make a positive change within Camelot, but it requires her to leave her younger brother and friends behind and place her trust in Draven, a castle newcomer. With enemies moving in and violence appearing in all corners of the court, Morgan is out of time...

This book includes:
- arthurian myth retelling (Merlin, Lancelot, King Arthur, Uther, etc.)
- charming and mysterious strangers
- sick and needs to be nursed back to health trope
- supernatural and mythological creatures
- meddlesome gods
- a tiny bit of dual POV
- unexpected love interest
- LGBT supporting characters

I really enjoyed "Queen of Roses." The romantasy genre tends to become a bit repetitive/predictable, but this story brought something unique and exciting to the table. Morgan's character felt realistic in her trepidations and insecurities, and even the villainous characters felt well motivated. At just a little over, 350 pages, I also felt like this book didn't drone on in its own self importance. Don't get me wrong, I love a good sturdy 1000 page book, but an over insistence on weighty word counts can easily ruin a good book with lagging plot lines and filler drama. "Queen of Roses" suffers from none of those afflictions, however, and allows us to dive into the plot without all the baggage.

Beyond that, this story provides readers with a reimagining of beloved Arthurian characters with a twist. With a female protagonist, along with female versions of Lancelot (here Lancelet) and Merlin, I felt I connect more deeply with Morgan's internal conflicts than I do with the tradition mythological heroes.

I recommend this book to fans of the following titles:
- A Court this Cruel and Lovely
- A Fate Inked in Blood
- Crown of Blood and Glass

I received this eBook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Briar Boleyn, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads - check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863

Very awesome fantasy adventure story. I really enjoyed reading this book, much more than i even could have expected. The characters are lovable, there is an awesome plot, the vibe of who can you trust? Utter perfection

Absolutely recommend!!

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is unfortunately not available on Libby, Hoopla, or through Baker and Taylor, so my library will not be able to purchase this title.

This was re-released on netgalley to celebrate the release of the third book.

Just finished A Queen of Roses and I am ready to bounce right into book number 2!

This book is kind of giving the ACOTAR prologue energy, ya know? Like lots of world building, unanswered questions, unknown origins of characters, and 🌶️.

In Camelot the fae are feared and are being prosecuted. But the kings sister is part fae! He sends her on a quest where she is pushed and finds out more about herself.

Where will we go in book two !? Will the enemies to lover finally lover !?!?

Thanks NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC🫶🏻

DNF
But I will! I promise!

It’s a lot of world building which is obviously needed but it’s not drawing me in right now.

The writing is lovely, but it’s just not for me at the moment. I think I started it while in a reading slump and needed something shorter to pull me out of it.

I will update my GoodReads review once I have read it.

This book was so much more than I expected. I am so happy that I stumbled upon it on tiktok because it's amazing. I love seeing a strong FMC embrace her inner strength. After suffering so much trauma at the hands of her father, brother and Florian she still found her voice with a little help from some less than likely sources.

Parts of Morgan's story were so traumatizing so it is very important to pay attention to those trigger warnings. There were just the right amount of twists and turns to keep me interested without becoming too much. Cannot wait to read book 2!

A retelling of Morgon Pendragon, King Arthur, Merlin - but with more fae/fantasy. This was a new to me author.

I wanted to like this book so much. There was so much potential (with “touch her and you die” vibes and some From Blood and Ash nods) and it had bits and pieces of all the good stuff -though I feel it needed to move a bit faster (at times it felt very slow) and then as the book did finally pick up the pace I felt there were new characters and plots that needed more character development. The book is the first in a series so we're of course left with more questions than answers - and sometimes that's good but it left me a little frustrated instead of yearning for MORE.

I liked Morgan the MFC - she was empathetic and strong and kind. I liked Draven (MMC) but felt we didn't get enough character development from him. I loathed a few characters and while I get that sometimes we need the truly bad villian (not the morally grey kind) - I really disliked several characters for their cruelty.

I didn't hate the book - but I struggled at times to keep going and ended with more questions than answers. I'm round to 3 and feel hopefully the second and third book in this series tie everything together.

Thanks NetGalley and Starwater Press for an ARC book in exchange for an honest review. Release date: April 15th 2023