I am so wishy-washy about this book…I really want to love it but I have SO MANY questions. My one hope is that they get answered in the next books. The ending made me want to jump right in to book three! So, fingers crossed 🤞 that I get answers and more of Kairos and Morgan together AND building each other up because I think they can if only they could get over themselves!! The ANGST… and not in a good way.

Thank you to NetGalley, Starwater Press, and Briar Boleyn for the ARC read!

Morgan Pendragon is healing from her injuries. Prince Kairos Draven Venator must now enter The Blood Rise. All Morgan wants is to go home to Camelot but has no means of support getting there without Draven. What can Morgan do? Will Draven keep his promise? Find out in Court of Claws.

I want to thank Starwater Press for this ARC via Netgalley.

World building, character building.. This is a great series. Page turning face-paced, plot twisting, emotional rollercoaster.. Just go pick it up!

Thank you Starwater Press, NetGallery and Briar Boleyn for providing this ARC.

As on writing this review I have finished the series and read faster than I could review.
I didn’t want to put the books down and leave the world that Briar had written. Briar has such amazing world building and story telling that it had such a hook in me from beginning to end.

Cannot wait to read the other books that the author has published.

~ Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review ~

We got so much more information in this book and I’m so happy about it! I had such a great time reading this, and I am loving the dynamic between Morgan and Draven, they are so cute together. I loved getting to see more of Draven and where he is from and the people he surrounds himself with. This book definitely had that found family aspect to it that a lot of fantasy books have, and I think it was done very well.

I think that Morgan was being a little hard on Draven for pretty much the entire book, but I don’t think it was anything that really got in the way of me being able to read it. I am so so glad that we got some more information on the fae and what the heck is going on with that. I do think that the presence of fae in this book is a little murky, because it was shown to us in the first book that like no full blooded fae have been around for like 150 years, so Morgan just being totally down with it was a little odd but not entirely.

The trials?!!? I love a good trial, you can really tell I’m from the Hunger Games generation with how into to-the-death trials I am. I also liked that it made sense, sometimes the plot gets lost with trials involved, but that didn’t happen here. We knew why the trial was happening, we watched trials happen, and we got a little more into the trials than just that too. It also helped that Morgan didn’t know what was going on with those, so other characters explaining what’s happening to her didn’t feel like forced explanations.

This book was a stellar sequel- the plot kept moving, we learned more about Morgan’s background, we learned more about Draven’s background, we got more worldbuilding, and we got a good amount of action AND romance. 100% worth the read!

Part 2 of the Blood of a Fae series really built on the momentum from book one!

I have to say that I really enjoyed the additional characters brought in for this installment and appreciated some of the growth seen from our MCs from the previous book. It's clear that Draven and Morgan are still trying to figure out their relationship with one another, so their passion and foibles are more believable. The secondary characters, though, add so much dimension to building out the world and supporting the story line without overtaking it.

This story is much quicker paced and although the "challenges" seem to be glossed over too much to really be intimidating, the juxtaposition of the various events keep the story engaging. With space away from "King Arthur & his court", I found myself drawn into the world building of Myntra and the Siabran people. It made the originality of the author's ideas shine in a different way than book one and made this book much more enjoyable for me as a reader.

Overall: 4 stars (I really liked it)

I'll tell my students about: language, sex (SPICY), LGBT+, parental death, violence/gore/murder, supernatural, trauma, physical abuse, rape (mentioned)

**Thank you to NetGalley & Starwater Press for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.** Review posted to GoodReads 4/22/24

Title: Court of Claws
Author: Briar Boleyn
Genre: Fantasy romance
Media: ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Favorite quote: “You're a force of destiny Morgan Pendragon. Or should I call you Morgan Venator?”
Sum of this book in 5 words or less: N/A

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Themes: retelling, family, murder, assault

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Thoughts:

I received a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Short summary - Morgan and Draven settle into life together within his kingdom. She wants to go back to Camelot to fight against her evil king of a brother, Arthur.

I absolutely love the twins - Crescent and Odessa. Even better? Crescent being with a man and having a human daughter. I love that this author didn’t hold back - including every version of family.

Hawl, the bear, the one who can cook so well. I loved the fact that there was a bear chef in this book. I really hope he’s in the next one also!

I wasn’t sure throughout the book if I liked Lyrastra or not, but in my eyes she definitely redeemed herself at the end.

Beks, sweet Beks…. He didn’t deserve what he got but I completely understand why the author did what she did.

This is on KU and I’m so glad because I’m onto the next one!

Wow, Book 1 got me interested but Court of Claws really pulled me in! I had mentioned in my review of book 1 I loved that this dark fantasy romance is inspired by King Arthur retelling with a fae twist! Court of Claws picks right up from the cliffhanger in Queen of Roses. And the push and pull with Morgan and Draven throughout the book is so compelling! I cannot wait to read Book 3!


Thank you NetGalley, Starwater Press and Briar Boleyn for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

*ARC received from Netgalley - all opinions are my own*

TLDR: Falls short of the first book. Both the FMC and MMC become their own brand of insufferable. The overarching plot and lore is what brings the rating up and will get me to continue with the story. Try at your own discretion!

**Bit of a ranty review and will contain some spoilers!**

I will preface this by saying that I loved Draven in the first book, however, it was like I was reading about a totally different character from the get go. There are very few parts in Crown of Claws where he’s a likable character and a viable love interest. He lies to Morgan throughout the entire book, gaslights her into not trusting herself, justifies the abuse of a child, forgives his advisor after he nearly kills Morgan and severely injures his friend and the list goes on. Plus his dialogue in the sex scenes feel so disconnected from his character, it didn’t feel natural to him at all.

Morgan is just as worse in her own way, she went from being incredibly meek and immature in the first book to being constantly angry and whiny about everything and everyone and is just so self centered towards side characters who I actually quite liked (as much as you saw them anyway). The only time she isn’t being angry and whiny is during sex where she forgets about her feelings and becomes a completely different person from what she’s written as and as soon as the sex is over she's back to her usual self.

There is also no growth or important “filler” throughout the book. For example, when Morgan is learning to use her powers, we go from her having absolutely no control and hurting people to then all of a sudden jumping a few days where she has semicontrol and then there's another jump to where she's battling with her magic and has complete control against armies and experienced fighters. It all just feels so rushed and we get zero insight into the journey she has had with her powers and it just feels like every chapter we’re just bouncing from one plot point to the next without a chance to see character relationships grow and also character growth from our main character.

The best points are still the world building and plot as I am still eager to know what happens next so I will stick with the series for now but definitely hope to see big improvements in the next one!

Let me tell you, I could not be more thrilled that I was a little late to the party with this series and have been able to read one book after the next right away; there is NO WAY I would have been able to wait between releases! I can’t put them down.

Court of Claws is the second book of the series and picks up right where the first left off. In this book, we find out a bit more about Morgan and where she came from, including a little more about her mother.

Finding herself in Myntra, in the heart of Siabra territory, Morgan very quickly learns that these people are not like any she’s ever met before and she most certainly is not in Kansas (or Camelot) anymore!

Battling with her head vs her heart when it comes to Draven, will Morgan take a leap of faith and learn to trust him, or was she right to be wary of him and his true motives all along?

I am utterly addicted to this series and am racing through them as I just can’t stop reading!

Brilliant on all levels.

Briar Boleyn, I salute you.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this.

This book picks up from the cliffhanger in book one and I was captivated from the start! It’s an enemies to lovers story but also develops Morgan’s character and strengths. We also learn about Draven and see a softer side as we learn his backstory.
More information is given about the Fae world and Morgan’s background. Epic battles where the characters fight to the death, will Draven be able to succeed? War in Camelot where Morgan will have to test her own loyalties. Reminiscent of A Song of Ice and Fire. A huge cast of characters, pure brutality and rollercoaster twists.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review. I loved Morgan’s growth throughout this book. She has really started coming in to her own, and i’m so here for it. While I disagree with Draven’s actions, I do believe he did it with her best intentions at heart.

If you like banter, humor, and enemies to lovers type of stories you’ll like Court of Claws.

There were hints that reminded me of From Blood and Ash and Bridgerton, which sounds maybe like an odd combination but when you read this I think you’ll understand.

Even while it shares some similarities, Briar’s way of writing has me hooked. From their descriptions to their story and character building, I’m always wanting to know what is going to happen next.

I’ll save you from the spoilers because you need to read this and judge for yourself.

I’m a true lover of this series! I love this world and the characters. I can’t get enough of it and I can’t wait to read the others. I cannot put these books down. The characters are dynamic and I can’t wait to see what they do next

Thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press for the advanced reader's copy of this book!

The second book in the Blood of a Fae series, A Court of Claws, was a phenomenal sequel to the first book, Queen of Roses. We really got to learn so much more about not only the Fae, but the Gods, and the world of Eskira.

Our two main characters, Morgan and Draven, showed some improvement from book 1 to book 2. I wish Morgan was a little less naive and basic, but hope the next book she can grow into the badass female MC I know she can be. Draven and his court were by far my favorite part of this sequel. Every new character we are introduced to has such a great and distinct personality. Draven has the classic dark, brooding, Fae male love interest vibe, but was still sassy and secretive enough to be a great character. I can't wait to engage with Draven and his court more in the next book.

The Arthurian lore is not always at the forefront of this book, but I appreciate that. It gives the author the freedom to create a new unique world that most readers still have an underlying knowledge of the structure of the world and characters. But the additions of the Valtain and Siabra Fae as well as the Pantheon of Gods into the Arthurian world is a refreshing take. The author is an amazing world builder and I can't wait to learn more!

As other reviewers have mentioned, the book does end on a rather large cliffhanger, so be prepared to immediately pick up the next book.

I’m so sad I won’t be able to read this. Thank you Briar for the trigger warning list at the beginning of the book. There are unfortunately too many things listed that I’m uncomfortable reading about. Thank you NetGalley, Brair and starwater press for the ARC!

This book just jumped in. The secrets were all killing me. I loved getting to meet all the new characters and see the difference in the new court. Learning more about Draven was amazing getting more of his backstory. The description and how the characters responded were interesting. I loved that this book kept me guessing at every turn. I am so sad for my favorite character but I totally did not expect that ending at all it was totally crazy and I can’t wait to see what happens next with the tag a long.

Court Of Claws was a great sequel and I loved it. It had deadly trials, Morgan coming into her power, found family and Lyrastra who is such a babe!

The book took me on a whirlwind of emotions, the prologue had me sobbing. Finally finding out more about the curse, and seeing its effects firsthand with the true dreams, absolutely broke my heart. That being said, there were some hilarious moments, romantic moments and quite gruesome moments.

Draven participating in the the Blood Rise really showed a dark, gruesome and treacherous side to the Siabra fae and the Court of Umbrial Flames. Despite that, there are moments where you see the courtiers truly shocked and appalled by what occurs.

The found family doesn't get much time to show their dynamics, but what we do get to see is their love, respect and loyalty towards one another. Lyrastra is an unlikely part of the family, but she is truly fearsome, extremely loyal and great at showing both softness and harshness when needed. I absolutely love her!

Morgan's training wasn't perfect, she would take one step forward and two steps back, and it was really refreshing to see and a great reminder that progress isn't linear.

The spice was great, especially the scene after the Blood Rise dinner. I enjoyed the plot and the writing style. I was confused about the ending, and it wasn't my favourite twist, but I can't wait to see where it goes.

The second book in the Blood of a Fae series. Thank you Netgalley for granting me access to this book.


Forced into a loathsome union, Morgan Pendragon finds herself in the treacherous court of the Siabra. The man she once cared for lies dead, replaced by a stranger. Amidst deceit and danger, Morgan longs to flee, but Kairos Draven, her unwanted companion, insists on her presence.

As their lives intertwine further, they remain oblivious to the impending reckoning of past misdeeds, poised to engulf them both.

The story follows Morgan Pendragon, a young woman who wakes up in the court of the Siabra, surrounded by danger and betrayal. Her world has been turned upside down as she finds out that the man she was falling in love with is dead and has been replaced by a stranger. The author does an excellent job of setting the scene and creating a vivid and intricate world full of magic, politics, and treachery. The Siabra court is a dangerous and cutthroat place, and the author's descriptions of the court and its inhabitants are both fascinating and chilling. Morgan is a strong and resilient protagonist who is forced to adapt to her new surroundings and the man who is now her husband, Kairos Draven. Their relationship is complex and constantly evolving as they navigate the dangerous court together. Draven is a fascinating character, with a dark and mysterious past that slowly unravels throughout the book. The chemistry between Morgan and Draven is palpable, and their interactions are filled with tension and passion. One of the things I loved most about this book is the way the author weaves together the past and present. The sins of the past come back to haunt both Morgan and Draven, and the consequences of their actions threaten to destroy everything they have built.
One other thing I enjoyed about this book, was the way the action sequences are written. I think the author does a great job in creating a sense of urgency and danger in every scene. Overall, I highly recommend this book, especially if you're a fan of fantasy and romance.