Thank you to author Briar Boleyn, publisher Starwater Press, and NetGalley for the ARC read of Queen of Roses, the first book in the Blood of a Fae series.

The book began slowly for me. World-building aside, I needed consistent mental redirection with the reuse of famous character names. This kept me from immediately falling in love with this story, but it didn't stop me from finding it intriguing enough to plunge in.

I love an excellent Arthurian-era plot: hero quest fantasy with slow-burn character development. I loved how strong Morgan's character seemed initially, learning to be a knight and defending herself. I adore her innocence and her loving heart. As the Fae elements began to mix into the setting and characters' lives expertly, I relished this retelling (of sorts) more and more until I found halfway through that I could not put it down. Once Morgan's travel adventures began, I cheered her on. Now that the plot, as it were, has thickened toward the end of the book, I cannot wait to continue to read on in book two to find out what happens throughout this new intrigue with Morgan. I have many questions, and I hope to have more answers after book two.

Four and a half stars from me.

thank you to netgalley, starwater press, and briar boleyn for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I first started this book I was unsure I was going to like it . It took me awhile to find myself drawn in. I loved the concept of the retelling of this story , but it was a little slow for my liking. However, about half way through the story really picks up and you find yourself on the edge of your seat. I can’t wait to pick up the next book to read❤️

I recommend this book for anyone looking for a good Arthur retelling as well as someone who loves a good enemies to lovers as much as I do lol

4✨

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is an Arthurian legacy retelling set in a fae world. It's the first in the series with good detail in building the world and characters, with a very slow burn. The MMC is an assassin who is just *yum* but the FMC was too submissive for me. Saying that, it will make for some great character development over the next book(s). And that cliffhanger!!!

If you’re looking for your next romantasy adventure, Blood of a Fae series is a great choice! Books 1-4 are available now, and I’m making my way though all of them. A very clever reimagining of King Author/Camelot; it feels familiar and fresh at the same time. The audiobook didn’t mention trigger warnings - there are some. Be sure to check those as needed. I have some slight spoilers in this review. If you like to stay completely in the dark, know that I really liked this book and would absolutely suggest it for anyone who loves a solid slow burn romantasy adventure. Then stop reading. For everyone else, here we go.

Queen of Roses a true slow burn. I love to hate a slow burn, and I can’t get enough of it. Our FMC is taking her sweet time getting her emotions around to where we all know she’s headed. Spoiler - she doesn’t get there this book. Sllllloooooowwww burn. We don’t get POVs from the MMC this book. I think that changes eventually for book 3 (turns into a duel narration for the audiobook - Will M Watt joins Zara and to say I’m excited is an understatement). I’m so ready to see his brooding perspective. He has a way of supporting Morgan (FMC) in ways she doesn’t expect/realize until reflection later on. I know he’s thinking things. Smutty things. I do think the romance plot has been somewhat predictable BUT the details were surprising - I’m trying not to let too many spoilers drop. I also LOVE all of the fantasy creatures we’ve met so far on this journey. Battlecats, harpies, zombie kids, a mysterious water monster I assume we’ll get more of later, and the list goes on. There are diverse ideas occurring in this world, and we haven’t been introduced to so much at this point. I cannot wait to see where were we end up.

Narration of the audiobook: Zara Hampton-Brown was great. They gave a dynamic range of character voices that I found very entertaining.

I was provided an eARC from NetGalley, Briar Boleyn and Starwater Press - thank you! I did purchase copies of this book on my own as well.

In "Queen of Roses," Briar Boleyn crafts a spellbinding tale of destiny, danger, and forbidden love. Boleyn's masterful storytelling and richly imagined world will captivate adult readers seeking an escape into a realm where nothing is as it seems. With its blend of adventure, romance, and supernatural elements, "Queen of Roses" is a must-read for fans of fantasy fiction.
Enter a world where duty and desire are blurred, and countries' fates are at stake. Morgan Pendragon, a princess bound by fate yet determined to forge her own way on an exciting trip full of mystery, peril, and the seductive appeal of forbidden love against the backdrop of a kingdom on the verge of war and the revival of long-lost fairy lands.

Morgan, a rejected princess who is thought to have fae blood taint, rejects the restrictions placed on her birthright and sets out on a dangerous journey to become free. Morgan encounters a world full of mysteries and unimaginable dangers while traveling with a group of misfits under the leadership of an enigmatic warrior. Morgan finds herself caught in a web of tension and need that builds her to an amazing conclusion as she struggles with her identity and the evil powers that want to possess her.
Briar Boleyn crafts a spellbinding tale of destiny, danger, and forbidden love. Boleyn's masterful storytelling and richly imagined world will captivate adult readers seeking an escape into a realm where nothing is as it seems. With its blend of adventure, romance, and supernatural elements, "Queen of Roses" is a must-read for fans of fantasy fiction.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book and pushed through so I could review it fully, but I will not be going on to read the rest of the series. The writing was very poor, and some sentences were really bizarrely written. The characters and overall descriptions throughout the book were so numerous, overly long, and unnecessarily detailed that they often broke the immersion and hindered the storyline.

I didn't really like any of the characters—Morgan is the biggest doormat with no character growth throughout, Draven is your typical dark, strong, and surly MMC with a 'hidden' soft side but ever so boring, and don't get me started on Vesper... The awkward love triangle with absolutely no chemistry happened faster than anything and didn't bring much to the plot as far as I could tell. Also, can I just say, Arthur being homophobic to make him that much more villainous was just silly.

I can see that the overall idea behind it could be good, and I liked the Arthurian setting as well. The last 10 pages and the ending plot twist could almost convince me to read the next one in the series, but I didn't enjoy the first one enough to commit to a four-book series.

I enjoyed this read, but couldn't get over the reuse of Camelot. As a longtime fan of the stories of old, I just couldn't get over the re-branding. I liked the re-branding of several characters to strong female leads, but also disliked it - not because they were female, but because it was just too hard to adjust my brain.
I may read the second book simply because of the cliffhanger though! :-)
Again, I liked the story, but think it could stand on it's own & even be more enjoyable for those that are familiar with the historic Camelot if it were not a derivative.

I was super excited going into this series, but I felt this one just missed the mark. A lot happening but not at the same time? Could do with more character development, but hoping this comes along with the second book. I'm normally a fan of retellings, but I felt this was just a bit too predictable.

What a brilliant first book of the series. I received this ARC following the release of the fourth book, so I could happily read the entire series back to back and not have to wait for them to be released which I loved.
Positives:
- the MMC is drool worthy. The little things he does for the FMC, the level of protection he provides, the silent brooding vibe you get from him
- the very very very slow burn enemies to lovers vibe from this first novel
- the world building even from the start is brilliant and sets a really good precedent for the rest of the series to build from
- you really HATE the FMCS family from the get go, so even though she can be frustrating, you side with her immediately due to her mistreatment and how munch h you hate them.

Negatives:
- the love triangle!! We already know who we want to end up together and the fact there is another person shoving their way into their relationship annoys me!
- the FMC is incredibly meek and gives off ‘I feel very sorry for myself and everyone else should too’. It annoys me and makes me dislike her in this first book.

The cliffhanger at the end really threw me off and thank god the rest of the series has been released because I cannot cope with having to wait to find out what happens!!
This was a 4.5 star read for me. Thank you to Briar Boleyn for this ARC.

Favourite blurb: "Promise me you won't say 'here kitty, kitty.'"

The story is a spin-off of King Arthur and Excalibur. It shows the main character, Morgan, travelling length to retrieve the sword, Excalibur. A captain, the main male character, accompanies her. The captain also has an ulterior motive.

At the starting 30%, it just describes Morgan's situation in the country and court. Note that she is supposed to be first in line to the throne but because of her fae blood, she was declined of her position as a future queen.

After she leaves the court and country, things start to get interesting with more action happening. There is not a lot of romance between her and the captain. She did make love to someone other than the love interest. It ends with a cliffhanger showing the mystery of the female main character's bloodline and the identity of the main male character. The spicy chapters are chapters 26 and 32.

Thanks to NetGalley for this copy of ARC.

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

If you love Sarah J Maas, Jennifer L Armentrout, and Rebecca Yarros, you'll enjoy this book. HOWEVER, please check the TW before you start reading it.

Queen of Roses tells the story of Morgan Pendragon, a half fae, half human princess who has been cast aside for being half fae. For the majority of her life, she aimed to merge into the crowd. Through events out of her control, she was forced to go on a journey with Kairos Draven, a knight in her brother's court. I am not super familiar with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, but this is definitely based on it - specifically with the names.

I found the world building and the pacing to be really good. Because this is the first book in the series, there is a lot of information and a lot of the action started midway through the book.

For those of you who are romance lovers. There is some romance in this book, but it is light. I'm assuming that it will build up through the series. Some tropes are Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Forced Proximity, and Morally Grey MMC.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and I'm excited to read the next books in the series.

4⭐️
1🌶️

I really enjoyed this book! I was a little nervous about the King Arthur/Camelot setting going in, but I ended up really loving it. I think that the story already has some great development and I’m excited to see where the next installment will take this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for the chance to read and review this advanced copy.

My review will be posted immediately on Goodreads and StoryGraph, and will run tomorrow (4-24-2024) on my Instagram (@graciesbooknook)

💌Content Warnings: sexual/physical assault, death of children, death of animals, explicit killing/torture, drugging

First of all, I really appreciate that the book includes a trigger warning list. It's not much but it's important. And with that, a map AND pronunciation guide? THANK YOU! I must say I'm a big fan of the Arthurian myths, so I was expecting a lot from this book. As violent as the first scenes are, I was immediately struck by the addictive writing style and the way it switches perfectly between description and narration. I spotted a few repetitions but nothing too bad. I loved the idea of Lancelet being a female knight, I found it very refreshing (the LGBTQ+ representation too). Other nice point : the main divinities are goddesses. I must say the constant misogynistic pressure around Morgan made me quite uneasy, which did not help my reading experience at first (that's subjective though). However, I appreciated the depiction of tyranny slowly developing itself through the reinforcement of old-fashioned beliefs (it is sadly very modern). I like how realistic the personality and evolution of Morgan was! And the fact she didn't need to be saved all the time, stood up, took revenge. Her relationship with Kaye was really sweet. Kairos seems very brutal at first but we slowly understand where it comes from. I initially thought the romance would be a bigger part of the story but it allowed the plot to be richer which is good.
I'm usually kinda picky with couples but this one really did it for me. Their dynamic is goooood. The exmoor mama's story made me want to cry, then the sweet cub?? Vesper wasn't a bad addition to the plot even if I had guessed everything was off about him. I was disappointed by Lancelet "death" (if she's really), I thought she deserved better. But THANK YOU for claiming Vesper's acts as sexual assaults (rightfully so) which isn't always the case in fictions like this. I must say I knew since the beginning that Kairos was fae, so the final plot twist wasn't that shocking for me. But goodness, that end! I need to know more about the powerful sisters!

I was originally pulled in because of the cover of this book. I went in with and opened mind and was pleasantly surprised with joy how much I enjoyed this story!

'Queen of Roses' is a strong start to this series from Briar Boleyn that turns the Arthurian Legend on its head. The protagonist is his half-sister Morgan who is portrayed as thoughtful and possibly imbued with special gifts. Familiar names abound throughout the story; however characteristics have been added to them. The story is enthralling and I have already dived into the second book in the series, 'Court of Claws.' All four titles in the series will be available on May 25, 2024. Readers of "Romantasy" will easily fall into this series, as well as readers of King Arthur stories.

What a creative take on King Arthur! I absolutely adored the plot; while the foundational elements of Camelot's story are present, everything else is reinvented and refreshing. There's a modern flair to it, with strong-willed female characters that make the story utterly captivating.

The world-building strikes a perfect balance between imagination and avoiding being overwhelming. The familiar tropes, like the classic "who did this to you," a superb slow burn, and perhaps even enemies-to-lovers (though I say 'perhaps' because the plot twists are jaw-dropping), all contribute to the narrative's gripping nature. And just when you think you have it all figured out, the book ends on a cliffhanger that leaves you questioning everything you thought you knew at that point!

It's a dark fantasy, so I recommend checking out the warnings provided in the book. Another nice touch: there's even a dedicated section in the book to help you pronounce the names correctly.

Thank you NetGalley, Starwater Press and Briar Boleyn for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Firstly thank you to netgalley, starwater press, and briar boleyn for giving me access to this book in exchange for an honest review! Queen of Roses is a dark fae story mixed with components of an Arthurian legend retelling. We follow our main character Morgan, sister to the ruling king of Camelot King Arthur. Morgan has always lived in the shadow of her brother, loathed by many for the fae blood that runs through her veins but as war falls on her kingdom a quest fit for an arthurian retelling falls onto her. This book is packed with magic, tension, and slow burn romance. It took me a while to get into the story but around the halfway mark I found myself more intrigued by the plot and characters. The romance is very VERY slowburn and while touted as “enemies to lovers'' i found it was much more profound dislike and snarky banter to lovers more than anything else but besides that i found Morgan and Dravens relationship progression throughout the book to be very enjoyable, maybe even one of the more enjoyable aspects of the book for me especially in the last few pages (if you know you know). As far Morgan as our fmc she’s is an interesting one, she trains to fight and wants desperately to be seen as strong and able to take care of herself and she's at times a snarky and somewhat effusive person especially towards Draven. Yet in another breath she can be meek and naive towards her circumstances in life. Watching her follow orders from cruel people over and over, never stopping to think more deeply into the consequences of things that take place throughout the book and what they might mean for her or to wonder the “why” of some things was sometimes frustrating to see play out as a reader (the medicine!!!). But as she’s been raised as a second rate person in her own family and kingdom most of her life it's not hard to see the reason why she is such a contradictory character and feel a sort of sympathy and understanding towards her. Overall a very solid read at 3.5⭐️ I can definitely see how this story and world has room to grow in later books with more time with these characters!

also read my review over on goodreads! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6439291791

Did I expect to love this as much as I did? No.. but I am absolutely sucked in!! I am new to dark romances but this book is absolutely it!!

If you like adventure and strong women, this book is for you!

I enjoyed this fantasy book, was it my favorite so far this year?? No. BUT I did throughly enjoy the world building and the characters. It was a little on the angsty side but not unbearable. I have so many questions that I hope get answered in later books. So I am looking for to reading more of this series!!

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

3.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to #netgalley and Starwater Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

After a bit of a slow start, Queen of Roses ended up on an intriguing journey in this adventure fantasy based on a King Arthur retelling. There is a good mix of mythology and fantasy with history of fae and other magical creatures and beasts.

There is a lot of world building at the start of the book that begins to stop about two thirds in. Although I do appreciate world building when needed, it did feel a bit superfluous to the needs of this novel and at times repetitive. However there was enough content in the first half to keep me interested and reading on.

Some of the plot twists are predictable and expected, however there were a couple of nice surprises as well. I am interested to see where book 2 takes us.

This book will appeal to fans of raven kennedy and the blood and ash series.