Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn 🌹
Book 1 of Blood of a Fae
Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐

This was such a fun twist on classic characters from Camelot. It was neat getting to see all the characters in a new light. I felt they were developed well and the setting was very vivid and I could picture it in detail based on the descriptions. I did find some of the plot twists a bit predictable, but enjoyed this book nonetheless.

I look forward to reading the next books in the series soon!

my ratings:
4/5⭐
1/5🌶️

summary📝
Morgan Pendragon is rumoured to have fae blood and right from her childhood is forced to supress any signs of being fae. She isn't even made queen of Camelot when she is the rightful heir. On her brother, King Arthur's order, she sets out on a quest to find a deadly weapon with none other than our mmc, the mysterious Kairos Draven.

my thoughts💭
-Arthurian legend is something new to me so I didn't know what to expect while diving into this.
-The pacing was very slow but I liked how the author took her time for world building.
-Draven is an intriguing character and I'm dying to know more about him.
-There was next to no romance between the fmc and mmc, but as a lover of a good slow burn it only left me wanting more and I cannot wait to see more of them.

Thank you to the author, publisher & netgalley for giving me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love fantasy when they bring something new to the genre, and this book doesn’t disappoint! Morgan Pendragon is sent to find Excalibur by her brother King Arthur. He’s a brutal king, like his father before him. Morgan is part fae, as was her mother before she was murdered.
This book has magical creatures, extreme violence, twists and turns, and some romance. It’s the first book in the series so I’m super excited for book 2! Morgan reminds me of Violet Sorrengail and Katnis Everdeen. A humble, unlikely hero who is stronger than she is given credit for.

I really loved this book. It scratched every itch I have when it comes to fantasy. It was a wonderful read that didn't feel 'too long', which I find to be a problem with a lot of fantasy books. The world building didn't feel overdone and it was paced really well. I would definitely read this again as I found myself so in love with the characters and that ending was incredible. Draven very quickly became my favorite and I am absolutely in love! Morgan was everything with her indomitable spirit and the two of them played off each other so well! I definitely raced through the book, needing to find out what was happening and was not disappointed! Can't wait to find out what happens next!

Enemies-to-lovers
Great World Building
Found Family
Adventure
Strong FMC

this inventive twist on Arthurian legend, we're introduced to a world cloaked in shadow and intrigue, penned by an author who was previously off my radar but has now firmly captured my attention. This tale plunges us into a realm where dark fantasy meets a slow-burning romance that's just beginning to kindle, hinting at a blaze to come in future installments.

At the heart of our story is Morgan Pendragon, burdened with Fae lineage and the heavy expectations it brings. Tasked with a perilous quest for a mystical Fae artifact, Morgan's journey is as much about proving her worth to the crown as it is about navigating the complexities of her identity. Alongside her is Draven, a royal guard shrouded in mystery, whose initial friction with Morgan evolves in ways that promise a rich exploration of their dynamics in the books to follow.

The novel reweaves the familiar threads of Camelot and its iconic characters with fresh and vibrant strokes, crafting a narrative that feels both nostalgic and novel. The lore is intricately built, setting a stage for action-packed sequences and plot twists that ensnare the reader with each turn of the page.

As for the romance, it simmers with a slow intensity, seasoned with moments of tantalizing banter and the promise of future heat. The world-building is immersive, drawing us into a landscape where magic breathes life into every nook and cranny, and where diversity in character backgrounds enriches the tapestry of the story.

This first installment leaves us on the edge of our seats, eager for the next chapter in Morgan and Draven's adventure. With its blend of dark fantasy elements, reimagined legends, and character-driven storytelling, this book strikes a balance between the comfort of the familiar and the thrill of the new. It's a recommended read for anyone drawn to the mystique of Camelot but looking for a story that charts its own unforgettable course..

* *I was given this book by NetGalley for my honest review * *

I loved this book! Queen of Roses is an Arthurian-inspired dark romantasy that is the first book in the Blood of Fae series. The story follows Morgan, the princess of Camelot who is rumored to be part fae. Fueled by prejudiced hatred and a mistrust of fae blood, Morgan’s abusive father strips her of her birthright and hands it to her half-brother, Arthur. Instead of becoming queen, Morgan is commanded to join the temple of the goddesses when she comes of age.

However, Arthur turns into a psychopathic, power-hungry, fae-hating king as he ages. He develops malevolent plans and commands Morgan to find an ancient weapon with legendary power. Although Morgan is wary of Arthur’s intentions, she embraces the opportunity to go on a journey and potentially change her fate.

The story picks up from there and we follow Morgan on her quest to find the ancient relic. It’s full of high stakes adventure, mystery, tension, banter, forced proximity, hidden magic, self discovery, and betrayal. This first installment of the series intricately develops the world building and character development. There’s little romance in this book, but it is evident that it is a slow burn that will continue to develop throughout the remainder of the series.

Overall, I loved the world building, the epic fantasy, Morgan’s journey of self discovery, and all of the twists and turns that set the stage for the future installments. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you so much to the author, Starwater Press, and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this novel! “Queen of Roses” is a fresh take on the Arthurian legends in a world with Fae. The world building is fantastic and fully immerses you. The book is filled with witty banter, tension, and surprises.

I love the gender-bending twists on the traditional legends and the LGBTQ+ representation in the supporting characters. The author was able to include complex themes and issues that are relevant today in a way that brought attention to them without detracting from the story.

There are several dark, potentially triggering scenes in this book, so be sure to check the content warnings.

This is an extremely slow burn story. The first part of the book read a little slow for me but it really picked up in the second half and then I couldn't put it down. Overall, I definitely recommend this book and can't wait to continue the series myself.

The book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger so be prepared to race to the next book to continue Morgan's story.

*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am so thankful for this arc and the chance to review. I really enjoyed the female main character and finding out her lineage, the fae people and her gray hair. Cause we heard about that hair for sure
I felt like this book had a lot of meat in it, kind of predictable meat.
The last 25% of the book however was great finding out so much to the story but it makes me confused on the pacing of it
I really think this could’ve been brought to two books instead of trilogy because so much was kind of said and repeated. The last chapter reveal is the only thing making me curious about the next book.

The only good thing about finishing this book it that the next one is already out. I won't lie it started out slow and I was wondering if I would keep going but at around 30% it really starts to pick up until I didn't want to put it down. The only similarities so far to King Author/Camelot are names and the setting and I don't see that changing with the next book. I am 100% ok with that because I'm not a huge retelling fan.

If you like:
-Slow burn
-Fae
-Morally grey MMC
-Crazy plot twists
-light spice
This book is for you.

Difficult parts:
It starts off slow and painful. I don't like when a main character is abused with no respite.

Check your trigger warnings at the door please.

Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy of this story for free. All thoughts below are my own and are left voluntarily; they are not in any way influenced by the author, publisher, or others involved in its creation.

Queen of Roses follows main character Morgan Pendragon (based on the Arthurian character Morgan le Fay - or Morgan the Fae) who has grown up in a less than ideal environment thanks to the fae blood coursing through her veins (from her mother's side). It is a dark fae romance story that takes aspects of Arthurian Legend and twists it - e.g., Morgan(a) being a literal fae, Lancelot receiving a name change to Lancelet and being female, Arthur being more like Uther than the "once and future king", and Morgan's mother being Ygraine (who birthed Arthur in more traditional legends). There are more, along with additions from Boleyn.

I love Boleyn's writing style; it is very vibrant and descriptive such that the world comes to life and jumps off the page. Her way of describing things in the space with her characters - and describing character actions - is amazing and it adds a depth to the story that I think a lot of fantasy stories are missing. However, it feels almost as if that is all the story is. There is little depth to the plot, little in the way of character development, and it felt as if there was something missing that I couldn't quite put my finger on. The start of the story (learning about Ygraine's death) was beautifully done but it seems to go downhill from there, and I found myself getting less and less invested.

Don't get me wrong, that's not to say it's a bad story, just that it could have benefitted from something more than just beautiful descriptions. It is very clear Boleyn has talent, she has a way of describing scenes that just make the hairs on your arms stand on end, and then it falls apart with the characters and the actual execution of the plot. I'm usually 50-50 on romances, but I also felt as if the romance of the plot fell short. It was quite a frustrating thing to read in that respect. I also think that the use of Arthurian Legend didn't add anything to the story. The names were familiar, there was the odd reference to things in the legend (such as replacing Uther's hate of 'magic' with 'fae') but it was almost unused.

If you're going to use mythology, use it, not just the names. Retell it, put your own spin on it, but this was not the way to do it. Especially since some of the changes seemed pointless.

All in all, I felt mixed on this one. I will likely read the sequel because as I said, I did not hate it, I just felt it could have been more.

If you liked From Blood and Ash, you might like this! It took me a very long time to get into it and get through it but I think it shows promise and I would consider reading the other books in the series. I liked Draven a lot and I totally get why he’s a lot of people’s book boyfriend!!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Unfortunately this was my very first DNF book. I made it through 17%. Normally I would continue because I like to give everything a chance, but the rest of the book will take approximately 12 hours to finish according to kindle and I just couldn’t do it. Perhaps it just wasn’t my cup of tea but I’ve seen it compared to other fantasy dark romance books and I just disagree. I was looking forward to this series with the final book coming this year but sadly, I will not be continuing on in the Blood of Fae series.

I think for me, the biggest downfall was that it was so incredibly descriptive that it became distracting. It was difficult to follow because there was just so many different characters and so much scene building. A lot of it felt unimportant or unnecessary to the story. I felt like I was given so much yet understood so little of what was going on.

Thank you to Starwater Press, NetGalley, and Briar Boleyn for this ARC ebook version in exchange for my honest review.

4⭐️
If you like:
- loose mythological retellings 🗡
- fae 🧝‍♀️
- dark misty vibes 🌫
- s l o w b u r n 🔥
- lots of twists and turns 🔀
Then you will probably like this book. As someone who studied Arthurian Legend at uni as soon as I saw the blurb of this book I wanted to read it, and there is lots that I really enjoyed.

What I liked:
- The setting. The world building, I felt, was excellent. I really enjoyed the style of writing and found that to be a real strength here.
- Most of the characters I felt were well written and I enjoyed that.
- the side characters were fab & alongside this the found family aspect was lovely.
- Once the story got going I really enjoyed it.
- I actually really liked the MMC. I adore sarky, smirky, tall-dark-and-handsome. He gave Rowan/Cardan vibes (iykyk) and I will eat that up every day of the week.

What I liked less:
- long chapters. Chapters that take 15/20 minutes to read (according to the kindle time left), for me and my ADHD, are just too long.
- I know this is a dark story, but I personally don't like when characters are cruel for the sake of being cruel without any discernible reason. I want there to be a 'why' but that's a personal thing!
- I did find some of the choices certain characters made to be frustrating at times.
- it did take a while for the story to get going for me. The first half felt a bit slow at times, but as this is setting up a 4 book series I understood that.

Overall once we got into the real meat of the story I thoroughly enjoyed myself and oh boy that ending?? Excited to read book 2.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Victory Editing for the e-arcs of the whole series to review in celebration of the release of the 4th book!

- my review will be posted to:
Goodreads
Amazon (under review)

Okay. I wasn’t ready for this book to end. Within the pages of 'Queen of Roses,' you are transported into a mesmerizing realm where duty clashes with desire, and secrets lurk in every shadow. With intricate world-building and compelling characters, this captivating fantasy is a thrilling journey of self-discovery and perilous adventure. I think it’s a must-read for fans of epic tales filled with magic and mystery. #BloodofaFaeSeries #NetGalley.

Wow. This book is the start of a series I did not know I needed. This was dark. This was sad. This was so freaking cool. You can tell the author has a historical fiction background, the way she sets up the society in regards to the female role, even though it's fantasy, was phenomenal. You really feel the struggle of Morgan as a woman in the court of her brother, Arthur. I loved the creatures in this book, and the adorableness of Draven's "pet". The end of this book, while I expected and assumed some twists, I did NOT expect this. I am so excited for book two of this amazing twist on the tale of Camelot!

*Queen of Roses* by Briar Boleyn is a spellbinding and captivating tale that seamlessly weaves together elements of mystery, magic, and romance. Boleyn transports readers to a mesmerizing world where the fearless FMC, Morgan, embarks on a treacherous quest at her brother, Arthur’s, request to find the sword Excalibur and return it to him.

The dynamic between Morgan, the betrayed princess, and Draven, the skilled mercenary, crackles with tension and chemistry, drawing readers into their journey to find Excalibur and uncover the truth about Morgan's hidden powers. As Morgan's magical abilities manifest and evolve, Boleyn deftly explores themes of identity and self-discovery, adding layers of depth to the characters and the narrative.

The cliffhanger ending of *Queen of Roses* is a heart-stopping twist that will leave readers on the edge of their seats, as Morgan faces betrayal and danger from unexpected quarters, testing the limits of her strength and resilience. Draven's unwavering loyalty and sacrifice in the face of peril solidify his place as a compelling and heroic figure, adding emotional weight to the narrative.

Boleyn's storytelling prowess shines in this gripping tale of intrigue and transformation, offering a richly imagined world filled with secrets, revelations, and a hint of forbidden romance. *Queen of Roses* is a five-star read that will keep readers eagerly anticipating the next installment, as Boleyn delivers a captivating and immersive experience that leaves a lasting impact.

Fans of fantasy, romance, and unforgettable adventure will find themselves utterly enchanted by *Queen of Roses*, a must-read that showcases Boleyn's talent for crafting a compelling and intricately woven narrative that leaves a lasting impression. Get ready to be swept away on a thrilling and magical journey with Morgan and Draven as they face danger, betrayal, and the ultimate test of loyalty and love.

I struggled through the first half, but the plot really picked up in the second half. I'm not very familiar with the Arthurian legend, but I don't think that you need to be in order to enjoy this book. I wasn't a huge fan of the first person narration. Morgan's internal dialogue consists of asking a LOT of rhetorical questions and it was tedious to read at times. I didn't enjoy the love triangle and feel like the same outcome could have been achieved without it. I wish the author had created more longing and desire in the relationship that will be continuing on in the series as I didn't feel like there was a strong connection between Morgan and either of the love interests.. Most of this book seemed to be world building and set up for the rest of the series and not a lot happened. But, by the end, my interest was piqued enough that I will be continuing with the series. It reminded me a lot of FBAA, but with way easier to follow world building and lore.

Thank you so much for This book was amazing, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the play on Arthurian legend and how it blended so seamlessly with the world of the fae. It was such an exciting read and kept me guessing what would happen next. The characters were really loveable and I was always wanting to know more about them. The storytelling and writing style really drew me in and I would definitely love to continue with this series. Fantasy lovers should 100% read this book. I will definitely recommend it to others!

Great start to what I assume is going to be an amazing series. The twists and turns and the general heat of this book was amazing and sucks you in straight away.
The world building is very heavy though that is not necessarily a bad thing but you do need to go into this book read to take notes or I can imagine you would get lost very easily!
Can’t wait to see what more is to come.

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Really enjoyed this book - and yet another series that I get to dive into! Morgan is going to be in for a shock I think with the next book. Can't wait. That ending…. Everything is about to change!!