A fresh take on an Arthurian retelling.

Morgan, our FMC, is the eldest child in the royal family. However, her younger brother Arthur surpassed her to be seated on the throne after their father passes. (Big mistake, Arthur is unhinged).
To get Morgan out of the way, Arthur sends her on a quest, surrounded by enemies, to retrieve a magical object. (I LOVE a good quest plot line). Briar Boleyn does a quest right! Though it spans a long amount of time (long travels can get boring), there were so many action filled encounters with new creatures and people that I never felt bored.
This first book is light on the romance. I can appreciate a slow burn.

My critiques for this book are that it took quite a while for the King Arthur elements to become apparent aside from the obvious character names. Some of the chapters felt incredibly long.

This book was full of surprises! I definitely recommend it and can't wait to continue the series.

Key elements / tropes:
King Arthur retelling
Fae
Quest
Caretaking
Slow burn
Betrayals

In Queen of Roses, readers are invited on an extraordinary journey through a world brimming with adventure, emotion, and discovery. From the very first page, Boleyn masterfully crafts a narrative that captivates the imagination and keeps readers eagerly turning the pages.

One of the most compelling aspects of Queen of Roses is its richly developed characters. Each protagonist is expertly drawn, with their own unique quirks, strengths, and vulnerabilities. As they navigate the challenges and triumphs of their journey, readers will find themselves deeply invested in their fates, rooting for their success and empathizing with their struggles.

But it's not just the characters that shine in Queen of Roses; the world-building is equally impressive. Briar has created a vivid and immersive setting that feels both familiar and fantastical.

There is a lot that I liked about this story and it's got sooo much potential.

Morgan is a strong half fae, forced to blend in with her human family. Her brother, the King, is absolutely a tyrant, and sets her forth on a journey to help "prepare for war".

It's actually kinda bullshit. Lol. I mean that in the best way.

This story is filled with so much political turmoil, who to trust, who's truly protecting her, who and what are these people even.

“Stop. Is that his fucking name?” Draven’s voice was icy. “Is that his fucking name on you?”

Draven was my absolute favorite! While I couldn't tell if I could trust him, their enemies to not even lovers but I hope it does, was really good. He's a cocky, scary, demanding brute of a man.

I found myself hooked to this story after the first few chapters. To follow along on their journey to see who were the good guys. I haven't figured it out yet. Book ends on a cliff hanger!

While I really enjoyed the book, the story was starting to feel a bit long. It was filled with so much travel, while also, just soooo much talking. Weird of me to pick on that but I just wanted a little bit more world building.

Overall, a great start to this series, and I'm invested in continuing.

*Thank you to NetGalley & Starwater Press for sending me a digital copy to review*

I knew this was a fantasy book before I started but didn’t realise it was an adaptation of the legend of King Arthur. I really loved how the author altered these characters - putting Morgan as the FMC and continuing the tradition of Morgan le Fay being fae (or part fae) with this story illustrating her discovery of her heritage. I also loved that Lancelot is a woman in this story but is still a fierce and loyal knight and friend.

In this story, King Arthur is not the same figure we all know. Instead, it is Morgan who is trying to do what she can to help her kingdom even after being stripped of the crown thanks to her fae blood. It’s her love for her kingdom and also her brothers that she agrees to go on this quest for a sword that she doesn’t believe exists.

I thought it was pretty obvious who the MMC was, especially since they started as enemies from the very beginning. I didn’t care for the other love interest, it was obvious to me that he wouldn't be sticking around for long. Morgan is inexperienced when it comes to romantic relationships so I did feel bad for her.

Overall I enjoyed this take on a well-known legend and it ended on an interesting cliffhanger. Not sure yet whether or not I want to continue reading the series.

I received this book as an ARC through Netgalley.

I’m always excited to find a new fantasy read, and this was a super fun first book in a series!

I don’t know the Arthur’s and the knights of the round table story very well, but this was a really fun retelling. And a breath of fresh air with a new inspiration for a retelling.

I was very intrigued to see what would happen to all of our characters, and I loved seeing all of the different relationships that were formed.

There was a lot of twists and turns that kept the plot interesting and kept me on my toes.

I did find this first book fall a bit into the first book syndrome, but I think that has a lot to do with setting up the story. At times it was very predictable, with long long chapters.

Morgan was also extremely naive and trusted too easily at points that were very obvious. It was very frustrating at times, but did not deter my enjoyment of the book. I suspect it will also lead to some character development later in the series.

Overall, I had the best time with this book and it was a fantastic start to this series. I can’t wait to continue!

"Queen of Roses" is a masterpiece of dark fantasy! From the very first chapter, I was completely hooked on this retelling of the Arthurian legend, where magic and intrigue intertwine masterfully. Author has created a rich and detailed world that fully immerses you in the story.

The plot is filled with unexpected twists and suspenseful moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. The balance of romance, action, and magic is so well done that you can't help but devour every page.

The ending leaves you craving more, and I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series. If you're a fan of retellings, dark fantasy, and intense romances, you can't miss "Queen of Roses"! Highly recommended!!

“I burn for you, Morgan. You’ve set me aflame…”

Tropes: Slow-burn romance, enemies-to-lovers, Arthurian retelling, dark romance, fae, bodyguard, brooding LI

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley, Briar Boleyn, and Starwater Press for providing me with a free copy of this book to review.

I knew next to nothing about this book going in, let alone that it was a King Arthur retelling, but I was pleasantly surprised! I enjoyed this book so much. Lately, there have been so many Fae-themed books that it’s easy for all of them to lean on each other, borrowing details and familiar tones and lores. This story felt unique.

Morgan is a well-balanced mix of boldness and naivety. I did enjoy reading from her perspective, but Draven was the true star of the story for me. If you have a thing for mysterious, hot, growling beefcakes, Kairos Draven is right up your alley. He fits all the tropes but in an exciting, anticipating way.

I’m eager to see how Morgan changes in the next books. Her innocence plays a big role in this story due to her upbringing. After that massive cliffhanger though, everything is sure to change for both main characters. And while some scenes were a bit predictable (I knew a certain someone was suspicious!), overall I categorize this book as a must-read for Dark Romance lovers. The writing style is simplistic, making it an easy read. The characters are interesting and kept me hooked (I’m looking at you, Draven). The theme is a blend of fresh and familiar. I’m excited to start book 2!

This was a good read. As with some fantasy books, the world building and introduction of characters makes up the first half of the book. Boleyn does a great job with building a fantasy world with likable characters who grow during the book. The story is well thought out and leaves you wanting to dive into the second book.

This story was a little slow to get going somewhere. The world, magic and characters are familiar for fantasy romance readers. I did enjoy the second half more so and will be continuing.

This book!

A princess who will never be queen. Half fae with a human family, her brother the king who hates fae. Forced to take a tonic since she was a child, forced to hide her true self, she doesn’t even know who that is, she has lived a half life. Awful things happen to Morgan & it’s really confusing watching her acceptance of everything she is dealt… I love the broody & strong MMC, what is a romantasy without one!

The mystery, the betrayal, the character development… the CLIFFHANGER! Starting book 2 asap!

Mmmm I smell a rising new fantasy romance. This has great plot, lovable characters, cool world building and just an all around enjoyable read. I look forward to the next book!

Queen of Roses is exceptional. I absolutely loved the King Arthur retelling. I must admit I was blown away. The mystery, world building and storytelling is so well done I am completely mind blown. This book was sooooo good I am definitely diving right into book two! If you haven’t already read this book get it now you won’t be disappointed. I highly recommend it

This is a new plot and it was exciting. It is filled with lots of twists and unexpected adventures that were thrilling and gave me space to theorise on my own. The story started slow and gained time for the world-building but once it was established, it flowed fast like butter slipping out of hands.

It was told by Morgan’s POV and I didn’t feel the need to get any other POV until it came close to the end, and now I want to know the other aspects too. There was so much happening in the last 30-35% of the book that I didn’t leave the book for anything and kept on reading.

I want answers, why was Morgan taking the tonic, other than the reason that her mother was taking it too? What did she remember at the end? What will happen now? What was the role of Draven? From where did he come into the picture? What is the history of Fae? What are Morgan's magical traits?

There is so much to explore and I can’t wait to do just that. I loved how Morgan took charge of things in spite of being under confident in many things. She has a heart of gold and it clearly shows while reading the book. Do read the triggers first, although they are not elaborated in the story but still do read them first.

Draven is really a wild card with very little information on him throughout but at the end we get some surprising facts. He is one character for whom I made a lot of theories and some were right but some came as fresh surprise and I am all ready to know further. This world is dangerous but is captivating too.

Whew what a whirlwind.

I liked this book a lot and will be reading the 2nd one.

I enjoyed Draven's character more than Morgan's but that tends to happen to me.

I did not see the full twist coming but knew something was up!

First this is my first fantasy book, and I am obsessed with it. love romance and this was balanced so well and had dark romance in it too! Omg was I on the edge of my seat.
It's enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and a series! I really love how descriptive the writing is, it really helped me feel like I was in the story and helped a first time fantasy reader understand and read easier! (I would totally recommend this for any first timer too!) the characters in this book - AMAZING (I'm a big character girl) I will say I have a favorite but it's only book one so l'm not really gonna hook onto one .. yet. The ending?! Was.CRAZY I need to start the next book because I didn't see anything coming my heart was actually racing. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!

An Arthurian retelling, 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙨 is a new adult dark fantasy romance filled with action, danger, diverse characters, and a sprinkle of magic and romance that builds with each book.

Although a firstborn, Princess Morgan Pendragon was cast aside due to her alleged fae tainted blood and her brother Arthur rules as King instead. She is prearranged to live a life of servitude to the goddesses when she reaches twenty, until Morgan is offered a way out: embark on an journey to find the legendary weapon that could help stop an imminent war.

If I wasn’t a responsible adult with two littles, a job, and everything else to keep the castle running, I probably would have finished it in two days because that’s how hard I didn’t want to put it down. This was a great first book in the series. It had intricate world building yet was fast paced; a strong and likable heroine, who’s never really known love; and a moody, mysterious bodyguard that you can’t help but root for. I really enjoyed all of the characters—flapjacks and all—and I was living for the playful banter. I definitely see some potential in growth in our leads, especially since it’s being set up as a true, genuine slowburn and I am so here for it. I cannot wait to dive into the next book, especially after that cliffhanger!

Read if you like…
⚔️ myth/legend retellings
🥀 “Who did this to you?”
⚔️ playful banter
🥀 super cute take on one horse trope
⚔️ genuine slowburn

Please beware that there are content and trigger warnings.

I am obsessed with this new romantasy series! I have already recommended it to anyone who will listen. It's a reimagining of Camelot, but with a lot more diversity, fairies, and other magical creatures. The underlining political story parallels our own modern political drama specifically sexism and homophobia. The magical system is interesting. The characters are charming. The romance is slow burn. The villains are so bad! The pacing and adventure are great. It leaves you excited to jump right into the next book, Thank you Briar Boleyn and ARC provided by Starwater Press for this eARC!

The fantasy setting was fun. I understand this is a retelling, but changing the names might have made it more effective, as the story seems disconnected from the original legend. The modern values in the narrative don’t quite evoke the feeling of being transported to a different time. It was overly descriptive, and the dialogue was clunky and repetitive. The ending interested me in the next book, but I couldn’t get into it until I threw the myth out of my mind.

AMAZING. INCREDIBLE. WONDERFUL. ASTOUNDING. There are so many words to describe how this was. I desperately need to get my hands on the next story! I loved reading this so much. I could not put this down.

What??? Merlin retelling, where Morgan is fae and has Magic and Arthur is bad and twisted? Oh it okay, I'm so happy that all the books are here and definitly going to buy them