Scan barcode
sarahnoelle27's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was almost perfect. Such an amazing plot, so well written and I absolutely loved all the characters (or hated them as they should be). I was enamored by the first chapter despite it having several triggers for me-which should speak to how good it was I couldn’t stop reading!
There is a lot of death, but it all serves to drive the plot forward. The characters all reacted as they would for how their personalities are written and I loved the concept of an evil Arthur and a good Morgan in the world of Camelot. It does have some spice but it’s probably a 2/5, so on the tame side for an open door.
Triggers are death of parents, murder, and death of children, The latter is a big trigger for me but it was all well done and really needed for the story.
There is a lot of death, but it all serves to drive the plot forward. The characters all reacted as they would for how their personalities are written and I loved the concept of an evil Arthur and a good Morgan in the world of Camelot. It does have some spice but it’s probably a 2/5, so on the tame side for an open door.
Triggers are death of parents, murder, and death of children, The latter is a big trigger for me but it was all well done and really needed for the story.
claudschapters's review against another edition
4.0
Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn was a great read! I enjoyed the twists in the book and the characters names being inspired by King Arthur. Morgan is a strong female main character and stands for what she believes in, even if it means going against her brother (the king) wishes.
I also liked that there was a pronunciation guide! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!!
I also liked that there was a pronunciation guide! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!!
bibi_reads_writes's review against another edition
4.0
“Again I thanked the Three that Draven could not see the rest of the marks I bore. Strange, the things we thought we ought to be grateful for.”
Note: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback.
This is a solid debut novel, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. There were some flaws and wasted opportunities, but I feel like the author was carefully placing her pawns for the rest of the series—and that it has tremendous potential.
❤️ World building and evocative descriptions
❤️ Side characters and the fluffy sidekick (awww!)
❤️ Cliffhanger ending
❌ Weak FMC
❌ Some predictable plot twists
❌ Unnecessary violence and animal cruelty/deaths
Plot:
Morgan Pendragon should be queen, but her brother Arthur took the throne from her, then promised her to the goddesses. But when he threatens to instead marry her to his friend, a cruel man who has already hurt her in unspeakable ways, Morgan is presented with a choice: find the sword Excalibur for a chance to choose her own fate. With her kingdom on the brink of war, she is sent on an epic quest with an enigmatic and attractive assassin, and soon wonders: will the legendary weapon save them or doom them?
I love epic quests with reluctant companions and slow-burn romance. The flow was slightly inconsistent at first, but once the characters embarked on the quest, the pace picked up and it became compelling and hard to put down. But the SLOW BURN. I loved how it was all attraction and repressed feelings rather than a tedious series of near misses. Authors often opt for the latter strategy and it drives. me. nuts. I can’t wait for the spice, hehe!
Note: this is NOT your typical Arthurian retelling! As someone who grew up OBSESSED with all things Arthur, I was slightly taken aback by the way things were reimagined. Also make sure to read the trigger warnings, as there are many and things get pretty dark here and there.
Characters:
Morgan. I didn’t dislike her, but she was way too naive and submissive to my liking. Some of it was understandable, given the many traumas she experienced, but other times she only felt immature and, well, slow-witted. This made it hard for me to care about her and her struggles. I feel like there could have been more character development, but we still have 3 books to go, so I’m hopeful.
Draven. Okaaaaay I love an enigmatic badass MMC with dark hair, a chiselled jaw, and top-tier sword skills who is also a cinnamon roll. Can’t wait to see more of him.
Writing:
The world-building, the place descriptions, the banter! I enjoyed reading this and thought it was well written (except for the couple of typos I found that made me cringe).
Here’s another quote I loved:
“I was born to be a queen. But even queens could be set aside and forgotten. Or worse. Remembered but relegated to shadows.”
Note: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback.
This is a solid debut novel, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. There were some flaws and wasted opportunities, but I feel like the author was carefully placing her pawns for the rest of the series—and that it has tremendous potential.
❤️ World building and evocative descriptions
❤️ Side characters and the fluffy sidekick (awww!)
❤️ Cliffhanger ending
❌ Weak FMC
❌ Some predictable plot twists
❌ Unnecessary violence and animal cruelty/deaths
Plot:
Morgan Pendragon should be queen, but her brother Arthur took the throne from her, then promised her to the goddesses. But when he threatens to instead marry her to his friend, a cruel man who has already hurt her in unspeakable ways, Morgan is presented with a choice: find the sword Excalibur for a chance to choose her own fate. With her kingdom on the brink of war, she is sent on an epic quest with an enigmatic and attractive assassin, and soon wonders: will the legendary weapon save them or doom them?
I love epic quests with reluctant companions and slow-burn romance. The flow was slightly inconsistent at first, but once the characters embarked on the quest, the pace picked up and it became compelling and hard to put down. But the SLOW BURN. I loved how it was all attraction and repressed feelings rather than a tedious series of near misses. Authors often opt for the latter strategy and it drives. me. nuts. I can’t wait for the spice, hehe!
Note: this is NOT your typical Arthurian retelling! As someone who grew up OBSESSED with all things Arthur, I was slightly taken aback by the way things were reimagined. Also make sure to read the trigger warnings, as there are many and things get pretty dark here and there.
Characters:
Morgan. I didn’t dislike her, but she was way too naive and submissive to my liking. Some of it was understandable, given the many traumas she experienced, but other times she only felt immature and, well, slow-witted. This made it hard for me to care about her and her struggles. I feel like there could have been more character development, but we still have 3 books to go, so I’m hopeful.
Draven. Okaaaaay I love an enigmatic badass MMC with dark hair, a chiselled jaw, and top-tier sword skills who is also a cinnamon roll. Can’t wait to see more of him.
Spoiler
Vesper. I loved him and I feel like his character could have been used in another way. I had strong doubts about his motives and truthfulness from the start, but I really hoped I’d be wrong and we’d be treated to a “Why Choose” trope. Oh well.Writing:
The world-building, the place descriptions, the banter! I enjoyed reading this and thought it was well written (except for the couple of typos I found that made me cringe).
Here’s another quote I loved:
“I was born to be a queen. But even queens could be set aside and forgotten. Or worse. Remembered but relegated to shadows.”
kayosgood's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Wow…. I was truly impressed by this book. Had a little unexpected twist at the end!
loreluvss's review
Picked it up, read a few pages, put it down, and didn't like the characters enough to pick it back up. I definitely might though.
0kokokay's review against another edition
2.0
I really thought this had potential but it just fell flat. The 1st half of the story while long had me excited but the 2nd half dragged and just bored me that I was just skimming the pages.
The only thing I sort of enjoyed was Draven because Morgan was truly insufferable.
The only thing I sort of enjoyed was Draven because Morgan was truly insufferable.
headcanonheadcase's review against another edition
3.0
I was really intrigued by this book. An Arthur-legend retelling focused on his sister Morgan. Merlin and Lancelot are both female (Lancelot is Lanclet) and Arthur is slightly sinister. Add in a mysterious, dangerous man (Draven) and I was ready to be completely swept away.
But sadly, the pacing was off. It took far too long to send Morgan off on her quest. And then once things were starting to get good between Morgan and Draven, a new love interest was introduced and Draven was all but dropped from Morgan's thoughts. Not to mention that Morgan's powers suddenly appear and are promptly forgotten about.
There was a lot to like about the book, such as the mystery surrounding Morgan's heritage, the scheming at court, the tried and true 'who did this to you' moment, but there was a lot that could have been trimmed to make it a stronger book.
But sadly, the pacing was off. It took far too long to send Morgan off on her quest. And then once things were starting to get good between Morgan and Draven, a new love interest was introduced and Draven was all but dropped from Morgan's thoughts. Not to mention that Morgan's powers suddenly appear and are promptly forgotten about.
There was a lot to like about the book, such as the mystery surrounding Morgan's heritage, the scheming at court, the tried and true 'who did this to you' moment, but there was a lot that could have been trimmed to make it a stronger book.
emcollen's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
kaiyoung_kop's review
4.0
That little girl was so fucking creepy
(But pookie Draven was pookiyinh
- and here me out - if Florian was like 25% less abusive-
(But pookie Draven was pookiyinh
- and here me out - if Florian was like 25% less abusive-