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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-
kennabenn's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
charlottejoyce06's review against another edition
4.0
This one took me a bit to get into, which I think was mainly because I started it during exam season, but by chapter 10 I was fully engrossed. I wasn’t a big fan of the structure when it started off, but I did find that it improved. At the beginning I felt overwhelmed by backstory and world building, though as the book continued on it made sense because of how complicated the world was. I loved that it was a twist on the Arthurian story, which I have always really enjoyed.
The bonds between the characters were beautifully written, and I genuinely enjoyed getting to witness them develop. Especially Morgan and Lancelot's friendship. I loved Darven from the beginning, his obvious kindness and gentle but fiercely protective nature. And on the other side, hated Vesper from the beginning, though their connection initially seemed innocent, there always seemed like there was more he wasn’t saying.
The plot was definitely fast paced (and I found it kinda choppy at times) but was definitely enjoyable. I’ve heard it can be kinda predictable, but I found lots of twists that I wasn’t expecting and that kept me on the edge of my seat.
And though I have many books on my physical tbr that I am determined to finish before the end of this summer, the rest of this series is on the list to read right after and I can’t wait to share my review for those as well.
The bonds between the characters were beautifully written, and I genuinely enjoyed getting to witness them develop. Especially Morgan and Lancelot's friendship. I loved Darven from the beginning, his obvious kindness and gentle but fiercely protective nature. And on the other side, hated Vesper from the beginning, though their connection initially seemed innocent, there always seemed like there was more he wasn’t saying.
The plot was definitely fast paced (and I found it kinda choppy at times) but was definitely enjoyable. I’ve heard it can be kinda predictable, but I found lots of twists that I wasn’t expecting and that kept me on the edge of my seat.
And though I have many books on my physical tbr that I am determined to finish before the end of this summer, the rest of this series is on the list to read right after and I can’t wait to share my review for those as well.
catiedearest's review against another edition
4.0
Tale as old as time.
Holy cow, I was not prepared for this book. At first I was t sure if I was going to like it, but boy howdy was I wrong. There are so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Briar Boleyn is a fantastic storyteller. I think this is the first book I have read of hers but I am going to be reading all of them from here on out. I am excited to start the next one!
The only reason I have this book 4 stars is because it takes a while to get into it (a few chapters) and sometimes the FMC feels a little whiny.
Holy cow, I was not prepared for this book. At first I was t sure if I was going to like it, but boy howdy was I wrong. There are so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Briar Boleyn is a fantastic storyteller. I think this is the first book I have read of hers but I am going to be reading all of them from here on out. I am excited to start the next one!
The only reason I have this book 4 stars is because it takes a while to get into it (a few chapters) and sometimes the FMC feels a little whiny.
amyreadstomuch's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
frodoreads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
littlefoot10's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really enjoyed this book.
The beginning was a bit slower, but with all new fantasy worlds I jump into I find I want to understand the magic systems and lore of each world and have as much of a complete understanding as possible.
Morgan is feisty and everything about her just seems genuine.
As this a King Arthur's world story -- it's hard for my brain to wrap around some of the changes this author made. In my head Merlin is still a wizened old man in a cave (much like the Uncle within this story).
The adventure was packed into these pages. However, I will say the animal killings really made me sad (I cried).
Some shocking even occurred while Morgan was in the Castle that left me feeling icky and reading it was giving me anxiety. I wouldn't say I have triggers with subjects but some just don't feel good to read, but it would never stop me from finishing a novel. The animal killings were honestly the worst part of this novel.
Sexy scenes were throughout this novel, and Wowza were they steamy.
I can't wait to continue on with this series because of the ending a Cliff Hanger of sorts. Morgan is a likeable character that grows throughout this first novel. I can't wait to see where she is by the last book in this series. Highly Recommend.
The beginning was a bit slower, but with all new fantasy worlds I jump into I find I want to understand the magic systems and lore of each world and have as much of a complete understanding as possible.
Morgan is feisty and everything about her just seems genuine.
As this a King Arthur's world story -- it's hard for my brain to wrap around some of the changes this author made. In my head Merlin is still a wizened old man in a cave (much like the Uncle within this story).
The adventure was packed into these pages. However, I will say the animal killings really made me sad (I cried).
Some shocking even occurred while Morgan was in the Castle that left me feeling icky and reading it was giving me anxiety. I wouldn't say I have triggers with subjects but some just don't feel good to read, but it would never stop me from finishing a novel. The animal killings were honestly the worst part of this novel.
Sexy scenes were throughout this novel, and Wowza were they steamy.
I can't wait to continue on with this series because of the ending a Cliff Hanger of sorts. Morgan is a likeable character that grows throughout this first novel. I can't wait to see where she is by the last book in this series. Highly Recommend.
brooksie03051's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn
This is book one in a dark, fae re-telling of the well-known Arthurian legend in the search for Excalibur but Arthur plays a bitter and cruel villain and Morgan is the innocent one.
Plot:
Book one follows the journey of Morgan, who is the eldest of the Pendragon children and should have been queen once her father died, but she was disinherited in favor of her half-brother, Arthur, due to her tainted fae blood because her mother was fae. She suffers abuse by those in the kingdom who should protect her and her brother King Arthur does nothing to shelter her from it. He sends her on a dangerous campaign to find Excalibur, a weapon that has eluded many who have tried to find it over the centuries. Morgan is accompanied by two very dangerous guards on this quest and her brother doesn't care what they do to her as long as they accomplish the task. Kairos Draven and Ragnar Whitehorn, have bad reputations and she is not sure they have orders from King Arthur to return to Camelot with her after it is found.
Characters:
Morgan is extremely naive throughout the story and although had training to fight, did little to stop her abusers. Once they were on the quest, however, she experienced growth in confidence and strength and began to fight back with those who meant her harm. Draven is a handsome rugged "take no BS" kind of man. As hard as he is, he doesn't like to see people suffer and tries to keep Morgan safe and over the time they spend together she sees a different side of him than what she thought she knew. These two had some fun banter together and meshed well as main characters. I was shipping them to be more as they spent more time together.
Merlin, Lancelet, and Galahad are her friends and they all care for each other. They are all women too which is a nice little twist. Rather than them being pro-Arthur, they are pro-Morgan. She is the one suffering and being the punching bag for being a half-breed and never giving them reason to not trust her.
Worldbuilding:
This world was more interesting with the addition of fae and included some fantasy animals as well. It took a bit for the story to build up, so if you hang in there, it gets more action. I assume as the books continue that will keep happening since the first book sets up the scene.
Overall Thoughts:
In the first few chapters, I was getting used to what was happening since there were some changes in the well-known characters and I needed to get used to that storyline. Then the chapters stalled out a bit taking time to build what was going on, how she was as a character and how she was treated. It was very different from what I knew of this legendary tale. Once Morgan got out onto the road and their journey got going, things started to pick up and she started to stick up for herself. The characters are great and I have high hopes that they will continue to grow and the realm with new exciting additions. The book ended on a cliffhanger and will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Thank you to the publisher and author for the NetGalley ARC of this book to read and give an honest review.
single_star101's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I started this book because I was 100% influenced by the authors social media presence and also love to support Canadian authors. This book has so much potential - but it is really clear that this was the first book the author has published. My abbreviated review is that this book has many flaws BUT it is worth reading because as the series progresses the writing makes the characters have more depth and autonomy. I am glad that I finished the book with enough curiosity about what was going on with the characters to read book two. There was so much growth in the writing! I plan on reading the entire series.
Now for a more in depth review. Don't worry there wont be any spoilers. This books takes the characters from the King Arthur legend and takes them on a wild adventure. I love the places it goes and the plot is well thought out. It was easy to see as a reader what the author wanted me to feel. I loved the twists. Unfortunately the writing of the thing that happened lacked depth and it felt like you were just watching things happen and didn't add depth the characters relationships.
When the book ended it felt like I was in the middle of a book. The FMC Morgan had spent the entire book having things happen to her and it ended with her feeling like a forever victim and not a character that overcomes. My personal opinion is that if you take the first and second book in the series and smoosh them together you have a more complete story arch and the relationships have more depth. But more on that in my review of book two!
Now for a more in depth review. Don't worry there wont be any spoilers. This books takes the characters from the King Arthur legend and takes them on a wild adventure. I love the places it goes and the plot is well thought out. It was easy to see as a reader what the author wanted me to feel. I loved the twists. Unfortunately the writing of the thing that happened lacked depth and it felt like you were just watching things happen and didn't add depth the characters relationships.
When the book ended it felt like I was in the middle of a book. The FMC Morgan had spent the entire book having things happen to her and it ended with her feeling like a forever victim and not a character that overcomes. My personal opinion is that if you take the first and second book in the series and smoosh them together you have a more complete story arch and the relationships have more depth. But more on that in my review of book two!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault
chanelchapters's review against another edition
DNF@100 pages
Loose retelling of Camelot - don’t expect this Morgan to be anything like the bad ass Morgan Le Fay. She spends most of her time complaining about her “ugly” gray hair. Found the writing to be clumsy.
Loose retelling of Camelot - don’t expect this Morgan to be anything like the bad ass Morgan Le Fay. She spends most of her time complaining about her “ugly” gray hair. Found the writing to be clumsy.