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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.
clairereadstoomuch's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
3.75⭐️
Inspired by the Arthurian legend, set in a world with faes and magic, “Queen of Roses” is a romantasy full of intrigues, court politics, lore, action and a little bit of magic. Although I’m sure the last one will change in the following books.
First things first, Morgan is a half-fae knife wife and I immediately loved her for this. Whenever a princess or queen decides to take up sparring or whatever form of combat, I’m immediately on my knees for her.
Now, in this world Arthur is not the heroic noble king we know nor is Morgan (Morgana) an evil witch. To be fair, Morgan is no witch at all.
Her whole character is enveloped in mystery given that both she and us don’t know much about her past and background, given that she’s half fae. What does that mean? Apparently that she has white hair, that’s all we know in the beginning. But of course, with a kind and compassionate heart, combat skills and determination Morgan is meant for more. And we follow along in her journey of discovery to what exactly “more” means.
Now, I really liked the world building. It was not hard to follow, I loved the court politics, the whole world’s politics along with its tradition, religion and folklore. However, I feel like there were some things that could have been explained in more details. What I mean is that, since the story is from Morgan’s pov and she’s always lived in the palace, there are some things about her history and the mythology of her world when she does. In some scenes I honestly felt like as much as Morgan was the chosen one and the one with a mission, she didn’t care much to learn all the whys and hows. If she did, it would have been helpful for us to understand some key elements better. Or maybe it was done on purpose and we’re going to learn more in the following books. We’ll see.
In regards to the “romance” aspect of this romantasy, it’s a slow burn. So there’s not a lot of it, especially since they can’t stand each other. Are they enemies? Kind of. In this regard as well, I think the base for the slow burn romance could have been woven a little more intricately. Based on what I’ve read so far, the two are very far from forming any kind of relationship. There’s only animosity between them and a modicum of respect maybe. Was that enough to justify the final scene? In my opinion, no. It surprised me a little bit, to be honest.
I also felt like the final scenes were really confusing with the introduction of new characters and consequently more lore that gets only mentioned.
I have high hopes for the next book though. I’m curious to learn more about these characters and this world
Inspired by the Arthurian legend, set in a world with faes and magic, “Queen of Roses” is a romantasy full of intrigues, court politics, lore, action and a little bit of magic. Although I’m sure the last one will change in the following books.
First things first, Morgan is a half-fae knife wife and I immediately loved her for this. Whenever a princess or queen decides to take up sparring or whatever form of combat, I’m immediately on my knees for her.
Now, in this world Arthur is not the heroic noble king we know nor is Morgan (Morgana) an evil witch. To be fair, Morgan is no witch at all.
Her whole character is enveloped in mystery given that both she and us don’t know much about her past and background, given that she’s half fae. What does that mean? Apparently that she has white hair, that’s all we know in the beginning. But of course, with a kind and compassionate heart, combat skills and determination Morgan is meant for more. And we follow along in her journey of discovery to what exactly “more” means.
Now, I really liked the world building. It was not hard to follow, I loved the court politics, the whole world’s politics along with its tradition, religion and folklore. However, I feel like there were some things that could have been explained in more details. What I mean is that, since the story is from Morgan’s pov and she’s always lived in the palace, there are some things about her history and the mythology of her world when she does. In some scenes I honestly felt like as much as Morgan was the chosen one and the one with a mission, she didn’t care much to learn all the whys and hows. If she did, it would have been helpful for us to understand some key elements better. Or maybe it was done on purpose and we’re going to learn more in the following books. We’ll see.
In regards to the “romance” aspect of this romantasy, it’s a slow burn. So there’s not a lot of it, especially since they can’t stand each other. Are they enemies? Kind of. In this regard as well, I think the base for the slow burn romance could have been woven a little more intricately. Based on what I’ve read so far, the two are very far from forming any kind of relationship. There’s only animosity between them and a modicum of respect maybe. Was that enough to justify the final scene? In my opinion, no. It surprised me a little bit, to be honest.
I also felt like the final scenes were really confusing with the introduction of new characters and consequently more lore that gets only mentioned.
I have high hopes for the next book though. I’m curious to learn more about these characters and this world
bookworm_jem's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Magical, mysterious & adventurous...
Wow! If it wasn't for work & other
responsibilities I would have easily devoured this in a day - I LOVED it!
I really enjoyed Briar's style of writing and all of the characters & places that she has brought to life.
I adored the fact that there was a pronunciation guide!! Immediately bookmarked it to come back to, as it drives me mad when i don't know the correct way to pronounce a name or place!!
Camelot with a fae twist was just brilliant, along with discovering the lands beyond with their strange creatures & magic - I was hooked & intrigued from the very beginning.
Then there were plenty of unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout - I definitely was not expecting some of the events toward the end of the book, although I did guess some!
I really enjoyed this first installment, there is clearly much more to be uncovered & explored. I am so glad I have book two ready to dive into!!
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing access to this & the other books ahead of the newest release, in exchange for my review.
Wow! If it wasn't for work & other
responsibilities I would have easily devoured this in a day - I LOVED it!
I really enjoyed Briar's style of writing and all of the characters & places that she has brought to life.
I adored the fact that there was a pronunciation guide!! Immediately bookmarked it to come back to, as it drives me mad when i don't know the correct way to pronounce a name or place!!
Camelot with a fae twist was just brilliant, along with discovering the lands beyond with their strange creatures & magic - I was hooked & intrigued from the very beginning.
Then there were plenty of unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout - I definitely was not expecting some of the events toward the end of the book, although I did guess some!
I really enjoyed this first installment, there is clearly much more to be uncovered & explored. I am so glad I have book two ready to dive into!!
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing access to this & the other books ahead of the newest release, in exchange for my review.
xxflowerbabyreads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Trigger warnings: descriptions of violence, death, abuse, sexual content, Tropes: slow burn, enemies to lovers, one bed/tent, found family, forced proximity, princess and guard, who did this to you
Thank you Netgalley, Starwater press, and Briar Boelyn for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book so much, I personally feel like so many fantasy books start to get really predictable and just when i thought i had everything figured out, the cliffhanger hit and I was running to get book 2. And then, like the impatient person I am, I then got book 2 and devoured it before i remembered to type of this ARC review. I’ve read so many books that I can usually take a pretty good guess about what is going to happen, and not to brag but I’m often right. I was rarely right during this book and I really can’t say I’m upset about it. Throughout the book my heart hurt so much for Morgan, she had been through so much and still she never yielded. Highly recommend for all of my other Jennifer l armentrout, Sarah j maas readers out there who love badass FMCs!
fantastical_angel's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this book!
I enjoyed reading this! I got ACOTAR vibes from it, but a Historical Romantasy instead. First off, why do the characters' descriptions remind me of Julie Kagawas with Ash (Draven), Puck (Vesper), and Meghan (Megan) in some aspects?
I enjoyed reading this! I got ACOTAR vibes from it, but a Historical Romantasy instead. First off, why do the characters' descriptions remind me of Julie Kagawas with Ash (Draven), Puck (Vesper), and Meghan (Megan) in some aspects?
escapethroughabookali's review
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
Wow! So I went into this expecting a good book, but was blown away. If the rest of the series is like this, it will be moving into my top 10 favorite lists! So good!!
This amazing Fantasy Romance is Book 1 in the Blood Of A Fae series.
The romance in this book is more of a slow burn.
The spice is very mild. The book does have adult themes.
The book overall moves at a steady pace following the FMC as she is tasked with finding an impossible relic for her tyrant king, who is also her brother. Along her journey she has some serious self discovery moments. There is romance, action, mystery, and some shocking events.
The characters are written wonderfully. They have emotional depth, and strong personalities. Their banter really leaves you wanting more.
The world building is complex. Due to this the book does start out a little slower, as the author builds this intriguing world for her readers to slip into.
This amazing Fantasy Romance is Book 1 in the Blood Of A Fae series.
The romance in this book is more of a slow burn.
The spice is very mild. The book does have adult themes.
The book overall moves at a steady pace following the FMC as she is tasked with finding an impossible relic for her tyrant king, who is also her brother. Along her journey she has some serious self discovery moments. There is romance, action, mystery, and some shocking events.
The characters are written wonderfully. They have emotional depth, and strong personalities. Their banter really leaves you wanting more.
The world building is complex. Due to this the book does start out a little slower, as the author builds this intriguing world for her readers to slip into.