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A review by bibi_reads_writes
Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn
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.”