Genres: Dark Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, NA Fantasy | Release Date: 15 April 2023 | Series: Blood of a Fae | Series Book: #1 | Pages: 361 | Indie Author | Review
“Something lurks in this land.”
Briar Boleyn
Overview:
After sitting on my Kindle TBR for a year, I’m happy to say I *finally* dived into Queen of Roses by indie author Briar Boleyn! And let me tell you, this dark fantasy romance shouldn’t have been left to gather dust for so long. Because this Arthurian reimagining? Holy guacamole, glitterbugs… What a journey we’re taken on! But let’s give you an overview, shall we?
Morgan Pendragon has never been able to choose her own fate. Denied her birthright due to a rumour of fae blood being in her veins, Morgan has since been promised to become a servant of the goddesses. But when her brother (King Arthur) commands her to find him a legendary weapon, she realises this could be her only chance to defy her fate. As Morgan travels further into the wilderness, she becomes immersed in a world of outcasts and nightmares. Who can Morgan trust on her journey? Will she be able to find her freedom while she’s on such a perilous mission? And why is the rumoured ascent of a fae kingdom thought to be such a threat to everything she’s ever known?
Happiness Boost:
Although it doesn’t seem fair, most Arthurian tales tend to focus on King Arthur and his male companions, with very little space left for his sister, Morgan le Fay. But in Queen of Roses? This character gets her chance to truly shine as our focal point. Briar has wrapped us in a deep and dark magic in this fantasy romance, and Morgan is our unwitting maestro for this symphony. I adore Morgan’s rebellious streak, as well as her loyalty to her younger brother and found family. But most of all? This woman’s determination to forge her own way is extraordinary and inspiring.
Shall we talk about the banter and tumultuous magnetism between Morgan and Draven? Oh glitterbugs. There were times when I couldn’t hold back a laugh (startling my floofs no end), and other times when I wanted to put these two in a room and tell them they couldn’t come out until they fixed things. Briar has given us an incredibly moody warrior in Draven, and I love how this story takes on a whole new focus with him at Morgan’s side on this journey. We get danger, heightened emotions and a terrifying world of monsters which I know I for one would never dare to walk in. Of course that’s a happiness boost!
Within Queen of Roses, I highlighted more than 300 passages. And what does that tell you? That it was a crime to keep it on my Kindle’s TBR for so long, that’s what! This dark fantasy is saturated with magic, tension, heartache and great evil. If I wasn’t so concerned with avoiding spoilers, you best believe I’d tell you *everything*. But trust me, if you want to dive into this genre? Grab this series asap. I’m actually already halfway through book two (Court of Claws) because I couldn’t take a break! It’s *that* good.
Downside:
There’s no downside with this writing! Do I wish I could hurt certain evil characters? Absolutely. But that’s just a sign of Briar creating something magnificent!
Final Thoughts:
Queen of Roses by indie author Briar Boleyn is a dark fantasy romance full of magic, monsters and an epic clash of wills. I’m in love with this first instalment of the Blood of a Fae series, and have immediately marked this book to be one which needs to have a physical presence on my shelves! If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is! Like what you’ve heard from my review? Just click on the link below to order your copy! Happy reading, glitterbugs!
You can order Queen of Roses via this link: Amazon
