Court of Claws

Blood of a Fae #2

by Briar Boleyn, Zara Hampton-Brown (Narrator)

Bound to a man she hates more than she ever thought possible...

Everything Morgan Pendragon knows and loves is gone as she wakes in the dangerous court of the Siabra. The man she was falling in love with is dead, and in his place is a man she barely knows. Surrounded by liars and knives in the dark, all Morgan wants to do is run the other way but Kairos Draven is determined to keep her by his side.

As Morgan and Draven's lives become even more irrevocably entwined, little do they know the sins of the past are coming for them both…

For the Prince of Claws will drown kingdoms in blood for her sake.

Court of Claws is the second installment in an epic dark fantasy romance series that tells the true story of Morgan Le Fay, King Arthur's sister. This enemies-to-lovers series features unique magic systems, magical creatures, and witty banter and is sure to appeal to fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Raven Kennedy, Rebecca Yarros, Carissa Broadbent, and Sarah J. Maas. Intended for mature listeners.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fae, Enemies To Lovers, Magic, Fantasy Romance

16 pages, Audible Audio

First published June 30, 2023

About the author

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Briar Boleyn is the New York Times, Sunday Times, and USA Today bestselling fantasy romance author of the Bloodwing Academy and the Blood of a Fae series. Briar once wrote scholarly papers on Dumbledore, Dragon Age, and King Arthur before finally realizing she could create her own worlds where all three might coexist–with significantly more kissing. After wandering through English literature departments at four universities across Canada, she took a detour to teach in the Arctic, where her students would sometimes run out of class to chase polar bears. When not raising fictional dragons from the dead, Briar enjoys reading all types of sci-fi and fantasy, cultivating an unhealthy Disney World obsession, and playing RPG video games. She has written fourteen historical romance novels as Fenna Edgewood.

Reviews

[Jill DePriest · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so over the defiant heroine that is just weirdly immature

Really a 2.5 stars but I will round up for all the little things I found creative in the world building.

I will start positive; I like the story. I like the concept of a retelling of Camelot with a twist and the new setting for the fae. I like all of the characters and even though the romance was slow it takes off in this book. The world building is new and different and given fantasy romance has been my most recent bender rhe worlds all start to blend together, but this series has something different and I appreciate that.

I do not mind a FMC starting out immature. That’s the whole point right is the hero’s journey. Morgan just….doesn’t. She utterly stalls out. One, I cannot stand the miscommunication trope and I hate it more the older I get. When the miscommunication is being explained and literally ALL EVIDENCE SUPPORTS IT, sitting there screaming you hate the person and never speak to you again is literally reminiscent of a toddler throwing a temper tantrum and that’s all I feel like Morgan does. The MMC is offering her everything she would need to save her people and she just fights him every step of the way even when it stops making sense. Calling him a liar at the beginning? Sure they were thrown into a situation that he was trying to manage. Calling him a liar at the end after he had spent the entire book NEVER letting her down? Like…come on girlfriend. Morgan would be the friend that I would just have to go the fuck off on for acting like a middle schooler and maybe use some deductive skills here, Princess.

And the ending of this book does fuel the plot (which when it doesn’t just sends me into a rage read) but honestly there was a much better way to do it other than “I hate you” for the 10000000th time when the man has don’t nothing but try to help you. Even WITH the miscommunication shit she still doesn’t make sense with it.

It drove me crazy enough that I don’t know if I will read the third book. I REALLY want to know how the big battles end but I just don’t know if I can read another book of her choosing to believe literally anything except what is demonstrated to her. It drove me that crazy.

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gosh these characters pissed me off, where to even start?

Morgan is so hot and cold in this book that it gave me whiplash. She goes from I never want to talk to you again to I want to jump your bones and back at the speed of light. She is so immature and would so clearly NOT be a badass so it is eyerollingly ridiculous when the author tries to paint her as one. She claims to want answers, but every time she has an opportunity to get them, she throws a tantrum and takes off. If she is the savior of this story, they are all doomed.

Draven lied and manipulated his way through this entire book. He omitted every pertinent detail and took away her freedom of choice at every turn. He took her to another continent against her will and then boxed her into a role and a future that she did not consent to in more ways than one. He had some valid reasons for a lot of his actions and I believe he truly cares for her, but he should have been honest with her and treated her like a true partner. They are clearly endgame so I know I’ll have to leap over all of these red flags to get to the end of this series and it makes me kind of angry that the author set everything up this way.

All the details of this story were both too far fetched and too convenient. Of course they each get an exmoor 🙄, of course they develop new magical powers at exactly the moments they need them 🙄, of course there just happens to be an arch at all the exact locations they want them even though they claim they’re rare 🙄. Give me a break. Not only that, but so much of this plot felt like an ACOTAR rip off and just a knock off in general of so many other books. This is a message to ALL authors, STOP WRITING BOOKS ABOUT FIGHT TO THE DEATH CHALLENGES. It’s been done and we are tired of it.

I have never liked that this is a Camelot retelling, so I was happy to move away from those parts of the plot in this book for the most part. The ending brought back some of those aspects and I was reminded again of how distracting I find them. Even with all of the things that annoyed me about this book, the overall world building was well done and it was fun to see a new part of it. This author does a good job of describing their surroundings without being overly wordy. This was a very entertaining read from start to finish. It was mainly the last 20% where the author started pulling revelation after revelation out of thin air that I really started to get frustrated. It almost felt like the author felt pressured to end on some jaw dropping cliffhanger and made up a bunch of ridiculous stuff to suit that purpose.

Morgan’s choice at the very end really boiled my blood. It was not the act of a ruler or of someone who truly has her kingdom or her loved one’s best interest at heart. Does she truly think she can do it all on her own? I am more apt to think that she will need every bit of aid she can scrounge up. More likely she was just not thinking at all. 😒

Again, this was an entertaining read. I loved book one and am mainly this worked up because I am invested and wanted to love book two just as much. I will still stick it out and hope for the best for the rest of the series. I think I am mainly just so tired of “miscommunication”being used so prevalently by romance authors. If she wants me to believe these people are meant for each other, I’m gonna need to see some serious character and relationship growth.

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: I loved book one and have been excited to dive into this. I really hope it delivers! 🤞🏻

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

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[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book managed to blow its predecessor out of the water I devoured this in one day unable to put it down until I reached the conclusion I was that invested in the outcome here. So after the reveals of book one Morgan now awakens in the court of Umbral Flames and Draven whom she had been gradually learning to trust proves himself much more than she could ever have imagined setting things back between them by a mile, discovering he’s a prince, Fae royalty and also in line to the throne is the least of it he also has claws and horns the surprises just keep on rolling. To protect Morgan from the intrigues of the court and his many enemies he has also named her paramour his consort a pretence she will now need to keep up if she wants to stay safe.

This was fast-paced, bloody and action-packed throughout, we definitely get the romance here that was missing from book one and I absolutely adored Draven he really did come into his own, His steadfastness and endless patience when dealing with Morgan was legendary and he definitely gave off touch her and die vibes. His obvious care for Morgan was apparent in his every move.

Morgan well we get to see more of her origins and though I do like her and she’s definitely an intriguing mix of strengths and flaws I also was frustrated with her many trust issues and sky-high walls. I just didn’t think her attitude at times towards Draven was warranted or even fair she seemed to have such high standards and if you cross her lines she cuts you dead. Her black-and-white approach at times just seemed naive and a tad immature. I recognise that Draven was keeping secrets but were they really that severe or that unforgivable especially for the reasons given, I think not.

With that explosive finish, I’m now eagerly anticipating the final book in this series I’m also hoping that Morgan can behave with some steadfastness and realise that life is shades of grey and sometimes the end justifies the means. I’m anticipating great things to come and also hoping the finale carries the momentum all the way to the finish line. I definitely recommend this series it’s well-written, imaginative and with some fabulous immersive world-building and it’s easily managed to keep my attention throughout. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Court Of Claws. (Blood Of A Fae #2).



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ What the hell was that?

Omg, I'm so proud of myself. I can't believe I didn't DNF this. The book was bad, like really bad. I know dark romances aren't my thing, but seriously, what was this? Queen of Roses wasn't dark, and the realisation that this second instalment was... well, it was unpleasant. This wasn't a dark fantasy romance, it was just dark fantasy with toxic af characters. Both MCs suck. She's a doormat and he's unhinged, trying to convince her that he's the one for her, but also not(?). It was as confusing and frustrating as it sounds.

Things I enjoyed in this book include:

- The fact that I was absolutely right and this is absolutely inspired by ACOTAR with the three trials/ games and the fact that the romantic lead from book 1 is now dead and gone, and the MMC is Draven, not Vesper.
- The exmoors, duh.
- Beks and Hawl.
- I appreciated that the list of triggers is available at the end of the book.

Things I didn't enjoy:

The list of TW to take into account for this book is literally longer than this review. I'm going to leave here the list, and I will add new ones since I think there are some missing ones. Triggers include: abduction, abuse, alcohol consumption, amputation, animal abuse, animal death, cannibalism, child abuse, child death, decapitation, deceased family member, domestic violence, drug use, homophobia, infant loss/death, infertility, murder, physical abuse, poisoning, slut shaming, violence/gore. Also, child abandonment, amnesia/memory loss, fire/burning of people, forced marriage/mating, lies/deception by SO, imprisonment, forced paralysis on someone fully aware, parental alienation... Is the fact that the fmc's f*cking stupid a trigger? Because I think it should be. This woman is the least believable character I've read in a while. And it's not because she's supposed to be half-fae trapped in a magical far away land. No. I mean she's the whiniest, most insufferable person ever that, when given the choice to get the situation that she hates and is constantly complaining about reversed, she says no! She says no and decides to just go with the flow and keep taking it. Seriously, wtf?

I could keep complaining about this book for hours. The MMC is horrid. He's supposed to be the hero, but all he does is lie, hide vital information from her, force her to do things against her will, he DEFENDS CHILD ABUSE (that part is ingrained in my memory), and is constantly, overall, unbearable and an absolute fraud.

I might've been able to defend two/three characters within the hundred, give or take, that are in this book (including side characters AND animals)... but I'm not going to. Read this at your own discretion, but I would not recommend this book. You might enjoy it if you like dark high fantasy books with extreme violence/toxicity with a hint of romance.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the eARC!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
The ending wrecked me

[Katie (spellboundbooks_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ 2🌶️

Big thanks to Starwater Press, Briar Boleyn and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

Okay so after that slight cliffhanger of an ending on the first book… we are thrust back into this fantasy world of a Arthurian legend retelling. The first book did a great job of introducing us to the world-building of the tale, the MCs and gave us some action throughout. It did promise dark romance themes which didn’t seem to have happened in the first so I figured there would be more in this one… more on that later.

Well all that world building we got for Camelot? (I think that’s the name of the land where Morgan was from? Honestly I forget) - but all of that… right out the window. New world (continent? land?? I need a map here!) , and ALLL new characters besides Morgan and Draven. So whatever you retained from the first book is irrelevant to this new city. But honestly new city has some wild stuff going on so it’s fine.

What I didn’t expect was for Morgan to be so stupid for the first half. She was was all “You kidnapped me. I hate you.” When this man literally SAVED HER LIFE. Like I get you’re upset but get over it you are alive and can use MAGIC. There’s a whole ACOTAR like trial going on for the title of Emperor of this kingdom and there’s a lot of new characters.

The first half of this book dragged a little but then at the 60% mark it starts heating up and by that time I was HOOKED. There’s romance, a little spice (nothing I would consider crazy or really even that smutty - it’s giving The Love Hypothesis amount of spice), and a whole lot of action. There were parts that had my jaw dropping with things I didn’t expect. So here again I am left with so much information and CRAZY THINGS happening and now I’m ready for the third book!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 since I was almost over it in the beginning but then it managed to reel me back in. I do wish Morgan wasn’t so stupid at times and there was more of that dark romance vibe that I was promised. But the plot twists that had me gasping more than made up for it.

[veronica ♌︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75⭐️ lovedddddd this book sm more than the first! rtc!

ೃ⁀➷pre-read! hope this book is good cuz it’ll make or break the rest of this arc series for me (draven & morgan admit your damn feelings)🤭

[Kaylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"But I see you, Morgan Pendragon. I see you truly for everything you are and everything you will be and I claim you as mine.”

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice 🌶️🌶️.5/5

What to expect
🌹 Slow-burn romance
🌹 Enemies to lovers (to enemies again?)
🌹 Morally gray MMC
🌹 World Building
🌹 One bed and Forced Proximity
🌹 Deadly Trials & Court Politics
🌹 Touch her and ☠️
🌹 First person POV

My ThoughtsI will make this as spoiler free as possible
This is the second book in Briar Boleyn's Blood of Fae series. While I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, I felt more disappointed in the second. For starters, the FMC was incredibly insufferable for almost the entire book. Anytime I reached a point of dialogue and she spoke, I wanted to throw my Kindle (dramatic? perhaps but she seems to have the maturity level of a toddler sometimes). When I reached the book's second half, I had hoped (for a brief moment) that she would get better and finally have the character arc I thought started at the end of the first book... but that lasted for about 8 pages. I am more confused about Morgan's relationship with Draven than ever before.

As for the plot; I found the story interesting but there were parts that seemed lackluster or rushed. The book picks up where Queen of Roses ends, which I did enjoy but the story felt like it could have been a novella (think Six Scorched Roses in the Crowns of Nyaxia series). I say that only because the book is more about Draven and his world rather than adding to the overall story of Morgan/Arthur/Camelot. Now, don't get me wrong, I did enjoy reading this book and learning the backstory of Draven but it felt more like a side quest (if you will) than a major plot point for the overall premise of the series. By the end of the book, I was left feeling aggravated with Morgan; I honestly had no idea a character, A MAIN CHARACTER, could be so irritating. Morgan's character reads like an insufferable brat who will throw a tantrum anything they do not get their way.

Now for Draven, I will keep this short and to the point (mostly so I do not spoil anything and also because he does not make me feel like Morgan does). If you want a dark, twisted, possessive MMC with "I would burn the world for you", "Good girl", "Touch her and die" vibes, Draven is IT. He is morally grey but a gentle soul wrapped up with a pretty little bow.

And again, I felt like the world-building in this book was just as beautiful and well done as in the first. Overall, I thought the plot was decent and added substance to Draven's character. This book follows Draven's journey as he competes in the Blood Rise in an effort to regain control of his kingdom. It also ends on a cliffhanger.

** I want to thank the author for allowing me to receive an ARC copy of the book for an honest review **

[Tracy Myburgh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthurian retelling with a fae twist
Romance
Trials to death
Found Family
Book 2 in series

Morgan Pendragon finds herself in a foreign room in a foreign court surrounded by a very angry Fae and her sidekick. Draven has brought Morgan to the safety of his court under the illusion that she is his paramour, consort, lover to protect her from the rest of his dangerous court.

Morgan is livid because that is the complete opposite of what they are to each other and secondly because he has magically locked her in his rooms for her own protection.

Thanks to Becks, a lively twelve year old human boy with magic, she escapes from the room for a few hours at a time to explore the court’s secret tunnels and spy on Draven as he trains for the upcoming trials. The winner of the trials is crowned emperor of the Umbra Court.

This is a journey of self-discovery for Morgan and I just love how everything is coming together in the story.
This was a fantastic sequel to the first book. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, this one I found a lot more entertaining. I flew through the book and I am extremely excited to begin the next book.
This felt a lot like the characters from The Elfhame series mixed with the ACOTAR series. This is the type of series I would read over and over.

This series is a must read for any fantasy and romance reader.
This book does have trigger warnings so please take note of that.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this e-copy in exchange for this honest review.

[Ta || bookishbluehead · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you need an example for the miscommunication trope, take this book. There is so much of it in these pages. And I hate it, it’s one of my least favorite tropes.

After the ending of the last book, Morgan is now discovering a whole new world and at least that was something I really enjoyed. I liked to learn a little more about the different kinds of Fae. Some major aspects of the first book seemed to be mostly forgotten in this book, which kind of irritated me, but I guess we’ll see where this story will lead us in the future.

My main complaint with this book has to be about Morgan herself. I was so annoyed with her for most of the book. At some point I was convinced that she intentionally misunderstood everything just so she could be more annoying.

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m addicted to this series!! I couldn’t put this down. There’s so much world building in this book since it takes place on a different continent with a totally different culture and set of characters. I loved learning about the Siabra Court and all of its politics. We also got deadly trials which I LOVE
We finally got some romance between Morgan and Draven!! There was a fake dating situation and I was eating it up. I loved getting to know a different side of Draven in this.
The only reason I didn’t rate this 5 stars is that Morgan was infuriating me for a good portion of the book. She was very hot and cold with Draven, and I wanted to yell at her through my kindle
The plot twists were twisting and had me on the edge of my seat. Immediately starting book 3

[Sonja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest here. I almost quit this book so many times. The first half was so tedious and Morgan was such an annoying character. She was almost intolerable with the way she acted and everything she said. I absolutely hated her and never wanted to pick the book back up. I knew I was getting an ARC from a different author on a specific date so I figured I'd read this one until then and if I wasn't finished I didn't care. Fortunately, things did get better. This was broken up into two parts, pretty much 50/50, and the second was so much better because Morgan wasn't such an arrogant, petulant, child. Plus, things finally started happening.

I also want to point out three things specifically. First. This author over uses the word(s) "fuck(ing)" and it is hardly ever used when it even makes sense. Now, I swear a lot. But here it was always thrown into a sentence and I had no idea why most of the time. It didn't enhance anything and in fact, made things more jarring. It was absolutely unnecessary in this book. Second. For the love of my time and sanity, please stop describing every single place, person, and piece of clothing in such detail. I get that you need a certain amount to build the environment and paint a picture of the character. But oh my gawd is this overkill. I just did not care about every single little thing. Third. The author's pandering in this book was way worse than the first one. I don't care if you have gay couples in your book, but almost every single couple aside from our main one here is gay. If that's your thing, more power to you, but it's not mine. Then there's the constant almost preaching about this bearkin in the castle and how he/she/they/it should be accepted by all no matter what. I read books to be entertained. Not to be preached to and have all this PC crap being shoved down my throat.

I went into this relatively excited after how the last one ended. And that was a mistake. From the moment Morgan wakes up she acted like a spoiled brat and deliberately went against what Kairos asked of her when she didn't get her way. To be fair, Kairos really did a bad job of explaining anything to her, but she really could have been way more mature about things. Basically, Kairos has brought her back to his fae kingdom, where he's a prince no less, because he couldn't think of anywhere else to take her to help her heal. Plus, you know, he bound them together at the end of the last book. In order to protect her, Kairos claims her as his paramour. Which is akin to a concubine I guess? It's the only way he knew to keep her safe, but of course she just absolutely freaks out about it and for this whole half of the book she hates him and fights him at every turn. And she also never listens, always jumping to conclusions, which just made me constantly want to smack her in her stupid face.

Like I already mentioned, things do get much better the second half. Apparently sex with Kairos has managed to change how Morgan feels about many things. She finds herself falling for him again and easily playing the part of paramour. She has finally decided to learn how to control her fae power because now she's terrified of hurting someone with it on accident. And she is determined to see Kairos succeed at his goal of winning the crown of his people despite the whole thing being rigged. For Kairos to become king he must compete in three trials and win. But he's not the only one competing. And each trial gets harder and harder. And more brutal. Kairos is willing to suffer thru it all though because he wants to change things. We learn quite a bit about his past and what he too has suffered thru. He wants to put an end to his father's horrible legacy and make his kingdom better.

Really, the last half of the book was pretty great. And then we got the end. Goddamn Morgan jumping to conclusions again and refusing to listen to anything Kairos says. And then literally jumping thru a portal with absolutely no idea what she's doing or having any sort of plan. That ending really ticked me off. Especially considering how well things were going by that point. I'm on the fence about reading the next book. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see these two get back together. But Morgan's stupidity is just so incredibly annoying.

[dani ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

”if only it didn’t have to be this way. you’re all i think about. you’re all i see. i’m so tied to you i barely know who i am anymore.”

thank you to netgalley for the arc!! <3

court of claws is book two in the blood of a fae series! this book begins shortly after book one ends. except, morgan pendragon wakes up and finds herself in a whole new place.

this place, the court of umbral flames, is the home of the siabra people. better know as, draven’s home court. morgan awakens alone in a room, and finds herself lost as to her current situation. she learns that draven is the prince of claws, and is holding her captive in his suite for the moment while attempting to build an image that the two are romantically involved with one another.

along the way, morgan meets a few side characters, one of them being a young boy named beks… who helps her to escape captivity for a moment and explore within the palace’s hidden tunnels!

the main focus of this story is the three trials for the throne. currently, the throne is unoccupied due to some issues within draven’s past with his family. so, volunteers must attempt to ascend to power by winning these challenges. only one can become the emperor/empress though!

along the way, morgan and draven face many challenges within the court and not only that, but also with one another and trying to accept their fates.

this book was AMAZING! the beginning is a little slow i’ll admit, and draven was feeling kind of tamlin-esque at the start but then realizing what was really happening made the whole situation make so much more sense. i really loved seeing more draven and his history, since book one didn’t allow us much insight into his character.

i did get really frustrated with morgan most of the time, from her continuing nativity to being downright nasty towards draven. like i understand her, i do, but i also believe she overreacts most of the time. i’m excited to see where her character goes in book three, as she’s becoming a stronger person and more independent than ever before!

there were twists and turns that i never would have expected, and these characters really have a special place with me. draven and morgan together has to be my favorite part of this though, they’re simply too cute and i hope for them to continue their journey together in book three.

so excited to read book three and get answers after how this book ends. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. literally need to know what happens next.

**major spoilers**

i am SO ANGRY at how morgan let draven go despite everything. i understand her anger like i said above, but they’re literally meant for one another and are married and ugh. i wish draven told her about the marriage so maybe she wouldn’t be as mad?? idk. and BEKS?? sobbing. deserved better.

“believe me, she’s done worse. but she knows if she dares to lay a hand on my wife, it will spell her immediate end.”

i absolutely adore draven every time he referred to morgan as his wife. like THATS MY MAN !?! morgan if you don’t want him, i’ll take him fr. them being bonded is everything to me.

speaking of bonds, nightclaw being able to talk to morgan through her mind?? LOVE. and the fact he’s a cat and got saved?? love even more. best supporting character!!

quotes i love:

“you’re a force of destiny morgan pendragon. or should i call you morgan venator?” real! kairos draven venator 🤭

“morgan pendragon is not merely my paramour as i have led you all to believe.” his eyes rested on me. “she is also my wife.” PEOPLE (i) DIED?!??! 😩🥰

“do you know how hard i’ve tried to stay away from you?” he whispered. “do you know how long i’ve waited? and in the span of a few nights, all of it has been undone. i can't keep away. i know i don't deserve you. you’ve forgiven too much already. but i’m not strong enough to resist. you’re my every weakness, my every temptation.” i died pt. 2 !!

so yeah, i am so gonna be living for their banter being married when they finally make up and live happily ever after <3

[Kaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever disliked an FMC as much as I do Morgan. She’s got to be the dumbest character I’ve ever encountered. Asks all the wrong questions, makes every single wrong assumption. She’s not even believably ignorant. She grew up with a literal monster of a brother who turns out to be the worst person imaginable and she never says A SINGLE THING AGAINST HIM. Then Draven comes into her life, doing literally everything in his power to save and help this girl and she essentially spits in his face like a petulant child. She fights him every step of the way, for what? Pride? Where the fuck did all the pride come from? It clashes so hard. “I can’t give into him because it can’t end well” “I can’t tell him how I feel because it’ll hurt” he tells her how he feels but ooop he must be lying because she’s so god damn insecure. I cannot stand her. The ending of this was so unsatisfying. All the decisions she makes seem to be solely to make things difficult in the book. They make no sense.

All that said, I do like the story, I really do. I love a good retelling, and the world is great. But god, I can’t stand Morgan. I don’t even want her to win at this point. She can kill someone no problem with a weapon, lovesssss fighting, but killing someone with her magic?? How dare she. What utter nonsense. The bleeding heart, the “I want to save everyone but myself” trope falls so flat when she’s so completely ignores the one person who’s been trying to help her the whole time. So he left some shit out, SHE LEAVES EVERYTHING OUT. She’s pretty much leaves out the truth just as much as Draven, but god forbid she be accountable for it unless she’s needlessly taking the blame for every little thing because she’s a martyr.

I hate myself for wanting the next book simply because I want to know how it ends, I know I’ll hate her just as much. If Draven had a POV in this it would be 1000x better.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75⭐️ a lot less intriguing than the 1st book. Don’t think I’ll read the third..

[CatsBnB · Rating 5 out of 5]

GOODNESS GRACIOUS!! First off, thank you NetGalley and Starwater Press for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

GAHHH!!!! FABULOUS! INCREDIBLE! OBSESSED! ADDICTED!MASTERPIECE! PERFECTION! I AM STRUGGLING TO FIND ENOUGH WORDS TO ADEQUATELY DESCRIBE THIS PHENOMENAL BOOK!!! BRIAR BOLEYN HAS DONE IT AGAIN!! THIS SERIES JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER!! HANDS DOWN MY FAVORITE FANTASY ROMANCE READ SO FAR FOR 2023!!🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

The story has your enemies to lovers trope and is filled with magic, mythical creatures, romance, sexual tension, witty banter, forced proximity, sizzling chemistry/spice, bonded mates, love, found family, friendships, betrayal, secrets, heartbreak, adventure, action, unexpected twists and turns and a blood right trial! I absolutely loved Draven with his touch her and you die vibes! Seriously, the world building, plot and character development is top notch!!

Court of Claws is a dark fantasy romance with a loosely inspired King Arthur retelling with a Fae twist! It picks right up from the cliffhanger in Queen of Roses with Morgan awakening in a bed that's not hers in an unfamiliar court as Draven's paramour. Umm, she definitely did not sign up for all of this but she quickly realizes that she must go along with the games in order to return home to help save Camelot from her treacherous brother, King Arthur.

ALRIGHT, ANOTHER HUGE CLIFFHANGER!! When I finished the epilogue I kept trying to flip for more pages because I just knew there had to be more!! Consider yourself warned! Now I have to wait for book three of the trilogy😩

Overall, I was completely captivated from start to finish! If you love ACOTAR and Hunger Games then this is the book for you! I highly recommend this series and it deserves a gazillion stars!!💫💫💫💫💫

[Yves V.H. [Slow reading] · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

This was much better than the first book; even the dialogues and style has improved although it still needs more editing.

In this book, Draven's world is explored more which I liked since I get to understand his fierce demeanor and why he seems to hold many secrets (because he does) and how he truly feels about Morgan is expressed here.

Morgan, on the first few chapters, somewhat annoyed me because I don't understand how she's all mad with Draven when he'd all nice to her. She's very stubborn. Other than that, she is not naive which is one of the things I like her for. She also discovered more of herself, including her past and how it affected her present.

The plot itself is okay. What got me was that ending because that character was my favorite and I am just glad that the character was mentioned again. It is a cliffhanger so I am definitely heading to read the 3rd book of the series.

🌸 Thank you Netgalley and Briar Boleyn for the copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own

[kitkat (semi-hiatus ♡︎) · Rating 5 out of 5]

full 5 stars!

i don’t normally give books a full 5 stars, but this. book. omg. it was just so easy to get lost in their world, and yes, i did finish it in 1 day 💀💀

now playing - white horse - taylor swift
“im not your princess / this ain’t a fairytale”
———————-

i can’t wait to start this one after how book 1 ended 😈😈

[Ouafa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, the world-building in this book is exceptional.
We're immersed in the discovery of a new kingdom, complete with its unique culture, traditions, and beliefs. One aspect I found particularly intriguing is how a myriad of popular beliefs diverge from one realm to another, each steeped in its own history and experiences.

The plot is plotting, keeping me thoroughly engaged as I eagerly followed along. I found myself captivated by the unfolding revelations, each peeling back layers of mystery. Naturally, the book had to conclude with an unexpected cliffhanger, leaving no option but to eagerly go pick up the next book.

As for what didn't quite resonate with me, I felt the story took a bit of time to gain momentum. However, once it did, the pace became relentless, propelling me forward. At times, the heroine's reactions annoyed me, veering toward the immature and extreme. It's not that she lacked justification for her emotions, but they occasionally tested my patience.

Thanks NetGalley, Starwater Press, and Briar Boleyn for graciously providing an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Marta Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four and a half
In this book we catch up with Morgan as she finds herself apparently the paramour of Draven in his home court. No she definitely didn't sign up for this but if she wants to return to help save Camelot then it looks like she has to play along as wicked games are afoot !
Ok hands down this is even more exciting than the first book Queen Of Roses and yes that promise of romance is realised . However believe me Morgan has Serious ( yes it deserves a capital S) trust issues which admittedly made me want to shake her more than once. You will Oo and Aa for Draven though as he's almost a perfect hero. The situations the couple face are truly vile and the Fae can be as heinous as you imagine. They do terrible things and yet Draven thinks with Morgan he can change things and I seriously have doubts. What is interesting though is that we get more about Morgan's antecedents and history, well technically just snippets. Plus the supporting characters added greatly to the proceedings and as a lover of He Man I adored the nod to Battlecat ! That epilogue though is everything I wanted, whoop whoop so roll on book three.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

[Jordan Miner · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ I was sucked in the whole time. the direction the story went in this book compared to Queen of roses was very different but I loved it. briar really knows how to make you want to love and hate these characters at the same time. she also knows how to write horrible villains to the point where I’m screaming at my kindle and need a break bc I’m so emotional.

this was a five star until the end with morgan’s dumb decision, like girl chill you’re fine. but I still really enjoyed this and draven is perfect! I love him so much more than blake in on wings of blood.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is absolutely incredible! The romance, the fantasy, the action, the characters, the plot twists, the details. I am seriously obsessed and it is one of my favorite series, I cannot wait for the next one to come out! If you are an ACOTAR fan, this is a MUST read! So freaking good!

[☾`ACourtOfKindles~☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Court Of Claws

"Your hair is like liquid moonlight, a crown fit for a goddess."

Holy hell I loved this sequel. Now lets get into it..

Rating: 5 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Romance: 4 out of 5 (We could have had a bit more of showing how Draven was falling for her but it still was so perfect)♥️♥️♥️♥️
Spice:4 out of 5, those spicy scenes were just *chefs kiss*🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Emotional Damage: YES A MILLION TIMES YES! ALL THE BOMBS. This was better than book one for me though both were amazing reads. We get a ton of questions answered here but are still in suspense for book 3. The plot is just so insanely good.

"So you've saved me by bringing me somewhere everyone wants to kill me? Wonderful plan."

This story so far is what I would call enemies to reluctant allies with attraction to somewhat friends to enemies to fake relationship with benefits to lovers back to maybe enemies? Idk what magic is in this but I am obsesssseed. This is like the ultimate trope. I do feel like our male lead fell a little too quickly but its written so well that I don't even care. Meanwhile homegirl over here is fighting their attraction every step of the way and I love the angst. Now don't get me started on the muthaflipping dialogue. Every word out of their mouths were gold. This was so well written and oh soso satisfying.

"Don't make me fucking pull those horns off."

I love Morgan. She shows a ton of growth between this book and the last. She stands up for herself so much more and I am so proud of her. Her constant love hate relationship with Draven was so good. I never knew what to expect from her sometimes and I was always so invested into when she would finally cave. I can't wait to learn more about her past and how she's not who she thought she was. The suspense of her seeing her family, and both sides has me dying for more.

"I see you, Morgan Pendragon. I see you truly for everything you are and everything you will be and I claim you as mine."

Draven? I am a simp. Boleyn really threw horns on this man and I was just like cool that's hot. His back story broke my heart. We knew he was going to have reasons for why he's done what he's done but I did not see any of it coming. He deserves the world and then some. Morgan needs to go ahead and be it for him because the constant hot and cold she's giving him makes me want to hop into this book and smack her around. Now the ending bombs he dropped? I wouldn't even be mad bestie. *spoiler* This contributes to my new favorite trope now, 'secret wife', 'unknown wife' like idk what to call it but when the mans like oh don't touch my wife and me and the main character are both collectively like wtf did this man just say right now??? Then I am leaping for joy and the Morgan is just like "gotta rip this man's horns off again". I was so dead, but I need more of this trope lol *end spoiler*

I loved every single new character that was introduced in this book, except Avriel, he was absolutely disgusting and up there with Arthur for me. The amount of shit he got away with was so frustrating but definitely kept me hooked and ready for his downfall.

Again another work of art by Briar Boleyn. Time for me to speed off to book 3 as I am no-lifing this series rn. Ta-Ta

Thank you NetGalley for an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A second book that has surpassed my expectations!! This has truly surprised me, in the best of ways.
In this we follow Morgan as she enters a new kingdom, Sorega, and especially its city, Noctasia.
She finds herself among Kairos Draven’s people, the siabra. There, she makes new friends and alliances, even the most unlikely of them and learn more about herself and her powers.
The trials for the throne of the siabra empire takes place and there are many secrets Morgan has to uncover…

I loved seeing Morgan finally grow some backbone. She is clearly different from the last book and is not afraid to affirm herself -even if it’s against her own safety - in order to be able to make her own choices. Even sometimes throwing a fit or two…
I loved Lyrastra too. She’s such a complex and nuanced character! She can be mean and petty to some and fierce and loyal to those she cares about.
And Draven? He was so protective and caring of Morgan and so different from the ruthless monster he was believed to be! A swoon worthy book boyfriend!
But my personal favorite thing from this book was Nightclaw and the exmoors in general. They are dangerous, lethal battle beasts but such loyal creatures!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Starwater Press for this!!!

[Cherie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ I am realizing that there are not many authors who can make you get so emotionally invested in a character such as Briar does. Even if sometimes I’m frustrated with their choices, I do understand them. My one complaint is that the jump between who Morgan is at the start of book one feels VASTLY different from who she is now. Has she been through a lot, YEAH. But it still felt a little abrupt.

The story and the plot though are absolutely amazing. The depth of the world this book adds is so fun. The pacing was fast and action packed. The grand scheme in the end I really didn’t see coming. And you guys…THE BOND. I will literally eat that up every. damn. time.

Our MMC is truly just a walking green flag. 😩 I am obsessed with him and and I’m so glad we got to learn so much more about him. This series has truly been addicting so far!

💭 But I see you, Morgan Pendragon. I see you truly for everything you are and everything you will be and I claim you as mine.”

💭 He kissed me the same way he did everything. The way that was his nature. With a ferocity that stunned me, with a forcefulness I couldn't deny.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book picked up right where Queen of Roses left off, and let me tell you - I could NOT put it down!

While book one focused on world building, character development, and an introduction to the story, book two propelled us full blast into the action. This entire book is packed with high stakes, twists, turns, and surprises. It’s also an exploration of a new world and a journey of self discovery for Morgan. She learns more about her lineage, she develops new relationships, and the spice starts to get spicing 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Throw in mythical creatures, hidden agendas, a death match, elemental magic, and secret marriages and it makes for an incredibly shocking cliffhanger! I started book three immediately because my heart couldn’t handle it. If you haven’t read this series yet, I highly recommend it! ❤️‍🔥

Thank you so much to the author, Starwater Press, and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review ♥️

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Fantasy / Romance
*Rating* 3.5-4

*Thoughts*

Court of Claws, by Briar Boleyn, is the second installment in the authors Blood of a Fae series. Morgan Pendragon wakes up to find that she is half way around the world from Camelot in a place called The Court of Umbral Flames, bound to a man, Draven Kairos, who has returned home after a 20 year banishment for taking revenge on the man who killed his loved ones. One that is ruled by a people known as Siabra and a Queen Regent who loathes the very fiber of Morgan because she is Valtan Fae.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Court of Claws- 3.5⭐️ 3🌶️

Betrayal
Fake relationship
Morally grey MMC
He Falls First
One bed
Surprise twist
Kingdom politics
Found family
Trials
War
Animal familiars
Miscommunication
🏳️‍🌈 Side Character Rep

This story begins right where the first left off. I really like how this reimagined Camelot is pulling more and more from the original. Links are being revealed and coming together. All of the little pieces of the original story finding their way into this one, just with a spin. It’s refreshing and highlights taking a misogynistic tale and restructuring it to not be so archaic.

The writing is a little stilted, it felt like the word “F*ck” was added in excessively (mostly by one character) to make things edgier… sometimes it was in juxtaposition to the story creating a jarring harshness of language in situations where you would expect more finesse. And I’m not talking about the bedroom scenes… those were good!

Anyway, it wasn’t off putting enough that I didn’t enjoy the book. Far more than the first, mainly because of the non-stop action and fast pace plot.

Morgan is an infuriating character. It’s almost like she is completely ignorant of court politics or intrigue. (Reminder, she was raised as a princess!) She only sees things in black and white. She is full of flaws; immature, annoyingly defiant for terrible reasons, stubborn, wishy-washy as hell, and seemingly purposefully and idiotically obtuse. Her character arc isn’t evident yet… hopefully she will grow in the next book… and says “f*ck” in more appropriate instances, instead of throwing it around because her character needs to be more daring and grown up… She just sounds like a middle schooler on a playground trying to show how badass she is by saying the worst curse word she can think of.

Draven seems to be an enigma with his loyalty and willingness to do what has to be done. Talk about the definition of “Morally Grey”. A softie with a hard exterior. Exactly what a morally grey man should be. He has killed, been exiled, caught for Morgan and himself, sacrificed himself and his kingdom. I think he is well written… as well written as any other fantasy romance MMC. They all have flaws.

The exmoors are so cool! I’m a sucker for animal familiars. If something happens to them I’ll riot.

The side characters are endearing. I’m undecided if I can get past Morgan’s poor character arc enough to read on… if I do, it’s only for Draven and the exmoors.

Thank you NetGalley and Starwater Press for the advanced reader copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebekah McCallie Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4-4.5 stars

So thankful to Briar Boleyn for an eARC of Court of Claws in exchange for an honest review. This is the second book in the Blood of a Fae series, and it did not disappoint. Our story picks up in a new realm, right after Morgan almost lost her life thanks to the treachery of her now burnt to ash ex-boyfriend. Draven, now out as a Sibra Prince (we love a man with horns, right?), whisked Morgan away to his kingdom to save her life. Showing up in his kingdom presents a bit of a challenge for Draven and Morgan, as he had been banished from court after killing his brother, the future Emperor. Our two main characters must learn to trust each other and work together to outsmart this duplicitous court. And trust is a bit difficult when the big broody male keeps too many secrets, has too many unspoken plans, and likes to scheme every situation to the most advantageous outcome. So of course we have quite a lot of banter and fuck yous. "What part of 'I hate you and want to stab you in the face' do you not understand?"

This story is fast paced, evenly spaced, and a lot of fun. If you know me, you know I love a good death game, and this one is a bit more deadly than I anticipated. There are so many wonderful new character additions, and I loved watching Morgan's relationship with her new found family. Can't wait for book 2!

We've got - one bed and forced proximity, quite a few 'good girl's, touch her and die, mate bonds, enemies to friends to lovers to enemies, fake relationships, Hunger Games-style death competition, found family, and magical training.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

✨Deadly Trials
✨Court Politics
✨Magical Creatures
✨Slow Burn
✨Relationship of Convenience
✨One Bed
✨Found Family

This book was definitely better than the first. I liked the plot and storyline so much more. The idea of the Blood Rise to compete for the empires next ruler, I thoroughly enjoyed.

I also really loved the new characters that we meet in this book and the found family that they have created.

Draven is a total hottie and the fact that Morgan kept denying herself of him for so long is insane to me! I will say though that some of the back and forth with them became a bit long winded.

Some downsides to this book I would say are:

- some things are not fully fleshed out or explained
- a lot of sentence/word/phrase repeating
(the amount of times the FMC said “what do you mean?”
in the last two books is insane!)
- the pacing was a bit off for me
- lacked depth

Overall I did enjoy this book. It was a very easy ready and I found it very entertaining.

**thank you to the author and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this ARC**