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dxmxus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.25
While this is definitely a slower paced book, primarily focusing on world building and plot development, the characters are easy to connect with. Definitely a difficult book to put down, however, there are moments where the main character seems almost too naive. Readers see through much of the foreshadowing well before the character realizes the warning signs.
I fully plan on finishing the series, however, I hope the next books focus more on character development as the MC feels somewhat flat and unwilling to learn unless absolutely forced into it.
I fully plan on finishing the series, however, I hope the next books focus more on character development as the MC feels somewhat flat and unwilling to learn unless absolutely forced into it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Murder, and Sexual harassment
phangirl's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
C - 7; A - 8; W - 6; P - 5; I - 4; L - 3; E - 1.
34/70 (49%)
I really liked the concepts in this book. It really felt like it had do much potential but imo it fell flat in every way. The writing and pacing were decent at the start, but about 60% in the grammar started to drop off and the pacing slowed down a lot for me.
when I finished the book I was so angry about the Morgan's complete lack of agency that I couldn't s op thinking about rhe book. There is literally no point in which Morgan makes an active choice or takes any action. Eg not drinking the potion (Draven threw it away), leaving (Draven made that happen), killing Florian (self preservation but is debatable), loving/liking Vesper (he enchanted her), etc.
It's not for me. The plot and 'character development' were predictable (and I almost never make predictions while reading), which is so disappointing!
34/70 (49%)
I really liked the concepts in this book. It really felt like it had do much potential but imo it fell flat in every way. The writing and pacing were decent at the start, but about 60% in the grammar started to drop off and the pacing slowed down a lot for me.
It's not for me. The plot and 'character development' were predictable (and I almost never make predictions while reading), which is so disappointing!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, and War
Minor: Body horror, Child death, Drug use, Pedophilia, Slavery, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and War
rowanhill's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Features:
- Loose retelling of Arthurian legend with fae a dark twist
- Slow burn, enemies to lovers romance; not much spice
- Excellent world building
- Cliffhanger ending that will leave you begging for more
This loose retelling of Arthurian legend turns everything on its head and was a wild ride I totally didn’t expect! There are a lot of intriguing ideas introduced to this version of Camelot that makes it feel unique and fresh. Boleyn constructs this world in such an engaging way that the hunger to know more about it kept me reading through an otherwise slow start to the story. Once the real adventure starts, the plot really takes off and it becomes hard to put down. Though I loved the story overall, I still felt like there was some untapped potential, especially in the character department. If you are looking for a true retelling of Arthurian legend and/or a steamy romance, you will probably be disappointed. However, if an engaging, action packed fae fantasy with an Arthurian flavor sounds like your kind of book, I would definitely recommend this read!
Pro: Camelot reimagined
The world building in this book definitely makes it stand out. The story takes place in Camelot, but it is a Camelot like you have never seen it before. It has been shown that fae lore and magic fit comfortably into the context of Arthurian legend, but Boleyn takes it even further than expected. This world has a true sense of history and culture that has evolved, in part, through a long and tenuous relationship with the fae. Morgan’s complicated position at the beginning of the story is due in large part to how she fits (or doesn’t) into this established cultural identity and the success of the world building makes everything she experiences feel more poignant. Honestly, this has such a unique identity that it really wouldn’t be Camelot if all of the names were suddenly changed. For me, this really made the rest of the story work.
The Breakdown: An uncomplicated character in a complicated world
This book follows the story of Arthur’s older sister, Morgan. Due to having fae blood, Morgan was passed over for the crown and finds herself in the odd situation of being royalty while also being part of a group society looks down upon. As a result, she is often overlooked and experiences both freedom and vulnerability as a result. Despite all of the wonderful world building and the complicated situation Morgan finds herself in, I thought she was an uncomplicated character.
Having lived a sheltered life, Morgan is naturally naive about a lot of things. However, some of this naivety is more extreme than what is fitting for the character and her experiences. There are some moments of brilliance in how Morgan processes and questions what is happening around her, so it is sad when things become more ‘cookie cutter’ and prevent these deeper, more intriguing developments to flourish. This issue is even more prominent with the other characters and the end result individuals that feel one note in an otherwise complicated world. This improves as the story develops, but I was still left feeling like there was a lot of untapped potential.
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism and Murder
page_keeper's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Murder
soniajoy98's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Infidelity, Slavery, Kidnapping, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
lastblossom's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
An interesting take on Arthurian legend. Too dark for me, sadly.
Thoughts
I keep telling myself to give dark fantasy another chance, and I should stop telling myself that. My feelings on this book are split. On the plus side, some great twists on fae and Arthurian legend. The story had some great reveals, and I liked all the supporting friends. But it turns out I am tired of things being miserable always and at all times. While this doesn't go all the way into "gritty" territory, the storyline is definitely dark enough, with our MC constantly being kicked around from all directions (mostly from her really terrible brother), with barely a sliver of relief. At one point, I started to wonder why she was even still doing the quest, when she'd probably be better off just running away. Or perhaps using the time away to build that secret army her brother thinks she's got going on. But if you want a dark fantasy, this book absolutely fulfills the prompt. There's also a decent amount of spice, and a very slow burn romance (that looks like it won't really see completion until later installments), and I liked the world building.
Thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
An interesting take on Arthurian legend. Too dark for me, sadly.
Thoughts
I keep telling myself to give dark fantasy another chance, and I should stop telling myself that. My feelings on this book are split. On the plus side, some great twists on fae and Arthurian legend. The story had some great reveals, and I liked all the supporting friends. But it turns out I am tired of things being miserable always and at all times. While this doesn't go all the way into "gritty" territory, the storyline is definitely dark enough, with our MC constantly being kicked around from all directions (mostly from her really terrible brother), with barely a sliver of relief. At one point, I started to wonder why she was even still doing the quest, when she'd probably be better off just running away. Or perhaps using the time away to build that secret army her brother thinks she's got going on. But if you want a dark fantasy, this book absolutely fulfills the prompt. There's also a decent amount of spice, and a very slow burn romance (that looks like it won't really see completion until later installments), and I liked the world building.
Thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Death, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War
Minor: Xenophobia
booksalacarte's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Queen of Roses- 3.5⭐️ 2🌶️
Fantasy Romance
King Arthur Reimagining
Guard and Princess
Princess Warrior
Hidden history
One horse
One bed
Battles
Deception
🏳️🌈 Side Character Rep
Self discovery
Slow burn
“Who did this to you?”
TW: domestic abuse, murder
This was the beginning to a different tale of Arthur and his knights. The twists in the tale were interesting and I found myself intrigued by where the story was going to go and how things would play out. The story focuses on Morgan Pendragon and her Fae heritage, casting Arthur in a bad light… to put it mildly. I’m interested to see how much the story stays along the lines of the classic tale.
I found the first half of the book to be a bit mundane, there was world building and character development. It wasn’t that there was a lot stuffed into the first half, but that the first half didn’t have the heroine stepping up and being bold. I found her disappointing in the castle.
I also wish there was a map… or that things were laid out a little clearer in regards to what the land looked like. For the longest time I thought they were traveling North in the second half… then all of a sudden the crew is going south?
The second half threw things into motion and that’s when the story really took off. Also, the MMC wasn’t suffocating and condescendingly always saving the FMC and rubbing her face in it. An interesting diversion from the typical guard/Princess relationship.
Plus, the cliffhanger was pretty good! A
Thank you NetGalley and Starwater Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Murder
lexkazokas's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
reading_historical_romance's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.25
Arthurian mythos x bodyguard romance trope = ❤️❤️❤️ OMG YES PLEASE
Princess Morgan Pendragon is 20, and the older half-sister of King Arthur, ruler of the Rose Court of Camelot and the kingdom of Pendrath. Her late father feared that Morgan inherited fae blood from her mother, so he named Arthur heir to the throne, and dedicated Morgan to serve as an acolyte to the goddesses beginning on her 21st birthday. Morgan chafes at the idea of being shut away in a temple to perform religious rites, and she fears her brother as she observes his increasingly cruel machinations to grow his power.
Kairos Draven is a mercenary soldier who arrives in Pendrath to join Arthur’s Royal Guards. Morgan soon learns, however, that Kairos’ true mission is to protect her on a dangerous quest. Arthur commands Morgan to locate and extract the mystical sword of Excalibur from the legendary, abandoned fae kingdom of Valtain. Morgan is sickened by the idea of Arthur obtaining a weapon of untold magical power, but she learns that she has no choice but to comply when she is threatened with the lives of her younger brother, friends, and innocent Pendrath citizens should she disobey his wishes.
This is the first book of a medieval fantasy romance series that remixes a number of different tales from the Arthurian literary tradition. Building on this foundation, the author has created her own mythological fantasy realm and original characters. To this point, I disagree with those reviewers who have criticized the author for not being faithful (or faithful enough) to canon in the narrative. This is because there isn’t any such canon in the first place. The Matter of Britain, in which King Arthur figures, is a body of literature created over the 12th-16th centuries. The tales changed throughout that time period, and many of the characters (e.g. Uther Pendragon, Lancelot, Galahad, Merlin) and stories (Excalibur, Lady of the Lake) that appear in this novel were developed in Europe centuries after Arthur first appeared in British text. Arthurian legend continues to be reimagined today, as is the case with this novel.
And I loved it. Absolutely loved it from beginning to end.
Morgan has been a victim of physical, verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse throughout her entire life. She has been conditioned to question all of her thoughts and emotions. What other reviewers have perceived as being weaknesses in her character, I saw as self-doubt, disassociation, and emotional capitulation resulting from years of persistent victimization by her family of origin. One of the main themes of the novel is the development of Morgan’s emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
I love Kairos. We are not supposed to know everything – or really anything of importance – about him as far as his backstory in this novel. For the romance tropes to work over the course of a series, we need to learn who he is as slowly as Morgan does. The fact that this author makes us want to know him, thereby feeling frustration that we don't, is a testament to her writing ability. She is able to intrigue us by seeing Kairos only as Morgan herself sees him. Morgan wants more. So do we!
This is not really a criticism as much as it is curiosity to know why this book is targeted as an adult romance and not as a YA. All of the characters except Kairos read as older teenagers to me. I did not think that the sexual content was spicy enough to warrant "spicy romance" or "only one bed" descriptors. If the sexual content in only a couple of scenes was toned down, this would fall squarely in the YA category, and I think I would have enjoyed it even more going into it with that expectation. The coming-of-age storylines (Morgan, Lancelet, Galahad, Kaye, and even Arthur) are not what a reader of adult fantasy or spicy romance is typically looking for. I think that might be the primary reason that some of the reviews have been more lukewarm than I believe this novel deserves. I am downloading book #2 as we speak!
Romance tropes: bodyguard romance, slow burn, enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort
TW/CW: Thank you to the author for your thoughtful consideration to provide this for the reader. The page number is located in the ToC.
Thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.
Princess Morgan Pendragon is 20, and the older half-sister of King Arthur, ruler of the Rose Court of Camelot and the kingdom of Pendrath. Her late father feared that Morgan inherited fae blood from her mother, so he named Arthur heir to the throne, and dedicated Morgan to serve as an acolyte to the goddesses beginning on her 21st birthday. Morgan chafes at the idea of being shut away in a temple to perform religious rites, and she fears her brother as she observes his increasingly cruel machinations to grow his power.
Kairos Draven is a mercenary soldier who arrives in Pendrath to join Arthur’s Royal Guards. Morgan soon learns, however, that Kairos’ true mission is to protect her on a dangerous quest. Arthur commands Morgan to locate and extract the mystical sword of Excalibur from the legendary, abandoned fae kingdom of Valtain. Morgan is sickened by the idea of Arthur obtaining a weapon of untold magical power, but she learns that she has no choice but to comply when she is threatened with the lives of her younger brother, friends, and innocent Pendrath citizens should she disobey his wishes.
This is the first book of a medieval fantasy romance series that remixes a number of different tales from the Arthurian literary tradition. Building on this foundation, the author has created her own mythological fantasy realm and original characters. To this point, I disagree with those reviewers who have criticized the author for not being faithful (or faithful enough) to canon in the narrative. This is because there isn’t any such canon in the first place. The Matter of Britain, in which King Arthur figures, is a body of literature created over the 12th-16th centuries. The tales changed throughout that time period, and many of the characters (e.g. Uther Pendragon, Lancelot, Galahad, Merlin) and stories (Excalibur, Lady of the Lake) that appear in this novel were developed in Europe centuries after Arthur first appeared in British text. Arthurian legend continues to be reimagined today, as is the case with this novel.
And I loved it. Absolutely loved it from beginning to end.
Morgan has been a victim of physical, verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse throughout her entire life. She has been conditioned to question all of her thoughts and emotions. What other reviewers have perceived as being weaknesses in her character, I saw as self-doubt, disassociation, and emotional capitulation resulting from years of persistent victimization by her family of origin. One of the main themes of the novel is the development of Morgan’s emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
I love Kairos. We are not supposed to know everything – or really anything of importance – about him as far as his backstory in this novel. For the romance tropes to work over the course of a series, we need to learn who he is as slowly as Morgan does. The fact that this author makes us want to know him, thereby feeling frustration that we don't, is a testament to her writing ability. She is able to intrigue us by seeing Kairos only as Morgan herself sees him. Morgan wants more. So do we!
This is not really a criticism as much as it is curiosity to know why this book is targeted as an adult romance and not as a YA. All of the characters except Kairos read as older teenagers to me. I did not think that the sexual content was spicy enough to warrant "spicy romance" or "only one bed" descriptors. If the sexual content in only a couple of scenes was toned down, this would fall squarely in the YA category, and I think I would have enjoyed it even more going into it with that expectation. The coming-of-age storylines (Morgan, Lancelet, Galahad, Kaye, and even Arthur) are not what a reader of adult fantasy or spicy romance is typically looking for. I think that might be the primary reason that some of the reviews have been more lukewarm than I believe this novel deserves. I am downloading book #2 as we speak!
Romance tropes: bodyguard romance, slow burn, enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort
TW/CW: Thank you to the author for your thoughtful consideration to provide this for the reader. The page number is located in the ToC.
Thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
witching_hour_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder