A review by jeaniegreenie
Court of Claws by Briar Boleyn
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The taste of him sent me lightheaded and spinning, a heady concoction of everything I had always believed forbidden and yet secretly yearned for.
What an AMAZING, although slightly mixed, follow-up! Morgan and Draven continue to grow (mainly Draven, though) and learn about one another and their chemistry is top-tier. And many of the newly introduced characters had something special and worthwhile to bring to the story and dynamics.
There were two factors that led me to take off 1 star from my rating:
1. I felt like, while there was definitely some growth, Morgan really annoyed me at times. She could be very petulant at times and uses "hate" far too strongly. I tend to be really opposed to using the word "hate" unless absolutely deserved, but Morgan throws it around left and right towards the man she clearly loves. I kind of shrugged it off, but her using it again toward the very end really seemed unbearable. It's also fair to acknowledge that Draven does do some problematic things, but her inability to even try to talk things through or understand his reasonings is so enraging. I really hope this does not continue into the final book.
2. While I love the new kingdom we were introduced to, I felt rather disappointed and a little confused that we were taken away from Morgan's homeland, which is at war, for the entirety of this over 600-page book. If not for the visions that were included, I may have felt like it pulled me away from the original story/purpose too much.
Overall, I loved this so much and I cannot wait for the third book! I am really hoping to see some real growing up from Morgan, along with an acknowledgment of her spoiled and childish attitude, otherwise, it may be a one-time read of a series. And I definitely do not want this, for so many characters and the world itself are SO amazing! It's just hard to look past an FMC that is so frustrating.
Favorite elements:
-Dark fantasy, borderline elements of horror
-Slow burn enemies to lovers
-Morally grey characters with complex relationships
-He falls first
-Arthurian retelling with fae
-One bed trope
-Twists and turns followed by a cliffhanger
-Hunger Games-type trials
-Found family
-Mysterious magic and past
A companion shares the path, no matter where it leads and no matter how painful.
What an AMAZING, although slightly mixed, follow-up! Morgan and Draven continue to grow (mainly Draven, though) and learn about one another and their chemistry is top-tier. And many of the newly introduced characters had something special and worthwhile to bring to the story and dynamics.
There were two factors that led me to take off 1 star from my rating:
1. I felt like, while there was definitely some growth, Morgan really annoyed me at times. She could be very petulant at times and uses "hate" far too strongly. I tend to be really opposed to using the word "hate" unless absolutely deserved, but Morgan throws it around left and right towards the man she clearly loves. I kind of shrugged it off, but her using it again toward the very end really seemed unbearable. It's also fair to acknowledge that Draven does do some problematic things, but her inability to even try to talk things through or understand his reasonings is so enraging. I really hope this does not continue into the final book.
2. While I love the new kingdom we were introduced to, I felt rather disappointed and a little confused that we were taken away from Morgan's homeland, which is at war, for the entirety of this over 600-page book. If not for the visions that were included, I may have felt like it pulled me away from the original story/purpose too much.
Overall, I loved this so much and I cannot wait for the third book! I am really hoping to see some real growing up from Morgan, along with an acknowledgment of her spoiled and childish attitude, otherwise, it may be a one-time read of a series. And I definitely do not want this, for so many characters and the world itself are SO amazing! It's just hard to look past an FMC that is so frustrating.
Favorite elements:
-Dark fantasy, borderline elements of horror
-Slow burn enemies to lovers
-Morally grey characters with complex relationships
-He falls first
-Arthurian retelling with fae
-One bed trope
-Twists and turns followed by a cliffhanger
-Hunger Games-type trials
-Found family
-Mysterious magic and past
A companion shares the path, no matter where it leads and no matter how painful.