All Things Halloween Review - Knight of the Goddess - Review

Knight of the Goddess (Blood of a Fae, # 4)

By: Briar Boleyn

Publication: March 31, 2024 by Starwater Press

410 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The fourth and final book in the bestselling Blood of a Fae series…

“I see forever with you by my side. Because long after these scars have faded away to nothing, I'll still be standing beside you. You and I? We're eternal.”

Beware the dread curse of Three…

In the aftermath of the war between Pendrath and its neighbors, peace has finally come to Camelot. But for Morgan Le Fay and her friends, the calm is short-lived. A storm grows on the horizon. As a terrible evil that has been waiting hundreds of years begins to sweep through the land, Morgan and Draven must race to the aid of their allies, leaving their youngest and most vulnerable new family member in the care of trusted friends.

The sword, the spear, the grail’s mystery…

As the tide of war takes them across kingdoms and into greater peril, Morgan and Draven embark on a quest to destroy the three objects of untold power–the grail, the sword, and the spear. Together, the pair will find answers to questions lost in the mists of time. Answers to questions so terrible, they never even thought to ask.

Blood calls to blood, the dark shall rise,

Forged by the gods under sacred skies.

For the love between these bonded mates is not just an everlasting one forged in blood.

You might even call it divine.

I said in my review of Empress of Fae that so much felt wrapped up to me with the storyline of the overall series. Of course, Morgan still needs to deal with her father. Like many other fantasy series, the evil villain has increased in might and severity with each book. And maybe that was the problem. Morgan's brother was built up as the big bad for most of the series, and he was dealt with in book 3, now we have to deal with Morgan's father. And he's an even bigger big bad than her brother was. Actually, her brother was nothing compared to her father. Sometimes series that follow this path can be frustrating. 

Knight of the Goddess starts off with a battle with Morgan's blood siblings that seems like all hope is lost. Automatically losing a battle with no hope of winning mixed with feeling a sense of completion after the previous book left me struggling to feel invested in Knight of the Goddess. And I kept putting it down in favor of reading other things. But of course, there must be hope. There's no point in a book with zero hope. Once things began to turn around, I was finally invested enough to want to finish this book.

-But an Ursidaur mates for a purpose, and when that purpose is over, they are solitary once more. We prefer it that way.”

How exactly does mating work with a they/them non-binary bear creature?

The inclusion of Morgan's niece narrating, Medra, was okay. I had a feeling where it was all leading to in the end. She's a confused kid who grew up way too quickly with the people she needed most not able to be close by her. But if they'd been there, the outcome likely wouldn't have gone as it did.

-"You should hate me." "But I don't," she snapped. "Stop trying to make me. It won't work." I looked away. "It worked with everyone else." "Is that what you think? That you succeeded?" I wouldn't face her. "They left, didn't they?" "Your aunt? Draven? They left to save you, Medra. Not because they didn't care."

-"You don't have to consider me your family," Odessa said quietly. If she was hurt, I couldn't tell. "I can still consider you mine."

One of the biggest pet peeves that I had with Knight of the Goddess was the transformations that Morgan goes through without the reader being aware of it. She's keeping some secrets from Draven, so we know there's something up. But it felt so jarring. I can't discuss it in detail because it would be spoilers, but who Morgan ends up being, and her relation to her father and sisters were confusing, didn't feel like it was planned out the entire series but felt like it was a convenient direction to conclude what had come to be a mess. Pull in the entire system of gods in this world and it just didn't add up to me the way it was supposed to. 

-I prayed that they would suffer no further losses along the way to Camelot.

Prayed to who? Morgan didn't believe in or respect the gods in this world. And yet not greater beings were ever offered as a true God. 

Ultimately, I found that I was a little disappointed with Knight of the Goddess. I would have been completely fine if the series had stopped after book 3. The entire book felt a little forced to me. I still liked the main characters, Draven and Morgan. But the rest of the cast of characters checked too many diversity boxes to be real. As a matter of fact, more of the secondary characters fall into the LGBT boxes than not. And I don't like to feel like plot, characters, religion, politics, or anything is being forced upon me as a reader. In the end, Knight of the Goddess gets 3.5 Stars. Not terrible, but not great either. Have you read Knight of the Goddess? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

All Things Halloween Review - Empress of Fae

Empress of Fae (Blood of a Fae, # 3)

By: Briar Boleyn

Publication: October 25, 2023 by Starwater Press

407 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Divided by Oceans but Eternally Bonded

Morgan Pendragon has another name now: Morgan Le Fay. As her true heritage slowly emerges from the mists of the past, Morgan renounces one possible future as the new ruler of the fierce Siabra fae and the wife of the Prince of Claws and vanishes through a portal–returning to Camelot and the Rose Court where her friends and younger brother lie in mortal peril from Arthur's cruel wiles.

But back in the Court of Claws, Kairos Draven won't allow his beloved to disappear from his life so easily. His bond with Morgan goes beyond blood, love, life, and even time itself and neither one of them can relinquish its power or its pull.

Yet Morgan is no ordinary woman. Not only is she beginning to manifest remarkable abilities, but the powers of the gods themselves run through her veins, bestowing her with an unimaginable power and an unthinkable claim over all of Aercanum and beyond...

A claim which some will stop at nothing to put a halt to.

Morgan learns of the bond with Draven and decides to go drastic. She returns to Camelot via a portal which she in turn destroys. She always intended to return so that she could protect her younger brother. And now that she's back she is going to do whatever it takes to set things right in Pendrath. 

Draven isn't going to stand by and do nothing. Just because Morgan left doesn't mean he's going to sit back and wait for her to return. Draven puts someone else in charge while he and Morgan are gone, and he brings as much of an army as he can to Pendrath. 

While Morgan and Draven are separated, they find that they can meet in their dreams as long as both are asleep at the same time. This allows them to repair their relationship and plan and keep the other informed as much as possible.

There are a few twists that I didn't see coming. Nothing particularly blew me away though. Morgan can't hide her fae side anymore. She doesn't know how to glamor herself, and she doesn't have time to contact someone who can create a glamor for her. But that still doesn't mean others know how powerful she has become now that she isn't taking the tonic she used to take. They are also unaware she's acquired some extra titles and alliances since she left. She has to play the character that she used to be as much as possible.

Obviously, this book is largely set up for the big bad of Morgan's biological father, the faerie king. But it felt like enough of a wrap-up that I am struggling to move on to book 4, Knight of the Goddess. 

Favorite quotes:

-"Shattered or whole. Kneeling or standing. I'll get to her, and I won't ever leave. This time, I'll make her understand what we are, together."

-Bargaining with a devil may grant one many things, but peace was never one of them.

-"You redeemed my life with your own, but you could never take my heart. Love...love must be freely given."

Empress of Fae was a good book. I read quickly and didn't want to put it down when I had to. I liked the growth and development between Morgan and Draven. Some twists caught me by surprise but not too much. In the end, I felt settled enough with things that I struggled to get into the final book, Knight of the Goddess. Empress of Fae gets 4 Stars. Have you read Empress of Fae? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Court of Claws - Review

Court of Claws (Blood of a Fae, # 2)

By: Briar Boleyn

Publication: June 30, 2023 by Starwater Press

409 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--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…

Court of Claws picks up shortly after Queen of Roses ended. Except for the prologue, epilogue, and a few dreams from another character's POV, the story is told from Morgan's perspective. We left the previous book with Morgan being fatally injured, but Draven bonds with her to save her life. Of course, Morgan doesn't know this. 

Morgan wakes up in Draven's home court where he is the Prince who should be Emporer. His stepmother has been running the court as Queen Regent. And she's not thrilled to give up her rule. Draven and other candidates enter a contest called the Blood Rise to see who will ultimately win the crown.

Morgan has only been accepted into the court begrudgingly as Draven's paramour. And she isn't happy about playing the role. But he knows that is the only way to keep her safe and untouchable. I was just as frustrated with Draven as Morgan with his lack of information. She does learn some of what she needs to know. But Draven keeps so much to himself that he could have easily opened up about more than he did to save himself and Morgan some drama. But that wouldn't make for easy conflict, would it?

Morgan is so judgmental about some things while so accepting of others. It was somewhat frustrating that her view of the world and morality is offered up as "well of course this is wrong" or "of course this is okay." Like no one could possibly view things any differently than her without being morally out of whack. What is the standard she's following for such morality lines? Nothing but her own thoughts and feelings.

This was also a frustrating book in that Draven did seem to be working for the greater good and obviously cared about Morgan, but she just couldn't cut him any slack. And as soon as anything went out of her liking, he was public enemy number one in her mind. Granted, he did keep several secrets that were pretty big, and of course, trust would be broken in so doing.

Court of Claws does have the troupe of a game that must be played/challenges that must be won. Books like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Hunger Games, Divergent, Throne of Glass, Red Rising, etc are hits because of similar games/challenges. I will say I got a little confused about how the court was able to watch the trials when the contestants were in a cave, and the court was not. (I'm really going to date myself here, but I totally pictured something like the '90s kids' game show Fun House when reading about the trials.)

This series is obviously a feminist or semi-feminist twist on King Arthur/Camelot where almost all of the strong male characters from the original are either female, LGBTQ, or toxic masculinity abusive males. I DNF'd Kristen White's feminist Camelot retelling for similar issues. Only I do find Briar Boleyn's retelling more interesting. I like that Draven is still such a strong male character. But (highlight for spoiler) I don't understand why he couldn't have been Emporer and Morgan Empress through their bond without him having to "let" her take the position. His line about not wanting to leech power from her felt a bit thin to me. End spoiler.

Favorite quote:

-"How many times can you deny a gift before the gift no longer comes when you call it?”

I read Court of Claws quickly given its size. I stayed up late reading, and I don't give up sleep easily these days. I didn't want to put it down when I needed to. But at the same time, looking back I feel I can only give Court of Claws 3 Stars. Morgan's attitude was challenging for me through a large part of the book. Draven's refusal to share information only felt like a weak plot idea to be able to create conflict later rather than an actual need to keep said information to himself for any real reason that I can discern up to this point. I will be continuing the series; however, I hope it improves, and this book just suffers from SBIASS (second book in a series syndrome). Have you read Court of Claws ? What did you think? Let me know!