This is book two in the Blood of a Fae series. It opens with Morgan awakening to find Draven has brought her to the court of the Siabra, where he is a Prince. The Siabra are a violent and cold race of fae and Morgan is challenged to survive in such a strange environment. This book focuses on Morgan and Draven’s enemies to lover’s relationship, Morgan’s further self discovery and Draven’s participation in the brutal rites to become Emperor. The war being waged by Camelot also weighs heavily on Morgan’s mind and she yearns to return to help her people.

I enjoyed this book even more than the first one. I loved the new characters introduced, both those who support Morgan and those who don’t. The complicated journey Morgan follows in developing her magical skills and in her feelings for Draven kept me reading. The ongoing action and emotions of the story pulled me in while another good cliffhanger ending leaves me ready for book 3!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review this ARC.

the slowwww burn continues and the 'touch him and die' trope got me! vivid descriptions of both new creatures/characters alongside settings built up an already enthralling world. the fmc still isn't my favorite and annoyed me at times, but i can sense the growth inching along. and i'm obsessed with the mmc, morally grey or not. book three.. here i come!!!

thank you to net galley and starwater press for the opportunity to read an e-arc of court of claws by briar boleyn in exchange for my honest review.

So so good!!!!

Look, I probably give 5 stars out alot, while others do deepdives into so many technical aspects of stories, plots, characters, etc, but for me, I give them out because of a books ability to completely remove me from reality into another world and make me feel all the feels. That is exactly what this book and series so far have done. I loved it all. Morgan's reactions especially in the last two chapters because I felt myself trying to justify or excuse Dravens actions even if they were necessary but couldn't and I cant wait to see how the next book progresses from that point. I am also excited to see our FMC kick some major ass and do some serious damage!!!

“You think knights bear no scars? That they possess no disfigurements? That they are pure and whole?”

Note: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback.

3.5⭐ I have mixed feelings about this one. The whole time, I thought “Wow this is better than the first one,” with many things I absolutely loved, but at the same time there were too many things that aggravated me—especially when it came to the main characters—to justify giving it a 4-star rating. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading it and I’m looking forward to knowing what happens next!

❤️ World building and evocative descriptions
❤️ Side characters and animal sidekicks
❤️ Jaw-dropping ending
❤️ Pronunciation guide
❌ Immature, annoying FMC
❌ Too much push and pull / slow burn done wrong
❌ Miscommunication Trope / “You Lied to Me!”

Note: Make sure to read the trigger warnings, as there are many and things get pretty dark here and there.

Plot:
Morgan wakes up in a kingdom she never knew existed, with magic everywhere and creatures beyond her wildest dreams. But most of all, she is confined to a bedroom and called the prince’s Paramour as a way to protect her from the many enemies lurking in the ruthless Court of Claws. With her own kingdom waging war on three fronts, Morgan wants to return to Camelot as soon as possible… but her life is irrevocably entwined with the prince’s, and first she will need to help him win his crown.

The pace was a little slow at first, but the world-building and location setting amply compensated. It was such a pleasure to discover the Court of Umbral Flames and meet the new characters with Morgan. The pace picked up as soon as Morgan was allowed to leave her chamber, with lots of action and danger. I felt like the story was more compelling, the stakes higher, than in the first book. It was definitely harder to put down!

Characters:
I feel like the biggest flaw in this series is the main characters as well as their development (or rather, lack of) and interactions. The side characters and sidekicks are all great (I mean, how can one not fall in love with Beks, Hawl, Nightclaw, and Gawain?), but the main characters are just… not. At first, I thought Morgan’s character had improved as compared to the first book. She seemed more assured and discerning, but then she fell in the immature-and-needlessly-defiant FMC trap. I should have counted how many times she says “I hate you” when Draven is just trying to help or protect her. Urgh. And Draven really does try to help and protect her, but in all the wrong ways. So much conflict could have been avoided if he simply chose to be more transparent, to explain. Why all the secrets? Why not tell her everything?! But I guess that would have ruined the slow burn / hate to love trope… All the push and pull between the main characters was tiresome and took away from the plot.

Writing:
The world-building and the place/clothing descriptions were pure gold—vivid, lyrical, immersive. I feel like Boleyn stepped up with this one, and I enjoyed her prose.

**Step into the Adventure: Court of Claws**

In the captivating world crafted by Briar Boleyn, your journey through Court of Claws reveals a story filled with character growth and unexpected turns. At its core is Morgan Pendragon, whose journey from innocence to maturity unfolds gradually, leaving you eager to see her transformation in future books.

On the other hand, Kairos Draven emerges as a character of depth and complexity, his growth mirroring the challenges he faces. Despite occasional frustrations stemming from a lack of communication between Morgan and Draven, the story remains engaging, propelled by gripping twists and turns.

The cliffhanger ending leaves you yearning for more, while the unique setting and evolving relationships keep you invested in the story. Despite some moments of frustration, Court of Claws is a compelling installment in the series, promising an exciting continuation of Morgan and Draven's journey.

I appreciated the content warning. This book is more explicit than the first but also contains significantly less animal cruelty. There are still unalived zombie children though who eat people. Think The Serpent and the Wings of Night meets Jennifer Armemount's books, just much darker. Not nearly as graphic as book one, but that's a low bar.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

Trying to gather my thoughts. There is so much to take in while reading this book that I worry pieces may begin to slide and break free. Book 2 feels like a completely different book from the first and I’m kind of still reeling from it.

Book 1 we get a perilous journey to recover an artifact and then suddenly book 2 it’s a competition? I’m not saying it’s a bad thing it just wasn’t quite where I thought this series was going.

The one thing i’m sure of is this miscommunication or whatever needs to come to an end. I’m half rooting for these two but if the whole truth can’t come out then can we just end it? You love each other don’t you?!