In "Empress of Fae," Briar Boleyn continues the gripping saga from when Morgan's escape through the gate plunges Camelot into turmoil. As Morgan reluctantly finds herself accompanied by Javier, navigating the treacherous landscape of Camelot becomes even more complex, with new adversaries like Fenyx emerging and old faces revealing new layers of intrigue.

What stands out in this installment is Morgan's growth as a character. Her evolution from judgmental to introspective adds depth to her interactions, particularly in her tumultuous relationship with Draven. Despite their physical separation for much of the book, the emotional connection between Morgan and Draven remains palpable, woven through shared dreams and moments of vulnerability.

Boleyn's writing skillfully balances political intrigue with personal drama, offering a nuanced exploration of power dynamics and personal relationships. While the pacing may feel slower compared to previous installments, the multiple points of view, including Lancelet and Draven's, provide fresh perspectives that enrich the storytelling experience.
One of the novel's strengths lies in its rich world-building, with vivid descriptions bringing each setting to life. From the chaos of Camelot to the tranquility of the cottage scenes, every backdrop adds depth to the narrative, enhancing the development of both characters and relationships.

While some character arcs may feel rushed, particularly in the case of Javier and Orcades, the strength of Boleyn's storytelling compensates for any minor shortcomings. The introduction of Fenyx as a formidable antagonist and the resolution of Arthur's character arc offer satisfying payoffs that set the stage for an epic conclusion.

In summary, "Empress of Fae" is a worthy addition to the series, offering a captivating blend of political intrigue, romance, and adventure. As the series builds towards its grand finale, Boleyn's storytelling prowess promises an unforgettable conclusion that awaits you, eagerly anticipating the next chapter in this enchanting saga.

This book was definitely an improvement on the previous two books. The midpoint until the end was well written. The multiple first person PoVs were a little clunky at the beginning. The paragraph formatting of these books still annoys me, but that's a personal preference. Heavy Jennifer Armemount and ACOWAR/Sarah J Maas influence.

Content: m*rdering of countless infants (yes, you read that correctly), attempted murder, attempted r*pe, strong language, explicit s*x

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

For this to be the penultimate book in the series it feels short. It does its job in wrapping up several of the plot lines that have been in place since the beginning and of course moving the final pieces into place for the final boss to come in during the next book.

It’s fast paced and personally feels pretty action heavy, but for a character to be so driven by her emotions and connections to others, i feel like there wasn’t much development in these established and newer relationships. All meetings and moments feel fleeting and potentially underdeveloped. This book is fairly short when partnered against other fantasy series, perhaps too short.

I’m trying not to be overly critical because in the end I did enjoy the book and will be eagerly awaiting the release of the fourth, but i’m still waiting to be blown away. Or rather fully sucked into the characters and this world.

“I’d rather be a villain by your side than play the hero for anyone else.”

I feel like this series gets better and better with every book! This one was a wild ride, and I can’t wait for the final installment.

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

❤️ Strong FMC
❤️ Nicely done “Forced Separation” trope
❤️ Side characters and fluffy sidekicks
❌ Predictable “Betrayal/False Friend” trope

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

Plot:
Morgan ran from the Court of Umbral Flames and her forced husband to return to Camelot. But the situation in her former home is worse than she thought as King Arthur will stop at nothing to control the magical sword Excalibur and eliminate any threat to his reign. To save her kingdom and her friends, Morgan needs to infiltrate the Court of Roses and survive long enough for the Siabra army to arrive.

The stakes are high: Morgan’s youngest brother is in mortal peril, her best friend is alive but drastically changed, people are dying on the streets, enemies are closing in from all sides, and she is sent to the viper’s nest to spy on Arthur and his court. There’s court intrigue, action, trauma healing, friendship, love, etc. The balance between plot and romance/spice was juuuust right, and I feel like Morgan and Draven’s time apart was a very good thing. In the previous book, there was too much arguing for the sake of the slow burn / hate to love tropes, and I’m more than happy that Morgan is out of her “I hate you” phase.

Characters:
Morgan is, finally, growing on me! She is coming into her own and embracing her power. She is still a little too naïve for my liking (she *should* have suspected who was the traitor right from the start), and I can’t forgive her actions toward Lancelet in this book, but I still liked her better than in the first two books. We didn’t see a lot of Draven in this one, but he was *chef’s kiss* every time he was there. As usual, the side characters are great. Hawl has my whole heart. Love Gawain. Guinevere was a great addition. And why do I love Orcades so much?!

Writing:
I love Boleyn’s writing. The descriptions are vivid and evocative, the dialogues feel natural, and the pace in this one was superior to the first two books. The only thing that annoys me a little is that some of the characters’ features are mentioned many times, and described exactly the same way each time. Instead of reading over and over that Draven’s skin is bronze-tinted and that Guinevere is curvy with brown hair, I’d like to know more about their other features, or even about how they talk or walk.

Empress of Fae was an improvement on the pacing issues of the earlier books. I was so excited to see that. And there was even more intrigue now that Morgan was back at Camelot. A few parts had me on the edge of my seat. But I feel like overall, it fell just short of my expectations.

There were some things I really liked. Allowing Morgan and Draven to communicate through dreams and heal their relationship was a nice touch. It kept them apart but helped the romance grow. The new characters at Camelot were a great addition. And I felt like the story really found ut;s stride.

The series shifted from a single POV to four POVs, although sadly, only two POVs were widely used. It was such a letdown to have only one chapter from Lancelet and Guinivere and then to never be treated to their POV again. Particularly since I was very excited to see that Guinivere was introduced. Additionally, there were multiple red herrings. It got to the point that when the real traitor was revealed that I wasn't even shocked/didn't really feel betrayed because there had been so many other 'fake' traitors. A red herring is fine, but too many lessens the impact.