A review by stitchsaddiction
Court of Claws by Briar Boleyn

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was an incredible sequel to Queen of Roses that has the enemies to lovers trope at the front and centre of Morgan and Draven's journey together. They're like fire and ice twisting and turning as one gains power over the other momentarily, and I loved it.

This book has continued the journey away from Camelot and all that remains of what the Arthurian legends spoke of and into more unfamiliar territory. 

The Fae.

Briar Boleyn's description and ability to bring in their own uniqueness to the world we're in was excellently done in the first book; however, it is here in Court of Umbral Flames or Court of Claws that she excels in giving us a fantasy world that is a mix of seductive beauty and unsettling darkness with fae creatures who are a far cry from the familiar ones you may have encountered in Tolkien etcetera. These fae mean what they say and aren't afraid to show their violent tendencies and barbaric nature of survival and dominance in their search of power. I do love the twists in the familiarity and how it's very clear that whilst we've started to see the cruelty from Arthur; it's very apparent we're far from Camelot.

This book is fast paced, and action-packed with moments of violence and bloodshed and whilst there are moments that made me angry that there was cruelty it does demonstrate that this is a very different world with very different rules. I'd liked Draven in Queen of Roses, but this is his book really - his true self shines through both to see him in his fae form and how we learn more both about who and what he is. Morgan and Draven clash and then from moments of curiosity and attraction to one another that they'd both deny. In Court of Claws, they set the pages alight.

I am loving this series, I'm so curious as to why Arthur is insistent on one upping Uther in being the ultimate cruel king and to see Morgan Pendragon embrace her true fae self because she's incredible. Briar Boleyn has let her fae self come forward in such a clever way, and I could easily see her come to light as her writing is just that good. Again, I'm so glad I added to my tbr pile and then began to read or rather devour them.