Court of Claws

By Briar Boleyn. Book 2.

4.5 Stars

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“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…”

REVIEW:

I was super excited to read this as I loved the first book in the series. This one had a ton of court intrigue, though it didn’t feel as gritty. It was very reminiscent of ACOMAF in that we get to see where Draven comes from and meet his crew. We also learn his deep, dark secrets and get some hints as to Morgan’s past as well. I loved reading about the trials that Draven had to go through as well, and Morgan’s first experiences with this new fae reality into which she has been thrown. 

This was also a tad spicier than the first, which is always a plus, but it’s definitely a book you should not pick up unless you have read Queen of Roses beforehand.

I did feel that the “oh, he’s not who I thought he was–stabstabstab” went on a little longer than it needed to. I get it, Morgan is far from the people she loves, was unable to safe at least one of her best friends, and her entire kingdom is at war. Plus, yes, of course—the man she trusted with her life and vice versa isn’t exactly who she thought he was on the outside. It’s a difficult situation, so the timing is understandable from a realism perspective, but it felt like it was getting in the way of the plot pacing at points. This was by no means a serious indictment and is only me being picky. 

I truly loved the side characters and the new aspects of the story and I will be so excited to explore them when the third book comes out later this fall!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and Starwater press for the advanced copy in exchange for this review.