Knight of the Goddess- Briar Boleyn

A highly engaging and gripping page turner: the perfect conclusion!

Firstly, thank you so much to NetGalley, Starwater Press and Briar Boleyn for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, I'm so sad that my latest fantasy obsession is already over! I was completely hooked from the first novel and absolutely devoured KoG in two days solid - I think I may have the biggest series hangover!

Knight of the Goddess is the fourth and final instalment of the corrupt, exciting and morally grey Arthurian fantasy series, Queen of Roses. Morgan Le Fay, as she is now known, and her husband Draven must leave the short-lived calm in Camelot and embark on a treacherous, war-torn and thrilling journey, to destroy the growing evil that has been brewing for centuries, before destruction reigns and dark power triumphs. Accompanied by a close-knit group of their closest friends, they must destroy three objects of untold power - the sword, the spear and the grail - but also discover answers to history's terrible, forgotten secrets.

The continually developed world building in this book was absolutely gorgeous; it wasn't completely rammed down readers' throats, leaving them lost and confused, nor was it dragged out through endless paragraphs of dreary lore. I really felt like I was there alongside Morgan and her friends as they travelled, protected those who need it most and fought to survive to the bitter end; this book is a full sensory experience in itself of the most vivid nature. Speaking of lore, wow there was a lot going on here! However, I was really impressed just how seamlessly woven there sheer volume of it was throughout this novel and never became overwhelming, or a slog at any point. I was particularly in love with the slow revealings of the darker truth to the legends and history of the world, although at times I felt there was a slight lack of build up, which meant that it could become a little difficult to understand how Morgan and Draven worked things out.

Another thing I absolutely loved about Boleyn's writing is just how real the characters felt. Our main character, Morgan, was a brilliant protagonist and the prime example of a strong woman. I loved how, right from the start, she was determined to be the opposite of both Uther and Arthur by fighting for peace and justice for her people, particularly those who do not have the means or power to help themselves. I was captivated by her discovery of her developing powers and her determination to use them for the greater good. There were some fantastic, spicy scenes between her and Draven, who I am absolutely in love with - this man has to be the sexiest definition of golden retriever energy! He was willing to support Morgan, and her decisions, no matter what, and to fight by her side to the very end, yet wasn't afraid to be the voice of reason and take charge when necessary. I'm really going to miss these two and would love to read a novella describing what 'happy ever after' would look like for the people of Camelot and beyond.

The development of the supporting characters in this book was so fascinating, particularly of Medra; I did not see that one coming at all! I'm so happy that Lancelet and Guinevere finally got their happy ending too, Morgan could not have had two braver female companions by her side and I'm so glad that her and Lanclet are best friends again, although I would have loved to see Guinevere's personality developed a bit more. The reunion with Rychel was so bittersweet and although I am happy she was able to achieve her goal in reviving one of the undead children, I wish we'd seen more to this side arc following her kidnap. I think the saddest death of all in this novel has to be the very fitting self-sacrifice of Nightclaw; I absolutely bawled reading this part as it was just so well written and real.

The last few chapters of this novel were some fo the most exciting page turners I've ever read and it's going to take me a while to get over all that action! The battle descriptions have been some of my favourites throughout this whole series, and Boleyn has completely outdone herself in KoG! I loved the integration of the discovery of a dark, corrupted history, with some epic fantasy warfare - let's just say the truth is much more complex than the legends.

Overall, thank you Briar Boleyn for this epic conclusion to the thrilling Blood of a Fae series, I cannot wait for your next one!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐