There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

I quickly found that this wasn’t the book for me. I was not enjoying it nor did I find it entertaining in the least. I picked it based on the author but I can’t say it’ll lead me to think of her work more fondly than I had

An amazing read. I couldn't out it down. So descriptive & hugely atmospheric. A wonderful tale with meticulous detail. A classic.

Part historical fiction, part magic, part mystery, this was a really great read. I loved the writing style: it was beautiful and unique and transported me completely into the book's world.

It did feel a bit slow for me at times, and I found some parts slightly confusing but I ended up really enjoying this regardless!

Once upon a time – we still see echoes of it today – people gave offerings to the water goddesses. And in this story we delve back into the myths surrounding these water goddesses and fairies and the birth caul, as well as the River Thames.
In the time when traffic on the river was heavy and barges came and went loaded up with goods that were easier to transport on water than road, we find ourselves stopping at ancient inns along the towpaths. And in the dark evenings, sitting around the fireplace, stories were told to keep the travellers entertained.
The Swan Inn was such an Inn situated in the watercress fields – fields nourished by the dead bodies of those that fell in a long ago battle. The Thames has been fought over for many centuries – from Alfred onwards. Later than the time of this story, a railway was built – called the WaterCress Line (!), just to bring this prized salad crop to London. Watercress is an aquatic plant species with the botanical name Nasturtium officinale.
In former times there was little choice of green vegetables in Winter and Watercress filled that gap with its ability to crop at least 4 times a Season. https://astonrowant.wordpress.com/ewelme-watercress-beds/
I really liked the way the story was told. The sentences and phrasing reminded me of nineteenths century novels. It is slow and detailed and the characters come to life and talk to you.
There is a narrator too who tells a different story – the story of rivers, the Thames and links into the various lore of the different traditions.

A beautifully written story with a Gothic atmosphere that keeps you hooked, a fairytale for modern readers that I enjoyed thoroughly and would recommend to anyone!

Beautifully written atmospheric story. Cant believe its taken me so long to get around to reading this one. It's part historical fixtion, part mystery, part fairytale.and very magical. A great read. Thank you Netgalley for the digital copy in return for an honest.

A story of mystery and suspense set in Dickensian time by a river on a dark night. Kept me enthralled throughout - a good read

Whoops I missed this one it was a while ago but this is a great book. Very gothic and not recommended if you have a fear of water. It reads like a victorian novel which I really enjoyed and must be very fifficult to write

This is a book I have had for a while. I have tried to read it numerous time’s but keep putting it down and not wanting to pick it back up. I did finish it in the end but it clearly was not for me!

At the beginning I found myself mesmerised by the magic, however as time went on this fell flat for me and I found myself uninterested. There are so so many characters that I found myself so confused on who was who. There seemed to be very little development so I could not get my head around who was who and what had happened to them previously. This means that I couldn’t get into the book.

I did end up skim reading this book, just so I could get it done. But it did fall flat and it was such a shame!

Combining styles of folklore or myth, with more relatable tales, once upon a river has as its central concept the presumed reappearance of a missing child - but which child? Switching between focus on a range of characters we see different reactions to grief and reunion, some authentic and some less so. The reader is kept guessing as to what exactly is going on, whilst simultaneously becoming engaged in the lives and losses of these characters.

A magical realism tale with twists and turns plus beautiful, descriptive prose that gradually draws you in. Set by the Thames the story is one of mystery, emotionally charged and each element of the tale has depths like the dark, brooding river.
Don't want to give much away just read it and be enchanted by this engaging tale.

I fell in love with the writing of this author ever since reading, and subsequently re-reading The Thirteenth Tale and honestly didn't think she could surpass that story but she has! This was so well worth the wait.

I enjoyed the story so much (especially as its in my favourite genre, Historical Fiction) that I bought the book and then I listened to it on audiobook (which I HIGHLY recommend you do!).

The story carries you away to a far off time, gives you a little magic and a lot of questions to ask.

Please buy. You honestly won't regret it. Can't wait for her next book.

This was so different from The Thirteenth Tale, but I don't mean that as a negative at all. The aforementioned book is a favourite of mine and Once Upon a River didn't disappoint either.

Slow and steady in pace, it weaves a lot of characters through its narrative and demands your attention. It took time to build up the atmosphere and craft the folklore, story telling themes that are central. There'll be no spoilers from me, I encourage you to grab a cup of tea, settle in and let yourself get whisked into this wonderful, lyrically written book.

Oh my goodness, I loved it. Such a beautifully written tender tale that explores the depths of one's soul. Diane is my comfort author, the one I go to when I need a break. This book is so deserving of all its glorious reviews.

Ethereal is the word that sprang to mind while I was reading this beautifully written book. Once upon a river begins in 1887 at The Swan Inn at Radcot “where you went for storytelling.” A wonderfully meandering tale starting with the appearance of a man at the inn with a young girl, drowned in the nearby river. In the search for the parents of this child a complex and multilayered yarn develops. I loved it! Thank you to Diane Setterfield, Net Galley and Transworld Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set in the past, historical fiction fairy tale type story. My first book from this author - I didn’t know what to expect, quite slow going but very much worth the read. Magical traits woven in, superstition and heart-break.

This is my first Diane Setterfield book and this novel has a great premise and it started off intriguing. I enjoyed trying to work out how the characters were linked and how all the threads were going to come together at the end. However, this intrigue and interest wavered at about 50%. I feel that Setterfield whose prose can be beautiful and lyrical and atmospheric was just trying to fit too much into this novel. It felt clunky and heavy-handed at times and I feel that had the story been simpler it would have been more of an engrossing read for me. As it is, I felt at a distance and a little too removed from the characters and the situations being explored.

o good, this book literally rendered me speechless! Somehow this manages to be both completely fresh, and a folk story that feels like it's always existed!? I don't know how she's done it but I suspect witchcraft! The blend of historical fiction and magical realism was seamless and pitch perfect, and this one of the best books I read in 2019.

I struggled to get in to this one. Everything from the description, the cover and everything I'd heard about it screamed that it's one I'd love! Unfortunately just a little too slow for me.