The origin of myths can be fascinating, especially when it comes to King Arthur. Here is another "what if" story that will captivate you. A seventeen-year-old orphan, Idrisa, is invited to the palace, along with the others at her school, to celebrate the birthday of Prince Merrick. He is one of the few children born in a the year of a plague. But it becomes more than a party when fighting for her life, Idrisa takes possession of a magical sword. Now the Emperor and others are after her life to break the bond. But there is so much more to the story as she will quickly find out as she finds her fate intertwined with that of Prince Merrick.
King Arthur is one of the most famous mythical figures in the world. Even if he is proved to be real in our history, his feats have been told and retold to the point of unheard of times. Most of them follow the same vein. This one? Totally wipes out all the others. This is a version you never dreamed of but wish you had. 
Let's start with the characters. The story takes the reader through various points of view, but the two main characters lead the charge. Idrisa is an orphan who has a chance to view a life that is far removed from her own. In the process, she begins to experience sensations that make her question her own sanity. Only when she obtains the sword does she realize that it could be magic. Merrick feels alone as he deals with the death of his mother and his own family problems. When he sees Idrisa do the unthinkable, he begins to question everything in his life. Nothing is as simple as it appears, even for those who are well off. These characters are young. They are typical teenagers, in a sense. But the strength in them comes from their determination and curiosity. They are also independent in that they follow along for a time with the rules, but they will buck them if they have to. I wouldn't say the character development is deep. It is slow moving enough to allow the reader to glimpse the layers beneath what the world sees in order to give them characters even more strength in how we perceive them. 
The plot I have really discussed, but let me continue to say this. I'm very familiar with the Arthur legends. The fact that this one doesn't follow all the traditional paths makes it exceptional. The basics are there, but the rest of it is a whole new world. It's like a brand new myth to fall in love with. In addition to that, there are secrets, mysteries, and unsure paths. I can't take what I already know and anticipate what comes next. It's all new!
A great read that will that leave you wanting more. In fact, you'll beg. You'll demand. You might scream for more. I know I am.

As always another great book by Mary, she is an amazing author that always manages to pull me into the world and the characters. This book is epic and I loved the way Mary writes and is so descriptive in her characters and world. A must recomend author

I started this today, intending to only read a few chapters but I ended up hooked and have finished it in a matter of hours instead!

I love the Arthurian legend that this is based on, one of the most interesting parts of those legends are the stories of the ladies of the lake and Excalibur and so this was right up my street!

The characters were great - I rooted so much for Idrisa and Merrick, who I wanted to step up and take the right actions. And I hated certain characters (but I won't say for spoilers) and was distrustful of others and I'm still not sure about them yet.

I thought this was a standalone book but am pleasantly surprised to find there will be a sequel. It left off with a cliffhanger where I was unsatisfied until the next one, but I still will definitely want to read on and see how it all ends! And I'm hoping for more interactions/scenes between Idrisa and Merrick! 🤞

4⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Once Upon a Legend is a YA fantasy and it was full of magic for the have's and none for the have not's. Power hungry and utterly evil characters that you love to hate. This leaves us on a cliffhanger and I am ready to see what is in store for these characters after some crazy reveals towards the end of this one.

I want to first admit that I did not reread the book description before I started reading this book so to be completely honest I was kind of confused on what was going on for a little bit in the beginning. I knew that this was a YA fantasy but that was it. Regardless, once the story got going it was hard to put down. The character development and story building was really well done. I am definitely looking forward to the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

This book is amazing! I loved this so much! I was hooked from the beginning to the end and I cannot wait for the second book to come out. I am absolutely obsessed with this world.
I just reviewed Once Upon A Legend by Mary Ting. #OnceUponALegend #NetGalley
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I've read several works from this author and always look forward to see what's coming next. This time, her tale took an exciting, new direction.

Idrisa is an orphan and as normal as can be, or at least, so she thinks, since only royals and elites possess magic. But when she attends the kingdom-wide birthday gala of the prince, strange things begin to happen. Not only does she feel awful, but there's something pulling her toward the lake. Giving in, she follows the call and ends up with a powerful, mythical sword only she can wield. Her secret doesn't stay as such for long, and soon the king is doing what he can to gain possession of the sword himself.

This is the first book in a brand, new series (as it appears) and a great start. While the writing came across as a bit too flowery to me, at first, I soon found myself being pulled in by the characters. It's an exciting ride with tons of subplots, twists, intrigue, magic and more. While this is a type of King Arthur re-telling, it has a life of its own right along with an original world, characters and plot. I expected something more fitting for the original tale's setting, and I'm so glad the author followed her very own direction.

I can't wait to see where everything goes from here because it promises to be quite the ride.

I have enjoyed a few of Ms. Ting's novels and I definitely enjoyed this novel. It was a good read, involving mystery and magic, with a twist. The greed of man and foretellings of the future cause them to make horrible choices, thinking they can change fate. But there are those who work against them, fighting for the future and making sacrifices for the greater good. Some where multiple masks, deceiving those around them, some for good, others for evil. I enjoyed the alternating points of view, mostly between Idrisa and Merrick. Secrets and truths are revealed, having the characters search for more answers, but also having more questions. I look forward to the next novel in the series!

This book just called to me. I am really glad I decided to pick it up, I read it and I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this captivating story filled with angst and feelings that had me completely enthralled.