To every person who’s grown up wishing fairy tales and magic were real - here’s another for your list. It seems like all the good fairy tales always take place in England or Ireland - there's just something about those places that call to stories like this one. Eva spends her summer unexpectedly with her mother on an estate in England that she has never visited with a grandmother she has never had the chance to meet. This book is Eva's discovery of her family's history with the estate, her favorite fantasy book, and Ternival itself. Keeping the cast of characters & who they were in the epigraphs was slightly confusing during the beginning to middle of the book. It did get better towards the end once you had most of the information. I like the premise of this book that the characters age as the series progresses and that they might have to accept that their role is to nurture the next generation - not have a grand adventure in Ternival themselves.

The map in the front felt a little bit deceiving - I thought that more time would be spent in Ternival itself but that was not the case. That isn't to say I will turn down a book map though since I do love them and it was nice to have a guide when locations in Ternival did pop up in the book. The epigraphs (and quotes) before each chapter were a little confusing at times but it did remind me of how the Silmarillion contained "building of Middle-Earth" information.

I did not realize that this book is to be succeeded by at least one more book until I got to the end - Once a Castle. I couldn't find any information on it either so I'm not sure how long the wait will be until it is published. I would recommend this book to readers who love portal fantasy books - The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, Havenfall duology, Wayward Children series. Rounded from 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

At first, this book was difficult to get into due to its slow pacing, but the excerpts interjected between chapters improved the mystery and made for a more fairytale-like read. The lore was a little confusing at times but I understood it by the end. Overall, this was an intriguing story that asks; what happens to the children who return home from the magical world? I'd definitely be interested in reading the sequel.

I think this book as a target audience, but it wasn't me. At least not current me, maybe I would have liked it as a kid when I didn't understand all the Christian allegory. I'm just someone who instantly hates Christian allegory in books (except His Dark Materials), so this book is not for me.

However, I certainly don't think this was a bad book. If you're the target audience you'd probably love it. The pacing was a little odd sometimes, but the world and characters were quite well-crafted. I personally found some of them a little annoying due to the ~christianity~, but I liked Lord Edward and the Rastegars a lot.
There's a lot of references/nods to older books (many of which I have read), such as The Secret Garden, The Little White Horse, and The Chronicles of Narnia. Honestly, it just felt like a conglomeration of those and I have mixed thoughts. Firstly, it felt like the writing style of those, which I appreciated, because I like old fashioned writing styles. But then it almost felt like fan fiction of all of those (except at least one of them is in the public domain so can it technically be fanfiction?), but especially Narnia. It felt like an exploration of Susan's life after The Last Battle (which has been done before I know), and I thought that the themes were interesting (grief), but it felt a little on the nose, especially when the stag showed up and it was just Aslan-but-a-stag. It tapped into my least favourite themes and messages of Narnia, which is unfortunate, but for the people who like those themes, I'm sure they will like this book!
Unfortunately, this book was not for me, but I know it has an audience!

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc

Loved this enchanting young adult book. Gave me the vibes of the movie The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. Was happy the book was written with shorter chapters which a preference of mine. But I feel it all helps to suck me into a book. Makes it so that I really didn’t want to put it down at times. Loved the story taking place at what seemed like the magical Carrick Hall outside London England. Where we find Eva has traveled with her mother to visit her estranged Grandmother. Her father staying back home to work on research. Once there Eva learns there are a lot of secrets going on. Ones her mother kept from her. Ones her Grandmother kept from them. Ones Eva learns she has to keep from them. As part of what’s going on Eva learns of another magical world. But is it real and she can possibly travel there. Or just the stuff of fairy tales like in her favorite books. Along with the family secrets we learn the staff of Carrick Hall has theirs as well. Eva struggles with who to believe what’s real and was fairy tale. But it’s is well written and easy to follow. Really left you wanting more as you went along. Great for younger readers who want to start getting into fantasy.

Loved the premise.
Loved the underlying spiritual truths.
Will definitely read the sequel.

You can feel the author’s love for God and the influence of quality literature in her writing as you read.
Recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the chance to read this book.

Eva is spending the summer in her English grandmother's manor and facing a lot of questions. There are secrets everywhere, and the tensions are high in the family. Eva learns that the staff are convinced that certain fairy tales known to just them and the family are true and that there are portals between worlds. They say Eva's grandmother had once been a queen in this world, but losing her sisters to a horrible tragedy has made her deny it all. Eva is determined to find out what really happened by uncovering family secrets and finding out if the stories are true once and for all.

This book is dealing with a real historical event, generational trauma, family relationships, magical realism, and other worlds. It's a lot to cover, and as a result, it feels a little bit like it doesn't cover some of it enough.

Once a Queen has obvious parallels to The Chronicles of Narnia, and the author is a major fan of C.S. Lewis. The writing style in a lot of ways reflects this. Unfortunately, this book doesn't have the adventure, excitement, or characters that Narnia does. The fairy tales in the story are highlighted through excerpts and the beginning of chapters and in mentions here and there from the characters. If you want to read a portal fantasy or about a new magical world, you should know that isn't what this book is.

The primary focus is not on the magical elements but about Eva's grandmother processing grief in tragedy. Considering that the main character is an observer in most of this, it's harder to feel a connection to the book. The sluggish plot and Eva's slowness to take action or put things together didn't help.

The world building is strangely lacking considering how much time the book spends discussing it, and we spend hardly any time in a different world. The stories from the world are mostly generic, and the characters are run of the mill. Even though everyone in the family and the staff are supposed to love these stories, including Eva who didn't know they were real and her father who is making them the topic of his academic studies, there isn't a spark to them.

The book was a slow read, and I wouldn't be particularly interested in reading more books in the series. It feels more like a prequel than an introduction to a series. To compare it to Narnia, this is more like "The Magician's Nephew" -- lots of setup but kind of boring if you don't care about the world it's developing. It's no "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe".

Once a Queen tells the story of fourteen-year-old American Eva Joyce who unexpectedly finds herself spending the summer at the mysterious manor house of the English grandmother she’s never met, she soon discovers that her family, the manor staff, and even the house itself are hiding secrets.

When I first picked up this book, something about it hinted about it being linked to the Arthurian myths (possibly the fact that it was being set in England and they are the most popular English fairytale/myths) however, immediately after starting this novel, I could tell that the author had been inspired and was using the fabulous story of C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia--which led me to believe that this book would feature subtle Christian themes, magical world-building, fierce female protagonists, badass villains and lots of unexpected twists and turns in the characters' journey.

Whilst the world-building isn't as in depth or mesmerizing as I would have hoped and the overall pace of the book means that a lot of the tension and much needed action, I will say that Sarah Arthur has managed to create a book that can easily be called an inspiration but definitely not a rip off, much like other books inspired by these beloved children's classics.

Once a Queen is the first book in a planned series and whilst it does have its quirks and faults, I would definitely recommend this to any young reader who is looking for a read very similar to The Chronicles of Narnia but with a main character more like Susan Pevensie and a very sorrowful tale that will leave you with more questions than answers--but isn't that the best way to end a book?

I enjoyed this book for the most part, however I felt like it lacked the world building that would have made it phenomenal. The story really emphasizes the exploration of the past, however the present is not as big of a focus. I think that with some little shifts here and there, Once a Queen would have been a really fantastic read, however I have to give it 3/5 stars for what it is lacking.

When fourteen-year-old Eva Joyce visits her grandmother in England with her mom who’d left home after getting married and never returned before now, she doesn’t expect to find out that her grandmother might have been the subject of one of Eva’s favorite fairy tales growing up. The manor might even contain a portal to another world, but no one is willing to talk about it much, her grandmother least of all. Tragedy in her grandmother’s past overshadows the wonder and magic, and Eva begins to believe it’s her job to help her grandmother heal.

Packaged as a portal fantasy, this book is more about Eva’s grandmother’s past trauma, after losing someone close to her when she was a young adult. It’s difficult to separate what is part of the fantastical element of the other world(s) and what is just a reflection of the grandmother’s brokenness. There are questions about all of that that I never really understood and questions about whether Eva’s mom believed any of the tales or not, considering that she doesn’t want to talk about it now, doesn’t seem to believe it now, yet Eva grew up with the stories.

It’s clear that the author is heavily influenced by The Chronicles of Narnia books, though she makes no secret that she’s a major fan. I’ve only just recently read all of that series for the first time, and I saw some pretty obvious parallels. This book takes place almost exclusively in our world, though, with references to the other world(s), which wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Some history from the other world is told between chapters, but I wasn’t completely sure how much of it was important. In the end, this feels a lot more like a book for older teens or adults than teens around 14, with more of an emphasis on grief and trauma than fantasy adventure. The writing is poetic and elegant (and dialog and history related to the other world(s) is basically KJV-type writing, to put it simply), which is not really my preferred style and might be lost on the teens it’s meant for. Considering that the book is in 1st-person from the perspective of a 14-year-old girl, I question the style choice; perhaps if the narrator were to mention that she wrote down her memories decades after it happened, it would make more sense when she describes old manor houses using terminology I’d be surprised an American teen would know. The language also added to the slow feeling of the book as a whole. In the end, not much really happens, and while it sets up a series, it didn’t leave me wanting more. However, the other reviews for this book are generally positive, so please check them out if you’re interested. I wonder if people who have long been fans of Narnia would enjoy this more than I did or if they’d actually enjoy it less.

I got an e-arc through Netgalley, this in no way affected my review.

I went into this book thinking it would take me on a magical journey to a fantasy land and while I got glimpses of that, it wasn’t what this book was.

We follow Eva as she visits her grandmother that she has never met before. She lives in a sprawling estate, but everyone seems to be hiding a secret.

The writing style was very engaging and that’s why I rated this book 4 stars, because the story was more of a 3 stars in my opinion. I kept on waiting for plot twists and reveals to happen, but they barely ever came. The ending was what made this book feel more like a 0.5 in the series than the first book.

I am in fact curious to see what the sequel will bring as it looks like that book will be what I expected from this one.

This book, unfortunately, was not for me. It's a very young YA and I can see that the author got the inspiration from Narnia, but for me it fell flat and bored me for the most part. I also don't like when authors use Christian allegories in fantasy books blatantly, therefore Once a Queen is definitely not my thing.

"Once a Queen" is a spellbinding young adult fantasy that instantly drew me in with its dual timelines and enchanting storytelling. Reminiscent of "The Chronicles of Narnia," it seamlessly weaves unique narrative threads and beloved fantasy elements. The engaging writing style made it a page-turner, and the richly described setting added to the enchantment. Eva's journey of self-discovery was heartwarming, and the subtle incorporation of Christian themes added depth to the story. Although a few minor issues held it back from perfection, I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment. A must-read for fans of clean young adult fantasy!

A fantasy adventure that draws one in. Eva & her mother spend the summer in England at her Grandmother's manor. While there, she discovers there are stories & things that she was never told by her mom. These secrets seem to be connected to an obscure set of fairytales her parents read to her. While searching things out, Eva makes friends with Frankie, who is related to the mayor's gardener. He wants to help Eva on her quest. Things start happening that has Eva believing that the fairytales might be more than just stories but she has to untangle the truth, the fairytales, & the secrets that both her mother & grandmother are keeping. Definite nods to both Narnia & The Secret Garden.
Thank-you NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

After finishing Sarah Arthur’s "Once a Queen" and then discovering that she co-founded a festival devoted to C. S. Lewis, my first thought was, “Yep, that tracks.” And no, that’s not a slight. But Arthur’s novel — in which a girl named Eva discovers evidence that her grandmother was a queen in another world, the very same world chronicled in Eva’s favorite book — is clearly inspired by Lewis’s beloved Narnian stories. But it’s inspired in the best ways, and no mere rip-off. Arthur’s prose is often quite beautiful and even moving at times, and she weaves a story filled with delight and imagination as well as sorrow, tragedy, and heartache. (Because, as we all know, the best fairy tales often have darker, sadder undercurrents.) "Once a Queen" is a bit cluttered — I confess, it was occasionally difficult to keep track of all of the characters’ familial connections — and Eva’s naïveté and stubbornness is as frustrating as it is endearing (as is often the case with fourteen-year-olds). But the novel is also deeply earnest in its insistence, à la Lewis, of the importance and power of myths and fairy tales, and their ability to convey deeper truths. Perhaps the highest compliment I can give "Once a Queen" is that upon finishing it, I immediately began thinking of all of the youngsters who should read it when it’s released later this month, starting with my own kids.

1/5 Stars (DNF @ 17%)

TL;DR - A very young YA that aspires to be ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ but falls incredibly flat. Not an homage, just derivative, and boring to boot. Hard pass.

Big thanks to WaterBrook & Multnomah and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!

‘Once a Queen’ by Sarah Arthur is a YA fantasy about 14 year old Eva Joyce, an American who, with her ex-pat mother, goes to spend the summer with her estranged grandmother in rural England. Apparently there’s a magical land a la Narnia that she’s mysteriously connected to through her ancestral home, but I didn’t get that far.

Wow, this was…wow. And not in a good way.

This book is very clearly inspired by ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ by C.S. Lewis, and by very clearly, I mean it’s essentially fanfiction and painfully transparent. As I said in the TL;DR, there’s a difference between paying homage to a favorite series and just straight up moving everything in said series two inches to the left and calling it your own, and this book is the latter. I’m not a diehard Narnia stan, but I’ve seen the movies and read the books way, way back, and I kind of take offense to this author not only ripping off that series, but also doing it (in my humble opinion) poorly.

This book has what I like to call the La Croix of fantasy world-building - very run-of-the-mill, bland, vaguely European names with just the teensiest, barely-there hint of fantastical flavor, the most basic, uninspired creation myth/history, and the same tired iterations of fantasy creatures you’ve seen in a hundred different worlds. It’s fantasy in the way that a single grain of rice is a meal. It’s been done, and it’s been done better.

The writing is *very* young, which in and of itself isn’t a bad thing, it’s just not at all what I was expecting, nor what the book was sold to me as. Sure, it has a 14 year-old protagonist, but I don’t think I would have enjoyed this even at 14, and I certainly didn’t at 30-something. If you have a young reader just wanting to get into fantasy, this is probably a good place to start, as the writing is very simple, to the point that I, a grown woman, was bored at best and cringing at worst.

(On that note, the cover is not giving middle-grade vibes at all, so that adds to my confusion. But that’s subjective, YMMV.)

I’m also not a fan of the very blatant Christian allegories front-loaded into the book (very loosely using the term “allegories”, mind - it’s basically the Christian god wearing a fake mustache seen creating this world in a very Genesis/Eden scenario). Scripture is actually quoted in one place that I encountered, and that’s just not something I care to read. If that’s your jam, go forth with my blessing because you’ll probably like how heavily Christianity plays into this book even at 17% in, but I will not be joining you.


Final Thoughts:

Overall, I was bored from pretty much the jump. Nothing about this book stood out to me. If I wanted to read the whole “child visits English manor house and discovers secret magic world”, I’d just go read C.S. Lewis. Will not be purchasing a physical copy.

Ava, who grew up of modest means in America with parents in research and academia is surprised to find herself spending the summer with her estranged grandmother at her own family’s historic estate in the English countryside.

The estate is eccentric and rich in history and rumors. Strange things occur at night in the gardens and it soon becomes clear to Ava that her childhood fairytales may actually be true. Her grandmother may be a queen from another world. Magic may be real. And traveling to other realms may actually be possible.

The staff knows more than they’re saying. And with an elusive mother, a reclusive and mysterious grandmother, Ava is determined to uncover the truth.

This story is enchanting tale of parallel worlds, portals, and magic, with Chronicles of Narnia vibes. The writing is descriptive and visual with alternating scenes between the present storyline and original fairytale. I was left with questions and wanting more and thrilled to learn this is part of a series.
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher WaterBrook, and author Sarah Arthur for an ARC of this book.

In all the old stories, in those fairy tales I still half believed, this was how it happened. Ordinary kids were visiting relatives, maybe. Or stuck at boarding school. Alone. Uncertain. Yearning for adventure...That summer, at age fourteen, I was too old to believe anymore, of course. But the ache, the yearning, was still there. It never leaves us, really. The question is whether it will become our truest hope or deepest wound. Or both."

Eva Joyce is an American teenager visiting England, and her grandmother, for the first time. The old hall her grandmother inhabits where she gets to spend the summer reminds Eva of her favorite book of fairy tales set in a mythical world ruled by queens and kings who were once ordinary people like her, from the ordinary, human world.

At first, Eva and her grandmother seem to get along well, with their love of fashion, color and beautiful things. But then Eva makes friends with an old gardener on the estate and his grandson, and begins poking and prodding in things her grandmother feels she isn't meant to meddle in. For there are many secrets haunting Carrick Hall, and some of them tie her grandmother, her family, her new friends, and the old hall itself into the magical fairy tale world that Eva thought only existed in stories.

This book has a very obvious influence from authors like Frances Hodgson Burnett and J.R.R. Tolkien, but mainly it's hard not to see the resemblance to C.S. Lewis. The whole book comes across as a bit of a cross between a loveletter and a fanfiction to the author, right down to a bit of Christian allegory.

I did enjoy the book. Eva and Frankie are great protagonists, and watching them solve their problems and overcome their faults was an engaging read. I'm sorry that we'll see less of them in the next book, but I am also curious to see the adventures of the new generation.

The glimpses of the fairy tale writings of Professor Kinchurch were enthralling, especially to a fairy tale addict like me, although the style switch from the rather light-hearted, comical opening, to the formal, serious middle and ending reads like having William Goldman start writing "The Tales of Ternival" and then having J.R.R. Tolkien write it's middle and ending. It's a bit jarring. I'm hoping that the author might nail down the good Professor's style a bit more firmly by the second book.

Speaking of second books, I am extremely glad this book will not be a standalone, because there seems to have been a lot of work put into the setup of a fantasy world we didn't get to spend much actual time in, as well as some loose threads I'm really hoping will be tied up.

As a final parting note, my friend and I were reviewing this book at the same time, and she was thoroughly confused by it. After discussing it in a long phone call, we came to the conclusion that there needs to be the following warning/disclaimer: Go through the book and read ALL the fairy tale bits from "Tales of Ternival" FIRST and THEN go back and read the main story. It is much easier to understand and makes much more sense that way.

For her first novel, this is a solid effort and I will definitely read any novels following in this series. Four stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, WaterBrook and Multnomah, and Ms. Sarah Arthur for the advanced reader's copy. This is a voluntary review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Once a Queen by Sarah Arthur is a lovely YA fantasy.
Eva is a fourteen year old girl on her first trip to meet a grandmother she's never met. Her mother won't tell her why they are estranged and the manor house with it's gardens hold many secrets.all her live she's been told fairy tale stories of another world and she learns that they might just be true
My first reaction was that this story reminded me of other classic children's novels like The Secret Garden. I liked the character and seeing Eva develop her relationships with Frankie and her Grandmother.
The thing that really got me was dealing with the generational trauma and the grief. I felt sad for the Grandmother who was clearly letting her friend over her sister taken over her world.
The fantasy world took me an extra minute to understand. I read through it a second time and discussed it all length with my best friend. Read apart from the main novel is it's own fascinating story.
I received this arc from net galley is exchange for my honest review.

Nice story! I love the 'fairytaleness' of it! A lot goes into the forming of another world in a story. I love the characters too, overall. My favorites were Jack and Eva. The only drawback for me is the sadness of the story as a whole. I'm hoping for less sadness in the 2nd tale!!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance e-copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I have been provided with a review copy of The Empire’s Ghost from NetGalley for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.