As a long time fan of the world-within-the-world trope, I was really excited for this one. Unfortunately I just never connected to it. I found the fairy tale excerpts to have a stilted tone and formal language, in a way that made them feel like work, and the contemporary storyline was not all that much more engaging for me personally. The juxtaposition of the two meant just when I would finally feel like I was getting somewhere with the familial storyline, it would be interrupted and I would lose the thread again. This one just didn't work for me

This book reminded me so much of the Chronicles of Narnia! Teens trying to get to a magical world?? Yes please! I also loved the lore that Arthur included at the end of each chapter about Ternival. I thought it was a unique way of describing the history and characters associated with it.

I couldn’t really tell who the intended audience of the book was for. I first thought that it was geared more for young adult since it was following two teens and their journey to uncover family secrets, but the language used with Ternival felt very old English and I had a challenging time reading through it. There were some parts that did feel repetitive. I thought most of the story would take place in Ternival but I was sadly mistaken; I would have liked to read that.

This book was possibly not for me in some aspects. I think it had a lot of enjoyable qualities about it. It did leave me wanting/wishing for more.

In fairytales ordinary kids go to magical words and come back stronger, braver.

A cross between Narnia and The Secret Garden is a story of a girl who visits her estranged grandmother and finds out family secrets of magical worlds. This book however has a strong underlying message of what happens after the kids come back? And the important of having your own story and that you can’t control your own story.

This story was both entertaining and powerful

An American teenager discovers that her estranged English grandmother was once a queen in another world in the debut novel from bestselling author and speaker Sarah Arthur.

This was pretty interesting. I liked the characters and the world-building. I hope there's more.

Thank you to Netgalley for an electronic ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"A mysterious manor house hides the keys to shocking family secrets—and rapidly fading portals to other worlds—in the richly woven opener to bestselling author Sarah Arthur’s young adult fantasy series."

Once a Queen is a beautiful, captivating novel from Sarah Arthur.

A combination coming of age story, portal fantasy, and mystery, this story draws the reader in from the very beginning.

The protagonist Eva, a fourteen year old girl with more questions than answers, realizes if she wants to know the truth of her family's painful past - it will be up to her to discover the truth.

The character relationships, world building and skillful storytelling make this a truly enjoyable reading experience.

My only wish would be to have the characters spend more time in the alternate universe. It felt like this was teased throughout the entire book, and was really only touched upon at the end.

I will definitely be reading any subsequent books in this series!

Once a Queen by Sarah Arthur is a captivating and magical debut novel that takes readers on a thrilling journey through different dimensions. The story follows fourteen-year-old Eva Joyce, who finds herself spending the summer at her mysterious English grandmother's manor house—a grandmother she's never met and from whom her family is estranged.

As Eva delves into the secrets of the manor, strange occurrences in the gardens at night lead her to discover that her grandmother may have been a queen in another world. With the help of the elderly housekeeper, gardener, and the gardener's great-grandson, Frankie, Eva unravels the generational secrets that have kept her family apart. The book weaves together themes of magic, family, and adventure, creating a captivating and enchanting tale.

The characters in Once a Queen are well-developed and add depth and warmth to the story. Eva's journey of self-discovery and growth is beautifully portrayed, and her interactions with Frankie and the other characters are both heartwarming and thought-provoking.

The novel's pace can be a bit uneven at times, with moments of fast-paced excitement alternating with slower, more introspective moments. However, this adds to the book's charm, as it allows readers to immerse themselves in the magic and mystery of the story.

The premise of portals to other worlds and a grandmother's hidden past is intriguing and reminiscent of tales like The Chronicles of Narnia. The book explores themes of family relationships, grief, and the challenges of growing up, making it relatable and impactful for readers of all ages.

Once a Queen also touches on themes of Faith and Christianity, which may resonate with some readers. However, even for those who may not share the same beliefs, the story's magic and adventure are still highly enjoyable.

In conclusion, Once a Queen is a delightful and engaging read that blends magic, family, and self-discovery into a captivating narrative. Sarah Arthur's debut novel is sure to enchant readers with its rich storytelling and memorable characters.

4.2 rounded down to 4/5

This was such a good read! I was fully sucked into the story right away and I really enjoyed the characters. The journey the author took these characters on was exciting and unique which is something I am really interested in with books now. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

This was a very exciting read bound with magic, family, and adventures through different dimensions!

I had so much fun reading 'Once A Queen'. It was very intriguing with so many adventures occurring and I found myself stuck in the moment. The magic, learning more about the different dimensions and the true story of the MC Eva's grandmother as well as her reign in her kingdom was so beautiful with so many beautiful descriptions!
What I loved the most were the extracts Eva's favorite fairytale which highlighted the story of her grandmothers reign in one of the different worlds other than the one they truly lived in.

There were many interesting and intriguing scenes that had my heart beating erratically.

However, at some points I found that the writing was a bit to drawly... is that even a word? At some points I felt that so many things were going on at once and I couldn't wrap my head around much of the information that was thrown at me. The writing however was quite good in some areas with a good pace.
One other thing, I found the pace to alternate every couple of pages. One second it was fast paced and the next a bit slower which I think had me a bit detached from the story and struggling to read on.

But.. the premise was really interesting and I really enjoyed Arthur's storytelling!

A traditional, magical fantasy with a huge old house, filled with many secrets. I immediately like our protagonist. Also, this author has an excellent command of writing, especially for this genre. You immediately dive into another place, and live there whilst reading. As a sixth grade girl, heavy into my fantasy binge, this would have been an ideal read. I highly recommend for our students needing some fairytale type escapism. Lovely series opener.

This was a fresh take on the "fall into another world"-trope as that bit had already happened to the main characters grandmother. I think I'd categorise this as a nice little summer read. If this trope is something you enjoy I would definitely give it a read. I also liked that we got the backstory simultaneously as the main story. That was done well.

We follow fourteen year old Eva as she visits her grandmother for the first time in another country. Eva quickly finds out that there is something strange going on. Her grandmother has once been the queen of a fantasy kingdom.

A solid little fantasy read. Enjoyable

For anyone who's ever read and loved the Chronicles of Narnia but was less than enthusiastic about its conclusion (and the treatment of Susan!) in the Last Battle, this is the book for you.

Young Eva is crossing the Atlantic ocean to England to meet her maternal grandmother for the first time. Her father is in the final stages of his quest to untangle the academic mysteries of the deceased Professor Kinchurch (which will enable him to secure a proper academic job) so her family is being houses and her mother takes her to England to be out of the way. Her mother and grandmother have a fraught relationship, but as Eva comes to know her grandmother and the other residents of the local village - including gardener Stokes and his grandson Frankie - she begins to realize that her favorite fairy tale author - A.H.W. Clifton - was not making up stories about the magical land of Ternival. Clifton was writing true stories and the people in them included not just Professor Kinchurch but Eva and Frankie's relatives as well.

As Eva (with Frankie's help) begin to unravel their own mysteries, they are confronted with a legacy of loss and heartache and what happens to those left behind when others travel to a magical, far-away realm. As in real life, there are no tidy happily ever afters, but rather messiness and story threads that continue after the author writes "the end."

The writing style was really smooth and so easy to read! I flew through the book!
I could really connect with the main character so that’s definitely a plus point!
The book wasn’t too long and I really liked the plot!

While I appreciate the opportunity to read this, unfortunately this is a DNF for me. I made it about halfway but the pacing is too slow for me to continue.

I really liked this story and its beautiful homage to books like Narnia and A Green and Ancient Light. However, like Narnia, I could have done with a little less of the religious overtones. This is just personal preference, as I did enjoy the classical representation of the relationship between religion, myth, and lore, but this agnostic Jew didn't quite realize how much faith and christianity were going to play a role in this story. The pacing also takes some getting used to, and I wish the slower motion could have been on account of more description instead of less action.

4/5

I loved this book! The character sand setting just made this plot so magical. Following Eva through her journey of discovering her families' secrets were very entertaining to read. The mystery behind the world that she didn't know could exist was great. My only thing about the book was that I felt at times the paciing was rather slow, especially towards the end but all in all I would recommend this book to people who love fantasy and mysteries.

An interesting and magical world perfect for young readers. The narrative goes pretty compelling and fast, giving Us a clear understading of its universe. Altough I wasn't the target auudience for the book, I had an enjoyable moment between the pages.
Thank You, netgalley for the ARC granted!