Once a Castle was a solid sequel to Once a Queen. I knew going into it that the POV torch had been passed on to another cast of characters (though most of them were in book one in one way or another). I think it wouldn’t have been as jarring if the main POV’s in book one had more page time with the current cast of characters. All in all, I’m not sure if it was reading it so long after the first book or the POV swaps that made this one a little harder to get in to. The world building was just as good as the first book and expanding our knowledge a bit. Once I got further in it was a little bit better and I enjoyed the forays of the current characters.

I do love the family aspect of these books and that they contain hard subjects that are written with kindness. The varied ages of the kids made for quite the adventure both into Ternival and at home, coupled with more crossings with inherent dangers than the previous book

I am interested in seeing what characters will steer the story in book three. I would recommend this book (and series) to readers who enjoy Chronicles of Narnia or His Dark Materials. Many thanks to WaterBrook and Sarah Arthur for my gifted copy - thank you for letting me share in Ternival’s story. Rounded from 4.5 stars.

Such an enchanting young adult fantasy! Really good for beginner fantasy readers. Although I did end up enjoying the book it did take me longer to get into the story and what was happening. It felt a little more complex with new characters than the first. But overall I still enjoyed being back in this setting and will look forward to another book coming.

I previously read and enjoyed Once a Queen, so I was super excited to recieve Once a Castle. However, simply was just missing. I tried. But this one just didn't work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to preview this book.

Your fondness for C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia” will likely determine how much you enjoy “Once a Castle,” the second installment in Sarah Arthur’s “Carrick Hall” series. In Arthur’s novels, a group of youths from our world stumble into the fantastical land of Ternival, where they must help the resident talking animals, dryads, and centaurs battle the machinations of an evil queen. Which, on paper, is a little on the nose. But that doesn’t make “Once a Castle” any less enjoyable. As with 2024’s “Once a Queen,” Arthur’s prose is light, fun, and eminently readable — I think I finished the book in a little over two days — and even quite beautiful and moving at times, be it the heroism of the centaur Starwise, the characters’ acts of grace and forgiveness, Arthur’s commentary on the nature of fairy tales, or even an apparent attempt to improve upon Lewis’ Calormenes. As with “Once a Queen,” Arthur crams an awful lot into “Once a Castle” and her attempts to weave the different plots and timelines together can feel a bit jumbled, which makes the ending feel just a bit too neat, tidy, and convenient. That said, I truly enjoyed my return trip to Ternival, and I’m looking forward to Arthur’s third Carrick Hall book, “Once a Crown.”

While I read Once a Queen, I hadn’t read it in so long that I borrowed the audiobook from the library and listened before I started Once a Castle.

I’ll reiterate from my review of the first title, that I am not religious in the slightest, but I loved the Narnia series to the degree that one of my children has the same same as one of the non-Pevensie characters. It’s a book series that I never understood was allegory, I just loved the stories, and Aslan. So a young person’s fantasy series so heavily affected by my favorite childhood series was an automatic read for me.

I enjoyed Once a Queen and I really enjoyed Once a Castle - I love that the series is so influenced by C.S. Lewis’s work and the result is a well written, engaging second story that’s suitable for 4th/5th grade and up.

I probably would have read this as a bedtime story to my own kids when they were younger and as a now-retired homeschooler, I recommend this series for younger readers (in Christian families or families who don’t have an issue) who enjoy fantasy and magic. Great series for a read-aloud or family audiobook.



Thank you to Waterbrook and NetGalley for the DRC

Having read Once a Queen a year ago, I was eagerly anticipating the follow up. And gosh, this second in the series is wonderfully special. There is no sluggish sequel anywhere to be found in this rollicking adventure.

We return to Upper Wolvern, where we left it in the first story, only this time some strange things are happening. Giants are inadvertently appearing and there are strong murmurings of the return of an evil witch, Mindra, to the land of Ternival and she seeks the Children of Tellus who hold the keys to her ongoing reign, a crown and some jewels that have been lost for eons.

With a cast of many delightful humans, mythical beings (who doesn't love a centaur named Lord Starwise) and creatures, some with fantastical names, we are thrown between the world we know and the mystical worlds of Ternival and Mesterra. How one moves between these worlds is another one of Arthur's wonderful imaginative inventions.

Arthur's imagination to conjure all she does in this story is really quite special. It has vibes of Lord of the Rings and Narnia and is especially playful in taking the reader back to those days as children when we imagined crazy worlds and their inhabitants.

The theme of community is strong. We need each other to prosper, to invade new lands, to rescue our loves from the dangers that lurk and to encourage us when we're struggling with shame and discouragement. Young and old in order to thrive and celebrating achievements and togetherness are essential.

Sarah Arthur, bravo! I'm so excited about reading the next instalment Once a Crown and seeing what capers our friends next get caught up in.

I'm feeling very blessed to have received an early review copy from WaterBrook via NetGalley, however, this has had no bearing on my review. I'm looking forward to when I can buy all three together and read them sequentially within a short period of time. What fun that will be.

Carrick Hall has been a gateway to the magic land of Ternival, but the doors have been shut for quite some time now. With the summer solstice though, a castle appears in the cliffs of the Wolverns, and the Addison children Jack, Tilly, Elspeth, Georgie, Frank and Eva, Lord Edward's kids Charlie and Aurora, Arash from the Rastegar bookshop, and a weaver-fishergirl, Zahra, from Ternival by way of neighboring Valan must overcome their own foibles and learn to trust each other if they are to have a hope of saving Ternival from the evil witch Mindra in her quest for the magic crown and jewels of Ternival.
At long last we have an adventure in Ternival, and one for nothing less than saving all of Ternival from Mindra as she seeks to reclaim the throne. The cast is huge, as we rotate primarily between following Jack, Tilly, Elspeth, plus Arash and Zahra - it makes for short, choppy chapters full of action and movement as people come together, break apart, and come back together in new groups. Secrets are much fewer in this book, with personal foibles taking a stronger center stage; foibles which each character will need to work through if they are to succeed as a group to save Ternival.
It took a little bit for me to catch the rhythm of the book, as we get launched so quickly into a lot happening. But once you’re in it, you’re in, and it’s onward and forward and don’t look back, don’t stop. Each of the main kids has their own very specific Achilles’ heel/foible to wrestle with in the story, and through the trials and experiences they have, they learn and grow quite satisfyingly. Even the one who seems the furthest from finding the right path, and seems set up to never find it, gets a fair chance to make amends and do better. The echoes I got of the Chronicles of Narnia in the first book are even stronger in this, given how the kids are thrown into such a situation and how they handle it (quite realistically and with just the right amount of meta-awareness, I might add!). But those echoes are more in the unfolding and style of the action, as I recall them years later, than the very Christian allegory Narnia is known for. There is still a bit of it with the stag/Aslan stand-in, and Mindra for the ice queen, as well as who can go to Ternival, when, and what type of circumstances open the door, but it's not as overt as in the first book.
In addition to each of the main children having to face their own difficulties, there is also an overarching theme speaking out against racism: specifically, the racism that Arash and Zahra experience at the hands of the inhabitants of England and Ternival, where each of them is considered a "foreigner" despite having grown up there. While it is a little rocky the way it is inserted, both as a "here is what racism looks like" and "here is how simple it is to not be a racist", ultimately how the anti-racism growth happens is satisfying.

We pick up 5 years after the events of Once Upon a Queen. This one fully commits to the Narniaesque theme. We follow Frankie’s siblings and friends through their magical discoveries and finally get to travel to another world! The first book was good but this sequel surpasses it! Highly recommend this series to any fan of C.S. Lewis.

I enjoyed the first book, but didn't fully realize when I saw a sequel was written that it would follow new characters. This book was enjoyable as well, but it was a little harder for me to get into. I think I was just hoping for more of Eva and Frankie, not a bunch of new characters.

While I enjoyed the first book in this series, Once a Queen, I really adored this second book in the series! It delivered much more on the magical realms and creatures that I was hoping for when I picked up book one. The author is obviously much in love with fantasy and the classics of this genre as you can see influences from Narnia and Lord of the Rings throughout but not in a copycat kind of way.

I enjoyed that it was set within the same place as the first book but advances the time just a bit. We have some familiar characters that we get to catch up with while being introduced to new characters and getting to know some smaller side characters much better. The action and adventure centres mostly on the younger siblings of Frankie and friends but also has another POV from the world of Ternival, Zahra. She was my favourite character within the story, brave and smart and kind and I enjoyed the whole background of her story and grandfather so much as well.

This is a rich story with good pacing and filled to the brim with battles of good against evil and everything you would expect from a portal fantasy story. I would recommend this series to tweens and teens and adults alike. There really isn't anyone that I can't see enjoying this series and I can't wait to see what's next.

I received an advanced digital reader copy of this book through NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my honest review.

As much as I like the writing and the style of Sarah Arthur, the book lost me at chapter 1. Even if I read it right after book 1, I couldn't figure out who we were talking about. And then I realised it wasn't about Eva any more... And I have the feeling that this series goes from one death to another without giving the answers I was looking for. I even struggle to understand who these books are for. Book 1, the main character was 14 at the beginning and then 19 or more. Book 2 I feel like I'm thrown back to square 1 with other characters, in a (still) not very well defined world which rules continue to elude me, and I feel more and more frustrated about it.

Once a Castle is a crossworlds YA fantasy novel and the second book in a series by Sarah Arthur. Released 11th Feb 2025 by WaterBrook, it's 416 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

Engaging and very well written with appealing/interesting and well wrought characters, it is purpose made for fans of old-school fantasy like C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle, and maybe Diana Wynne Jones. The publisher is a Christian allied imprint, and there are some allegorical themes throughout, but that being said, it's -not- a preachy book and it can be read without the background subtext interfering with the story in any way.

This sequel follows strongly on from the first book and readers who try to read them out of order will likely find themselves struggling to pick up the threads of the narrative and figure out what's going on for a while. Also, the interrelationships and backgrounds of many of the (numerous) characters are developed in the first book and will spoil some of Once a Castle.

Four stars. It would make a good choice for public or secondary school library acquisition, home readers, and for a binge/buddy read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I really enjoyed this second book in the Carrick Hall series. After reading Once a Queen I was excited to jump back into the land of Ternival and go on a journey with some old and new characters this time around.

This story definitely echoed C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia with it being a portal fantasy and following the generational characters from the main ones in book one. This story, while being whimsical and adventurous, also tackled some heavier issues such as family, friendship, the importance of asking for and extending forgiveness, prejudice and racism, learning from past history, and good vs evil. The third person perspective showed the great character growth throughout the story and had me completely invested in the story wanting to know how it would end.

If you like wholesome fantasy, winsome characters, and good vs evil then I highly recommend this book and series for you to read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

📖: Once a Castle- Carrick Hall #2

✍🏾 Author: Sarah Arthur, I read Once a Queen and gave it 4⭐. You should read book #1 first.

📅Publication date: 2-11-25 | Read 2-11-25

📃Format: eBook 416 pgs.

Genre:
*YA
*Fantasy
*Christian Fic

Tropes:
*coming of age
*a quest
*alternate universe
*found family
*magic

👆🏾POV: 3rd person, multiple

🌎 Setting: London to Ternival

Summary: Magic is awakened into the real world, and the predictions made by the evil enchantress Mindra come to pass. Eva finds herself back at Carrick Hall as a grad student. The younger characters embark on their own adventure that none of them are prepared for. The children must find a way to rescue their friends and stop Mindra.

🎭Main Characters:
*Frankie Addison-the oldest, dates Eva
* Jack Addison-13
*Tillie Addison-16
*Elspeth Addison-12
*Georgie Addison-the youngest
*Eva Joyce-Carrick Hall heiress, dates Frankie
*Arash Tabari-Professor Rastegar's grandson
*Eddie Heapworth
*Charles Heapworth-Tillie's crush
*Aurora Heapworth-Elspeth's BFF
*Zahra-the fisherman's granddaughter

🤔 My Thoughts: The challenges plaguing the children back home (being a loner/no friends, hate/racism, and poverty) follow them into the mystical world. This book is for middle schoolers but if you liked Once a Queen, you will enjoy this.

Rating: 4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, WaterBrook Multnomah, and Sarah Arthur for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

Once a Castle sweeps readers into a dual universe with a clever take on traveling between worlds. The book definitely gave me vibes of the Chronicles of Narnia with its own version of the White Witch intent on unleashing evil magic upon her world.

As young people from each world intermingle, they slowly piece together secrets their parents and grandparents have kept hidden and come to the realizion that it's up to them to work together to overthrow the enchantress, Mindra. Easier said than done when some of the players have been turned into animals. It's a race against time as Mindra seeks to take absolute power. Can she be stopped? Will everyone get back to their own world? If they can return, will their worlds be the same when they return?

Even though this was the second book in the series, readers will still enjoy the plot and race through its pages to find out the fate of each character. I loved the character development and the world built by the author. This would be an exciting middle grade read-alone or an excellent family read-aloud for ages 8 and up. Highly recommend!

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Once a Castle through NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

This is the second book in the Carrick Hall series. I read the first book also as an ARC last year and enjoyed it, so I'm glad to be reading the second book now.
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Much like with the first book, I just wasn't interested in the fairy tale running alongside the story. It just didn't hold my attention.
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I also think it's been too long between reading the first and second books that I've forgotten who the characters are. They're mentioning people as though I'm meant to know or remember their significance and I just don't.
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I think I'd have enjoyed it more if I'd either read it closer to reading book one, or had a better recollection of the story.
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Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book.

My daughter and I read this book together. While I enjoyed the first book, I think this one was even better! I loved that each of the characters must overcome their fears and grows through the experience.

The kingdom of Ternival breeches the divide between worlds and brings the conflict introduced in Once a Queen and more adventures to the young inhabitants of the English countryside in Sarah Arthur’s Once a Castle.

This outing in the Carrick Hall series revolves around not only the younger Addison siblings, but also new characters. Zahra brings the experiences and perspective of a Ternivali teenager to the story and Arash, grandson of the Tabari’s (my favorite secondary characters), brings his own challenges into the mix.

Full of excitement, and adventure, this is an enchanting tale that brings to mind Lewis, Tolkein, and fairytales - right from the start as Jack encounters his first giant. For fans of fantastical worlds, Once a Castle and the Carrick Hall series are books not to be missed.

This review refers to a digital copy that I voluntarily received and read via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.

Once a Castle is the second title in Sarah Arthur's Carrick Hall series, and it takes readers back to the adventures of the Addison siblings several years after the events of the first book, Once a Queen, took place.

Probably one of the best novels out there for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia, this series is rich in fantasy, storytelling, world building, and almost unexplainable magic. I definitely wouldn't recommend reading this particular title without having read the first book, as both Tellus and Ternival have rich histories that are built upon with information already given in the first, and I think it would be a tad confusing if you weren't already familiar with the world building.

I personally found that this one was even more of a delight than the first book was, and I loved the majority of the characters, especially Elspeth, Aurora, Jack and Georgie. While the plot moved in directions I never could have seen coming, and often it was a little hard to keep track of whose POV was whose, all in all this was a fantastic fantasy read that speaks to the notion that good will triumph over evil, but we always have to believe it will be so.

The themes of the importance of family and friendship continue with this title, and a lot of the characters learn some hard and important truths about both of these along the way. The author also incorporates weaving and tapestries as a big part of the story, and while I'm not going to spoil anything, that part of the story ended up being one of my favorites. Lastly, I can't conclude my review without mentioning how much I loved the inclusion of the Ternival fairytales mentioned many times throughout the story as that was definitely an unexpected treat.

Overall, a lovely addition tot the series, and one I enjoyed even more than the first. It'll be interesting to see where the author chooses to take the story from here, and I'm looking forward to reading book three.

Final Rating: 4/5.



Thanks so much to Waterbrook for allowing me to advance read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Waterbrook) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Once A Castle is the second book in the Carrick Hall series. In this sequel, the evil sorceress Mindra returns, thanks to the gem dropped by Frankie in book one. As she attempts to take over the fantasy world of Ternival and turns those who try to stop her into animals a la Willow, stopping her will fall to the next generation of Frankie's family - his sisters Elspeth and Tilly, and his brothers Jack and Georgie along with a mysterious weaver girl from Ternival and the Rastegar's grandson, Arash - to save the world this time.

This was an interesting return to the world of Ternival. The feeling of a very C.S. Lewis - esque adventure tale continues. This book reads very like a Narnia sequel, and I think that was the author's intent. Mindra is our White Witch, and Frankie's family are the Pevensees. From that viewpoint, I found the book enjoyable, even though there were some small parts I didn't like. That's the way with nearly every fantasy book I read these days, however - I mostly enjoy it with the occasional small nitpick. I liked the differing POVs in this book, and enjoyed the way each character's particular arc resolved itself by the end of the book. I think that Jack, Arash, Tilly and Elspeth will make very interesting protagonists, and I will enjoy seeing where they go in the future once the third book comes out.

Thank you to Netgalley, Miss Sarah Arthur, and WaterBrook and Multnomah for the advanced reader copy. This review is entirely voluntary, and all views and opinions expressed are my own.