This was a strong sequel in the Carrick Hall series, it had that element that I enjoyed the first book. It took the elements that I enjoyed and improved on it in this book. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed how they worked in this story. Sarah Arthur has a strong writing style and left me wanting to read more in this series.

Once a Castle is a spellbound adventure into a fantasy realm mirroring the worlds of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, rife with magic and whimsy, the second book of the Carrick Hall series is a whirlwind of adventure, taking readers into the world of Ternival that Sarah Arthur teased in the first book, Once a Queen.
I loved the first book in this series dearly and was honored to be able to read an advanced copy of this book, where I found myself craving more in Once a Queen, Once a Castle delivered. No longer craving and yearning for the magical world of Ternival, in Once a Castle the magic is thrust into the real world, and the promises made by the enchantress Mindra in the first book come to fruition.
While this novel deviates from the original in pacing and tone, we are thrust into the world years after Eva finds herself at Carrick Hall, we follow the younger characters now grown up as they embark on their own adventure in the magical world that the estate has such a strong connection to.
When Jack and Arash discover a castle on a hill and a giant asleep at its walls on the summer solstice, they realize the stories they grew up with might be. They are thrown into a journey neither of them are prepared for, along with Jack’s siblings, Lord Edward’s children Charles and Aurora, and Zhara a girl from Ternival.
The children need to find a way to get their friends back and stop Mindra from reclaiming the throne.

The entire time I was reading this I was enraptured. It is fast-paced and full of genuine real world struggles. The challenges plaguing these children back home are still prevalent in the mystical world they travel to, it’s not simply an escape like how it felt in Once a Queen. While it is whimsical and magical, there is real healing that takes place here. The layers that unravel as this story went on captivated me, and I gasped aloud multiple times.

If you liked Once a Queen, you will absolutely love Once a Castle. I mean that with my entire being.