Once a Queen

A Novel

By: Sarah Arthur

Narrated by: Shakira Shute, Sarah Arthur

CHRISTY AWARD FINALIST • ECPA CHRISTIAN BOOK AWARD FINALIST • READ WITH JENNA JR. SUMMER READING PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY

In the start of a richly woven fantasy series for young readers in the grand tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia, a mysterious manor house hides the keys to shocking family secrets and rapidly fading portals to other worlds from bestselling author Sarah Arthur.

“A fresh, delightful new tale for our wonder-hungry era.”—National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins

“Readers of Lewis and L’Engle, prepare to be enchanted.”—Sarah Mackenzie, author of The Read-Aloud Family

When fourteen-year-old American Eva Joyce 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.

With odd things happening in the gardens at night, Eva embarks on a search for answers. Astonishingly, she learns that the Hall’s staff believe portals to other worlds exist—though hidden and steadily disappearing—and that Eva’s grandmother was once a queen in one of those worlds. But her grandmother’s heart is closed to the beauty and pain of the past. Now it’s up to Eva to discover what really happened—and to decide if it’s possible that her favorite childhood fairy tales are true. As she starts unraveling the dangerous secrets around the grandmother who is more than she appears, Eva begins to wonder if she, too, is more than she understood herself to be.

Critic reviews

“Sarah Arthur weaves a masterful spell in her tale that will draw you in and stay with you long after you finish—like all good fairy stories are apt to do. An absolute delight. I can’t wait for book two!”—Jonathon D. Svendsen, NarniaFans (Five out of Five Shields)

“Once a Queen is reminiscent of beautiful books of magic written in the past, but it’s also a fresh, delightful new tale for our wonder-hungry era. With a rich sense of place, vivid characters, a page-turning plot, and a redemptive theme about the healing of generational wounds, Sarah Arthur has created a story that lingers in the memory and shapes the soul long after reading the last page.”—Mitali Perkins, National Book Award nominee and author of You Bring the Distant Near, Rickshaw Girl, and Holy Night and Little Star

“Readers of Lewis and L’Engle, prepare to be enchanted. This is a captivating novel that will make you want to revisit the fantasy stories of your childhood.”—Sarah Mackenzie, author of The Read-Aloud Family

“I discovered some of my favorite books when I was young and my family lived in a farmhouse—I would read long into the night under my blankets, flashlight in hand. Well, as soon as I started reading Sarah Arthur’s book Once a Queen, I felt like that little kid again and I simply didn’t want to stop reading. The detailed setting, the memorable characters, the mysterious storyline—everything comes together to create a generational book.”—Shawn Smucker, author of The Day the Angels Fell

“Once a Queen is written in sumptuous language that makes this poet’s heart sing. The magic here is palpable as Arthur deftly ferries readers from one world to another and back again with a wave of her pen. Best of all is the tenacity of hope woven throughout this tantalizing coming-of-age tale of a young girl bravely exploring her family’s painful secret past in search of healing for them all in the present. This may be a fantasy, but it many ways it is all too real.”—Nikki Grimes, New York Times bestselling author of Garvey’s Choice and Garvey in the Dark

“Once a Queen is Sarah Arthur’s love letter to great children’s literature. Throughout this book, beginning with the title, one sees her great love for classic writers such as C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and E. Nesbit. However, this book is no simplistic homage. Within these pages, Sarah Arthur tells her own unique tale, full of intrigue and wonder, which is sure to enchant the imagination of a new generation of young adults.”—David Bates, co-host of the C. S. Lewis–themed podcast Pints with Jack

Highly recommend!

Such a wonderfully woven blend of two stories. This is one that I was comfortable listening to with my boys and they ended up reading their selves.

very good fairy tale

performance was well done and the story itself is even better. Great for kids and adults

Fresh, classic, uplifting

A story filled with goodness and relatable characters. A breath of fresh air to find a novel well written and captivating, yet morally clean and uplifting. Although what I considered to be the climax came much later in the book than I anticipated, Arthur kept me intrigued and engaged throughout. Full of surprising elements, Arthur was able to give a fresh spin on a classic outline (young people discover a portal to another world of kings and queens, good vs evil). Though the ending was not what I expected Arthur was able to weave together a very satisfying conclusion, with enough left open, that if she wanted, she could add more and create a series. Overall a surprising, captivating, and worthwhile read. I highly recommend!

I loved the positive message!

This was a very enjoyable book—it has a feel similar to the Narnia stories, but with a modern day twist. The messages are positive and applicable to real life situations. “It’s never too late to make things right, or at least try.”

Truly magical!!

The imagery and parallels in this book are stunning…brought tears to my eyes!! Fairy tales at their best :)