Once a Castle by Sarah Arthur Review

 Happy Friday My Sweet Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you've taken the time to drop on by The Preppy Book Princess for another book review.

I have a lovely title to share about with you all today, and if you also grew up loving The Chronicles of Narnia, then this might just be the series you've been waiting for.

I'm excited to dive right into another fun review for this series, but first, if you'd like to check out my review of the first title in the series, you can do so using the link below:

Once a Queen

Otherwise, keep on reading and join me for today's review.

Once a Castle by Sarah Arthur:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Waterbrook

Publication Date: February 11th, 2025

Genre: Christian Fiction/Speculative Fiction/Young Adult/Fantasy

Series: Carrick Hall

Synopsis:

Worlds collide and lives are changed as portals between our reality and the magical land of Ternival fray in the spellbinding sequel to Once a Queen, called "a fresh, delightful new tale for our wonder-hungry era" by National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins.

Several years after Eva Joyce and Frankie Addison discovered the existence of portals to other worlds—and the kingdom of Ternival, where Eva's grandmother once reigned as queen—Frankie's younger siblings, together with some new friends, make discoveries that will change their lives, and at least two worlds, forever.

Jack, Tilly, and Elspeth Addison just want to stay out of trouble (well, kind of . . . usually), but trouble keeps finding them. Jack stumbles upon an actual, literally larger-than-life giant in his favorite valley; Tilly nearly runs over a mysterious stranger (and her cat); and Elspeth’s weaving lessons take a very unexpected turn.

Meanwhile, Arash, a newcomer to the Addisons’ English village, tries to discover the secret his grandfather is hiding while keeping his own secrets from everyone—and the sudden appearance of a sinister woman who does things that look suspiciously like magic is not helping matters. And Zahra, a Ternivali teenager, faces a crisis in her world, but before she can put things right, she's rudely catapulted into the weirdest place she's ever seen—where everyone seems to think she's the weird one. Soon things are as tangled as Elspeth's worst weaving, and the teens must discover if they can bridge their differences and find, in themselves and each other, what it takes to put things right. Because it's not only their lives at stake, but the fate of their home—and of more than one kingdom.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

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.

Thanks so much for reading guys!

 I pray you all have a lovely weekend, and I hope you'll all stop by The Preppy Book Princess again on Monday as I have another exciting title to share about with you all! :)