The Once and Future Queen
Arthurian legend meets time travel in this sweeping romantic fantasy
By Paula Lafferty
Harry Hartog's review
‘The Once and Future Queen’ by Paula Lafferty centres a new tale of magical fantasy, heartwarming loyalty, and devastatingly powerful love within well-known Arthurian legend. As a girl who grew up watching BBC’s ‘Merlin’, I was enamoured with the magic and wonder of Vera’s story from the very first page. The writer’s prose is clear and strong all throughout the novel, and her depiction of characters both new and familiar are so vivid you’ll feel as if you’re in the room beside them (Lancelot is truly a highlight). An element of Lafferty’s writing that I particularly adored while reading is her adept pacing of the story - often holding her audience captive in anticipation, and unravelling the plot in such a way that the reader’s understanding is either a step ahead, or one behind that of the characters. ‘The Once and Future Queen’ can only be described as the most engaging, immersive, and magical fantasy debut novel. I truly cannot wait until book two’s release to return to the medieval kingdom of Camelot and the characters I grew to love so much. - Jas, Harry Hartog Maroochydore
Description
Sometimes legends don't tell the whole story.
After the sudden death of her boyfriend, Vera is content to fade into the background, washing sheets and cleaning bathrooms in a Glastonbury hotel. But when a mysterious guest reveals himself as Merlin and whisks her back to seventh-century Camelot, everything changes. He insists she's not just Vera, she's Guinevere, and only she can undo the curse draining the kingdom's magic and save Camelot from the will of a power-hungry mage.
There's just one problem: Vera remembers nothing of her past life. And with Camelot teetering on the edge of collapse, time is running out.
As Merlin works to restore her memories, Vera uncovers a tangled history of betrayal, power, and heartbreak. Why does King Arthur recoil at her presence? What truly happened the night the curse was cast? And why does every answer feel like it's tearing her in two?
In a kingdom built on legend, Vera must decide who she is, before the past destroys the future.
- ISBN:
- 9781399746021
- Format:
- Paperback / softback
- Pages:
- 512
- Published:
- Publisher:
- Hodder & Stoughton
- Imprint:
- Hodderscape
- Weight:
- 619 g