The Once and Future Queen

I LOVED The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty. I stumbled across this book by chance at my local bookstore and was taken in by the beautiful cover and the sprayed edges… I haven't read a romantasy book before, not really. Fantasy with romance, sure, but a fantasy book that makes it such a huge part of the story? No. And I can't believe what I've been missing out on. This book not only weaves romance and fantasy together, but myths and legends.

The story starts with out protagonist Vera traveling back to the past at the start of the story. She is used to being ignored, but as queen Guinevere, she is anything but… Camelot is both ancient and magical, which was a happy surprise to me - and it brought up some interesting plot questions. If Camelot was so magical… Where was magic in the present? The world itself is littered with these sorts of questions that make it feel vast and awe inspiring. The more the world unfolds, the more I wanted to visit.

I have to add here that the magic system is phenomenal. As an avid fantasy reader, it's like nothing I've ever seen before. It's creative in all the best ways, and tied intrinsically into the main plot. You may think you have it figured out in the first few chapters, but trust me: there is so much more to this book than meets the eye.

The real stars of the show are the characters. As much as I love the plot and the world, it wouldn't go anywhere without them. Each character has such life breathed into them, and so much development occurs in each and every one of them over the course of the story. Even the most minor characters felt real, and were a delight to read. I wanted to love them, I wanted to root for them. This book has real heart, and it shares it with you.

And of course, the romance. We all know the story of Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot… This book turns that story on it's head in the best way. I won't spoil it for you, but a lot of Arthurian myths and legends come into play in this book in fresh, unexpected ways. As a fan of Arthurania, I loved it. What is more true to the essence of King Arthur than making up your own stories about it? That's basically what all the legends are — people being inspired by the idea and the characters and telling their own story. I think this book fits in beautifully with that tradition, and in a way, invites you to join in it. Like Vera, you do not have to be an expert in the legends to have your own adventure in Camelot.

I was deeply invested in the romance of it all. I didn't think that I would be, I assumed it would just be part of the story that I tolerated for the sake of the rest of it… But the dynamics, the many pitfalls and little victories and watching the characters struggle with their own feelings vs. the facade they have to put on to reassure the people of Camelot… It is so crunchy. 10/10. Truly, excellent.

My last thoughts: This book surprised me AGAIN by being inclusive and diverse, I was so excited about that, but I shan't spoil it. I LOVE Gawain and anyone talking bad about my boy will taste my blade. Oh, and we all need to ponder our orbs together… Trust me, you can't miss the orbs. I wish I had one of those…