by Samreen Ahsan
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Time Travel, Historical
Publication: February 29th, 2016
Format: ARC, 411 pages
Source: Author
Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
2015…
All her life, Myra Farrow has been obsessed with medieval castles—and the kings and princes who once inhabited them. Now, wealthy videogame designer Steve Bernard wants her to model for a princess character in his new game. Myra can’t resist his offer, especially when she learns that Steve plans to film inside the mysterious Hue Castle—a cursed, barren, colorless place forbidden to visitors for centuries. But unknown to Myra, her soul is bound to Hue Castle by blood and sorcery. When she enters its doors, she awakens dark powers that will reach through time—stealing her past, torturing her present, and rewriting her future.
1415…
Edward Hue, the last of the Hue royal bloodline, has never stood in the sunshine or held a living flower. Cursed from birth to live in darkness and bring death to all he touches, he is at the mercy of his cruel, tyrannical father, who will not rest until he shatters Edward’s soul and makes his son into a diabolical copy of himself. Edward’s one hope is the mysterious woman who haunts his dreams—who will either break his curse and bring him out of the darkness, or destroy him utterly.
I wasn't expecting that I was going to enjoy this book so much, especially if I were to judge the book by the first few chapters. But the story pulled me in. I was interested to know how Myra and Edward were going to meet since they both live in two different worlds and eras.
Myra, the heroine of the story had an obsession with castles. To be honest, I wasn't a big fan of Myra at the beginning. She's an alright character, but I didn't see anything special about her. I was a bit thrown off with how Myra and Steve got together. But slowly, Myra grew on me and I started to like her. She can be romantic and brave. I love how she won't give up until she finds out the truth about Hue Castle. Edward Hue was a tormented soul. He was destined to rule the kingdom, but he absolutely didn't want to turn into someone like his father. His part of the story was much darker. I love his sister and niece and hope to see his niece again soon. And then, there was Steve, the video game designer who played an important role in the story.
I enjoyed the author's writing. It was very easy to get into. I thought the pace of the story was great. I wasn't too keen with how it all began, but the story gets interesting once Myra and the others set their foot in Hue Castle. I love how the author described the castle. Hue Castle sounded mysterious and a bit scary. I love how the author combined medieval and time-traveling together in the book. It was brilliant. Once Upon a [Stolen] Time was full of intrigue, mystery and romance. I was frustrated when I reached the last page. I didn't want the story to end and I didn't realize that there will be another book after this. Now I really need the sequel.I want to find out what will happen to Myra, Edward, and Steve. This is a surprisingly great adult fantasy read! I'll definitely keep an eye on the author's work.
I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
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