Title: Once More Upon a Time
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication date: October 5th, 2021
176 pages
3/5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis
Once upon a dream, there was a prince named Ambrose
and a princess named Imelda who loved each other…
But alas, no more.
“What a witch takes, a witch does not give back!”
their friends and family warn.
They resign themselves to this loveless fate…
A year and a day pass.
And then their story truly begins…
Embark on a perilous journey with Imelda and Ambrose as they brave magical landscapes and enchanted creatures on their quest to reclaim their heart’s desire…But first they must remember what that is…
Review
A fairy tale novella about one of the 12 Dancing Sister’s, Imelda, and her marriage to Ambrose when it was cursed by a witch. This was a cover request for me, and I’ve loved a lot of Roshani Chokshi’s other works so I figured I would give this a go. It’s a pretty quick read, and I know there’s an audiobook version out as well if that’s more your medium for reading.
I wasn’t overly thrilled by this book, there was a lot packed into this book but it’s still pretty short so there can’t be too much explained. There is a lot of magical happenings that aren’t explained, but that’s the way of fairytales right? Imelda and Ambrose go on a big adventure and end up learning lessons along the way.
Would I pick this back up again in the future? No – I likely wouldn’t. Did I enjoy my time reading it? Yes – I would say it’s a palate cleanser book with the bits of romance, adventure, magic, and fantasy combined. There are also two POVs which I always appreciate when there is a romance included in a book. But if you’re looking for world-building, a well explained magic system, and a full plot? Not the book for you.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Happy reading, folks!
Baltimore Bibliophile 