Review of ‘The Once and Future Queen‘ (The Lives of Guinevere #1) by Paula Lafferty. Discover the captivating Arthurian fantasy that blends modern-day mystery with medieval legend, following a heroine caught between timelines, lost memories, and a destiny tied to one of the most iconic love stories in history. If you’re craving a fresh take on King Arthur with emotional stakes, romance, and just enough intrigue to keep you turning pages, this one might be exactly what you need.
The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty is a captivating Arthurian fantasy that blends modern mystery with medieval legend, following a heroine rediscovering her identity, her past, and her place in one of the most iconic love stories of all time
Synopsis
Sometimes legends don’t tell the whole story.
After the sudden death of her boyfriend, Vera would have been happy to spend her life completely unnoticeable, washing bedsheets and cleaning toilets in a Glastonbury hotel. But everything changes when a strange new guest reveals himself to be Merlin and drags her back to seventh century Camelot, a place she knows only from legends. He tells her that only Vera (or Queen Guinevere, as Merlin calls her) can right the course of history and save Arthur’ s kingdom from the will of a power-hungry mage.
There’ s one enormous problem: Guinevere was the sole witness to the curse that’s now draining the kingdom of its magic, and Vera doesn’t remember anything from that life. And with Camelot’ s peace ebbing ever closer to shattering, she’s running out of time.
Working with Merlin’ s magic to retrieve her long-lost memories brings more questions than answers: why is it that King Arthur, who treats his subjects with such benevolence, can’ t even stand to look at her? And why does that make Vera’ s soul feel like it’ s splitting in two? What robbed her of her memories in the first place… and, most importantly, why?
As Vera is about to discover, in a world of legend and power, the secrets of her memories are only the beginning…
Review
I went into this book with a very specific mood. I had been wanting a medieval story for a while, something with that classic King Arthur atmosphere and this absolutely delivered. Honestly, it felt like the perfect match for my reading mood. Even better, it completely pulled me out of a reading slump that had been dragging on for weeks, which already says a lot about how engaging and entertaining it is.
The story follows Vera, who starts off in our modern world before being transported back to the time she truly belongs to. I really loved that concept. There’s something so addictive about characters rediscovering who they are in a completely different time, and the added layer of her memory issues made it even more intriguing. That said, I do wish we had gotten a few more reveals in this first book. The mystery is there, and it’s compelling, but I sometimes wanted just a bit more to keep that constant edge of anticipation.
The characters were such a highlight for me. I genuinely don’t think there was a single one I disliked, which is rare with me oops. That doesn’t mean I trusted everyone though, far from it. There were definitely a few characters that had me side eyeing them the entire time and I still feel like I don’t have all the answers about certain motivations. No I will not share who I’m suspecting, if you have read it send me a message👀 But honestly, that just makes me more excited for what’s coming next.
Arthur and Guinevere together! Ugh I loved them, I really did. Their dynamic had so much potential and emotional weight, but the miscommunication between them drove me insane at times. I kept wanting to shake them and just say talk to each other please!!! It’s one of those frustrating tropes where you see how easily things could be resolved, yet at the same time it fits the tension of their situation.
And then we have the rest of the cast. Lancelot, Gawain, Percival. I adored them. Truly, they felt like such strong additions to the story and brought that classic Arthurian charm while still feeling fresh. And of course, Mathilda. She deserves her own mention because she was just that sweet even though I have no idea what her age is supposed to be? I felt like she was in her fifties but I might be wrong… Anyways she was lovely.
What I appreciated most is how the book plays with Arthurian legend. It doesn’t stick rigidly to the original stories, but it stays close enough that it still feels familiar. It’s like a reinterpretation that respects the source while adding its own twists, which made it really fun to read.
Overall, this was such an enjoyable experience. It hooked me, got me out of a slump, and left me wanting more answers and more time with these characters. It’s not perfect. I would have loved a bit more payoff in this first installment. But it sets up something really promising.
Final thoughts? This is a fun, engaging Arthurian retelling with a strong character focus and an addictive premise. If you love stories that mix modern elements with historical fantasy and don’t mind a bit of mystery carrying into the next book, I would definitely recommend giving this a try.
Rating
8,5/10
Details
- Trigger warnings: Violence, battle scenes, blood, death, memory loss, emotional distress, themes of identity confusion, romantic tension, magic and betrayal
- Representation: queer side characters
- Pages: 512
- Publication date: December 16, 2025
- Publisher: Erewhon Books
- About the author:
Paula Laffarty lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, daughter, and Otto (the sweetest dog there ever was). She received a BFA in Film Production from Chapman University and a Master of Divinity from Saint Paul School of Theology. She has a taste for finding magic in “the ordinary” and a spark for discovering stories at every turn. Telling stories is the thread that runs through Paula’s life, and La Vie de Guinevere is her debut novel which she originally funded through a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign.
