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The Once and Future Queen

Arthurian legend meets time travel in this sweeping romantic fantasy

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The Once and Future Queen

By: Paula Lafferty
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
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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.©2025 Paula Lafferty Fantasy Historical Royalty Arthurian Magic
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Critic Reviews

Lafferty successfully weaves together multiple genres in this story of King Arthur's time as seen through the eyes of a modern-day Guinevere. Like Vera, the reader does not have to be an expert on Arthurian legend to follow the story. The fresh takes on legendary characters and propulsive plot twists make this a page-turner that will leave readers hoping for a sequel. An original and fascinating take on the romance of Arthur and Guinevere
Paula Lafferty crafts a unique and deeply romantic take on Arthurian legend with a modern twist. The Once and Future Queen brings readers along on an empowering, whimsical adventure into the mythical and magical past, through the courts of King Arthur and the beauty of the English landscape, with the relatable Vera as their guide.
Lafferty's prose casts a magic spell as she takes Arthurian legend somewhere fresh and completely unexpected. Her Camelot is deeply romantic, layered with secrets and surprises, and incredibly fun. Long live the queen! (Amy S. Kaufman, author of The Traitor of Sherwood Forest)
An entirely new and entirely riveting Arthurian retelling, with a wonderfully relatable Guinevere at its heart! A fantastic read! (Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop)
Lafferty's prose casts a magic spell as she takes Arthurian legend somewhere fresh and completely unexpected. Her Camelot is deeply romantic, layered with secrets and surprises, and incredibly fun. Long live the queen!
All stars
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Reads like a screen play, with its simplistic style. The story drags on a bit and I feel it could have been about 5 hours shorter.

Simple style

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Interesting new spin, nice twists put in. Strong characters. I have been waiting for this to come to audio ever since I saw it on TikTok ages ago. Julia Whelan is a wonderful narrator.

New interesting twist on Arthur and Guinevere of Camelot

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I followed the author on Instagram while she was writing it, through he knock backs from publishers, then finally pre-ordering it here on Audible.
It is a triumph and a testimony to all, if you have an idea and are willing to fight for it, write it !!

Well done ! It’s the first book in a very long time I have truely enjoyed.

Amazing !

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I’ve loved Arthurian legend for years, but one thing that always frustrated me was how Guinevere was treated in many of the traditional tellings. This is the Guinevere story I’ve been searching for. It has wonderful character development, genuinely funny moments, nail-biting action, and a will-they-won’t-they romance that will, I’m sorry to tell you, keep you up until the wee hours of the morning. I’ve listened to it at least five times over the past year, and every time I discover new details I’d missed before.

To say I’m obsessed is probably an understatement. 😅 But I think that’s half the fun. And really… who doesn’t love a Darcy-coded love interest and a Flynn Rider-coded Lancelot?

✨ Addictive Arthurian Fantasy ✨

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This was a frustrating listen because the premise had so much potential. A modern girl travelling back to Camelot sounded so promising, but the story ended up feeling more like a series of loosely connected scenes than a cohesive plot. Big moments came out of nowhere, were resolved quickly, and then the story moved on, which made it hard to stay fully invested.

The narration didn’t quite work for me. While it was easy enough to follow, the English accent was inconsistent and often distracting, especially with certain vowel sounds and pronunciations. It pulled me out of the story more than once, and although I got a bit more used to it over time, it never fully settled.

This could have been so good...

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