Once There Was - Kiyash Monsef

After Marjan's father's sudden death, she is left alone trying to get through school as well as keeping her father's veterinary practice afloat.  But then, one evening after the practice is closed,  she receives a mysterious visitor and her world turns on its axis again for it appears that her father was hiding a very big secret from her: he used to help magical creatures who were hidden in the world.  They are being bought and sold, some are loved whilst others are trapped.  Marjan has a gift for connecting with these creatures and it's up to her to take over where her father left off.  But how will she react when the truth becomes clear to her?

When Once There Was arrived last week, I hadn't heard of it but I was so intrigued that by both the blurb and the cover that it jumped up my tbr pile and I curled up with it on Sunday morning... and didn't really move for the rest of the day! It's one of those books that lures you in and very quickly becomes a 'just one more chapter' type of book.  You want to know more and more about Marjan, her father, the creatures and how everything links together, and it's just too moreish to put down!

Marjan has clearly had a difficult upbringing: after her mother's death when she was young, her father was frequently called away and Marjan never knew where he was going or when he would be back.  For her then to lose him as well, and in such mysterious circumstances, has to be incredibly hard on her.  She is strong though - she has to be - and her independence is evident from the beginning of the book.  I don't know many fifteen year olds who would be able to take on the running of a veterinary practice, still go to school and live on their own (albeit with her next-door neighbour now looking out for her as her legal guardian).  I'm not surprised that she takes the risks she does and follows in her father's footsteps (despite knowing absolutely nothing about where she's going or what will be waiting for her).  But, along with the independent streak that courses through her, there is an element of a risk-taker and a gnawing within her that there is something missing but she doesn't know what.  She is a complex character and this made her incredibly intriguing to get to know. 

Alongside Marjan, there are also the creatures to discover as the book unfolds, and griffon, gnome, manticore, fairies to name a few all make an appearance, but not all are kind and gentle and this gives the book are darker edge - one that I liked. 

Once There Was is an absolutely thrilling read; darker than I had expected and dangerous (I liked that).  Relationships are explored in an adventure that combines a murder mystery with fantasy, and we see the anger that grief can cause and the power that money can wield.  There are twists aplenty (and some I really didn't see coming) all whilst not knowing who to trust along the way.  In short, Once There Was is a brilliant read that will captivate and excite readers whilst keeping them utterly gripped.