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Once There Was #2
Bird of a Thousand Stories
In this transporting and suspenseful companion to the New York Times bestselling Once There Was, Marjan travels around the globe in search of a mythical bird in terrible danger, whose fate could determine the future of the world.
Marjan Dastani is successfully leading a double life. Only a few people know that when she’s not in school, she travels the world taking care of mythical beasts, sent on missions by a shadowy organization known as The Fells.
In an adventure that takes her across continents and connects her with the wildest of mythic beasts around the globe, Marjan must track down the fabled Bird of a Thousand Stories before someone with more nefarious plans finds it. But the more closely she connects with the world’s mythical creatures, the more danger she’s in of losing her friendships—and all that tethers her to the life she’s known.
Marjan Dastani is successfully leading a double life. Only a few people know that when she’s not in school, she travels the world taking care of mythical beasts, sent on missions by a shadowy organization known as The Fells.
In an adventure that takes her across continents and connects her with the wildest of mythic beasts around the globe, Marjan must track down the fabled Bird of a Thousand Stories before someone with more nefarious plans finds it. But the more closely she connects with the world’s mythical creatures, the more danger she’s in of losing her friendships—and all that tethers her to the life she’s known.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published February 4, 2025
28 people are currently reading
2875 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 10, 2024
The Bird of a Thousand Stories shimmers with the fantastic but is rooted in all too real emotions and so much heart. Monsef creates worlds and creatures you long to revisit again and again. This book left me stunned and forever enchanted.
November 27, 2024
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and I can honestly attest that this is the sort of timely fantasy that the world needs to read right now. I've seen multiple author interviews proclaiming that second installments in fantasy series are often the most difficult, but if that's true, you would never know it from the exciting, beautiful creation that is Bird of a Thousand Stories. It's a must read--and not merely for the age bracket it's marketed in, not even for fantasy lovers of ages, but for every reader who shares a growing concern for the world around them and values books as a birthplace for much needed empathy.
This series began with Once There Was, which offered readers a fascinating introduction to the life of Marjan Dastani, a teenage girl who has lost her father, her only remaining parent and, simultaneously, inherited her father's special ability to communicate with and heal the world's hidden, magical creatures. Bird of a Thousand Stories continues Marjan's story as she attempts to navigate the vast complexities of being a 16 year old with a special talent that is often more burden than gift. Being an orphan means that Marjan has far more on her plate than homework and friends who don't always understand her. She has to pay bills, and she has to contend with a less than scrupulous business arrangement with The Fells, classic big business baddies who put money before the welfare of the magical animals they employ Marjan to treat. When The Fells take Marjan to help a particularly depressed garden lamb with a raspy cough, she finally puts her foot down. She cannot stand the idea that The Fells want this miraculous lamb who grew off a vine cured just so that they can sell him to slaughter at the hands of an oligarch. Unfortunately, crossing The Fells means opening herself and her friends up to great danger, and their wrath is terrible.
I loved every page of Marjan's journey in this installment. It's such an exciting book to read, and I can only imagine the research that Monsef must have done to execute the various world wide settings so vividly. Marjan's quest to serve Earth's magical animals ethically and responsibly takes her from California to Istanbul, to Scotland, to Rio de Janeiro. Monsef's local color is imagistic yet action driven, and there's never a dull moment.
This book spends a bit more time developing Malloryn, Marjan's housemate and close friend who also happens to consider herself a witch in training. I have to say that she is my favorite supporting character. Her background with her less than supportive, narrow minded parents contrasted with her positive, bubbly personality has always brought an interesting tension to the text. I love the comic relief her dialogue offers. Plus, Mal has the most fabulous familiar--a beautiful gray fox with multiple tails and a sarcastic attitude. She's a great character all around and a perfect balance weight to the protagonist. As an aside, I would absolutely love to read a future novella in which Malloryn takes center stage for a little while so that we can see more of her story. To avoid spoilers, I'll just say that I'm hoping perhaps that's where the ending of Bird of a Thousand Stories is leading us. (Please?)
I'd be remiss if I didn't express my admiration for the delicate thematic layering that Monsef achieves. She flawlessly offers readers provocative motifs about the importance of stories themselves and the importance of telling them, motifs about custodianship of the planet, and motifs about making ones own magic. From choking on wildfire to freeing trafficked creatures, Marjan's journey makes her wonder many times over whether we are ever actually going to learn from stories so that we can finally stop committing the errors of the past. She wonders if it's even possible to create "something new" in the future--"to change the world in the ways it needs to change." I have called this book timely, and I certainly think there are quite a few of us asking the same questions alongside Marjan. In the face of hyper financed billionaires who want to hoard all the Earth's magic for themselves regardless of the destruction to nature this causes, can an orphaned teenager truly make a difference? Bird of a Thousand Stories doesn't claim to have an absolute answer, but it does remind us that the stories themselves matter, that speaking out loud and refusing to be silenced matters. Tyrants ban books for a reason. Stories have their own magic in the telling and sharing--and that magic spreads.
✔️ Highly diversified characters
✔️ LGBTQ
✔️ Wiccan positive
This series began with Once There Was, which offered readers a fascinating introduction to the life of Marjan Dastani, a teenage girl who has lost her father, her only remaining parent and, simultaneously, inherited her father's special ability to communicate with and heal the world's hidden, magical creatures. Bird of a Thousand Stories continues Marjan's story as she attempts to navigate the vast complexities of being a 16 year old with a special talent that is often more burden than gift. Being an orphan means that Marjan has far more on her plate than homework and friends who don't always understand her. She has to pay bills, and she has to contend with a less than scrupulous business arrangement with The Fells, classic big business baddies who put money before the welfare of the magical animals they employ Marjan to treat. When The Fells take Marjan to help a particularly depressed garden lamb with a raspy cough, she finally puts her foot down. She cannot stand the idea that The Fells want this miraculous lamb who grew off a vine cured just so that they can sell him to slaughter at the hands of an oligarch. Unfortunately, crossing The Fells means opening herself and her friends up to great danger, and their wrath is terrible.
I loved every page of Marjan's journey in this installment. It's such an exciting book to read, and I can only imagine the research that Monsef must have done to execute the various world wide settings so vividly. Marjan's quest to serve Earth's magical animals ethically and responsibly takes her from California to Istanbul, to Scotland, to Rio de Janeiro. Monsef's local color is imagistic yet action driven, and there's never a dull moment.
This book spends a bit more time developing Malloryn, Marjan's housemate and close friend who also happens to consider herself a witch in training. I have to say that she is my favorite supporting character. Her background with her less than supportive, narrow minded parents contrasted with her positive, bubbly personality has always brought an interesting tension to the text. I love the comic relief her dialogue offers. Plus, Mal has the most fabulous familiar--a beautiful gray fox with multiple tails and a sarcastic attitude. She's a great character all around and a perfect balance weight to the protagonist. As an aside, I would absolutely love to read a future novella in which Malloryn takes center stage for a little while so that we can see more of her story. To avoid spoilers, I'll just say that I'm hoping perhaps that's where the ending of Bird of a Thousand Stories is leading us. (Please?)
I'd be remiss if I didn't express my admiration for the delicate thematic layering that Monsef achieves. She flawlessly offers readers provocative motifs about the importance of stories themselves and the importance of telling them, motifs about custodianship of the planet, and motifs about making ones own magic. From choking on wildfire to freeing trafficked creatures, Marjan's journey makes her wonder many times over whether we are ever actually going to learn from stories so that we can finally stop committing the errors of the past. She wonders if it's even possible to create "something new" in the future--"to change the world in the ways it needs to change." I have called this book timely, and I certainly think there are quite a few of us asking the same questions alongside Marjan. In the face of hyper financed billionaires who want to hoard all the Earth's magic for themselves regardless of the destruction to nature this causes, can an orphaned teenager truly make a difference? Bird of a Thousand Stories doesn't claim to have an absolute answer, but it does remind us that the stories themselves matter, that speaking out loud and refusing to be silenced matters. Tyrants ban books for a reason. Stories have their own magic in the telling and sharing--and that magic spreads.
✔️ Highly diversified characters
✔️ LGBTQ
✔️ Wiccan positive
March 10, 2025
4.5 - One of the best children's books I've read. Let me back up a bit, though.
I started reading an ARC of this before I realized it was the second book in a series. I decided to pause it and read its predecessor, Once There Was, first. After finishing BOATS, I can say it works splendidly as a stand-alone, even avoiding the awkward exposition that so often weighs down sequential books.
I am no scholar of fantasy, so I can't say if its premise is wholly original, but it must be close. It is unlike anything I've read. Exceeding that, the story itself is surprising. I dare you to predict the first quarter of this book!
You can expect:
• Likeable yet complex characters
• Culturally-grounded myths and settings
• Prose that respects young readers enough to challenge them while also being elegant, canny and, again, often surprising. As an example, one of my favorite sentences: "His face reminded me of a gibbous moon: big and flat so that you couldn't see past it, pale and nearly round, and yet somehow incomplete."
• A sophisticated tone that varies from wonder to dread, triumph to fear, melancholy to contentment, and 'round again.
• A satisfying ending with real but not too terrible consequences.
Both books in this series are very good, though BOATS is slightly better. Once There Was is more conventional in structure but perhaps more fun and rollicking. While BOATS is more subtle and surprising. Still, I'd recommend reading Once There Was first, since it gives more context to "how the powers came to be" and such.
And finally, age-wise, this series hits for the cycle (hey, I'm excited for baseball season). It's recommended for anyone 10+, and I do believe lots of curious non-stodgy adults will enjoy it.
Hoping there will be a third book in this series!
I started reading an ARC of this before I realized it was the second book in a series. I decided to pause it and read its predecessor, Once There Was, first. After finishing BOATS, I can say it works splendidly as a stand-alone, even avoiding the awkward exposition that so often weighs down sequential books.
I am no scholar of fantasy, so I can't say if its premise is wholly original, but it must be close. It is unlike anything I've read. Exceeding that, the story itself is surprising. I dare you to predict the first quarter of this book!
You can expect:
• Likeable yet complex characters
• Culturally-grounded myths and settings
• Prose that respects young readers enough to challenge them while also being elegant, canny and, again, often surprising. As an example, one of my favorite sentences: "His face reminded me of a gibbous moon: big and flat so that you couldn't see past it, pale and nearly round, and yet somehow incomplete."
• A sophisticated tone that varies from wonder to dread, triumph to fear, melancholy to contentment, and 'round again.
• A satisfying ending with real but not too terrible consequences.
Both books in this series are very good, though BOATS is slightly better. Once There Was is more conventional in structure but perhaps more fun and rollicking. While BOATS is more subtle and surprising. Still, I'd recommend reading Once There Was first, since it gives more context to "how the powers came to be" and such.
And finally, age-wise, this series hits for the cycle (hey, I'm excited for baseball season). It's recommended for anyone 10+, and I do believe lots of curious non-stodgy adults will enjoy it.
Hoping there will be a third book in this series!
March 5, 2025
Sequel to Once There Was... it holds up just as well as the first. I love, love, LOVE... frankly, am incredibly grateful for books whose story is so clearly in the driver's seat. Characters are who they are and want what they want but never at the expense of the story. Here and there is a mildly preachy moment, but always within what that character already thinks and feels, and I can't say it enough, never at the expense of the story. And never in a way that distracts from the immersion of the story. Works of fiction where I get deeply immersed are few and far between these days. This was a wonderful fantasy tale to experience.
February 19, 2025
Follow-up/companion book to award-winning Once There Was but can be read without having read the first one. Certainly there are a few plot lines that could segue into a 3rd book featuring Marjan and the mystical beasts she helps.
Marjan is a teenager, marked with a sign left by a unicorn, designated as being the next in the family line with the ability to sense the physical needs of creatures from the folklore of regions worldwide and to heal them when necessary. Unfortunately, her gift is tied up in the history of a greedy family group known as the Fells and must depend on them to reach these needy marvels wherever they are. With folklore mixed in with Marjan’s present day actions, this book sets her on a path for find and rescue a mythological bird that holds the stories told throughout time or our world will be left without the wisdom shared generation after generation through the gift of storytelling. Helping Marjan is her roommate and witch in training Malloryn, genius young adult Carrie, and dear friend Grace who helps run the family store and uses an old station wagon dubbed The Blue Whale to get the trio where they need to go locally. New character Amu Reza is an estranged uncle who has disavowed not only all family but the gift he, too, possesses and has left lie dormant for years. Readers will thrill to Marjan’s jaunts across the globe, her attempt to not only save the bird but to disconnect herself from the evil Fells and keep her friends and their friendships safe.
Hand this book to readers who love Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven and are not afraid to think a little deeper as they read. Text is free of profanity, sexual activity and violence is infrequent and relatively bloodless. Marjan is of Middle Eastern descent, her guardian and next door neighbor presents as Black and best friend Malloryn may be Caucasian. Other racial backgrounds are left vague and sexual orientation of characters is not pertinent to the plot and not identified leaving readers to assume what they wish. Target audience is likely grades 6-9.
Thanks for the print arc, Simon & Schuster.
Marjan is a teenager, marked with a sign left by a unicorn, designated as being the next in the family line with the ability to sense the physical needs of creatures from the folklore of regions worldwide and to heal them when necessary. Unfortunately, her gift is tied up in the history of a greedy family group known as the Fells and must depend on them to reach these needy marvels wherever they are. With folklore mixed in with Marjan’s present day actions, this book sets her on a path for find and rescue a mythological bird that holds the stories told throughout time or our world will be left without the wisdom shared generation after generation through the gift of storytelling. Helping Marjan is her roommate and witch in training Malloryn, genius young adult Carrie, and dear friend Grace who helps run the family store and uses an old station wagon dubbed The Blue Whale to get the trio where they need to go locally. New character Amu Reza is an estranged uncle who has disavowed not only all family but the gift he, too, possesses and has left lie dormant for years. Readers will thrill to Marjan’s jaunts across the globe, her attempt to not only save the bird but to disconnect herself from the evil Fells and keep her friends and their friendships safe.
Hand this book to readers who love Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven and are not afraid to think a little deeper as they read. Text is free of profanity, sexual activity and violence is infrequent and relatively bloodless. Marjan is of Middle Eastern descent, her guardian and next door neighbor presents as Black and best friend Malloryn may be Caucasian. Other racial backgrounds are left vague and sexual orientation of characters is not pertinent to the plot and not identified leaving readers to assume what they wish. Target audience is likely grades 6-9.
Thanks for the print arc, Simon & Schuster.
February 26, 2025
I really loved this little series! I'm hoping there will be many more!
March 29, 2025
4.5 stars. I love this series. Hope there will be more books
October 15, 2025
Un second tome que j'ai préféré au premier. J'ai adoré retrouvé Marjan et son don avec les créatures fantastiques.
Mais surtout la plume est tout autant plaisante si ce n'est plus que dans le premier volet. J'adore cette alternance entre l'histoire principale et toutes les histoires fabuleuses des créatures merveilleuses.
J'ai également trouvé l'intrigue prenante même si un peu prévisible. Cela ne m'a pas empêcher de dévorer les pages et de vouloir savoir à tout prix la suite.
J'ai été très émue par certains passages et surtout par l'évolution des personnages que ce soit Marjan ou Malloryn. J'ai adoré aussi le personnage de l'oncle qui reste un guide malgré ses erreurs et ses faiblesses.
Le dénouement est beau et plein d'espoir. J'espère retrouver nos personnages dans d'autres œuvres car je me suis vraiment attachée à cet univers.
Mais surtout la plume est tout autant plaisante si ce n'est plus que dans le premier volet. J'adore cette alternance entre l'histoire principale et toutes les histoires fabuleuses des créatures merveilleuses.
J'ai également trouvé l'intrigue prenante même si un peu prévisible. Cela ne m'a pas empêcher de dévorer les pages et de vouloir savoir à tout prix la suite.
J'ai été très émue par certains passages et surtout par l'évolution des personnages que ce soit Marjan ou Malloryn. J'ai adoré aussi le personnage de l'oncle qui reste un guide malgré ses erreurs et ses faiblesses.
Le dénouement est beau et plein d'espoir. J'espère retrouver nos personnages dans d'autres œuvres car je me suis vraiment attachée à cet univers.
July 31, 2025
Kiyash Monsef’s Bird of a Thousand Stories brings mythic wonder and emotional depth together in one vibrant adventure as our heroine, Marjan, seeks to find and protect the Bird of a Thousand Stories from the shadowy Fells organization. Although presented as a standalone novel, Monsef's book should be read as a sequel.
Monsef’s writing is lyrical and layered. What makes this book stand out is how it uses storytelling itself as both theme and structure. Between the chapters of Marjan’s journey, we’re given short, fantastical tales that echo fables, legends, and dreams. These stories aren’t just beautiful—they deepen the emotional current of the main plot. They remind us that every story, no matter how small, carries weight.
Monsef’s writing is lyrical and layered. What makes this book stand out is how it uses storytelling itself as both theme and structure. Between the chapters of Marjan’s journey, we’re given short, fantastical tales that echo fables, legends, and dreams. These stories aren’t just beautiful—they deepen the emotional current of the main plot. They remind us that every story, no matter how small, carries weight.
May 29, 2025
Felt like Season 2 of a streaming series. It was fine and I don’t begrudge anyone doing Season 2 (or 3 or so on) if they liked Once There Was, but I myself am terrible with multi-season shows. (Not sure why as I love so many book series.) So I am probably done.
February 15, 2025
Monsef has leveled up with this one. I really admire the way he spins fairy tales into the reality of the world: that there are hardships and loss and grief and betrayals, and little of that is ever fair or just; but also, we are defined by our choices, moment to moment, and all change happens there.
Looking forward to seeing where this author goes next!
Looking forward to seeing where this author goes next!
January 29, 2025
Marjan is not a typical teenager. Not only does she live independently, but she also is prepared to leave her home at a moment’s notice for incredible tasks around the world. When one of Marjan’s missions takes her to Istanbul, she stumbles across a magical artifact that changes the way she interacts with her world. And as she finds her alliances changing, Marjan must determine which path is the one she should ultimately follow. This immersive story introduces readers to a world in which magic is not only possible, but where magic exists under the very nose of society every day. Told in the first person from Marjan’s perspective, the narrative unfolds carefully, giving readers choice pieces of information along with the ability to unravel the mystery of the story on their own. Interspersed with Marjan’s chapters are fables and legends that directly relate to the experiences Marjan is having throughout the book. The combination of Marjan’s journey and the adjacent folklore give the book a feeling of being grander than just a moment in time; even though Marjan exists in her present, she is also a part of a larger story that has been told for generations. This book is best for a young adult audience because of the age of the protagonist and the complexity of the narrative; however, the lack of strong language, violence, and sex make the book enjoyable for readers of a wide range of ages. Additionally, readers need not have familiarity with the companion novel Once There Was in order for this story to make sense. The multifaceted narrative in this book includes diverse characters and settings, and it is a unique addition to fiction collections for readers who enjoy immersive storytelling.
January 11, 2025
Bird of a Thousand Stories picks up soon after the events in Once There Was and is a fantastic sequel. Though the first chapter provides enough information to dive right into this as a standalone, readers will have a richer experience reading the prior book first.
Marjan is on summer vacation, now sixteen, so she has more free time than in the previous book and her travels become increasingly dangerous. I loved the premise of this book and how the stories play an even more significant role in Marjan's quest to find the Bird.
There are more secrets to discover and more stories to be told. In reconnecting with her father's family, Marjan learns more about the Hyrcanian line, highlighting how her own life has begun to echo the lives—and mistakes—of those who came before her.
Marjan's work also begins to cause a rift between her and her friends. She struggles to share her truth with them, torn between her desire to protect them and her desire to do the right thing. I love Malloryn so much, and we get to see more of her in this book.
The culmination of Marjan's quest was emotional, with pain and sadness and yet still some hope. An excellent fantasy story for upper middle grade or young adult.
Marjan is on summer vacation, now sixteen, so she has more free time than in the previous book and her travels become increasingly dangerous. I loved the premise of this book and how the stories play an even more significant role in Marjan's quest to find the Bird.
There are more secrets to discover and more stories to be told. In reconnecting with her father's family, Marjan learns more about the Hyrcanian line, highlighting how her own life has begun to echo the lives—and mistakes—of those who came before her.
Marjan's work also begins to cause a rift between her and her friends. She struggles to share her truth with them, torn between her desire to protect them and her desire to do the right thing. I love Malloryn so much, and we get to see more of her in this book.
The culmination of Marjan's quest was emotional, with pain and sadness and yet still some hope. An excellent fantasy story for upper middle grade or young adult.
August 10, 2025
Marjan definitely had some growth in this book, but as with the first book, I just felt like I didn't really connect with her or any of the other characters very well. The fairy tales woven within the book were enjoyable. I would probably enjoy reading a stand alone with just a bunch of these types of tales in it. The portions of the story with the fantastic animals were pretty good overall, but at times not as strong as the first book. The ending was beautifully written but sadder than I expected or wanted. And there was a kind of dark element in this story that made me feal queasy and uneasy. I just was not a fan of that bit at all. I thought I was going to rate this book at 3 stars for most of my time reading it, but the end was really strong. It was well written and made me wonder what would happen next, even though I hadn't been very invested earlier in the story. So I decided to up my rating to a low 4 based on that.
March 19, 2025
Sixteen-year-old Marjan’s talent for helping magical creatures proves problematic when her unique gift and Iranian-American ancestry thrust her into a mission to find a lost bird that may restore balance to the world. Throughout her journey, she struggles to find and protect allies from the nefarious Fell, who seek to undermine her work and increase their wealth at the expense of these special creatures. Ancient myths interwoven throughout provide critical clues to the elusive bird’s location while adding layers of cultural richness to the narrative. Characters are well-developed and distinctive, providing depth to the tale as sufficiently evil antagonists create a compelling contrast for our hero. Though slow-paced during the initial character development, the story quickly accelerates into a gripping adventure that is hard to put down. Monsef’s creatures and events come vividly alive through detailed descriptions that will immerse readers in his imaginary world. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
February 7, 2025
📖 Book Review 📖 If you look hard enough, there is magic all around; and for some people like Marjan, it appears in a very unique way. When her father died, he passed on his ability to treat mythical creatures to her. Marjan travels the world in secret to take on this amazing yet daunting task. Through a captivating tale of magical realism, A Bird of a Thousand Stars reminds readers that evil exists in our world. Kiyah Monsef uses amazing storytelling to demonstrate that every individual has the ability, and the responsibility, to right injustices. Taking a stand is no easy feat and is not without potential consequences of losing friends; as Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “ The Time Is Always Right To Do What Is Right.” A Bird of a Thousand Stars is a gently powerful story that will resonate with readers of all ages.
September 17, 2024
This is a strong sequel, and I love love love the story theme -- it's a search for the bird of a thousand stories by searching through and listening to stories within the book. Marjan makes a lot of human mistakes (not trusting your friends with the truth for one). The world continues to be a frustrating mix of good and bad, betrayals, misunderstandings, mysteries -- much like real life. It continues to be weird that Marjan is a teenager, but after a while I just accept and move on. I also love how well these books stand alone -- will there be another one? There's opportunity for the story to continue, but there's also a good closure of the current story.
Advanced Reader's Copy Provided by Edelweiss.
Advanced Reader's Copy Provided by Edelweiss.
December 26, 2024
I enjoyed the interspersed folktales between chapters, which gave it a dreamy quality. Unsure if the stories are from Persian sources, or purely invented, but liked the Persian characters. 16 seems old for a character in a middle-grade book, and she seemed a little flat because of it. If you don’t read this quickly, you risk confusing Marjan, Mallory, and Millmallow (too many M names!!) especially since they also go by Mal and Mar. since Marjan operates in ignorance throughout, the tension and potential consequences are nearly nonexistent, but maybe that is intentional, to match the dreamy, distant, fairy-tale quality of the added stories? We also never get satisfying lore/explanations on the “gifts” or Millmallow. Again, fairy-tale intentional?
April 6, 2025
This is an amazing second entry in Marjan's story. I loved the first book in its dealing with grief and rage, I loved the second book in its themes of facing injustice and darkness.
If the first book felt like a love letter to our love of animals. Then this book to me was like a love letter to our love of stories (though the animals are still very present and wonderful).
I really hope to read the third book someday.
Especially because of where Bird of a Thousand Stories left (not that there's a cliffhanger but it does end by opening up some new avenues to walk down).
Also, Nikki Massoud is still doing an amazing work with the narration and breathes life into the already beating heart of the story.
If the first book felt like a love letter to our love of animals. Then this book to me was like a love letter to our love of stories (though the animals are still very present and wonderful).
I really hope to read the third book someday.
Especially because of where Bird of a Thousand Stories left (not that there's a cliffhanger but it does end by opening up some new avenues to walk down).
Also, Nikki Massoud is still doing an amazing work with the narration and breathes life into the already beating heart of the story.
January 10, 2026
Better than the first! It could be read as a stand alone but I think you’d miss the world and how it came to be. It did not do a strenuous exploration of the last book which I felt happy with - just gave snippets which could be understood but would be better if read firsthand in book 1. This sequel did not disappoint. I honestly think I liked this better than the first - but it also points to Mar growing in her gifting and purpose. It was another excellent enthralling read for young adults. No dumb love triangles or anything like that either. Just magic and drive and fantasy and suspense! This cynic was thoroughly impressed.
December 8, 2024
Good follow-up to Once There Was -- the promise of that debut is realized here. Marjan's struggles to keep her friends and her work separate leads to some stress, which is depicted so realistically that any reader can empathize. The continued intertwining of the "once was, once was not" stories into the plot is also so well done. I loved the folktales and how they resonate today.
My only qualms are the age of Marjan and her friends: are they early high school? They were in the first book. It's unclear how much time has passed. This is still a great middle grade read, whatever the answer.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
My only qualms are the age of Marjan and her friends: are they early high school? They were in the first book. It's unclear how much time has passed. This is still a great middle grade read, whatever the answer.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
December 24, 2024
In “Once There Was”, Marjan takes up her father’s calling of traveling around the world taking care of mythical creatures. In this sequel, Marjan searches for a magical bird which is in danger but if not saved, the future of the world could be in danger. The story flows between the retelling of a fairy tale/myth and Marjan’s travels which kind of follows the old fairy tale to find the bird while coming in contact with more mythical creatures. While it can stand alone, I found better as I’d read “Once There Was”. Regardless you definitely should read this one.
January 31, 2025
“Once was. Once wasn’t.”
Listen, I called Once There Was my favourite (across all genres) of 2024 and even though we’re only in January, BoaTS, is currently top billing of 2025.
It’s exciting and complex and beautiful and timely and funny and sad and heartfelt and if the author doesn’t immediately produce Book Three he’s going to end up in my therapy notes.
I don’t want to tell you ANYTHING about this gift.
I want you to read it so we can DISCUSS.
“You should keep listening. Maybe the World’s not done talking yet.”
Listen, I called Once There Was my favourite (across all genres) of 2024 and even though we’re only in January, BoaTS, is currently top billing of 2025.
It’s exciting and complex and beautiful and timely and funny and sad and heartfelt and if the author doesn’t immediately produce Book Three he’s going to end up in my therapy notes.
I don’t want to tell you ANYTHING about this gift.
I want you to read it so we can DISCUSS.
“You should keep listening. Maybe the World’s not done talking yet.”
February 22, 2025
A very unique story about the search for and setting free the bird indicated in the title and the world wide journey to accomplish this. There are many unusual characters including witches and fairies. Although the novel takes place in real cities it is in many ways fantastical. The cover of the ARC I read said it was middle grade fiction but I must say the person reading this should have a pretty advanced vocabulary to comprehend it.
April 16, 2025
👧🏻reviews: I read Once There Was awhile back ago and I loved the book, so when I found this book on our TBR, I had to read it. This suspense fantasy is simple irresistible. I was following Marjan and her birdlike journey simply to disconnect herself from her own personal life. A brave soul with crazy world she lives and what a life she led by The Fells. Full of fantastical and imaginative ideas in the book to explore. I liked it.
October 19, 2024
Not my typical choice of books but a great ARC book. Thank you Simon & Schuster. I felt that it is t a young readers book. It seemed to be a teenage fantasy novel. I think that it would terrify young readers. It was well written and at times confusing but it all came together in the end. Great job Kiyash Monsef on your second book!
January 18, 2025
Marjan who has a feeling for what a mythical creature needs, must track down the fabled Bird of a Thousand Stories before someone with more nefarious plans finds it. But as she travels the globe, the less she seems to know about connecting with the world’s mythical creatures, the more danger she’s in, the more she is betrayed and the more she risks losing her few close friends.
January 29, 2025
A really wonderful fantasy read. I loved all the locations this book takes the reader to. I didn’t read the first book in this series, but I didn’t feel like that hindered my enjoyment of this book.
My favourite character was definitely the uncle. I really felt for him and the tough decisions he made.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
My favourite character was definitely the uncle. I really felt for him and the tough decisions he made.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
March 29, 2025
An excellent sequel to a strong first book. This has all the enjoyable elements of the first book, and somehow manages to combine them even more seamlessly. If you like stories and mythical creatures, and can deal with grief and the messiness of human relationships in your fantasy, I would highly recommend you give this one a try.
Impossible Creatures could never.
Impossible Creatures could never.
March 31, 2025
I did not enjoy this book as much as the first book in the series, Once There Was. It is still a good book, just a little darker and a bit confusing. I like that these books are different. They feature adventure, friendship, family, and magic, but don’t involve romance. It’s nice to focus on other things sometimes.
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