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Long Live the Queen
I am not a fan of Heroes. They can rot in hell. I’m supposed to be their number one fan because society deems them good, why? Because they swear they’re going to protect you? They put their life on the line for you? Last time I checked heroes sacrificed you to save the world, not save you and burn the world.
I am not a princess, nor will I ever be the queen they wanted. I am what society carved me into with crowns made of silence and thorns. I was born from expectation, bred in perfection, taught to smile while burning. Call me evil. Call me bad. I don’t believe in long living queens.
When an eighteen-year-old girl Maya is sucked into the world of a dark fairytale, grief clings to her like a shadow. Her dad is gone, reality is breaking at the seams, and now she’s trapped in a realm where fate is inked in blood and beauty is a weapon. But Maya isn’t just an observer. She’s the reader, one the story has chosen, or perhaps cursed. There she meets Enora, the girl destined to become the Evil Queen. Young. Hurt. Vengeful. Betrayed by the one person who swore to love her most. Determined to change the story, Maya allies herself with a kingdom that bleeds secrets and a magic mentor who is more myth than man, and the bastard brother of Prince Charming himself.
I am not a princess, nor will I ever be the queen they wanted. I am what society carved me into with crowns made of silence and thorns. I was born from expectation, bred in perfection, taught to smile while burning. Call me evil. Call me bad. I don’t believe in long living queens.
When an eighteen-year-old girl Maya is sucked into the world of a dark fairytale, grief clings to her like a shadow. Her dad is gone, reality is breaking at the seams, and now she’s trapped in a realm where fate is inked in blood and beauty is a weapon. But Maya isn’t just an observer. She’s the reader, one the story has chosen, or perhaps cursed. There she meets Enora, the girl destined to become the Evil Queen. Young. Hurt. Vengeful. Betrayed by the one person who swore to love her most. Determined to change the story, Maya allies herself with a kingdom that bleeds secrets and a magic mentor who is more myth than man, and the bastard brother of Prince Charming himself.
671 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 27, 2026
Once upon a legacy opens strong with this first book.
The story has several characters and it’s written in 1st person. The author keeps all the characters nicely aligned and separate, so you can easily follow the story.
The beginning is touching, with Maya mourning for the death of hey father and Enora, being forced into a marriage..
The feelings are intense and captured well . At some point, I had tears in my eyes.
To me it’s a unique retelling, a relaxing and intriguing fantasy where alliances will be forged and love will conquer.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story has several characters and it’s written in 1st person. The author keeps all the characters nicely aligned and separate, so you can easily follow the story.
The beginning is touching, with Maya mourning for the death of hey father and Enora, being forced into a marriage..
The feelings are intense and captured well . At some point, I had tears in my eyes.
To me it’s a unique retelling, a relaxing and intriguing fantasy where alliances will be forged and love will conquer.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 18, 2026
A masterpiece 🧡👑
Long Live the Queen is a brilliant book that captures your attention at first without making a big deal out of it but then absolutely will not let go. The prose is amazing without being too much and each chapter has a purpose or a reason for being in this novel. The political urgency, emotional trauma and the moments of defiance and tenderness create a rich tapestry of the human experience.
The multiple points of view are a wonderful addition to this novel; the different voices of the characters are not only distinct and identifiable, they also bring depth to each character's story.
The first chapter of this novel is truly heartbreaking because Maya is mourning the horrible and senseless murder of her father and Enora's marriage is forced upon her which takes away her choice and autonomy. This sad but emotional journey through grief, obligation and love is one that we feel throughout the entire novel, as the tension of the characters' struggles continues until the very end.
One of the best scenes for me is when David and Enora are playfully throwing snowballs at the townspeople. They are not only alive and in love in the midst of such despair, but they also exist in a world that is trying to extinguish them. It was a moment that reminded me of a breath of fresh, cold air.
This is a stunning novel. Kahley Burwell is an immensely talented writer, and Long Live the Queen is a haunting, emotional, and gripping read that lingers long after the final page.
Long Live the Queen is a brilliant book that captures your attention at first without making a big deal out of it but then absolutely will not let go. The prose is amazing without being too much and each chapter has a purpose or a reason for being in this novel. The political urgency, emotional trauma and the moments of defiance and tenderness create a rich tapestry of the human experience.
The multiple points of view are a wonderful addition to this novel; the different voices of the characters are not only distinct and identifiable, they also bring depth to each character's story.
The first chapter of this novel is truly heartbreaking because Maya is mourning the horrible and senseless murder of her father and Enora's marriage is forced upon her which takes away her choice and autonomy. This sad but emotional journey through grief, obligation and love is one that we feel throughout the entire novel, as the tension of the characters' struggles continues until the very end.
One of the best scenes for me is when David and Enora are playfully throwing snowballs at the townspeople. They are not only alive and in love in the midst of such despair, but they also exist in a world that is trying to extinguish them. It was a moment that reminded me of a breath of fresh, cold air.
This is a stunning novel. Kahley Burwell is an immensely talented writer, and Long Live the Queen is a haunting, emotional, and gripping read that lingers long after the final page.
December 13, 2025
I honestly did my best to get through this book, but I just couldn't. It kept going in so many directions that I couldn't really keep up with the plot. I had to DNF it at 31% because I was just so confused with the direction this story was going in.
This is just my opinion, I'm sure others would love this story but I couldn't finish it.
This is just my opinion, I'm sure others would love this story but I couldn't finish it.
March 21, 2026
I’m absolutely obsessed with fairytale retellings, specially when dark and twisted! This is an upper YA dark reimagining of Snow White, where the main character is actually the Evil Queen! 👑
A bit of a villains origin story with a completely new twist, Snow White and The Evil Queen were best friends, and Snow betrayed her. To make the story even more intriguing, a reader from modern time falls into the fairytale while reading Snow White, and reveals to the Evil Queen her doomed fate and helps her to change her destiny. The writing is a bit on the long side and could have been shortened up to up the pace, but still I was intrigued from the very beginning and couldn’t stop reading to see how things would turn out! Both women, Maya and Enora, have gone through a lot and it’s refreshing to see them team up and stand up for themselves.
What you can expect:
👑Arranged marriage
👑Snow White retelling
👑Betrayals and twists
👑slow burn romance
👑forbidden romance
👑found family
👑Dual POV
👑who did this to you
A bit of a villains origin story with a completely new twist, Snow White and The Evil Queen were best friends, and Snow betrayed her. To make the story even more intriguing, a reader from modern time falls into the fairytale while reading Snow White, and reveals to the Evil Queen her doomed fate and helps her to change her destiny. The writing is a bit on the long side and could have been shortened up to up the pace, but still I was intrigued from the very beginning and couldn’t stop reading to see how things would turn out! Both women, Maya and Enora, have gone through a lot and it’s refreshing to see them team up and stand up for themselves.
What you can expect:
👑Arranged marriage
👑Snow White retelling
👑Betrayals and twists
👑slow burn romance
👑forbidden romance
👑found family
👑Dual POV
👑who did this to you
March 24, 2026
An epic story, with a lot of twists and turns, Long Live the Queen, is a retelling of Snow White but… not.
Snow is not as expected and is a secondary character here. She’s engaged to Prince David “Charming”, and her longtime, best friend, Enora, is as excited for her as she is.
Things take a turn, though, when the girls have a falling out, leading to how Enora becomes the Evil Queen, in the original fairytale.
Feeling alone and betrayed, Enora is comforted by the “arrival” of Maya, a girl from modern times who gets sucked into the book. Maya’s suffering from her own trauma but is determined to help Enora avoid her fated outcome. Maya teaches her that she’s more than the weak, broken girl, she thinks she is. Wielding her newfound power with a pure heart, is more of a challenge than either one of them thought, though, as devastating secrets are exposed.
Beautifully written with breathtaking details, I found it to be a little “wordy” but enjoyed the prose too much, for it to really bother me. I also got a bit confused a few times, when a new chapter began. I had to backtrack a little to reread and, for the most part, figured it out. Told in first person, the chapters are clearly labeled as to who’s telling the different parts of the story, as there are four main characters, and several secondary ones. I just lost the thread of the story a couple times.
I fell in love with the characters and got lost in the intrigue but was shocked where the author went with it, in the end. Much to my frustration, it ends with a cliffhanger, with no information on when book two will be released. I sure hope Kahley Burwell writes quickly. I have to know how it ends!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Snow is not as expected and is a secondary character here. She’s engaged to Prince David “Charming”, and her longtime, best friend, Enora, is as excited for her as she is.
Things take a turn, though, when the girls have a falling out, leading to how Enora becomes the Evil Queen, in the original fairytale.
Feeling alone and betrayed, Enora is comforted by the “arrival” of Maya, a girl from modern times who gets sucked into the book. Maya’s suffering from her own trauma but is determined to help Enora avoid her fated outcome. Maya teaches her that she’s more than the weak, broken girl, she thinks she is. Wielding her newfound power with a pure heart, is more of a challenge than either one of them thought, though, as devastating secrets are exposed.
Beautifully written with breathtaking details, I found it to be a little “wordy” but enjoyed the prose too much, for it to really bother me. I also got a bit confused a few times, when a new chapter began. I had to backtrack a little to reread and, for the most part, figured it out. Told in first person, the chapters are clearly labeled as to who’s telling the different parts of the story, as there are four main characters, and several secondary ones. I just lost the thread of the story a couple times.
I fell in love with the characters and got lost in the intrigue but was shocked where the author went with it, in the end. Much to my frustration, it ends with a cliffhanger, with no information on when book two will be released. I sure hope Kahley Burwell writes quickly. I have to know how it ends!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read
January 15, 2026I am so sorry but this book was the biggest struggle to get through. At first I thought it was a me problem, maybe I would have enjoyed this if I was still in my teens? But there were some comments and themes that I would not be comfortable with a teen reading. I finished the book, but if I wasn't ARC reading then it would have been an easy DNF.
This is a Snow White retelling focusing on the 'evil' stepmother. However it starts off in a modern day setting with a traumatized FMC who is brought into the world of this book. Why it started here is still a mystery to me.
There was not a lot to like about this book. The storyline was confusing. The chapters felt disjointed with the Multi-character POV instead of cohesive and don't even get me started on the romance. Who even likes who in this book?
I'm choosing not to leave a star review for this book but it wasn't for me. Thank you to the author & PA for sending me an ARC of this book.
Narration: Multi character, first person POV
Spice: 1/5 (no smut, but there are some darker themes)
Tropes:
- Snow white retelling
- Arranged marriage
- Prophecy
- Rewriting destiny
- Love triangle? Love square?
- Court politics
- Scheming & Betrayal
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This is a Snow White retelling focusing on the 'evil' stepmother. However it starts off in a modern day setting with a traumatized FMC who is brought into the world of this book. Why it started here is still a mystery to me.
There was not a lot to like about this book. The storyline was confusing. The chapters felt disjointed with the Multi-character POV instead of cohesive and don't even get me started on the romance. Who even likes who in this book?
I'm choosing not to leave a star review for this book but it wasn't for me. Thank you to the author & PA for sending me an ARC of this book.
Narration: Multi character, first person POV
Spice: 1/5 (no smut, but there are some darker themes)
Tropes:
- Snow white retelling
- Arranged marriage
- Prophecy
- Rewriting destiny
- Love triangle? Love square?
- Court politics
- Scheming & Betrayal
Follow for more:
January 29, 2026
This book was a genuine struggle to get through. There were too many characters, too many plot points, and wording and structure that made it difficult to read. The chapters were really weird and wonky so maybe it was fixed before it fully published.
Going into this book, I was expecting and more fantastical world with the snow white twist on the story. I was a bit shocked when the story started off with Maya and her father in the modern world. It through me off and wondering how this is supposed to be fantasy. I pushed through and finally got to Enora's pov. I did love how Maya ended up fitting into the story but unfortunately taking almost 100 pages to get to the point was too much. Especially because the world building was lacking.
There are some aspects I did like. Mostly to do with Maya and Enora themselves. I love their characters and the friendship they built. They almost felt like the same person in certain parts but I genuinely loved their friendship. For them, i finished the story even when I wanted to stop.
I think this book could have been shorter and would have been much better. There was way too much going on and too many characters to keep track of. I didnt like any of the characters besides Maya and Enora, which made a long book longer. While the book wasnt a hit with me, the cover is beautiful along with two very amazing FMCs.
Going into this book, I was expecting and more fantastical world with the snow white twist on the story. I was a bit shocked when the story started off with Maya and her father in the modern world. It through me off and wondering how this is supposed to be fantasy. I pushed through and finally got to Enora's pov. I did love how Maya ended up fitting into the story but unfortunately taking almost 100 pages to get to the point was too much. Especially because the world building was lacking.
There are some aspects I did like. Mostly to do with Maya and Enora themselves. I love their characters and the friendship they built. They almost felt like the same person in certain parts but I genuinely loved their friendship. For them, i finished the story even when I wanted to stop.
I think this book could have been shorter and would have been much better. There was way too much going on and too many characters to keep track of. I didnt like any of the characters besides Maya and Enora, which made a long book longer. While the book wasnt a hit with me, the cover is beautiful along with two very amazing FMCs.
December 22, 2025
I really wanted to love this. I am a big fan of a fairytale retelling, but this one just did not hit. I had this critique for the last book I read by Kahley Burwell (Filthy Royals), but there are just too many characters and too many things going on for me. It’s very easy to get lost and feel like you missed something. I also did not really like most of the characters in this story. I also didn’t care for most of the characters. Enora has too much going on in her life and that makes her a nervous and stressed out wreck. And Maya is a brat. Maybe the author meant this on purpose, but it’s just not really my vibe.
January 18, 2026
This was a strong start to the Once Upon a Legacy series, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed in the fairy tale retelling. I enjoyed the overall feel of this and how it uses the fairy tale characters in a way that interesting and unique. I was invested in what was happening and enjoyed the book from start to finish. Kahley Burwell has a strong writing style and am excited to read more from them and this series.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 26, 2026
I have some mixed feelings for this particular story. It had a strong start and parts of really were good, but the ever shifting point of view did take some time to adjust to. There were also a few confusing parts. Multiple people called King and Queen did cause some confusion. The plot twist at the was interesting though it did feel a little rushed. I almost had whiplash from how quickly I went from disliking Snow to feeling almost sorry for her. The sudden cliffhanger ending was a slight gut punch though. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book.
December 28, 2025
Ahhhhhh I started this book and maybe it was because of my reading slump but I had to DNF for now.
It was a little confusing in the beginning and I’ve been a fantasy girly through and through, but I haven’t picked up the kindle for a good few days knowing that this was the book I was reading and I am definitely a girly who will read everyday 😭
Once I’m outta this slump, it will be re-attempted, but for now, this girly will be stuck in 17% 😵💫
It was a little confusing in the beginning and I’ve been a fantasy girly through and through, but I haven’t picked up the kindle for a good few days knowing that this was the book I was reading and I am definitely a girly who will read everyday 😭
Once I’m outta this slump, it will be re-attempted, but for now, this girly will be stuck in 17% 😵💫
January 4, 2026
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An intriguing concept but by 20% it started to drag and became too convoluted for me to orient myself.
There were too many characters and not very well developed. This should have been divided into more books to develop it succesfully.
An intriguing concept but by 20% it started to drag and became too convoluted for me to orient myself.
There were too many characters and not very well developed. This should have been divided into more books to develop it succesfully.
Did Not Finish
April 28, 2026I love a good fairytale retelling, and I liked the premise of this, but it fell flat for me. I felt it was both too fast, to the point of feeling rushed, and too slow. Sadly, I'm calling quits at 10%.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews