Review: All the Queen's Horses and All the Queen's Men

All the Queen's Horses and All the Queen's Men is the thrilling conclusion to Abigail Manning's Once Upon a Rhyme series of nursing rhymes rewritten as original fairy tales set in a fantasy world powered by magic jewels. I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this final installment. Though the author recommends reading the rest of the books in the series first, I had more than enough context from the first book and the most recent book to enjoy this one without feeling like I was missing anything important. The story is loosely inspired by "Humpty Dumpty" and uses a shattered soul stone as a metaphor for the famous broken egg.

Amirah has been known as the "blood princess" because of a horrible tragedy that occurred in her childhood, causing the death of most of her family due to their obsession with soul stones, magic gems that they believed would allow them to control their emotions. Her shattered soul stone, which she wears as a set of jewelry, allows her to have a visual representation of all of her emotions, based on which one lights up whenever she feels something. However, the shattered gem has some unwanted side effects, particularly the random lapses in memory during which she loses control over her body. She is frightened by this loss of control over herself, but Prince Soren, who has been studying soul stones for quite some time, arrives just in time to help.

Although the book is not recommended as a standalone, Amirah's story is unique enough to appreciate even for newcomers to the world of Once Upon a Rhyme. Her trauma from not being able to save her family is relatable, and her obsession with controlling her emotions is an understandable consequence. Prince Soren, who was continuously snubbed out of marriage alliances in the previous books, is also relatable. He is a genuinely good person who takes all the rejections in stride and would never try to force a princess's love. Since Amirah is his last hope for a royal alliance, it's easy to root for them to get together, especially after seeing how supportive he is of her memory lapses and the sweet methods he uses to help comfort her when they occur.

As expected from Abigail Manning, this book had a big twist at the end that I did not see coming, yet it made perfect sense in the story. My vague theory on the identity of the Shattered One, the recurring villain throughout this series, turned out to be wrong, but I didn't mind because the twist was written so well. Among the other books I've read by her, this reminded me the most of Insomniac's Curse due to the main character's lapses in memory of her own actions, but the ending still came as a surprise. After everything was revealed, a fun anthology of bonus scenes showed how characters from the other books each played a small part in ensuring Amirah and Soren's happy ending.

All the Queen's Horses and All the Queen's Men is a fitting conclusion to Once Upon a Rhyme that delivers a great treat to those who have read the rest of the series, but is still enjoyable for those who have not. The themes of loss, trauma, and the desire to control one's emotions are universal, and the book's conclusion is cathartic to those who have suffered in the past and need a good story about healing. The romance is done well and demonstrates that those who are patient in love and refuse to become disheartened by former breakups will be rewarded in the end. I highly recommend this unique series to anyone who loves fairy tales, magic, and romance.