Once There Was
#7173.91 adjusted 3.91 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Ongoing 2023–present Reading commitment Low Kiyash Monsef Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
Once There Was is a fantasy series by Kiyash Monsef, published by Simon & Schuster. The first novel, Once There Was (2023), follows Marjan Dastani, a fifteen-year-old Iranian-American girl who takes over her late father's veterinary clinic and learns that he secretly cared for mythical creatures. She searches for the truth about his death and draws on the fables he told her. The sequel, Bird of a Thousand Stories (2025), has Marjan living a double life as she travels to find a legendary bird before a ruthless trafficking organisation, the Fells, does. Short folk tales appear between the chapters of both books. The author has said he plans to return to the world, and no third book has been announced.
Urban fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
Once There Was Kiyash Monsef
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Once There Was | 2023 | 1 | core | 3.89 (2,941 ratings) |
 | Bird of a Thousand Stories; Published February 4, 2025 as a sequel; it can be read without the first book. | 2025 | 2 | core | 4.05 (325 ratings) |
Two novels following Marjan Dastani, a young healer of mythical creatures.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Once There Was? Once There Was's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for Once There Was? Publication order, starting with Once There Was. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Once There Was finished? Ongoing (2023–present).
- How much reading does Once There Was take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books).
- How is Once There Was ranked? #717 in this site's official ranking, based on 3,266 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #717?
Ranked #717 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.91 across 2 core books.
- A smaller readership (3,266 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #716, The Grail of Hearts (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 2 books · Ongoing · 3k ratings · Ranks #717 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment urban fantasy universe that's still ongoing, with new books still coming.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- Once There Was (2023)
- Bird of a Thousand Stories (2025)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what Once There Was and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Mary Poppins Comic fantasy / Urban fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.00
- Tumble & Blue Urban fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.95
- Freddie vs. the Family Curse Urban fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.94
- The Lost Girl Urban fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.89
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.91 across 3,266 ratings on 2 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 27 universes from the candidate register; 3 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Simon & Schuster series page Tier 2
- Horn Book review Tier 2
- Kirkus Reviews, Bird of a Thousand Stories Tier 2
- Reading Zone author page Tier 2
- Yahoo Entertainment sequel announcement Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = Once There Was (2023) and Bird of a Thousand Stories (2025).