Once There Was : The New York Times Top 10 Hit!

Discover a world of extraordinary beasts and unexpected heroes in the dazzling debut from New York Times�bestselling author Kiyash Monsef.�Perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Philip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, J.K. Rowling and A.F. Steadman. Once was, once wasn't . . . So began the stories Marjan's father told her as a little girl - tales of mythical beasts that filled her with curiosity and wonder: Griffons. Unicorns. Dragons.� But Marjan is not a little�girl anymore. After her father's sudden death, she is trying to hold it all together: her schoolwork, her friendships and her dad's struggling veterinary practice. But a mysterious visitor soon reveals that Marjan's father was no ordinary vet. The creatures from his stories are real - and he travelled the world to care for them. Stepping into a secret world hidden in plain sight, where magical creatures are bought and sold, treasured and trapped, Marjan must take her father's place. The deeper in she gets, the�closer she comes to a shocking truth that will put both humans and beasts in terrible danger.�