Series: Clash of Kingdoms #3
Aodren: A lonely, young king, searching for a way to dismantle his father’s dark legacy.
Lirra: A girl with the power to control the wind, torn between duty and following her dreams
For twenty years, Channelers—women with a magical ability—have been persecuted in Malam by those without magic. Now King Aodren wants to end the bloody divide and unite his kingdom. But decades of hatred can’t be overcome by issuing decrees, and rumors of a deadly Channeler-made substance are only fueling people’s fears. Lirra has every reason to distrust Aodren. Yet when he asks for help to discover the truth behind the rumors, she can’t say no. With Lirra by his side, Aodren sees a way forward for his people. But can he rewrite the mistakes of the past before his enemies destroy the world he’s working so hard to rebuild?
3.5 Drink Me Potions
Finishing the Clash of Kingdoms series had me wondering this exact thought: what would the king of Malam do now that his crush chose someone else and there’s a whole kingdom to restore in unity and reputation.
Thankfully, Erin Summerill clearly heard my thoughts. And this, my friends, was the answer to that question.
While Once a King was marketed as a separate standalone from the Clash of Kingdoms series, I wouldn’t recommend it necessarily to be read before the others. It’ll still mildly make sense but a) there are spoilers as to what happened with the plot and some characters from the prequel series and b) there isn’t as much background information of the world building here so it would make the experience less enjoyable in a way with so much scrambling to catch up.
Much of the book (if not it’s entirety) was spent in the kingdom of Shaerdan, a kingdom that celebrated its channellers (women with magical abilities) while Malam was known in the past for hunting them down for their differences. Being king of that kingdom here? Not such a fun position to be in.
Aodren was an amazing protagonist. I loved his POV as you really get to see what’s inside. He felt so deeply, especially for his people, yet no one else could seem to understand how hard he was trying to restore Malam in the eyes of the rest of the world. And even among its own people who were still being prejudiced against Channellers.
Meanwhile, I can’t quite say the same for his love interest, Lirra. I liked her POV but I’m not sure I could stand her at times. She was initially the epitome of judgmental towards Aodren, listening to all the stereotypes about his character, calling him the bloody king o’ Malam. Yes, she changed over time, and really came through for everything that tied the plot together, but something about her just still sets me apart from truly loving her.
Aside from the characters, I must say that the plot line was leaning towards the simpler side. A counterfeit product has been released among the different factions of warriors from the different kingdoms that came to celebrate the festival. Marketed as an elixir of energy and strength, it unfortunately has lethal consequences that point towards Channeller magic, further fueling the still-remaining hatred and prejudices among the people of Malam. Wow, Aodren has his work cut out for him.
It was kind of fun hunting down the culprits with the clock ticking down as the contest and festivities came to an end with Aodren no closer to regaining trust and union for his kingdom. I didn’t quite guess who it was, although in hindsight I probably should’ve.
While I always love a good high fantasy with many twists and turns that are usually unpredictable by nature, sometimes a nice simple fantasy is also great for a quiet day in. It was a little slow sometimes but overall, it was a cute and heartwarming story of individuals learning to reach out to those who are different and not cower in fear ’cause of it. I definitely stand by the moral of the story, and that’s the most important part.
Overall Recommendation:
Once a King continues the storyline from the Clash of Kingdoms series with King Aodren as the protagonist. At its heart is a mystery for the supplier of a deadly product that has fueled more hatred against magical women in Aodren’s kingdom. But around this central storyline is a heart for those who are different, and a man who starts the call for change by humbly doing what he can for the people he loves. If that speaks to you, regardless of the simplicity of the plot, you should pick this book up (maybe after the other two books).
Down the Rabbit Hole 