Reviews

Once a King by Erin Summerill

taylorepperson's review against another edition

5.0

Ah, my heart!
I loved being back in this world, even though we followed different characters. I had a harder time getting into this one, but once I did I flew through it just like the other books.
I thought it would be a 4 star read for me, but I loved the ending, it just filled me up with hope, with a love of reading again, and of stories. I loved it!

cindeereads's review against another edition

5.0

I loved this single book better than the story that came before it I loved Aodren and Lirra's story so much more. I loved the characters so much but I especially loved Aodren and Lirra I loved the slow romance they had it was not instant and that really payed off by the end it had the perfect ending. I loved Lirra her want to follow her dreams while also struggling with the things she has to do she finds so much more along the way. I loved Aodren for his want to change his kingdom and leave behind the darkness I also loved his strength of character so very much. I really loved the plot it started talking about a tournament and trying to change a kingdom for the better there is of course road blocks in the way of the change that kingdom needs the romance was great as well I loved everything about this book.

gingergirl014's review against another edition

4.0

As evidenced by the summary; this book is more of a spin-off than a continuation of the series. The main characters are changed, but I wasn't mad about it. I loved Aodren and Lirra in the rest of the series and was excited to get to know their characters more and be able to dive into their thoughts.
And this book did not disappoint in doing that, and also digging deeper into the issues between those without powers and the Channelers. There is a dark history between the two groups and it is difficult to reunite them.
All in all, I like that the author saw that Britta's story in this series was completed and shifted her focus. It really did a good job showing that the two groups, although both facing their own challenges, are (for the most part) willing to try and come together again.

** Review with Spoilers Ahead**

My biggest annoyance with this story, and it's definitely a personal preference, is how quickly the romance developed between Aodren and Lirra. I mean, it wasn't completely out of the blue, but I wish there was a little more resistance/angst on both ends (There was some, but I wanted more!) He's the King and she's the daughter of the Archtraitor. Being the King, it's unrealistic to think he can just marry whoever he wants. In another life, she would have been a lady, a member of the court, but not in this life. And from Lirra's perspective, he was the King of a country that murdered and exiled her people. It wasn't Aodren who did these things and he is trying to make a change, but that's still a lot of history to just glance over.
In my opinion, it should have just come to a point where neither of them could control their desire anymore. They didn't think, just acted.
Also, (and this is a random point), in the last event of the festival when Aodren didn't have a Channeler to represent his kingdom, that could have been the perfect time to have Britta make an appearance in the book. It would have made more sense than Lirra, a girl who has lived her whole life in a different kingdom, represent his. Another personal preference.
Poor Leif, getting stabbed and then addicted to that drug that he didn't even realize was a drug (I can't remember the name of it.) He's the big, loveable teddy bear that no harm should come to.

evelynverne's review against another edition

5.0

Seeds and stars. This edition to this series was unbelievable! I loved learning more about Lirra and still more about Aodren. These to had their ups and downs but they pulled through. Their amazing team has done wonders and now the future of their world is bright. I hope that the story will continue. Praise to Erin Summerill for this incredible story!

ddraumas's review against another edition

3.0

This book was boring. There was nothing in particular about it that bored me, it just did. Actually, this was my second time reading it because I forgot what it was about and so I was wondering why it was on my shelf. This is the third book, and I picked it up first not realizing. It turns out it is just a novella set in this universe though so I went ahead and read it. I don't think I will be picking up the other books.

yvonneiswriting's review against another edition

3.0

I’m sure the book got better as it went, but I couldn’t get myself to open it up and read more of it. No matter how hard I tried or how many times I opened it, I could tread more than a page or two before closing it.

onetwomanybooks's review against another edition

5.0

Finished all 3 books of the series in what felt like the blink of an eye and I absolutely loved them. The slight hints towards several possible relationships (especially in the first 2) kept pushing my interest to read forward but what completely enthralled me was the beautiful world these characters lived in. The dynamics felt real, the struggles are well known historically and yet there was this newness to them that made them intriguing.

jennika_lyn's review against another edition

3.0

If I wasnt Already In love with the magical world created by Erin Sumerill, I definitely am now after reading the 3rd book in the Clash of Kingdoms series, Once a King. Warning, this review will contain spoilers. For those of you who have read the 1st two books in this series and loved King Aodren, then this book is for you. Once a King is about Aodren as he attends the Kingdoms Summit and is trying to dismantle the legacy his father set for Malam. It also Follows Lirra who just wants to prove herself to her father. As their Lives intertwine, Lirra and Aodren find out that some dark stuff is occurring under their noses. I really enjoyed getting to read more about this world and the things going on inside it. Aodren and Lirra were so cute together and
I was so happy when they finally realized they liked each other. The Mystery of the sanguine oil was really interesting and a very unique plot for typical YA fantasy. The Biggest Plot twist of all was Who the supplier of the sanguine oil was! I mean maybe I should have seen it coming after she made her distaste for Aodren and Malam very clear, but still..
Overall I really Liked Once a King, it was a great book and I’m very sad that the story had come to an end.

aworldshapedbybooks's review against another edition

3.0

Overview

This is the third book in the A Clash of Kingdoms series and I honestly liked it more than I liked the previous books. King Aodren, a central character in the second book, and Lirra, who played a smaller role, are dealing with a world without the Purge. I don't remember the other two books very well, I didn't review back then so I kind of glossed over them. On that note, I'm fairly sure that you could read this as a standalone since the main characters are only ever mentioned in passing. King Aodren was pretty much the main reason I didn't feel like I liked the second book in this trilogy- I just felt so bad for him. If you were rooting for his happiness, this is definitely the way to go.

The blurb of this book made it feel super serious, but it's less of a war book and more of an aftermath book. The Purge is over and all of the Channelers and normal people are just trying to figure out how to live in a more cohesive war. There are obviously militants, people who are against the new world. It's a pretty intense political issue, all of these people were forced out of the country twenty years ago and now they want their land back and the people living there currently are mad and afraid of the magic women. On that note, it felt a lot more political than magical. Magic wasn't really a big deal at all, so if you're reading this as a standalone, you won't feel super immersed in the magical element of the fantasy. Lirra is a wind Channeler, and while that plays into the plot and her dreams, it's never used for her major combat moments or for really anything that moves the plot directly.

There are a lot of tropes at work here, I rated it highly because it's well-written and I love them all, but it's pretty predictable. I said it was more political than magical, so I wish the ending had gone more into the politics of their relationship. Again though, I feel like it was a great way to talk more about King Aodren and make me less angry about how sad it all was in the second book. It feels like more of a novella than an entire book in the series, but I wasn't super upset about it.

Would I Recommend?

If you were in love with Britta and co. from the original books, don't read this anticipating you'll see them. There are features from a lot of the characters in those books, but Aodren and Lirra are the central characters where the majority of the plot is spent. On that note though, I would recommend it even as a standalone. A cute little read that either gives you closure on the original two books, or brings you into a world of political turmoil and people just trying to keep it all together.

This review and all my others posted on: https://aworldshapedbybooks.blogspot.com/

whimsicallymeghan's review against another edition

3.75

For years it has been a crime to be a Channeler in Malam. Now years later, Aodren wants to dismantle what his father started, but that’s easier said than done. When rumours start to fly about a deadly Channeler-made oil, people begin to fear them. Aodren, with the help of a fellow Channeler, Lirra, come together to find out who is behind it all. This novel was fast-paced and full of action just like the previous two novels. At first the reader didn’t really understand the reason for this novel; the way book two ended felt like a nice ending, but as the reader got through the story and by the end everything made sense and this was truly a great way to end the trilogy. The plot in this one was really good, even though this novel dealt with mostly new characters, the way the new characters and their plots interwove with the ongoing plots in the trilogy was so smooth and well written. There were so many highs and lows that the reader couldn’t help but keep going because they needed to know what was going to happen next. Seeing resolutions to conflicts that were introduced in the first book was satisfying. The new characters were a significant addition to the story. Not only did they bring everything together, but the romance plot that was added just gave the reader a little happy boast to read. The reader enjoyed the spunk and bravery one of the main character’s brought to the story and how well they played with the characters we already know. Summerill did a great job of wrapping up this story and giving all her characters an ending they deserve. The trilogy overall was highly addictive, full of a lot of adventure and some cute romance too.