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For Channelers — women with magical abilities — a life of persecution is common in Malam. King Aodren wants nothing more than to end the bloody divide between those with magical abilities and those without and unite his kingdom. But decades of hatred and mistrust cannot be overcome by decrees and words alone.
At the championship games held between kingdoms, rumors of a deadly Channeler-made substance begin to surface. People’s fears and anger have once again been aroused. If Aodren hopes to salvage the situation and hold on to his dream of peace (while also not appearing weak to the other kingdom’s rulers and leaving his country open to war), he’ll need help.
Lirra doesn’t trust King Aodren. As a Channeler with the power to control the wind, she’s always lived in fear and mistrust of the kingdom of Malam and its rulers. But when Aodren asks for help in discovering the truth behind this new dangerous magic, she has her own reasons for not being able to refuse.
Of all the Clash of Kingdoms young adult fantasy books, I was pleasantly surprised to find I enjoyed Once a King the best. Summerill’s writing seems to have improved over time, providing the reader with a dangerous mystery surrounding the black market equivalent of a magic healing potion. While this is technically a companion novel to the other two books, readers who are new to the series may find this book confusing if they don’t know the back stories or history of events that happen in the previous books. Familiar characters from the previous books also make an appearance, and it was nice to see Aodren and Lirra find their own happy ending as well.
Rated: Mild, for six uses of mild language. Those with Channeler magic face persecution as rage, racism and unrest spread between countries. Violence is a large part of the book but feels tamed down and nondescript. Characters kiss (“with tongue” is described in at least one scene).
