Review of 'One True King'

Synopsis

In this sixth and final installment in Soman Chainani's New York Times bestselling epic fantasy fairy tale series, the School for Good and Evil, Camelot's crown--and the fate of the Endless Woods--are up for grabs.

Beyond Good and Evil. Beyond Ever Afters. The tale of Sophie and Agatha comes to a dramatic conclusion. Prepare yourself for the End of Ends.

The first test was passed.

Excalibur pulled from the stone.

A new king named.

But two claim the crown.

The sword returns to the stone,

for only one is the true king.

Who?

The future I have seen has many possibilities...

So by my will, none shall be crowned until the Tournament is complete.

The Tournament of Kings.

Three trials.

Three answers to find.

A race to the finish.

My last coronation test.

Excalibur will crown the winner and take the loser's head.

The first test is coming. Prepare . . .

--King Arthur

Review

One True King is bewitching, entrancing, and oh so incredibly good.

The final in Soman Chainani’s School for Good and Evil: Camelot Years series, brings the journey of these fantastic characters to a spellbinding close.

While this is a Children’s and Middle-Grade series, this novel is as mature as they come. It deals with toughs such as self-doubt, guilt, abandonment, and more in such a brilliant way. Chainani is, quite simply, a fantastic author and to see the story come to this is utterly satisfying.

The Story

As the 6th novel in the series, the reader can see how everything built up to One True King. Chainani does a brilliant job of giving classic fairy tales new life with his imagination. These are classic characters that Chainani has been able to give new life. Furthermore, he continues to do that, building up the history of the lands and the richness of the world.

There is such great storytelling in this novel. Every single chapter gives this story so much depth because it invests in who these characters are not just as fairy tale beings but as real people. It moves at such a fantastic pace, keeping up the momentum throughout the story.

Plot twist after plot twists, revelation after revelation Chainani gives readers imaginative storytelling and world. One True King is not just a story for children; although it is very age-appropriate for young readers, one does not need to be young to appreciate One True King. One True King is a story that grows with the reader; it is a series filled with an imagination that flows on every page.

One True King is a fantastic story because it has so much tension. It has much maturity to it but it does not lose the humor; it does not lose the magic. The pacing once again, it is incredible, the tension is terrific and it does work to create a wonderful, imaginative world.

The Characters

Agatha and Sophie are the main characters in the series that readers have followed from the beginning. However, as the story has grown as evolved so has the scope of characters. There is a lot of LGBTQ representation in this series, giving the readers characters with more depth and complexities making them more relatable. However, alongside this representation, these characters are also having to deal with a lot of grown-up issues. They must deal with loss, betrayal, abandonment, and learning to love themselves.

Sophie especially has gone through quite the journey. She has spunk, attitude, and flair, but what makes her such a great character is how relatable she is. Sophie hides all her doubts and fears behind her flair and attitude, and her journey has always been about learning to love herself enough to give herself the happy ending she deserves.

One True King is where readers get to see Sophie grow into her skin. She discovers who she is and forgives herself as well for so much harm that she has done in the past. However, Sophie never loses her resilience. She is such a strong character and her dynamic with Tedros and Agatha has become stronger and more amazing with every page. There is much tension between their characters because of everything that’s happened but the reader gets to see how the events in this novel develop them as characters and friends.

As for all the other characters, there are Hort, Dot, and Hester and her coven. These characters never got a point-of-view in the previous trilogy, but Chainani gave them the chance to shine and flourish here. The reader gets to see who they are and how important they are. It just a fantastic range of characters and they are all multifaceted. They are all dealing with so much, but they never lose their humor and what makes them unique. Brilliant, vibrant, and fun; these are characters and friendships the reader can connect to on an emotional spectrum that flows throughout the novel.

The Ending

One True King is everything the series was built up to be. It brings the story to such a fantastic ending and conclusion that it just leaves your heart feeling warm and fuzzy. One True King is not just a book for children; it is a book for anyone of any age, and that just highlights Chainani’s talent to make such a spellbinding, entrancing, magical read.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband and son and their two cats, Mr. J the Kitten and Nyx.