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t_shaffner's review against another edition
4.0
A fun conclusion to a fun series. A few pieces at the end not really tied up as one would hope, but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole series.
lib_britannia's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jasonabbott's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
kriseaf's review
5.0
A fantastic conclusion to a fantastic series--my adoration of Rachel Aaron (and now Travis Bach) continues.
thelauramay's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this much more in print than audio. A satisfying end to a previously unsatisfying series.
cricklewood's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Setting/Worldbuilding: 7/10
Main characters: 9/10
Side characters: 9/10
Dialogue: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Technique: 8/10
Prose: 6/10
Romance: 8//10
Ending: 8/10
Overall enjoyment: 9/10
Total: 80/100 (4)
Cute HEA ending! Overall a solid series from my favourite author, and I'm starting to suspect she has an obsession with pantheons involving the sky 🤣
There were unanswered questions and secrets from the penultimate book that I was curious to see how they would be addressed and ... they were addressed fully in this book. But eh, I found a lot of of the explanations a bit too convenient? Everything is all nicely tied up with a lovely ribbon and all, but I feel like that was what made it particularly unrealistic.
We finally see a culmination of the slow-burn romance hinted at from book 1 (including a fade to black scene). I thought the friends to lovers subplot was cute and the parties were clearly in love with each other so it was easy to root for them... But damn, not sure the codependency and infatuation are all that healthy, you know!
Main characters: 9/10
Side characters: 9/10
Dialogue: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Technique: 8/10
Prose: 6/10
Romance: 8//10
Ending: 8/10
Overall enjoyment: 9/10
Total: 80/100 (4)
Cute HEA ending! Overall a solid series from my favourite author, and I'm starting to suspect she has an obsession with pantheons involving the sky 🤣
There were unanswered questions and secrets from the penultimate book that I was curious to see how they would be addressed and ... they were addressed fully in this book. But eh, I found a lot of of the explanations a bit too convenient? Everything is all nicely tied up with a lovely ribbon and all, but I feel like that was what made it particularly unrealistic.
We finally see a culmination of the slow-burn romance hinted at from book 1 (including a fade to black scene). I thought the friends to lovers subplot was cute and the parties were clearly in love with each other so it was easy to root for them... But damn, not sure the codependency and infatuation are all that healthy, you know!
nancyotoole's review
5.0
While I've enjoyed The Forever Fantasy Online series, I've always felt as if they couldn't hold a candle to Aaron's dragon-based books. But The Once Thing definitely takes things to another level, ending the series on a high note. Filled with the great characters and the big, bombastic action sequences I've come to expect from FFO, The Once King is a page-turner of a novel that brings everyone's story to a satisfying end. If Aaron and Bach even decide to co-write a series again (LitRPG or otherwise), I would happily check it out.
arlia's review
5.0
This book reminded me a lot of the first. There's a lot of great characterization and a plot that doesn't lag (like it did in the second).
As a huge fan of Rachel Aaron, I decided to try FFO even though rpglit isn't really my thing, and boy was I rewarded! This isn't typical rpglit (after reading the first two books in this series, I decided to try others--it wasn't to my taste) in which the players just detail their journey and leveling up in the game. It was more fantasy than anything.
This book starts with them going after the Once King due to some revelations about why the players were there and in order to stop the war. But first, they practice with King Gregory. I love King Gregory in this book! How they managed to fit in such great character development in so few pages... I am impressed. And Zen (who you meet in the previous book) plays a major role as Tina's second, proving to be better than SilentBlayde due to the fact that she actually stands up to her.
SilentBlayde goes through his own arc of redemption and revelations, as well as James. I was always a huge fan of James (reminded me of a certain dragon), so I was glad to see that he got to make up to Tina for everything that was done.
Tina gets a pretty convenient resolution, but I'm glad the authors tried to fit it into the plot, and a lot of secondary characters got their own resolutions as well. Many things are resolved pretty well and (as Rachel Aaron's MO) with a lot of talking and reasoning. If only people were that rational and willing to accept their wrongs in the real world. xD
If you're a big fan of rpglit, the second book in the series would probably be more for you, as it details a lot of boss fights and battles.
However, if you love fantasy, or urban fantasy, or even a combination of both, this series is definitely in that style. The personal struggles of the characters, the NPCs, the bosses, were all very well done. The lore especially gave it a high-fantasy feel, and a good one at that.
As a huge fan of Rachel Aaron, I decided to try FFO even though rpglit isn't really my thing, and boy was I rewarded! This isn't typical rpglit (after reading the first two books in this series, I decided to try others--it wasn't to my taste) in which the players just detail their journey and leveling up in the game. It was more fantasy than anything.
This book starts with them going after the Once King due to some revelations about why the players were there and in order to stop the war. But first, they practice with King Gregory. I love King Gregory in this book! How they managed to fit in such great character development in so few pages... I am impressed. And Zen (who you meet in the previous book) plays a major role as Tina's second, proving to be better than SilentBlayde due to the fact that she actually stands up to her.
SilentBlayde goes through his own arc of redemption and revelations, as well as James. I was always a huge fan of James (reminded me of a certain dragon), so I was glad to see that he got to make up to Tina for everything that was done.
Tina gets a pretty convenient resolution, but I'm glad the authors tried to fit it into the plot, and a lot of secondary characters got their own resolutions as well. Many things are resolved pretty well and (as Rachel Aaron's MO) with a lot of talking and reasoning. If only people were that rational and willing to accept their wrongs in the real world. xD
If you're a big fan of rpglit, the second book in the series would probably be more for you, as it details a lot of boss fights and battles.
However, if you love fantasy, or urban fantasy, or even a combination of both, this series is definitely in that style. The personal struggles of the characters, the NPCs, the bosses, were all very well done. The lore especially gave it a high-fantasy feel, and a good one at that.