Review of A King Amongst Us

[Rob Carr]

[Following is a volunteer review of "A King Amongst Us" by A.D. Lewis.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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A true leader is created not by the office they hold but by the values they demonstrate. This is what A King Amongst Us by A.D. Lewis demonstrates through its story.
 
Titus’ family and community were killed and enslaved by the tyrant King Augustus. Then Titus himself suffered years of abuse at King Augustus’ hands. Titus shows one value above all else, however: perseverance. He is determined to right the wrongs he has suffered and to get revenge against King Augustus.
 
After trying to kill the king, Titus is made a gladiator in King Augustus’ coliseum. He becomes famous as the champion of the arena, known as Raven the Messenger. Titus is still driven forward by his craving for revenge, however. He finally gets a chance to escape the life he has had when brothel owner Madam Aurelia makes a deal with King Augustus to make him her slave instead. However, Titus struggles to see how he fits into her wider plans.
 
The book is a quick and interesting read. It has strong characters, and it did have some unexpected twists in the plot. Despite being a relatively short book, it packs in a fair amount of character development for Titus.
 
I did find a number of errors while reviewing. There were also a few points where the plot did not quite fit that well. In particular, the deal between Aurelia and King Augustus did not seem like a logical deal for King Augustus.
 
Overall, I rate A King Amongst Us 4 out of 5 stars. It was an enjoyable read, but there were a few issues, as I noted above, so 4 stars seems like the most appropriate rating.
 
I would recommend the book to those who enjoy reading fantasy. It has strong echoes back to themes from Greek and Roman myths in particular. It has several references to sexual abuse and violence, so it is probably best suited to an adult audience.

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A King Amongst Us
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[Jennifer Coxon]

Thank you for your thoughtful review. The synopsis is not what I expected from the title, but I do enjoy pieces about Ancient Rome and Greece. It does sound like there is a potentially big plot hole here though if it was not logical for the King to have made the deal with Aurelia. One for me to consider.

[Rob Carr]

Thank you for your thoughtful review. The synopsis is not what I expected from the title, but I do enjoy pieces about Ancient Rome and Greece. It does sound like there is a potentially big plot hole here though if it was not logical for the King to have made the deal with Aurelia. One for me to consider.

Thanks Jennifer. Yeah the book wasn't what I would have expected from the cover or the title.

[Laney K]

Based on the title and cover, I never would have gotten to gladiators and revenge. However, it does seem like quite an interesting fantasy book.

[Rob Carr]

Based on the title and cover, I never would have gotten to gladiators and revenge. However, it does seem like quite an interesting fantasy book.

Thanks Laney. I thought exactly the same!