There was more of the characters that I wa "Death was unpleasant, but it was a familiar and tolerable ache in his chest. There was more of the characters that I wanted to see. There is also character development for many of the characters, which I was glad to see. Can we also talk about Neil's little obsession with his new practice racquet? I love the characters in this series.
And most of all, I love how Nora Sakavic gets you so emotionally invested in both the plot and the characters. This series is going to kill me. Andrew called this home; Nicky called him family. Neil wasn't going to lose any of it. View all 4 comments. View all 8 comments. Oct 20, no rated it liked it Recommended to no by: Whatever I was expecting, it was not this. Don't let this stop you from reading this series, though - I'm on The King's Men right now, and it is the absolute best.
But then I reached this: I was consequently told that I would never be ready for this View all 52 comments. Oct 19, Emma rated it it was amazing. The ending of this book The All For the Game series has triggers for almost everything: And yet, I finished this book smiling like an idiot.
It's heavy, for sure, because it tackles series trauma, and these kids' lives have been hell, BUT the overall feeling I get while reading them is happiness. Now, my tolerance for violence and such is admittedly high. What I'm trying to communicate is that the author does Wow okay. What I'm trying to communicate is that the author doesn't throw in these heavy things just to move the story along or just to add tension.
I get the feeling that she does it thoughtfully. In this second book, we get to see Neil in a new way. He's starting to break down his walls, and let his team mates in. What he did for Andrew at the end broke my heart. I balled my eyes out when he admitted that he was not okay, when he asked Wymack to help him. In the first book, I loved Neil. I loved Andrew, but I wasn't all that invested in the other characters. At least not on the same level. I am completely obsessed with every character.
Nicky is definitely a favorite. He has such a big heart and somehow manages to love Andrew, Aaron, Kevin and all the monsters. His desire to be friends with everyone is adorable.
When Neil asked him if they were friends, I cried a bit tbh. Kevin with his obsession for Exy and his reluctance to stand up to Riko despite everything. Aaron and his complicated feelings for his twin Andrew. Matt and his protectiveness for Neil, Kevin, Dan, and pretty much human except Andrew. That girl is a queen and I respect her so much.
Overall, I loved the development we saw in this book. I loved seeing the team come together more, and see Neil become a more permanent part of it. This is the kind of book that you cannot put down, and when you do put it down you spend all your time thinking about it. I can't wait to read the last book and see how everything is wrapped up because at this point I'm not sure where our characters are going.
Wherever it is they go, I'm there. Everything that the previous book lacked, this book made up for a million times over. We had action and tears and pain, oh so much pain. Lonely, too, but there was nothing he could do about that. And damn did it destroy me. There is so much character development happening along with the plot. These kids who come from messed up homes are slowly learning what it means to trust and belong and have a family that you choose rather than are born into. This is some deep ish here, someone hold me. Look at my babies: Can we just give a special medal to Coach Wymack for his outstand mothering skills with this mess of a team?
I need a minute — or a lot of minutes. I just — I just feel so much emotions for these children and I cannot help but cry and cheer for them at every moment. View all 20 comments. They were worth every cut and bruise and scream" I am honestly incapable of proper speech. This deserves ten stars. This deserves to be heralded. I'm going to try to keep it together so here's a little summary of this series.
The Foxhole Court i "He was their family. The Foxhole Court is about alot of things. It follows Neil Josten, the son of a famous crime boss who's running from his past and his father. Kevin is the assistant coach of The Foxes, a renowned Exy player and also someone from Neil's past he'd very much rather avoid. Exy is a fictional sport, a kind of hybrid between Lacrosse and Rugby which has reached widespread popularity in America. Neil, who plays as a striker they score the goals agrees to join The Foxes.
The Foxes are the joke of the league - while they have some talented players, they're dysfunctional - even their 'best' players have serious issues that prevent them reaching their full potential. Their players are all recruited from broken homes and some of the issues of the players prevent them from cooperating with those around them. Their best player, Kevin Day, transferred to the Foxes after a skiing injury - this means he's unable to play properly with the hand he learnt to play with and has to retrain himself all over again.
Their goalkeeper, Andrew, is only able to play under the condition he be under the effects of debilitating medication. The medication regulates his violent outbursts, but it also prevents him from connecting to and establishing proper relationships with people because the medication makes him largely apathetic. Despite being one of the best goalkeepers in the league, he cares little for the game or the outcome of any match. This makes up the general premise of the story, but very much so the story follows the characters as they develop relationships between eachother and as the dynamics in the group shift.
The team is arranged in very hierarchal structures, and each character has their own place in the team. Each character also has their own unique story, history and issues.
BOOK REVIEW: The Raven King (All For the Game #2) by: Nora Sakavic – falling in love at the library
However, there is a clear and continuing plot that is enhanced rather than sabotaged by the characters which drive the narrative. I thought this book was definitely better than the last one. It had literally no slump at all, but picked up exactly where the first finished. There was NO point in this book which was more boring than anything else. I feel like I need to address the characters since they are literally THE highlight of this whole thing.
I was so, so happy to finally hear Renee's story. Renee is such an intriguing character to me and I really love her alot. I love that she took a bigger role in this one and I liked that Neil and her finally had a proper conversation. She's such an angel. But I would not be trying at all if it were not for the outside interventions in my life. I love Renee because she doesn't try to pretend to be anything she's not. I love that she recognises her past and tries to move forward from there. Nicky calls her an angel and I agree. I appreciate that her character is not undermined or "weakened" because she is nice.
I love Renee alot, and I feel she's a character we don't see much, especially in ya and especially in sport centric books. Dan and Matt were so much better in this one. Dan especially had me cackling and she's so fierce and strong. It was nice to see her take a more prominent role in Neil's life and to see her history and backstory.
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- DUPED!: A Letta Storm Story.
- THE GREAT 1953 TREK.
- Project Managers Spotlight on Risk Management!
- Einführung in die Medienwirtschaftslehre (German Edition).
- Frequently bought together.
- La Naturaleza Del Bien Y Del Mal (Spanish Edition);
I also loved that Matt was more involved with the team as a whole and that his past was also explored. So so much backstory and history and explanation to his shitty behaviour. But on a serious note Aaron was sort of a mysterious and weird character who groused from the sidelines and I'm glad that much more development was invested into him. His dynamic with Andrew is so incredibly heartbreaking and he's just so important to the boy and vice versa and I really need him and Andrew to sort things out.
He and Kevin took more of a backseat in this one but I thought it was ok. I feel they were both so involved in the first book it was nice to set them aside and hear from others. However, where they did come into play I really really enjoyed their chapters.
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I wish Allison had been in it more. Thats my one character complaint. But I did really love the way she stood up at the games after what happened to Seth and I'm so proud of her she's a queen. Ok welps getting down to the business end of the game I guess bc Andrew and Neil. I'll start with Neil. I love that he's trusting people, I love that he's taking a prominent role in people's lives.
I can't believe how in pages he's given SO MUCH development in a way that wasn't rushed or forced but just worked and flowed sensibly. Neil learning to trust those around him, learning to fall back on them in times of need and learning to even love them is so, so heartwarming. I feel like I've invested so much into his character already and seeing him develop positively is the best pay off it's like he's my actual son. I love that Sakavic can so easily surmount so much development into just little things.
Wymack asking him "Are you okay? Now we need to talk about Andrew. In many ways, this series could be described as a study of "what the fuck is it that makes Andrew Minyard tick". This book gave it to me. At least a little more than before. And it's so, so saddening to see his story unfold because he is a good person, he really is. It's just that his goodness has been buried under alot of bullshit that happened to him.
All of the foxes have captivated me. Their characterisation, the world building, the dialogue, the pacing, literally everything is perfect. This series is a blessing, and everyone should read it. I can't wait to start book 3.
I've heard it's not smooth sailing but I'm hoping they can pull through. A few gifs on my emotions in the book: Also when the Foxes were allowed to play on after losing Andrew Renee telling her story and also informing him Andrew's gay asf. Nicky getting the monsters to come to Matt's for Christmas. Andrew agreeing to Halloween with the upperclassmen.
Oct 13, rin lorenzo rated it it was amazing Shelves: But from now until May you are still Neil Josten and I am still the man who said he would keep you alive. I don't care if you never use it again. But you are going to keep it on you because one day you might need it. You're going to think about what I promised you and you're going to make the call. View all 11 comments. Thankfully, there are eleventy-seven lazillion other reviews so I will try to keep this short.
Try, being the operative word. I would say I loved this series but considering it has consumed my life for the past several days, robbed me of sleep and occupied my thoughts, "loved" feels insufficient. It became my obsession. For anyone who hasn't read it, I do believe this originally was one big fic that due to its whopping size clocks in at just over pgs was broken up into 3 books for publication.
I say this because I believe it was meant to be read as one story. The Foxhole Court isn't meant to be read as a standalone. It will likely leave you wanting due to some horrific shenanigans that occur amongst the Foxes. I'm not ever going to condone the events but somewhere during The Raven King I understood why they did what they did. Primarily because Neil's first love is Exy and through Exy he's introduced to the other great love of his life, so if you're a romance reader like me you gotta stick it out. The Foxhole Court illustrates his undying passion for the game to perfection.
He fell in love with Exy as a boy. Circumstances of his life stripped it from him and then through a series of events gave it back. In a vain effort to give his life some meaning after he's lost everything he lets himself have Exy again as a high school senior at a small school in Millport, Arizona. He never in a million years thought his play at a an unfamiliar position as a walk on would put him on Palmetto State University's radar. David Wymack, coach of the Foxes, and his team have some rather unorthodox recruitment tactics but they succeed in signing their new striker and getting him to South Carolina in the end.
While Neil reacquaints himself with his love of Exy, I fell in love with Neil. Trust me, no one was more surprised by this development with a character like Andrew hanging around but it's true. Neil has lived through hell, literally, and somehow someway he's retained a fundamental kindness and selflessness. He's the most resilient character I can remember ever reading about. He's not going to quit.
Exy's the only thing that's ever given him anything back and he's going to give it his all until he's got nothing left. A gamer through and through and that sort of passion has a way of galvanizing a team. He brought tears to my eyes with his devotion and loyalty to the Foxes. He will sacrifice himself time and time again for them. Course his mouth puts them in the crosshairs more than once but I loved that he wasn't going to let his fear stop him from protecting them or stand in the way of his dream. His passion and drive make them more of a cohesive unit than they've ever been which makes their small, rag tag team that's been ignored and discounted by everyone more dangerous than anyone could've foreseen.
It also nets Neil something he's never had before: That hit two of my most treasured reading experiences: All for the Game is heavily weighted in sport. If you are a sports fan and this book doesn't get your adrenaline pumping As a huge sports fan, I'm not embarrassed to say that a couple games made me verklempt. It's the classic tale of David vs. But they've got heart, grit and determination. And they've got each other. Exy has brought these people together but they also share a checkered and varying degrees of horrific pasts which makes them connecting with one other at times challenging.
Neil is very intelligent but he's also oblivious when it comes to recognizing other's actions for what they are. So it's left to the reader to decipher and decode those actions through Neil's self-abasing prism. There isn't a lot of overt romance. Neil sees his future as a finite entity and everything in his life up to now has been evanescent, as is life on the run. But as he finds his place amongst the Foxes you can see hope flicker to life.
He begins to trust them and finds himself increasingly drawn to another. These two are unquestionably soulmates but they have absolutely no idea how traditional romantic relationships work nor, I suspect, would they be interested in engaging in that sort of squishy marshmallowness.
Truthfully, they would be nowhere near as interesting if they were. He didn't know what this thing between them was anymore. He didn't know what he wanted or needed it to be. He just knew he had to hold on for as long as he could. With the dramatic conclusion occurring in The King's Men which made my skin crawl. I'll just say, it wasn't anywhere near bloody enough for my tastes. But I am a vengeful bitch. Fear not, it does end happily for more than just the primary couple.
I don't think it's possible to read this and not become invested in all of these characters. They are all layered and complex and have surprises up their sleeves. Is this series perfect? It could've been paired down, it's sometimes redundant, the game of Exy is a fictional one but the rules of the game weren't given until The Raven King.
I don't know how the NCAA wouldn't have cracked down on the Ravens antics long ago nor can I fathom how these players could perform optimally after the way they treat their bodies trigger warning for drug usage. Some of the events are far-fetched, outlandish even and one thing in Neil's backstory just doesn't not add up for me. But I'll tell you what, it's says something to me if a story can sink its teeth into me like this one has and that is something I can't discount. Not only could I not put it down, but Here's hoping the narrator doesn't fuck it up.
Send them my way.
The Raven King
Honestly kudos to whoever can write a proper review for this series, and especially for book 2, because I don't think I'll ever even want to try. I'm seriously fucked up right now, don't even talk to me. I need a few hours to patch myself up before I start the next one but oh, I'm going to love the fuck out of it.
That ending just killed me even more, when reading it for the second time. I'm at a loss for words. My eyes were burning and tearing. I even closed my Kindle and my eyes a couple of times. But within a few minutes I had to open them and continue reading because I couldn't stop thinking about this story. If every book I read was as intense as this one, I'd never get bored or restless with my stories.
This is the second book in a series and does NOT read as a stand alone. Jul 06, destini mia rated it really liked it. View all 3 comments. Nov 20, kat added it. Oh the tears, I can barely see through them. It hurts so fucking much, and you could think I'd be prepared by now because it's not my first time reading this book, but no, it still hurts like hell. And I still have no word to explain how much I love this series, this book, these characters, none.
This book is by no means perfect, the first half is too long for what happens in it, but sometimes you can't control your feelings. My brain, my heart, my entire being is in love with this February My brain, my heart, my entire being is in love with this book and this series. I would kill for these characters, I don't care if they're scarier than I am, I would burn the world to protect them.
He was their family. I'm not crying, you're crying jk I am. Aug 28, Shelley rated it it was amazing Shelves: You will not believe the surprises that await you here! If you haven't read The Foxhole Court start there because this is book 2. They were a team with no concept of teamwork and they determined their hierarchy through fo LOOK!!!
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The Ravens and Riko who must die by fire pose an incomprehensible threat to Neil now that he has brought attention to himself, and oh, my, word! Sakavic reveals even more of the darkness and determination of these characters by revealing the history of the Upperclassmen. And then she really darkens and dirties things by showing instead of telling. Are we sure this is YA?
Or was it my imagination that supplied the details? It gets rough for a minute and then it gets even rougher, and then the lights go out. The focus is very much on Neil obviously and his acceptance of the fact that he might actually have a place in the world, here and now, with his team - who actually care about what happens to him. They begin to piece him together, seeing through his lies and disguise. How this scary crazy man-boy has twisted me up inside is something else.
What I do know is that the relationship with Neil and Andrew is becoming something … other. View all 22 comments. May 05, Paula rated it did not like it Recommends it for: This book is terrible. Not even like the first one, that one was terrible in a fun way. This one is so bad it's offensive. I feel like I got some bootleg. My version of The Raven King reads like dark! So, here is why you should read The Raven King: You are commenting using your WordPress.
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