The King's Men (All for the Game, #3) by Nora Sakavic Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Raven King on my blog, now! Please read trigger warnings - reader discretion is advised.

I love this group of idiots like they are my own children. There is nothing bad I could say about a single one of them, and that includes the murder they allegedly committed. This series is so absolutely absurd and I love every second of it. It truly has taken me this long to continue on with this series because I frankly do not want it to end, so I continue to prolong the inevitable ending by waiting an excessive amount of time between books. Sakavic's content intensity can feel overwhelming at times, and considering I feel as though I am the one being hunted and tortured alongside these characters, I need to have them spaced out.

I was literally sick to my stomach yet again when Neil's plot took a turn for the worst. As if my boy has not suffered enough, we see him literally go through the most insane horrors known to man after already having to suffer at the hands of Riko in The Raven King. That being said, I have never seen a character so resilient when it comes to self-sacrificing in order to protect those he sees as family. He takes everything like a champ and even when you would think something would be the driving force that would finally kill him, he perseveres. His attitude problem is truly charming and I love the way that no matter how many times Wymack asks him to rein it in, Neil will up the ante by any means necessary. He is the world's number one rage-baiter at heart and will never not be stepping on someone's neck.

"Did you know I've never been skiing? I'd like to try it some time." Kevin Day I will always love you. These characters are consistently put through the ringer on and off the page, and they deserve to be able to defend themselves - either with fighting words or on the court. I will say, some of these characters definitely like to test out how far they can take it when it comes to pushing buttons and seeing if they can get someone to crack. Aaron and Nicky certainly take the cake when it comes to provoking Neil, and I am surprised that their remarks have not landed either of them in the hospital with the way they speak. Neil and Andrew are the most volatile yet unbothered individuals I have ever come across, yet they are most readily on standby to put fighting words to the test.

Jean, my poor little boy - I wish I could say that his suffering will end but I fear this is just the end of the slow beginning of him healing and likely going through another Saw-trap level horror before being able to live a life as normal as he could dream. Same thing with Kevin - he has revealed to the world information he has known for years and will now be subject to every journalist's inquiries, stories, and invasions until the novelty wears off. Nicky stands on thin ice with me for a number of reasons, but I consider him lucky that Andrew did not make it his personal mission to send that boy to the hospital for everything he has done and said to Neil over the past three books.

Andrew's commitment to being the diva of the team and yet the most tortured of all is inspiring - he could be getting beaten to a pulp and still have time to read everyone to filth just for his own enjoyment. He truly will wait months or years to carry out revenge plans just to ensure they occur exactly when they will benefit him at the most opportune times. His duality of being incredibly closed off but willing to reveal information to only Neil speaks to his character and how guarded he will be, on and off the court. I could read one hundred books about Neil and Andrew's relationship and never get tired of reading about them. I am simply begging Sakavic to give them some peace in the future because these boys deserves to be left alone for the rest of their lives after everything they have been through.

You can add The King's Men on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter (X), and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

The Raven King (All for the Game, #2) by Nora Sakavic Review

 

This review contains spoilers for The Raven King. Please read trigger warnings - reader discretion is advised.

It has been over five years since I read The Foxhole Court, and I was worried that I would not remember anything plot-wise that happened in the first installment when I cracked open this book. Thankfully, memory served me well and everything came back to me within the first couple chapters. I truly forgot how much I loved Andrew - he is one of the funniest characters I have ever read, and is so completely unhinged, which makes him the perfect addition to this story. Every single day I pray for Riko's downfall - he is literally one of the worst people to exist in this series, and it is a testament to the Foxes for the way they put up with him, with the exception of Neil, who will use any chance he gets to instigate Riko. And we love him for it - and here is the prime example:

"You know, I get it. Being raised as a superstar must be really, really difficult for you. Always a commodity, never a human being, not a single person in your family thinking you’re worth a damn off the court— yeah, sounds rough. Kevin and I talk about your intricate and endless daddy issues all the time. I know it’s not entirely your fault that you are mentally unbalanced and infected with these delusions of grandeur, and I know you’re physically incapable of holding a decent conversation with anyone like every other normal human being can, but I don’t think any of us should have to put up with this much of your bullsh*t. Pity only gets you so many concessions, and you used yours up about six insults ago. So please, please, just shut the f*ck up and leave us alone." 

GET HIM AGAIN FOR ME NEIL. The fact that Waymack literally has to tell Neil not to cause a scene with Riko and Neil just does it anyway... he's just a kid! And Riko deserves much worse than just being knocked down a peg or two. I genuinely need to give Neil a hug so bad... he has been through so much and does not feel like he has a place with the Foxes, even when they spell it out for him that they are his family now. Is Waymack aware that he now is the proud father of an entire team of Exy players? He basically is Neil's father, and the fact that we learn that he is actually Kevin's father had me speechless.

The way that Nicky talks about Erik makes me believe in love. You can tell that Nicky is such a pure soul and despite the horrors he had to deal with back home, he is still so kind and open with everyone. I love the relationship he has with Neil - they are basically best friends, and with Neil keeping his entire life essentially a secret from everyone, it seems that Nicky is the one he is able to open up to (besides Andrew). On that note, Andrew only ever seems to trust Neil, and considering he does not trust anyone, that says a lot. Even when it is just bits and pieces that Neil has to put together himself, it really shows how different Andrew is with Neil compared to everyone else. This is a slow-burn in the making, I can feel it.

The Thanksgiving scene at Nicky's house truly had me sick to my stomach, dear god take all of Andrew's pain, triple it, and give it to Riko. I physically recoiled when that chapter occurred, and it was soul-crushing to see Andrew go through that with Drake, and with the added racquet to Drake's head by Aaron, my jaw dropped. It always circles back to Riko, and I literally cannot comprehend how this barely legal college student is capable of things so disgusting. Drake deserved so much worse than he got. And of course, our favorite mysterious Neil has to chime in with "Will they give it back or am I going to have to get a new one?," in which he is literally talking about his racquet that was used as a murder weapon.

I know Andrew would absolutely hate the idea, but my word someone needs to hug that boy. He has been through unimaginable horrors, and life does not seem to want to give him a break. And so WHAT if he killed his mom, he did it to protect Aaron, and the fact that it is brought up so often makes me feel even worse for Andrew. Waymack reminds me so much of Coach from Teen Wolf, except he actually has somewhat of an idea of what is going on with his unruly players. He would protect the Foxes with his life, and at this rate, same here.

Obsessed with the fact that the first gala went so bad with Riko and Neil, that they still had the Christmas gala. And in true Neil fashion, he pulls this one out "You think I'm afraid of your knife? I'm the Butcher's son," and how little did we know how much that would come back to haunt him towards the end of the book. Every single time that Neil bodies Riko in an argument, an angel gains its wings - it is truly a sight to see.

Why on Earth did Neil go to the Raven's Nest?? The boy has a death wish I swear, and I understand that he does it protect others, but much like Andrew he does not seem to have any regard for his own wellbeing or survival. I was literally about to throw up with Riko came into his room after his practice, and had to take a lap around the room before continuing on. Thank you Nora for not going into too much detail, because if I had to read about Neil being tortured, I would have passed out. 

I will absolutely not be taking any criticism on this series - it is so out of the park and insane, and I love every minute of it. Neil and Andrew's character development as individuals and as friends is so gradual and complicated. This series is notorious for its laundry list of trigger warnings, and back in the day on tumblr, it took over our lives. The side characters have stories of their own that add so much value to Neil and Andrew's stories, and the found family trope is so strong in this series.

You can add The Raven King on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!