The King's Men

All for the Game #3

by Nora Sakavic

Neil Josten is out of time. He knew when he came to PSU he wouldn't survive the year, but with his death right around the corner he's got more reasons than ever to live.

Befriending the Foxes was inadvisable. Kissing one is unthinkable. Neil should know better than to get involved with anyone this close to the end, but Andrew's never been the easiest person to walk away from. If they both say it doesn't mean anything, maybe Neil won't regret losing it, but the one person Neil can't lie to is himself.

He's got promises to keep and a team to get to championships if he can just outrun Riko a little longer, but Riko's not the only monster in Neil's life. The truth might get them all killed—or be Neil's one shot at getting out of this alive.

Genres: LGBT, Contemporary, Young Adult, Sports, Romance, Queer, Fiction

556 pages, ebook

First published December 2, 2014

About the author

Happy New Year, lovies. I do not use this account, so I am sorry for any & all missed messages.

Reviews

[Claudia Lomelí · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO PROUD. SO PROUD OF MY PRECIOUS SONS.

GO NEIL! GO KEVIN! GO ANDREW! GO FOXES! Ahhh, with Kevin I feel like singing Ham's part in Dear Theodosia: "Look at my son! Pride is not the word I'm looking for!" (also with Neil tbh, words can't describe how proud I am of him).

I feel like a proud mom, is that weird? And I know I've said "proud" x1000 times in this short review, but I can't help it, THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT MY FOXES. It is rare when an author makes me care so much about a whole bunch of fictional characters. I normally just love the main characters and the ocasional side character, but Nora Sakavic made me really CARE about the whole team and the coach of the team.

At this point, if Exy was a real thing, I'd be a fan. I need Exy teams in my life.

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

me, almost immediately after finishing this book for the fourth time, missing the characters already and not prepared to let go:

[Kai Spellmeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Fight because you don't know how to die quietly. Win because you don't know how to lose. This king's ruled long enough—it's time to tear his castle down.”

The King's Men is one of the best books I've read in 2016, and maybe the best conclusion to a series ever - apart from Harry Potter. Nothing beats Harry Potter.

Honestly, though, there are so many amazing series out there. However, only a few of them have an ending that's as amazing, or even more so, as the other books in a series. Loose ends and too open or unrealistic endings happen often. Some examples are Angelfall, Starcrossed and even The Raven Cycle. Their last books just couldn't live up to their prequels.
Luckily Nora Sakavic succeded to outshine the first and second book with this conclusion. The King's Men had everything and more: stunning characters and character development, thrill, suspense and excitement through a plot that exceeded expectations, and most of all a worthy and satisfying ending for everyone. People got what they deserved, and I got the conclusion I wanted. Even though I endured some stabs in my very weak heart and shed a tear or three.

This series got better with every book. It played with my patience and my hunger for more. I read the whole series in only a week. This is one of the best examples for character depth as well as female empowerment and equality.

I cannot wait to read more from Nora Sakavic, though it might be hard to write something that can live up to All for the Game.

Find more of my books on Instagram

[— nova · Rating 5 out of 5]

*visibly vibrating* i love this book a normal amount

[✨ jami ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

whAT A GOOD DAY TO THINK ABOUT ANDREIL AND HOW THEY ARE THE GREATEST THING TO HAPPEN EVER IN LITERARY HISTORY

ANOTHER EDIT: You know how I'm always talking about how Andrew is my favourite character ever but I can never decently explain why

I found this on tumblr and it puts words down okay

Do you ever just hurt when you think about all the times Andrew must’ve taken beatings from his mother in Aaron’s stead? And how he almost killed a bunch of guys for being homophobic towards his cousin? How Andrew would literally stab anyone if he saw a mere scratch on Kevin, if Kevin gets a simple paper cut, if a single hair on Kevin’s head is ruffled, but would voluntarily split his own knuckles open without a second thought? It hurts when I think about Andrew’s hands around Kevin’s neck, how he almost blinded himself in pursuit of Neil after he was taken away. His disregard for the terrible, terrible act that had been committed against him, the violation of his own body; while he stared deeply into his brother’s eyes, afraid of the blood he wore that wasn’t even his own. Andrew’s fiercely protective streak could be seen to be just as human as it is perceived to be inhuman because that is how he shows his concern and the warped sense of love and family that he feels towards these people. Andrew Minyard was a victim of brutal abuse and instead of victimizing himself he was only ever so stronger for it. He looked at himself and saw something that was already far beyond saving but he would do anything to keep his inner circle from a similar fate, he would take a thousand beatings if it meant that this makeshift little family he’d found himself a part of didn’t get hurt. He literally never does anything without a reason and his crap sense of morality reflects the sort of awful environment he grew up in. He has killed to protect someone that he loves and I have no doubt that he would do it again. To him, the end justified the means. It’s not a healthy or acceptable way of thinking but for Andrew it was the only way. Yes, there’s no denying he’s messed up. No, he isn’t a good person, not in the basic sense, but he’s good where it counts. And that is just one of 2036372883 reasons why he will forever be a character so very dear to my heart

Anyway ... it's not everything I would like to say about Andrew and how proud of him I am and how he makes me cry everyday but it's something


---------------------

Better then that bright future was what he already had. A court that would always be his home, a family who'd never give up on him, and Andrew, who for once hadn't wasted their time denying that this thing between them might actually mean something to both of them.

Now he couldn't help but smile, pull Andrew in. This was everything he wanted, everything he needed. And Neil was never letting go

NOTES ON THE REREAD:

- NEIL JOSTEN IS MY BABY !!! I love him so much. I mean y'all I have NEVER seen a character verbally drag someone on the same level Neil Josten drags like HE DRAGGED RIKO STRAIGHT TO HELL FIVE TIMES IN THIS BOOK EVEN WHEN HE WAS DYING ON THE FLOOR HE COULD CALL RIKO A PIECE OF SHIT. anyway I love him so much and he deserves all the happiness in the world

- I finaLLY understand Andrew I mean I DID the first time by the end but I understand it so much more and everything makes so much sense and I will FIGHT anyone who shit talks Andrew Minyard because he has dealt with ENOUGH already w/o that and he's just I love him so much he's doing his best I'm so proud of him.
But no shit Andrew is such a well written, complex character and I love that Nora Sakavic didn't sacrifice his character and wrote him honestly and he's just such a good, good character I love him

- Kevin 'I've never been skiing' Day my son tbh he owns Exy so much and like he's just such a fucking dweeb when they go on holiday but he stays inside and reads history books #NERD. But anyway his whole drag and the way he OWNS the court literally daddy
(ok when he comes in w/ the new tattoo and he goes out playing left handed MY FAV FIGHT THEM KEVIN FIGHT THEM)

- Wymack is like the single least problematic person in the world he's such a good dad 2 them all and he's just such a great person how does he do it anyway tbh none of them deserve him but anyway

- DAN AND MATT ARE SO CUTE !!!! FAVE HET SHIP !!!!! THEY ARE SO GOOD IM GONNA SCREAM

- Allison: I aint getting sex.
Nicky: Maybe if you ask Kevin very nicely
"Kevin made a noise that was not human" omfg

- tbh literally just Kevin's reaction to everything. constant sigh @ the team. constant irritation @ Neil. Trying to keep tiny irresponsible children in line whilst drinking vodka like its water HONESTLY Kevin is my third fav behind Neil and Andrew but tied with Dan I love him so much

- Allison is such a queen and tbh be my irl friend

- Aaron is a piece of shit he can go die tbh the bit when he's like "ur sleeping with Andrew bc he's 'easy pray'" kys Aaron



TBH if you're one of those people who hasn't read this trilogy yet you probably should because these book fucked me up long time !!!!!! like wyd !!!!! it's so good everything about it from the plot to the characters (mostly the characters) but serious this trilogy is easily all time fave I even rate it above the raven cycle (shocking!) its just SOO GOOD.



ORIGINAL REVIEW
------------------------------------------------
"All my love to you: to the person holding this book, who took a chance on Neil and the Foxes and Exy. Thankyou for believing in something crazy with me"



I don't know why but I loved the authors note at the end. Maybe because I can't believe I managed to get so attached to this. I mean, a sport book?? That I'm now invested in for life ?? I can't believe I've fell in love with this much crazy

I binged read these all in like, a week, and now I'm so sad to see it all go so soon ( why don't I read slower, dammit! )

Anyway, I guess I should talk about the actual book. -------


The King's Men picks up right where The Raven King left off. This is something I really like about these books - they don't have that annoying 3 chapter long reintroduction to the story at the beginning of each book that's basically filler chapters. It jumps straight back into the narrative and I love that so much.

In the third and final book of the series, things between ( literally everyone ) are heating up. I felt like the pacing here was so good. There was never a dull moment I felt like so many things were packed into these 370 pages - without it being overwhelming. The pacing in every book is fantastic, but this one managed to pack in so much genuinely good plot points, character development and fun things like games and sniping conversations between the Foxes.

I want to absolutely commend Sakavic for the movement of the plot here. All the necessary revelations and outcomes and things we wanted plot wise were finally given to us. It was so much plot and story moving, without ever dragging down the fun of the series which has always been the characters and the Exy. There is so much suspense, so many high tension scenes and so much grit. I love that these books are so dark and gritty and awful - but also fun and lights and hopeful. I love that these characters so through so many terrible, terrible ordeals and trials and tribulations but they still get up and keep going and we get to share both sides of that with them. Everything - the characters, the games, the overarching plots and the side plots blend so seamlessly I love it that so much is going on, without it ever being overwhelming. Everything we were waiting for happened, and it was glorious

The series continued to be incredibly emotive to me. These are scenes and characters you really feel and who break your heart and make you cry and laugh and get angry.

Ah, the characters. They are truly all assholes but I say that with the absolute height of fondness in my tone. There was so much character development here for Neil, Andrew, Allison, Dan but ESPECIALLY Kevin. I loved that so much. The characters are so central and driving in this story, if their plot points and development and dynamics weren't up to scratch you'd definitely notice. But in The Kings Men they shone and I'm so glad.
Over 3 books I've come to know and care for all of them so much, and I'm really going to have a hard time letting them go.

These books are just outstanding, exceptional. In the way they deal with trauma, in the way they show character development both great and small (yet touching, important, monuments in it's smallness )

The writing really has impact and I felt like I was totally immersed in the story. You know when you completely forget you're lying in your bed grasping a book because really you're right there with the characters, experiencing what they do, feeling as they do, as if you're standing right beside them??

That's me with these books.

I'm going to miss these kids so much. I'm going to miss Dan fiercely objecting to anyone messing with her team. I'm going to miss Renee's quiet determination. I'm going to miss Allison's ridiculous splurge spending. I'm going to miss Matt's on-court fights. I'm going to miss Aaron's grouchiness and perpetual bad mood. I'm going to miss Nicky's loud mouth and endearing lact of tact. I'm going to miss Kevin's callous comments about no one being good enough and exasperated sighs everytime Andrew or Neil instigates a fight. I'm going to miss Wymack telling everyone to shut up. I'm going to miss Andrew's deadpan rebuffs and Neil's total inability to stop himself starting a fight. I'm going to miss Exy games and Kevin fangirling over UCR Trojans and Bee's cocoa and Sweetie's ice-cream and Roland's sly comments and the never ending bus rides.

I seriously encourage everyone to read this or at least think about it. It's hard to explain what it is exactly but trust me this is the most heartbreaking sports team you'll ever come across and everyone needs to acquaint themselves with the Palmetto State Foxes.

Never, not in a long time have I come to truly care so much for so many fictional characters. So long, my Foxes. I will miss you all! (Until the next inevitable reread anyway)

(Thank god Nora Sakavic has a blog where she's published SO MUCH extra content I need more Foxes ASAP. )

my official foxhole court playlist bc I'm lame

[ELLIAS (elliasreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful.

Heart wrenchingly, agonizingly beautiful.

You won't know what it means to be happy and alive until you've read this series. Honest to god it's so fucking amazing.

Andrew freaking Minyard.

NEIL fucking JOSTEN.

Leave me be.
Don't mind me while I go and tattoo their names on my face.

JK.

But really tho.
(cries for days)

[may ➹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

May stop rereading the emotionally destructive books and acting surprised when it breaks your heart again challenge failed

-------------------

update: I thought I was free from this obsession for at least a little while but yesterday I read a fanfic and now I’m destroyed again

update: this series has given me a book hangover and I’m unable to read anything unless it’s related to this and I’m deeply disturbed by how far this obsession goes

[inhales deeply] AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH

it’s fine everything’s fine I’m fine I’m just ignoring the fact that this series is over and distracting myself by crying

4.5 stars?? I don’t know??? this whole series is so messy but I’m obsessed with it??????

[lila ୨♡︎୧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

may 2023: it’s been 2 months and i still haven’t recovered from andreil 😔 i think imma binge some fics right abt now to cure my obsession 🤪

« i am nothing,
and as you’ve always said,
you want nothing. »

« i’m sorry. »
« say it again and i will kill you. »

« get away from us. »

« i am not a hallucination. »
« you are a pipe dream. »

« i hate you. »
« you like me. »

« you gave me a key and called it home. »

« yes or no? »
« it’s always yes with you. »

« what does andrew have to do with this? »
« everything that matters. »
____________________________________

— 5 stars ☆

who cares about exams when I have my beloveds to read about 🤪 my brain REALLY said fuck exams, let’s binge this trilogy. 🥳

andrewneil superiority, shut up both of you ily. <3

“This,” Neil flicked his finger to indicate the two of them, “isn’t worthless.”
“There is no ‘this’. This is nothing.”
“And I am nothing,” Neil prompted. “And as you’ve always said, you want nothing.”

this was so worth all the hype omg?? i can't believe i dnf’d it the first time, bc i LOVED it so much this time around. it was literally everything. 😭

i feel like this is definitely the type of series where i’ll love each book even more as i reread, bc every moment was so beautiful and important. the found family in this, y’all. 😭 it was everything.

Andrew kissed him like this was a fight with their lives on the line, like his world stopped and started with Neil’s mouth.

i was fangirling over Andrew and Neil’s moments all the time. the way consent was so very important in everything here?? what Andrew went through before this - I HATED THAT WITH EVERY BIT OF MY BEING.



Andrew’s protectiveness of Neil over everything else in this one really moved me so much. the man’d do anything for Neil fr. the shower scene? the way he took care of him, so carefully and meticulously - I CAN’T I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. 😭😭



i have to say, since romance isn’t the main focus of this trilogy i didn’t think i’d love this so much. but the characters? the depth each of them had?? i adored it. the mafia + exy plotline kept me so hooked & i wasn’t even expecting that!! the banter was everything, and the side characters have my heart. the Foxes are literally EVERYTHING i love them sm. <3

the feels in this one is SO REAL and i highly highly recommend this whole trilogy, it’s simply fantastic. and i’m sure i was supposed to/going to write a more in-depth review instead of this, but i don’t have much to say, except I ADORED THIS with every fibre of my being.

now brb i’m gonna binge some fanfics of them sometime as well as come back for a reread, they are everything. 🥺

p.s. - wymack owns me, ngl. 🤣

p.p.s. - i hate lola and riko and drake, y’all go fuck yourself. and Kevin, i’m still not a fan of you rn :/

[prag ♻ · Rating 5 out of 5]

hi i love pain

[rin · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the only book

~~~~~~~

this 🙌 was 🙌 everything 🙌 he 🙌 wanted 🙌 everything 🙌 he 🙌 needed 🙌 and 🙌 neil 🙌 was 🙌 never 🙌 letting 🙌 go 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

i would die for this series, these characters and everything about it

~~~

first reread in 2018 lmao
this is still so good so damn goooooooood and so damn gaaaaaay and pls remind me who i was before i read this series bc i dont remember it in the slightest

anyway andrew and neil are the softest boyfriends and it's just facts

~~~

psa: this is the best andreil fic there is and if you haven't read it yet BLESS YOURSELVES

11/8: apparently it was my 7th read im not sure if it's pathetic or inspiring


*looks at the camera like in the office*

ANYWAY
this is still the best thing that happened to me several months ago (it hasn't even been a year since i first read it lmao) and i love this so MUCH AND I LOVE MY FOXES AND I WOULD DIE FOR ANDREW AND NEIL
this book brings so many EMOTIONS I FEEL EXHAUSTED
I don't think i will ever be able to write a review
for this but this series is really really important and means so much to me ❤

i hope nora sakavic releases something asap i love her

15/3:
so i just literally accidentally reread it today somehow
i was like hmm remember thirsty andrew and then i decided to check couple of moments and smh i ended up rereading an entire thing i have no chill


8/2:
one day i will write a decent review for this book series but my emotional stance won't allow me to do it (it'll be all over the place and i'll probably will die of pain and crying)
OOPS I DID IT AGAIN
i will never get over this series
i seem to have a tendency to reread aftg every month (it's not even intentional jeez)
and tkm is honestly the best book in the series and the best series conclusion and aftg is the best contemporary series in my life and nothing can top this okay
ANYWAY, i did a thing nobody asked for (it was actually my primary reason to reread it at first since i got my fabulous paperbacks and decided to have one w/ them)
i,,,,counted every time neil josten said something/someone is fine AND HE SAID IT 41 TIMES AND 28 OF THEM ARE "I'M FINE"
(i know u dont need this information pls dont judge me)
you can see the proof in the spoiler tag





orange stickers (yes it was intentional i had to buy them) are for "I'm fine", blue for the other "fines"


i'm so obsessed with this series it's honestly embarassing
500/10 all stars in the world for this book good shit right here please read it


upd
who cares what nonsense i said in my old review honestly

Better than that bright future was what he already had: a court that would always be home, a family who'd never give up on him, and Andrew, who for once hadn't wasted their time denying that this thing between them might actually mean something to both of them. Neil hadn't even noticed the silence at first, too distracted by his dizzying thoughts. Now he couldn't help but smile and pull Andrew in.
This was everything he wanted, everything he needed, and Neil was never letting go

i love dying with a smile on my face


okay so this series is hands down the best contemporary anything i've ever read
will i ever stop loving it? will i ever stop rereading it? will i EVER get over it? nope
this is so important and it discusses so many important issues you should all read it

fight me on this but this is a masterpiece

also GODDAMMIT NO ONE CAN TOP ANDREIL AS A COUPLE

i wasnt able to put these quotes in my status updates so please read them here and cry with me

Andrew kissed him like this was a fight with their lives on the line, like his world stopped and started with Neil's mouth. Neil's heart stuttered to a stop at the first hard press of lips against his and he reached up without thinking. His hand made it as far as Andrew's jaw before he remembered Andrew didn't like to be touched. Neil caught hold of Andrew's coat sleeve instead and knotted his fingers in the heavy wool

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Stay," Andrew said, and leaned down to kiss him.
Time was nothing. Seconds were days, were years, were the breaths that caught between their mouths and the bite of Neil's fingernails against his palms, the scrape of teeth against his lower lip and the warm slide of a tongue against his. He could feel Andrew's heartbeat thrumming against his wrists, a staccato rhythm that echoed in Neil's veins. How a man who viewed the world with such studied disconnect could kiss like this, Neil didn't know, but he wasn't going to complain.

this scene overall is so hot please lend me a fan

"Last I checked you hated me," Neil said against Andrew's mouth.
"Everything about you," Andrew said.
Neil pushed himself up a bit. "I'm not as stupid as you think I am."
"And I'm not as smart as I thought I was," Andrew said. "I know better than to do this again. Perhaps it's the self-destructive streak in me?"

theyre also my sons but whatever

please also remember that andreil canonically will live together WIT H TWO C A T S mess
i also recommend all of you to read all extra content because there are a lot of moments explained and discussed, also glimpses in the past and future of foxes
also there is this fic Lessons in Cartography which you can basically treat as a 4th book like i do

I LOVE FOXES SO MUCH I WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW IT
this series might've started a little messy and ridiculous (not when you read it 983q2893729th time though but the finale is perfect and the best thing in this world)
i love it so much i want to marry it

i'll probably add lots of things to this review because i'm planning on rereading this series until im dead
6 hrs since this rereading and im still contemplating everything and screaming internally (ive read this book almost ten times already jfc how to let it go)

upd: btw just finished this fic and this is a goddamn masterpiece (also long as hell but worth it) (also if you need fic rec try reading armies by the same author that shit is so good)
also: im still obsessing over this series and shit seems like im going to reread it like every fucking month


upd// so ive accidentally reread this book second time right after finishing it the first time help

noticed couple of things I didn't notice the first time tho

all the Foxes are so precious SQUAD GOALS

"You are a Fox. You are always going to be nothing." Andrew stubbed his cigarette out. "I hate you."
"Nine percent of the time you don't."
"Nine percent of the time I don't want to kill you. I always hate you."
"Every time you say that I believe you a little less."
"No one asked you." With that, Andrew caught Neil's face in his hands and leaned in.

I LOVE boyfriends

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mind is blown away.
There is a special kind of rush you get when you are having final book in series in your hands.
It gets even more special when that closure comes after 2 years of waiting.
But this kind of emotional satisfaction I am feeling right now you get only when book is everything you hoped to be and a thousand things more. The King's Men was definitely worth the wait.

Last sentence of The Raven King gave us pretty much a big hint where will the plot of this book go: Neil and his team will do anything to meet Ravens in championship finals.
But we know that's not an easy task:
Foxes are down to nine players and that's the the least number of players they can have in their team and be allowed to compete.
Team unity is still uncertain, with cousins barely tolerating upperclassmen.
Kevin is a very much product of his upbringing and he is scared of doing anything against his former club.
Andrew and Aaron's relationship was messed up even before the events in Nicky's house for Thanksgiving that led to Andrew being committed;
and Andrew is... well, Andrew. Nobody can predict what will Andrew do.
Oh, and let's not forget yakuza family who think you are misbehaved property and mobster sadistic father with penchant for blades...
Running is not an option anymore.
****
Ok, it all comes to this.
Everything we waited for, happened here, in this novel.

Stakes were already high ever since Neil joined the Foxes, but they kept getting higher and higher and I have to say that in this novel suspense was off the chart. You know how in traditional stories hero can be in all kinds of danger, but you just know he'll come unaffected because he's the hero? Nora never gave us this security blanket. When our boys were in danger, those were nail-biting, edge-of-the-seat moments and at one point I was genuinely afraid for Neil. In that way, I would say that this story dipped more into suspense genre comparing to previous, but considering the players involved, I expected nothing less than for showdown to be epic.
There is also a season to play and championship to win. I am still baffled that Exy is just an imaginary sport, because author paid a lot of attention on details and descriptions. I'll just put my orange shirt with my gryffindor Quidditch scarf into my "sports they keep trying to persuade me are fictional" department. Anyway, championship is intense and with no player to spare, Foxes get into every game like their life depends on it. Rooting for underdog will never get old and it's plot theme I will never get tired of reading.
But when I say that this book is everything we waited for, i didn't really mean just this. These are things we knew have to come down, but romance? I had no idea if this will even happen at some point. There was a possibility, but definitely not a promise. That's why I was never sure I can attach romance tag to series. Story was not about that and let's face it, Neil thoughts were pretty much asexual: Exy and murder-that's about it. :)
Well... for a little mastermind runaway expert, our boy is so completely oblivious I was enjoying watching him falling in love. I don't want to spoil it much, but it was beautiful. It was perfect.
It was everything.
The amount of love I have for Andrew is impossible to measure. I always loved damaged characters, but Andrew grabbed my heart with every scene he was in. Andrew is apathetic by default and we read so many scenes with him showing lack of interest,so when he actually does something, it's so significant, so pivotal you want to cherish it. Also, another thing I immensely respect author did with with Andrew was the fact she didn't end it with him being fixed. His issues are just too severe and deep to be healed so easily. He will never be normal, but it doesn't mean he doesn't belong anywhere.
I am not really sure which scene did it for me, but somewhere along the way, this story stopped being about Neil and started being about a team of nine messed up kids and their coach. We know that Foxes are ragtag bunch made of lost causes; kids everyone washed their hands off and they are team because Whymack believes they deserve another chance. In fact, Nora did this little cool countdown prompts with character's background on her blog and getting to know them better just cemented my feelings about Foxes.
I fell in love with every single one of them.
I cared for all of them.
And this why you should read this.
It's not really a story about Foxes trying to win championship.
It's not about beating Ravens or Moriyamas.
It's about beating the impossible odds life threw at them. And with people who love them in their team, nothing is out of reach.

Go, read this, you will not be sorry.

Ok, let's talk some numbers:
-This is third and final book in series. So, if you haven't jumped aboard Nora Sakavic ship 1)you are missing out and 2)this is not a good place to start. Go back to The Foxhole Court since these books have to be read in order.
-With 138K+ words, this is the longest book in series.
-I still can't wrap my head around the fact that entire trilogy can be bought for 2$. 0_0 I would pay a lot more for quality I got from this author.
-Rating is pretty self-explanatory but, all the stars, guys...all the stars...

[Charmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

[reread 4'23]
Oh my gooood i forgot to mark this book as read here but aaaa aksdhshsgs, i literally can't comprehend and explain how this book made me feel all things at once.

I DIED AND CAME BACK TO LIFE REREADING THIS MASTERPIECE - i was happy, shocked, sad, reeling with joy, curling my toes, and crying with tears. i will alwayyss alwayss be forever obsessed with aftg and alwayyss alwayss be forever in love with my foxes babies . this series is/ was always etched in my heart and no one can remove it, no one can take away the memories and emotions that it has stirred within meeee, its a part of me now and i know it will stay with me forever and ever and ever and everrrrr

~~~my first review still perfectly describes the rollercoaster of emotions i felt:

This book owned me.
This book made my heart thump, skip a beat, and break bit by bit.
This book. No. This series killed me.

TW: violence, mild assault, drug use, alcohol abuse, etc.. (check out this list)

When I said the previous books ate half my heart, this book ate it whole. be prepared for some high pitched screaming hehe

AAAAAAAHHHHH AKSKKSAFGJJS AAAHH AASDGAH
I'll love this series 'till my last breath. I love these foxes with my whole heart.


The King's Men is the last book in the series, All For The Game. This picked up after everything nail-biting that happened in the previous two books. Neil is out of time, it's too late for him to run away, he couldn't keep all his secrets any longer, and with him being in danger, he's got more reasons than ever to live. He and his teammates, the Foxes, promised to get to the championships but before that, they should face every hurdle coming in their way and fight as a team.

"Fight because you don't know how to die quietly. Win because you don't know how to lose. This king's ruled long enough—it's time to tear his castle down."

I tried my best giving a vague and understandable lil summary for this book because I don't wanna spoil some stuff. But if you're looking for a one-sentence overview about this, then here is it muehehe:



I've never read a sports contemporary before so this is really my first time, although I've watched numerous sports anime. I also don't like sports in real life but I sure am adding some more sports books to my tbr.

I love Exy, a made-up sport, "an evolved sort of lacrosse on a soccer-sized court with the violence of ice-hockey." I never expected to be fascinated by it and now I would die just to play this game.

I like Nora Sakavic's writing style. it's so simple but there's definitely something unique about it. What more can I say? about the plot, ehm it just gets better and better. Actually, everything improves throughout the books. I planned to read this book slowly and surely but oh boy, I didn't want it to end yet I didn't want to stop turning the pages.

This series also had a lot of trigger warnings. Before reading, it's important to get a heads up about the long list of it. Though, the fact that this violence-heavy series became one of my greatest comfort books is kinda funny hihi.

Now enough of my yappin, I wanna scream for my foxes now. aaaaahhh

"Wymack clapped his hands at them and said, "Let's go!"
"Foxes!" they roared in response, and the starting line-up headed for the door."

These damaged, ruthless, broken, beautiful foxes. I love them with my whole being that I literally had a breakdown because they're only fictional. 😭

Neil Josten. Ok, where to start? I love him. I love his resiliency, his eagerness, his hard work, and especially his sass. He changed, from a run away boy to a boy who finally found a reason to stay, who found hope and family. Everything he had gone through always makes me wanna hug him. He suffered through so much and he managed to stay alive and I couldn't be any prouder omg. I will always love him with his iconic "I'm fine" line.

Andrew Minyard. The Andrew in this book was so asdfghjksksjkz. He's absolutely a complex character. He too has gone through so much, while I get to read more about his past, I get to cry more. All of those shaped him into a person he is now. I still can't fully understand his character but I super duper love him. Andrew can stab me and I'd very much say thank you.

Kevin Day. I grew to love him. I can't believe his revelations here, like wow. Kevin is the 'deadliest piece on the board'. I'm the proudest mom.

Nicky Hemmick. He didn't change, he is still one of the best supporting characters ever. He gives enthusiasm to his teammates and even I can be affected by it. His humor never gets old and I'm rooting for him and Erik.

Aaron Minyard. I get to know more about his past here as well and what his relationship with his twin brother was like. There was this one scene where I was literally shook by him and Andrew. I love the Minyard twins aaaa.

Renee Walker. She's the sweetest omg. I'm really crushing on her rn. She's a good friend and I always have an adorable voice in mind for her.

Matt and Dan. These two are like glues to each other. I love Dan's strong leadership, she's the big sis in the team and I love how Matt's always there for her.

Allison Reynolds. I absolutely adore Allison here. She had some iconic lines which are now tattooed in my brain. Also, I named her the 'bet' queen, she certified won so many bets with the foxes haha.

Romance wasn't the focus in this book but when it comes to Andrew and Neil, it felt like time slowed down and they're the only people in the world, carefree and unproblematic. Yes, it's always yes for you.

This fantastic team also had its fantastic foxes parents! Coach Wymack's the dad of the team, love him sm. He did everything he can and he's surely the best coach. Abby's the mom of the team. She's always there to patch up the foxes and imagine how hard it is for her to withstand the sight of them full of scars and injuries.

Obviously, the only characters I loathe here were the antagonists. Riko, the Moriyamas, and Neil's dad with his minions.

I want to punch everyone who hurted my bbys. and my bbys are so strong, they figure all things out as a team, as a family. (also istg. the emotional chapters got me bawling and ugly crying)



My favorite game the Foxes played was with the Trojans. It was their cleanest and nicest game. The Trojans were good sports and I liked Jeremy already, he's underrated.

The ending left me so happy, so emotional, and so shooketh. I was literally screaming with joy while clutching my heart. My foxes deserve all the love.

This review is not enough to justify the amazingness of this series. I made a new shelf because of this, the 'dont-be-sad-come-read-me' shelf. I'll pick this book up again when I'll feel dead inside (might as well add pjo too lol)

YES, AAAH. I LOVE THIS SERIES SO SO MUCH. I laughed, cried, grinned so hard, and cried so hard again. I love every second of it. Time to search for fanarts and read fanfics aaaah.

"What's so funny?" Nicky asked when he spotted Neil in the doorway.
Neil hadn't realized he was smiling. "Life?"

—🧡–🤍–🧡–🤍–🧡–🤍–🧡–🤍—

Update 4/22: It's been a week and aksksjd I've been thinking about my foxes every freaking night

Pre-review:

I'M FINISHED. I FINISHED.
NOW WHAT AM I GONNA DO WITH MY LIFE?!

OMG I LITERALLY DIED!!! OHMYFORKINGGOSH
I LOVE THIS SO MUCH
I'D LIKE TO TRADE MY SOUL TO READ THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME AGAIN

1098721299000/5 STARS
REVIEW TO COME

Pre-read:

AAH. I'M NOT READYYYYYYY!! 🥺😭

(i'm all caps, im screaming so hard)

—

The Foxhole Court
The Raven King

[tappkalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I plan to insert my fave aftg memes/funny texts, so be prepared! :)


November 27, 2020

I've just read this fanfic, and it's so good I can actually see it being part of the story, so my fellow fans, if you're thirsty for more content, check this out: Truths Come Out


March 14, 2020

If any of you watches Why R U The Series, Andrew's "There is no 'this'" is just like Fighter's "I'M JuSt TeAsInG yOU TOr". They make me want to hit my head against the wall, but I still love them fiercely.


Oct 03, 2019

Fight because you don't know how to die quietly. Win because you don't know how to lose. This king's ruled long enough—it's time to tear his castle down.

This book deserves all the stars in the world just as the Foxes deserve all the love we can give them.

The first thing you have to know about me is that I never binge read series. I can easily get bored of the characters and the world, but I finished this whole thing in 17 days. This is my new favourite thing in the world.
I love these characters with my whole heart. I haven't felt like this since the The Raven Cycle. They are so complex, so broken and so real and I want to hug them all at once.

Also, if I ever start to get tattoos, the paw on the first book's cover will be the first or second. I even know the place where I want it. That's how trash I am for them. They are my family now, too.

The second thing you have to know about me is that I usually not just don't love, but don't even like the main caharacters. But Niel Josten is my baby and I would take a bullet for him (Andrew would too, so I'm not needed here, but still). He is my all time favourite main character.
Maybe he never had a proper family, but Dan and Matt are the best parents he could ever have, and the Foxes are his siblings no matter what. Even Aaron, but who cares about him? Not me. And Wymack is the best grandparent. He deserves every goodness.
Sorry, I just love found familys, since I think family is not about blood, but people who love, accept, help and support each other.

Now.
Can we take a moment to talk about Neil 'I don't swing' Josten and Andrew 'this is nothing' Minyard?

On their own they are like:

"I'm tired of being nothing," Neil said.

"Who said 'please' that made you hate the word so much?"
Andrew gazed at him in silence for a minute. "I did."

Together:

"I've never belonged anywhere or had the right to call anything my own. But Coach gave me keys to the court, and you told me to stay. You gave me a key and called it home." Neil clenched his hand, imagining the bite of metal against his palm, and lifted his gaze to Andrew's face. "I haven't had a home since my parents died."

"I didn't say anything then because I knew I'd look out for only me when the world went to hell. I don't want to be that person anymore. I want to go back for you."

I LOVE the constant ask for consent between them, but at the same time my heart breaks every time.

"Yes or no?" Andrew asked.
"Yes," Neil said.

They do it in this way, waiting for a proper, clear answer because of the horrible, traumatic things happened to them in the past. Andrew couldn't say no (or if he did, it was no use) to different types of abuse, and Niel couldn't touch his father while he beat him, so they understand each other's boundaries. That's why they work.

And the trust:

"You're wrong," Nathaniel said. "They can't leave without Andrew, and Andrew won't go anywhere until he talks to me."

And my Foxes:

"You can't have him," Nicky said. "He belongs with us."

Finally:

Better than that bright future was what he already had: a court that would always be home, a family who'd never give up on him, and Andrew, who for once hadn't wasted their time denying that this thing between them might actually mean something to both of them.

All in all, this book has just reminded me of why do I love reading in the first place and I will be grateful for that forever.

[The Girl Murdered by Her TBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK... I CAN’T... I NEED MORE... DESPERATE FOR MORE...

HELP... NEED MORE...

I'm going into a rough book withdrawal. I don't think I'll get over it, like... ever...

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

**4.5 my monsters stars**

Re read June 2023

I can’t believe how much I enjoyed this series! I took my sweet time with this one because I didn’t want it to end! I’m gonna miss my monsters.

One of the first things I thought of when I started book one was, these characters remind me of the characters from “The Suicide Squad”. A bunch of misfits, marching to the beat of their of craziness but somehow they clicked.

I’m so glad that I came back to this series. I’m not gonna lie this third time was finally the charm. But to be fair both times I tried it I only made it to chapter 2. I’m not going to be hard on myself because I feel like I read it when I was supposed to. At this point in my reading life I have a different taste on what I read, a new appreciation you might say.

Was this a perfect series? No. Did it have all the elements I look forward to? Not really. But somehow it had enough. This was definitely a refreshing plot. I love all the characters, except for Kevin it took me lot to warm up to him. My favorite were definitely Neil and Andrew, AKA my little psycho. This last book was definitely the best for me, as heartbreaking as it was to read at times.

All 3 books made me laugh, (ahem Nicky) cry, sigh, and yes! Feel frustrated as hell too! But I love every moment with these characters. And I know I’ll come back and Re read them over and over again. ♥️

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read ...still just as freaking awesome !!!



Wow.....I don't even know what to say after finishing this series. I have started these books because Susan told me to, and by now we all know...when Susan tells me to do something I listen :P

She was right though, as usual. These books blew me away !! I can't thank her enough for this wonderful rec !! You are the best ;)



I don't really want to go into the storyline, because there are so many awesome reviews for these books already.

I will tell you that they put me through the wringer. I cried, I cursed and I almost destroyed my Ipad out of anger. But it also made me extremely happy !! I can honestly say that this is the first YA book, that made me feel so much and I'm sure all three of them will end up in my top ten list for 2017's most favorite books.

Don't however go into these books expecting a lot of romance, hearts and flowers and steam, because you won't find them here. You will find so much more though. You will find friendship, family, strength, and honor.



There is a bit of a "romance" going on, but not in the traditional sense, which for me, made it even better and more.

“This," Neil flicked his finger to indicate the two of them, "isn't worthless." "There is no 'this'. This is nothing." "And I am nothing," Neil prompted. When Andrew gestured confirmation, Neil said, "And as you've always said, you want nothing." Andrew stared stone-faced back at him.”

This is all you are gonna get from me. I don't want to spoiler anything, but I also know there are so many wonderful reviews for these books. Please go and read them, they are awesome and if I can't convince you to read these books, those reviews surely will !!

I will never hear the words "I'm fine" again without thinking of Neil ;)

[Aleksandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

There could be 500 more pages of all of them doing literally nothing, and I would gladly read it.

This book will forever be my favourite thing in the world.

[1st read 20/06/2017]
[2nd read 24/07/2017]
[3rd read 26/01/2018]
[4th read 14/06/2018]
[5th read 09/07/2018]
[6th read 14/04/2019]
[7th read 06/10/2020] umm— nooo, I’m not obsessed *sneaks out to get a fox tattooed on forehead*

***

Wow. I just found Nora Sakavic's tumblr... how have I not looked for it sooner, idk... I have all the answers I needed. I can die in peace now 🙏🏻

[dd (danerys) · Rating 5 out of 5]

l 99% l

reread #1: why did it take me like a month to read this helppp hello reading slump ig. still this series is everything k bye

Another update: ok so i kinda wanna reread this even though i finished it less than a week ago but i miss andreil and not to be dramatic or anything but i would die for them

Update: ahjaajksjsjsksksjjdjdj so i just found all the fanfic for this.....and biTCH i COULDNT BE HAPPIER. ao3 ilyy bring on the andreil smut lmao

Review in one sentence:

I am such a proud mother, my beautiful gay sons make me so happy dldkskskdkd <333

Full review:

It’s a hard thing when you’re trying to write a review but are at a loss for words. This is what’s happening to me right now. I have so many thoughts about this beautiful masterpiece of a book, but I don’t know where to start. I am going to be writing this review for the entire series, because I found it really difficult to look at the other two books objectively, and I also knew the series would get better as it went on. (Thankfully that’s what happened.) I don’t think this book series is for everybody, but I think that the people who do understand it feel touched by it in the deepest possible way, we feel so connected to the story, the characters. (Or some people might just find it entertaining, I can’t speak for everyone who liked it.) But anyway, I just hope that you give this series a chance, because it’s truly wonderful and touches the soul of many who read it.


꧁The Plot꧂

Ahahahaha so this is funny because I hate sports. Hate them. When I first started this series I thought I would be bored because it largely focuses on a made-up sport called Exy. And yeah, I was a little bored during those parts, especially because I didn’t wholly understand how the sport worked. (Cuz I’m dumb but whatever.) But eventually I found that it didn’t matter. I became so invested in everything else that it didn’t matter. Because this series isn’t solely about sports, not even close. It’s about a group of broken, fractured people who eventually come together and accept one another. They become a family, and it’s so beautiful to watch. This is also about one person’s journey. Actually, it’s about many people’s journey. Who they are, what they are, who they will become. I’ll talk about this more in the Characters section, but the development of all these individuals is done so well. Because of this, I don’t even care that I don’t like sports. I wanted my precious sons to win, I wanted them to train, I wanted them to become everything they’re meant to be, which is Exy players.
I will say that I got kinda bored at times where nothing really happened in the story, but it always got going again after that. I won’t say that this plot is the MOST unique thing ever, but it’s certainly not the least. And it’s executed so well it’s hard to pay attention to anything else.


꧁The Characters꧂

I want to cry just thinking about my precious babies. My precious sons. (And daughters, Allison and Renee and Dan.) These beautiful characters have come so far in their lives. They each have their own story, and many have had a very hard time in the past, each one of them is broken and fractured and bleeding. They are all rough around the edges, not a single one of them is perfect. Their morals are all fucked up, they get in fights constantly, and half of them are psychos. But honestly, that’s what I love about them. I like my characters broken. I like them complicated, I like them imperfect. It gives them so much more room to grow. I want to cry just thinking about this, because the author made her characters grow so well. There are subtle changes, their is healing, their are resets, there is everything that paves the road of humanity. Neil, my precious main character. It has been an honor to go on your journey with you. You’ve come such a long way, and I will never forget you. I am so, so proud. You are exactly where you need to be. Andrew, my short, angry psychopath. You’re not perfect. Far from it. But you’re you, and that’s enough. You’d do anything for the people you love, and you are so, so strong. Nicky, who was honestly probably my favorite character. Thank you for always being funny and for always being kind, especially when you were the only one doing so. I don’t know if I’ve ever read a better side character. Wymack. You’re literally a mom, don’t deny it. Best coach ever, thank you for being a mother to everyone on your team. Dan, the good people. Ily, girl. You were amazing, just like I expected. Renee, the sweetheart. You weren’t what I expected, but you were amazing anyway. Allison, the catty bitch. You were fucking iconic, and I love you for it. I don’t know if that covers everyone, I don’t think it does, but I’m getting teary-eyed here and I don’t want my phone to get wet. But just thank you from the bottom of my heart, Foxes. You were everything I hoped for and more.


꧁The Relationships꧂

So first and foremost, the team dynamics are everything. E V E R Y T H I N G. I loved how each person had their own relationship with other people, how all the dialogue and thoughts and feelings wove into a web of relationships. And I don’t mean love triangles, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about relationships between cousins, siblings, lovers, friends, and teammates. Each person had their own relationship with everyone else, and at first I found it a little confusing, but after I got to know the characters I got used to it and discovered that it was the most spectacular thing ever. I think y’all get my point, so now I’ll move on to the thing that everyone has probably been waiting for. Andreil. A N D R E I L. Andrew and Neil. These two. First of all, they very near killed me. They are a definite otp, I don’t even have to think about it. But I don’t think I will ever be able to stop thinking about them. They are not a “cute” ship, they are not all full of “I love you”s and cheesy endearments and couple things. No, they’re the type of ship where after they kiss, they go on to threaten to push each other off the roof. That’s what I love about them. Their relationship works for their characters. I would find it very strange if Andrew turned into a cinnamon roll overnight. Another thing I love about them is how they never seem OOC with each other. This is a very slow-burn romance, and once they get together, they still have the exact same dynamic as they did before. It’s hard to describe, but just believed me when I say that it was perfect. Also I knew I said they weren’t “cute”, and in the classic sense of “cute”, they weren’t. But to me they were. So cute that it nearly killed me, multiple times. I was jumping up and down and practically squealing, fangirling so hard that I embarrassed myself. (And then continued to do it.) But about Andreil..... I really am at a loss for words. These two are literally the best thing ever and I will not soon forget them. Actually, I will probably never forget them. (At least if I do rereads.)(Which i most certainly will.)


꧁The Writing꧂

So in the first book, I barely highlighted anything. (I was on my kindle the entire time.) I did highlight some stuff, but I would probably have given the writing a solid 3.5 or 4. By the second and third books..... well, let’s just say that I went a little crazy. I practically highlighted the entire books. I was highlighting pages at a time, especially Andreil dialogue. There wasn’t a single Andrew and Neil conversation that wasn’t 100% highlighted. Seriously, you can go back and check. About the writing style. It’s sort of the type of writing style where you think it’s average at first, but then it subtly creeps up on you with all its magnificent quotes that sound so beautiful and yet not cheesy whatsoever. I don’t really know how that’s possible, but the author does it. Truly incredible. And the dialogue. I don’t know that I’ve ever read better dialogue in my life. It was so witty, so funny at times, so emotional and raw at others- it was just perfection.


꧁The Ending꧂

I’m iffy with endings. They are pretty much hit or miss with me. I find them very important in books (which is why I have a whole section dedicated to them), but I feel like the author can easily mess them up. If it’s too cheesy, if it goes on for too long, if that last sentence doesn’t have a nice ring to it. I’m very happy to say that the ending to this series was immaculate. I M M A C U L A T E. (Not that I was expecting anything less, but still. I’m iffy with endings.) So i don’t want to give spoilers, but let’s just say I was in tears. The ending was everything I had hoped for and more. I am so happy with how the author decided to end this, I can’t even articulate it in words. It was PERFECT. When I go back and think of that last sentence I get chills. So, so beautiful I CANT. I’m going to start crying again. So before I become a mess of waterworks, I would like to say a few things to wrap up this review.
1. This series was everything.
2. Andreil is #relationshipgoals.
3. These characters, man. These characters.
4. This story isn’t for everyone, but give it a chance, because it might be for you. And that is such an amazing gift.

——————————————————————————-
stooooop i’m literally crying I FEEL LIKE A MOTHER IM SO PROUD OF MY SONS ALL MY FUCKED UP TRASH BABIES I LOVE THEM SM 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 rtc (fr this time istg)

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+++++++stars

We got over 25k ratings and over 3k reviews for this book, nothing more to add, other than;

I freaking loved this series.. 🎉🎉🎉 It took me ages to get to it, but i am finally happy i got to experience this fucked up, wonderful journey.

Going in I had no idea what to expect, I don't know why I thought it had some supernatural elements. 🤭🤣 What i got was so much more than i expected. A story about love, resilience, family, friendship and everything else.

The Foxes have become family, Gaaah.. I am going to miss them. Aaaannd, this is how you write a sports story. I am now too invested in Exy.

Neil and Andrew are the best YA/NA characters i have ever had the pleasure of reading about. Damn Nora is one talented author,too bad she doesn't have a gazillion published books. 😩 Why? Whhhhyy?

I kept rereading and relistening to this book over and over, i didn't want it to end.

The rest of the characters fit so well into the story and they are given time to shine. Nicky, Seth, Kevin, Dan, Matt, Allison, Renee and Coach all deserve medals. As for Aaron, the Jury will forever be out.

The story is so engaging, Nora made mafia stuff so much fun.

Overall, I laughed, I Gaaahd, I shed a tiny bit of a tear, I laughed so hard again, I got my heart broken, but above all, I LOVED. 😍 😍 😍

Thank you Xia and Jan for the hand holding. 💕

[♛ may · Rating 5 out of 5]

More pain ahead with my support group ♡♡ Our Very Own Wymack (Em), Renee's Imposter (Sil), and The Kid Who Thinks She's Andrew (Pragg) ♡♡

How do you write a review for a book that so thoroughly ruined you? Don’t know? Me neither. Huh, we’ll just have to see where this goes.



Throughout the entire series, I’ve been wondering how I’m going to manage to live when I finish the last book. Well here I am now, crying with a serious book hangover and a black void swirling in my heart.

I miss my babies a lot.



“The Foxhole Court was the only home he needed; the Foxes were his family.

The King’s Men is the third book in the Foxhole Court series and is just has heart shattering as the previous book – no wait, this one is worse. :)

I’m serious, this book has made me cry so much and feel so much pain that had my heart aching and actually had me considering to skip a few parts just to get to the part where everything gets better.

I didn’t though.

Cause I’m not a weaksauce reader.

“He'd come to the Foxhole Court every inch a lie, but his friends made him into someone real.”

Neil goes through so much character development throughout the books I’m so proud of him, omg. *wipes cheeks* I’m not still crying. Obviously I got over it. Obviously, I know they’re just fictional characters.

OBVIOUSLY.

This whole book left me as a blubbering mess (kinda like how I am now with this review). Neil “I’m fine” Josten is my precious child that needs to be protected at all costs, that poor kid, someone GIVE HIM A BLANKET AND SOME ICE CREAM, PLEASE.

I keep every single one of these characters close to my heart. They are so special and broken and beautiful and strong. So very strong. I’m going to miss reading about them and their antics so much.

Also, let it be known that I am Renee Walker and Renee Walker is me. We are one.

This series is going to stay with me for a long, LONG, time. I have no words beyond this.




If you wanna sum up the entire series in a picture, here you go:

#Accurate


Nora Sakavic, congratulations, you have thoroughly ruined me.


5 stars!!

[cel ✼ readwithcel · Rating 5 out of 5]

listen i would eat dirt for that emo psychotic midget and that runaway with an attitude problem and all those other dumb toddlers with glorified sticks

[Lia Carstairs · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Fight because you don't know how to die quietly. Win because don't know how to lose. This king's ruled long enough-it's time to tear his castle down."

Is this how a breakup feels because I finally understand.


I went into this series knowing nothing about the plot or characters and just that it was about "sports." It sounded boring because I don't read sports books and I mean how interesting could one even be?? ALLOW ME TO THE LAUGH AT PAST ME BECAUSE IVE FALLEN SO HARD.

There's nothing simple about All for the Game. Everything is so complex but especially the characters. I'm tearing up just thinking about them right now because never in my life did I imagine this series would sneak up on me and destroy but also fill my heart with so much love. It's not fair, I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask to fall in love and then dread the ending of this series because it would mean never having new content with these characters ever again. Is this how people feel when they didn't expect in a million years to fall in love but it happened anyways?? No warning at all, it's like a punch to the guts.


I dont remember ever being this heartbroken over finishing a series, like I'm sure it was almost two years ago. I actually can't stop crying every time I think about these foxes. THE LOVE I HAVE FOR THEM ALL. My heart hurts so much I straight up feel like there's a hole in it. I told myself I wouldn't cry while writing this review and here I am doing exactly that.

"This was everything he wanted, everything he needed, and Neil was never letting go."

Neil Josten I swear to god my love for him cannot be expressed enough. First of all, looking at things through his POV was so interesting and amazing. Neil can be such an idiot but at the same time so smart. Every time he roasted Riko I wheezed but also was shaking in fear like he's just asking for his death BUT ALSO NEIL'S BRAVERY HOW. (although Andrew would call this stupidity). And then there was him finding ways to get the team all together in some of the most brutal but effective ways sdfdfs I WOULD THROW MYSELF IN FRONT OF A TRAIN FOR NEIL 1000 TIMES OVER. He went through so much--like an unimaginable amount of pain--and still he always gets back up again please just how precious and amazing is Neil?? It breaks me the most that his journey is over, all the love <33

“We're okay," he said to the empty hall. "We're going to be okay." The Foxes would be okay, at least, and that was more than enough.”

His iconic "I'm fine" will never be forgotten😭

“You were supposed to be a side effect of the drugs.”

I despised Andrew Minyard with every fibre of my being in the first book. Like the rage and murderous thoughts I had consumed me and I was wondering how in the world did anyone like him?? BETTER YET LOVE HIM??? As Neil said, Andrew was a "psychotic midget" and that's all I viewed him as being with all the things that he did.

Then book 2 came and slowly I began to understand him--still disliked him but he had his moments AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE PHONE SCENE AND SDFSFGSGS I LOVE ANDREW. I don't even know the exact moment it happened but by the end of The Raven King I'm a mess and I can't stop adoration for this precious boy. And in this book, somehow I fall for Andrew even more and have him as a favourite😭 The small kind acts that would seem normal coming from anyone else but coming from Andrew is huge. So much trauma in Andrew's past that he can't let anyone in. He's always there for everyone, backing them up against their fears but nobody would be there for him🥺 I'm so happy with the way things ended kjhdshfksg andd I'm getting emotional again.


Also can I just scream about how much I loved the relationships in AFTG?? THEYRE ALL SO GOLDEN. Not just the romantic ones but the platonic relationships ohmygod the way they each had their backs for one another *THINKING ABT THAT SCENE AFTER BALTIMORE* I was crying so much and then of course there's one relationship that just had my heart and soul complete😩 The 90% i want to murder you and the other 10% i dont, but i always hate you <33 and the way the percentage kept increasing and increasing JKFDGSVHGAFJS IYKYK/ I actually thought my heart was going to burst with love, the bantering is god tier. The trust and consent between the two is also god tier. Everything about them is god tier.

"Most coveted, most protected. He'll sacrifice every piece he has to protect his throne. Whatever. Me? I'm going to be the deadliest piece on the board."

I didn't think I'd come to love Kevin either considering how much of a total-narcissist and jerk I thought of him to be yet it happened😭 Like Andrew, Kevin has his own way of caring for others and it's so sweet. He can be so merciless but you know it's coming from a good place and that he actually really cares. Kevin's growth from book 1 to 3 is my favourite of all the characters I just love love love how much his character developed it made me so happy that I was sobbing. I couldn't be more proud ohmygod I just adore him so much <33

I'll never get over when Kevin offered to watch over Neil while he got drunk AND THIS IS COMING FROM KEVIN WHO LOVES DRINKING. And then offering to listen to Neil after a certain incident just so Neil has someone he can rant away to🥺 Also the "and my father comes to all of my games. That is enough." scene destroyed me, it was everything. I can't believe I hated this boy.

“He'd come to the Foxhole Court every inch a lie, but his friends made him into someone real.”

ALL THE FOXES DESERVE ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD. Each of them had their stories and it broke me completely. Neil, Andrew and Kevin were my top 3 favourite characters in the series but honestly I love all the foxes so much omg. Or well I don't love Nicky and Aaron, although I will give Aaron points for making Andrew choose between two people hehe.

The upperclassmen were all such stars like I literally never hated them at all throughout the series. Matt, Dan, Renee, and Allison <333 I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. Matt always trying to be there for Neil and letting him know that he's there for Neil. Dan being such an amazing kind and fearless team captain sdfdfssgs and RENEE BEING SUCH A QUEEN. She was the protector of them all, being the peacemaker and trying so hard to be a better person than she was before🥺 Out of the group of them, she's definitely my favourite. Allison I actually didn't care much about her, but starting from this book I fell in love with her. Just how violent she was when someone tried threatening her or the team I STAN. Being there for Neil and making so many comments (all that money she made from the bets going around with the foxes plz) that had me wheezing omg I adore her.

I really hated Nicky in book 1 (once again another character) from a certain incident and honestly even now I still hate him for that. Neil forgives him but I cannot get over it💀 Like I do believe Nicky redeemed himself from the incident but I can't forgive him for that ever, it made me sick. If you ignore that though but rlly i cant, I really like Nicky sdfsgs I love the way he tries lifting the mood whenever it grows dark. Although he really needs to learn to think before he speaks😭 But he's so funny and sweet so if that incident never happened in TFC, I'd love him so much.

Now Aaron... at first I didn't care about him but as the series went on I actually started to dislike him🤡 But I can't say I hate him. He could be a really huge jerk arent most of them though but he also suffered a lot soooo I don't know maybe I do hate Aaron because I can't think of anything good to say about him.
Okay but I loved what this person said I never thought of this



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ANYWAYS STAN THE FOXES. I don't want to part from them😭


Also special shoutout to Abby & Wymack for always being there for the team while always respecting their boundaries🥺 Like they for sure didn't sign up for all this chaos that happened but even then those two were there for each of them.

"This is about you. This is about everything it took you to get to this point, everything it cost you, and everyone who laughed when you dared to dream of something big and bright. You're here tonight because you refused to give up and refused to give in. You're here where they all said you'd never be, and no one can say you haven't earned the right to play this game.”

I don't want to finish writing this review because finishing it means that I'm finished with this series and that thought breaks me. I was emotional mess writing this and I'm still going to be anytime I see a mention of the foxes. My dysfunctional, lovable group of goofballs❤ They're not perfect at all, they have their problems but that doesn't make me love them any less.

I can't believe this all started because Andrew stopped Neil from running by hitting him in the guts with racket😭 Who knew that would've been the best thing Andrew could've done.

Now it's time to go through a AFTG withdrawal until who knows when. This is going to be so sappy look what this series did to me but I refuse for this to be a goodbye because these guys will always be with me in my heart <33

"Neil had been doing one stupid thing after another all year long and this had turned into the best year of his life."

Trigger warnings: https://cabeswaterlovesthem.tumblr.co...

_______

Pre-read Review:

I DONT WANT TO FINISH THIS SERIES HELP😭 i love these foxes too much omg i already know im going to be in a huge slump after this. the fact that ill never be able to read this again for the first time kills me.

[peachygirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMFG, this was so bloody good!

No series has ever had such a satisfying ending. The plot kept getting complex with each book and the character development was amazing. I'm in loveeee with Neil, even if baby boy has the survival instincts of a dodo. Even after all the violence, abuse, kidnap and torture, this guy DOES NOT know when to shut up. Good thing he had Andrew to watch his back. These two were adorable! *as adorable as a maniac with a blade can be*
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the other Foxes as well. Coach Wymack is the nicest grouchy character I've ever seen. Wonder of wonders, I even liked Kevin's stuffiness.
I loved the team's camaraderie and spirit, their shared love for the sport, their unwavering faith in Neil even after his nth fuck up, the stupidest of bets they had going and the occasional dark humor. And the mafia background was ingenious. Every single thing about this book was crafted to perfection. This book was, in short, unputdownable.

[✧ k a t i e ✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Neil had been doing one stupid thing after another all year long and this had turned into the best year of his life."

THIS. SERIES. HAS. RUINED. ME. I haven't read a series in a long time that I was so emotionally invested like how I was with this one. I honestly wasn't expecting to like this story, let alone be so obsessed with it the way I am now. This series took me by storm, and I am glad to have ended my year (ehh, it's close enough to say that) with this series.

I loved how Sakavic wrote these characters. I loved how she messed with your emotions. I loved how I was on the edge of my seat in most of the book. I loved how it ended. I just loved every.single.thing. So, thank you Nora Sakavic for making me a complete mess over the past week.

I cried. I laughed. I cried some more. And I smiled. So, once again, thank you Nora Sakavic for this amazing series. This series will be with me for a long time, and I will never forget these characters.

If you haven't read this series, you need to. It's one of the best series I have read in a long time. This series deserves all the hype it has.

"He'd come to the Foxhole Court every inch a lie, but his friends made him into someone real."

[Romie · Rating 5 out of 5]

me ,starting my reread: I won't cry this time.
me, ending my reread: I'd like to audition for the role of boo boo the fool

“fight because you don't know how to die quietly. win because you don't know how to lose. the king's ruled long enough - it's time to tear his castle down.”

[moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

5++ stars ☆

TWs: i found this list on a tumblr post bc there's quite a bunch of triggers so feel free to check it out if you want!

❝This,❞ Neil flicked his finger to indicate the two of them, ❝isn't worthless.❞
❝There is no 'this'. This is nothing.❞
❝And I am nothing,❞ Neil prompted. ❝And as you've always said, you want nothing.❞

‼️ WARNING: only proceed if you don't mind a rambling Charee. 😌 ‼️

THIS TRILOGY. OH WOW, can i just say... wow.


what i loved:
✧ the characters. first, let me praise Nora Sakavic for creating such well written characters. this is a character driven story, so the development of the characters, what they went through—what they go through—was the central focus of this trilogy. if you don't like antihero/morally grey characters, this book isn't for you. thinking back, i'm pretty sure all the characters introduced were ones i would consider morally grey. those tend to be my personal favorites (i blame Gaara/Itachi of Naruto from my childhood 😩) so it's no surprise this trilogy was a complete win for me.
✧ found family. this is one of my favorite tropes. ever. to me, it's heartwarming when a group of people who aren't blood-related whatsoever come together and form a special bond and that's how the Foxes were, imo. did they get along 24/7? of course not. literally everyone in the team had a fucked up, tragic past that i don't blame them for having a hard time when it comes to trust but it's the effort, the way you see them come together as a team when they play Exy, even if they had a fight or disagreement the night before, that worked for me. the way each one of them just wanted a place to belong... bc no one else ever gave them a chance. 🥺 Coach Wymack was the true mvp for believing in these kids when everyone else gave up on them.
✧ romance. if you're looking for romance as the main focus, look the other way!! the main romance was very slow burn, as in it was non-existent in the first two books and nothing really happened until here, the last book, BUT we had little crumbs in the first two; however, if you don't know who the main couple is beforehand (it doesn't get revealed until pretty much this book and i just got spoiled before i started the trilogy so that's how i knew to look for crumbs lol), it would be easy to overlook those little moments they had. i will admit, the pay off was very worth it once the romance finally happened and i just freaking loved them. 🥺 i appreciated it, mainly bc i had my microscope while reading, looking for any interactions (big or small) they had. main couple aside, i also adored the side couples' moments we were able to have. every couple/almost-couple introduced truly owned my heart.
✧ Exy with mafia on the side. aside from the characters, Exy (the sport) was another central focus of the story. i'm not a sports person irl, but there's something about how it's written in fiction that works for me and i loved how the games played a huge part in the story. i was invested in their practice matches, as well as the actual matches. the mafia aspect was interconnected with the main story, but it felt more of a sub-plot and i liked how it connected back to certain characters.
✧ THE EMOTIONAL FEELS. if you know me, yk that i get emotional easily and over the smallest things but the way these characters broke my heart over and over throughout the story... i wanted to hug and protect each of them bc they really didn't deserve what they went through but i loved them. I LOVED THEM. this book had me screaming crying throwing up.

what i hated:
✧ DRAKE. RIKO. those fuckers can rot in hell for all i care. 😐

side note: if you're a hopeless romantic like me and only read books with romance as the main focus, i would advice to give this trilogy a chance regardless. trust me, i have a hard time reading non-romance books, but this is one of the few exceptions where the characters were absolutely everything but the romance in the end was still worth the slow burn, imo. <3

[imts · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Is your learning curve a horizontal line?"

Nora Sakavic is officially one of my favourite authors ever. That's literally all I can say about this series.

[mina reads™️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“He'd come to the Foxhole Court every inch a lie, but his friends made him into someone real.”

Don’t mind me, casually sobbing into my pillow over this damaged little fox, his friends and his stickball obsession...

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-listen 2/2019

Hello. My name is Cupcake and I'm a Foxes addict.



It's confirmed since I legit just power listened to 12 hrs, 33 mins of this book. Despite the so so narration the story itself is so captivating that it almost made it a non-issue. Almost. If I didn't love this series so much I probably wouldn't be so passionate about the narration, but these characters deserved someone phenomenal rather than mediocre.

I probably won't listen to it again in the future but it was still nice hanging out with the Foxes again and getting caught up in their story all over again.

And now I'm verklempt all over again that it's over again.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾REVIEW OF THE ENTIRE SERIES🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Undoubtedly superlatives will fail me in this review. 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 1200 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. Nevertheless, it is 1/3 of the story and only reading it is a disservice to the story arc as a whole.

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. But it did.



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. Not ever. 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: a family.



That hit two of my most treasured reading experiences: making a family and team unity.

All for the Game is heavily weighted in sport. If you are a sports fan and this book doesn't get your adrenaline pumping... I... *shrugs* I don't even know what to say. 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. Goliath. They're outnumbered. They're inexperienced. 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.

There is very little sex content (lots of kissing and one oral scene that's not titillating) but there is a WHOLE LOT OF VIOLENCE. Be forewarned. The bad wrong starts in The Foxhole Court, gets worse in The Raven King and made me MURDEROUS! 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? Nope. 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... I can't even believe I'm about to say this after 1200+ pgs, but I'm sad it's over and I wish there were more. #certifiable

So I'll be burning an audible credit soon (possibly three depending on how the first one goes) so I can re-experience this once more when it releases. Here's hoping the narrator doesn't fuck it up.

Believe the hype. 13K+ ratings/reviews and an average of over 4 stars isn't a lie.

[emi · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is part two of my review. I have a lot to say, and Goodreads doesn’t like that, so part one can be found here

things emi still doesn’t understand about this series even though she’s a foxhole court expert

Okay so we all know that the Raven’s are a cult. That is pretty obvious if you read the series. But like what about Palmetto State? I don’t know much about college even though I’ve attended two of them but do sports teams live together? Do they spend SEVEN hours a day together constantly? Seth and Allison had friends outside of the team but DID ANYONE ELSE? Did Matt hang out with anyone other than Dan and Neil? Neil literally had their class scheduled memorized. And what classroom the class was happening in? Is this normal??? Is Palmetto State also a cult???

Neil is literally like, “i’d die for all of my teammates.”and then is like “we;re not friends. I don’t have friends.” Like I know Neil is an idiot but he should have caught on sooner that they were friends.

Nicky’s timeline? He spent a year at pray the gay away camp. I would imagine he was like 15? 16 then? Then he came back and was depressed for a year. Then he went to Germany for I would think another year. So at 18? Then came back, graduated high school, then went back to Germany? Then came back when Andrew and Aaron’s mom died. And then he bought a house? At like 20? What 20 year old can afford a house that he doesn’t even live in? Or rent out?? Anyways, then Andrew and Aaron and him went to Palmetto State. WHEN DID NICKY LEARN EXY? Nicky also mentioned in book three when they went to the cabin that he doesn’t like the outside, so why would he be playing Exy??? And when did Nicky become good enough to play Exy at a Class I college level team?

Neil, at like 17 years old, was able to drag his dead mother out of a car, bury her on a beach in California, and walk away. Like how?? This is impossible. Like, how did no one question a teenager burying things alone on a Califonia beach? He also would have to have dragged her. There would have been drag marks on the sand. That would have drawn attention. The book also stated he walked two miles down the beach to bury her. HE DRAGGED HER FOR TWO MILES. And also, do you realize how deep you need to dig to be to bury a body? Like I'm not a professional body buryer expert but I'm pretty sure it's gotta be pretty deep. Animals will dig that kind of thing up. Neil's mother's death is the most unrealistic thing in this entire book to the point where my last reread, I skipped over the page or so where it talked about her death because it pisses me off so badly

This series starts off with Neil moping around in Arizona and smoking. It is established as early as possible that Neil smokes. Also, in book one, after Abby does Neil’s physical, Neil is super anxious and the book mentions that he “wanted a cigarette so badly he ached.” However, in book 2, Wymack is like “since when does Neil smoke?” and in book three, Nicky says something super similar to this. I’m assuming that Neil just didn’t smoke all the time or he didn’t smoke in front of others, but the book never explained this. This is actually a plot hole and I want an explanation.

How did Kevin’s hand heal if he didn’t go to a doctor? Riko broke his hand and Kevin showed up at Wymack’s apartment bleeding. Abby wrapped him up and they took him to Palmetto State. But Abby isn’t like a broken bones doctor. She’s a sports nurse. I don’t think Kevin went to a doctor once? Maybe he did but idk, it was never mentioned once. Wouldn’t Kevin’s hand need physical therapy too? Did he go to physical therapy? It sounds like his hand injury was pretty serious if even the Raven’s were like, “you can’t play here anymore.” I don’t think his hand should healed as well as it did. He shouldn’t have been able to play with it again at the very end.

Andrew’s medicine. I’m forever confused. That's not how medicine works????

So Palmetto allegedly has campus security. But Officer Higgins just shows up at their dorm in book #2. And Thea just shows up in book #3. The campus security must not be doing that great of a job. What's stopping a crazed Kevin Day fan from just showing up at his doorstep? Absolutely nothing it seems. Doesn't seem safe.

Honestly, you should probably put everything that happens on this list BECAUSE NOTHING MAKES SENSE ABOUT THIS BOOK. NOTHING.

It's honestly awful idk why I'm such trash for it..

That's about it. There's definitely more things to say about this series, but I don't have enough time to list them all. If you've read everything I've said, thank you so much. I appreciate you and that and everything. Also sorry for a two part review. Goodreads sucks sometimes.

Byeeeee