The Raven King (All for the Game Book 2)

The Raven King (All for the Game) (Volume 2)

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I appreciate that her character is not undermined or "weakened" because she is nice.

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

I love Renee alot, and I feel she's a character we don't see much, especially in ya and especially in sport centric books. Dan and Matt were so much better in this one. Dan especially had me cackling and she's so fierce and strong. It was nice to see her take a more prominent role in Neil's life and to see her history and backstory. I also loved that Matt was more involved with the team as a whole and that his past was also explored.

So so much backstory and history and explanation to his shitty behaviour. But on a serious note Aaron was sort of a mysterious and weird character who groused from the sidelines and I'm glad that much more development was invested into him. His dynamic with Andrew is so incredibly heartbreaking and he's just so important to the boy and vice versa and I really need him and Andrew to sort things out.

He and Kevin took more of a backseat in this one but I thought it was ok. I feel they were both so involved in the first book it was nice to set them aside and hear from others. However, where they did come into play I really really enjoyed their chapters. I wish Allison had been in it more. Thats my one character complaint. But I did really love the way she stood up at the games after what happened to Seth and I'm so proud of her she's a queen.

Ok welps getting down to the business end of the game I guess bc Andrew and Neil. I'll start with Neil. I love that he's trusting people, I love that he's taking a prominent role in people's lives. I can't believe how in pages he's given SO MUCH development in a way that wasn't rushed or forced but just worked and flowed sensibly.

Neil learning to trust those around him, learning to fall back on them in times of need and learning to even love them is so, so heartwarming. I feel like I've invested so much into his character already and seeing him develop positively is the best pay off it's like he's my actual son. I love that Sakavic can so easily surmount so much development into just little things.

Wymack asking him "Are you okay? Now we need to talk about Andrew. In many ways, this series could be described as a study of "what the fuck is it that makes Andrew Minyard tick". This book gave it to me. At least a little more than before. And it's so, so saddening to see his story unfold because he is a good person, he really is.

It's just that his goodness has been buried under alot of bullshit that happened to him. All of the foxes have captivated me. Their characterisation, the world building, the dialogue, the pacing, literally everything is perfect. This series is a blessing, and everyone should read it. I can't wait to start book 3. I've heard it's not smooth sailing but I'm hoping they can pull through.

A few gifs on my emotions in the book: Also when the Foxes were allowed to play on after losing Andrew Renee telling her story and also informing him Andrew's gay asf. Nicky getting the monsters to come to Matt's for Christmas. Andrew agreeing to Halloween with the upperclassmen. Oct 13, rin lorenzo rated it it was amazing Shelves: But from now until May you are still Neil Josten and I am still the man who said he would keep you alive.

I don't care if you never use it again. But you are going to keep it on you because one day you might need it. You're going to think about what I promised you and you're going to make the call. View all 11 comments. Thankfully, there are eleventy-seven lazillion other reviews so I will try to keep this short. Try, being the operative word. I would say I loved this series but considering it has consumed my life for the past several days, robbed me of sleep and occupied my thoughts, "loved" feels insufficient.

It became my obsession. For anyone who hasn't read it, I do believe this originally was one big fic that due to its whopping size clocks in at just over pgs was broken up into 3 books for publication. I say this because I believe it was meant to be read as one story. The Foxhole Court isn't meant to be read as a standalone.

It will likely leave you wanting due to some horrific shenanigans that occur amongst the Foxes. I'm not ever going to condone the events but somewhere during The Raven King I understood why they did what they did. Primarily because Neil's first love is Exy and through Exy he's introduced to the other great love of his life, so if you're a romance reader like me you gotta stick it out. The Foxhole Court illustrates his undying passion for the game to perfection. He fell in love with Exy as a boy. Circumstances of his life stripped it from him and then through a series of events gave it back.

In a vain effort to give his life some meaning after he's lost everything he lets himself have Exy again as a high school senior at a small school in Millport, Arizona. He never in a million years thought his play at a an unfamiliar position as a walk on would put him on Palmetto State University's radar. David Wymack, coach of the Foxes, and his team have some rather unorthodox recruitment tactics but they succeed in signing their new striker and getting him to South Carolina in the end.

While Neil reacquaints himself with his love of Exy, I fell in love with Neil. Trust me, no one was more surprised by this development with a character like Andrew hanging around but it's true. Neil has lived through hell, literally, and somehow someway he's retained a fundamental kindness and selflessness.

He's the most resilient character I can remember ever reading about. He's not going to quit. Exy's the only thing that's ever given him anything back and he's going to give it his all until he's got nothing left. A gamer through and through and that sort of passion has a way of galvanizing a team. He brought tears to my eyes with his devotion and loyalty to the Foxes. He will sacrifice himself time and time again for them. Course his mouth puts them in the crosshairs more than once but I loved that he wasn't going to let his fear stop him from protecting them or stand in the way of his dream.

His passion and drive make them more of a cohesive unit than they've ever been which makes their small, rag tag team that's been ignored and discounted by everyone more dangerous than anyone could've foreseen. It also nets Neil something he's never had before: That hit two of my most treasured reading experiences: All for the Game is heavily weighted in sport.

If you are a sports fan and this book doesn't get your adrenaline pumping As a huge sports fan, I'm not embarrassed to say that a couple games made me verklempt. It's the classic tale of David vs. But they've got heart, grit and determination.

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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.

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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.

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Fear not, it does end happily for more than just the primary couple. I don't think it's possible to read this and not become invested in all of these characters. They are all layered and complex and have surprises up their sleeves. Is this series perfect? It could've been paired down, it's sometimes redundant, the game of Exy is a fictional one but the rules of the game weren't given until The Raven King.

I don't know how the NCAA wouldn't have cracked down on the Ravens antics long ago nor can I fathom how these players could perform optimally after the way they treat their bodies trigger warning for drug usage. Some of the events are far-fetched, outlandish even and one thing in Neil's backstory just doesn't not add up for me.

But I'll tell you what, it's says something to me if a story can sink its teeth into me like this one has and that is something I can't discount. Not only could I not put it down, but Here's hoping the narrator doesn't fuck it up. Send them my way. Honestly kudos to whoever can write a proper review for this series, and especially for book 2, because I don't think I'll ever even want to try. I'm seriously fucked up right now, don't even talk to me. I need a few hours to patch myself up before I start the next one but oh, I'm going to love the fuck out of it.

That ending just killed me even more, when reading it for the second time. I'm at a loss for words.

My eyes were burning and tearing. I even closed my Kindle and my eyes a couple of times. But within a few minutes I had to open them and continue reading because I couldn't stop thinking about this story. If every book I read was as intense as this one, I'd never get bored or restless with my stories.

This is the second book in a series and does NOT read as a stand alone. Jul 06, destini mia rated it really liked it. View all 3 comments. Nov 20, kat added it. Oh the tears, I can barely see through them. It hurts so fucking much, and you could think I'd be prepared by now because it's not my first time reading this book, but no, it still hurts like hell. And I still have no word to explain how much I love this series, this book, these characters, none. This book is by no means perfect, the first half is too long for what happens in it, but sometimes you can't control your feelings.

My brain, my heart, my entire being is in love with this February My brain, my heart, my entire being is in love with this book and this series. I would kill for these characters, I don't care if they're scarier than I am, I would burn the world to protect them. He was their family.

I'm not crying, you're crying jk I am. Aug 28, Shelley rated it it was amazing Shelves: You will not believe the surprises that await you here! If you haven't read The Foxhole Court start there because this is book 2. They were a team with no concept of teamwork and they determined their hierarchy through fo LOOK!!! The Ravens and Riko who must die by fire pose an incomprehensible threat to Neil now that he has brought attention to himself, and oh, my, word! Sakavic reveals even more of the darkness and determination of these characters by revealing the history of the Upperclassmen.

And then she really darkens and dirties things by showing instead of telling. Are we sure this is YA? Or was it my imagination that supplied the details? It gets rough for a minute and then it gets even rougher, and then the lights go out. The focus is very much on Neil obviously and his acceptance of the fact that he might actually have a place in the world, here and now, with his team - who actually care about what happens to him.

They begin to piece him together, seeing through his lies and disguise. How this scary crazy man-boy has twisted me up inside is something else. What I do know is that the relationship with Neil and Andrew is becoming something … other. View all 22 comments. May 05, Paula rated it did not like it Recommends it for: This book is terrible.

Not even like the first one, that one was terrible in a fun way. This one is so bad it's offensive. I feel like I got some bootleg. My version of The Raven King reads like dark! Harry Drarry AU taken from a livejournal community in , not a 4. I am honestly shaken up about it. Did I miss something?

Has everyone gone mad? Let's dissect this thing, I guess. First of all, the writing itself. Goddamnit, I swear I don't need to know where every character is sitting every time Neil enters a room. That's not how you paint a picture, by describing sitting arrangements. I don't need to know how they sat in the bus, if Allison was in the first row with Renee and Matt and Dan where in the row behind them and Abby was wherever the hell she was.

It doesn't even matter! Neil sat between Kevin and Andrew, didn't he? Just say that, don't waste words on soulless description. Also, a full paragraph of five word sentences is the fastest way to make me doze off and have my kindle fall on my face. Neil keeps being insufferable. He's the most unsympathetic main character I've come across in a minute. Am I supposed to care about what happens to him? When that dude rapes Andrew and that's a whole 'nother mess, we'll get into it later somehow everyone is worrying about him. Andrew got raped, Aaron killed a guy, Nicky got screwed by his parents once again, and we're supposed to feel for Neil?

Get outta here, man. It's a mystery to me how anyone even stands him. If you take pills to help with your psychosis, or whatever it is Andrew has, I don't know exactly what they do, but I'm pretty damn sure they don't make you so manic you have a laughing fit while getting raped. What the actual fuck. I read somewhere that this lady spent 13 years writing and revising this series before publishing. Didn't she have a couple of hours to spare to Google about mental illness? She just made up a random condition that makes no sense just for the sake of making him dark and dangerous.

We all love a bad boy, don't we? One clinically insane that keeps almost stabbing everyone with his hidden ninja knives. Gotta get me a man like that. His struggle and his motivations are a lot more deserving of reading about that Neil's or Andrew's nonsense. Andrew and Aaron's relationship could be interesting too, if it wasn't explained to us in such a muddled way. A lot of the times we learn about characters through third-party explanations. It's so lazy and so confusing, especially when Neil starts to make connections in his mind he doesn't talk the reader through.

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A lot of the times I asked myself what even was happening, if I had already met this characters they were talking about, because I honestly couldn't be bothered with learning a thousand names and a thousand backstories. Half of them didn't serve any purpose, too.

Now, my favorite part of the whole thing, The Almighty Ravens! The stadium is black, the rooms are black, the sheets and the towels are black because they're so Dark and Bad and Villain-y. They all dress the same way, too. And their super intense interactions with Neil and the Foxes, so Dark!

That dialogue, that murderous back and forth! Also, I just love how the coach is evil just for the sake of being evil. His brother is Yakuza, so he just invented a weird sport and he now bullies teenagers mercilessly. He's a fleshed out character for sure. This book is full to the brim with rich characters that have complex motivations. They're all one dimensional and everything is absurd. I think the author has this problem where she thinks "you know what would be cool? She wanted Neil to go there and be tortured for some reason, so she did it. She sold it as a way for him to protect Andrew from that crooked psychiatrist we didn't know about two seconds ago.

Because it makes so much sense that a college Exy coach orchestrated the rape of a dude by his former foster brother, and he somehow knew he would be committed into a mental institution so he bought off a doctor that was willing to kill a patient, just so he could have Neil train with them for two weeks and then let him go home just like that. That is the most absurd thing I have ever read, I am honestly speechless.

And Neil is like "yeah, that makes sense, let me go spend the Christmas break with you, I'll catch the first plane tomorrow. Andrew's rape is even worse in that regard. They come to this house to have an awkward family meal and the mom is like "yeah, Andrew, I have a surprise bottle of booze in a room upstairs, why don't you go and get it. So he goes, and his former foster brother and sexual abuser is there, so he gets raped.

In a nice suburban house with some family having a roast dinner downstairs. Blood everywhere, too, not even a discreet raping, he really goes for it. As shock value goes, that's a really fucking cheap move. See you in my review of the third one, I'm having so much fun getting mad at his series and this goddamned website.

Jun 08, Georgina rated it really liked it. I totally get it now. Character development, plot development, dynamic development, gimme all that development. The writing is still a little bit patchy although definitely slightly better , it feels a bit rushed at times, and the time jumping ahead is quite abrupt in some places. Honestly though, the biggest turn around goes to Andrew. I get why everyone loves him now, I completely get it. The team all grew far more three dimensional over the course of this book, and finding more out about their pasts while watching them all interact and become more cohesive as a team was so pure and wonderful.

They deserve all the happiness and family and love in the world. The plot is equally as out-there as the first book, and it still reminds me of a tv drama mixed with a reality show, but in the absolute best way. It sucked me in immediately, and I read it in every free second that I had because I was desperate to find out what the hell was going to happen next.

Like I said, the writing still needs improvement, but it has come a loooong way from the first book, as has the structure, and the story is entertaining and captivating enough that I can forgive it for its faults. View all 5 comments. Jul 01, imts rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date. But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st, Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade, When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st. That, my dear friends, was Shakespeare accurately describing my feeling "He was their family. That, my dear friends, was Shakespeare accurately describing my feelings for this book centuries before it was actually written. I am still trash for this series. I forgot a lot of the events of this book in all honesty though.

I filmed a series review for my BookTube channel: Ok so I'm gonna be honest with you: I was extremely skeptical about this series when I started it. My friend convinced me to read it but I figured anything that was super popular on tumblr might not be my thing. If you don't know what these ar Reread October If you don't know what these are about, this trilogy follows Neil, a man who has been on the run for most of his life but gets signed on to a sports team at a college and stops running. This book follows directly where book 1 ended and I loved that. The plot and character building that Sakavic does it amazing.

She has created such amazing and distinct characters that I feel like I know these people as my friends. This is just so so well done and I honestly love this series.

Neil is a really tortured soul and my heart hurts for him. Actually, my heart hurts for this entire dysfunctional team. They all have trauma in their lives that make me just want to protect them all. I think Neil and then Andrew are my favourites, but I adore them all and I want to just hold all of them. Ignoring that horrible stereotyped cookie cutter homophobia talk at the family dinner.

Like I haven't heard these lines times already. Impersonal, lacked conviction, and just put in for the sake of having it. Where as anything dealing with Matt, Dan, Renee, or the coach just makes me want to skim and page flip. Their dialogue feels so forced out and I honestly just do not care. It's even worse when they're used to just pass information along or reveal details.

Plus, a few just seem unneeded to have separate parts made for. Example being Dan helping Neil remove classes from his schedule. It had a page or so of Dan and Matt explaining the workings of university classes and scheduling. Probably not needed words spent just to show that they are there to help Neil. The only interactions I semi enjoy is Neil and the "monsters". Kevin is probably the most decent character here along side Nicky. Aaron doesn't talk much, or do much for that matter other than the rushed plot twist in the bedroom.

Anything Andrew is a mess. One minute they're scared to deal with him off the pills so they always carry his meds around and try to get him to take them, yet they're also scared of him on the pills, and bonus, they all can't wait for him to be off the pills. So which is it? I'm getting so confused as to which Andrew they think is the worse or which one is better. It keeps changing and honestly I stopped keeping track. Meanwhile, the only character growth I'm seeing here has been Neil becoming less concerned about protecting his life and deciding he really wants a death wish.

Like full out just throw yourself on a sword death wish. Which, I'm not so sure becoming stupider is nice trait to develop. Although, I suppose it's supposed to speak to him becoming more comfortable and protective of the Foxes. Tell me one more time how the mother is rolling in her grave and I'll personally slap him for her. He also seemed to have developed a sense of knowing details before meeting people or seeing things. For instance he confronts Andrew and suddenly knows the names of Nicky's parents in addition to Andrew's foster family names.

Who are these people? Yes, I guessed by context clues at that moment, but the reveal isn't until way later when those characters are actually introduced. That's not even the only thing, it just seems like the author thought of something and instead of actually making room for it in a sensible spot, in say book one or in a related area earlier, she just drops it where ever she thinks of it.

Then, line by line repeats some of the details we already gained from previous chapters or book one. As for the Ravens, everything with them is super anti climatic. Book one geared up for this big match that just felt so flat when it actually happened. The interactions between them and the Foxes are so posed for effect to distract from that fact that it's really just two boys bickering over their egos.

Then I'm honestly supposed to believe that Riko went from casting Neil as useless and a waste of time to suddenly demanding that Neil play for them? So that means Neil isn't useless, right? Riko is an ass because of his father. However, I don't find the rest of the Ravens to be actually that bad. Kevin was once a Raven and he has issues from it but he isn't bad. I truly believe Jean isn't either.

Jean is on the wrong side and has to follow what Riko demands to keep his own life. Despite that though he still almost, in some weird ways, wants the best for Neil? He mentions a few times that Neil shouldn't have came. Warns when Neil shouldn't make a fool of himself and because of their joint 'if you get in trouble I do too' pairing Jean pushes Neil to do good to save his own ass.

Sadly some of this is based on assumption because this Raven chapter is just that, a chapter. I know why it happened, but honestly it just came and went. I had to stop and make sure a chapter wasn't missing. Maybe more of it comes to light in the third book. I won't hold my breath though. I really would like to be in on what all these five star ratings see. I feel like I'm reading the plot of a sports anime that gets so crazy out of control and distracts from the actual plot it started with.

Welcome to soap opera sports. Which I don't actually mind! I can handle the drama and whatever, it's just so frustrating to weed through what is and isn't needed. As I said before, I'm gonna ride this burning train all the way down to it's last stop. It's not a one star because I still enjoy bits of it. It refrains from a three star because there's just too much of 'what? Main and sub-characters are extremely well developed, and continue to grow through the series.

This is a story about a varied group of young adults college age who had somewhat to horrifically broken childhoods. They're misfits who are brought together through a sport, while continuing to encounter setbacks. As the relationships between the characters evolve, we slowly learn more about their past and how it has brought them to where they are.

Book two contains some violence, but we see more of the aftermath than get dragged through the details. It's necessary to advance the story, not gratuitous. The two initial books are full-sized novels; presumably the third will be as well: The Foxhole Court - locations The Raven King - locations The final book in the trilogy, The King's Men, is expected to be released in January, according to a blog post by the author on Nov 15, These are not standalone books - readers will want to read them all, in order.

I complain a lot about eBook prices; this may be the first time I've ever suggested a price. This seems too low given the high quality of the writing and story. I would happily pay that amount in return for this author's fine work. See all reviews. Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway. Set up a giveaway. Customers who viewed this item also viewed. Pages with related products.

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