The King's Men

Wow. This is a long review but this series deserves high accolades. Rather than review each book, I waited until I finished the The King’s Men to process and then attempted to write a review that does justice to this remarkable series. Amazon’s new “descriptive” blocks simply don’t apply; the story, characters, and emotions are too complex to neatly check a box. I ordered the first book, The Foxhole Court not only because the premise sounded unusual but because it was free. I ordered The Raven King and The King’s Men before I even finished it. Having said that, it took several chapters for me to not only get a handle on the storyline and characters, but to take an interest in them. But when I did, I was completely invested. Each character is unique and each is broken and/or recovering in some way. Together, they fit but it is not always a comfortable fit. They are brought together through Exy – a fictional NCAA sport, which sounds a bit like Lacrosse/ice hockey on steroids and played on a basketball-like court surrounded by glass walls. I’ll be honest, I could never “picture” how it was played, but that didn’t matter. Sakavic is such a talented writer, I became completely invested in the game, which is not only complex, but has a violent overtone, wrapped in passion, determination, perseverance, courage, and teamwork. To me, it mirrors the struggles of the characters as they achieve the impossible in college athletics against all expectations, including their own while also conquering far more personal issues and dangers. (I promise it is not a "movie of the week" angst!) While Neil/Nathaniel is the primary voice, he does not overshadow Andrew or Kevin or the “minor” characters: Coach Wymack, Aaron, Nicky, Dan, Matt, Allison, Renee, and Abby. Each of them is part of the tapestry. In addition to Exy, they are entwined in the connections of a crime syndicate that moves the plot through several twists and turns, including Riko and several other despicable characters. At one point, you will guess that a character has faced abuse. I was certain. I was right, but that did not prepare me for the sheer emotional power Sakavic creates as you see it through the eyes of an emotionally divested victim and those who love him. The hard part of reviewing this series is not giving spoilers. If I listed key plot lines, some might go "melodrama" and not read the books, which would be a mistake. The plot is intricate - but never slow. There is cruelty but it is balanced nicely with finding support and friendship. I did not like many of the characters in the first book, but by the series conclusion, I not only liked them, but understood how well-crafted they were in the hands of a very skilled author. And, there is a strong conclusion – well deserved after the trials faced. I hope that Ms. Sakavic might revisit Palmetto in senior year. Quite simply, I loved these books.

As a passionate person, I have the utmost respect for an author who can pull all levels of passion and emotion out of me throughout a book or series. And Nora has managed to blow even my feelings out of the water. This novel is raw. It's ugly and honest and in your face. The author builds and builds and she never backed down from the situations the characters found themselves in. And beyond that, the characters always stayed 100% truthful to them in every situation they were in. There is something huge to be said about this because authors don't always let the characters do what they need but what the author wants and Nora clearly let her characters react how they wanted to and they developed accordingly. I cannot say enough about how great this book is and how wonderful the trilogy is all around. The growth in the characters is fantastically done and the story moves and twists and turns and takes your breath away in both delightful and terrifying ways. I never wanted to put this book down, not even after I finished and there was nothing left to read. These books and characters have found their way deep into my heart and deeper. I love the characters fiercely and would fight for them as if they were real and that cannot be something faked or forced in books. I can happily say that these novels are amongst my favorites now and ones that I will go back to time and time again. These books push the boundaries of both the characters and the reader in a way that so many seem afraid of doing. And that is something everyone should hold in much higher regard.

The King's Men is an epic, mind-blowing whirlwind of an ending. The question is, what DIDN'T happen? In the span of one year starting with The Foxhole Court, the story is packed with fantastic character development, the slowest of all slow burning book relationships, and one of the most heart-wrenching, nerve-wracking storylines I've ever read. I thought the book had reached a dark point in The Raven King, but this book proved me wrong. It can definitely get worse. We're read about violence on the Exy court during games and the characters have traumatic, violent histories that are alluded to, but violence and torture take on a whole new meaning when it's actually happening right in front of your eyes. There are happier moments, and it's a sigh of relief when a character can forget looming threats and just be content, if not happy. Neil and Andrew. They come from the most devastating traumatic backgrounds and honestly, I thought Neil and Kevin were end-game when I read the first book. Instead, Neil and Andrew is a slow burn. It's almost blink-and-you-miss it moment in The Foxhole Court. The relationship blossomed in the second book, but Nora Sakavic really rewards you in this book for your patience. Their scenes are filled with sexual tension and their scenes together are hot. There is one thing that comes up constantly in the The King's Men: CONSENT. You really don't read this in books enough. Both parties need to consent to each other's advances and know when "no" means no. We are given several scenes that gets reiterated explicitly over and over between Neil and Andrew, that saying "yes" once, doesn't mean saying "yes" to everything from that point forward. I was blown away that Andrew and Neil were the ones to develop a functioning, healthy relationship. Exy. This book has made me fall in love with a sport that doesn't even exist. I feel like I need this sport in my life, but only if there are teams like the Foxes or USC and not like the Ravens. The Foxes rallying together, especially when they were so fractured and broken in the beginning, is so lovely to see and I'm just so sad that the story is over. I just want a story of the Foxes for the next four years, playing Exy, Court, and just LIFE in general. I am not ready to let them go. All these characters felt so real that they just jumped off the page. I thought A Court of Mist and Fury gave a terrible book hangover, but this might be the series that gives you the ultimate book hangover that can only be solved by re-reading the entire series.

Perfect wrap-up to the first trilogy. I was hooked and reading this nonstop for a full day. I put my phone on DND.

What a ride. This series is so impressive. I love a made-up sport apparently. I want to watch this sport on TV. Still need to check out lacrosse. I watch hockey all the time but I think I need some more input to fully visualize what Exy would be like. This is not a romance novel or series. I know. I can finally accept that. It took some time to come to terms with it. However! #Andreil forever. Those toxic babies made us wait for it! So worth it. So much happens in this book. I don't know how Neil and my heart have survived it. I was edge of my seat the entire time. Neil never did anything I expected him to do, and you know what. I'm fine with it! Who needs character growth? Not me or this series. These are messed up people who have had messed up lives and they just wanna dominate in their sport. And I just wanna read about it. :)

I just enjoyed a wild, wild ride! From a trilogy I owned for 3 years (but, as I have numerous bks on my Kindle, I only recently remembered it was there. And bc of its name, I merely assumed it was a paranormal book and not something I would want to read at the moment.) Once I saw how many 5* ratings it had, tho, I realized it was *obviously* worthy of more attention. The book involves a sport called Exy, sort of a combo of lacrosse and hockey? (I won’t say I now understand all the rules, regs, and how the sport is played; merely that I understood enough to throughly enjoy the games and be excited about the outcomes.) The protagonist is on the run from his father, affectionately known as “The Butcher”, and altho he expects to run away first chance he gets, he ends up being signed onto a college team called the Foxes (at the start, on a par with the Bad News Bears). The team is mostly a bunch of so-called rejects, sort of a Glee popularity level (albeit, since the Glee club was mainly filled w football players and cheerleaders, I never truly understood why they wouldn’t be popular. But I digress.) There is one person on the team that he knew prior to running away; but in disguise and a decade later, he thinks there’s a good chance that the boy won’t recognize him. And he actually wants a chance to play at least one time with Kevin (from his old life) bc Kevin is a huge star in the world of Exy. Without giving away spoilers, just be prepared for a trilogy about a college sport that, in actuality, will include murder, torture, rape, abuse, drugs, alcoholism, numerous mob families, and continuous moments when you believe “this is it” for the MC (Altho, while the story isn’t entitled “Neil and his life...”, it’s unlikely the main character will be killed in the first 2 books of a trilogy.) I should probably mention that Karin Slaughter is one of my favorite authors, and if anybody has read her work, you’ll realize that the above will not scare away anybody who loves her novels. Indeed, altho this might be the “slowest burn” romance in the history of slow-burn romances, Neil eventually does get involved in a relationship, and likely not with the person you’d expect. (Or maybe I’m just really slow on the uptake. One or the other.) I was surprised by how very much I enjoyed this trilogy (certainly I should have been prepared due to the trilogy’s popularity) but I rarely, if ever, watch shows or movies involving the mob and, like I said, Exy was like me attempting to understand quidditch. Nora Sakavic managed to get me involved in the lives of almost all of the members of the Fox team (sort of like OITNB) and while there were some I took a really long time warming up to (and some I never liked) she did manage to capture my attention. I SHOULD mention that some of the plot line requires one to remember offhand remarks made at odd moments in time; but enough of an explanation is given to make you remember too and, possibly, think to yourself: wow, these kids are really bright (to pick up on tiny details that explain major issues). Even tho this is the end of the trilogy, if somebody happens to be reading my comment who hasn’t yet read the first two books, I don’t wish to ruin anything for them so there isn’t much else I can say except that I read the entire trilogy straight through (to the extent I had time over these past 3 days). There was never a moment I got bored or thought “god, why are we dwelling on this?” and the books are paced pretty damn fast. Other than the thought that few, if any of the students, seemed to truly care about actual coursework, I honestly loved the books, and am pretty sad that I didn’t read them just a bit slower. But I highly recommend them as something enjoyable to do while not worrying about the pandemic or the upcoming election!! Edit: Just for the record, my favorite character in the trilogy was Andrew. He was multilayered, had depth to his character, was beyond intriguing. (If it helps, my fav character in the show Justified was Boyd Crowder, by far. Even tho Raylon Givens (Timothy Olyphant) was quite nice to look at for lengthy periods of time. And Boyd & Raylen’s interactions (for me) were probably the highlight of the show.) In any case, I’m sure different ppl have dif opinions on the subject, but I was particularly interested in how Andrew became more and more layered as each book in the trilogy was written. This is not to say I didn’t enjoy the other characters. I already said that above. But it occurred to me that in this ridiculously lengthy comment, I never mentioned this straight out.

The King’s Men was a finale worth the amazing series it is of. There were so many plot arcs and so much going on, that finishing it seems like I have been reading it forever. It was a wild ride, to say the least. After Neil’s training/torture session at the Raven’s Nest, he returns to the Foxes, broken body but not broken spirit. Seeing his state and the newly inked tattoo Riko put on him, the Foxes are understandably outraged and out for blood. Then, sober Andrew makes a reappearance and Neil, always curious about Andrew starts to feel a change in their friendship. The fact that Andrew makes his attraction clear but is not ready to act on it stirs Neil into finally realizing his sexuality, but they both see it as a casual fling in the start. However, romance is hardly bound to be the main focus of a multi-layered plot like this, so all the previous dangers that Neil was running from, make an appearance in the finale. Once again, the book is painful at some places – Neil really can’t catch a break, poor guy. Those scenes were hard to read through, and worse was how the Foxes react to it. You can see that despite the team not being united on the court, when it comes to Neil they all love him too much to not be on the same side. And Neil, who had made his mission to fade away by the end of the year, for him to be so loved – that was so heart-warming. It has been a tremendously eventful journey for him, right from the boy on the run to the man who now stands his ground. Not to say everything worked out the way he wanted – he had to make some compromises, but the family and friends he gains overall feel like a prize for his pain. For their part, the Foxes, including Coach and Abby make for a dysfunctional but loving family. Not that this book is all pain and gloom though. There are some amazing game scenes – Exy being sort of like lacrosse, it wasn’t that difficult to imagine it, but the writing shines through in such scenes, bringing it out vividly in your mind. Another place the writing really speaks is between the characters – the subtle setting of the scene, the slow unveiling of feelings and emotions through gestures rather than words; it all speaks for a well-thought out process. And of course, the budding romance between Neil and Andrew is too hot to handle. I liked that Andrew starts to come out of his prickly thorn cage a little more, and considering his past, it is a big progress on his part, but sometimes I did wish he wasn’t so controlling! The team sort of united in the end, I guess, but a lot of the book was still spent on them squabbling among each other. It is pretty realistic, if you think about it, the way most of the threads were tied up, and from the start it has been a great series, so this book has all my love.

Purchased the entire series for my daughter because she loves it. Great storyline and characters.