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A review by samchase112
The King's Men by Nora Sakavic
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Rating: 5 stars
I think I can die now. I can just fall on the floor dead and it won't matter. Now that this series is over, nothing matters anymore. I think my heart is missing; I can't find it. Neil and Andrew probably have it, and I think I'll just let them keep it. I don't need it anymore anyways.
The Foxhole Court was the introduction, The Raven King was the character development, and The King’s Men was the culmination of everything these Foxes had been working towards. So many incredible and heart-pounding things happened in this book, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. As a reader I was so engrossed in every second that I felt like I was going on this journey with each and every one of these characters. The way everything played out was perfect, right down to the way the Ravens x Foxes game ended. Every single moment felt right, felt like what you didn't expect but at the same time knew in your heart was what would inevitably would happen. This entire series has been a journey, and I'm so glad I enjoyed it so much.
Guess what. CONSENT IS IMPORTANT. TRUST IS IMPORTANT. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
I can't find it in me to give a real review right now, so instead I'll leave you with some of the quotes from this amazing book, and hope they reveal how much I loved every second. Warning - spoilers.
Wymack before the final game almost made me cry: I want you to close your eyes and think about why you're here tonight. Don't tell me 'revenge' because you've already gotten it just by being here tonight. This isn't about Riko anymore. This isn't about the Ravens. 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. All eyes are on you. It's time to show them what you're made of. There's no room for doubt, no room for second guesses, no room for error. This is your night. This is your game. This is your moment. Seize it with everything you've got. Pull out all the stops and lay it all on the line. 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," 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."
"I hate you,” Andrew said casually. He took a last long drag from his cigarette and flicked it off the roof. “You were supposed to be a side effect of the drugs.”
“I’m not a hallucination,” Neil said, nonplussed.
“You are a pipe dream," Andrew said.
Neil going off to his death: "Thank you," he finally said. He couldn't say he meant thanks for all of it: the keys, the trust, the honesty and the kisses. Hopefully Andrew would figure it out eventually. "You were amazing."
Andrew had nearly killed four men for assaulting Nicky and would have broken Allison's neck for hitting Aaron, but when it came to crimes against his own person Andrew couldn't care less. He held his life in less regard than he did anything else. Neil hated that with a ferocity that was nauseating.
He straightened and turned to find Andrew had shifted closer. There was nowhere for Neil to stand except up against Andrew, but somehow Neil didn't mind. They'd been apart for seven weeks but Neil keenly remembered why he'd stayed. He remembered this unyielding, unquestioning weight that could hold him and all of his problems up without breaking a sweat. For the first time in months he could finally breathe again. It was such a relief it was frightening; Neil hadn't meant to lean on Andrew so much.
Kevin's development and redemption: "Let Riko be King," Kevin said, with the exaggerated enunciation of the thoroughly sloshed. "Most coveted, most protected. He'll sacrifice every piece he has to protect his throne. Whatever. Me?" Kevin gestured again, meaning to indicate himself but too drunk to get his hand higher than his waist. "I'm going to be the deadliest piece on the board." "Queen."
I don't want to be a Raven. I don't want to be Nathaniel. I want to be Neil Josten. I want to be a Fox.
He'd come to the Foxhole Court every inch a lie, but his friends made him into someone real.
Neil doesn't give a damn: I've said all year I don't swing and I meant it. Kissing you doesn't make me look at any of them differently. The only one I'm interested in is you.
*cries* Maybe I got tired of seeing Kevin bend. Or maybe it was the zombies. A few weeks back you and Renee argued contingency plans for a zombie apocalypse. She said she'd focus on survivors. You said you'd go back for some of us. Five of us. You weren't counting Abby or Coach. Since you trust Renee to handle the rest of the team, I'm guessing the last spot is for Dobson. 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.
This was everything he wanted, everything he needed, and Neil was never letting go.
The Foxhole Court was the only home he needed; he Foxes were his family.
Reread August 2019
DO YOU LOVE VIOLENCE AND ROMANCE AND CHARACTERS SO LOVABLE YOU WANT TO CRY? IF THE ANSWER IS YES (and it definitely should be) THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR - READ THIS SERIES!
Reread November 2019
Can we talk about how crazy important consent is? And can we also talk about how trash I am for this series? Okay, that's it. What else is there to say?
Reread: December 2020
I’ve read so many AFTG fanfics in the last few months that I think my brain rotted? And I now expect Andrew to speak multiple words in one chapter and Neil to be a softboi but let’s be honest the reality is even better.
If you haven’t gotten sucked into this insane world of mafias and torture and violence then what are you doing? And also, you’re probably more sane than I am. Oh well, I like it here.
Reread: November 2022
It’s absolute insanity just how much this book gets to me. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. I love love love these characters and all their messed-up, traumatized selves, and they deserve every good thing that’s coming to them.
I think I can die now. I can just fall on the floor dead and it won't matter. Now that this series is over, nothing matters anymore. I think my heart is missing; I can't find it. Neil and Andrew probably have it, and I think I'll just let them keep it. I don't need it anymore anyways.
The Foxhole Court was the introduction, The Raven King was the character development, and The King’s Men was the culmination of everything these Foxes had been working towards. So many incredible and heart-pounding things happened in this book, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. As a reader I was so engrossed in every second that I felt like I was going on this journey with each and every one of these characters. The way everything played out was perfect, right down to the way the Ravens x Foxes game ended. Every single moment felt right, felt like what you didn't expect but at the same time knew in your heart was what would inevitably would happen. This entire series has been a journey, and I'm so glad I enjoyed it so much.
Guess what. CONSENT IS IMPORTANT. TRUST IS IMPORTANT. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
I can't find it in me to give a real review right now, so instead I'll leave you with some of the quotes from this amazing book, and hope they reveal how much I loved every second. Warning - spoilers.
Wymack before the final game almost made me cry: I want you to close your eyes and think about why you're here tonight. Don't tell me 'revenge' because you've already gotten it just by being here tonight. This isn't about Riko anymore. This isn't about the Ravens. 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. All eyes are on you. It's time to show them what you're made of. There's no room for doubt, no room for second guesses, no room for error. This is your night. This is your game. This is your moment. Seize it with everything you've got. Pull out all the stops and lay it all on the line. 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," 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."
"I hate you,” Andrew said casually. He took a last long drag from his cigarette and flicked it off the roof. “You were supposed to be a side effect of the drugs.”
“I’m not a hallucination,” Neil said, nonplussed.
“You are a pipe dream," Andrew said.
Neil going off to his death: "Thank you," he finally said. He couldn't say he meant thanks for all of it: the keys, the trust, the honesty and the kisses. Hopefully Andrew would figure it out eventually. "You were amazing."
Andrew had nearly killed four men for assaulting Nicky and would have broken Allison's neck for hitting Aaron, but when it came to crimes against his own person Andrew couldn't care less. He held his life in less regard than he did anything else. Neil hated that with a ferocity that was nauseating.
He straightened and turned to find Andrew had shifted closer. There was nowhere for Neil to stand except up against Andrew, but somehow Neil didn't mind. They'd been apart for seven weeks but Neil keenly remembered why he'd stayed. He remembered this unyielding, unquestioning weight that could hold him and all of his problems up without breaking a sweat. For the first time in months he could finally breathe again. It was such a relief it was frightening; Neil hadn't meant to lean on Andrew so much.
Kevin's development and redemption: "Let Riko be King," Kevin said, with the exaggerated enunciation of the thoroughly sloshed. "Most coveted, most protected. He'll sacrifice every piece he has to protect his throne. Whatever. Me?" Kevin gestured again, meaning to indicate himself but too drunk to get his hand higher than his waist. "I'm going to be the deadliest piece on the board." "Queen."
I don't want to be a Raven. I don't want to be Nathaniel. I want to be Neil Josten. I want to be a Fox.
He'd come to the Foxhole Court every inch a lie, but his friends made him into someone real.
Neil doesn't give a damn: I've said all year I don't swing and I meant it. Kissing you doesn't make me look at any of them differently. The only one I'm interested in is you.
*cries* Maybe I got tired of seeing Kevin bend. Or maybe it was the zombies. A few weeks back you and Renee argued contingency plans for a zombie apocalypse. She said she'd focus on survivors. You said you'd go back for some of us. Five of us. You weren't counting Abby or Coach. Since you trust Renee to handle the rest of the team, I'm guessing the last spot is for Dobson. 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.
This was everything he wanted, everything he needed, and Neil was never letting go.
The Foxhole Court was the only home he needed; he Foxes were his family.
Reread August 2019
DO YOU LOVE VIOLENCE AND ROMANCE AND CHARACTERS SO LOVABLE YOU WANT TO CRY? IF THE ANSWER IS YES (and it definitely should be) THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR - READ THIS SERIES!
Reread November 2019
Can we talk about how crazy important consent is? And can we also talk about how trash I am for this series? Okay, that's it. What else is there to say?
Reread: December 2020
I’ve read so many AFTG fanfics in the last few months that I think my brain rotted? And I now expect Andrew to speak multiple words in one chapter and Neil to be a softboi but let’s be honest the reality is even better.
If you haven’t gotten sucked into this insane world of mafias and torture and violence then what are you doing? And also, you’re probably more sane than I am. Oh well, I like it here.
Reread: November 2022
It’s absolute insanity just how much this book gets to me. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. I love love love these characters and all their messed-up, traumatized selves, and they deserve every good thing that’s coming to them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Addiction and Vomit