The King's Men (All for the Game) (Volume 3)

10/10 am going to force everyone to read this series. Definitely in my top 5.
The character and plot development throughout all three books was just amazing and by the end, I loved every character. I would read a whole 500 page books about all these characters eating meals and I wouldn't be bored at all because the authors writing and the dynamic between the characters is just so interesting. I don't even know what else to say abt these books, I'm at a loss for words. Now I'm gonna go cry bc it's over

I waited with baited breath for this last book in the series and I must say, it was worth the wait. No sleep for the last two nights. Now I have to read it again to see what I missed. I will so miss these misfits and the sport of Exy. Great job, Nora!

I am absolutely in love with this series. If you're looking for something soft and easy, like a romance novel, this is not that in the slightest. The whole series deals with increasingly darkening themes, but the interludes of domestic college life add to the idea that this not a norm. These people are not a normal, healthy bunch, and this emphasis brings the whole series into the stark perspective with every twist and turn. A+, 10/10 -IGN.

I have loved every single one of the books in this series. After waiting so long for book 3 I was worried it wouldn't be as good. That is definitely NOT the case. I couldn't put my kindle away until I finished the book. It had everything and more. What a great series I'm sorry to see come to an end.

Generally not a fan of dystopian stories but this sucked me in and believe. I cared about the characters and was amazed how they developed through time and events. Really impressed with this author. Great work!

This book is a masterpiece, and the perfect ending of the series. I personally feel like all the main character arcs were amazingly executed. You follow all of these incredibly layered people, and through the book you learn to understand all of them and their actions better.

Probably my favourite series.
Only problem is that i don't know what to do with my life now. Might read it again honestly.

A freaking +. I have loved this whole series. Definitely worth the read, just be prepared for stuff (throughout the whole series) that can be upsetting. Nora's never too graphic overall, but there are some parts that are heartbreaking/disturbing/graphic before moving on.

I have never loved a series as much as I do this one. It's interesting. Every single character is well written, well evolved. There's not a single one you don't love and never will you be bored reading this.

Look, the writing is just not that good. It's gotten way better throughout each book, so that's something at least. Two stars because while the plot, style and research were lacking, the characters were not. I loved all the Foxes (and even one Raven), and they're a lovely found family of misfits.

This book and all others before it in the trilogy had me not wanting to put the books down and now that I'm done I feel sad (in a good way) I could connect to one of them and just felt like I was a part of it the whole way through. This trilogy is a great read for most any genre book reader. Everything is blended well and written with exceptional details without going to far that just brought you into the book and didn't release you until it was over.

Truly, I am stunned into silence. Sakavic has blown me completely away. This was such an amazing story, an amazing plot, amazing characters and character development. I ate this series up in a matter of days. I'll be thinking about nothing but this book for the next month.

Read all three books in this series in less than 2 days. It's an amazing series with tons of bonus material out there from the author. This band of misfits will worm your way into your heart before you even know it. This is the 3rd book and last in the series and quickly looking for more.

I really enjoyed this book, and this series. I got hooked by the plot and characters from the first book in the series, it carried on to this book , which was even better than the last. I loved that the books in this series were long and never boring.

This is such an amazing end for this series it honestly made me cry multiple times and Nora is an amazing writer and if it weren't for this series I honestly don't know what I would be doing with my life. These books (especially this one) mean so much to me and are some of the greatest books I have ever read. Five stars. Also again Nora is an angel she is amazing. Love her.

Nora pulls the rug right out from under you more than once and you n e v e r see it coming any of the times honestly. This was masterfully done, even if I needed a dustpan and broom for my feels every so often.

It was strange how empathetic and intrigued I was to follow the stories of the protagonists and characters of a world so obscure from mine. It never dragged and missed the satisfactory novice feeling immediately after it was over.

This Review is for the whole series!

I’m going to be honest; I don’t know how I really feel about this series. I think this stems mostly from the fact that I spent three books suspending my disbelief like it had cut class too many times.

This story is interesting. I truly enjoyed the fictional co-ed sport of Exy. Violent like hockey, but played similar to lacrosse? Lmao sign me UP. The problem is that this series can’t decide if it wants to be a sports anime or a mobster film, so it doesn’t deliver on either. The violent criminal aspect seems to appear for pure shock value, while the sports sequences seemed inconsequential to the fact that people are literally being murdered.

Then there’s the romance. Okay, I have to get something off my chest: there’s a difference between slow burn and NO BURN. The internet spoiled the Neil/Andrew relationship about halfway through the first book, so I spent the entire first part of the series trying to see when this slow burn was going to start. And it just… didn’t? It didn’t even seem like they cared about each other at all? When they finally did start kissing in the third book, it appeared to be a little forced and not??? Fun??? Somewhere in the second half of the third book, their relationship seemed to become more natural and believable, but I was left wondering where all those feelings had been in the previous parts of the story.

Now back to the whole suspending my disbelief thing. There were several things where I had to put the book down and be like, “Okay well I guess it works for the story.” Andrew’s perfectly timed withdrawal symptoms? Openly actual organized crime? A sports teams of only nine people? BELLS RINGING TO SIGNAL THE END OF A COLLEGE CLASS?

But whatever. I finished the series, so there was something that kept me until the very end. Still up for debate if it was worth it.

this last book in the series is one of Nora's best to be quite honest. it has so much heart and gut wrenching moments so that I could barely ever put it down. you really come to love the characters and I honestly think this book changed my life. if you have the chance to read it please do!!!!

This series is enthralling and I highly recommend it. There are triggering parts so just be aware of them before you start if you're worried about that. The character development and storyline is fantastic and I'm so glad to have made the journey with them.

Best book in the series without a doubt. I'm still buzzing. I loved everything about it. Fantastic, fantastic ending. The only sad part is that I now have to leave this world behind. Something tells me I'm going to be coming back to Neil and the foxes soon, though.

I somehow mistakenly started reading this series -- not the typical thing I'd go for, and I have NO regrets. Couldn't put it down. Compelling characters and one of my favorite romantic plots in a novel like this.

I loved this book and the whole series way too much. I'm surprised it's not famous by now! I never thought I'd find a book series that I could compare to Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and say "it's just as amazing! If not even slightly better!"

Such an amazing conclusion to the series! I could read 7 more books about these characters, at least.
As someone who enjoys writing myself, Nora Sakavic is an inspiration. An incredibly talented writer, and her characters will stay with me, without a doubt.

This book is so captivating I couldn't put it down. From the minute I started reading to the time I put it down I was obsessed. These character are not easy to love but once you do love them, you can't let them go. 5 stars amazing

holy s***
I read all three books in about two days of very late nights
holy s*** they are some of the most well written and Intensely captivating books ever
I want a fox jersey to wear with pride and ferocity

This is a great series. Highly HIGHLY recommend if you want a quick read. Of course there are some parts I didn't like but in a whole..this is my ultimate series and will be buying the physical copies!

A wonderful and fitting end to a compelling, well-written series.

Had the first book in the trilogy not been free, I probably wouldn't have picked this up. I don't like sports, the description didn't draw me in, and there were some bad reviews. I'm so lucky that I read it anyway. Like the only other reviewer so far, I've been stalking the author's blog to wait for this final book. It's been that good.

Part of me was scared that the final book would somehow let me down. That couldn't be further from the truth. Like the other two books, the characters are complex with layers that mean some actions and words aren't immediately clear to the reader. A reviewer on the first book seemed to be unable to follow the characters or this complexity; I think it's one of the best parts. The author trusted us enough to not have to follow up any complex exchange with a simple explanation. Sometimes, this means we're as in the dark as Neil (or "obtuse" according to Coach), but like Neil we catch on as more clues fall into place.

That's part of what separates these books from so much simplistic crap that's out there right now. Life isn't simple. People aren't simple. Compelling writing shouldn't be either. I devoured this book in one day despite having to work. It ended the way I needed it to without ever being trite or taking the easy way out. Even better, Neil finally gets some action, and you feel the heat of it without it getting cheesy or porny. That in and of itself is a rare skill these days. From reading the author's blog, I knew a romance was coming, but I hadn't been clued into it until then though all the signs had been there. Again, kudos to her for not beating us over the head with obviousness.

With all of the pieces of this series out, I strongly recommend it to all. It's worth the time to get to know the characters and enjoy your time with them. Because there was time between books, I reread the first two a few times before the third book came out. That turned out to be a blessing because I picked up a lot of nuances that I'd missed the first time through. So not only are you getting good writing on the cheap, you're also going to read the more than once, increasing their value even further.

Note: On Smashwords, one of the tags was for "young adults," I think. That may be who this was intended for, but I'm in my 30s and think Shakespeare is grand, so don't let that scare you into thinking this is written for a mindless audience. It's a wonderful page-turner and an occasionally tearjerker. Enjoy it.

I need to go reread this book!

My full review is under The Foxhole Court (the three books are very much one continuous story).

The short version: unrelentingly nonsensical, frustrating, and confusing. The third book is very marginally better than the other two, but only just. I wanted to like them, but cannot recommend them at all.

I finished this series a few days ago, and I don't really know what to write in a review. This series have filled me with such conflicting emotions.

The story had me intrigued, interested, curious, shocked, irritated, frustrated, sad, emotional, bored, annoyed, terrified, exhilarated, cheering, face palmed, shocked again, disappointed, confused, hopeful, glad, gleeful, sorrow, and basically just a general feeling of WTF throughout the series, both positive and negative.

I'm choosing to write a joint review of the series, and not the individual books, #1 The Foxhole Court, #2 The Raven King, and #3 The King's Men, because you really don't get the full picture until you've finished the series.

The story in very simplified, and short terms is about Neil Josten, who has been on the run from his crazy murderous mobster of a father for the last eight years. Neil decides to stop running since he's out of options, and joins a team who plays Exy (a made up game that's kinda like lacross in a way, I think). At the Palmetto University he finds a "team" of messed up individuals, all with their own issues. I say "team" in loose terms, because they really don't function as a team as all, and have been on the bottom of the rankings for ages. The series follow Neil and his team as they train and play Exy, and develops as a team, but also as individuals. At the same time having deadly enemy rivals like one opposing team, and their captain, in addition to crime syndicates.

There is so much stuff happening in these books, it really is impossible to sum it up. It just needs to be read and experienced.

I'm choosing to give this series as a whole 4 stars. I can't honestly say I enjoyed all of it, since I raged and rolled my eyes through a lot of the events. At the same time, though, a lot of it was great. See list of emotions above. I liked getting to know the characters and the story. I couldn't wait to find out what happened and how it all would end. I didn't feel exactly happy finishing, I felt mostly relief. Also, shocked, because that epilogue! Aren't epilogues supposed to leave you with a smile on your face, and not a horrified grimace?

Anyway, these books are not a romance, and shouldn't be read as such either. It's a story about making complicated pieces of a puzzle fitting together when an outside force threatens with you with violence and death. AKA a group of individuals trying to work together as a team playing a game they love. It's literally ALL FOR THE GAME in every way. There are violence and deaths (yes, plural) in the story. They are not an easy read. In the last book there is also a romance blossoming. I felt it was a very non-romantic romance.There wasn't a lot of sweetness described. But that doesn't mean it wasn't important. It was grand and very emotional, so subtle, at the same time all consuming.

The author has done a fabulous job writing this book. The writing is brilliant, and she doesn't hold your hand with the story. You need to put things together yourself, which may leave you confused and exhausted, until they are revealed or hinted at later. Hence, I think a re-read of the series will make several scenes and happenings make more sense. I think I will definitely appreciate everything more reading it again, when my shock factor isn't as huge as it was reading it the first time.

Kudos to Nora Sakavic, who not only wrote a series, but made a Foxhole universe. She introduced me to the crazy, messed up characters who lives there, whom I was mostly frustrated with, but couldn't help caring for.

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"Yes or no?"
"It's always yes with you."
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This book was amazing!! All the hype is real about this series. The thing i loved most was the character development. Andrew and Neil are amazing together. They have both grown sooo much since the first book. I love it so much. Plus this book had the romance i was hoping for <3 I loved the action as well. Neil went through some rough torture. I'm so glad they didn't make it so that Andrew defeated all the bad guys. That would have been so unrealistic. Andrew is just 19 and never could have taken on a whole crime mob. The plot was just great and covered so much. Neils past, his dad, the crime mob. It was crazy. I loved when Kevin finally stood up to Riko and the Ravens. I literally screamed FINALLY!!! lol. I loved the development with Aaron, learning all the things regarding Andrews past and how the whole team came together. I honestly could read another book just about the characters. I definitely wish there was more. I'm so glad i found this series!

Mild spoilers below!

Final books are often a letdown, but this was fantastic.

Neil and Andrew both had great arcs, developing as people while retaining the personalities that made them so relatable in the first place.

ANDREIL!!!! I loved that this wasn’t a perfect relationship, as so many authors seem to write. Andrew and Neil’s relationship did not cure either of them, and it wasn’t pretty, but it was still endearing and just... agh. I love them.

I also thought that Riko’s death was fantastically well written. I actually ended up rooting for him, because throughout the book he was exposed as being just a frightened kid that wanted to please his family. Riko’s downfall was so much more than a death- he was stripped of the very thing he had craved his entire life and his end was engineered to be the worst punishment possible for him. It would have been so easy for Nora to just vilify Riko, and kill him violently, but this was so much more nuanced and emotional to read.

I would’ve loved an epilogue, but it’s probably for the best that we can only imagine where the Foxes are now (other than Nora’s tweets). Most likely they are just as dysfunctional and violent as they were at the start, haha.

Good conclusion to the series. The characters all have their own personalities and that's saying something about how short the books are and how many characters there are. Somehow it all ends pretty well. Again, I didn't give it a fifth star because of the unnecessary knife violence. What is it with these people and knives? The big violent scene went on so long I actually skipped a few pages and it was still going on. This is one of those rare occassions , that, after reading these 3 books, I still thought about these characters a couple of weeks later. The author has a personal page on the internet where she explains she didn't have enough for a fourth book, but told what she thought the future held for some of the characters. It's worth looking up if you've read these books already.

I'm sad to see it end but I'm glad for the great ride! I would have liked a more time spanned epilogue, but beggars can't be chooser. Andrew and Neil, cause he will always be Neil to me, Nathaniel was a shadow over his shoulder: their relationship was a bit askew but it worked for them, I was glad to finally see the real Andrew without the medication. He was less psychotic, and more in tune with what was going on. I briefly felt bad for Riko, but I quickly dismissed that feeling, he deserved what he got. You can't be that evil and treat people that way and not be expect to get what you deserve by someone 10 times worse than you!! I think this is really the real end, but maybe 1 more book after they're all finish with college just to see what happened, and to which teams they went, that would be AWESOME!!

I consider the three books as one story and I strongly recommend reading them in order as one book. The All for the Game trilogy does not fit neatly into a simple genre. It is as much a page turner as it is about extremely interesting, troubled characters and their evolution. While Sakovic clearly created a phenomenal character in Neil (the protagonist), the other characters (particularly Kevin and Andrew) are extraordinary as well. I re-read Foxhole Court and Raven King immediately before reading The King's Men, and they were just as good the second reading. There were portions of The King's Men that I thought didn't live up to the predecessors, but that is only because the bar was so high. As a trilogy, I could not put the story down and did not want it to end.

I agree with the previous reviewers. The book was perfect, all be it too short. But if I had my way we would see Neil, Andrew and the Foxes til they were at least middle aged!
I tried hard to read it slowly. So instead of taking me a day it took two. But I am going to reread it this weekend (since I can consume the thing without interruption) and read slower and savor every high and every low.
I think anyone could read this series and be intrigued by these wandering souls who came together triumphantly.

This book was great! Action packed, and kept me on edge and i couldnt put the book down. A beautiful book to end a trilogy.

I'm super glad you share this book with us. It was absolutely amazing and couldn't ask for a better ending. I hope to read more of your stories in the near future perhaps even more Fox hole Court stories? Neil and Andrew! My dream come true! XD I am so glad to stick around and see this awesome story come to an end. Super thankful that you didn't give up either! Please don't stop writing, I think you have a great gift in your story telling. Love your style!! Best wishes!

Quite honestly, when I read the first book, I was absolutely shocked at how sucked in I was to it. Amazing! I immediately set out to find the second book, and guess what? It was even better! I thought that the book was probably the best, but noooooo. The third one literally stole my heart. I loved the unpredictable Andrew, pessimistic Kevin, gay-and-proud-of-it Nicky, and 'runaway' Neil. Read the first and second book if you have to. You *have* to give this series a try!!!

I haven't been this excited for a book in a long while and now that the wait is finally over, I stayed up all night to finish it in one sitting.

Neil Josten has to suffer through a lot in this last installment. I even feared for my happy ending a few times. And why wouldn't he? He has no place for self preservation when he is convinced that his days are numbered anyway. He decides to martyr himself for his teammates, the people he chose as his new family, instead.

Even though Neil has to contend with crime bosses, the FBI and much more of his gruesome past than I could stomach, the book never strays too far from the Foxhole court and Exy and the games are as thrilling as ever.

Thankfully everything gets resolved eventually, but no one comes out without a bruise or two at the other end.

Surprisingly, the book shines in the most unexpected corner, and that is the slowly developing relationship between Neil and Andrew. After the subtlety and the implied attraction of the previous books, and after everything these characters have been through, every touch between them is immensely satisfying.

Andrew gets a bit sidelined during the action scenes in the middle part, and after wondering what he could possibly have up his sleeve after promising Neil that he could protect him, the answer is, 'not much'. Not for lack of trying though and he makes up for that with so much unexpected (and I guess unwitting) emotional support, that I am still squealing hours after finishing the story.

My only critique would be that the book is too short, not just because I am greedy and insatiable when it comes to Ms. Sakavic's writing, but I was missing more insight into the parts of the story happening 'off screen' sometimes. But these are details at best.

All in all an incredibly satisfying read and an unreserved recommendation from me. I feel a bit lost and disoriented now that the Fox's story has come to a conclusion, but I am glad that I picked these books up in the first place.

Don't forget to check out the numerous side stories on the author's blog!

I have been waiting for this book for over a year now and I have to say that it was well worth the wait. This book blew me away and created a very satisfying ending. Through all the struggles and tragedies, the entire team became stronger more amazing than I thought possible. To think that this author was going to stop writing before completing this series is ridiculous. She spun the story in such a way that I was constantly guessing what was going to happen next. Also, she made the audience feel as if they were in the mind set of the main character (Neil) which was an amazing feat since he is such a complex yet mystifying character. Overall, my only complaint is that this series is done. I wish I could hear more about the characters and how all their futures turn out. Simply one of the best series I have read to date.

THESE BOOKS. It blows my mind that the price of these books is as low as it is - I've paid a lot more for books that were far less enjoyable and the author deserves better compensation, but I digress. The characters are brilliantly flawed, captivating in the extent of their damage, and the writing, especially the dialogue, is gorgeous. For a series that was written and released independently, it's beyond wonderful. I intend to read everything Nora releases and hope she doesn't plan to stop writing anytime soon - and if she does, I could probably read these books a few more times. They bear repeating.

I've been waiting for this book with the baited breath and the excitation that crush you if you're disappointed. I wasn't. I soooo wasn't. The King's Men is the perfect conclusion to this fantastic trilogy. Nora Sakavic writes with an intensity that takes you by the throat and doesn't let you go before you're on your knees. It's perfectly balanced, too: when you think you' won't be able to take it anymore, you get air again. In such a dark set up, the author manages to give you humor, and fluff, and the perfect ending.

Thank you so much, Ms Sakavic, for sharing the Foxes with us.

I stayed up far later than I should have finishing this series, but it was well-worth every lost minute of sleep. I definitely recommend reading & sticking with it to the end. You won't be disappointed.

I own this series in eBook and paperback, and it’s exactly the brand of drama I love: over the top and probably unrealistic, but you don’t even notice that until after you’ve read it the third time in a row.

A 5-star rating for Nora Sakavic's The King's Men

I am not the target audience for this book as I am not a sports enthusiast nor do I like violent stories. However, this story does well in both of these areas.

I recommend this series to readers who enjoy books with a lot of angst, suspense, sports and a gripping storyline. Though there are romantic subplots, the lives of the main characters are fraught with violence. Some of the scenes may be difficult to read due to their explicit descriptions of mob violence. Sexual content is kept to a PG-13 level.

I highly recommend starting with the Foxhole Court as it is the first book of the series. The next two books build upon this time line.

I've been waiting for this book with the baited breath and the excitation that crush you if you're disappointed. I wasn't. I soooo wasn't. The King's Men is the perfect conclusion to this fantastic trilogy. Nora Sakavic writes with an intensity that takes you by the throat and doesn't let you go before you're on your knees. It's perfectly balanced, too: when you think you' won't be able to take it anymore, you get air again. In such a dark set up, the author manages to give you humor, and fluff, and the perfect ending.

Thank you so much, Ms Sakavic, for sharing the Foxes with us.

I stayed up far later than I should have finishing this series, but it was well-worth every lost minute of sleep. I definitely recommend reading & sticking with it to the end. You won't be disappointed.

I own this series in eBook and paperback, and it’s exactly the brand of drama I love: over the top and probably unrealistic, but you don’t even notice that until after you’ve read it the third time in a row.