Name: The Raven King
ISBN: 9781517197704

Nora Sakavic

The Foxes are a fractured mess, but their latest disaster might be the miracle they've always needed to come together as a team. The one person standing in their way is Andrew, and the only one who can break through his personal barriers is Neil. Except Andrew doesn't give up anything for free and Neil is terrible at trusting anyone but himself. The two don't have much time to come to terms with their situation before outside forces start tearing them apart. Riko is intent on destroying Neil's fragile new life, and the Foxes have just become collateral damage. Neil's days are numbered, but he's learning the hard way to go down fighting for what he believes in, and Neil believes in Andrew even if Andrew won't believe in himself.

All for the Game, Book 2

The Raven King

I want to hug Neil real tight and protect the poor boy at all costs. 

Stephanie 

As he listened to them, Neil realized he was happy. 

It was such an unexpected and unfamiliar feeling he lost track of the conversation for a minute. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this included or safe. It was nice but dangerous. Someone with a past like his, whose very survival depended on secrecy and lies, couldn't afford to let his guard down. But as Nicky laughed and leaned closer to talk about one of Neil's goals, Neil thought maybe he'd be okay just for a night.

Sophie

luca

"Do girls need kid-glove treatment? I thought they were tougher than that." 

Dan's grin was approving. "Most of us are. Some of us are like boys, though, and have delicate egos."

Leonie

Neil was already in his coffin. He might as well nail it shut. "Yeah, I understand you're a complete asshole."

"Here's a real question: how have you survived this long when you're so violently self-destructive?"

Life doesn't care what we want out of it; it's up to us to fight for what we want with everything we've got.

"One day I want you to look up 'insensitivity' in the dictionary," Matt said, annoyed. "I'm sure it'll do your ego wonders to see your picture printed there beside it."

"We're your teammates. We're here to help you with whatever you need, whether it's this or games or general stress. We've all got different experiences, but we're used to needing help. We're just not used to getting it. But you've got us now."

I swear these characters bring me so much joy. 

"I don't see this experiment ending well, Neil." 

"Some people are just hardwired to be stupid" Wymack said.

"You could occasionally grow a spine," Andrew suggested. "I know it's a difficult concept for someone whose kneejerk reaction is to run away at the first sign of trouble, but try it sometime. You might actually like it."

"Because I knew it'd never happen," Neil said, "but I wanted it anyway."

"I am not the girl I once was, but the shade of my old life will always exist inside of me."

People invalidating your feelings or experiences? Delightful. 

"These kinds of secrets are not given out lightly. You know that. We calculate collateral damage and escape routes. We plan and brace for the reaction and fallout. But [he] did not tell. He chose to not believe me at all. And that's a thousand times worse, you see."

"So what is it? Are you afraid of your own happiness or do you honestly like being miserable all the time?"

Always a commodity, never a human being […] Kevin and I talk about your intricate and endless daddy issues all the time. 

Hi <3 he/him

“You know, I get it. Being raised as a superstar must be really, really difficult for you. Always a commodity, never a human being, not a single person in your family thinking you’re worth a damn off the court — yeah, sounds rough. Kevin and I talk about your intricate and endless daddy issues all the time.”

In terms of villain lines this ranks up in the top 3 for me. 

"Later you will come to me on your knees, begging for my forgiveness. I cannot wait to deny you."

How can a book continuously call me out without even trying 

I am a bad person trying very hard to be a good person, but I would not be trying at all if not for the outside interventions in my life.

For dying being the most natural thing there is, people sure are hesitant to speak about it. Or acknowledge thinking about it. Or listen to others people's thoughts about it. 

Or just not fucking recoil when someone tells you they've thought about it. That could save some lives, y'know. 

He didn't want to tell her he'd spent Friday night thinking about dying. He hadn't wanted to think about a future he didn't have, so he stood at the railing and thought about his teammates instead.

I am not the girl I once was, but the shade of my old life will always exist inside of me.

"You have my attention; now keep my interest."

Master piece! Pure master piece! I love found family and this trilogy is full of it! Its amazing! (Except for the trauma stuff, so for peps who wanna read it please check out the TW before reading aftg :] stay safe, love you all <3 )

Nate Mason

Cici Pearson

this book should be illegal omg are YOU KIDDING ME ??? 

ang 

They’re my family, you wouldn’t understand.

kelsey

he was their family. they were his. they were worth every cut and bruise and scream.

i love the foxes so much 🥺🥺

neil…. my angel, my son…. tell me what he did to u….

sarah ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

who let me read this at like 12/13 jesus christ !! still incredible tho the nostalgia really pulls it together 

Clara Gauthier

Kat 

I CANT DO THIS ANYMORE

this book made me shit tears

I’m having a hard time rating this as something like standalone book, as it simply feels like part 2 of all for the game and probably wouldn’t stand on its own without having “The Foxhole Court” as predecessor – and that is perfectly fine.

Everything I stated in the review for #1 still applies here: The banter – immaculate, the characters have depth, edges and scars and issue and I love them for it, the plot picks up here, yet still it feels a bit compressed in terms of setting, which works for the book just fine. The confines of the team, their usual stages and spots permanently confront the reader with this misfit group of outcasts – and slowly allows peaks behind the performances and smoke and mirror facades all of them sport. The reader gets to know more of the team now, is taken on the journey to some of their pasts and some demons that followed into the present.

Please check the TW before you read this, it is significantly darker than “The Foxhole Court” and the violence picks up a notch (physical and psychological).

I’m completely immersed in this world orbiting a fictional sport, I still very much want to play (actually sounds like the sport for 

 for me, to be honest), and we do get a bit more intel on the rules and regulations in this one (check the end of the book if you need more info).

Maybe I’ll be able to properly review this when I’m done with the series but for now this is all I can say: Feels like chapter 2 of the story, so will be rated as such.

I’m having a hard time rating this as something like standalone book, as it simply feels like part 2 of all for the game and probably wouldn’t stand on its own without having “The Foxhole Court” as predecessor – and that is perfectly fine.

Everything I stated in the review for #1 still applies here: The banter – immaculate, the characters have depth, edges and scars and issue and I love them for it, the plot picks up here, yet still it feels a bit compressed in terms of setting, which works for the book just fine. The confines of the team, their usual stages and spots permanently confront the reader with this misfit group of outcasts – and slowly allows peaks behind the performances and smoke and mirror facades all of them sport. The reader gets to know more of the team now, is taken on the journey to some of their pasts and some demons that followed into the present.

Please check the TW before you read this, it is significantly darker than “The Foxhole Court” and the violence picks up a notch (physical and psychological).

I’m completely immersed in this world orbiting a fictional sport, I still very much want to play (actually sounds like the sport for made for me, to be honest), and we do get a bit more intel on the rules and regulations in this one (check the end of the book if you need more info).

Maybe I’ll be able to properly review this when I’m done with the series but for now this is all I can say: Feels like chapter 2 of the story, so will be rated as such.

Aishling

Third read: [30 May - 31st May 2021]
THAT WAS JUST SO GOOD!! All the delicious angst (not including that incident cause that is not delicious at all) just gets me every time I love it so much plus the character development, it honestly has everything I ever want in a book. 

Second read [29 Aug - 30 Aug 2020]:
Hit me first as hard as the first time 

First read [23 Aug - 24 Aug 2020]:
I don’t even have the words right now but that was so good. I wasn’t warned how dark these books get but damn it really was and I loved it

mercy

i have dropped dead all over the floor. i am dead

Jamieson

reread feb 2021: HELLOO time passes but my love for this series does not FADE. I love them so much. I really loved rereading this, I picked up on so many things I missed the first time around. 

I need more book series like the foxhole court but specifically for found family vibes that go THAT HARD, character growth, actual slow-burn romance that develops over three books, characters doing their best in the face of incredible odds and most importantly, wack descriptions of sporting games and a nonsensical plot

brianna

"he was their family. they were his. they were worth every cut and bruise and scream."


the raven king was such a drastic difference from the foxhole court, i couldn't believe what i was reading. every criticism that i had about book one was instantly rectified in book 2. getting to see the foxes backstories was one of the best parts of reading this. ive grown so attached to these characters already and it hurts me to see any of them in pain because they've all been through so much already.

the main thing i wanted from book 1 was more of andrew's backstory but this is NOT how i expected this shit to go down. i swear traumatic shit was just happening back to back and the ending had me sitting there in absolute disbelief. i have no clue how this series is going to wrap up, i just know im not mentally or emotionally prepared for anything that is about to go down.

side note: everytime neil and andrew interact i swear my brain freezes because their dynamic is just SO fucking good and engaging i can't get enough of this shit.

Rachel Evans

(4/5) 3 hours 36 minutes - While I'd started to love these characters in the first book, this really became prominent in this one. Neil's character development is very clear to see, and while the plot and the character backstories are still confusing, they seemed easier to follow than previously.

i forgot how traumatic this book was, but brooooo the found family is killing meeee. like they all care so much about neil and each other and i love seeing them warm up to each other. also neil is litteraly so oblivious like what do you mean you can get him to hang with the upperclassmen and you can DRIVE ANDREWS CAR and you dont think: hmm this might mean something.. "oh i just asked" yeah no we are not fooled.

(we cant forget that last chapter though: "no, i'm not" when wymack asked him if he was alright so that actually cancels it out guys)

also shout out to neil when his racquet was used to k*ll drake and it got taken by the police and neil was just like: i just want my racquet back :(  

and also special thanks to: "neil didnt have words, so he answered with his fist." like yes king we all know riko needed that humbling.

matti horckmans

first read: 4 stars (oktober 2022)

//

second read: 4 stars (april 2025)

i forgot how traumatic this book was, but brooooo the found family is killing meeee. like they all care so much about neil and each other and i love seeing them warm up to each other. also neil is litteraly so oblivious like what do you mean you can get him to hang with the upperclassmen and you can DRIVE ANDREWS CAR and you dont think: hmm this might mean something.. "oh i just asked" yeah no we are not fooled.

"i'm fine" count: 9 

(we cant forget that last chapter though: "no, i'm not" when wymack asked him if he was alright so that actually cancels it out guys)

also shout out to neil when his racquet was used to k*ll drake and it got taken by the police and neil was just like: i just want my racquet back :(  

and also special thanks to: "neil didnt have words, so he answered with his fist." like yes king we all know riko needed that humbling.

he’s been through hell and back twice give him a break 

reread — 3/18/19: i’m sweating

How can one book give me so much joy and heartbreak and keep me thrilled at the same time? This is truly one of the most exciting and captivating stories I read this year and I think I‘m too attached for my own good.

The plot is still a great mixture of sport content (which I really enjoyed, still surprised about that somehow) and supporting backstory. The latter broke my heart. Please check the trigger warnings before reading, if you know you might be sensitive regarding some topics. That‘s all I‘m going to say about that and recommend going in knowing as little as possible.

As I said in the review for 'the foxhole court', the characters are 

 and their connection to each other is truly .. unique. I loved getting to know each of them a little more and watch how they develop on their own and as a team. That being said, I think there are two types of people in the world - the ones who perceive banter as insults and the ones who perceive it as love language (not necessarily in a romantic way). Even if the line is small, there is a difference; at least there is for me. And the banter in this book brought me SO MUCH joy. It got me chuckling, cheering, eye rolling. May I use some of the lines in the future myself? Probably. It was fantastic.

The only reason why I refrained to give 5 stars is the writing itself, even if it improved from TFC in my opinion - Scenes are still a bit messy sometimes.

This series got me in a chokehold.

How can one book give me so much joy and heartbreak and keep me thrilled at the same time? This is truly one of the most exciting and captivating stories I read this year and I think I‘m too attached for my own good.

The plot is still a great mixture of sport content (which I really enjoyed, still surprised about that somehow) and supporting backstory. The latter broke my heart. Please check the trigger warnings before reading, if you know you might be sensitive regarding some topics. That‘s all I‘m going to say about that and recommend going in knowing as little as possible.

As I said in the review for 'the foxhole court', the characters are everything and their connection to each other is truly .. unique. I loved getting to know each of them a little more and watch how they develop on their own and as a team. That being said, I think there are two types of people in the world - the ones who perceive banter as insults and the ones who perceive it as love language (not necessarily in a romantic way). Even if the line is small, there is a difference; at least there is for me. And the banter in this book brought me SO MUCH joy. It got me chuckling, cheering, eye rolling. May I use some of the lines in the future myself? Probably. It was fantastic.

The only reason why I refrained to give 5 stars is the writing itself, even if it improved from TFC in my opinion - Scenes are still a bit messy sometimes.

emily

RE-READ — you know, i get it. being raised as a superstar must be really, really difficult for you. always a commodity, never a human being, not a single person in your family thinking you’re worth a damn off the court— yeah, sounds rough. kevin and i talk about your intricate and endless daddy issues all the time. i know it’s not entirely your fault that you are mentally unbalanced and infected with these delusions of grandeur, and i know you’re physically incapable of holding a decent conversation with anyone like every other normal human being can, but i don’t think any of us should have to put up with this much of your bullshit. pity only gets you so many concessions, and you used yours up about six insults ago. so please, please, just shut the fuck up and leave us alone.

that’s it. that’s the review / 4.5 stars

Julia Morrison

ok after the first book, i was a little weary of this series. BUT this book was perfection. like some seriously dark shit goes down, but the good moments are so fucking good. im so excited to read the kings men

4 solid stars. ohhh shit. she really hit her stride in this one. straight on to the third book for me.

madina

I’m still reeling because of how it ended. I thought I had enough training to stomach violence but the way Neil went though years of physical abuse and the way he had finally managed to break free of it only to be subjected to 3 weeks of continuous torture,,, it broke me man. And to think he didn’t run away because he was doing it for Andrew. From the beginning till the end it was the most heartbreaking story. I haven’t felt so distraught in a while. Like all the characters deserve so much better. But Neil and Andrew ?? Yeah they better get the happy ending they deserve in the final book or I’ll never recover.

Autumn 

WOAH! That was...that was not what I expected... This book was heavy! way heavier than the first one and way better!
I had one minor problem which was the "previously on..." part. There were way too many parts that were the summary of book one and at one point there is actually a summary of something we read earlier in the book and that was just too much!
Other than that, this is violent! There should be a serious warning for graphic depictions of violence for this one!
I spoiled myself about the rape scene but I wasn't expecting it to actually happen.I thought they just mention it or something and that was super shocking.
So was chapter 15!!!! I'm just speechless!
P.S.: I can't believe how emotionally invested in these characters I am. I love them all!

The Raven King All for the Game, Book 2