The Raven King Paperback – March 31, 2016

I knew going into this series that I’d probably like it. I did not expect to be on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time and not able to put it down. I’ve grown so attached to this plot and to these characters. The ending of this one making me scream in anger.I’m going to be very sad when it is over.

So good- not at all what i thought was going to happen throughout the book but loved it

came slightly damaged but overall good!

The Raven King is book two of the 'All for the Game' series, which means you can't start here, go back to 'The Foxhole Court' if you haven't read that one.The second book is even better than the first one, and in this one, the relationships between the characters evolve even more. Not only between our trio and the monsters, but between the whole team.Neil is oblivious to everything around him, but he is the glue that keeps that whole team together. He found his place in that family, and he doesn't even have a clue. The same can be said about him and Andrew, but I don't really want to get too deep into this topic cuz it's nicer to discover it by yourself.The depths of this story are scary sometimes, and the stories and scars each and every one of these characters have are... not pretty.The found family in this series is absolutely spectacular, and they just started to find each other, so to speak. Each and every one of them has its place, and it's not random at all.This one is heavier than the first one, more secrets, more pain, and just more of everything bad... but so, so worth it.I am absolutely in love with the world, the story, the game, the characters. I'm in love with everything that has to do with this book/series.Onto the next one, cuz I have 0 patience to wait, but at the same time, I am absolutely NOT ready to finish it. Wish me luck.

So GOOD

This book is so good I don't want to stop the read. Can it continue? And continue, and continue, until the bitter end? Or a happy one, preferably?The main character is a HERO, I have rarely seen strength such as this, and, oh, poor Andrew, but none of them have easy pasts, do they? At least I hope against the backsplash of the darkness, the foxes' orange shines and BURNS bright.On to the next...

This book sucked me in even more than the first book, The Foxhole Court. I reread The Raven King in physical form (after whizzing through the copy on my kindle) and tagged the hell out of it marking my favorite quotes and scenes. In The Raven King we get a more in depth look at the backstories of each of the Foxes. Learning about these characters leaves you thirsty for more. There are some very, very heavy themes in this book (see below for trigger warns, no spoilers though!).The Raven King starts off by delving into the backstory of the Cousins and specifically the story of the Minyard twins. Sakavic moves into Nicky’s family history and the story has you glued to the pages trying to piece everything together. You get much better insight into the characters as their histories are revealed. Neil also finds out the truth about his family and it is a shocker.I really appreciated the backstory into the relationship between Kevin and Andrew. I loved finding out about the history of the other Foxes along the way.Again, as with The Foxhole Court , I loved Sakavic’s dialogue, such as this scene with Neil and Andrew:“I’m remembering why I don’t like you.”“I’m surprised you forgot in the first place.”“Maybe I didn’t.” Neil pushed the phone Andrew’s way. “There has to be a better way.”“You could occasionally grow a spine,” Andrew suggested. “I know it’s a difficult concept for someone who’s need your reaction is to run away at the first sign of trouble, but try it sometime. You might actually like it.”“What I’d like is to put this phone through your teeth.”“See, that’s more entertaining.“I’m not here for your entertainment,” Neil said.“But, as expected, you are talented enough to multitask.”It bears repeating that I love her writing style and her descriptions:“Guilt with a relatively new emotion for Neil, something the Foxes were teaching him through prolonged exposure to them. Up until this point he’d felt it in uncomfortable, fleeting bursts. Now it was a fierce, all-consuming heat that made him want to cut his own stomach out. He didn’t know if he was going to puke or scream. Neither one was acceptable, so he clenched his teeth as hard as he could. Meeting Andrew’s eyes was almost impossible. Looking away would be unforgivable.”AHHHHHHHH! My heart. So many feels.Despite some very heavy content this book had me enthralled. I could not put it down, nor could I wait to start the final book, The King’s Men. The book takes you on a roller coaster of emotions, but I fully trust Sakavic to shepherd the way. Ultimately, this story is about about facing your past, learning to trust others, and building friendships.That being said though, this book should come with a boatload of trigger warnings: child abuse (mentioned), rape, murder, self harm (mentioned), and torture. So please beware, you can always pass over these sections, but they are heart-wrenching.