The Flutterby Room

THE KING’S MEN by Nora Sakavic is the concluding part of her All For The Game trilogy. When Neil Josten signed with the PSU Foxes he knew he would only have limited time, but now that time has run out and Neil must face the consequences of choosing to stay. The monsters in his life are growing closer, and now after years of running Neil might just have a reason to live. His growing bond with the Foxes means for the first time he has a family. But one of them might mean a whole lot more to him, and kissing them would be dangerous.

Wow. This book was a fantastic conclusion to the All For The Game trilogy. There was a lot going on in this book – it is a lot thicker than the others – but Sakavic did a fantastic job telling a cohesive story that just hooked me in and made the book unputdownable. I really enjoyed the fact that whilst Sakavic kept the book’s main focus where it has been for the previous books in the trilogy, in this one she started weaving a romantic (well, as romantic as certain characters get anyway) thread into the plot.

I also really enjoyed the way Neil’s secrets were revealed, and how Sakavic handled the aftermath of that; as well as how the consequences of Neil’s past catching up with him. There are a lot of subplots in this novel, and I think Sakavic handles them brilliantly. At no time did I get lost in the narrative, and none of the subplots felt superfluous. My only wish for this book was that there was more of it. As I said, I think Sakavic finishes her story in a good place – the book feels complete to me – but I would love to see more of the world and the characters.

As the thickest book in the trilogy, THE KING’S MEN has lots of plot and subplots to keep you entertained. If you have enjoyed the previous book in this trilogy, then you will love this one. There is a lot of tension, as time counts down towards its inevitable conclusion and the question is answered about whether the PSU Foxes will make it to the Championships. There are several revelations along the way, which I think are well handled, as Sakavic neatly ties up the main plot threads. The ending of the book feels pretty conclusive on the whole.

Reuniting with The Foxes for a final time was a fantastic ride. I have really enjoyed watching Neil and his teammates change and grow as the trilogy progressed. Neil has come a long way from the wary young man we first meet in THE FOXHOLE COURT, and his team has too. In this book we see him finally stop running and accept who he is, which I really enjoyed watching. THE KING’S MEN is a fitting ending to a fantastic series.

Originally posted on The Flutterby Room.