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A review by pastelwriter
The Raven King by Nora Sakavic
5.0
brief 2024 thoughts:
The love that exists in my heart for Neil Josten and Andrew Minyard is limitless. It cannot be contained. It cannot even fully be expressed in words. The pain I feel when reading about all the shit they experience is very real. I feel it in my heart, in my gut, everywhere. Every time I pick up this series for a reread I’m swept away by it by the force of my love. Always. Every time. I fiercely hold on because there’s hope for them. Their lives will not end in agony. They may know agony, but it will not be their tormentor forever. For that, this series will continue to be my true beloved.
Review written in 2018:
The Raven King, as a reading experience, is more satisfying than its predecessor. There is more to it, both plot-wise and character-wise, than book one. Overall, it's a big improvement. As I warned in my review for the first installment of this series, I am extremely biased in favor of these books. This time around, I didn't even try to be objective as I read this sequel. It was pointless to try. What this review will contain is mostly my reactions to the novel in as objective a manner as I can express them. I warn you now that I'll start by talking about Neil Josten, the protagonist of this series, and my comments on him will be just a straight up mess. Please join me on this journey as I attempt to be coherent.
Let's start with what will be the longest portion of this review a.k.a the part where I talk about the characters. More specifically, where I talk about Neil Josten and Andrew Minyard.
In this second book in the All for the Game trilogy even more reasons for why I relate to Neil surface. Let's start with the fact that Neil absolutely refuses to have a productive conversation with a psychologist/psychiatrist. Neil and me both have gone through shit (albeit different shit) that we should very much talk about but we absolutely refuse to do so. I have to laugh so I don't cry because we (Neil and I) both know it would helps us to talk about things, but we're endlessly combative about it. We're really our own worst enemy. This is not the only thing relatable about him, though. There's also the fact that in one of the scenes Neil literally runs away from his problems and emotions. It physically hurts me how much I connected with him doing that. We add in how his compulsion to say "I'm fine" is even stronger in this book, and I'm a goner. It's fine though. I'm fine. I'm totally fine. I'm not crying. I'm fine.
See what I did there? The amounts of times I myself said "I'm fine" while reading this book just goes to prove Neil Josten is as familiar to me as my own reflection.
It's not just what is relatable about Neil which makes me want to cry though. My heart breaks whenever someone does some nice for Neil and he's shocked. His responses to kindness are just. . . *clutches chest* Someone please hold me. Then there's the fact that he willingly puts himself in harms way to protect his friends from being hurt, and I'm just a mess sobbing on the floor. Characters who are willing to literally be tortured to protect their friends are one of my BIGGEST weaknesses. Neil and how soft and strong and broken he is just hits me right in the feels and kills me.
Moving on. . .
*SPOILER WARNING*
I think we need to talk about one of the more emotionally impacting scenes of this book which quite literally shapes what happens in the rest of the novel. If we don't talk about Andrew's rape scene, then we're not talking about this book. Although this is scene is not overtly graphic, not in the literal sense of the word, it still leaves an impression by the jagged images it gives you of what happened. Reading it for a second time made me want to throw up as much as the first time I read it. It's a really traumatizing scene because of Andrew's reaction to the events. This is what really gives this moment an extra sickening twist which leaves you feeling like gagging. Honestly, the whole thing is terrible to read.
*END OF SPOILERS*
This leads me to talk more in depth about Andrew Minyard. Although he's basically absent for the second half of this novel, we get to know Andrew much better in this sequel. Part of the mystery which is Andrew Minyard is revealed to us. We understand a bit better why he's so dejected/emotionless while off his medicine and why his mania inducing medication is both his bane and his crutch. In this second installment the reader is able to more seriously bond with Andrew's character and love him (or start to love him) for reasons beyond just finding his asshole behavior/comments hilarious. He becomes a much more real character in this book and that which happens to him or which he does has a stronger impact on the reader.
Truly, Andrew Miyard is just as heartbreaking is Neil Josten but in a very different way. This makes sense as Neil and Andrew are very different characters which are both fascinating because of the ways their personal motivations make them behave. If you read the entirety of this trilogy, I will not doubt that by the end of it, even if you don't love these two characters, you will find them interesting and see how complex they are. There are many "negative" things which can be said about this book series and its writing, but the complexity of the characters (especially the main characters) is not one of the things which can easily be attacked. This trilogy doesn't have cookie cutter protagonists and certainly doesn't have flat characters. If you don't see that while reading it, I'd genuinely be shocked.
Anyway. I feel like making two, more lighthearted, comments before wrapping up this review.
One of the comments is that it's infinitely hilarious to me how Neil's teammates/friends struggle so hard to comprehend Neil's sexuality throughout this book. Neil isn't doing them any favors by not even trying to help them understand, and I love it. They're always trying to get him to "pick a team" and his refusal to pick drives them up the wall. It becomes even more hilarious when the team starts to suspect something more is going on between Neil and Andrew and Neil is always oblivious when they try to address it. All in all, 10/10. I enjoy watching them all struggle to understand Neil's oblivious demisexual self.
The second comment is that half the time when this book describes Exy games I have no idea what's going on, but I'm still on the edge of my seat. I'm there tense and with eyes glued to the screen trying to follow the progress of the games. Sometimes I even wish these scenes were longer which is ABSURD considering the scenes are already considerably long. . . I don't know what to say to explain myself.
At the end of the day, this is a very emotionally draining novel. A lot of dark things go down in it, and it can definitely mess you up. I'll include here, verbatim, what I wrote in my notes when I finished reading the book: "I feel hollowed out. I want to cry. I feel dead inside. I want to scream. Someone please hold my hand and tell me I'm gonna be alright." Basically, heed that as a warning. If you found book one to be dark and messed up, this sequel is 10x more intense. You've been warned.
The love that exists in my heart for Neil Josten and Andrew Minyard is limitless. It cannot be contained. It cannot even fully be expressed in words. The pain I feel when reading about all the shit they experience is very real. I feel it in my heart, in my gut, everywhere. Every time I pick up this series for a reread I’m swept away by it by the force of my love. Always. Every time. I fiercely hold on because there’s hope for them. Their lives will not end in agony. They may know agony, but it will not be their tormentor forever. For that, this series will continue to be my true beloved.
Review written in 2018:
The Raven King, as a reading experience, is more satisfying than its predecessor. There is more to it, both plot-wise and character-wise, than book one. Overall, it's a big improvement. As I warned in my review for the first installment of this series, I am extremely biased in favor of these books. This time around, I didn't even try to be objective as I read this sequel. It was pointless to try. What this review will contain is mostly my reactions to the novel in as objective a manner as I can express them. I warn you now that I'll start by talking about Neil Josten, the protagonist of this series, and my comments on him will be just a straight up mess. Please join me on this journey as I attempt to be coherent.
Let's start with what will be the longest portion of this review a.k.a the part where I talk about the characters. More specifically, where I talk about Neil Josten and Andrew Minyard.
In this second book in the All for the Game trilogy even more reasons for why I relate to Neil surface. Let's start with the fact that Neil absolutely refuses to have a productive conversation with a psychologist/psychiatrist. Neil and me both have gone through shit (albeit different shit) that we should very much talk about but we absolutely refuse to do so. I have to laugh so I don't cry because we (Neil and I) both know it would helps us to talk about things, but we're endlessly combative about it. We're really our own worst enemy. This is not the only thing relatable about him, though. There's also the fact that in one of the scenes Neil literally runs away from his problems and emotions. It physically hurts me how much I connected with him doing that. We add in how his compulsion to say "I'm fine" is even stronger in this book, and I'm a goner. It's fine though. I'm fine. I'm totally fine. I'm not crying. I'm fine.
See what I did there? The amounts of times I myself said "I'm fine" while reading this book just goes to prove Neil Josten is as familiar to me as my own reflection.
It's not just what is relatable about Neil which makes me want to cry though. My heart breaks whenever someone does some nice for Neil and he's shocked. His responses to kindness are just. . . *clutches chest* Someone please hold me. Then there's the fact that he willingly puts himself in harms way to protect his friends from being hurt, and I'm just a mess sobbing on the floor. Characters who are willing to literally be tortured to protect their friends are one of my BIGGEST weaknesses. Neil and how soft and strong and broken he is just hits me right in the feels and kills me.
Moving on. . .
*SPOILER WARNING*
I think we need to talk about one of the more emotionally impacting scenes of this book which quite literally shapes what happens in the rest of the novel. If we don't talk about Andrew's rape scene, then we're not talking about this book. Although this is scene is not overtly graphic, not in the literal sense of the word, it still leaves an impression by the jagged images it gives you of what happened. Reading it for a second time made me want to throw up as much as the first time I read it. It's a really traumatizing scene because of Andrew's reaction to the events. This is what really gives this moment an extra sickening twist which leaves you feeling like gagging. Honestly, the whole thing is terrible to read.
*END OF SPOILERS*
This leads me to talk more in depth about Andrew Minyard. Although he's basically absent for the second half of this novel, we get to know Andrew much better in this sequel. Part of the mystery which is Andrew Minyard is revealed to us. We understand a bit better why he's so dejected/emotionless while off his medicine and why his mania inducing medication is both his bane and his crutch. In this second installment the reader is able to more seriously bond with Andrew's character and love him (or start to love him) for reasons beyond just finding his asshole behavior/comments hilarious. He becomes a much more real character in this book and that which happens to him or which he does has a stronger impact on the reader.
Truly, Andrew Miyard is just as heartbreaking is Neil Josten but in a very different way. This makes sense as Neil and Andrew are very different characters which are both fascinating because of the ways their personal motivations make them behave. If you read the entirety of this trilogy, I will not doubt that by the end of it, even if you don't love these two characters, you will find them interesting and see how complex they are. There are many "negative" things which can be said about this book series and its writing, but the complexity of the characters (especially the main characters) is not one of the things which can easily be attacked. This trilogy doesn't have cookie cutter protagonists and certainly doesn't have flat characters. If you don't see that while reading it, I'd genuinely be shocked.
Anyway. I feel like making two, more lighthearted, comments before wrapping up this review.
One of the comments is that it's infinitely hilarious to me how Neil's teammates/friends struggle so hard to comprehend Neil's sexuality throughout this book. Neil isn't doing them any favors by not even trying to help them understand, and I love it. They're always trying to get him to "pick a team" and his refusal to pick drives them up the wall. It becomes even more hilarious when the team starts to suspect something more is going on between Neil and Andrew and Neil is always oblivious when they try to address it. All in all, 10/10. I enjoy watching them all struggle to understand Neil's oblivious demisexual self.
The second comment is that half the time when this book describes Exy games I have no idea what's going on, but I'm still on the edge of my seat. I'm there tense and with eyes glued to the screen trying to follow the progress of the games. Sometimes I even wish these scenes were longer which is ABSURD considering the scenes are already considerably long. . . I don't know what to say to explain myself.
At the end of the day, this is a very emotionally draining novel. A lot of dark things go down in it, and it can definitely mess you up. I'll include here, verbatim, what I wrote in my notes when I finished reading the book: "I feel hollowed out. I want to cry. I feel dead inside. I want to scream. Someone please hold my hand and tell me I'm gonna be alright." Basically, heed that as a warning. If you found book one to be dark and messed up, this sequel is 10x more intense. You've been warned.