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A review by mollycrwillis
The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic
February 2025 reread in preparation for The Golden Raven release.
If returning to the Murderbot universe feels like coming home, returning to the All for the Game universe feels like getting back together with a toxic ex who constantly gaslights you but is amazing in bed.
Anyway, this book is nothing if not an artifact of fandom culture. The author made real a ship that readers essentially pulled out of thin air. And watching the rapid self-publishing process in real time is hilarious when compared to a traditional book release timeline. George RR Martin could quite literally never.
Since Nora herself said Jean’s story parallels Neil’s, I found it appropriate to track those comparisons throughout my reread. And, oh, it’s enough to bring a grown woman to tears. If Neil is a feral street cat fighting tooth and nail to stay alive, Jean is, as Jeremy observes, “a starving dog on a short chain who’d learned years ago not to bite back.” Prior to The Foxhole Court, Neil’s prison is essentially the world. He’s bouncing from continent to continent without ever truly feeling safety. This is why staying stationary with the foxes and learning to trust them feels like a death sentence. For Jean, his prison was the Nest. He hardly knew anything else, underground so long that he gazes in wonderment at the size of the ocean. This is why he relies so heavily on the presence of his teammates and bristles against (and actively denies) his newfound “freedom” under Ichirou’s wing. That freedoms feels like a death sentence, if not for his distrust of it, then for his complete lack of experience in living for himself.
Both utilize their names as grounding mantras, but while Neil Abram Josten is a reminder of his new identity, of his promise to leave Nathaniel Wesninski behind, of his path forward to an unwritten and wonderful future, “I am Jean Moreau” acts as a reminder of Jean’s place at the bottom of the barrel, of his status as property, of his past, which he refuses to move on from out of fear and shame. Both Neil and Jean will fall apart if they don’t hold fast to their names, but while Neil will fall apart if he clings to his past, Jean (feels like he) will fall apart if he doesn’t. I can’t wait to see how Jean-Yves plays out.
As always, this book was batshit insane. It normalizes the insane and sensationalizes the mundane. A character can spend five pages reminding themselves they’re essentially property of a vast crime syndicate, caught in a limbo space between permission to live and constant threats of execution, feeling not only unbothered but actually comforted when abused, because at least that falls within the realm of things they’re used to and can expect. Then, of course, the next page will feature a full-scale breakdown over a fridge magnet or a pair of swim trunks.
Oh, I also still can’t believe Nora did us the favor of writing the hottest scene in literature (the Ravens vs Foxes championship game) TWICE from TWO different perspectives. Fan service at its finest.
Speaking of which, I love that Nora doesn’t glaze her characters. She makes them believably complex, with realistic strengths and weaknesses that any D1 college athlete would have. The strategy for the championship game works, not because Neil is all that amazing of a player. It’s because he’s the fastest. And Kevin doesn’t win the game for them because he completely outmatches all the Ravens combined. It’s because they’ve forgotten who he is when he isn’t playing at a disadvantage. It’s as much the element of surprise as it is skill that secures the Foxes’ victory. It’s believable and therefore earned, and these things make it that much more satisfying.
Also, thank you Jeremy Knox for finally confirming that Ichirou is hot. I can die in peace.
Ok, just to touch on Neil’s TSC appearance (because he’s the creature that lives inside my heart):
He shows up, tells Jean they’re feeding the Moreaus to the wolves, orders a hit on an abuser, shames an FBI agent for parking illegally, then dips. I love him.
Also, Neil is an expert at offering people paths to healing, albeit in the most backwards ways imaginable. He deploys chilling logic rather than emotional comfort. He doesn’t reassure Jean that he is a human being just like anyone else, worthy of a good life, despite his identity as a Moreau. Instead, he says, “So was Elodie.” Incredibly reminiscent of his cunning dissection of the Minyard twins dynamic, Neil dispatches truths so tailored to the other person’s weak spot that it almost reads as manipulation. Manipulation for a good cause?
Ok, final observation before diving headfirst into The Golden Raven:
Nora doesn’t have a detrimental iron grip on characterization. Rather, she lets her characters shift and change based on whose eyes we’re seeing them through. Kevin through Jean’s eyes is compatible but different from the Kevin we met through Neil. This is the aspect of Nora’s writing that wins most of my respect. She understands her characters so deeply that she’s unafraid to make interesting and surprising choices, knowing it aligns with who they are even if not immediately apparent. Kevin’s devotion to USC doesn’t initially make any sense, but then you remember who his mother was. “Their kindness matters,” Kevin says. Ooohhhhhh, I’m gonna be sick.
Anyway, off to (maybe?) find out what the hell is going on with Jeremy’s family. Just to lock it in, we definitely know he has a dead sibling, right? And we’re thinking suicide? Oh, god, I’m scared.
——————
First read:
No plot, just as expected. You’re so reliable, Nora!
“Her love was so tender it looked like grief…’What you hold onto is less important than the act of holding on itself…find what will keep you alive, and then find the little things hidden beneath it.’”
“‘He hasn’t played a clean game in years,’ Kevin admitted, ‘but he knows how to follow orders. If you tell him to submit, he will.’ ‘Literally the most awkward way you could’ve worded it,’ Jeremy said.”
“How wretched, how exhausting, to have one of his dearest and most desperate wishes fulfilled, and to feel nothing but this gnawing turmoil. It wasn’t fair.”
“He waited until Jean turned a haunted stare on him before cocking his fingers like a gun and pressing them to his own temple. ‘Pop, and he was gone. It’s impressive, isn’t it? How easily these monsters die in the end.’”
“Endure, he warned himself, and on its tail-end came a desperate How much must I?”
Can’t believe Nora made fun of herself by having Dobson say exy is just indoor lacrosse
If returning to the Murderbot universe feels like coming home, returning to the All for the Game universe feels like getting back together with a toxic ex who constantly gaslights you but is amazing in bed.
Anyway, this book is nothing if not an artifact of fandom culture. The author made real a ship that readers essentially pulled out of thin air. And watching the rapid self-publishing process in real time is hilarious when compared to a traditional book release timeline. George RR Martin could quite literally never.
Since Nora herself said Jean’s story parallels Neil’s, I found it appropriate to track those comparisons throughout my reread. And, oh, it’s enough to bring a grown woman to tears. If Neil is a feral street cat fighting tooth and nail to stay alive, Jean is, as Jeremy observes, “a starving dog on a short chain who’d learned years ago not to bite back.” Prior to The Foxhole Court, Neil’s prison is essentially the world. He’s bouncing from continent to continent without ever truly feeling safety. This is why staying stationary with the foxes and learning to trust them feels like a death sentence. For Jean, his prison was the Nest. He hardly knew anything else, underground so long that he gazes in wonderment at the size of the ocean. This is why he relies so heavily on the presence of his teammates and bristles against (and actively denies) his newfound “freedom” under Ichirou’s wing. That freedoms feels like a death sentence, if not for his distrust of it, then for his complete lack of experience in living for himself.
Both utilize their names as grounding mantras, but while Neil Abram Josten is a reminder of his new identity, of his promise to leave Nathaniel Wesninski behind, of his path forward to an unwritten and wonderful future, “I am Jean Moreau” acts as a reminder of Jean’s place at the bottom of the barrel, of his status as property, of his past, which he refuses to move on from out of fear and shame. Both Neil and Jean will fall apart if they don’t hold fast to their names, but while Neil will fall apart if he clings to his past, Jean (feels like he) will fall apart if he doesn’t. I can’t wait to see how Jean-Yves plays out.
As always, this book was batshit insane. It normalizes the insane and sensationalizes the mundane. A character can spend five pages reminding themselves they’re essentially property of a vast crime syndicate, caught in a limbo space between permission to live and constant threats of execution, feeling not only unbothered but actually comforted when abused, because at least that falls within the realm of things they’re used to and can expect. Then, of course, the next page will feature a full-scale breakdown over a fridge magnet or a pair of swim trunks.
Oh, I also still can’t believe Nora did us the favor of writing the hottest scene in literature (the Ravens vs Foxes championship game) TWICE from TWO different perspectives. Fan service at its finest.
Speaking of which, I love that Nora doesn’t glaze her characters. She makes them believably complex, with realistic strengths and weaknesses that any D1 college athlete would have. The strategy for the championship game works, not because Neil is all that amazing of a player. It’s because he’s the fastest. And Kevin doesn’t win the game for them because he completely outmatches all the Ravens combined. It’s because they’ve forgotten who he is when he isn’t playing at a disadvantage. It’s as much the element of surprise as it is skill that secures the Foxes’ victory. It’s believable and therefore earned, and these things make it that much more satisfying.
Also, thank you Jeremy Knox for finally confirming that Ichirou is hot. I can die in peace.
Ok, just to touch on Neil’s TSC appearance (because he’s the creature that lives inside my heart):
He shows up, tells Jean they’re feeding the Moreaus to the wolves, orders a hit on an abuser, shames an FBI agent for parking illegally, then dips. I love him.
Also, Neil is an expert at offering people paths to healing, albeit in the most backwards ways imaginable. He deploys chilling logic rather than emotional comfort. He doesn’t reassure Jean that he is a human being just like anyone else, worthy of a good life, despite his identity as a Moreau. Instead, he says, “So was Elodie.” Incredibly reminiscent of his cunning dissection of the Minyard twins dynamic, Neil dispatches truths so tailored to the other person’s weak spot that it almost reads as manipulation. Manipulation for a good cause?
Ok, final observation before diving headfirst into The Golden Raven:
Nora doesn’t have a detrimental iron grip on characterization. Rather, she lets her characters shift and change based on whose eyes we’re seeing them through. Kevin through Jean’s eyes is compatible but different from the Kevin we met through Neil. This is the aspect of Nora’s writing that wins most of my respect. She understands her characters so deeply that she’s unafraid to make interesting and surprising choices, knowing it aligns with who they are even if not immediately apparent. Kevin’s devotion to USC doesn’t initially make any sense, but then you remember who his mother was. “Their kindness matters,” Kevin says. Ooohhhhhh, I’m gonna be sick.
Anyway, off to (maybe?) find out what the hell is going on with Jeremy’s family. Just to lock it in, we definitely know he has a dead sibling, right? And we’re thinking suicide? Oh, god, I’m scared.
——————
First read:
No plot, just as expected. You’re so reliable, Nora!
“Her love was so tender it looked like grief…’What you hold onto is less important than the act of holding on itself…find what will keep you alive, and then find the little things hidden beneath it.’”
“‘He hasn’t played a clean game in years,’ Kevin admitted, ‘but he knows how to follow orders. If you tell him to submit, he will.’ ‘Literally the most awkward way you could’ve worded it,’ Jeremy said.”
“How wretched, how exhausting, to have one of his dearest and most desperate wishes fulfilled, and to feel nothing but this gnawing turmoil. It wasn’t fair.”
“He waited until Jean turned a haunted stare on him before cocking his fingers like a gun and pressing them to his own temple. ‘Pop, and he was gone. It’s impressive, isn’t it? How easily these monsters die in the end.’”
“Endure, he warned himself, and on its tail-end came a desperate How much must I?”
Can’t believe Nora made fun of herself by having Dobson say exy is just indoor lacrosse