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A review by diana_barv
The King's Men by Nora Sakavic
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's been a couple of days since I finished it. My mind was reeling and I couldn't put into words everything this book made me feel. It was a LOT.
So many things happened in this book. Neil my beloved deserves a break. ANd you know what? so does Kevin. In retrospect, I am appalled at everyone's attitude towards him. Sure, he is an ass sometimes, but he went through the Ravens' abuse for years and nobody coddles him like they do with Neil. Andrew, bro, that was a lot too.
The whole bit with Neil in Baltimore was almost too much to me, and yet, it didn't hit me as much as his breakdown post-Christmas @ The Nest with Whimack.
Speaking of Whimack, he is such a dad. I truly loved him and Abby as the sanest parental figures the Foxes have. Him being Kevin's dad can be something so personal. I love his "I don't get paid enough for this" attitude xd, especially towards and obviously but obliviously in Love Neil. The moment Andrew drops THAT bomb I was as shocked as Neil. Guess I am just as dumb as him. Their conversations on the roof were so good lol.
When Neil switches between Neil and Nathaniel, that hurt. A lot. I am glad he got to choose who to be in the end.
I actually wish we could have seen more of the rest of the foxes because I love them immensely. The dynamic between the girls and Matt's with Neil is very precious to me. The romance, bruh. In the last book, I still could see the vestiges of the original Kevneil, but this one was pure Andreil. And also, the barebones of Kandreil were they. We could have had it all. And I like it, but I still feel it glossed over the violence and abusive behaviours of Andrew towards everyone and towards Neil specifically, as well as Neil's less than stellar moments. That was on thin fucking ice for me, but still, it would have been so interesting to actually see some polyamory in there. The fandom reclaimed the idea, as well as Rennison and Jerejean (where did that come from?) and tbh, I trust them more than the author with it.
I think that is mostly it. I feel like there was a lot more potential for this novel and it didn't feel as strong as the second one. The ending just... was. I know there is a lot of extra content, and they do get a semblance of a happy ending, but I feel like if it was included it could have added a much-needed closure to it.
So many things happened in this book. Neil my beloved deserves a break. ANd you know what? so does Kevin. In retrospect, I am appalled at everyone's attitude towards him. Sure, he is an ass sometimes, but he went through the Ravens' abuse for years and nobody coddles him like they do with Neil. Andrew, bro, that was a lot too.
The whole bit with Neil in Baltimore was almost too much to me, and yet, it didn't hit me as much as his breakdown post-Christmas @ The Nest with Whimack.
Speaking of Whimack, he is such a dad. I truly loved him and Abby as the sanest parental figures the Foxes have. Him being Kevin's dad can be something so personal. I love his "I don't get paid enough for this" attitude xd, especially towards and obviously but obliviously in Love Neil. The moment Andrew drops THAT bomb I was as shocked as Neil. Guess I am just as dumb as him. Their conversations on the roof were so good lol.
When Neil switches between Neil and Nathaniel, that hurt. A lot. I am glad he got to choose who to be in the end.
I actually wish we could have seen more of the rest of the foxes because I love them immensely. The dynamic between the girls and Matt's with Neil is very precious to me. The romance, bruh. In the last book, I still could see the vestiges of the original Kevneil, but this one was pure Andreil. And also, the barebones of Kandreil were they. We could have had it all. And I like it, but I still feel it glossed over the violence and abusive behaviours of Andrew towards everyone and towards Neil specifically, as well as Neil's less than stellar moments. That was on thin fucking ice for me, but still, it would have been so interesting to actually see some polyamory in there. The fandom reclaimed the idea, as well as Rennison and Jerejean (where did that come from?) and tbh, I trust them more than the author with it.
I think that is mostly it. I feel like there was a lot more potential for this novel and it didn't feel as strong as the second one. The ending just... was. I know there is a lot of extra content, and they do get a semblance of a happy ending, but I feel like if it was included it could have added a much-needed closure to it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Toxic relationship
Minor: Homophobia and Rape