The Foxhole Court: Volume 1 (All for the Game)

THE FOXHOLE COURT by Nora Sakavic is the first book in the All For The Game trilogy. It tells the story of Neil Josten the latest addition to the Palmetto State University Exy team. But Neil has secrets, chief of which is that he is the son of a crime lord known as The Butcher. Signing with the PSU Foxes puts his life in danger especially when playing with them means meeting a face from his past. I ended up reading this book in a matter of hours. It was that good! I started reading it before family came over, and I struggled to put it down. When I got back to it, I read it straight through to the end and it just blew me away. The story sucked me in. The characters were interesting, and believable. The plot was interesting and kept my attention. THE FOXHOLE COURT was everything I wanted from the first book in a series. Sakavic did a good job setting up the world and the characters; the premise of the book felt believable, and I think Sakavic did a brilliant job with Neil. I am planning on devouring the second and third books in this trilogy as quickly as I can get my hands on them! The main plot of the book focuses on the question of whether Neil will follow his dreams and play for the PSU Foxes, and if he does will his secrets be uncovered? Sakavic does a fantastic job at keeping the tension about possible discovery through the whole book; it’s what kept me turning the pages. I also really enjoyed the fact that Sakavic crossed the worlds of competitive sport and the mob, and all both worlds entail. I found the meshing of the worlds worked really well, and I thought the sport of Exy sounded interesting – it’s sort of a cross between ice hockey and lacrosse on a football pitch (though I’m don’t know if that’s American Football or football/soccer, and even if there’s a difference in pitch size). It’s super competitive both on and off the pitch. Neil Josten is the main character, and I thought he was an interesting choice. Going into THE FOXHOLE COURT you know he has secrets, and I think Sakavic plays with that aspect of his character well. I found it easy to trust him, and I thought his point of view was interesting. Sakavic does a brilliant job with his teammates, and they all feel real and believable. There’s also an interesting team dynamic, which makes for some pretty entertaining reading at times. Overall I think THE FOXHOLE COURT serves as a brilliant introduction to the All For The Game trilogy. Sakavic does a brilliant job of setting up the world and the characters, which I’m looking forward to seeing more of in future books. If you’re looking for a contemporary novel that doesn’t have a lot of romance in it, and you’re okay reading books that are sport based then you may want to consider picking this book up. I’m not sure if the little romance will hold up for future books in the trilogy, but for this book in particular there is very little of it at all. But having said that, as there’s a mob aspect to the book there’s also some references to pretty nasty violence – I cannot remember seeing any of it actually happen on page – and there’s also some substance abuse – some of which takes place without characters consent – so if that is not your thing then this may not be the book for you. Having said that, I don’t think any of the things I warned about are used gratuitously and I thought they added to the tension of the book. Review originally published on TheFlutterbyRoom.com

The Foxhole Court begins with Neil being given the opportunity to play the (fictional) sport of Exy for the Palmetto Foxes at Palmetto University. Think a cross of lacrosse and very violent hockey. The Foxes are a team of talented misfits on the verge of dropping out of their league. I use the word team loosely, as the Foxes are hardly what you would call a united group at the beginning. They all have a past, however, Neil has secrets of his own. He has been on the run from his crime boss father for years and has recently lost his mother. Where it gets interesting is that Neil recognizes one of the Foxes, former champion Kevin, from a time in his past, but does Kevin realise who Neil really is? For someone who's always been looking over his shoulder, the story sees Neil struggling with the choice of fight or flight, finding somewhere he could belong for the first time and something worth caring about. His arrival has an effect on all of the Foxes and the team. By the end of the book you'll be going straight on to book two, you only have to read reviews on Amazon to see I wasn't the only one that stayed up all night binge reading! At first, I wondered where all of these characters were going to fit, and who was who, but their personalities come through and make it easy to distinguish. Each one is important to the development in one way or another. By the second book I cared about each one to some degree. Whilst the writing in this isn't completely polished, what the author has achieved in making me feel made up for it. I will say it right here, I'm not a sports fan. You do not need to be to enjoy this story. If you are into sports however, you are going to be interested in the team dynamic and the match scenes. The Exy match scenes held my interest, and I liked how not every match was written about in great detail, just the important ones. These action scenes were done in a way that made me feel like I was watching from the side, and as it's a fictional sport, it didn't matter that I don't understand every sports term. Team spirit is catching. What I liked most was how the reader was drip-fed information about the different characters pasts throughout the book. It keeps you reading as you are intrigued to find out what's going on and why they are behaving the way they do, in particular with Neil. It's written in a way where you're not confused with what's going on, but you are still sort of in the dark about some motives and needing to know more. I also loved the characters, and what kept me reading was trying to find out if any of them had any redeemable qualities. Stick with me here; the Foxes are a messed up bunch, and from the start do not seem the nicest of folks, but as the book goes on, they seem more human. As they grow on Neil, they grow on the reader. I would recommend this book to those who like character driven novels, who enjoy a cat-and-mouse mystery and secrets, and to those who like finding out what makes people tick. This book is raw. It's not sunshine and rainbows. This is not for those that can't handle troubled and at times unlikeable characters. This story isn't for those that are overly critical of plot points, the plot with Neil's family back story can seem far-fetched at first, but if you were to continue with the series you would see how it falls into place. The first in the series is currently free on Amazon, and the others are low priced. They are not particularly long books either, so with that I think you should all take a chance on the Foxes.

This book sets the scene. You learn about everyone else through the protagonist. The pace is fast as there is a scene change in the character's life and you follow them on the journey. It doesn't help that the antagonists are just a messed up a he is., if not, more so. There is a lot to cover and so you do get a bit lost at times, if you race through it like I did. There's a Nicky and a Kevin; I kept getting confused because the names both have a k and they're part of the same group. The writing doesn't dwell on things and milk them for all they're worth. There are some tough subjects in this series, as a whole. None of it feels gratuitous. There is big talk of a relationship in this series. That's how I heard of it and also why I was reticent to start it. Book one [and two] we don't see anything like anyone starting dating or kissing. So, this 'slow burn' exemplifies the unforced nature of this series. Nobody is trying to shoe horn in a romance. I'm a couple chapters into book 3 at this point and still nothing definite to speak of. The characters are treated with dignity. Someone with an iota of emotional intelligence wrote this. You could give a copy of it to your dad or brother and it'd be fine. Book one: cast, setting, intro. The good, the bad, the ugly. Threats, how good are they at playing rn, who are their enemies, team dynamics, internal conflicts r. Book two has a traumatic scene. It's handled well. But do look up trigger warnings before you start this series. Goes deeper into backgrounds of characters. Character development. Shit hit-eth the fan-eth. Book three: I am Matt's mother and I have adopted all these reprobates and they will live with me far away from the BS. No, lol, I'm still reading it. But I would. The are my fictional children now. Protect them at all costs! Neil is definitely an Exy addict. He needs help. I forgot to mention that it is funny at times. Neil is a snarky shit and the coach and how he handles them all is amusing and heart warming both.

When I first started this book, I got a little confused and was worried I'd missed a prequel or earlier series, because there are quite a few allusions to things that happened before now. However, that was just world-building and setting up what was coming later on. The book is extremely well-written, the characters and story keep you wanting to know more, and I just couldn't put it down, to the extent of losing sleep. I've since also bought the next 3 books in the series and devoured them all. It doesn't matter or spoil any of the excitement if you're like me and have absolutely no knowledge of or interest in the sport that takes part on some of the pages, the book is about people, not a game, which I always think is a good thing. Be warned, though, that this story is dark. There are darker out there, but check the warnings before diving in. The first 3 books in the series are Neil's story. If you like it half as much as I do, I would strongly advise buying and reading all 3 in quick succession as you will want to know where things go. There is a lot that happens and it would be also easy to get confused if you leave too long between each one. The 4th book concentrates on another character, briefly introduced in the first trilogy, and I am desperate for the rest of his story to be published so I can find out what happens to him. I really recommend this whole series to anyone, and will be following this new-to-me author with great interest.

I'm not into sports AT ALL, and don't really care for mafia stories either, so I'm really not sure how I got here. But I already know I don't want to leave... I read this within 24 hours and went straight on to the sequel. And no, I couldn't tell you why. Seriously. This book is unhinged. The characters should all be in therapy, on a psych ward or in prison, there's literally no in-between. The plot is outrageous and unrealistic on multiple levels, and boy is there some problematic stuff in here. ...And yet I could not put this down. These broken young people and the DRAMA of it all. I have absolutely no clue what this sport is supposed to be that their lives all revolve around - I'm just here for these messy dudes (and especially whatever the hell seems to be brewing between Neil and Andrew...) This felt like an anime in all the best and worst ways. It's edgy, it's cringey, and it's objectively pretty bad in places... But I cannot get enough of it. Do I recommend it? Absolutely not. But is it a new guilty pleasure that I'm about to make my whole personality? 100%. [If you do venture into this chaos, PLEASE check the trigger warnings, because it is A LOT.]

I’m going to do this whole trilogy as one review because I read it in six days. I saw the first book was on kindle deal for less than £1 so I bought it because I’d heard good things. I started reading the first before bed. This was a big mistake. It’s not a particularly long book and it was the most difficult thing to put it down. The ONLY reason I did was because I’d lost so much sleep the days before already. Otherwise I totally would have finished it in one sitting, sleep Gods be damned. I picked it up as soon as I got up the next day and finished it…. And then bought the next two (also less than £1 each) and started reading number two straight away. I’m not sure how much more praise I can give it than that. I finished the first two books in 3 days and the next one in 3 days but only because, by this point, there were certain real life things I just couldn’t put on hold any longer. I put my life on hold for this series. Quote that! The characters are amazing, and complicated (so complicated), their relationships are constantly shifting and fighting with each other to see who’s in control at any given moment. I did have a little trouble at the beginning, when they all get introduced, trying to figure out who was who and what was going on but I think that’s how Neil felt in the middle of it all. There were so many conversations that I had to go back and reread just because they were so clever and harsh! These boys don’t pull their punches. As for the game itself, Exy is a made up sport that is supposedly a cross between Hockey and Lacross and, as someone who has absolutely no idea about either, I didn’t have a problem following along (There are some things I obviously didn’t understand like court positions and such but nothing that I NEEDED to understand) so don’t let the idea of this being a ‘sports’ book put you off. I loved the whole series and am sad that it’s over but so glad I picked them up and at £2.46 for the whole trilogy it was a massive bargain. Now that I am finished I just want to go back and read them all again.

This was so good, it took me by surprise when it ended. It’s not my usual choice for reading as I’m not a sports or gang-related storyline fan but oh my word, it was gripping. Neil’s backstory is intense and his future is unclear but I’m really enjoying the journey. He’s a mystery to the rest of the characters and I love the way the author gives us the readers only a marginal head start into what he’s capable of. The rest are interesting too, particularly Andrew, and I’m even following (and enjoying) the Exy-related content. Will be immediately diving into book 2 to find out where in the heck this is going and how the Foxes will navigate the chaos that’s coming.

I'm writing this review in hope that it will easy my mind because it's been 2 5 days since I finished this novel and I can't stop thinking about it. But back to Foxhole Court. It is amazingly readable, this is a quality often looked down upon but a good writer knows how to make interesting content digestible and Sakavic certainly had me on page 20 before I realized I was reading on the laptop once again. The narrator is rather paranoid teenage Neil, well, "Neil" since we are to assume that his name is fake since he's been in the run with his mom since he was a kid. Neil's only indulgence is the revolutionary sport of Ezy, a weird cross of lacrosse and rugby with rules I'm unclear on even after following a match from the edge of my seat (and man, if I could care less about organized sports! but, again, Sakavic, through Neil, made it the most important thing possible). Neil is finishing high school, although it's unclear why since he plans on running and ditching the identity of Neil as soon as he's done and playing Ezy on the school team. He receives a rather unpleasant surprise when his coach tells him he sent a video of him playing to a A-league team, the Foxes, and he's being recruited to play for them. The new star striker of said team is someone from Neil's past who could recognize him and thus jeopardize his life along with his anonymity. Kevin Day is also someone who's gotten to play Ezy, the sport Neil loves, and be famous because of it, that is, from Neil's POV, he has a charmed life. The Foxhole Court is the story of how this boy becomes a person again, how he learns to give a small measure of his trust (but how big it seems to him) to someone else, I particularly like how it’s not a typical hurt/comfort story in which this is done in a romantic relationship but that Neil has to learn to trust a number of people in his life (and how very weird are each and every one of the Foxes), from mentors to frenemies to teammates (and i do not use this word lightly, Ezy being the center of both Kevin’s and Neil’s worlds). I’m dying to read the rest of the saga and find out if he can keep moving forward. Originally published at [...]

So, I've waited to finish the entire trilogy before leaving a comment. I got this book for free on my kindle. I had low expectations going in because I'm not a huge fan of sports drama and all that. But, OH BOY. I didn't expect that. Book one was fun, I would have given it four stars. But Then I read the rest and I realized how GOOD and DEEP this series goes. It ripped my heart and ate it in front of my very eyes. It's been weeks and I still think about Neil an Andrew and the foxes every day. The author is the KING/QUEEN of yearning and slow burning. I just... All that ganster drama and heart-wrenching trauma and all-consuming love! I give the brightest five stars to this trilogy! Will definitely read again! Who is this author? Where are they?! I need more of their special brand of drama genius.

Having just finished this, I must say that I'm sort of speechless. I'm not exactly sure what to say about this book. However, it's been a long time since I've felt the desire to stick with a story in one go and even longer since I've finished a book this long (82k+) in only a day. With that said, there are a lot of warnings that should come with this book. For one, there is no romance in this one. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to even call it a gay novel because the main character is more asexual than anything. There are 'suggestions' and 'impressions' that this could turn into a gay romance but that could also be taken as the MCs just getting violent. But to those readers thinking they're picking up a young adult, new adult, whatever you want to call it, romance, you'll be sadly disappointed. That out of the way, I'm extremely glad I read this. It might not be romance or m/m but I adored the characters and the journey I took with them. They're intense to say the least, psychotic and likely to fly off the handle bars but there was something about them that made me want to continue reading and find out where things were going. While I wouldn't say there's a huge cast of characters, there are more than the typical couple and a few side characters. The main contenders here are three guys: Neil, Andrew and Kevin. Neil is an asexual (kinda) who just wants to play Exy (which is like a sport that mixes lacrosse and ice hockey). He's a frightened kid but knows how crucial it is to lie low for fear of his father discovering where he is. Kevin is difficult to explain. He's mean and criticizes everything about Neil but at the same time, he's this lost soul who's been dealt just as crappy a hand as Neil has. Andrew is... psychotic. It's the only way to describe him. I don't understand how he became this way but he's got nothing to lose and he acts on that. He's five foot nothing but he's not afraid of staring down giants. He's amazing but scary and willing to keep everyone who he deems 'family' safe and right now that is Kevin. The story follows Neil along as he gets accustomed to living in such an open place and playing the sport he loves. Immediately he has issues with Andrew and his gang (who are Neil's teammates) that makes his life difficult but he loves Exy enough to put up with the hostility from everyone. It's about the trials that Neil has to go through, the panic and fear he always has about being found out and being hunted again and the consequences he has to deal with when he makes his decisions regarding whether to stay or to run. The only thing I didn't like about this book (aside from the lack of m/m romance, of course!) was how confused I was at times. The beginning will be hard to get through for some people because you're left wondering what is going on. You don't get the full back story for Neil or Kevin or even Andrew that really makes sense until well into the book so you're left wondering and probably saying WTF multiple times. I feel that I should warn readers that this isn't exactly about the mafia either. While there's an undertone of it and even the threat of a yakuza pride descending on Neil and Kevin, it's not actually shown or very prominent in the story. Given that, I didn't much mind this because I felt like the whole book was focusing on second chances and Neil finally living a life, finding a home and standing up to his past. To do that, he needs Andrew and Andrew is willing to help him because of Kevin. It sort of seems like a love triangle but, like I said, this isn't romance. It is more of a bonding between these characters over a common issue. To be honest, it's hard to explain this whole book because so much happens and is revealed that would spoiler the whole story if told. So, I'm going to leave it here. I enjoyed the novel. It has its issues but I found the whole thing fascinating and couldn't put the book down once I started. I liked that it wasn't saturated in sex but focused on such broken, and in Andrew's case, frightening characters. These characters are misfits, pure and simple and their attitudes and aggressions show that. It's a book of deceit, loyalty, dangerous situations and trust. It's not your traditional story but a gripping tale nonetheless and I'm really looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here and seriously how there's some m/m romance in the near future for Neil and Andrew!!

You won’t be disappointed. I’ve yet to find another series that makes me feel the same way AFTG made me feel. This series is next level amazing. You’ll fall in love with the characters and it’s so well written.. I can’t explain how great this book and the others are… READ IT

Lo leí digital. No tenía muchas expectativas ya que los libros de deportes no me llaman la atención, y fue una sorpresa porque me gustó mucho! Es un libro que te engancha por completo. Y a pesar de que el deporte juega un papel muy importante aquí, ciertamente los personajes son los que te hacen no despegarte del libro. No se trata solo de jugar, se trata de toda la mafia que hay detrás. Quiero leer los otros dos libro y esta vez los quiero físicos, lástima que Amazon no los tiene disponible en Amazon México

INCREDIBLE I LOVE THIS SERIES SO FREAKING MUCH THE CHARACTERS ARE AMAZINGGGGGGG 100000/10 Great and chill fandom too if you like that stuff