The King's Men
He'd come to the Foxhole Court every inch a lie, but his friends made him into someone real.*Spoiler Free Series Review*
I made hundreds of highlights over the course of this series so picking one quote was therefore not an easy task. Beautiful words that have captivated me for nearly a week. A series. A culmination of three books which are so amazingly developed that I am not sure I can pick one single moment that does not hold value and purpose to what has been crafted here. This felt like a puzzle for me; being slipped pieces along the way and seeing the image unfold before me. Every piece of worth. Every character of meaning.
This is the journey of Neil and his road to finding happiness; to finding home.
This is a journey of pain, of suffering, of betrayal.
This is a journey with emotional and physical scars.
A journey about protecting the ones you care about; about keeping promises; about fighting demons.
This is a journey about addiction.
This is a journey about trust; about family.
This is a journey about reading people, of understanding and where actions speak louder than words.
A journey about finding the people who will hold you up when all else seems lost.
A journey about becoming free to go after the life you want.
And at the center is the sport of Exy; acting as the glue that brings these amazingly broken yet caring characters together.
There is no way to capture this book in words. To explain what takes place and what it all means. It’s just a journey that every reader should experience for themselves. I am left with a loss for these characters...and while Neil and Andrew are such a central element to this series, every character held such meaning, that I am utterly heartbroken that this has come to an end.
Kevin, Andrew and Neil <3<br/>
Cannot wait to read this all over again. **Highly Recommended**
Reading Updates:
1%
6%
He straightened and turned to find Andrew had shifted closer. There was nowhere for Neil to stand except up against Andrew, but somehow Neil didn't mind. They'd been apart for seven weeks but Neil keenly remembered why he'd stayed. He remembered this unyielding, unquestioning weight that could hold him and all of his problems up without breaking a sweat. For the first time in months he could finally breathe again. It was such a relief it was frightening; Neil hadn't meant to lean on Andrew so much.
❤️❤️❤️
11%
Jean stood unflinching guard while Riko tore Neil apart again and again, but he was always there to pull Neil back to his feet afterward.
Painful.
30%
Neil studied his face, looking for a hint of the earlier fathomless anger and finding nothing. Despite Andrew's unfriendly words, his expression and tone were calm. He said these things like they meant nothing to him. Neil didn't know if it was a mask or the truth. Was Andrew hiding that rage from Neil or from himself? Maybe the monster was buried where neither of them could find it until Neil crossed another unforgivable line.
34%
Fear trailed icy claws over his stomach and crawled up his throat. Neil closed his eyes for two seconds and breathed. He couldn't deal with this now. He couldn't; he wouldn't. He grabbed the fledgling sense of panic and buried it deep, the same way he'd smothered his broken heart long enough to burn his mother's body. He would have to react to this later, but if he did it now with all of the Foxes as his witnesses he was going to lose everything.
This book. :-(
38%
Right near the corner was a picture Neil didn't recognize at all: a shot of Neil and Andrew standing alone. They were bundled up in their matching coats and staring each other down barely a breath apart.
42%
Psychotically mesmerizing.
71%
He wouldn't die a lie.
77%
"No fucking where I can hear it. It isn't fair to those of us who aren't getting any." -Allison
78%
He buried his unease and confusion deep and worked bandaged fingers into Andrew's hair. He didn't care how much it hurt so long as he could pull Andrew closer, and he let Andrew take him apart until he couldn't think anymore.
84%
He tried to get out of the car without looking like he was making a mad dash for it and wasn't entirely sure he succeeded. He closed the door behind him and both drivers cut the engines on. Neil stood stock still as the cars pulled away and watched numbly as they rolled out of sight. Knowing they were gone did nothing to make him feel safer and Neil sank to his knees on the asphalt. He dug his fingers into the taut denim over his knees and fought to get his racing heart under control.
89%
Kevin didn't slow or look around on his way to the locker room, and he pushed right past his celebrating teammates in the foyer. He dropped his helmet and gloves on his way across the changing room and caught hold of the edge of the sink. He swayed a bit like his legs wanted to give out from under him and his hands were trembling so violently Neil could see it from the doorway. Instead of falling he leaned forward and pressed his forehead to the mirror.
93%
No matter how many times he blinked the score remained the same.
