Post by Dabeagle on Aug 12, 2019 14:39:19 GMT -5
This is a flawed set of books - I should say that up front. There are some things that don't make sense, and some things that stretch belief until it screams, and yet it has an intangible draw to it because you can feel that the author lived this story, breathed it and bled into it as she put it on the page.
The three books are The Foxhole Court, The Raven King, and The King's Men. They revolve around Neil Josten and the imaginary sport Exy, which seems to be indoor lacrosse mixed with another sport and with a dose of viciousness added in. Neil is on the run, is scared and doesn't trust - and we later find out this is for a very good reason. When we meet the rest of the team he's recruited to, the story starts going in unexpected directions and definitely makes you feel negative things toward a few of the characters, especially Andrew Minyard. As the story progresses through one major reveal after another, halfway through the second book we are treated to a traumatic experience that, for me, didn't excuse Andrew but also made me much more sympathetic to him.
Organized crime, unconventional love and stoic characters who form the Palmetto State Foxes Exy team - a group of misfits if there ever was one - combine to tell a tale that stuck to my ribs for days. There are supremely quotable sections, and things aren't always spelled out which increases some moments you may have missed if you didn't pay attention.
I bought the three books for about thirty dollars from Amazon. They will be a permanent addition to my bookshelf. They have also inspired the new serial I have which is nearing completion, titled Corners.
Link to the first book - The Foxhole Court.
