can't defend or recommend, but I would still die for these kids.

This series brought me out of a reading slump, and I read all three books in two days. Amazing 10/10 ( )

4,5 stars

Honestly, I initially bought this series for the hype. The blurbs were semi interesting, but I can't really say I thought I'd really end up loving this or anything. And this didn't end up being my absolute new favorite series, but I did really enjoy it as a whole a lot more than expected. I mean, I did finish the whole series in three days, so that's saying something.

The King's Men was really gory at parts, and the subject matter is pretty rough. So while enjoyable, this isn't necessarily enjoyable reading in that way. But just like with the previous books, the best part are the misfit characters with their myriad problems, and particularly how they stand up for each other, even when they don't get along.

All in all, I'm really glad I got into this!

Edit 15.8.2019 - I had to change this from a four star to a five star because I'm still thinking about these characters. ( )

This book could be really good if not for how absolutely unreal all the plot was. The mafia, the FBI, all the investigation and the PR stunts were so out of place, this shows how little research the author made and feels like something I would read in a fanfic around 2010. It's sad, because if not for how the most serious parts of the book were handled, this could be really good. I understand now why people want to read more about the characters, I want too. There's so little that she shows of their relationship that's almost inevitable you want to know more. The epilogue was also not really an epilogue, just a last chapter, we didn't get an epilogue with time skip and HEA, so makes sense that she would write epilogues. ( )

"Fight because you don't know how to die quietly. Win because you don't know how to lose."

I enjoy this series so much it's hard to even write a review. The King's Men is so different from what we usually get from finales that sometimes you have to recalibrate your expectations.

This book has two climaxes. The breathing space between them seems like a post-canon fanfic. SO MUCH happens and you only really notice when you get to the end and look back at it. When you draw a line of the plot points through the series it's impressive how much of it is just in this last book. And it works!

The characters, as always, are the stars. All For the Game wouldn't still have a fanbase 10 years later if it weren't for them. I love that, while what's really relevant was tied up by the end, not everything suddenly works out at the same time because the author has to give everyone a happy ending and there's only 30 pages of plot left. The story is told, but many of them still have a lot to work out.

All For The Game is an incredible tale. It's not for everyone, and it's certainly unconventional, but I've never read something that felt so real (all that while keeping the most absurd chain of events). ( )