The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic Summary

The Sunshine Court follows Jean Moreau, a former Raven defenseman, as he's transferred from the abusive environment of Evermore to the USC Trojans under Captain Jeremy Knox. The novel explores Jean's struggle to heal from years of trauma while learning to live outside the Nest for the first time in five years. Set during the summer before school starts, the story examines themes of survival, found family, and the possibility of recovery after extreme abuse.

Nora Sakavic is the author of the All for the Game series, which began with the self-published trilogy comprising The Foxhole Court, The Raven King, and The King's Men. Her sports-themed queer fiction became an unlikely indie hit despite doing zero self-promotion, gaining a passionate fanbase through Tumblr and word-of-mouth. Sakavic released The Sunshine Court in 2024 and The Golden Raven in 2025, continuing the series with new character perspectives.

The Sunshine Court is for readers who appreciate character-driven narratives focused on trauma recovery and healing. This book suits fans of queer fiction, found family dynamics, and slow-burn emotional development rather than fast-paced sports action. Given its serious content warnings—including sexual assault, self-harm, and suicidal ideation—it's appropriate for mature readers who can handle dark, emotionally intense material. The novel particularly appeals to those invested in the original All for the Game trilogy.

The Sunshine Court is worth reading if you value emotional depth and complex character development over plot momentum. Nora Sakavic delivers her signature style of "simmering tension, devastating one-liners, and characters so broken" they require deep investment from readers. While the pacing is glacially slow—covering only a summer in over 300 pages—fans find the trauma exploration and healing journey compelling enough to overlook the limited action. However, readers must be prepared for serious trigger warnings and mature content.

Yes, you must read the original All for the Game trilogy before The Sunshine Court to understand the context and avoid spoilers. The Sunshine Court begins partway through the third book, The King's Men, and continues after that novel's conclusion. Jean Moreau was a minor character in the original trilogy, and his backstory, relationships with the Foxes and Ravens, and the events at Evermore are essential context. Without reading the first three books, readers will miss crucial character dynamics and plot foundations.

The Sunshine Court contains extensive trigger warnings including rape, child trafficking, physical abuse, torture, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. Jean Moreau was sold at 14 to pay his father's debt and experienced repeated sexual assault from ages 16-19. The book depicts self-harm through biting, nail scratching, and pressing bruises, alongside panic attacks, PTSD, eating disorders, and references to past suicide attempts. While Nora Sakavic doesn't include graphic detail, the traumatic content is pervasive throughout the narrative.

Jean Moreau is the protagonist of The Sunshine Court and the nation's best defenseman who previously played for the Edgar Allan Ravens. A minor character in the original trilogy, Jean built his identity around the belief that "my place is at Evermore," viewing his abusive situation as deserved. After being "stolen" from the Ravens and transferred to USC, Jean must confront life outside the Nest's control for the first time in five years. He's a bisexual character dealing with severe trauma, abuse survival, and suicidal thoughts.

Exy is the fictional sport central to the All for the Game series, described as a combination of lacrosse, soccer, and ice hockey. Played on a court the size of a soccer field, exy features the physical violence of hockey with lacrosse-style gameplay. Nora Sakavic admits she isn't a huge sports fan and created exy through "one-third research and two-thirds fudging," allowing creative freedom without adhering to real sport rules. In The Sunshine Court, Jean joins the USC Trojans exy team seeking their first championship.

The Sunshine Court features extensive LGBTQ+ representation, including a bisexual protagonist (Jean), gay protagonist (Jeremy), lesbian main characters, and polyamorous relationships. The novel includes demisexual, nonbinary, and transmasc side characters, plus Arab and Latina representation. Nora Sakavic's entire All for the Game series gained popularity specifically for its M/M relationships and queer narratives, with readers coming "for the romance rather than the sports". The series provides validation for LGBTQ+ readers seeking representation in contemporary fiction.

The Sunshine Court moves even slower than the original trilogy, covering only a summer in 300+ pages versus spanning full seasons. While the first trilogy followed Neil Josten's perspective, The Sunshine Court shifts to Jean Moreau and Jeremy Knox, offering dual POVs. Readers note Nora Sakavic's writing has evolved with improved character development and emotional depth. However, some fans found character differentiation harder in The Sunshine Court compared to the distinctive Foxes roster. The trauma remains equally dark, with reviewers noting Sakavic "looked at her own chaos and said 'What if… worse?'"

The Sunshine Court explores trauma recovery, survival, and the possibility of healing after extreme abuse. Central themes include found family dynamics as Jean learns to trust the supportive Trojans environment versus the Ravens' cult-like control. The novel examines identity reconstruction—Jean must rebuild his sense of self beyond "my place is at Evermore".
Additional themes include:

• The cost of victory
• Secrets coming to light
• Consent and bodily autonomy
• Slow-burn romantic development

The Sunshine Court's glacial pacing reflects Jean Moreau's psychological state and the realistic timeline of trauma recovery. Nora Sakavic dedicates 300+ pages to a single summer because Jean harbors such extensive mental trauma that even small moments of healing require detailed exploration. Readers describe it as "simmering tension" rather than action-driven plot—you "don't read Nora Sakavic for neat plot arcs" but for emotional investment in broken characters. The slow pace prioritizes character development and processing trauma over exy gameplay or dramatic events.