In The Raven King, the author’s depiction of the Palmetto State Foxes highlights the failings of traditional family units as a basis to explore the value of chosen family. The novel follows characters who equate blood ties with loss, betrayal, abuse, and trauma. Consequently, building a “found family” involves unlearning distrust and choosing connection over isolation.

Coach Wymack builds the Foxes’ early sense of community on shared trauma rather than affection. His decision to recruit only “athletes from broken homes” means that his team is familiar with adversity and instability (5). Every player arrives at Palmetto carrying visible or invisible wounds inflicted by their families. Neil Josten has been tortured by and is a fugitive son of a crime lord, Andrew Minyard is a survivor of childhood abuse and familial betrayal, Kevin Day has been shaped and psychologically brutalized by the Moriyama crime syndicate, and Nicky Hemmick has been negatively affected by his parents’ refusal to accept his sexuality.

Despite their commonalities, at the beginning of the novel, the Foxes are not cohesive. Neil’s uneasy move into Andrew’s inner circle shows that the wider group’s shared identity as an Exy team does not automatically produce intimacy. The upperclassmen eye Neil’s shift from an armchair to a central position on the locker room’s couch with suspicion, underscoring the team’s volatile dynamics. Meanwhile, Neil’s expression of discomfort, “I don’t like being boxed in” (5), is shaped by years of self-reliance on the run. The narrative depicts a gradual shift toward greater unity as Dan and Matt realize that, as a former outsider, Neil might be the “piece that finally brings this team together” (22).

The Foxes become a family through their gradual sharing of their individual trauma, from sharing their dysfunctional family backgrounds to revealing their physical scars. Disclosures such as Neil’s revelation of his identity to Kevin destabilize the group but ultimately reconstitute it on firmer ground. The trauma survivors who once learned that dependence invites harm begin to practice mutual reliance—a risk that paradoxically creates greater safety. Although individual traumas are not cured, the burden becomes shared across a network of support.

The limits of blood ties highlight the value of the Foxes’ emerging loyalty. Nicky tries to repair a relationship with parents who reject him over his sexuality, and the story of Andrew and Aaron’s separation at birth shows how their mother created lasting harm. The novel repeatedly contrasts the enforced nature of a biological or an adoptive family with chosen allegiance. Obligation imposed by birth is replaced by commitment enacted through decision-making. Ultimately, when Neil and Kevin stand against the Moriyamas with the support of their team, they reject the abusive control of bloodline in favor of solidarity. By uniting against external threats, they offer reciprocal protection.

The climax of The Raven King forces the characters to confront the family legacies that traumatized them. For instance, Andrew faces the abusive foster brother he has tried to forget and the uncle who failed to protect him, while Aaron acknowledges that his twin’s role in their mother’s death protected him from further abuse. While these confrontations are painful, the characters no longer need to deal with these experiences alone. In the wake of trauma, the creation of a found family becomes an act of rebellion, asserting an identity that is selected rather than imposed.