I loved every second I spent with this book and I already cannot wait for the next one! Morally grey characters will always be my favorite so this book was just *chefs kiss* perfection

Thank you for this review Copy!
I really enjoyed this. All of the characters are morally grey and I love that. I was surprised by some of the decisions and twists of this book.. Honestly, I thought this would be standalone but the ending has me very excited for book two to come out.
I did get some serious Hunger Games vibes at first, but really the only similarities there are the teens dueling to the death.
The magic system was really cool as well and I actually enjoyed the little side "romance" we got.

All of Us Villains is a twisting narrative full of strong, interesting characters and an amazing magic system. The book follows seven families in the elusive town of Ilvernath who name a champion every twenty years to compete in a tournament to the death, the prize being the control of a well of magick. It took me a bit to get into it, but once the tournament itself started, I found that I could not put the book down.

It was slow to start. There was a lot of talk about the characters being “villains”, particularly Alistair’s family, but I was not sure if they were really all that wicked unless their standard was like…tax evasion. There’s a moment in the first chapter where Alistair meets Isobel and is thrown off by how “cunning” she is, although all she did was what seemed to be a basic spell to figure out who he was, and that’s something anyone might do. I think my personal enjoyment was also hindered by an all-white main cast, especially since the rest of the town did seem relatively diverse, but at least there was queer representation within the main cast.

However, as the story went on, it really picked up. I loved Isobel’s voice in her chapters, and I surprisingly fell in love with Alistair. He actually ended up being my favorite, which I did not think would happen at all after the first chapters, but I think Hendry’s looming presence in the plot really helped. Regarding Alistair and Isobel’s romance, it was just done so well and I actually loved it. It was a bit instalove, but the entire time there was this feeling that it wouldn’t last, and it just made so much sense that they were using each other to escape from their reality and once they were facing the other champions, they fell apart. Something about them being a “in a kinder world” pairing absolutely owned me.

I didn’t really ship anything else, to be honest. There were definitely relationship dynamics which were better than others, but I don’t see any of them being endgame, other than maybe Briony and Finley (Finley, by the way, is absolutely amazing and owns my heart). I think Alistair and Gavin are being set up as a slow burn ship, and it would be so interesting, but it seems pretty one-sided thus far. Theoretically, the ship has everything I love and so I should love it, but I honestly did not like Gavin as a character that much, so it was hard to root for him along the way. It was unfortunate because it felt like he could have been fleshed out more, and his character was just going through the motions for his role but I didn’t know who he was beyond that. Every character goes out of the bounds of their archetype and defies it in some way, but Gavin was the underdog having a corruption arc since the beginning, and that’s all.

I know I pulled at a lot of flaws, but I genuinely really enjoyed reading this book. Overall, this was a fast-paced, action-packed, fantastical, and full of lots of great twists. I loved so many of the characters, and I ultimately loved where this book ended (I also need to mention that I am in love with Reid and I can’t wait to see more of him). I’m looking forward to the sequel, and I’m excited to see how this world develops next.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman is the first book in a duology. After a tell-all book about Ilvernath’s curse is published, the outside world brings tourists, reporters, and protestors to the city. Ilvernath’s curse is that every generation, seven families must name a champion to compete against each other to the death. The winner and their family gains control of the city’s high magick supply. The Lowe family has historically won almost all the competitions. History may repeat itself, but each competitor has prepared to win. One has planned to save them all.

This book is so very dark and I love it. It is gory and thoroughly engrossing. I am looking forward to the finale!

I usually give my full attention to the first 25% of a book, because that's plenty, right? if it doesn't interest me I usually skim parts of it and lose focus, without even meaning to. there are many people who say that's bs because "it gets better later," however, the reality is, most books don't.

unfortunately, this book didn't pass the test. the first 25% only managed to bore me, and not captivate me.

I found the characters to seem robotic and stuck-up, and I couldn't get attached or even interested in any of them. the world-building, that I usually don't mind, wasn't great either. just like in "The House of Match Sticks" the magic, how it worked, and, most importantly, the place it was set in was just too simple and uninteresting.

I still think the book deserves 2 and not 1 star because A) it wasn't problematic, B) it wasn't the worst book I'd ever read. it just wasn't for me. oops !

All of us Villains is written by Amanda Fooley and Christine Lynn Hermen. I want to first say a big thank you to them, the publisher Gollancz and to Netgalley for providing me a free copy to review!

So let's get into it.

I was not fully prepared on just how much I would grow to care about the characters. Even though these characters are not nice people (trust me they are not), the writers still ensure that they come across as human which I think is really important when writing these type of characters as it gives them an element of depth. This also allowed them to do great character development throughout the novel which also made sense to the characters. I really enjoyed the way the character development was done and I would say its the novels biggest strength.

Another element I really enjoyed was the world development, I thought it was really fleshed out whilst still leaving some intrigue that makes makes want to find out more. I really loved learning about all of the different families and their histories that is linked to them retrospectively. I also felt like each character in the village had their own voices and personality which was done really well.

One thing I was not very keen on was the pacing as I felt at time that the pacing was too fast and I wished it was slowed down a bit because there was too much going on and then other times it was a bit slow although that tended to happen more at the beginning. However, the plot in this story definitely keeps you on the edge of trying to work out where it was going to go as there was a lot of twists. I really loved the plot development in this story, I think it was handled really well!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading All of Us Villains and i cannot wait for the sequel! I definitely recommend giving this story a read if you are unsure!

SAY HELLO TO YOUR NEWEST OBSESSION

fans of the hunger games, caraval, & game of thrones are going to absolutely devour this deliciously dark & bloody novel, just like i did. i am still reeling from this one, & i will be for quite some time.

this book releases in november, & trust me, you are going to want to pick it up as soon as it hits the shelves.

thank you so much to tor teen for the early review copy of my most anticipated novels of 2021

Many thanks to the publisher & author for letting me review this!

This was sold as a morally grey hunger games, and definitely fit the idea. The storytelling was vibrant and the worldbuilding interesting. However, I didn’t connect much to the characters. But the action was perfect so I’ll definitely be reading more in the series!

An excellent, well written and intriguing story. It felt like a cross between HArry Potter meets the Hunger Games. Strong and well developed characters are relatable even though they deal in magic. The story is compelling and i will definitely reccommend this to my patrons.

Wow wow wow. I didn't expect that, in such a good way!

Such a great story, brutal and gritty, could have become very dark and depressing but I think it was nicely balanced. Would very much recommend it to anyone who enjoys both magic and slightly darker stories. I am telling you now, you don't know what is coming and your allegiances will change!

The Hunger Games with magic, YES PLEASE!!

This book was everything I hoped. I loved that the narrative switched POV, I thought that really added to the intense atmosphere surrounding the games. You really got to see another side of the characters which made their choice even more difficult. And the tournament itself, brutal!! I was really into the magic scenes and learning about the families and their history through the champions. You could really feel what was at stake.

It never felt so good to be bad.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited about this book. Dark, grim, characters that all have interior motives set in a Hunger Games-like arena and only one comes out alive? I am totally into it. The cover is beautiful, the synopsis pulls you in and you know the authors have delivered before.

Well, for the most part, this story was entertaining. But I had a few points I would like to make that, sadly, left me feeling underwhelmed and not attached. It took about 40% of the book to even get to the game which made it feel a little draggy. And once we got to the game, it wasn't what I expected. It was a lot of characters making alliances, falling in love and not a lot of action.

I never really got attached to any of the characters. I felt like they each had "a thing" and that was it for their character. Alistair’s point of view was probably my favourite.

At the end of the game, if you like broody, dark YA fantasy, this book is perfect for you. It was just a little slow for me and I felt like it was missing some depth and dimension overall.

All of Us Villains (All of Us Villains #1) by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman was such a pleasant surprised. I didn't particularly have much in the way of expectations for this novel, but I'm glad I took a chance on it because a new favorite and possibly one of my favorites of 2021. The combination of V.E. Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic & Vicious meets The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I was very invested in the cast of characters, their world, and the magic system. Plus, I was especially pleased that it lived up the villainy as well. If you haven't given this a try, I can't recommend it enough. I can't wait to read the coming sequel!

Anyone up for a round of hunger games run by magical mafia families?

The Blood Moon rises. The Blood Veil falls. The Tournament begins. Every generation, at the coming of the Blood Moon, seven families in the remote city of Ilvernath each name a champion to compete in a tournament to the death to win claim to high magick. But this year a salacious tell-all book has exposed the tournament and thrust the seven new champions into the worldwide spotlight. The book also granted them valuable information previous champions never had and most importantly, it gave them a choice: accept their fate or rewrite their legacy. Either way, this is a story that must be penned in blood.

I adored this book! Each chapter switches pov’s between four champions: The monster everyone wishes to slay, the princess who can’t afford the cost of hope, the desperate underdog, and the blood-drenched hero. These are certainly morally grey characters and for good reason having been raised their entire lives as warriors meant to fight to the death for their families. While I absolutely loved each character, my favorite part was the beautiful fairytale (or should I say nightmare?) writing. There were so many good quotes!

The one part I didn’t quite like had to do with the plot. Now this is just personal preference, but it really frustrates me when conflict hinges on one character being unable to accept something for no good reason (or maybe they do just not from my perspective lol). But besides wanting to slap sense into this character, I had a fantastic time underlining quotes and falling in love with these very edgy characters. Highly recommended for fans of darker ya urban fantasy with a touch of romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor Publishing for an e-arc!

This book takes the idea of teens being violent and terrible to each other because they've been brainwashed into thinking they have no other choice, and somehow manages to make that dilemma inconclusive.

The set-up of the book is strong: a cursed town, doomed teens, magic at everyone's fingertips. The execution, however, leaves something to be desired.

The point of the book is this tournament and its requisite fight to the death; the fact that the town is cursed is almost an afterthought, tacked on to explain why the tournament has to happen. There are seven doomed teens, but only some of them are meant to matter, and which of them number among the ones who matter is painfully obvious. And so it goes.

I'm told that this is the first of a duology, and I hope book two manages to accomplish something with this one's unfulfilled promise.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book but I also feel like this didn't quite live up to my expectations either.
The premise for this book had me intrigued from the minute I read it and once I started the book I was drawn to getting to know the characters and their families backstories. However, as the story progressed I found it to be really lacking in terms of the tournament and the world, I just wanted so much more and there was a ton of room for all these interesting concepts to be explained further but it all just felt pretty generic. The end definitely did redeem the middle of the story for me enough to want to continue on to the next book even though I was thrown off by how abruptly the story ended.

"Their story had never been destined for a happy ending."

Well, that was super disappointing... and here I was having such a good streak with the books I was reading💀 I definitely jinxed it.
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All of Us Villains had so much potential. Like a hunger games retelling?? With a cast of teens from villainous and bloodthirsty families??? HOW DOES THAT NOT SOUND AMAZING??

Yet unfortunately all that potential and it was wasted. I cannot believe that it took almost half of the book for the actual tournament to start??🤡 Like I get the whole setting up and everything but my god... the way I was bored to death.


The four main characters were so bland. The only one I came close to liking was Gavin -- HE actually acted like a good villain and wasn't a complete fool. Coming from a hated and loser family, he strives for success -- not for his family, but for himself. He's willing to do anything to win this tournament and is not at all afraid to resort to killing in the most brutal manner.

Alistair, Isobel, and Briony were just plain boring. I guess the authors tried going for having the bRoOdInG bAd BoY of the highest ranking family to secretly be a tortured character whom we fall in love with but it all really fell flat. Briony has a hero complex and is so annoying I couldn't stand her. Isobel's slighting better but still a fool. I rolled my eyes at the interactions between the characters because I could not for the life of me take them seriously.


I believe I had too high expectations for this but i mean who wouldn't with that blurb??. I expected more villainy and ruthlessness but didn't get that. Also, the ending was so obvious from the very beginning that I really question the intelligence of these characters. Like you just know it's super obvious when I -- of all people -- am able to predict the ending. Only one of them got it but the rest ahahaha-

I will admit though that the turn this book went at the end was pretty interesting but I don't care enough to continue the series. Who knows how bored I'd be reading that.

I warn all who go into this book to not have too high expectations and then maybe you'll enjoy this a lot more than I did.



Thank you so much Tor Teen for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Synopsis:
Ilvernath has a tradition. Dubbed a TRADITION OF TRAGEDY, a tournament is held every 20 years amongst 7 prominent magical families to control " high magick" . Each family chooses their champions to either win or die!
Review: This is a YA fantasy with horror elements and bloody tournament set in a dystopian world. The book hooks you from page one and is a thrilling rollercoaster ride. There are multiple POVs with great character arcs and badass characters especially females - Isobel and Briony are quite an iconic duo! I loved Gavin too. The writing is fast paced and intriguing with many unexpected twists and turns. The scenes are so well written that you feel you are quite taking part in this bloody magical ride. I was constantly on the edge of my seat and had a high adrenaline surge reading this. I was racing towards the end and found a cliffhanger- I was disappointed , man !why is this ending like this? There are so many unanswered questions ? Only then did I realize that this is a duology!! I'm so waiting for the next book to release. This , I would say was the most unputdownable book of my reading year!!
What could have been better:
Alistair lowe's character arc could have been better, since there was so much hype about him throughout the book. I'm definitely waiting for more in the sequel.
Trigger warning: murder/ death/gore/ teens in dystopian world.
Rating 4.5/5

This unputdownable YA fantasy invites readers into a cursed tournament in which magickal teens from seven ancient families must battle to the death (or must they?). It is an absolute tangle of enemies and allies, rivals and lovers, sacrifice and betrayal; and sets up the first in what will be a fantastic new series.

ALL OF US VILLAINS by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman is a novel I got from NetGalley, and ended up buying a hardcover for my shelf as soon as I could. By a third of the way through, I was hooked. This isn't a book I wanted to rush through, for fear I'd miss even one comment, so I took my time. It was a book that I wanted to focus on completely, where normally I alternate between 2-3 books at once.

". . . Villainy in the modern age was a delicate balance.

Originally described as the Hunger Games, with more blood and magic, this book was so much MORE, and I feel took things to a very original level.

". . . Blood before all . . . "

In the small village of Ilvernath, seven families have long had the tradition of a blood moon tournament, once every generation. Seven competitors were chosen, and the one that survived had the honor of their family being in control of the last source of "high magic" that the rest of the world thought long gone.

"The only part about the tournament that makes it a fairy tale is that it's definitely gone on ever after."

Only this cycle is different. Someone from the town wrote a book just prior, telling all about the town's previously "secret" traditions.

"Do not judge the champions too harshly. Survival could make villains of any of us."

Seven teenagers, armed with curse/spell stones, and their own knowledge of magical spells are pitted against each other--either until only one remained, or three months had passed....

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the intricate characterization. Each of the seven chosen "champions", along with many other characters, were so well fleshed out throughout the length of the novel that I never had trouble mixing any of them up--despite the rather large cast.

"The nightmares had not taught him to fear the dark. The nightmares had taught him to become it."

Everything from the individual family dynamics, the feelings of the competitors themselves, and the unique magical system was something I couldn't get enough of. I never felt as though something was missing, although I always wanted MORE. (This, to me, made a novel I would eagerly re-read, and one I needed to have a physical copy of).

"We're raised to call them champions, but I would argue there's a better word: sacrifices."

I know at least one other book is coming out in this series, and I can't wait for more news on that.

"Monsters couldn't harm you if you were a monster, too."

This was a story I was completely captivated by, with an ending that left me screaming for more. Is there any higher praise?

Highly recommended.