Wow, I really enjoyed this book! It gripped me from the first chapter, and when the town was being described, it gave me strong Tim Burton vibes. The characters are very, VERY morally grey. I liked that even the character that was trying to do the right thing was driven by selfishness to a degree. I loved the magic system that was created, I think it’s really cool that instead of needing something like a wand to cast spells, they needed stones. I didn’t realize that this book was the first in the series when I started it, and now I’m going to be in suspense waiting for the next one! Such a cliffhanger!!

~Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Tor Teen for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review!~

*This is a spoiler-free review, so you can read it even if you haven’t read the book yet!*

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

My Rating: 4 stars

Plot: The actual tournament part of the book didn’t start for a while which I liked because it gave more time for understanding the characters and world. It would seem that the plot really starts with the tournament, but even before, there’s plenty of suspense and conflict. Once the tournament does start, the plot quickens but there are still some nice moments with character development so it’s not too action-heavy.

Worldbuilding: The worldbuilding in this is absolutely amazing, and by that mean it was filled with details and history and secrets, but it wasn’t too info-dumpy either. There were explanations for the rules in the tournament and for the types of magic and curses used, as well as about the seven families that enter.

Characters: Since each chapter is told from a different character’s point of view, we get a deeper understanding of them.

Each of the characters was clearly different from the others and they all had their own backstories, family histories, and struggles. I found each of them to be complex and intriguing, with some sort of villain inside them, though they had different levels of villainy. The characters were complex because even though we were morally grey, they also seemed to have good inside them, and I wondered which side of them would ultimately win.

Writing:
I think the writing was really great! The suspense was creating really well and there were so many lines that are stood out to me as I was reading.

This was an exciting and intriguing book and I'm really looking forward to the next one!

Loved this book!!! I really enjoyed the magical elements and the background about the tournament, magic and previous tournaments as well as the bio on the very different families. As an adult reader some of the high school type drama leading up to the tournament wasn’t so much for me but it didn’t really detract from the overall story. Definitely Hunger games/Maze runner meets Morrigan Crow/Harry Potter vibes. Set in a magic based town where the blood moon signals the beginning of the cursed tournament in which the seven founding magic families must enter a champion. Only when one family champion remains can will the tournament end again bestowing the highest magic and the power that comes with it upon the winning family until the next tournament. Just about died at 80% finished when I realized this was not a stand alone but the beginning of a series and I would have to wait until next year for the next one yikes :( will be marking the next one as must read for sure!

A magical story reminiscent of the Hunger Games crossed with Harry Potter. I absolutely could not stop reading this.. The changing points of view were perfectly executed, and the underlying darkness was delectable. The emotions and feelings of each character bled through the pages so completely that I found myself feeling them in my soul.

The conflict throughout the competition is harsh and raw. These kids mostly do not want to be a part of this awful tradition, but it seems they have no choice. The struggles that play out with each character really draw you in to the story. When they think they may have found a way to defeat the tradition without anymore bloodshed you feel the characters hope and you can’t help but root for them to be successful.

But that ending!! I am utterly devastated that it ended this way. I need to know more immediately! Will they break the curse? Does everyone die? I need answers and pronto!

This book has so much I was looking for and then some - with morally grey characters and enemies to (maybe) lovers topping the list.

The magic system was really straightforward. The illusions were my favourite part, and they were really vividly described as well.

The character development was beautiful. Alliances and priorities changed rapidly.

All of the characters were so unique and made me feel bad for their respective traumas in different ways.

Overall, I loved this book. The characters felt real and Foody made this world feel so tangibly broken.

This book has everything you could possibly want from a fantasy dystopian novel! Magic meets hunger games in this thrilling fantasy story. A group of seven teens are forced to be their family’s champion in a 3 month fight to the death to control the high magick of their world. This year, the media is in a frenzy about the tournament after a book is mysteriously published about the tournament. This group may be the first to challenge their fate and seek a way to break their violent traditions.

I loved the character perspectives. I was very drawn to the Lowe brothers and Isobel throughout the whole story. I loved that you could not tell where one author started writing and the other ended. I highly recommend this read for any ya fantasy lover!

This is definitely not what I was expecting. The characters' POV all sound almost identical and it's easy to forget who pov is it. The pacing was also bad, there was no action until halfway through the book. The worldbuilding is soooooo lacking. I wanted more solid worldbuilding than this. I wanted MORE from this book but this book failed to deliver what I expected from it. The romance felt rushed and forced, The plot twists wasn't even surprising either. I'm disappointed because this is one of my most anticipated reads this year.

This book was a bit Hunger Games and a little Wizards of Waverly Place but overall entirely unique. Even with a large cast of characters, I felt like I knew each one. Each character was a little hero and villain. I liked that because it left you a off kilter, not knowing how someone might act at any given time. This book was captivating and perfectly written, with just the right amount description and plot. It’s a hauntingly dark read I couldn’t put down. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

Now, I don't know if it was just the trend of Hunger Games esk books that brought this around, or if maybe I just read this at a bad time, but it was harder for me to get through. I kept having to jump backwards and remember what was happening to what character and who was speaking and who they were in general. NOW, it's not that I didn't like the book. I enjoyed the concept and the setting, it just needed a little bit more refinement.

If your favorite part of the Hunger Games trilogy was the part where a bunch of teens tried to brutally murder one another for their own gain, then All of Us Villains is the story for you. A collaboration between popular YA authors Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman, the story is a dark tale of darker families, who are willing to sacrifice their own children in the name of holding on to the last bit of powerful magic in their world.

Herman and Foody do a strong job of giving the quartet of main characters distinct voices and motivations and dig into each contestant's family histories and preexisting relationships. Though we don't get distinct POV chapters for the other three champions in the tournament, they also have strong personalities and stories of their own.

On the whole, All of Us Villains is dark, delightful fun, though there are moments where it feels like the story is still a little afraid to go as dark as one might expect from its tone and premise. Several twists at the end of the story hint that its inevitable sequel could go there - and I truly hope it does - but I feel like the fact that this is ultimately a YA story will be something of a limiting factor in that regard.

That said, there are some shocking moments throughout and each of the story's main characters go through fairly complex emotional arcs as they are confronted with the reality of actually taking part in a tournament which means that in order to survive they'll have to literally get blood on their hands.

A fast-paced page-turner, you'll find this story one that's hard to let go of until the very last page.

The first book in a duology, All of Us Villains follows the first Tournament after the world learns of the bloody tradition of Ilvernath. Each generation one children from seven ancient families compete for control over high magick by killing the other six competitors. While the Lowes have won this Tournament nearly every time, the tell-all that brought the world's attention to the city has offered new opportunities and new paths for the cycle.

The potential for corruption arcs and the contrast between villainy and survival was what drew me to this book. It felt like a strong way to kick off spooky season and delivered on that. I found each of the focal character's ambition to be well done, and each built their ambition on very different foundations: the desperation to live up a family legacy of monstrosity, the drive to prove that you are worth any time of notice, the need to live so that tragedy is not the end of the narrative. With the declaration of villainy from the start, this book offers a question of how much is the result of characters own choices and how much of is the side effect of circumstances none of them truly chose.

I really enjoyed this book. I found most of the characters to be not likable but compelling. Likability is not the concern for any of them. The violence within the book was well balance to me with the knowledge that it was a horror the events were taking place at all. More over, Foody and Herman hold both the society and each competitor responsible for their actions. The stakes of All of Us Villains are life and death and the reader nor the characters gets to forget that. But neither do the characters get to pass all blame onto the world around them. All in all an excellent fall read.

"Do you hear that?... That's the sound of bones breaking"
"He needed to become the most villainous of them all"
Can you imagine the Hunger games, this time without good people being selected for it but with sons and daughters of the most important villainous families?
If you can than this is definitely the book for you.
I was a bit scared at the very beginning but it didn't take more than one chapter to make me addicted to this story and these characters.
7 teenagers in a tournament , each and everyone of them has a reason to win: pride, revenge, power and even pure survival instinct...
Alliances are made and old and new friends find themselves in a game they cannot control.
With the help of an amazing magikal system they'll start facing others, as well as themselves, in a journey through revelations and fights that will bring some of them closer than expected, though always hunted by the shadow of death.
"Each one - in very different ways - dreamed of death"
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I loved how the action in this book evolves around not one but four different main characters forced with each other in the worst possible circumstances.
The writing style was amazing; the third person narration and the division of chapters based on the different point of views was strategical to make me see the story has a whole and make it impossible to loose track of what was happening and what each character was feeling at that time.
It's a story about villains and heroes and it gave me perspective about how thin the line between them is.
The readers are there , informed of the protagonists' background and unable to judge them but with the opportunity to form their own opinion.
And the ending?
Book two cannot come soon enough for me!
"Grins like goblins
Pale as plague
Silent as spirits
They'll tear your throat and drink your soul"
"I like scars. They make me look more threatening"
"Monsters couldn't harm you if you were a monsters, too"

If you like the hunger games then you'll love this. I couldn't put it down and read it in one night!

It is my honour to present a short review of one of the best YA books I've ever read - All of us Villains by the brilliant Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman. I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity to read this masterpiece as an eARC, since the official publication date is at the beginning of November. ♥️ Thank you, NetGalley!

As the name of the book suggests, you won't get any heroes in this book. Not actual heroes standing on the side of good, fighting evil who never make mistakes. What you get here is a bunch of morally grey characters, who have their own, hidden agenda, which has been the centre of their existence since the day they were born.

The story takes place in the city of Ilvernath, which had been as remote as it could have been until the day the truth about it was made public - it is a home to seven ancient families dealing with an ancient curse. Every 20 years a bloodveil covers the battlefield, where representatives of each family have to fight for their lives. Representatives, who haven't even reached full adulthood yet. Who were raised and trained to fight, but also to be prepared to die for their family. The winner takes all - whichever family's champion wins, it gains control over the city's high magick supply.

As you can see, the world of All of us Villains is everything but ordinary. It is cruel and competitive. Everyone has access to magick, but magick is nothing compared to high magick. The families are prepared to do anything to win, even if it means to sacrifice more than is bearable. I do not want to spoil anything, but it is kinda obvious, that some of the families have better chances to win. They are richer, which means they can provide their champion with more magick than the others. Some of the families also have the history of winners, which isn't something the others can say. I'm not giving you any names, but all I can say is - expect the unexpected!

The plot is brilliantly elaborated and there are multiple moments where you'll be asking yourself "What the hell just happened?"
We get multiple points of view during the story, so you get to know what's going on inside the heads of the champions. You really get to know their character and personality. You may be confused about who is who during the first few chapters, but afterwards, you're going to be sure as hell, since every villain is completely different. The funny thing is that even if you choose your favourite one, he or she is surely going to do something you won't approve of. Which is the main reason to keep in mind the fact that you know they're villains from the very beginning.


I couldn't put this book down. It was incredible. I've always wanted to read a book where it is not clearly stated who you should support, who is the good and who the bad guy. Which is one of the reasons it was so satisfying to read. To be honest, I'm still not entirely sure on who is my favourite. The fact is that almost every character has a trait I'm really fond of.

The ending of this book was mind blowing. So now, I'm just sitting here, waiting for the sequel to be published. And yes, the first book hasn't even been officially published yet. Poor me.

Thank you so much Amanda and Christine for such an unforgettable experience!

Magic, power, and a competition to dictate who holds it all. Every generation, at the coming of the Blood Moon seven families in the remote city of Ilvernath each put forth a champion who compete in a tournament to the death. The winner’s family is in control of the high magick (the most powerful magic) until the next winner claims it. For the past few years the continuous winners were the Lowe family, known to be the most cruel, most murderous, and dangerous. This year Alistair Lowe is named, he is essentially known as the devil, yet maybe there is more to this boy than just the rumors. Other champions include Isobel Macaslan, Elionor Payne, Carbry Darrow, Finley Blair, Innes Thorburn, Gavin Grieves. The story is told from the alternative POVS of Alistair, Isobel, Gavin, and Brioney. When a book is released exposing this city’s competition, suddenly the government has gotten involved and now this competition is open to much more scrutiny than before. Each of the characters are different from each other and all their motivations vary. Alistair may see himself in the role of the monster, and despite his vicious nature, he is a boy steeped in grief and trauma and a deep love for his brother. Isobel is handpicked by her family, practically forced into this tournament when all she wanted was to live a normal life, to just live. Gavin is desperate to gain power, to put his family name back on the map, and to not be low man on the totem pole anymore. Briony is determined to save them all, she wants to break the curse of the tournament and find a way to protect her sister. With complicated family histories, feelings, this tournament will create alliances and bring forth betrayals as well, and in the end there can only be one winner. If you loved the hunger games then you will definitely love this. I absolutely fell in love with Alistair and can’t wait to read more about him in the next book. This was such a fun book to read and though I was expecting more villainy with a title like All of Us Villains, this was still a wonderful read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Teen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I found the magic system to be fairly easy to digest but also very interesting. I would definitely say this is sort of like a magical Hunger Games except with less death.

My favourite characters were probably Isobel and Alistair, and I look forward to seeing where their storylines take them in the next book. I definitely think that Alistair is probably the most complex of the characters, and the surprise twist at the end has me excited for what will be in store for him as well as the others.

I guess my only complaint was that a lot of the time the characters didn't really feel villainous? There are definitely some surprises in the book, but most of the time they seemed like scared yet determined teenagers rather than actual villains. That being said, I'm really looking forward to seeing where the story goes and will definitely be reading the next book!

If the tributes in The Hunger Games were starving for magic, you'd have All Of Us Villains.

Every 20 or so years, the most powerful families send a representative to fight to the death for control of the highest form of magic. Are they teens? Yes. Is it an honor to eliminate the competition? Yes. Does this make them monsters? Possibly, but what the masses don't know won't hurt them.

It's a curse, but it's also a blessing...or is it? What happens when someone tells all and the participants start to question the rules?

I was hooked from the second page. This story is full of characters in my favorite shade, MORALLY GREY! Knowing that your family is training you as a sacrifice of sorts makes for some wild dysfunction. Add to that a world full of people who now see you as a celebrity monster, and you have all of the ingredients for a disaster. It's brutal and horribly sad, and I loved it.

Thank you Tor Teen and Netgalley for an eARC of 'All of Us Villains' in exchange for an honest review:

And honestly? My mind is still spinning--for whatever reason, my brain thought it was dealing with a standalone novel...and it is most definitely not! And that ending?!? What was that?!? If you are not a fan of cliffhangers and dangling uncertainly (and in shock) until the next installment...maybe wait on reading this one.

That all said, I absolutely loved this read! That pacing is quick. The storyline compelling. The characters fascinating. I am a huge 'Hunger Games' fan--and this is definitely a magic-infested Hunger Games for fantasy lovers. It is also even more complex, as you alternately follow 4 of 7 'Champions', rather than a single competitor; and each one is so incredibly layered and nuanced and not a single one is perfect or an obvious hero. These characters are all so so flawed and yet so so real! And as a result I am so so invested in continuing this story.

Definitely recommend--though I would also warn that the authors place us in a death match and do not then shy away from when that means: violence and gore and even death. Be Prepared. 4.5 STARS.

Oooookay, that was a bore. I got as far as 36% with a lot of skimming, but omg this was bad. Nothing interesting had happened yet. I was promised a bloody villainous hunger games and they take half the book to introduce the players? Yeaaaah, nope. This is not the book for me.

DNF at 36%

Holy Crap!!!

First off thank you Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was...dark, twisted, fantastical and enthralling. I wasn't sure what to fully expect going into this novel. I have read an Amanda Foody novel before but not a Christins Lynn Herman novel....and now I kind of regret that.

This is a story filled with morally gray characters, betrayal, truths, regret, lies, magick, family, friends, and loyalty. It is a book that will work your mind, you will think you have everything figured out only to find out it isn't that easy.

The characters are unique yet relatable. It's a weird feeling to me when you can relate to multiple characters all at once. Though it definitely made the reading experience more enjoyable.

I was hooked right from the beginning and am excited and patiently waiting for book two. If you love morally gray characters who are trying to do what they believe is right regardless, magick and old magick at that, The Hunger Games, and loads of unexpected truths and betrayals. Definitely give this boom a chance, you won't be disappointed!