4.5 stars

I highly enjoyed this book. There are four main characters and throughout the book, I couldn't decide who I like the most and the least because there was a lot to consider. They were all flawed and complex and broken kids. The magic system was interesting, even if sometimes confusing. The story flew by fast and was very engaging. I'm only regretting reading it now even before it's officially published because it means I'll have to wait longer for the sequel.

The writing is good but it is too reminiscent of books by V.E. Schwab & The Hunger Games. Also, the main cast is extremely white (like, come on, this isn't 2012 YA!). There might be one lgbtq+ character but other than that this book is painfully straight. I think it's quite misleading to market this as a queer book when there is only one bi character who is not even explicitly bi. Also, while I don't usually care about what the authors do on social media or whatnot it has recently emerged that Herman bullied an author of color...yikes.

Advertised as the Hunger Games but with magic, this book truly caught my intrigue. As someone who adored the Hunger Games, and genuinely still does, I thought a dark fantasy twist to this would be interesting. After reading this I can honestly say, I was not wrong. This story took me by the throat and kept me there from the first few chapters on.

Despite a rushed, cliffhanger-style ending, I adored almost everything about this book. From the writing to the characters, and the magic system, there really is something for everyone here. I had very high expectations, and I wasn't disappointed. If you love good enemies to lovers, wickedness, and Hunger Games, this may be the book for you to read next.

While my opinion may be biased based on my previous adoration of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman's individual works, I must say that All of Us Villains absolutely knocked it out of the park for me. The characterization of Alistair, Briony, Gavin, and Isobel are all distinct, each with their own perspective on The Blood Veil that naturally lends itself to excellent worldbuilding. The magic system is unique, with high-stakes plot points that drive the narrative forward with white-knuckled tension as you're never quite sure what will happen next — even if you know it's going to be painful. I enjoyed that there was an element of romance here as well, but that it supported the momentum of the narrative rather than halted it, not distracting from the games but strengthening the relationships between the characters in such a way that raised the stakes even higher. While the ending was a little abrupt, I found it to be an excellent cliffhanger that will keep readers like me anxiously anticipating the sequel.

All of Us Villains follows four teenagers all participating in this one in twenty years tournament where they have to kill each other until one remains and has monopoly over the most powerful magic. Yet, of course this year things are not as it seems. Overall, the story is your run of the mill YA narrative very reminiscent of the Hunger Games era of books with a dash of magic. For me, this lead to a quite dull read with the characters being very stagnant and the shock-delight of the twists soon turning cold.

The characters for me were perhaps the worst offenders with none really you want to root for. And I think this is made worse by how all development they had in the book is diminished at the end so all the characters finish exactly where they started. Also, this story was market to me as being queer so let me tell you how disappointed and annoyed I was to see only one queer character who is by far depicted as one as the most monstrous and all relationships depicted are heterosexual. It's not a good look and genuinely fells like queerbaiting though I know it isn't.

However, the worldbuilding is really well done with its magic system and history absolutely fascinating. Just a shame the story didn't stack up within it.

All in all, this was a real let down of a book. I wanted so desperately for this too be good and I know that there's people of BookTok who will eat this up. But for me, there was just something not there and that made it a very disappointing read.

Books with multiple POVs are going to go one of two ways, either the perspectives feel burdensome and not different enough to warrant existing or they’re fully fleshed out characters that open windows to new parts of the story. All of Us Villains happily falls into the second category. Four of the seven champions get their own POV but each of these feels unique and offers something different that the other three don’t. I may be biased but Alistair was my favourite by far, who doesn’t love a brooding villain?

I typically hate when books that compare themselves to huge releases for marketing because very, very rarely do they actually live up to the comparison. All of Us Villains does have the flavouring of The Hunger Games however. The same sort of kids in a battle to the death, the same darkness in the details. Foody and Herman don’t shy away from the graphic violence and viciousness that would surround a tournament like this. Despite giving all the characters a vicious edge, they’re also all incredibly sympathetic and human. I didn’t think I would like all the main characters so much but by the end of the book I was attached to each of them.

The magic system is another huge win for this book. I love the way high magic and common magic are divided but the way spells/curses are crafted and cast is SO thrilling. I love the idea of jewelry that houses certain spells. That some spells are brand names vs. cheap knock offs. I wanted to dig way more into the magic of this world and I’m really glad that there’s going to be a sequel so we can see more of it. There’s nothing I love more than a well thought out magic system that has fun and unique gimmicks.

I also loved the catalyst for the story being a tell-all book that reveals the dark secret the families have tried to keep hidden for centuries. We get a little snippet of the story at the beginning of every chapter and that’s the sort of little detail that I die for. I would read the WHOLE tell-all book if I could. The mystery of the author is also a nice little spice on top of the main plot of the blood veil. There wasn’t a single element in this book that I felt DIDN’T work for me.

Ultimately All of Us Villains is beautifully character driven and seeing each of the characters go through their own journey and become something entirely different from what they stepped into the tournament as is fascinating. There are plenty of exciting action packed scenes and gory moments but the characters really are the heart of this book. Foody and Herman do an excellent job of fleshing out believable characters who are both wicked and vulnerable. Most readers will find themselves drawn to at least one of the protagonists. I didn’t expect to enjoy this book half as much as I did but now I cannot wait for the sequel.

4.5 STARS

Yeah, I really liked this one. I've seen a lot of reviews call this Hunger Games with magick, but that's not quite right. The setup is different, the system is different, and there are just too many other elements in play that essentially the only thing IMO that's similar is "champions" need to battle to the death for the ultimate prize. It's four, third-person, POVs that tell this story as well. I think this does well for the story, but it's not my personal preference. It might be because I was more invested in some storylines more than others.

I was really invested in the main characters. They were well-written and at times I could see the good in them and others, I cheered and then loathed them for being the villains they were brought up to be. There were times I REALLY wanted more of Allastair. Hang onto your swoony-hearts, ladies!

Overall the writing was really fantastic. The descriptions were gruesome (in a good way) and I never really felt bogged down by the details.

Why not 5 stars? Well, I have to say it's because at about 20% I almost gave this one a DNF. Somewhere between 10-20% it felt a little disjointed and I found I wasn't picking it up to read voluntarily. I literally almost gave it up but then read five more pages and got locked into the story. It turned a corner. There were also a few little things thrown in at the end that eluded to the bigger plot that felt plugged in to the narrative in some ways.

I'm really looking forward to the next one! And I hope everyone loves this as much as I did.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

Oh man, this book was so gripping once I got a bit in. The first few chapters take a minute to adjust to the multiple POVs but once you adjust and the competition starts, it's QUITE the ride!

If you ever wanted a book that read like Harry Potter mashed with the Hunger Games, then this is literally the book for you. The magic was pretty cool and got neater and neater as the story progressed. I really did end up enjoying the multiple POVs and each character arc was crafted really well and engaging across the board.

I do feel like I should warn you, the story finishes on a cliffhanger which would've been nice to know going in but now I'm just dying waiting for the sequel.

Overall, a super fun, fast read that felt very familiar and almost nostalgic in some ways but was still fresh and captivating!

The Hunger Games with magic? I was sold once I read the description of this book and wanted to read it right away. It was different than I expected but that was so much better.

We are experiencing this story with various characters, who all are very different but on some level they are the same. All 7 are selected champions from their family to win the competition and kill all the others, so that their family can rule over the city’s magick supply and the most powerful ressources.

What I maybe liked most about this book is that you get the story from a lot of different characters who are in the competition, not just one. We learn a lot about all of them and their motivation to be where they are, beside staying alive. The teens form alliances in the tournament even though they know it’s mostly only a question of time when they’ll turn against each other.

I liked the fast paced writing style, the whole story was a little slow in the beginning, since we are meeting all the champions first and get to know them but once the tournament starts it picks up a lot of speed and I couldn’t stop reading, because I was rooting for all of them.

I can’t wait for the second book and see how everything turns out for our villains.

"The monsters can't hurt you when you're a monster, too"

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of Vicious and The Hunger Games. It's basically a story of a small town that has been cursed and has to host a deadly tournament each year for the seven families. The prize is access to the high magick supply for a year. We get to know all of the competing champions and their motivations. I loved the multiple POVs and how plot-driven it was. "All of Us Villains" is extremely easy to read, the story grips you right from the start and getting to know the characters comes to you very easily. It ends in a cliffhanger that makes you instantly want to pick up the next book which makes me kinda sad that I have to wait for so long!!

*4.5

All of Us Villains was a surprising read to say the least.

It has so many things for everyone:
1. an intriguing magic system
2. founding families pitted against each other
3. a ruthless competition, and more!

This novel centered around each of the 'chosen' child from the Seven families, who is prepared to fight to the death to claim Ilvernarth's high magick. I LOVED that this novel utilised multiple POVs, where we got to have an insight into their thoughts/feelings on the competition, as well as their family history and how that has influenced their ability to compete and .their motives.

Alistair was definitely one of my favourite characters, with his cool, calm and collected demeanor, as you would expect from a true calculating villain.

This novel is very much character-driven, but the plot definitely delivered on it's OMG/freaking out moments and plot twists. Definitely a book that you could struggle to put down.

I’m not going to post my review to goodreads just yet because I’m not finished with the title. First I have to say I’m not finishing at moment because of me. The start is, to me, slow. We’re introducing a full cast of characters and it’s bogging my brain down a little. I’m enjoying it. Let me make that clear. However, this feels like a bloodier Hunger Games where I’m being introduced to all the tributes. I love the lore and world building but it’s like dragging myself up hill at the moment. I hope to loop about around when I’m in a better place. Then I will be able to post a good review for goodreads.

‘All of us Villains’ is a magical Hunger Games. Seven youths must compete in a battle to the death. They are competing for their lives and for their family’s right to yield high magic. Most have been training all their lives as their family’s champion.

The story is told through alternating points of views and it takes a little longer to get into as there are quite a few perspectives. I was hoping for a little more action and suspense. The multiple POVs made it difficult to pick a champion to root for.

I loved the concept for this book but I was definitely hoping for a glued-to-the-pages experience that I had with The Hunger Games series. I was a little bored of this book in the beginning but about halfway through I started to get into Alistair and Isobel’s storyline.

I realize that this book is the first in the series but I found the end to be very abrupt. It was as if most of the story had been resolved but it got cut off right before the end. There were things I loved and things I hated about this book. I wanted to love it so much because the concept is very appealing but the delivery was not always what I was hoping for.

Actual rating: 3.5/5

I'm not really sure what to say about this- it was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and objectively it was pretty good! A fun time with characters who are expected to be horrible but were mostly just doing their best in a shitty situation, and was entirely not what I was expecting.

All of Us Villains sports 4 character POVs, a fascinating town with ~traditional vibes, a magic system of spells and curses that can do incredible things, two bisexuals, and more plot twists than I imagined the authors could cram into 400 pages.

I really did enjoy reading this, I think my issue was the pacing and the build up. The first half of the book is pre-tournament, and it feels like the slowest week of my life. Of course all of this is world building and character building, and there's 4 POVs and relationships to build, so it's understandable that it's a little slow, but even though I know a lot happens in the first half, it didn't really feel like it.

Things start to pick up a little when we finally get to the tournament. The characters have 3 months to kill each other and provide a victor or the tournament ends and the magic will kill them all anyway. We have seven teenagers, scared out of their minds and ready to do some real damage.
At this point of course, we don't want anyone to die and things start to pick up!

Overall, I'm keen to see where this goes in the sequel. I have faith the authors will bring me something unexpected.

Thank you to Tor and netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

First off, Amanda Foody is one of my all time favourite authors, so I had high expectations for this. And I’m happy to say, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

All of Us Villains follows 7 teenagers, from 7 different families who are all champions forced to compete in a tournament to the death. It’s The Hunger Games but with magic.

There are four POVs out of the 7 champions, and I loved each of their POVs. I really hope we get more in the sequel! I also hope there is going to be some LGBTQ relationships in the sequel, since there are LGBTQ characters.

I loved how dark this was, it’s a perfect read for fall/Halloween time. The magic system is so cool, with curses, high magic, and common magic. It’s all woven together throughout the story, which is what I love about magic systems when it isn’t dumped at the beginning, and rather talked about throughout the story.

This book is constantly referenced as a villainous Hunger Games and I don't think that really sets anybody up for the right expectations. There are seven children of the local families that must complete in a centuries old curse so that they can fight for their families right to high magick. They are all morally grey as they fight for their lives and the power that comes with controlling high magick. The stakes are high but nobody takes any risks and nearly the entire book we are in a limbo of various alliances that don't lead to a lot of deaths. A resolution is formed but not executed and one of our main characters does something irrelevant to the entire book and we get a fade to black on him at the end of the book. The end does not have a resolution I felt like I was missing chapters of the book. There will be a sequel but I wish it would have concluded more then it did. It felt weird that the book was done and there was no conclusion to the championship or any indication in the character POV's what was going to happen.

Pros:
Good magic system
A cast of morally gray characters
Complex character arcs
Potentially LGBTQ+ relationship (please, please, please)
Intricate concept to

Cons:
The ending fell very flat
Not enough death (b/c its supposed to be an evil murder championship with villains and really there is not enough death for the premise of this book)


This book is full of villains- sort of. Each character that we get a POV from is complex and has a strong personality that we get to unravel as we read their POV. It was odd that most, but not all, of the character had a POV and it sort of ends up being a spoiler as to why that is.

Alistair: Has not only trained his entire life to be his families champion but also taught to be the monster that everyone expects him to be. He is that monster until a sacrifice has gone to far and he is less villain more sad bad boy. I think it is easy to like Allastair especially with his point of view and we see the tragedy that has altered his life forever and many of decisions throughout the book.

Briony: Always knew that she would be her families champion and is a fierce advocate for the competition. That is until she isn't chosen to be her families champion and instead her young sister is. Briony is determined to take her sisters spot 1:) she is selfish 2) the selection becomes corrupt 3) she discovers there might be a way to end this bloody curse.

Gavin: The villain that I expected everyone to be. He is determined to show the world that his family is stronger than what everyone is lead to believe. He goes through drastic measures to ensure he has a fighting chance to win. He is ruthless and powerful and of course a sad softy.

Isobel: The only character that never wanted to be champion. She has been in the spotlight as her families chosen champion for an entire year and has had to become this person she never wanted to become. Honestly in the way of the true romantic relationship I want in this book. Isobel is really the only character who I didn't really enjoy.

Throughout this book I felt like I would be rating this book 4 stars (5 if the ending was good) but when I finished it I instantly wanted to rate it 2 stars. Then 1 because I knew the book could have had a better ending. I am settling with 3 stars because I enjoyed the characters and the concept of the magic and competition but the ending was lack luster. I am curious to see where the 2nd book will start us off at because I feel like we are currently in the middle of a story line that shouldn't have been severed at the end.

I think that a lot of people who enjoy morally grey characters will enjoy this book.

This book was dark, but it was dark in the best possible way. I never really put it to words, but it never sat well with me in a lot of the YA fiction (which, full disclosure) I love that kids are put into impossible situations, and oh boy does this handle this perfectly. Without spoilers, this book has a great premise, and I'm always here for a world where magic and non magic folks are written in a seamless way. It's a POV book, with each character switching off for chapters, and I think what I loved most about this book is each character is so clearly human, and just a kid trying to figure life out. It's a little bit wicked, a little bit redemptive, and a wildly engaging read. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to question who is a hero and who is a villian (and what makes one so).

I was given an ARC from netgalley for an honest review, posted to Goodreads.

I loved the storyline from reading the sampler. However, I found the pacing of the middle portion to be very slow. Pacing improved near the last quarter of the book, and I like how the tone shifted to be even darker than the opening.

I'm excited to read the next book in the series. There are a few characters I'm invested in, and I hope to see these side characters have a main role in the sequel.

4 STARS
Check out my BookTube video review: https://youtu.be/U8PLkDwjFqs

After a tell-all book is released, the world flocks to a remote city to witness a tradition that has been happening for generations.

Each prestigious family names a champion to compete for the chance to win the tournament and control the powerful high magick supply.

This book is a multi-POV that bounces between the various participants in the tournament. At the core of this story are the characters and they are well done. Most of the chapters are fairly short and we keep getting just enough to be satisfied before being shuttled off to the next POV.

If I would nitpick at this, I would say the villains are not overly villainous and the gore/horror is underutilized. When this story does get graphic, I enjoyed it but I was hoping for much more than the occasional tease we get. Also, there are multiple spots where a few chapters will pass without anything that would resemble horror or over-the-top villainy.

Something I did like a ton. Part of the tournament magic is the sky turns red and stays red for the duration of the events. This was a moody atmospheric touch that fit the concept amazingly!
The story does cliffhanger pretty hard. There is more to be told for sure and as you start to wind down the page count you are left with multiple questions unresolved. I wouldn’t say this is a positive or a negative. The writing is solid so you won’t feel like you were short-changed.

Overall I enjoyed the moments of horror and gore we did get, as well as the characters and the moody atmosphere. This loses the star for not embracing the villainy in the title of the book. This is worth checking out and was a fun read. Anyone who liked The Hunger Games needs to give this a chance.

Think Huger Games, but with magic.

This book definitely went hard on the Hunger Games vibe, but had enough of it's own originality to be pretty good. I enjoyed reading this book and being surprised at all the twists and turns of everything.

There are seven major families and each family selects a champion to compete when the blood veil drops. Whichever champion is left standing, that family possesses the high magic until the next blood veil drops in twenty years.

I can't wait for the next book to come out.