Talk about a book far out of my comfort zone…All of Us Villains is that book. This book kept me intrigued from the very beginning, and I felt like I couldn’t turn away from the pages. This book is described as The Hunger Games with magic, but to me, it was so much more than that. I feel like that this story highlights the very DNA of human nature, and it shows us some the ugliest aspects of people in general. But, it does so in a way that keeps the reader gripped to the pages…especially towards the end with betrayals.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this book. If I hadn’t, I don’t know that I would have liked the book as much as I did honestly, because it is a bit darker than what I usually read. These characters sold the story for me, though! Even though the story is dark, I wouldn’t call all of these characters villains persay. They are sometimes morally grey, sometimes showing us the worst parts of humanity, but really, magic is the core of the story (IMO).

I liked this book a lot, and I will definitely read the next one!

Like most people with a brain, I took one look at the blurb for this novel – You fell in love with the victors of the Hunger Games. Now prepare the meet the villains of the Blood Veil – and hit that mf to-read button quicker than I’ve ever hit anything in my life.

Once every generation, the sky over the town of Ilvernath turns red, and seven ancient families choose their champion. The Blood Veil falls, and for three months, the champions fight each other to the death, a battle that decides which family controls the last of the world’s high magick.

Reader, I was hooked.

The story is told through the eyes of four of the seven champions: Alistair Lowe, Isobel Macaslan, Briony Thorburn, and Gavin Grieve. Each champion has something they want to prove, and a family relying on them. And secrets. They all have secrets.

This book is an absolute bloodbath, made worse by some of the more creative curses and spells I’ve seen. The magick system is a delight to behold. The characters are ruthless and tenderhearted in equal measure, and I loved their battles, both internal and with each other. Alliances are made and broken; fates are accepted and defied; the line between hero and villain is blurred.

It’s so good, you guys. So good.

My only gripe is that we are going to have to wait for the second book, and the first book ends on a cliffhanger. I need more! I need it now! It is a crime to leave me like this!

If you love morally grey characters from storied families, age-old curses, and ruthless cunning interspersed with moments of heartwrenching tenderness, you’d best be adding All of Us Villains to your TBR. You will not regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Tor Books for providing me with this ARC.

Review:
Plot: I have always believed The Hunger Games would be even better with magical elements and "All of Us Villains" is the proof of that! I believe the whole concept of this novel is very original and was well explored by the authors, who already have experience with fantasy books. One concept that could have been better explained, though, is how regular magik is used on the day to day, as I was slightly confused about its difference comparing to its more powerful version.
Writing: I was very confused until the end of the book as to why I was 50% into the book and the competitors had just arrived to the "arena", and it left me concerned about a possible rushed ending, but everything was sorted out with the brilliant revelation of a sequel! So in the end, nothing felt rushed and the authors had enough space to craft a great world-building! I'd suggest a bit more of explanation on the objects and places that are symbols of the tournament. and a map to be included in the beginning of the book.
Characters: I loved most of them so much! Most of them changed a lot (and for the better) from the first to the last page and I felt proud in seeing that development, as if I was their friend! My heart broke many times for them and I really recognize the authors' abilities to create compelling personalities and back stories. I think the people I didn't like were the adults and all their ancestors who didn't try to break the curse or saw that dying as a honor.

Favorite quote: "Monsters couldn`t harm you if you were a monster, too"
Soundtrack: Human, by The Killers

REVIEW TO BE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIAS ON NOVEMBER 2ND

4.35 stars

“I think, deep down, some people don’t want their stories to have happy endings.” -A Tradition of Tragedy

That was SO good. I need more. I can’t wait another year for the next book

‘All of Us Villains’ is a dark and gripping story that is definitely worth the hype. In the town of Ilvernath 8 centuries ago, 7 powerful families fought over who would wield the most dangerous type of magick, known as high magick. To settle the argument, they created a curse. Every 20 years, the moon in Ilvernath would turn red and be called the ‘Blood Moon’. About 4 weeks after the Blood Moons appears, the blood veil falls, and 1 ‘champion’ from each family must be chosen to fight in a tournament to the death. They have 3 months to kill each other, and the one remaining champion brings honor, and of course high magick, to their family for 20 years. If, after the 3 months, the 7 champions are still alive and have chosen not to fight each other, all of them are killed by the curse and the families go without high magick for 20 years, until the next tournament. 800 years later, an anonymous member of one of the lesser 7 families has written and published a book, exposing the traditions of the families to the whole world. Now tourists and reporters are storming the city, questioning the families and protesting the upcoming tournament.

Before you go into this, I think you should know the Slaughter Seven characters aren’t really villains. With the title All of Us Villains, you would think they're all bloodthirsty characters, but they really aren't. Their families are technically the villains for encouraging their children to fight in a duel to the death just to wield power (and even betting on their own child's deaths), and children sacrificing on the side, a couple of the families are just horrible. Most of the characters are just keeping up a front to intimidate people and I would say only one character (who's also my favorite) is morally grey.

The plot was really captivating. I saw a review about the book saying ‘The Hunger Games but with magic’ and I couldn’t press the request button fast enough. I do agree with some of the Hunger Games comparisons, and considering the Hunger Games is one of my favorite series, I really loved the book. But I don't agree with the people saying it's a rip-off. The only thing that was really similar was that they fight to the death in forest. I love how the authors twisted a dark tale that takes place in the modern world. The whole magic system was interesting and creative and I thought the spell and curse crafting was really cool. All the characters have depth and pretty good development. I loved how some of the characters also had a history together, like some used to be best friends, and some are exes. It makes it all the more interesting to see what they're going to do.

The tournament did start pretty late in the book but I didn’t mind the slow build-up because I got to get a pretty good look into the lives of the champions and their families.

The ending to me was great but I felt like it was just a little rushed. Compared to the pacing of the rest of the book, it didn't really fit. And I don't get how the authors expect us readers to cope for another year and I'm not sure how long until the next book comes out. Must you torture us?

Also, do keep in mind that during the book, some parts did get pretty gory and disturbing.

I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you love books rooted in mysteries and family secrets and are looking for a dark and enthralling story.

An apt comp to The Hunger Games. Readers looking for a new high-stakes competition novel will be satiated with this one. Dark and creepy, with a cast of characters where you keep changing who you're rooting for as the story progresses. A seamless case of co-authoring.

Let me start by saying this book has been my most anticipated list. That being said this book did not disappoint me! I loved it. The premise is quite intriguing and I love a book that promises to deliver morally gray or borderline villian characters, which this book had in abundance. This book had some surprising twists and turns and never went quite where I expected it to go and I love that. All the POVs provided good information about the main characters such as how they view the tournament, their family, and each other. Also THAT ENDING!!! I need the next book in my hands now!!

<u>REVIEW</u>
5 stars ⭐️

<b>Subjective rating:</b>6/5
<b>Writing:</b>4,5/5
<b>Plot:</b>5/5
<b>Characters:</b>5/5
<b>Themes:</b>5/5
<b>Content Warnings:</b>Blood, injury, death (+sibling death)

A story where all the characters are villains, made for readers who like and relate to the them.

The plot of this book is really similar to [book:The Hunger Games|2767052]. Here’s the description: 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.

The prize? Exclusive control over a secret wellspring of high magick, the most powerful resource in the world—one thought long depleted.

This year, thanks to a salacious tell-all book, the seven champions are thrust into the worldwide spotlight, granting each of them new information, new means to win, and most importantly, a choice: accept their fate or rewrite their story.

But this is a story that must be penned in blood.

-THE PLOT-
I absolutely loved the idea. “<i>But this is The Hunger Games!</i>” you may say. Yes, the idea is similar. However, this book is the example of <i>similarity</i> between books and not <i>copy-pasted plot</i>. So, there are similarities, but I can assure you, this book is <i>unique</i>. Read it, and you will understand.

-THE CHARACTERS-
Remember that time when you read [book:Six of Crows|23437156] and were amazed at the complexity of the characters? To be honest, for me, this book amazed me even more than Six of Crows has.

Alistair Lowe -my favourite- is a monster. Or so he is told to be. However, even when he convinces himself he is truly a monster, Al is scared. He fears monsters and what they might bring or take away from him. Al has no also officially become one of my absolute favourite characters. Also, i love the way he looks with the grey eyes and curly hair. Just <i>imagine</i>.

Hendry Lowe, Al’s older brother, is not a champion, but he had my heart from his very introduction.
Let me show you.
“<i>Hendry Lowe was too pretty to worry about rules. His nose was freckled from afternoons napping in sunshine. His dark curls kissed his ears and cheekbones, overgrown from months between haircuts. His clothes smelled sweet from morning pastries often stuffed in his pockets.
Hendry Lowe was also too charming to play a villain.</i>”
Come and tell me that did not make you fall in love. I am ready to fight.

Isobel Macaslan is the second best champion of the tournament. She is really, really beautiful, too. She has never wanted to be champion, but <i>somehow</i> is the first champion to be nominated. And since the Blood Veil is no longer a secret, she becomes famous. She is both a sweetheart and a Jude Duarte as i like to say. By that, i mean she can and will kick ass, but nicely. I loved her complex relations with her family and friends.

Gavin Grieve’s family is the least valued. Even the Grieves themselves bet the first champion to die will be theirs. Gavin is hungry for power. Does he find it? Maybe. Will it cost him if he does? Definitely.

Briny Thorburn, who impressed me the most with the character development, is sure she will be her family’s champion. And one day, her sister Innes is chosen instead! Briny doesn’t want her sister to die in the competition, but will she die herself for her? Will she achieve her goals and be the hero everyone will respect?

Everyone else was quite fine, though i think they will be more developed in the second book. Don’t get me wrong, they are not completely flat. They just need some more focus.

-THE RELATIONSHIPS-
I will start with my favourite, Al and Hendry. Reading the siblings’ relationship, you will cry, laugh and want to hug them both. Because this, my friends, is one of the best written and developed relationships I’ve read.

Al and Isobel. I have no words. One bed trope, enemies to lovers (more like I-will-kill-you-in-your-sleep to ily-stay-here-with-me), and most importantly, <i>betrayal</i>.
This relationship could not in any way be written better than this. I refuse to believe it. I love and respect both of the authors for the hyperventilation I got every scene where my lovely couple breathed in the same air. No thoughts, only Al and Isobel.

The relationship between all seven champions was also impressive. The trusting process, descriptions of the hate, love and admiration they all feel for each other is priceless.

I also loved the family relationships of our champions -or more like, villains-
The hate Alistair feels for his own family, Briony’s relationship with Innes, Isobel being dragged to the two sides of her family, Gavin not drinking because of his family, etc.

-THE WRITING-
I have no words. Multiple POVs with third person in past tense? SIGN ME UP.
The descriptions of environments and people, the perfect interference of character inner thoughts, this story keeps you at the edge of your seat, and out of nowhere you realise you’ve been figging your nails into your skin. If you like stressing over imaginary choices imaginary people make, this book is just right for you.

-SETTING/WORLDBUILDING-
The low fantasy with lots and lots of magick without info-dumps is what you need if you are easily tired by fantasy books with complex world, politics and names. Here, you need not try to memorise the world’s history to understand the book.

To wrap this up, I’d like to add that this book is most certainly worth reading. While reading, I couldn’t but wonder how the two goddesses of this novel worked so well. Because mostly, books written by two authors do not work so well. When i read on Amanda Foody’s instagram post that they are really close friends, I couldn’t hold my tears back. I am amazed as a reader and inspired as an aspiring author, and now, I wish to be as good as these two wonderful authors who wrote this masterpiece.

“<i>Monsters couldn’t harm you if you were a monster, too.</i>”

There is a Briony quote that I would die to share but thanks to Netgalley shelf, I couldn’t highlight and therefore lost it.

All of Us Villains is being marketed as a magical version of The Hunger Games, and to some extent that's an apt description. Seven kids from the seven great families compete every twenty years. The family of the last kid standing holds the exclusive rights to the towns reserve of high magick until the next competition.
But this year's batch is different. The seven champions thrown into the ring have gone to incredible lengths to prepare for this tournament, but they're starting to rebel from the inside.

Still I feel like comparing this exclusively to The Hunger Games is selling it a lot short. Chapters switch between each champion, revealing each one's backstory, trauma, and unique motivations. For so many characters, they are remarkably distinct, and remarkably well-named.

I was not prepared for this book to end on a cliffhanger. For some reason I thought this would be a complete story. But I am eager to read the sequel as soon as it's available.

Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman’s All of Us Villains arrives with considerable hype and although it has a lot of promise, ultimately fails to deliver. This is a shame as both authors as very well-known names on the YA dark fantasy scene. On paper this was an eye-catching high-concept story, with a great plot hook and may well sell very well, but it was just too slow and it took ages to happen, told via multiple points of view which were so similar I struggled to tell them apart. Admittedly I am about 35 years older above the age of the target audience, but I have a feeling many will be frustrated by the lack of action and a book which was just too talky and the frequent online comparisons to The Hunger Games are misguided as the Suzanne Collins novel did not feature magic. The basic hook of All of Us Villains is that every year one teenager from the seven most powerful/oldest families in the land must fight to the death and winning means that the survivor’s family controls the oldest form of magic for the next twenty years, until the next fight. There is added spice in this latest battle as an anonymous author has written a book about it, meaning that the rest of the world is not aware of the contest which had previously been kept as a city secret.

The story moves between characters are Alistair Lowe, Isobel Macaslan, Gavin Grieve and Briony Thorburn who have all been bred for this moment in their life and like horse-races there are favourites, also-ran families and plotting to obtain the strongest magic, make secret alliances or do the dirty on the weaker families. As three of the families have no POV narratives you can guess they do not have much chance. As I have already said, the book was well past 50% before the contest truly started and when it did it was seriously anti-climatic and it was very obvious which characters we were supposed to get behind and in the end I did not care as they were all too bratty and similar. I found the world building aspect of the novel, particularly the magical elements, to be more interesting than the characters themselves. Having said that I’m sure fans of the likes of Sarah J Mass, Victoria Aveyard, Leigh Bardugo and others who write dark fantasy will enjoy it. AGE RANGE 13+

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really unique, atmospheric take on a Hunger Games-esque magic competition. Unfortunately, I'm DNF'ing this because I just couldn't get into it. I'll probably try picking it up again later....could just be a case of right book, wrong time.

Where do I even start??
Can I give this glorious book more stars??
Can I use a Here to There spell and travel to 2022 to get Book 2 faster??
But let's start at the beginning.

We'll never get free
Lamb to the slaughter
What you gon' do
When there's blood in the water?
The price of your greed
Is your son and your daughter
What you gon' do
When there's blood in the water?

My first thought about this book was: Young Villains in a deadly game for the price of winning the power of high magick for their family?
Yes, please. Give me everything. I'm here for this!

And in my opinion writers Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman deliver. The writing is brilliant, the different POVs from the main Champion's views give amazing insights not only into their families but their troubled characters and the magic system is fresh. I also loved how casually representation of LGBTQ was woven in and how there's a slow burn with a twist. And there's this one side character who... *spoiler*

When you tear it all apart, it's just DNA
Destroying what we fear
Hate is such an ancient game
When we're all that we have left, yet we aim to kill
Pretending that we're made of steel
Living in a battlefield

What I also love deeply is that both authors shared their writing playlists for this book which makes for such an amazing experience. The two pieces of lyrics I shared in the beginning and just above this part of my review are from the songs I think fit the book the most. Because parts of the lyrics are just - so this book!

It's rare that I fall so fast for a book but All of Us Villains has everything I love and more. And I can't wait to read more about the curse, a certain cursemaker and how everything turns out in the end for our Champions. With all of this being said, I only have one thing left:
I need the second book of this duology asap!!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
(Lyrics pt 1: Blood // Water by Grandson, Lyrics pt 2: DNA by Clairity)

The cover? Beautiful. The dedication? Hilarious. The story? Wicked and bloody. POVs from 4 characters? We love to see it. Men wearing rings? What more could you need.

I throughly enjoyed this book. Each character had something different to bring to the table and as soon as you thought you had them down they did something completely out of pocket.

I enjoyed the magick system and the modern day setting without it being overbearing. I will say it is YA so it wasn’t as dark and villainous as I was expecting but still took some dark turns.

Also a dark brooding man who is also clumsy, amazing.

Think a dark version of Hunger Games but with magic.

These authors wrote this story really well: it follows four POVs that, while I didn’t always like all of them, I found their situations and choices intriguing. The story was engaging the entire way through and kept me guessing (even though I still have my theories on where this will go for the second one!).

I look forward to the next one!

The Hunger Games but bloodier plus magic??
As soon as I read the description I knew I needed to read this book. I have read also The Shadow Game trilogy by Amanda Foody and loved it!

I love the multiple point of views and the unique magic system in this book. The only thing I hoped for was for the characters to be more of a Villain, hopefully that will happen as the series goes on?

I'm usually not a super fan of multi-pov books because I find I can get lost easily, but I loooooooved ALL OF US VILLAINS! From a craft standpoint, the third person POV is perfectly executed, and each of the voices were written in a way that I had no trouble remembering whose story was whose. If you like viscerally descriptive writing, morally gray characters, and a sort of Hunger Games-esque fight-to-the-death tournament vibe, this one is definitely for you!

All of us villains is a young adult fantasy novel that is told in 3rd person in the POV of 4 characters. The city of IIvernath has a tournament to the death and of course these 4 characters are competing. In this case All of us Villains can definitely be compared to The Hunger Games. The twist is that they are villains. I liked the premise of this book and was excited to read it especially as I have loved everything Amanda Foody has previously written however I found the writing to be boring and it was a chore to read. I didn’t have an urge to continue and will not read the sequel. I do thank NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I would still recommend this book to people who only read young adult fiction as you will probably find it compelling.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Teen for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review. All of Us Villains takes everything that you loved about The Hunger Games and turns it on it's heel. Don't take the title for granted, the cast is 50 shades of morally gray that will delight any villain lover. If you find yourself starting to think that the villain's plan or reasoning makes sense, this book is perfect for you!

Well that was an ending. Loved it. Want to read it again already. Highly recommended if you like human, inept, very dark grey (slightly black), 'forced to be' villains.

All of Us Villains

Full feature for this title will be posted at: @queensuprememortician on Instagram!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I was so excited to finally read All of us Villains. The description sounded really promising and reminded me of The Hunger Games. Now, after I have read the book, I can tell you that the story did not disappoint and that it was so much better and more magical than The Hunger Games.

First of all, I loved the worldbuilding and the magic system because they created a very dark and thrilling atmosphere. It was something completely new and exciting and I just couldn’t stop reading.

But my highlights were the many complex and morally grey characters. The book is written out of four different pov’s. First, I was afraid that I would confuse the different narratives and that I wouldn’t enjoy all of them equally as much. I’m glad to say that this wasn’t the case. I loved all of the characters and every narrative brought something important and new to the plot. My favourite character was Alistair because he was the most mysterious one in my opinion, but I also enjoyed reading about the other characters.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot because I don’t want to risk spoiling someone. So please go ahead and give this book a chance. If you liked the Hunger Games and enjoy reading about morally grey characters and magic, you will certainly love this book as much as I did.