This was a captivating read.

I found it picked up halfway through and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow wow wow! Where to even begin?!
All of Us Villains promised Hunger Games but make it dark and magical and let me tell you it DELIVERED!

Our story takes place in Ilvernath, a town with a dark secret. Every twenty years, the blood vail descends and a sacrifice must be made to maintain the wellspring of high magic. That sacrifice is the strongest child from each of the seven families.

Children train all of their lives crafting curses, studying history, and making spells to come out on top. The seven strongest are sent into the blood vail with the hope of eliminating the other 6 in a Hunger Games esk battle. They leverage landmarks, relics, spells, and curses to protect themselves and defeat the others. Whoever makes it out alive, secures a 20 year hold on high magic for their family. If no one is victorious in three months time, everyone goes without magic until the next blood vail (in 20 years)

But one champion has a different plan. They want to find a way to break the curse, save the champions, and free the children of Ilvernath from this bloody cycle forever.

Each character in this book is unique, dark, and twisty. We have “monsters”, jealous sisters, underdogs, and family outcasts. All dark and broken people. You’ll want to root for each of them, despite their morally grey natures.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the small insight into history at the beginning of each chapter. It was really interesting to see tiny pieces of the past unfold as we progress through the story.

There were times that I cried, times that I cheered, and others that I sat in sheer shock. This book wrapped me up and took me for a ride. I’m dying to know more of what’s in store for our blood vail champions.

3.5 stars

All of Us Villains tells the story of Ilvernath, a town with a dark secret, where once every twenty years when a blood moon rises 7 champions from the 7 founding families must compete in a tournament where one will emerge a victor and claim control of the high magic for their family, and the others will be killed. Following the recent publication of a book spilling all the towns secrets this years competition is under much scrutiny and spotlight from the rest of the world.

I (mostly) really enjoyed this book, its a very addictive story and complusively readable - with a great backstroy to the town, dark family secrets and strong writing. However I don't think it quite fits its premise, I wouldn't really describe the characters as super morally grey or villains, more like people stuck in a very bad situation trying their best to achieve the best outcome. I did enjoy the characters (I will talk about them a bit more individually) and really liked the setting - it sort of gave me new england witchy vibes. The magic system was also pretty strong and well thought out.

We mainly follow 4 POVs:

Alistair Lowe
Alistair is from the infamous Lowe family, widely known across the town for being the big bad villains of the competition, having the most victors from prior competitions. When Alastair learns the dark lengths his family goes to to secure their victory he is torn between his legacy and his heart. I really liked him as a character, you know deep dwon he is a cinnamon roll and I loved seieng the bond between him and his brother. The only thing that bugged me slightly about his POVs was we spend a lot of time hearing about how evil and bad he is but then never any actions to prove it (tbh he is the sweetest character in the book for most of it).

Isabel Macaslan
Isabel was probably my least favourite out of our mains. She wasn’t a bad character by any means I just didn’t feel like I really connected with her. I did feel for her though and how she has been forced into a role that she never wanted. I thought she was quite a clever character and I liked seeing her change her loyalties based on whoever she thought would best serve her purposes. There is a section of the book where she loses her ability to see/cast magic for a while and this added a very interesting element to her story and was probably my favourite part of her POV.

Briony Thorburn
I really liked Briony, especially since initially she is not chosen as one of the 7. She has spent her whole life believing she will become the champion and preparing for it however when her little sister is chosen instead of her Briony must reckon with the fact her destiny might not be what she originally thought. I really liked how she did not just accept her fate and was willing to challenge the way things are done. She ultimately decides to try and break the curse of the tournament to prevent future killings and is therefore the driving character of events in the book. I also liked exploring how she kept trying to do things to protect or help others but ultimately ended up backfiring and the lessons she learnt from that.

Gavin Grieve
Gavin was probably my favourite character. He is the underdog of the competition and goes to great lengths to secure himself as a serious competitor. I loved his chemistry with everyone and his ambition and drive to succeed. I especially liked his interactions with Reid, a cursemaker who has a vested interest in the competition and is generally very mysterious. I'm also super excited to see where his character goes in book two given how events left off.

I think I have been partially ruined for murder competition books by Battle Royale, nothing hits the same after that haha!!! I felt like I wasn't completely invested/believed in the stakes, there isn't actually that much murder that happens and it becomes more of a story of them trying to dismantle the game from the inside - which I did really like this direction but just don't expect a lot of bloodthirstiness haha. I did enjoy the alliances and backstabbings that went on though, I thought it was interesting seeing the characters loyalities changing based on new infomation and revelations about the dark nature of the magic.

One thing I wanted to talk about was the queer rep, I'm not sure if this book is advertised as queer or not but I wouldn't go into it expecting it to be super gay. A couple of the charcaters express interest in both genders however all the relationships were m/f (I just want to emphasize that I firmly believe if you are bi/pan and in a m/f relationship you are still 100% queer and you are so valid) but I think what bugged me in the book about it was the fact that some of the same sex pairings clearly had so much better chemistry however they were pushed aside for instalove and some relationships that just felt like they were there to serve the plot.

Another slight negative I had was that I felt just as things were starting to get really good the book ended and it didn't stand alone very well as its own book - I think if you were to read this once book 2 was out you wouldn't have this issue as you could just hop straight into the next book but it left me a little unsatisfied as it felt like we left off in the middle of a story.

In conclusion, an enjoyable fast paced YA fantasy read that tells a good story but isn't quite what you expect from the synopsis/general marketing. You can tell the authors are both talented ladies and I honestly couldn't tell this was dual authored - the writing styles blended seamlessly and it felt like a mashup of the devouring gray and ace of shades - so if you enjoyed those books I think you will enjoy this!!

this was definitely strong on the premise aspect but did not deliver up to the mark. the twisted and dark spin was pretty cool, i didn't connect with the characters enough to be invested (rtc)

Pitched as a dark Hunger Games with magic and V.E. Schwab vibes, All Of Us Villains really came out swinging. This book had me from the get go. It featured some of my favorite tropes, enemies to lovers (to enemies) and “there’s only one bed”, both of which are written beautifully.

Foody and Herman have crafted what is easily my favorite book of the year. The plot and characters are wonderfully developed, the magic system is so unique, and the dark and moody atmosphere is perfection. This is the perfect book to binge read thanks to its fast paced plot and amazing one liners.

I loved all the characters so much. Each of them are so different from each other and there’s no need to worry about them being muddled up or sounding the same. The Lowe brothers were by far my favorite. Their situation captivated me from the start. I also appreciated how each of the seven families featured their own special traits, from bravery to the meddlers to the monsters. Each has their own reason to fight for the control of the towns high magic.

This book starts with a bang, setting up the story by introducing the Lowe family, who remind me a lot of the Addams family, sinister isolated estate with a towering wrought iron gate and all. The town of Ilvernath is a creepy, disorienting place filled with gloomy stone architecture, perfect setting for a book about curses and magic. What a glorious setting!

The seven cursed families get to enjoy 20 years of peace until the coming of the Blood Moon signals that once again, the tournament to the death is approaching. It truly is like the hunger games, with a bunch of kids fighting to the death for 3 months under the blood moon, but at least it’s every 20 years instead of every year I guess? The curse is no secret, with paparazzi, magazine covers, and media coverage throughout it all. Competitors realize that partnering with the right people and spell makers is life or death, so in true hunger games fashion, they need the world’s favor.

The characters are deliciously sinister and the addition of magic makes the plot so much more complicated. For example, there even is a type of spell that can temporarily protect the castor from death. Rather than physical armor, the competitors are armed with spells. Don’t think that this is a complete repeat of the hunger games because despite the similar concept, magic is the lifeblood of this book.

Overall, this book was really really fun. I loved the concept, loved the magic system, loved the diabolical characters. The story did lag a bit towards the middle but the concept and characters were so interesting that I could overlook it. Books like these remind me why I enjoy reading so much; I get to be immersed into the most terrifying situations and worlds, but safe and cozy with a cup of tea. Looking forward to more world building and a more solid conclusion in the next book. I most definitely will be picking up the second book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

ARC Review:
Have you ever wanted to read a combination of The Hunger Games, The Atlas Six, and Three Dark Crowns? Well All of Us Villains is the book for you. Set in the fictional town of Ilvernath, every twenty years, a member of seven families is elected the champion and tasked to compete in a tournament to the death to determine which family will get to control high magick. This book has a rotating point of view from the perspectives of four of the seven champions:
Isobel Macaslan, the media's darling who never wanted to compete in the first place
Alistair Lowe, the boy thrust into the role of villain
Gavin Grieve, the underdog that's fed up with being overlooked
Briony Thorburn, the girl obsessed with being a hero and isn't even supposed to be there

My only real problem with this book is its pacing. The real action of the novel doesn't begin until about 40% through and it drags a bit up until then, but once we actually get into the tournament, it rushes by. I would've loved to see more of the time Isobel and Alistair spent in the cave and I think that would add a lot more to the characters. There were a lot of surprises at the end that I did not expect and that's rare for me, so I loved it. I think the concept overall is really intriguing and I kind of hate that I read the ARC because I'll have to wait so long for the next book. The characters were super compelling because I don't think a single one of them truly had noble intentions and that's a cool thing to see from a genre that usually has the classic "hero" archetype.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and i can't wait for others to read it. Fingers crossed the second one will be published next year!

Wow!!! It’s been forever since I have torn through a book as furiously as I read All of Us Villains. This is by far my favorite book of the year and it deserves all of the stars!
Books with multiple perspectives often confuse me but this was done sooo well and had me confused on who to root for and become attached too. I loved that it shocked me and had me at the Edge of my seat almost the entire time!
If you are a fan of morally gray characters, tournaments/competitions and magic then this will be your next favorite book.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody is a superb book with an engrossing plot and well drawn characters. Well worth the read!

These characters are not your heroes. These characters are broken and bruised but desperate and hungry enough to wield their bitterness like weapons; these characters are villains, indeed.
The premise really caught my eye, and so did the story, never failing to keep me hooked and eager to find out what's next. All sorts of tension are at play here, and it's absolutely gratifying to see how it unfolds, especially as the story builds up to who might as well be the true villain of this story (who I caught onto early on in the story!)
The magic system is fun to read and easy to understand. As the story unfolds, things get murkier and we get to bend certain things without losing the believability of the magic. In fact, the stakes get raised even higher for our villains!
And that ending! Wow.
We shall see if the sequel will be just as dark, if not darker than this great start to a twisted duology.

** Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillian/Tor-Forge for providing me with the e-ARC for an honest review **

4 STARS

All of Us Villains was very different than I expected. I walked into it expecting it to be a The Hunger Games knockoff, but found that it was quite different. This book was enjoyable enough and would be helpful in getting out of a reading slump.

All of Us Villains is a young adult fantasy co-writing debut of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman. I haven't read any of their books, so I walked into this one with fresh eyes. In the city of Ilvernath, there is a tournament that sends one child from seven families to compete to death in order to gain exclusive control over the magick supply. Our main characters are Alastair Lowe, the projected victor of the tournament, whose family has won in many previous years; Isobel Macaslan, a young girl torn between loyalty to her family and her unwillingness to play a part in the tournament; Gavin Grieves, the underdog who is determined to bring honor to his family; and Briony, who has wanted northing more than to be a part of the tournament and prove her worth.

I liked the worldbuilding in this book. It wasn't anything super unique, but enjoyed how there were elements of the real world that were incoporated. However, it felt a bit underdeveloped at some parts, as if the authors only half-explained some important components. This wasn't a huge issue, as it was fairly easy to understand, but overall it felt a bit weak. I really liked the characters in All of Us Villains. They weren't as "morally-grey" and "bloodthirsty" as I had anticipated, but I felt that they all were well developed. My favorite character is definitely Gavin, as I feel he is the most relateable of all of them and I always have a soft spot for the underdogs. I also enjoyed Alastair and his thoughts during his chapters. I didn't particularly like Briony, but her character was interesting in the way she reacted to situations. Isobel's character felt somewhat superficial, and I couldn't really connect with her compared to the other characters. Although I was hooked immediately with this book, I wish that it wasn't so rushed at the end. However, my biggest problem with this book was the lack of characters of color. None of the main characters appeared to be people of color, which was disappointing. I feel like there was such an opportunity to note the privilege of certain characters in this book, especially since it seemed like the book was hinting at it.

Overall, this book was pretty well-written.

I do not think I have the bandwidth remaining to explain how much I loved this story having just finished it. I am blown away- with a story pitched as The Hunger Games but just more of everything, it definitely lived up to my expectations and in some ways, exceeded them.

All of us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Herman was an intoxicating read. A book that draws you in and ensures you'll never feel safe again. They, as authors, are not afraid to upset the reader and whilst I admire them for this, I also hate them a little too. The ending to the story made me want the second immediately and without saying too much, you'll torment yourself until the release date of book 2.

The characters are clever, strong, dangerous, evil and extremely likeable. I don't think there's one I can't at least empathise with. The curse that plagues their city and allows one family each generation access to higher magic demands sacrifice in the form of a Battle Royale and Hunger Games -esque child fight. This is the story at its very core and boy do they know how to add more and more until the tournament is almost not as interesting as every plot twist or alliance that is forged or broken. The pace of the novel is fast and unforgiving, don't fall behind or you'll regret it!

I am entranced by this world building and the politics of it all, surrounded by magic and curses and an extremely unique magic system that is explained so perfectly that I'm convinced I could conjure some now. In short, this book is racing towards a finish line the Hunger Games could never cross. I love this book and I reckon most other YA/NA readers will too.

First and foremost- credit where credit is due. Of all the many( and I really do mean many) books with teenagers fighting to the death, this one has the most realistic reason for all the killing. `Full control over the last remaining high magic? Heck yeah- send 'em in! It does help that almost all the characters are totally into it too...

But now let's be real. This has still been done before. This wasn't special, but it tried SO hard to be special that at times the 'dark' vibes were almost cringey? The writing was over the top but with the label of whimsical. I get it, all of these teens have replaced their sex drive with a need for vengeful murder. Not everything needs to be a metaphor for it though.

Saying all of this, I'm also not upset at this book. Yeah, it is a copy of a copy, but even the hunger games was based off of Battle Royal! And the twist of having it from multiple POV's of people needing to kill each other was pretty awesome. And yes I got attached. Thanks for that by the way...*sobbing*
And then Alistair and Gavin... my heart! I know it basically is compulsory for this type of book to have a tragic romance, but the fact that they are both kinda evil? That just adds a level of tension that is hard to beat.

Now the magic system. It was a hot mess express of ambiguous limits and faulty logic. It is also a total pet peeve of mine for magic systems that don't have set out boundaries and rules. But it was also kinda fun? Basically it was a fun idea- I just like having set out rules. (Wow that sounded sad)

Overall this was some dark fun. Nothing special, but enjoyable.

I received a physical ARC of this book after I requested this, but I got approved for this anyway. Cool!

All of Us Villains is one of my favorite reads of the year. While the story itself wasn’t really my thing, the characters kept me hooked. I started off loving Briony, but then I started really liking Isobel! She’s definitely my favorite in this series so far! Although, I did find myself loving all of the main characters by the end.

I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for the sequel!

“All of Us Villains” by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman is a dark-themed, vicious battle of dark magic between a group of villainous teenagers who aren’t afraid to kill to get what they want. A razor-sharp read, full of tension, violent magic, and morally grey characters that aren’t often seen in YA Fantasy Novels.

Foody and Herman have done a brilliant job setting up a dark, deceptive world in which magic plays a huge part in family rivalries and the long-standing history of tournaments ending with bloodshed. Within the first few pages the atmosphere is established as tense, moody, and emotionally heavy. Each main character is followed up with a heavy and tragic past of slaughter and violence that establishes the reputation they are meant to live up to—whether they want it or not. Having an extensive history to refer to creates a different kind of connection to the cast of characters than in traditional YA novels.

Readers can look forward to the imagination that went into inventing a magic system that precedes expectations by breaking the stereotypes and cliches a reader typically predicts in the fantasy genre. Usually, it is highly fantastical or something similar to witchcraft and in this case, it’s a blend of both. Somehow, having people who possess magic but rely on magical objects to cast spells is an interesting route to take that works well in the novel.

Where it falls short is not too long after the tournament begins. It has nothing to do with the events that took place but the pacing of them. It’s already a pretty long book, but it would’ve been beneficial to have given these events a bit more space to create an emotional response even the readers can feel. It’s easy to see and understand why the characters are hurting but there isn’t much reason to care for their pain.
It’s also a bit disappointing that the characters aren’t more … corrupt. Innately, the characters seem like good people who are forced to do bad things, which perhaps is what makes them corrupt. Though the title and summary suggest they are evil, villainous, and immoral people who—as in The Hunger Games—have no qualms about killing to get what they want. If there was a suffocating sense of desperation to hunt down and kill one’s rivalries to win the reward, then it wouldn’t have felt as though the characters wouldn’t have felt too internally pure.

“All of us Villains” as a whole was far from disappointing. Foody and Herman deliver a wicked tale with morally ambiguous characters, grotesque spells that will make readers shudder, and an overall thrilling tale. Though it wasn’t as expected, readers are still going to enjoy this tale and will surely devour it in one sitting. It’s an intense and wild ride from the first page, so keep a lookout for this novel on its expected publication date of November 9th, 2021.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor (Forge) for providing me with a free e-arc to share my honest thoughts and opinions in this review.

❝The only thing worse than making another champion your enemy is making them a friend.❞

Murder, magic, teens fighting to the death, betrayals... All of Us Villains was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021. The premise and characters, this sounded brilliant especially as it was pitched as the next The Hunger Games I was so excited!

Unfortunately this failed to deliver for me, it felt kind of lacklustre? The threats didn't feel as high as they were meant to, the murder was dialled down to about 2/10, and the two girls' narratives (Briony and Isobel) were quite similar so it was sometimes hard to discern which perspective I was reading from.

Don't get me wrong, this had some great moments that stood out. I loved the relationship between Alastair and his brother Hendry. I liked the relationship between Alastair and Isobel. I liked how Alastair was such a rich character, he had many sides to him and he's not quite the villain you expect. (Can you tell who my favourite was yet? lol) I liked how most of the characters had their own motives and felt well fleshed out. I wonder why the authors decided to only include the perspectives from four contestants (Alastair, Briony, Isobel and Gavin) and then there were three others that I didn't really care about, we don't get to read from their viewpoint so we don't get to connect with them unfortunately.

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

The plot was good, I liked the pacing and the drama does build but it didn't feel like high stakes. There were some shocking moments, such as the lengths some families and people will go to in order to win this tournament. I really enjoyed the aspect of magical jewellery containing spells and curses, this was one of my favourite parts of the book and the use of magic was explained well. I liked the romance between certain characters, it has the 'only one bed' trope and a suggestive 'make me' comment among many other cute moments, which I enjoyed!

I liked the world-building but it felt a bit rushed at times, I wanted more. Some families houses were described in a lot of detail, whereas others felt like it was just brushed over.

❝Full of dark-stained pine wood and iron candlebras, it was where maidens pricked their fingers on spinning wheels, where every fruit tasted of poison and vice.❞

All of Us Villains is half of a duology, and this ends on a big cliffhanger. I was left with more questions than answers at the ending and this left me unsatisfied. I will read the next instalment to see how it ends as I need answers to my questions.

3 out of 5 stars overall.

*Thank you to the publishers for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review

CW/TWs:
•murder
•toxic relationships
•violence
•blood
•death
•grief
•emotional abuse
•emetophobia
•generational trauma

Honestly… this book was amazing. The four character POVs were what I needed and each character was written so well. I honestly have no idea how I’m going to wait so long for the next book. Gosh I loved this so much, I doubt I’ll stop talking about it.

3.5 stars, rounded up

I'm not usually one for villain stories. Even morally grey characters aren't always my jam. But I ended up enjoying this.

I think that the characters and the world both get an equal amount of time to shine. Maybe occasionally the two main female character's POVs sounded a little similar and I'd have to take a moment to remind myself who was narrating, but they were both still good characters. The two main male characters felt different enough and were both interesting.

I really liked the magic Hunger Games setting. It definitely felt Hunger Games-y, but had enough to set it apart.

Also, even though it's definitely Hunger Games-esque, this felt unique enough to stand out in a crowd of overwhelmingly similar YA fantasies. I actually think I'll still remember enough from this one that I won't have to read a recap when the next book in the series comes out. (although I do kinda wish it had been a standalone....)


Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the advance copy.

It's not the journey that mattered but the villains we met along the way.

Full review at A Book Shrew

First off, I had extremely high expectations for this book. Like, sky high. I vowed I would give a limb to read this early and I'm fairly certain half my soul was taken in return for the physical ARC I now hold (shoutout to Raincoast Books and Amanda Foody for that). And somehow, despite all that, this book still shattered every one of my expectations. AoUV is incredible. As far as dual-author books go, this was such a compelling and cohesive story. The writing style is impeccable, the story beautifully crafted with multi POVs, and full of so much emotion poured directly into the characters at its heart.

This book did not come to play. It is dark and ruthless thanks to the cursed tournament that has taken place every 20 years for the last eight centuries. When the Blood Moon appears, the seven major families of Ilvernath have one month to prepare their champion before the Blood Veil falls, and the games begin. The Tournament can only end one of two ways. Either one champion kills the other six with the magic at their disposal or through brute force, or all seven die at the end of three months. The prize for the winning family: control of high magick, the most powerful and rare type of magic known to man. This year, the Tournament has been thrust into the international spotlight after a book was published spilling all the gory details of the town, the families, and the curse. The government is trying to intervene where they can, reporters tail each champion, and people are desperate to know these reluctant celebrities.

Like I said, the characters at the center of this story are what made it sing. Each champion is so thoughtfully created, and not a single one of them enters the Blood Veil without something wrong or unexpected happening beforehand. The stakes were truly unparalleled. Seven are trapped inside the Blood Veil, but only four matter to us.

Alistair Lowe is arguably my favourite. The Lowes have won the Tournament the most, and Alistair is the most dangerous, the most powerful, the most villainous of the champions. He knows it too, even though he wishes he weren't sometimes.

Isobel Macaslan is my second favourite. She never wanted to be her family's champion, but somehow became the international face of the Tournament. She is not locally liked, though, thanks to her magic-scavenging family, which could prevent her from getting cursemaker sponsorship.

Gavin Grieve is from the weakest and least liked family in Ilvernath, a problem not helped by the fact that an anonymous Grieve has been credited with publishing the damning tell-all. He has zero hope in winning the Tournament, and he is determined to prove everyone wrong.

Briony Thorburn is the most ambitious of the champions. Her entire life she has trained to be her family's champion, but when her sister is named as champion instead at the government's request, she spirals hard.

The villain angle is so fascinating because of these characters and their motives. Alistair is fashioned as THE villain but I think the true villain is actually [REDACTED] Each character has their own questionable reasons for their behaviour, but they also have seriously solid ones that stem from their individual families, their childhoods, and the expectations that have been set both by themselves and their families, all in the name of glory. It's hard to stay good in the face of all that and death.

I don't know how I'll be able to wait until the next book. I was very curious how this would carry on as a duology, but know that Foody and Herman have laid out some fabulous stepping stones for what promises to be an explosive conclusion.

This creepy tale of magick pits friends, loved ones, and enemies against each other in a quest for control and power. A powerful curse forces a group of young people to fight to the death every 20 years to see who gets to control the the magick that rules the world. Can the curse be broken?

I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the next installment.