I love both of these authors, so I knew I had to read this. I was not disappointed! There really isn't much to say about it other than if you like Hunger Games and usually root for the villain, this is 100% the book for you.

The world building, and creation of both the magical system and the magical competition combined with the great writing made this a "couldn't put down read for me". It was probably a 4 to 5 Star read for me up until the last 25%. I definitely had a little bit of a love/hate thing going on here. Not going to lie, the last quarter wiped me out emotionally. I was so into it and then....ooofta, the two characters I actually cared about turned directions and I kind of wanted to throw the book across the room. Which is a good sign that the authors definitely had me -I got all whipped up and was so excited and then (bwahaha authors cackling) kaboom they wiped me out - and now i'm still picking up my little sentimental bits off the floor...
**Thank you to both NetGalley and TOR Teen for an eARC of this in exchange for my honest review**

So its hard for me to accurately rate this one. Once I can read a sequel and move past this downer part of the story might I look back on the first book without so much disappointment? Possibly, and more than likely. It definitely might be one of those series that's better for me to read once the sequel has come out so I don't have to dwell in this depressing ending and not be able to move on yet to better things. I know its trendy currently to end a book with a character entering their "dark night of the soul" arc, but I hate it, and if the next book isn't currently available I dislike it even more. And here we had several characters all heading into that arc at the same time so...yeah not my favorite ending - all I have to say is if at least one of those two doesn't have a redemptive arc (and stop being an idiot) in the next book then I am definitely throwing that book across the room.

All that being said there's plenty of people who will eat this up, and be far less traumatized emotionally than I (particularly Teen and NA audiences). Hence why I still gave it a 4 Star rating, I fully recognize my emotional response/irritation will probably not be the typical one (I'm not gonna lie I don't do well when authors add bad things onto bad choices, onto more bad things happening, onto more bad choices etc. I need a rainbow in there somewhere:)

I'm really torn about this one. All of Us Villains has a slow but intriguing start, and we're nearly half-way through by the time the Hunger Games comparisons start to really come into play. However, I was engrossed the whole way through - I enjoyed learning more about these characters, and the last half is much more action packed, with plenty of twists and turns.
There are some flaws here though. Despite being a huge fan of novels with multiple POVs, I didn't always feel that the different characters had solid enough personalities to make it work in this case. I sometimes had difficulty keeping track of who was who.
Ultimately, the biggest let-down here was the very abrupt ending, which dragged my rating down from a solid 3.5 (with moments of 4), to a 3. Everything felt quite rushed, and there was no feeling of conclusion at all. I was once sent an incomplete ARC by mistake, and this honestly felt like that - I get that there's a second book (although I foolishly assumed this was a standalone going into it), and can appreciate the decision to end the first installment at this point, but it didn't feel like a fully formed cliffhanger either. I want to know what happens next, but I'm not sure if I'll remember everything that happened by the time the sequel comes out. I can see myself picking it up, as I certainly had a great experience reading this book until its climax, but my ultimate feeling is sadly one of disappointment.
Thanks to Orion and Netgalley for the ARC.

I absolutely enjoyed this book - honestly when I started it I didn't realize it was a series and was getting really worried as I neared the end of the book with some very major plot points still outstanding!

The vibe is absolutely The Hunger Games with magic and at times... the results of that magic was quite gory which I loved! This title is absolutely fitting for the novel as well - it's hard to determine who I was cheering for most but Alistair seems to hold a special place in my heart.

I hope we get more villainy in the second installment but what a great start to a new series!

Thank you for the opportunity to read early!

And Then There Were None meets the Triwizard Tournament meets To Best the Boys in this book. Although the numerous POVs can be rather daunting, the premise is interesting enough that you don't get bogged down. The intrigue and characters work quite well together, and overall this was a very enjoyable book. I can't wait for the second book! Thank you to NetGalley and Amanda Foody for sending me an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so much fun to read! It lost me at some point around the middle but then it picked up and the ending was great.

I would have liked it to be a bit more villain-y to be honest but I enjoyed it anyway and I'll be waiting (FOREVER) for the next book.

This is one of my favorite books of the year and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

Every 20 years, the Blood Veil falls over the town of Ilvernath and 7 champions are forced to compete in a cursed fight to the death in order to claim the last bit of high magic left in the world. These champions, known as the Slaughter Seven, come from 7 different families—the Lowes (the most vicious and mysterious of them all; notorious for the most amount of kills and wins, and currently the holders of the magic hoard), the Macaslans (known for their connection to the dead and the dirty way they made their fortune—by taking it from the dead at their funerals), the Darrows (known for their knowledge and wisdom), the Paynes (known for their no-nonsense attitudes and haughtiness), the Grieves (a family known for their failure to ever win and their alcoholism) and the Thorburns (known for their wealth and love for the spotlight, they are the sweethearts of the competition).

I have read some excellent books so far, but I am really expecting big things from this one. It had a Hunger Games-feel to it that I loved, but it added in magic. There was the dark enemies-to-lovers romance and one-bed trope (no smut though, which is good for YA). There were a whole lot of morally gray characters and a bit of the found family trope mixed in. I had 822 highlights to sift through because there were so many parts of the book that were just too good. I absolutely loved this book!

I would rate the book a 3.5 but it won't let me go there! This story had interesting world-building and characters you weren't sure if you liked or hated. The characters came across as flawed and real with no real "hero" or "heroine." It is told from multiple points of view and yet there is one character whose POV is left out which I found odd. Revelations about each character's motivations and who they are as the story unfolded constantly changed your opinion. I liked how the authors spun magic and its use - there was a different take on magic which was interesting. The story ends with MAJOR cliffhangers and it is uncertain how a full book could come from wrapping the story up.

Wow, just wow. This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I.love the Shadow Game Trilogy by Amanda Foody so I expected to love this book just as much and it did not disappoint.

This book is pitched as Hunger Games with magic. It is just that. We have seven families who each chose a "champion" to compete to the death. The victors' families gets exclusive control over the city's high magick supply. The Lowe's win at a greater rate than the other families. But, this time, every champion thinks they are capable of winning,, or even changing the course of the competition.

I could not put this book down. The plot was fast paced and intricate. You were consistently at the edge of your seat. The amount of plot twists in this novel is mind-boggling. You really did not know what would come next. But. I do want to say that this book is more character driven than anything.

The complexity of the characters is what really drew me in. Every single character had a reason for winning besides the obvious of being victor. The relationships that each champion had with their families and other champions was just so interesting to read about. They all had stories to tell and were willing to do anything to save the ones they love. My favorite character has to be Alistair, obviously, He is the one that is seen to win the competition, especially because he is a Lowe. Alistair was just unapologetically cruel. He had little remorse for the things he had done and only cared for two characters in the novel. I also really loved Gavin as a character, he would go at all lengths to win. To prove everyone wrong. He is seen as the weakest link. Isobel, Briony, and Finley are also notable characters, But, Alistair and Gavin stand out the most.

I highly recommend this book to everyone looking for a great YA Fantasy novel. It is absolutely amazing,

Thank you to Macmillan-T0r/Forge and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to lobe this book, but just could not get into it. It took me forever to get through and while I'm glad I pushed myself to finish, it wasn't worth it for me.

If you identify with the hero riding in on a white horse to save the day, don't bother with this book. The characters are broken. They have been lied to, sacrificed for their families' honor, made to feel 'less than' and 'more than they could ever be.. There are curses and magically spell rings., There are betrayals and forbidden love. There is EVERYTHING and more actually and I could not put it down until the last curse fell.

I was intrigued by the comparison to previous works - Hunger Games, but with magic. This first installation seems to fall short, however. The multiple perspectives, when done well, build an intricate and rich ensemble of characters - this story seems to dumb down the mechanic, leaving us with flat, one-dimensional personalities. The gruesome nature of the society was too much for me personally, feeling gratuitous. Also, WHY WOULD YOU END IT THERE? The cliffhanger felt too abrupt, with no resolution to carry a hope for satisfaction into a second installment.

This will be the perfect book for readers looking for the next Hunger Games/Testing series. The families that essentially rule Ilvernath and their magic are very clearly defined, the mythology surrounding the tournament less so (the Relics and the Monuments, how things started, etc..). There are pacing issues that were a little surprising since this is a series and they could have been smoothed over. The Alister/Briony/Isobel team has a lot of promise and I'll be interested to see what happens next.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

There were many things that I liked about <i>All of Us Villains</i>. The magic system is fascinating and not quite like one I’ve read or seen before so that was refreshing. As well as the curse itself upon these seven families and all of their histories, I mostly enjoyed getting to know where everyone stood in the scheme of things. So, I can see people really enjoying it but overall I was underwhelmed. As always with anything that has multiple points of view there were some characters I preferred reading from far more than others, mostly Alistair and Isobel, as they themselves were not only layered but their families were the most interesting in the dark ways.

But what really let me down was how long it took to actually get into the action, we’re talking like 30-40% of the way in before we’re even in the curse/tournament/arena/whatever. There was far too much set up - I got the gist of the families within each of the characters first POVs and the magic system didn’t take too long to grasp.

It’s interesting that this is a duology, I think it would have actually benefitted from being a standalone and I would have felt more satisfied. At least going into the second book everything will already be set up so it shouldn’t take too long to get into but I don’t know if I care enough about everyone to read it at this point.

I received a copy of this book to review from Netgalley and all opionins are my own.
This book is definitely not suitable for younger readers and perfect for those who are fans of dark fantasy, with its cast of morally grey characters and bloody scenes. The writing is incredibly atmospheric with the odd quip thrown in here and there to prevent the writing from becoming overly melodramatic. The characters are well developed and complex, each with intricately detailed and explained back stories. The story has plenty of twists and turns, some of which are truly shocking. With its breathtaking cliffhanger, I can't wait to read more about this story.

What an absolute amazing book. I could not put this book down once I got into it. It has everything I look for in a young adult series. I would say this series is much better then several well known series as the twists are not predictable as other book series. I am so excited to find out what happens next. Leaving me at a cliffhanger has me needing the next book ASAP.

This book, these characters!!! I am in love!

This story is told from multiple POVs. Includes magic, interesting/likable characters and a competition to the death.

Once I started reading this book I couldn't stop. The twists and turns, the world building, the characters, everything about this book is amazing and I felt genuine excitement, just wanting to know what would happen next.

In a world where common magick is weak but plentiful, most believe that high magick has disappeared from the world entirely due to humanity’s greed and lust for power. But in the town of Ilvernath, hundreds of years ago, seven families fought over who would control Ilvernath’s high magick. A compromise was reached- a curse that they cast upon themselves. Every generation when the Blood Moon rose, each family would pick a champion to enter a tournament. Only one champion would survive, and that family would control the high magick until the next tournament began. This was kept a secret for hundreds of years…until now.

With the Blood Moon rising and a bestselling tell-all book published by a mysterious writer detailing the families’ secrets, paparazzi descend on Ilvernath to witness the tournament. Told from the perspective of four of the champions, All of Us Villains begins a tale of survival, magic, love, and mystery. Who will survive, and is there any way to break the curse and end the tournament for good?

This book was a page turner! Between the mystery of who penned the tell-all, to the conundrum of how to break a centuries old curse while you were right in the middle of it; I didn’t know which one I wanted answered more. Some of the characters seemed like stereotypes at the beginning of the book, but as the story unfolded and you got inside (some) of their heads, they became so much more than that. Each character was complex, with varying motivations and feelings about the tournament.

I also liked the way the tournament was set up. 7 relics, 7 landmarks, one for each champion. The last champion standing is the winner. If after 3 months more than one champion is still alive, they all die and the high magick goes unused until the next tournament. The whole premise of this book really worked for me.

This book was bloodthirsty and badass and a little romantic. A winning combination. I’m ready for the sequel already.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an egalley for review. This was such an excellent start that lost me at the end. There were spells and curses, relics and lairs and the end fell so unbelievably flat. The cover fits well, in a year that covers do not fit that stories being told. The champions are multi-dimensional, the monster is empathic, the pathetic one is monstrous. It's a great story, until the rushed, incomplete ending.

It's an interesting premise, but falls flat in places. The rotating perspectives become a bit tiresome, and the pacing feels a bit uneven.