Did not finish. The story had potential and the writing was good, but it did not hold my attention. It is possible the Hunger Games comparison gave me too high of expectations.

I'm a sucker for anti-heroes and villains so this one was a no-brainer. It surpassed my expectations in a way I wasn't expecting. It give us characters to love, to hate, to find annoying and to gush over. None of them is a villain in my eyes, they were thrown into a shitty situation and forced to make hard choices.
I get the Hunger Games comparison but I think in the case of the All of Us Villains, having the different POVs and the characters actually knowing each other and some even growing up together/having previous relationships, made everything even more interesting.
Of course, Alastair was my favourite (surprise to no one) but I also loved the rest of the cast, they were all very different, motivated by anger, pride, loyalty, fear, etc, to compete and win the tournament and it shows when you read from each of their perspectives.
The worldbuilding is super intriguing and I can't wait to see how it develops in the sequel.

I never sent my review for this book whoopsie
I loved it, not as much as Foody`s other books but the writing, the atmosphere and the overall feel o the story was very much on trend for the way her stories go.

Wow what a wild ride! I loved this one! I am a fan of any books that have a Magical Tournament of sorts, but this is one of the better ones. The characters were well developed and so complex. I loved to hate some of them, and hated that I loved others, all in the best way possible. This book was DARK, much darker than expected and the entire vibe of the book felt exactly how I wanted it to feel. I will definitely be recommending to friends and family! A GREAT YA fantasy.

Worth noting, I already read book 2 and it was even better than book 1. Such a fantastic duology!!


Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was requested by a previous Lesbrary reviewer who did not finish or review it. In order to keep my Netgalley feedback up to date, I am submitting this review marking it as a DNF, though it was another reviewer who requested this.

During the Blood Moon, each of the seven magick families of Ilvernath must select one family member to compete in a tournament for control over the high magick. Each of the seven champions fight to the death for this power, with each family following similar patterns and strategies each year. But this year, with the publication of a tell-all book all about the tournament and the families, it is bound to be different.

The start of this was pretty slow for me, but that’s not that uncommon for fantasy novels. I did appreciate that creative way the author used the tell-all book to help introduce the characters and the world without info dumping. That being said, I still felt like it was a little difficult to keep track of all of the characters. Once the tournament started, the pace definitely picked up, but I still found myself only caring about one or two of the characters (and maybe that was the point). I’m intrigued by the plot enough that I will most likely continue with the sequel, but I know I need to do that soon or I will have forgotten everything with so many different characters and plot lines.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I have recently been finding myself gravitating towards dark fantasy this year and honestly? I love it. Dark fantasy brings forward everything I love in books: enemies to lovers, forbidden romance and magic schemes that make you wish the world was a little more magical than it actually is. All of Us Villains had the perfect recipe to become a newfound favourite.

I was lucky enough to read a few pages of the book before it was out. I enjoyed the sampler so much that I bought the book (and its sequel) already knowing I would be transfixed and pun intended, spellbound.

The book has been pitched to me as The Hunger Games but make it magical and villainous. The book is told in four perspectives: Briony, Alistair, Isobel and Gavin, four of the seven champions forced to fight to the death to win high magic, a rare magical commodity. The book spends a lot of time showing us how the champions have prepared and strategised for the tournament, building up the characters and showing how they all cope with the knowledge that they'll one day fight to the death.

To me, Alistair was an instant stand out. I loved reading his perspective. He reminded me of Lira from To Kill A Kingdom in that he was raised to be villainous but really, his villainous behaviour was a result of what his family expected from him. He may be morally grey but I could tell he had a softer side and the way he cared for his brother, Hendry was really sweet and wholesome.

Isobel started off as a character I really enjoyed reading but towards the end, I started losing interest with her character. Her parts were better in terms of plot and moving things along but as a character, she lost me towards the end.

Gavin was a character I was very interested in. I am a sucker for the classic underdog story where the odds are stacked against them and they manage to be victorious. Gavin's entire family haven't won the tournament in all the centuries it's been happening. Gavin is seen as a dead boy walking and he wants nothing more than to prove people wrong. Out of everyone in the tournament, he and Elionor seemed the most ruthless in their pursuit to win and eliminate competitors.

Briony was the last of the perspectives however, she never really grabbed me as a character and so, I wasn't as excited reading about her as much as I was for Alistair or Gavin. I won't lie, she sort of annoyed me. The other side characters I enjoyed were Hendry and Reid. Hendry was such a sweetie he's easily one of my favourite characters. Reid was a character I predicted would have a huge influence on the plot. He kind of reminded me of Harry Hook from The Descendants mixed with Yungblud and a bit of Palaye Royale. I hope I get to see him more in book two.

The characters were a big win for this book. As in, all the characters felt unique with their own personality that I could easily tell apart. The only real negative I had was the book at times felt a little slow. I also wanted more suspense and tension from the competition. I knew the stakes were high but I didn't feel the danger or risk from the tournament even when things started going pear-shaped. By the end of the book, I started getting that anticipation I was looking for with the book ending on a tantalising cliffhanger. Naturally, I have started the sequel instantly.

ACTUAL RATING: 4.2 STARS

I love the idea of a good villain tale. It doesnt have to be a redemption story either, I am here for those questionable characters and what makes them tick. This book has been a favorite of mine and one I often find myself rereading. The author has a unique way of weaving her tale no matter what she is writing about

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

What do you get when two fantastic sci fi authors join together? An original duology with a unique storyline and some very interesting characters. Foody and Herman are both well known for their sci fi and YA stories and characters. They have combined talents to share the story of a competition that makes Hunger Games look like a fairy tale for babies. The tournament takes place every 7 years. The winner will control magick like never seen outside the game. I expected a great story and got so much more. This is the first book in a planned duology and all I can say is, hurry.

I enjoyed reading all of these villains. I was amazed by the champion choice and wasn’t sure how Amanda foody could top ace of shades but she did.

This has an intriguing premise, but the more I dig into the magic system, the more I wonder why the deaths of the champions had to be via magical means. I enjoyed the multiple points of view, but also had a little bit of trouble telling a couple of the characters apart. However, as I knew I was drawing to the end of this book, I realized I must be enjoying the story a fair bit because I was annoyed I didn't have immediate access to the sequel.

"All of Us Villains" by Amanda Foody and C. L. Herman is a thrilling fantasy novel that plunges readers into a world of dark magic and deadly competition. Set in the sinister city of Ilvernath, where every generation, six families compete in a deadly tournament known as the Tournament of Blades to seize control of the city's magic. The story follows a diverse cast of characters as they navigate treacherous alliances, deadly betrayals, and forbidden romances. With its intricate world-building, complex characters, and gripping plot twists, "All of Us Villains" is a riveting read that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience. Note: I ended up purchasing a final copy to read in the future.

I thought I would've enjoyed this book more, but I didn't. Sadly, this book simply wasn't for me but it looks like I am in the minority as most people really loved it a lot.

I tried to get into this book but I just couldn’t. I started with the ebook but could not stay focused on the book. So I decided to switch to audiobook and found that while I was listening my kind would just wander off and forget. So I’d go back and listen to what I just heard and find it happening again. I am blaming my fantasy slump, the genre just isn’t holding my attention. I will try this one again another time

This is one of those books that the summary doesn't match the book. I was hooked on the villany hunger games catch, and I kept reading expecting an evil time, but only one character was morally grey. I expected way more than what it was. Was it engaging, yes. Would I read it again, yes. But I personally dislike when the summary doesn't match the book.

All of Us Villains was one of the most disappointing reads that I have had in a while. The premise intrigued me from the very start as it was compared to The Hunger Games. This novel follows the Villains of the Blood Veil, seven teenagers from rival families who must kill one another until one claims a wellspring of high magick for their family. This tournament takes place every twenty years, however this year a new element comes into play: a tell-all novel revealing the secrets of the tournament and the families.

This book had such an interesting concept, and at times it did deliver. I found that the different perspectives used were very enticing, and made the reader want to continue the story to find out what happened to the characters. However, I found that the biggest downfall of this book was how wide of a scope it cast, as well as it's decision to include the media and the tell-all book. The book was trying to tackle far too much, and would often give the reader mere breadcrumbs or spell out what was happened instead of showing. It was very unsatisfying from a world building perspective. In addition to this, the tell-all book was not fleshed out nearly enough. While I understood the importance of including it, I felt that it often took a backseat to the main plot when it should have been more forefront.

Unfortunately, I will not be continuing this series. It was a difficult decision as I did find myself really caring for the story and its characters, but the execution of it was not for me.

This was such an innovative, gripping, wicked take on the competitions of YA past—I loved getting to follow these "villains," all of whom were nevertheless compelling and nuanced. I couldn't stop turning pages, and was up way past my bedtime reading this one!

Not many people talk about this book, but I really liked it. I look forward to picking up individual books by these authors in the future!