I haven't read either of these author's other books, so I was going into this one fully based on premise. It seemed an interesting one, and I always really enjoy stories centered around competitions or 'games', as long as they're done well, of course.

This book definitely delivered. The competition remained the focal point of the story the whole way through, with all the POVs either focused on winning the competition or somehow trying to stop it. A story is always stronger when the characters are willing participants, or don't spend the entire book trying to simply escape the captivating setting they've found themselves in, and in this book, each and every character seemed invested and willing to participate, if on their own terms.

I really liked the cast of characters that this book had, even if it took me a while to like some of them. While all the POVs are fairly dominating personalities, it still ended up working together really well. I also like that the authors really stuck with the darkness of the competition and the idea of raising your kid to kill other kids later, and you could really see how that childhood impacted the characters. They were willing to kill if it meant the progression of their own goals, whatever that happened to be. The motivations of the characters themselves were also so varied that it never felt like you were reading the same thoughts and feelings over and over, as everyone had their own reasons for wanting to win and be the last one standing.

One thing I want to note is that I have been seeing this book being advertised as LGBTQ+, and while this is true in a sense, it's not a large part of the story at all. One character makes a few references to the fact that he's bi, and appreciates another guy in an aesthetic sense, but none of the relationships (past or present) in the story are queer (that we know of yet), and the character who is bi doesn't have a relationship in this book (nor seemingly even a love interest for later books). So while this is definitely not a straight cast, I wouldn't recommend it to someone specifically looking for a queer book.

In the end, I did really enjoy this, and I can't wait to see what happens after that mess of an ending. I'm certainly invested now!

All of Us Villains was an interesting read! The characters were interesting and intriguing, all definitely villains in their own right. I wish that the relationships between them had been a bit more fleshed out, because then I think the stakes would feel a little higher throughout. A Big Event that happens toward the end really sent me for a loop, and I'm nervous thinking about what it means for future books. Ultimately, this mainly feels like a set-up for books to come, but I'm definitely wrapped up in the lives of the villains of the Blood Veil, and I'm excited to see where they go next!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I've loved Herman's other books and couldn't wait to get my hands on this. I thought the flawed characters were so well written and couldn't put it down. What a great take on magic and a great read!

This Hunger Games-esque YA novel combines old magic with seven teens forced to fight to their deaths.

Ilvernath is hiding a secret-a dark, hideous secret. But then a book is published detailing the seven powerful families who control the city and the magic within it. Every generation these families hold a tournament to see who wields the most powerful high magic. These families sacrifice their children in a fight to the death to bring the power back to their families. These teen “champions” run the gambit of being trained since youth to a startling upset between family members. But there is another secret, one the families don't want to come to life as they will lose the magic and their power. It is rumored that there is a way to break the curse that cements the tournament to these families. Maybe, just maybe, these villains aren't so villainous and there is a way to break the curse and save their young lives.

I loved the characters. Each was unique and not just copies of Hunger Games characters. The majority of the champions (there are a few without perspectives) are complex and the stress of the tournament brings out all facets of their personality. It is interesting to see a villain turn hero and the hero who turns to violence.

This book lives in that grey morality area. This theme is enticing and exciting. As a reader, we are kept on our toes. What will these characters do? Will they go with violence and death or safety and hope? In fact, many of these characters flip between the hero and the villain role leaving many of them unpredictable. These children were raised as villains, as murders. But what happens when push comes to shove?

It doesn't tell a complete story. The ending doesn't feel natural more like a show episode you need to watch next week to finish the story. I hate these kinds of books. A good writer can keep you wanting the sequel while wrapping up the strand included in the first book. Instead, I felt trapped and manipulated.

All of Us Villain is a great novel that keeps readers guessing and wraps them in a blanket of spells and curses.

This book is spectacular and I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

The magic system was well established. Most of the main characters had character depth and motivations. I really liked all the family histories. I am glad that the competition didn’t start till 40% of the book, it helped establish all the characters. Alastair is obviously my favorite. I love him and want to wrap him up in a blanket. I am eager to read the next book, especially because of where this one ended.

A great cast of characters as hunger games meets magic. Children of the most powerful magic families fight in a battle to the death to earn the rights to control high magic for the next 20 years. The plot is fast paced and has many interesting twists and turns. The biggest questions are answered in this book with many left for the next book.

Wow, this was deliciously dark and propulsive and I'm annoyed it just came out and that means I have to wait so much longer for the next book. In Ilvernath, seven families select a teenage champion to compete in a battle to the death to decide who controls the high magick for the next two decades. It's the result of a curse that was enacted upon them centuries ago, and nobody really seems to think too deeply about it. But since the last competition, their secret competition has been revealed to the normies, so now the world is watching with bloodlust in their eyes. This story is told from four alternating points of view, from four of the potential victors: Alistair, Briony, Gavin, and Isobel. Throughout the book, and as the battle nears, we see these teenagers interrogating more and more the stories they've been told about the necessity of the fighting, and explore whether there's a way to end the curse once and for all...

This book is about our unwanted inheritances, the trauma and anger that can be passed down through generations, about coming of age and coming into your own. It complicates the idea of villainy, and reveals these teenagers as nuanced, complicated, annoying, annoyed, full humans, which I always appreciate.

My one overarching quibble is the use of the word "monster" was heavy-handed and redundant, to the point where I noticed it so much that I did a search of how often it appears in the book. (Sixty six times.) But obviously that didn't have an overall impact on my enjoyment of the story.

If you liked The Hunger Games or your favourite book in the HP series was Goblet of Fire, I think this one is going to be for you.

I really enjoyed this book. I absolutely love anything Amanda Foody touches. While being familiar with the authorial voice Foody has I was unable to distinguish which was Foody and which was Herman, and I think that was an absolute strength. Four POVs told and all four felt distinct, yet similar enough that when they interacted it was pure magic.

I loved each chapter starting with an excerpt from the Tradition of Tragedy. I love how villainous all four POVs are. I loved how dark and intense this book was. The prose was beautiful, the dialogue added to the story in a way I can't begin to deconstruct, the plot was unhinged, I love watching the slow descent into madness and villainy that Foody and Herman showcase.

Amazon review is pending approval.

Review:
All Of Us Villains is one of my favorite reads of the year, and definitely my favorite fantasy read of the year.  If you have been waiting for a blood drenched world of magic and morally grey characters, this is IT. Thank you to Tor Teen for the review copy!

Written in multiple POVs, this story roped me in and trapped me under the blood veil with the rest of the characters.  Which is dangerous because they would all definitely kick my ass.  Like, right away, don’t even pass go.  The premise is so creative and the execution is perfect, letting me get lost in the story but still admiring the incredible writing.  I found myself pausing to admire the pacing, the inserted lore, the little details that created the depth of each character.

And this is where the multiple POVs really were allowed to shine because I fell in love and hate with every character.  Each and every one of them is despicable and loveable, and I’m rooting for them all while wanting to give them a tentative hug and beg them to stop killing each other already. 

If this one isn’t on your TBR and library holds yet then you’ll want to add it right away.  Promise.  I’m already wanting to reread it just to tide me over until the next book is out.

Atlas 6 meets Hunger Games but they are all terrible people. I really enjoyed this book! the characters we get are complicated and have their own reasons for entering the death contest. They are a little dumb but they are teenagers. Alastair was my favorite and I want him to succeed but I also wanted everyone else to succeed. the author did a great job making the characters compelling and vital.
I do think this could have been a one shot book rather than a series; the premise is simple enough and it would have been easy to wrap up in one book.
the magic system is very cool.

A dark, doom-filled YA novel about a fight to the death for control of high magick, this intriguing book has the unusual premise of a fantasy battle set in what is very much a contemporary world. There are tabloids and paparazzi, but also curse-rings and spell-rings and magical relics -- and seven teenagers, representing seven families, who are sent into a tournament to kill or be killed. The plotting is intricate, and so hard to put down!

“Grins like goblins, pale as plague and silent as spirits. They’ll tear your throat and drink your soul.”

I requested All of Us Villains on a curious whim and while it isn’t perfect, I’m able to say with certainly that I’m glad I picked it up. Filled with characters to both love and love to hate, an exciting plot line with high stakes, and compelling twists and turns, the novel kept me flipping the pages, needing to know what would happen next.

My favorite character was Alastair Lowe, but I also throughly enjoyed the devious champion Gavin, the seemingly up-to-no-good cursemaker Reid, and Alastair’s brother, Hendry. I’m always a sucker for a good sibling dynamic, and the writers did a wonderful job portraying the love and loyalty between the Lowe brothers. I admittedly was somewhat disappointed in the lack of villainy the characters displayed and in the case of Alastair, he sometimes felt all over in the place in terms of moral alignment. This was especially frustrating to me when his whole personality would shift and was willing to throw everything away because he “fell in love” (in a romance that felt insta-lovey, lacking chemistry and continuously took me out of the story).

Despite this, by the end, the novel was beginning to feel more like potential villain origin stories. Although the characters’ motivations usually made sense, there were times their actions seemed to come out of left field. I was however eager to see this decline in morality and it made me hopeful for the next book in the series.

Oftentimes, it’s a given for books with multiple POVs to have one or two perspectives in which I can’t wait to get through their chapters. In this novel, those were Briony and Isobel. Their personalities unfortunately did not vibe with me, but I can definitely see how other readers would love them. I also realize seven perspectives would be tedious, but I found it unfortunate that three of the champions felt underdeveloped in comparison to the four given POV chapters. I was interested in their characters, but never felt like I got to know them very well.

As for pacing and plot development, I found them to be mostly excellent. I typically find my attention wandering during a book’s middle section, which wasn’t the case in All of Us Villains. I will say this only happened once or twice around the 75-90% mark, but it was fairly minimal and I mostly equate this to reading more of my least-liked POV sections. Some of my predictions were accurate (which always felt validating as opposed to evidence of lazy writing), but there were several times I was genuinely surprised at the turn of events, which kept me on my toes.

This novel will also hold appeal for horror/spooky book readers, as there is some nasty body horror and gore scenes, as well as several creepy monster stories told by Alistair in his family tradition. The magic system was fascinating and also felt unique in that the champions wear rings carrying spells and curses masterly crafted by makers. However, the effectiveness and power of them were dependent upon the casting skill of the champion.

Needless to say, despite a few flaws, I did quite enjoy All of Us Villains for the exciting plot, compelling characters, queer rep, and amazing conclusion. I’m eager for the release of the sequel and its promise of more deviousness.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing me with a digital ARC!

Trigger warnings: murder, gore, body horror, death of a sibling, mutilation, eye trauma, abuse by a parent

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this ARC!

So let's start off with the good! This book follows a group of teens who enter into a high-stakes, magical competition to the death for the chance to wield the most powerful magic in the realm. Basically The Hunger Games if all the kids were actually bloodthirsty witches, who were passed along this "honor" to kill in a competition from their families every 20 years or so. Sounds amazing, right?

I really loved the magic system in this world! I thought it was very original, and also fun to figure out since the characters were in no way all powerful beings. I also really liked a few of the characters. I thought the small romance between two of my favs was so cute!!! I really shipped it.

Now on to the bad, I really did not like the pacing in this book. It was sold to me in a way where I thought we would jump right into the competition, and I found the book kept building, and building without the characters being in the actual competition.

Then, when our characters finally get inside, the trials/ confrontations fell short for me. I thought this book was centered around some huge competition, and when the characters were portrayed to be villains (EVIL with a capital E) I thought there would be much more bloodshed. I was even surprised when the main character who was considered to be the strongest, and the most evil turned out to be a big softie (and he fell in love along the way???) which I don't mind too much since I liked his romance ARC, but then.... IT ALL GOT TAKEN AWAY??? Don't give me something to root for when we are slogging through plot and descriptions, and then just yank it out from under me. Honestly, when that happened and then the brother ended up being alive in a 180 move that made our MC go coo-coo bananas I completely disengaged from the story.

Overall, I found this to be lacking. I had high expectations and I think through the sheer time it took to get to the competition, the amount of characters & their POVs/ backstories, and then the sudden change/ underdeveloped plot in the end I just found myself not liking this book very much. I wish that wasn't the case because the premise is amazing, and I truly did love the romance, but the execution just was not it for me.

I'm hoping this hits home for others!! I think my expectations and the way it was sold to me really did me a disservice, so maybe others will have a better experience.

xx
-Christine

All Of Us Villains is about seven families who, generation after generation, have fought each other in a game that determined the fate of the high magick that they would be able to wield. And time and time again, the Lowe family had won. But that doesn't mean certain victory for chosen champion, Alistair Lowe.
Plans change, priorities change, and quite frankly, goals change.
They—all seven champions—have either been born to be champion, or were given the roles whether they wanted it or not. What they wanted didn't really matter. They were to bring forth power and honor in their families names or they would die. Obviously, the latter was more gruesome. A fate that all of them would have to avoid. Because who wants to die... right?
All seven of them had gone into the tournament fighting for just that. Power, honor, and the chance to get out of the tournament in one piece. But what happens when the lines between being a villain and being a hero start to blur? And what happens when they discover that despite all their efforts, they were just meant to be villains in the end?

This book definitely disappointed me.
I was so excited about it when I had first read the premise of the story. The plot sounded very promising, and the notion of morally grey characters sounded very enticing to me because I'm someone who favors those kinds of characters compared to your everyday hero. So, you can understand my disappointment when I didn't really see that in the characters. Yeah, they committed murder and did questionable things, but what I had been expecting was a group of batshit characters with a penchant for arson and the occasional stab in the back.

The pacing felt oddly off for me, too. The mere fact that it took 40% of the book before the actual tournament started, already said a lot about how the second half was going to go. After that, I really did expect it to go downhill from there, and I was right. The time it had taken for the authors to establish the world building and everything we needed to know about the characters, their history, and everything in between, they had already taken up so much of the story that when the actual action began, there was little to no wiggle room for the authors to expound on certain plot points that were important to the story. I swear, at some point, I was too confused to actually comprehend any form of information being told in the story.

Now regarding the characters... Personally, I didn't really connect with any of them. But I did manage to fall in love with Gavin. He felt like the most consistent character out of all seven of them. The rest felt very one-dimensional. They were always changing their minds, their principles, and their opinions. For me, that simply won't do. I deeply despise characters who can't stand firm in their beliefs. I need characters that can show consistency and determination without having to change their view on things every next chapter. Each of them had so much potential because they were all distinct in their own ways but I think the authors failed in maintaining their characters' abilities and limitations because some things simply did not make any sense. Everything seemed to go their way, even when the odds were very much against them.
I hated the way they took away Isobel's powers for a relevant period of time because I was actually looking forward to how her character would act and react in the tournament considering the fact that she didn't even want to be there in the first place. And don't get me wrong, I loved the moments between her and Alistair, but they didn't have to turn her into a damsel in distress to get those character interactions. I think the two of them would have made a powerful team without one of them having to be vulnerable.
I hated how they made out Alistair Lowe as a force to be reckoned with when he was almost the second champion to die. His character underwhelmed me so much because of the high expectation I established for him because of how the authors had portrayed him and his family in the first—excruciatingly long—40% of the book.

Although, to be honest, I think having expected anything from this book was my first mistake.

Overall, I didn't enjoy it. One of the only things that kept me from dropping the book was the subtle relationship brewing between Gavin and Alistair. And despite my love for AlistairIsobel, I do think that GavinAlistair would hit so much harder.

All of Us Villans is pitched The Hunger Games but in a fantasy setting and with higher stakes. With this description, I am instantly lured in the book. There were also some excerpts from the book that has been released which intrigued me. It was absolutely stunning, the action, the intrigue, and the rivalry between families. Reading the entirety of the tournament amidst their family background has been the cherry on top of this book. We get to see different family dynamics incorporated in this.

Fans of fantasy, Hunger Games, and cunning characters will definitely enjoy this one.

I loved this book so much!
I was a little hesitant about the multiple POVs, but each of them were well developed and unique. It had similar vibes to Hunger Games. I absolutely loved the story and all the characters. I'm very excited for book 2 !

THIS BOOK WAS INCREDIBLE! What I loved about this book is that before the tournament even begins, we get a peek into the lives of most of the champions and get to know them, like them and feel for them on some level. We enter the tournament with them caring about nearly each and every one of them to some extent! The stakes, for us as readers, are high! Great story telling! Twist and turns! Slow burn romance! Love to hate and hate to love! Dark and Sinister history and children sent to the slaughter all in the name of power and who gets to wield it. Incredible book and I can't wait for the next one!

𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙐𝙨 𝙑𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙮 & 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙇𝙮𝙣𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣

𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙚: 5 ★

“𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟.“
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First of all i’m gonna say, thank you Netgalley and Tor/Forge for accepting my request for the ARC of this book.
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This book is about a tournament that happens every generation. Seven families come together and offer a champion from their bloodlines to compete. Only one family line may claim the magick and only after defeating the other six competitors.
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OH MY GOD. This all i can say after finished reading this book. This is my first time reading this kind of story. A story where there’s a unique magick system, amazing plot, and most importantly interesting main characters with an amazing development. This book is literally hunger games but with magick system and i’m literally sold to this because it’s so freaking good.
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While there’s 7 champions, but there’s only four POVs in this book. The four main characters in here we got Alistair Lowe, Isobel Macaslan, Gavin Grieve and Briony Thorburn. And yes all these characters are morally gray. We got too see their thoughts towards everything about the game and their family. I was so happy that Amanda and Christina making their characters feel alive and i’m obsessed. ALISTAIR LOWE OH GOD HE CAN STEP ON ME I LITERALLY JUST IN LOVE WITH HIM SO MUCH 😩😩😭😭
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The relationship between all these seven champions was also INTRIGUING. Like the trusting each other, and had a love-hate towards each other. I just love it so much. AND ALSO THE ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK oh god… I DIDNT EXPECT THERES GONNA HAVE A ROMANCE AND TO LOVE IT SO MUCH… THE TENSION 😩 ITS A RIVAL TO ALLIES TO ALMOST LOVERS TO BETRAYAL 🥲💔 I CANT BELIEVE THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS REALLY GOT ME CRYING…
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The ending of this book IS SO PERFECT… I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING…. MY JAW LITERALLY DROPPED….YOU KNOW WHAT i will get my physical copy soon!! I’m so excited for the sequel even though i know i have to wait another one year. But yes i really RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE. GO READ IT.

I thought this book would feel more like a dark fantasy “The Hunger Games”, but to me it actually felt about 60% “The Hunger Games” and 40% “Battle Royale”. And I liked that. I liked that a lot because “The Hunger Games” has hope. “Battle Royale? Well… “Battle Royale” shows you just how futile hope can be when the system is rigged against you. And this book sweeps hope out from under the character’s feet every time they get a glimpse of it.

Call me a cynic. A pessimist. A nihilist. But I’m here for the reality of systemic abuse of power structures and the futile fights against them by small bunches of idealists.

If “The Hunger Games” taught a generation of humans to fight back against the center of power and to try for equity (as things should be, I’m not denying that), then this book is a warning to another generation that it’s not as simple as you think it is. Change comes over time, and it doesn’t come without some heavy sacrifices and costs. You don’t change the world with squeaky clean hands.

Even though this is a dark fantasy novel, it feels more real for this perspective. That every act of rebellion will end in bloodshed. Every attempt at bucking the system will require sacrifice. And, more than anything, nothing ever goes to plan when power is involved.

It did take some time for this book to hook me. I didn’t really get sucked in until they were almost in the competition itself. But then I was in it, and I was in it until the end. And I was deeply satisfied by the end.

You will 100% find All of Us Villains on my top reads of 2021 list. It is safe to say that I am OBSESSED with this book and will be anxiously awaiting the release of the sequel.

Told in four POVs, AOUV introduces us to the seven families of Ilvernath, each of which must offer up one champion every generation for a battle to the death to determine which family will control the last remaining high magick. This time, the stakes are even higher with the eyes of the world trained on the seven champions following the release of a scandalous tell-all novel. We follow four characters as their families choose and prepare their champions and send them into the Blood Veil, from which only one can return.

Foody and Herman's characters are distinct, dynamic, and incredibly-well developed. All of their choices and actions felt believable to me as the reader because they were consistent with what I already knew of the characters. The multi-POV narration worked seamlessly due to the unique voices given to each of our four villains. I often found myself wondering how it was possible to both love and hate these characters at the same time.

The plot was fast moving and surprising. I was consistently wrong in my predictions of what might happen next which was so fun and exciting. I was on the edge of my seat right up until the end - and now I will have to stay there until the next book is released!

I could really go on and on about how much I enjoyed the magick system (spell rings and septograms and cursemakers, oh my!) or how shaken I was over some of the actions of these ruthless and brutal families, but I will end with this: if you love YA fanatasy, this is a can't miss book.