Guess I’m joining the people disappointed in All of Us Villains. I think the main issue with this book was the false advertising caused by the word “Villains” in the title. I expected characters to either be unapologetic about being terrible people and absolutely ruthless to each other or be, at the very very veeeery least, morally gray–that was not at all what I got. They were not. Some were even tearfully sorry they had to kill other people.

The beginning was pretty strong and very intriguing and I think that contributed even more to my disappointment as the story progressed. I loved the introduction of all the POV characters and how we got to know about their magic and relationships with their families. Alistair captured my heart right away, but I wasn’t a fan of his character journey throughout since I, you know, expected everyone to have no morals 😦

The writing was pretty easy to get lost into and the pace picked up a lot once we got to the actual tournament part. Sadly, that was when things fell apart for me. I didn’t like the alliances, I didn’t like the tears and angst, I didn’t like characters coming together to try and break the curse. I also severely disliked the romance elements. I think the authors tried too hard to make readers feel sorry for the characters? But I know that I, at least, came into the book with the expectation they weren’t going to be–and didn’t NEED TO BE–good and/or redeemable people. Since, you know, the title calls them VILLAINS.

I also need to specifically mention Reid and how disconnected his character felt from the plot with the exception of showing up to conveniently give other people information. That immediately made me figure out what I think was supposed to be one of the big twists towards the end. It was pretty disappointing.

I’m sure some people will have a lot of fun with this book? It just really wasn’t for me despite the writing, in general, being engaging.

"The children in Ilvernath loved fairy tales—especially real ones."

This book had SO much potential to be something I loved, but the execution, unfortunately, fell really flat for me.

Things I Liked:
♥ The whole concept of the tournament, town, and magic system were really unique and interesting. I felt the magic system was well explained, as was the history of the tournament—the book within a book trope was a great way to get this information across without overwhelming the reader.
♥ I really did enjoy the budding romance between Alistair and Isobel.
♥ The writing style was super dark and gritty, and very cohesive. Although this was written by two authors, I really couldn’t tell where one author finished and the other began.

Things I Disliked:
♡ The pacing really didn’t work for me, and this is my main (but big) complaint. Considering the whole concept is a high action tournament, there was very little action. The first 80% of the book was so slow and, for me, a little boring. It took such a long for the tournament to get started.
♡ The characters should have been such a driving force, but even though we had four POVs, I really didn’t feel like I could connect with them because they didn’t seem to have consistent personalities. Half of the champions were discussed so little that I truly didn’t care about them, and the POV champions just didn’t have as much depth as I would have liked. Honestly, I connected more with Alistair’s brother than any of the champions; he had hardly any page time, and I still felt like we got a good grasp of his character. The whole idea of the characters being morally grey villains was also a little lost on me—they’re literally just kids trying to survive.
♡ I really question the decision to end the book where it ended. Although it was left on a cliffhanger, I was left so frustrated with the poor pacing and ending that I would hesitate to pick up the next book. It felt like reading a fanfiction that you didn't realize was never finished, and just really unsatisfying.

Overall Thoughts:
This book really let me down. I was initially so excited by the beautiful writing and interesting concept, but it just never quite came together for me. I would recommend this for fans of Vicious by V.E. Schwab.

Content Warnings: Murder, sacrifice, dismemberment, suicide, violence, gore.

Some people will jump to comparisons with The Hunger Games when they read All of Us Villains, but All of Us Villains belongs in the competition subgenre, a subgenre that’s been around for decades and features multiple works. Perhaps the most iconic competition story is Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”, which was published in 1948. Hop on Twitter today and it’s hard to avoid the discourse about Squid Game.

The point is, competition stories are their own genre and it would be reductive to simply compare this competition story to any competition story that precedes it.

One thing All of Us Villains has in common with both The Hunger Games and “The Lottery” is that being in the competition isn’t a good thing. In All of Us Villains, a representative from each of the seven families capable of wielding high magic must compete to the death. The victor’s family is the family that controls high magic for the next 20 years.

Yes, magic’s a big part of this story, and there’s high magic and regular magic. The competitors can’t use high magic, but their abilities will have a significant impact on their chances in the competition. Oh, and laying down and waiting out the three-month clock on the games isn’t an option, either, because if there’s no victor, someone from each of the seven families will die.

There’s a lot to learn going into this book. It has its magic system, and there are spellcasters and others who make significant contributions as the contestants prepare for the competition. In that respect, it may appeal more to fantasy fans, but it’s got enough fantasy and horror elements to satisfy fans of both genres.

There’s also a big wrinkle leading up to the competition. Someone wrote a book and disclosed the truth about the battle that happens when the Blood Moon rises. In the past, the families have wiped away residents’ memories, shielding outsiders from the truth. Now, the truth is known, and the events are marred by protests and scrutiny.

And some government manipulation.

On its own, all of this is enough to create a compelling story to satisfy readers, but the authors deliver with memorable characters who refuse to comply with tradition. This book features a large cast and invests in four point of view characters, ensuring we see the competition from the perspective of multiple competitors. None of the characters are purely good or bad, either. They’re all flawed, and it adds to the emotional dynamics while reading. At times it’s easy to want one character to win, but then you realize that will come at the expense of another character’s life, and you aren’t ready to part with them either. Alistair’s a challenging character, because he’s flawed and perhaps the most unlikeable, but he’s also sympathetic. The authors do an excellent job developing his backstory and motives, and the psychological abuse he’s endured makes him equal parts victim and villain.

It’s hard to say much about the characters without risking spoilers, and while reviews are meant to focus on the content of the story, my main critique would center on the book description, which focuses exclusively on the contest and doesn’t name any of the POV characters. The characters are what will make or break this story for every reader, and with four POV characters, it’s easy for readers to find someone to relate to and root for.

The one risk with the book is that it ends on a cliffhanger. Some won’t be bothered, because they’ll appreciate the twists leading up to the conclusion of book one. Others may be frustrated by the amount of time spent building up to the competition and wanted more time in the actual competition. Ultimately, there’s more than enough here to satisfy readers and set the stage for a promising continuation with book two. This is a fast, engaging read with an interesting premise and a lot of twists and turns that prompt meaningful character. I hope Tor Teen at Macmillan puts me on the arc list for book two so I can read it asap.

I loved this book! I really liked the eery, dark atmosphere this book had, it was perfect for spooky season! It gave me similar vibes to Hunger Games, but with a curse resulting in a tournament of 7 champions, one from each of the high magick families, competing to the death so that their families can control high magick for the next 20 years. The characters were all morally gray, and yet I couldn’t stop rooting for them. This book ends on such a good cliffhanger! I can’t wait for the next book!

5/5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing me with an eARC !

Amanda Foody is now on series #2 of ripping off popular books from a few years ago and I'm kind of here for it. This would be 5 stars if not for the ending.

The Premise: Hunger Games career tributes with magic try to figure out whether it's worth trying to dismantle the system.

The Characters:
- Alistair is the tortured antihero. Heir to the most successful and horrible family, he's expected to be and thinks of himself as a villain, but he's not very good at it. Skills include: sadness, getting hurt, being nicer than anyone expects.
- Isobel is the media darling. Her family is relatively low on the hierarchy, but she's competent and different than those who came before her. And desperate. They're all desperate.
- Briony is the golden child of her family, at the last minute not chosen to be part of the tournament. She has noble goals, but is absolutely ruthless in attaining them.
- Gavin is the underdog from the least powerful family. Even though he's been training for years, he's not super good at anything. Also he's boring.
- The other competitors are Finley, Elionor, and Carbry. Finley, as Briony's ex-boyfriend, is the only one with a personality. None of them have PoVs.
- Reid is a spellcrafter, and quite possibly the most interesting character. He didn't get a PoV in this one and I get why, but I hope he will in the next one.

What I liked:
- Almost everything was great! I'd come to expect this from Foody's Shadow game trilogy, but I DNFd one of Herman's books, so I was unsure how the collaboration would turn out.
- The writing was lovely
- Good character development did not get in the way of plot.

What I didn't like:
- The worldbuilding was rough until the tournament started.
- The ending. As in, there wasn't one. This is a series, but the first book needs to have at least some resolution. Nothing was tied up at all, and it ended on two big reveals. There was no sense of satisfaction.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5

The world building here is great! It does take about 35% to get to the actual tournament but I didn’t mind the introduction to the four character povs and learning the way this modern yet magical world works.

This is very much like a magical hunger games where seven families are cursed to participate, but every curse can be broken… or so some champions hope while others still try to battle it out to win the high magic for their family.

I was a little hesitant with how it was playing out. I was promised bloodshed and the book did deliver some bloody good deaths, but I still want more to die in this battle to break the curse or win the tournament.

The writing is a really easy style to follow and the descriptions are brilliant. It really is a great book and I highly recommend it.

I can’t wait and am really looking forward to book two!

I felt like this book was a mixture of Mazerunner and Hunger games
I did enjoy it though and really found it quite interesting. Also the cover is inciting . Overall I give this book a solid 4.

This is a perfect read for Spooky Season! It was SO GOOD, I was not expecting this to suck me in the way it did.
There’s a shady little town with a very shady curse and every 20 years there is a Hunger Games-esque tournament to grant the winning family high magick, which has disappeared from the world at this point, so it’s a hot commodity.
It’s basically The Hunger Games with witches.
It’s dark, it’s gory (weak stomachs need not apply), and it genuinely took some surprising turns I was not expecting.
The world Building was phenomenal! The magic set-up, the settings of the tournament, the entire mood of the story is dark and twisty and I am here for it!
The characters were dynamic, and all had compelling POV’s that I enjoyed.
This would make an amazing show, if done properly, not the CW treatment.
I don’t really have anything to throw in the negative column, maybe a little more action?
I didn’t realize that this is going to be a series and now I must suffer until the next book comes out. Still worth it.

Check it out, when it hits shelves, 11/9/21!
A big thanks to the Publisher & NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one was really tough to rate. <i>All of Us Villains</i> was pitched as <i>Hunger Games</i> but with magic and overall, I think I enjoyed the idea and set-up more than the actual execution. However, this book had some strengths I hope the sequel will expand upon.

In the remote city of Ilvernath, on the Blood Moon, seven champions from the old families compete against each other until death. The prize: control over the high magick of the city. Each of the families have years of traditions on how to pick the champion and strategies on how to win. For the last few years, the Lowe family has typically won the tournament. Alistair Lowe goes into the tournament thinking he will continue his families' winning strike but his fellow champions Briony, Isobel and Gavin have different ideas on how this tournament will go.

What I really loved about this book was the eery, dark atmosphere. The old, remote town that holds a terrible curse was a really cool setting. The Lowe family's house and the tournament grounds had some haunted, Gothic house vibes which I loved. The fact that a large part of the magic system relies on curses and items stored with spells was also a nice addition and made it that much harder for the contestants of the tournament. I also loved learning more about the tournament and its curse.

As for the contesters themselves, I loved learning about their families' histories and expectations for the tournament. All of the main characters had really complicated family dynamics, especially with their siblings. There were quite a few instances of intense rivalry, jealousy and codependency which I think was really well done.

While all the main characters could be described as morally-grey they each had very different mindsets going into the tournaments: Alistair thinks he is going to win but had to sacrifice a lot to get there, Briony wants to stop the tournament, Isobel just wants to survive and Gavin will do whatever is necessary to come out on top. That being said, I expected all of the characters to go a little bit farther, a little bit darker, just more villainous. There is only so much you can do in a YA book but I just wanted some more backstabbing and violence. None of the characters really are what they seem which did lead to some interesting group dynamics. Unfortunately though, the romance between two of the mains was really underdeveloped and I hope the dynamic will get more interesting in the sequel. While I liked each of the characters, I think Briony and Alistair were the most interesting to me.

Another issue I had was the pacing. The story started out really strong but dragged quite a bit in the middle. The tournament started quite late into the book and nothing really happened at the beginning which I found a bit odd, especially considering <i>The Hunger Games</i>, where the Games are super action-packed. We did get some shifting alliances and backstabbing however, which was far more in line with what I expected. The pace picked up more at the end and we got a cliffhanger ending which I enjoyed.

All in all, I gave All of Us Villains 4/5 stars and recommend it to fans of V. E. Schwab's <i>Vicious</i>.

✨ The Title/Cover Draw:
I had been hearing a lot of early buzz about this book. They describe it like Hunger Games but with magic. Thanks to @netgalley and Tor Teen for allowing me to read this ahead of publication.

💜 What I liked:
The way the characters use magic is different than I had seen before. Just like with similar books in this trope, you wonder how more than one of them comes out of it alive. It keeps you guessing for sure! And I did not know this was a series, but I really need to read the rest...like now.

😱 What I didn’t like:
This book was very slow for me to start. I considered DNF’ing it about 30% in, but then it really picks up.

🚦 My face at the end: 😺

💭 5 Reasons to Read:
1. Magic
2. Fighting to the death
3. Subterfuge
4. Mysterious Curse
5. Characters to root for



🕧 Mini-Summary:
The Blood Moon has risen and it’s time for the champions of the 7 families to enter the tournament in a battle for their right to magic.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Netgalley.

"Grins like goblins, pale as plague and silent as spirits...They'll tear your throat and drink your soul."

I'm a fan of the tried and true YA trope where teens must compete to save the world in some fashion, the major themes being redemption, rebirth and identity. I can feel your eyeroll from here. I know it's overdone and as unrealistic as it may be, nevertheless I still enjoy reading it. In this case seven cursed families must name a teen champion every 20 years for a tournament to the death to win control of what may be the last source of high magick. All of Us Villians, as the name implies, is an inside look at the families through the eyes of the champions. The use of multiple narrators is usually a little jarring but in this case the chapter to chapter transitions are well done so it didn't bother me. In fact, I enjoyed seeing the events from varied points of view. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and magical politics play a huge part in the plotline. Still, everything gets weaved together in a fun, concise way. Compared to other popular YA books, the world building could've been better here. That's the one problem I'm having with this book. Despite the reader being dropped into this cut-throat world without much backstory, the characters are fully fleshed out enough to be believable. The way Foody and Herman slowly amp up the tension is masterful. I enjoyed this book overall. I've already preordered a signed copy from the author's choice indie bookstore Porter Square Books.

Typical YA Trope, Multiple Narrators, Cliffhanger

"Victor or not, a Lowe has never left the tournament without killing someone."
~A Tournament of Tragedy

ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alistair, Isobel, Gavin - three of the seven champions, members of families who must nominate someone to fight to the death for the control of High Magick. Alistair’s family (the Lowes) have won for the last 20 generations, meaning the other champions are likely to be going to their deaths… although they are all plotting to ensure that’s not the case. In some of the families, being chosen is an honour - and Briony must watch as her younger sister Innes takes the role of champion she had always wanted for herself.

The book covers the beginning of the tournament into the middle and ends on a cliffhanger. There was character progression throughout from teenagers with villainous families to becoming villains themselves. I also liked the world building and the logic behind the magic use and costs associated with it. The various narrative voices were well written and each character felt individual.

Overall, 5 stars. This book is unputdownable - I was drawn in instantly and can’t believe I now have a wait ahead of me to discover what happens next!

🌑 “The Blood Moon rises. The Blood Veil falls. The tournament begins.”

🌑 Holy wow this book was freaking awesome! It ended up being an impromptu buddy read with Steph @ohiobookgal and thank goodness for that. My brain may have exploded if I couldn’t send her multiple ‘WTF’ texts.

I was hooked from the start. 7 families choose a champion from their ranks to fight to the death for control of all the high magick until the next Blood Moon. Before now this was all done in secret, but a tell all book revealing the tradition has made the city and the champions the focus of the media and the world. I definitely got Hunger Games vibes, but make it creepy. It’s told from the POV’s of 4 of the champions. It does end on a cliffhanger, but I absolutely loved it anyway. I can not wait for the next book in the series! Thank you to @torteen and @netgalley for an advance ecopy of this book, definitely grab yours when it releases November 9th!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge.for providing me with an ARC of All Of Us Villains!

The description said The Hunger Games with magic and the book fulfilled this description. A curse resulting in a tournament of 7 champions, one from each of the high magick families, competing to the death so that their families can control high magick for the next 20 years, but what if the tournament is changing this year? As a fantasy lover, this book perfectly took the fighting to be victor and rebelling from the usual aspect of The Hunger Games and added in magical aspects. What more could I ask for?!

Throughout the book, I felt myself going back and forth between liking characters and disliking them and feeling neutral about them. None of these characters are perfect; they are all morally gray and their flaws are evident to readers. And yet, as the book goes on, you begin to understand the reasoning for their flaws and see their character grow.

All I can say is that I hope that there is a sequel for this… no, I NEED a sequel for this! The ending was amazing, but I need more answers, and need more content with these characters! Amanda Foody did an amazing job with this novel, and if they were to write a sequel at any point in time or make this a series, I would buy any future related books immediately!

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!! There better be another book coming! Wow I went into this with high expectations and they were exceeded! I just need everyone to read this so we can scream about it together!!

All I have to say is that there better be a flipping sequel. No! There better be a whole series! This novel truly was like the Hunger Games but with magic! Oh and the characters were all rotten. Well, I'd not say rotten but villainous for sure! And there was so much depth to each one of them! And that ending! Are you kidding me?! The Tournament was still going on when the novel ended! And things were looking completely crazy with all the curses happening and unhappening, etc. I will be waiting with bated breath until second book comes out. And it better. Absolutely riveting.

*Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this amazing novel.*

Loved this so much. Loved that I couldn't really tell if there was some good in our main characters or if they are villains through and through. I loved the relationships between the characters, especially Alaister and Isobel, and the magic system is amazing. Can't wait to see what happens next!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an eARC to review!

Oh. My. Goodness. Where do I even begin... If everyone isn't reading this, what <i>are</i> you doing?

I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked from the beginning - each of the champions is fascinatingly different. To be completely honest, I have to say Alistair is probably my favorite character.

All Of Us Villains had so many clever twists that I hated to put it down to go to work or go to bed. It's a delightful fast-paced read, that definitely radiates vibes of The Hunger Games, but takes it and makes it their own beautifully.

There are seven families and each of them, every twenty years, chooses one of their children to fight to the death. Sometimes the selected champion doesn't want it, but in most scenarios the children are raised to be the best of the best. And who wouldn't, right? You want to be the one to bring high magick back to your family, to be victorious, to <i>live</i>. The book switches between four character perspectives, each one having their own goals and drive to win.

I cannot recommend All Of Us Villains enough. The ending was a perfect cliffhanger to lead into the next book in this duology - which I desperately need and I'm saddened I have to wait for it, but I'm more than ready to. I will definitely be reading this again.

I am really torn between 4 and 5 stars. So I decided to round up!
-
Thank you to the publisher for a free Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this one. I loved the story line and the use of magic. Each character was not 100% unique because in these types of stories, there truly are only so many character story lines. But I truly loved Allistair.

The twists that kept coming were well done and that cliff hanger at the end made me go back a couple times. It was so good that I was more annoyed that there is where the book ended! This one isn't even out yet AND I will have to wait for a sequel?

Every twenty years The Blood Veil falls. For centuries, seven families have been cursed to send one champion to fight to the death in a macabre competition. The winner takes home control of a stash of rare high magick and nightmares from what they had to do to win. Till now, the tournament has been a secret only those involved kept. However, a tell-all book anonymously made its way into the world, spilling the dark secrets the family has been keeping. For the first time, the competition will have an audience to the slaughter.

All of Us Villians thoroughly engulfed me. The world they live in and the Blood Trials themselves were so vivid I could play it out like a movie in my head. Of course it draws the comparison of The Hunger Games, since it's a contest where only one person leaves alive, but my goodness, it was so different. None of the characters can be trusted to do the moral or proper thing. Each time I thought I had figured out what drove them and what path they were likely to take, I was wrong. The twists kept coming, making it an absolute pleasure to read. This is definitely one of those books where you get so sucked in that you blink and hours have passed. Also, why is it that I have so many favorite characters in a book where it's a fight to the death?! The fact that none of the characters are pigeonholed into being the hero or the good guy really makes them come to life and have dimension. This is my new favorite of the year, 5/5 for sure. And now I'm devastated I have to wait for the next one.

If you like magical duels to the death, not knowing which character is the most villainous, or want to get completely engrossed in a fictional world, this is the one for you.

I received a digital copy of this book free from NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.