A land under a curse, a town now infamous for its deadly families and now it's time for the games to begin ! Seven families always vying with each other to win and control the High Magick that has long been sought after in this world were everything has a price. Our journey begins as the Champions of each family are chosen to willingly enter the battlefield under the Blood Moon and quite literally take control of the magical artefacts set loose and annihilate the opposition. Yes I do mean actually kill the other Champions to release the land from the oppressive conditions but should history really repeat itself or could there be another way ?
We get to know some characters much more than others so you would expect me to say it's easy to cheer for certain ones but actually I didn't find any of them particularly likeable but that's because they have been brought up under this twisted belief that what they do is as necessary as it's inevitable. It's very easy to dislike and revile even those who believe they act for the best because their actions change the narrative and it's a twisted journey as they flirt with both loyalty and change. Perhaps that is the crux of this first instalment because as a reader I changed my opinion on certain characters as they blundered through this travesty of tests . This is clearly aimed at those who enjoy YA fiction such as the Hunger Games but has its own unique setting and motivation. Easy to read but no less disturbing for all that these characters go through.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

In Ilvernath, seven families compete for control of the high magick. Every 20 years a champion is chosen for each family, these seven teenagers will be destined to fight each other until all but one die. The survivor's family will be the only family able to see and use high magick.

The book follows the point of view of four characters who will have to do with the Tournament in some way. This thing greatly influences the narrative, which is mainly focused on the growth and changes that the various characters face. Each character is iconic, well defined and unforgettable, I loved them all!

The one thing I wanted to know more about is general worldbuilding. What we know about it is discovered by going forward with the story, not immediately, and we only learn what is strictly necessary for the story (it's still a worldbuilding that I liked). However, I think this is a consequence of the choice to stick to the point of view of the various characters, who, in fact, do not need explanations about their own world.

In conclusion, I really liked this book very much, especially for the turn it takes at the end, for sure I will continue to think about these characters for a long time.

P.S. the first volume is not out yet and I already absolutely need the second one :,)

All of Us Villains is the first in a new dark fantasy series, that has elements inspired by The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner. It’s not hard to see why this might appeal to fantasy lovers, me being one of them. I really enjoyed this book. I liked the second half of the book more than the first half since the first half was a lot more on the slower side and the second half was more about the actual tournament. Since there were multiple pov’s, it was a little difficult for me to be able to establish some kind of emotional connection to the characters, but i’m hoping that i’ll be able to do that when I read the sequel. I have to say though, Alistair Lowe is definitely the one i’m the most intrigued by.

Overall, it was super exciting to read and i’m absolutely dying to read the sequel. I cant wait to see what the authors have in store for us next !!

I was first attracted to this book by its premise…salacious tell-all book, magick, and tournament to the death? Count me in! But it was the characters that really drew me in. The players of this game, willing or not, were definitely the highlight of the story. As I was getting to know each personality, I loved them, then hated them, then loved them again…Now, for most I'm not sure where I stand. Let's just say it's complicated.

The world building was interesting, and the way it was presented, not all at once but slowly over the course of the book, kept me wanting more. I was quite pleasantly surprised (you just never know with a new-to-you author) how much I liked this book.

This was a roller coaster ride! It took me so long to get into it. Why? Maybe the beginning was slow or the characters seemed too melodramatic. I was also under the impression that this book would be about clever and devilishly handsome villains with tragic backstories, but what I got was vulnerable and self-conscious teenagers ..Did I finish the book with the same opinion? No! Once things start rolling, I couldn't put the book down.

This book is great if you're someone who likes battle royale style action. It's also a great read for those who like books about rebelling against the system! That's right, this book is punk! ☠️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

***** SPOILERS *****

"You Fell in Love with the Victors of the Hunger Games . Now Prepare to meet The Villains of The Blood Veil ."

I came across this title on GoodReads, and instantly added to want to read. But was lucky enough to get an ARC of this excellent book. I didn't pick it up for a while, and kicked myself after finishing for not picking it up earlier.
The town of Ilvernath has dark and deep secrets . Some victors come to kill , full of evil that has divided for years now. Some come for destiny, knowing there is no other way . But one comes to change the rules of the game forever.
Just like one victor , I may be fully intrigued by a certain Alistair Lowe , and I was drawn to his character and his complex demeanor . I love how I enjoyed some characters and hated others, for me that always makes for a great book . There was so much I liked about this book, but I loved the idea of using magic, in modern day , in a tournament , meant to kill . I don't know what that says about me, but my love for this book trumps all.

The ending killed me, like literally made me say WTH outloud. I almost threw the book across the room, but reread the last chapter 3 times to make sure I read it correctly. I can not wait until we can get the second book, to find out how our remaining victors are handling their current situations.

I do have to say, Alistair Lowe better be ok !!!

This freaking book was AMAZING! Like, I kind of want to go start it over. I think there are so many amazing details that I will enjoy reading it a second time. Also...when is the second book coming out? I need it right now!!

Okay, this is a mix of Hunger Games and maybe The Craft? It's got all the magical aspects that I love! The magic is so well created. I understand the spells, how they are made, and how they work. I felt the author did an amazing job of creating the world here. Then there's this secret fight to the death every 20 years that makes this story addictive. All of these characters bring an element of something special to the story. I loved that it was narrated by multiple people. It helped create the full view of the story. And I felt connected to multiple people.

There are so many surprises in this magical story that my jaw just kept on dropping. I loved the creative things that happen, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the second story!

I would highly recommend this for readers that enjoy characters that are morally gray in a magical environment!

I was disappointed by this book. The plot was so interesting and very reminiscent of The Hunger Games, one of my very favorite series. It was dark and broody and should have been right up my alley.

But it fell very flat for me. I found myself slogging through, unable to continue several times as the plot jumped from character to character. There were too many unnecessary POV's. This book could have been told entirely from Alistair's POV and would have made for a much better read. But it was just jarring, jumping from person to person, not knowing who to root for, not being particularly invested in any specific character. It jumped into the tournament too fast, and the tragedies were brushed over instead of really pushing the emotion of that moment.

And the ending was one of my pet peeves. This book did not end, it just stopped. Each book should have it's own individual conclusion. I love a book that ends in a cliffhanger, but this didn't END on anything, it just outright stopped mid-chapter, as if the rest of the book was just missing. I will not be reading the sequel.

I’m speechless. What a ride!! I’m in shock. I’m in awe. I’m in love. The talent of these wonderful authors! For anyone that’s a fan of dark, gritty fiction or even just dystopian YA (I’m thinking Vicious, The Hunger Games, The Darkest Minds kinda vibes) then this is it. The morally grey characters, the magic, the tournament - all of it was so good! I would've liked for the system of magic to be explained a little better (specifically the High Magic and why the Tournament started in the first place) but I'm fully expecting to see this explored in a sequel. 'All of Us Villains' is honestly a masterpiece and will from now on always be a novel I recommend. If this isn’t a bestseller, multi-award-winning, modern classic then I will EAT MY EAR. Whoo 😮‍💨 Anyway I loved it and am anxiously awaiting MORE. 😭 BIGGEST thank u to NetGalley for gracing me with an arc 🙏🏻

This novel is hovering between 3.5 and 4 (so I have rounded up).

I won't lie, it took me a really (REALLY) long time to get into this. The blurb is stellar and the whole premise of the story hooked me but I found the first 25% of this book dull. It was well written and I could see what the intrigue should be but it felt flat - to me, and I am very aware that lots of other people will disagree!

The novel is split across four perspectives (who I have listed below in order of how much I liked them...):

- Isobel: my favourite for most of the story. I thought she was written really well until about the 80% mark when her actions seemed a bit more forced to support the plot. But, she was interesting and strong and my favourite part of the entire story was watching her try to survive after she's put in a very tricky position just before the tournament starts.

- Alistair: yep, good, bad-boy (but secret soft boi really), got to love it. He was the most consistent throughout the novel and, personally, I found his motives the easiest to follow and most believable. His relationship with Isobel was brilliant and his relationship with Hendry - the only secondary character I actually cared about - was one of the best parts of the story.

- Briony: okay, I've got a bit to say about Briony. I actually really liked her. I found it a bit jarring when she went from being the ultimate champion (literally, basically drooling over going into the tournament and killing her friend/ex/other children in the town) to deciding the tournament was awful and everyone needed to work together to end it. I wasn't against this change in character because I found her MUCH more interesting in the second half but it just seemed abrupt.

- Gavin: Nope. Not for me. Sorry... I found him whingy at the start then he just straight up turns evil. I don't know, I just couldn't get behind him.

Really, other than Gavin, I thought the characters we're really well done and Foody and Herman did a grand job at making them the perfect levels of morally grey. Which is so important because it's a very character-led story.

The story picks up a lot in the second half, I actually wish they could have halved the time spent setting up the characters before the tournament. After a couple of chapters with each character, it was clear who they were and their motives.

Once we were into the tournament, I loved this story. It took me months to read the first 30% then I raced through the last 70% in a day so... take from that what you will! I will definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out, I'm excited to see where this is going.

Oh god, you guys. What a *travesty* this doesn’t come out in time for Halloween. All of Us Villains is exactly the scheming, twisted fantasy book that I didn’t even know I needed. Think evil magic Hunger Games—smaller in scale but twice as vicious.

Every generation there is a tournament. Marked by the Blood Moon over the secluded town of Ilvernath, seven families come together and offer a champion from their bloodlines to compete for a chance at immense power. High magick has long since left the world, used up recklessly thousands of years ago….or so it was thought. The only remaining source of this long-lost resource resides in Ilvernath, tied to the seven families and their generational curse. Only one family line may claim the magick, and only after defeating the other six competitors by winning the tournament in a fight to the death. And in order to protect this bloody legacy, all involved have kept the event a secret.

Up until now. Word has gotten out about this brutal practice and the world has descended on Ilvernath, ready to observe and judge the participants. With unprecedented scrutiny, will centuries of tradition finally snap under the pressure? Will champions from underestimated houses have better odds with this new wrench thrown into the chaos?

“Our families kept this secret for centuries. Seems to me that means, on some level, we all know what we’ve been doing is wrong.”

Thorburn. Payne. Grieve. Blair. Macaslan. Darrow. Lowe.

Let the games begin.


This book was all-consuming. I could not pick up another thing while I was still reading it. There’s something completely mesmerizing and addictive about the characters in All of Us Villains. They all commit some truly heinous acts, and for a wide range of reasons, but still you’re rooting for them to succeed.

Part of that is probably based in their struggle for survival. Like The Hunger Games, each competitor’s own success is dependent on the misfortune of those around them. But the comparison would probably be more apt if instead of Katniss and Peeta the champions exclusively had the personalities of tributes from Districts 1 & 2. Some are proud to be there, others are resigned to it, but they all are more than willing and capable of killing one another.

While there are seven champions, there’s only four perspectives in the book. You’ll probably be more invested in them than the other three, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be involved in everyone’s stories. Or that you’ll end up liking those four any better. In fact, getting inside their heads might be more of a turn off than observing them from a distance. I was so impressed with the way Amanda Foody and Christine Herman wrote these characters. They can be despicable one moment and endearing underdogs the next—you’re never quite sure which version you’re going to get. Expect your own loyalties to shift just as often as the characters’ do.

At this point I do have to issue a warning to potential readers: this book ends on a massive cliffhanger. Honestly it’s such a big cliffhanger that it almost feels like they just chopped the last 25% of it off and sent it out that way. I guess I won’t be able to judge whether or not the sequel is a natural continuation of the story or not until it’s out (it’s not close to coming out), but I was totally caught off guard with how this ended. Okay, even more than that, I was ~M A D~. Like, big mad. Honestly I’m still a little mad I can’t read the rest right this second.

I know that’s probably a testament to the writing and how compelling this story was, but I’m sorry Tor Teen—you’ve created a monster. I am going to be lurking around, tapping on walls and rattling chains until you release the follow-up. As of now the page for it just says ”2022”, but I will be haunting you all until I have the resolution in hand. You have been warned!!

Ok surprisingly enough, I ended up really enjoying this book! I was not expecting myself to like it as much as I did, but i ended up reading it in a day. I enjoyed most of the main characters and I thought the premise was just a really fun concept. I will for sure be purchasing this book when it’s officially released!

Thank you, NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The world-building and characters in this book were amazing. It was a little confusing at the beginning trying to remember the various characters but overall they were all skillfully written. The betrayals and mystery made it impossible to put down. Highly recommend.The world-building and characters in this book were amazing. It was a little confusing at the beginning trying to remember the various characters but overall they were all skillfully written. The betrayals and mystery made it impossible to put down. Highly recommend.

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman is a fantastic novel! It was so thrilling and I couldn't put it down!

A deadly tournament with seven champions, and generations-old family stories and secrets, feed the magic that binds their fates together in All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman.

In the city of Ilvenrath there are seven families who vie for an opportunity to have control over high magick, a valuable resource, for the period of time between each Blood Veil. This opportunity comes in the form of a tournament every generation with each family supplying a champion to compete to the death as part of this ancient curse. Each family has their reputation and stories that have been passed down, but one family, the reigning champions with a long-standing history of success, have a rather sinister, and highly secretive, one; however, in the wake of a mysterious publication of an anonymously penned tell-all book long-kept secret details about the tournament are made public knowledge, giving each of this year’s champions a greater possibility of winning, or at the very least changing their story, though it comes at a high, and bloody, cost.

With an interesting magic(k) system presented, the story moved swiftly as it began to build the outline of the world, revealed the historical context for the events taking place, and introduced key characters; the magic system itself was generally well-described and unique but the world in which it resides is a little sparse and difficult to fully envision. Written from the perspectives of four of the seven champions (which makes me ask why only four), the story is driven forward by the characters as they and their motivations are developed as well as the actions they take. There’s quite a bit of twisted darkness and cruel family dynamics that are fascinating to explore as revealed through the characters’ motivations and behaviors and helps to take this story beyond a mere rehashing in a magical setting of The Hunger Games, but their general aim, once revealed, may not strictly be heroic but doesn’t feel exceptionally villainous either. The pacing was a bit off, with it picking up about half way through and then end felt quite sudden as the intrigue and action were finally coming together well and at a boiling point only to abruptly halt the built momentum in anticipation of a subsequent book, in which there’s still quite a lot to be addressed.

Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐔𝐒 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒 becomes interesting around the 40% mark, when the actual tournament starts. Before that, we learn a lot - maybe too much in such little time - about the main characters. The book focuses on four people: Alistair, Isobel, Briony and Gavin. Not all of these POVs would have been necessary for the story.

It has an unique magic system that combines spells with daily needs (Pick up the Pace and etc.). While there were things I thought could have been executed better, I cannot wait to read the sequel and to find out more about the Relics and the Landmarks!

All of us villains was wonderful! If you're a fan of the Hunger Games this one is definitely for you! It takes what we know and love from the Hunger Games and makes the story even darker and took away the politics, bringing this type of story into a new light. I cannot wait to see how the Blood Veil continues in book 2! This is definitely going to be my future book club pick!

I was given an e-arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review so thank you TorTeen!

I was personally drawn in by the premise of the Hunger Games but what if it was the "careers". I think this novel delivers on that front, just not as strongly as I would have liked. It might be that I didn't pay good enough attention but I felt like the magic system was difficult to fully understand.

One large problem that I had with the novel was the multiple perspectives. I feel like novel wasn't quite long enough in order to build 4+ characters with their own perspectives and have them be well-rounded. I will say I would fight a literal army for Alistair and the end chapter was something I routed for the whole time. I found Alistair's perspective the most compelling and am looking forward to reading more of him in book 2.

The other problem I had with this is that the true villian of this novel was heavily implied and a little bit of a let down in what we know so far about them. Overall, I found this novel to be a fun adventure and I would definitely be open to reading book 2.

** Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing me with this eArc in exchange for an an honest review**

I really enjoyed this dark fantasy set in a cursed city of Ivernath. The story follows 7 teenagers of 7 families that are chosen to be the champion to fight in the Blood Moon. This event happens once every generation, where each champion fights to the death to become victorious. The victor gets to keep the high magic within their family until the next generation.

This is a very Hunger Gamesesque story however, it is very different. The similarities are mostly that there are children fighting and killing each other. I really enjoyed how dark this book was, it not only deals with a dark premise but the violence and magic can be pretty graphic. This is definitely on the older end of YA. I enjoyed the complexity of all the main characters/ POV's. There are 7 teenagers but we only follow 4 Alistair, Isobel, Gavin and Briony.

The lore around the trial/game unravels throughout the book but the magic system doesn't really get explained or explored. So in regards to that world building I hope it gets developed further in the next book. There is a small romance sub plot that begins in this book and I really liked how Foody and Herman handled it. I enjoyed that this book started out dark and remained dark even though there were moments when our characters could have changed.

I had never read anything by Amanda Foody or Christine Lynn Herman, but I really enjoyed their writing, it didn't seem like two people wrote it. Meaning that nothing felt disjointed or separate, the story flowed nicely. The pacing is good too, the first half established the characters their motivations, personalities, backgrounds and preparation for the trial and then the Blood Moon begins and there is a lot of action.

If you enjoy dark, morally grey, evil? characters, magic, ghosts, a trial/competition I would recommend this book!

Thank you so much to Orion Publishing Group, Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for an e-copy of this book. The opinions below are my own.

I personally couldn’t pass up reading a book dedicated to villains, so I requested this book straightaway on NetGalley. This story is pitched as the queer version of The Hunger Games, in which seven families have to send their respective champion to fight in a brutal tournament. Only one champion will survive this tournament and access high magick. The remaining champions are destined to be killed, and die in this cursed endless tournament in the remote city of Ilvernath.

The tournament structure and the magic world are described through the eyes and experience of four champions and the first part of the book is completely dedicated to that. I think this was the best part of the book, you get to understand the motivation for each champion to join this cruel and gruesome fight, and you also get a better understanding of the most, and less, influential families involved. I appreciated how the writers give the reader the time to see these dysfunctional families without jumping straight into the battle.

However, once the tournament started, I stopped being too involved in the story. The plot had a shift in narrative and the actual tournament became slightly repetitive, with a succession of alliances, no alliances, alliances, no, maybe no alliances. My favourite character was Alistair, he was the best champion of this story and had the potential to be a great villain/fictional boyfriend. Problem is, he was not really a villain. In general none of the characters demonstrated real “villain” behaviour. It was more smoke than fire, in the sense that they don’t actually do mean stuff, there are not King-Joffrey-kind-of-actions.

Prior to the big fight, there were a few characters that were introduced and I had a feeling they also had a relevant part in the story, which were set aside during the tournament. I guess it’s the limitation of using four POV’s, you don’t get the full picture of what is going on. Probably I would need to read the sequel to see where the story will go, but unfortunately, when I arrived at the end of the book, I knew I wasn’t going to pick up the sequel.

It definitely has good stuff in it. I loved that the story takes place in the modern age and that the champions have to deal with reporters, news and so on. The magic system is very easy to grasp, with spells and curses connected to rings and crystals. As I mentioned above, the problem was that these villains didn’t feel very villain-like, and the queer representation was just hinted at, with the main romance being m/f.

Probably I had very high expectations about this story, and I wanted more from these characters, I wanted more from Alistair Lowe. The first part got me super tense and excited, but the execution of the tournament part was underwhelming and repetitive. Instead of giving me thirst for the sequel, the ending was confusing and not teasing me enough to feel I want to know where it goes. And like I always say, I have a weird taste and I’m quite difficult, so what didn’t work for me, I am sure will work for another reader. If you like magic battles and complex, messed-up families you should really give it a chance.