Unfortunately, I don’t think this one was for me. Or maybe, it just wasn’t for me right now. I’m (sadly) a heavy mood reader and I started this one definitely NOT in the right mind frame. I will say, I did really enjoy the writing itself and I am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

All of Us Villains is one of my most highly anticipated books this year, so I was ecstatic to receive an ARC! All of Us Villains surpassed my expectations! Every twenty years, the Blood Moon rises and the Blood Veil surrounds the town of Ilvernath. Seven families are bound to compete in a tournament where the victor is the last one left alive. Every family and champion views the tournament differently, though all are obsessed with the prize of controlling high magic: the most powerful resource in the world. And what was once a secret tournament has become public knowledge due to a tell-all book, raising the stakes even higher.

All of Us Villains is a dark and exquisite story about ambition, what it means to be a villain, and how far one is willing to go to achieve power. All of Us Villains is filled with characters who claim to be villainous and those who claim to be heroes, but no one is exactly as they seem. I stayed up all night to read it! The pacing is excellent. The world-building is complex and incredibly well-thought out, especially how curses and magic work. The system of magic is very interesting- the type of magic that you’ll wish was real so you could try it out yourself! I also loved how the authors really trust the readers to put together the pieces of the world/tournament.

I felt truly invested in all the main characters and their reasons for participating in the tournament. They are morally gray and determined to achieve their own goals. Alistair and Isobel were my favorites, but I love them all! There is great LGBTQ+ representation, which I’m excited to see even more of in future books. I’m so ready for the sequel after that ending! If you enjoyed The Curse Workers, The Lynburn Legacy, or The Hunger Games- this is a book you should check out. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves morally gray characters,
dangerous competitions, and magic that comes with a heavy price.

All of Us Villains releases November 9, 2021. Thank you so much to Amanda Foody, Christine Lynn Herman, Tor Teen, and Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For the publisher: My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc

Dark and violent fight for dominance and control of MagicK for the next twenty years. Interesting and captivating characters and twisty story line. A great read for fans of the Hunger Games.

Hunger Games meets magic in All of Us Villains. The characters were compelling the story fascinating, but left something to be desired. I was still waiting for the climax when the book ended. I assume there will be a second book so I’m hoping that the second one will have the actual plot of the book.

All of Us Villains is pitched as a new take on the classic story The Hunger Games. Instead of two tributes from twelve districts, seven powerful families pick one member each to compete. There is magick, complex relationships, and plot twists at every turn. All of Us Villains is a book you will not be able to put down.

This book was amazing from start to finish. I loved getting to know the characters, due to the multiple points of view, and the cool magick system. I’m highly anticipating the second book!

OOOOH THIS WAS GOOD. The moment I saw the cover I was hoping this would be a 5 star, and it's certainly a 4.5 and very possibly a 5!!!

The concept of this book is literally the Hunger Games with magic, in a world quite similar to our own. I was hooked from page 1 - the writing style is just simple enough to propel you through the story but just flowery enough that it builds the atmosphere of the world and the competition. I also got SUPER attached to each character, I think the introductions were done really well.

I can't wait for this series to continue and I pre-ordered this as a perfect birthday present for myself!

3.5 stars

Billed as a darker version of Hunger Games with magic, I was instantly intrigued! With a premise of 7 magic-weilding families send a teenage champion into a tournament to fight to the death for control over high magic, I was expecting and action-packed wild emotional ride.

The magic system was definitely interesting, but I still wasn't clear what differentiated the levels of skill each weirder possessed. Like what enabled one person to cast a level 8 spell, but another couldn't? I don't know, we were just told X person couldn't cast higher than a 5 level spell. Okay.

The story is told from various POVs of some of the champions, and it took about 40% of the book to get through the various back story before the actual tournament began. And once it began, it was mostly about angst and character relationships as opposed to action.

And of all the characters, I feel only 1 had depth, and his motivations appropriately changed in response to the changing circumstances. Everyone else just pretty much stuck to the original plan, and held to their preconceived beliefs, even when faced with contradicting facts, even when given an alternate opportunity which could result in all of them surviving, as opposed to just the victor. Just, everyone wanted power to rule their town? It was just seemed like such a shallow motivation for teenagers to embrace to kill each other over.

The action finally kicked in at the 75% mark, although it felt rushed at that point, but the twists were very interesting too. Also, it ends on a cliffhanger, with a big reveal at the end.

Overall, this book was okay, but I felt it lacked significant depth to the world and to the characters. I do want to finish the series, and I'm hoping maybe that's where we'll get to see some of the character growth and world-building I feel is lacking.

Arc received from Netgalley for an honest review. - 4.5 stars

Villainy in the modern age was a delicate balance

In a world of magic and curses, the most secret curse becomes world news when a tell-all book is published about Ilvernath. 7 kids from the 7 major families duel in a once-a-generation battle to determine which family takes control of the high magic vein running through the town. Now, with the government involved and the eyes of the world watching, the tournament is already different than any previous one. Will this generations competitors fight for the high magic or fight the curse itself to free them all.

This book has it all! One bed trope, enemies to maybe lovers, morally grey, magic, and gothic vibes. The initial pace of the story is a bit slow because of the alternating perspectives but it really picks up.

The four characters that the book centers around have very clear motivations and struggles. They're likable for the most part and all verrrrrry morally questionable. But isn't that part of the fun?

My main complaint was mostly with the pacing, it was slow going to start as the authors had to set up four different complex storylines. I also did not realize it was a series so the cliff hanger was very unexpected! Overall, I loved it and I highly recommend if you're a fan of dark tales.

All of Us Villains was a surprisingly enjoyable book.

I was intrigued by the premise, "You Fell In Love With The Victors of The Hunger Games.
Now Prepare To Meet The Villains of The Blood Veil."

It's the first YA fantasy book I've read in a long time, but it was dark and twisted and everything I wanted it to be. A shocking revelation towards the beginning of the book hooked me (and also disturbed me). I don't want to say too much more, but if you enjoy dark fantasy and don't mind reading a few gory death scenes, I promise you'll like this book!

this was so freaking good! i can’t wait til it comes out and i have more people to talk to it about because it was just that good

In the quaint town of Ilvernath hides the last store of high magick— the type of devastating power that manipulates history. It remained hidden, under the control of one of Ilvernath's seven most notable families, until a treasonous tell-all spills the town's secrets. Suddenly, these seven families are thrust into the spotlight as the world discovers their curse: once a generation, each family must put forth a child to compete in the Blood Veil, a brutal, to-the-death tournament whose one surviving champion claims the final reserve of high magick for their family. All of Us Villains introduces you to the first generation of Blood Veil champions to become media spectacles and drags you along on their fight for life and ultimate power— a fight that, unfortunately, none of them asked for.

Foody and Herman's story is full of complicated and incredibly damaged characters. Their characters continuously make poor decisions in an attempt to act out roles assigned to them that none of them truly fit. This leads, on occasion, to the characters driving you mad with their flip-flopping around. Luckily, Foody and Herman's compelling writing will keep you enjoying the read, even if you, like me, can't stand some of the POV characters.

All of Us Villains wooed me with its strong near-gothic moods and stunning emotional portrayals of adolescence. Its careful balance between being plot- or character-driven is more often moving than stale, but still lacks some of the emotional depth and the backbone of social commentary I hoped for. Unfortunately, its comparison to the Hunger Games— an annoying gimmick— is not apt.

4.5 stars

I highly enjoyed this book. There are four main characters and throughout the book, I couldn't decide who I like the most and the least because there was a lot to consider. They were all flawed and complex and broken kids. The magic system was interesting, even if sometimes confusing. The story flew by fast and was very engaging. I'm only regretting reading it now even before it's officially published because it means I'll have to wait longer for the sequel.

The writing is good but it is too reminiscent of books by V.E. Schwab & The Hunger Games. Also, the main cast is extremely white (like, come on, this isn't 2012 YA!). There might be one lgbtq+ character but other than that this book is painfully straight. I think it's quite misleading to market this as a queer book when there is only one bi character who is not even explicitly bi. Also, while I don't usually care about what the authors do on social media or whatnot it has recently emerged that Herman bullied an author of color...yikes.

Advertised as the Hunger Games but with magic, this book truly caught my intrigue. As someone who adored the Hunger Games, and genuinely still does, I thought a dark fantasy twist to this would be interesting. After reading this I can honestly say, I was not wrong. This story took me by the throat and kept me there from the first few chapters on.

Despite a rushed, cliffhanger-style ending, I adored almost everything about this book. From the writing to the characters, and the magic system, there really is something for everyone here. I had very high expectations, and I wasn't disappointed. If you love good enemies to lovers, wickedness, and Hunger Games, this may be the book for you to read next.

While my opinion may be biased based on my previous adoration of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman's individual works, I must say that All of Us Villains absolutely knocked it out of the park for me. The characterization of Alistair, Briony, Gavin, and Isobel are all distinct, each with their own perspective on The Blood Veil that naturally lends itself to excellent worldbuilding. The magic system is unique, with high-stakes plot points that drive the narrative forward with white-knuckled tension as you're never quite sure what will happen next — even if you know it's going to be painful. I enjoyed that there was an element of romance here as well, but that it supported the momentum of the narrative rather than halted it, not distracting from the games but strengthening the relationships between the characters in such a way that raised the stakes even higher. While the ending was a little abrupt, I found it to be an excellent cliffhanger that will keep readers like me anxiously anticipating the sequel.

WHAT THE FUCK. it just ended??? Just like that??? Is that allowed???
Okay first things first. Just OMG. This was amazing. I loved it. I’m actually obsessed. ISOBEL OMG BY FAR MY FAVORITE. AND ALISTAIR. He was probably my favorite written character besides Briony. Briony was literally so ignorant and she was also borderline insane and it just made her so interesting. The only problem I have is that I wish Finley had a POV. But other than that I enjoyed this book so much. I read it in one day!

All of Us Villains follows four teenagers all participating in this one in twenty years tournament where they have to kill each other until one remains and has monopoly over the most powerful magic. Yet, of course this year things are not as it seems. Overall, the story is your run of the mill YA narrative very reminiscent of the Hunger Games era of books with a dash of magic. For me, this lead to a quite dull read with the characters being very stagnant and the shock-delight of the twists soon turning cold.

The characters for me were perhaps the worst offenders with none really you want to root for. And I think this is made worse by how all development they had in the book is diminished at the end so all the characters finish exactly where they started. Also, this story was market to me as being queer so let me tell you how disappointed and annoyed I was to see only one queer character who is by far depicted as one as the most monstrous and all relationships depicted are heterosexual. It's not a good look and genuinely fells like queerbaiting though I know it isn't.

However, the worldbuilding is really well done with its magic system and history absolutely fascinating. Just a shame the story didn't stack up within it.

All in all, this was a real let down of a book. I wanted so desperately for this too be good and I know that there's people of BookTok who will eat this up. But for me, there was just something not there and that made it a very disappointing read.

Books with multiple POVs are going to go one of two ways, either the perspectives feel burdensome and not different enough to warrant existing or they’re fully fleshed out characters that open windows to new parts of the story. All of Us Villains happily falls into the second category. Four of the seven champions get their own POV but each of these feels unique and offers something different that the other three don’t. I may be biased but Alistair was my favourite by far, who doesn’t love a brooding villain?

I typically hate when books that compare themselves to huge releases for marketing because very, very rarely do they actually live up to the comparison. All of Us Villains does have the flavouring of The Hunger Games however. The same sort of kids in a battle to the death, the same darkness in the details. Foody and Herman don’t shy away from the graphic violence and viciousness that would surround a tournament like this. Despite giving all the characters a vicious edge, they’re also all incredibly sympathetic and human. I didn’t think I would like all the main characters so much but by the end of the book I was attached to each of them.

The magic system is another huge win for this book. I love the way high magic and common magic are divided but the way spells/curses are crafted and cast is SO thrilling. I love the idea of jewelry that houses certain spells. That some spells are brand names vs. cheap knock offs. I wanted to dig way more into the magic of this world and I’m really glad that there’s going to be a sequel so we can see more of it. There’s nothing I love more than a well thought out magic system that has fun and unique gimmicks.

I also loved the catalyst for the story being a tell-all book that reveals the dark secret the families have tried to keep hidden for centuries. We get a little snippet of the story at the beginning of every chapter and that’s the sort of little detail that I die for. I would read the WHOLE tell-all book if I could. The mystery of the author is also a nice little spice on top of the main plot of the blood veil. There wasn’t a single element in this book that I felt DIDN’T work for me.

Ultimately All of Us Villains is beautifully character driven and seeing each of the characters go through their own journey and become something entirely different from what they stepped into the tournament as is fascinating. There are plenty of exciting action packed scenes and gory moments but the characters really are the heart of this book. Foody and Herman do an excellent job of fleshing out believable characters who are both wicked and vulnerable. Most readers will find themselves drawn to at least one of the protagonists. I didn’t expect to enjoy this book half as much as I did but now I cannot wait for the sequel.

4.5 STARS

Yeah, I really liked this one. I've seen a lot of reviews call this Hunger Games with magick, but that's not quite right. The setup is different, the system is different, and there are just too many other elements in play that essentially the only thing IMO that's similar is "champions" need to battle to the death for the ultimate prize. It's four, third-person, POVs that tell this story as well. I think this does well for the story, but it's not my personal preference. It might be because I was more invested in some storylines more than others.

I was really invested in the main characters. They were well-written and at times I could see the good in them and others, I cheered and then loathed them for being the villains they were brought up to be. There were times I REALLY wanted more of Allastair. Hang onto your swoony-hearts, ladies!

Overall the writing was really fantastic. The descriptions were gruesome (in a good way) and I never really felt bogged down by the details.

Why not 5 stars? Well, I have to say it's because at about 20% I almost gave this one a DNF. Somewhere between 10-20% it felt a little disjointed and I found I wasn't picking it up to read voluntarily. I literally almost gave it up but then read five more pages and got locked into the story. It turned a corner. There were also a few little things thrown in at the end that eluded to the bigger plot that felt plugged in to the narrative in some ways.

I'm really looking forward to the next one! And I hope everyone loves this as much as I did.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

Oh man, this book was so gripping once I got a bit in. The first few chapters take a minute to adjust to the multiple POVs but once you adjust and the competition starts, it's QUITE the ride!

If you ever wanted a book that read like Harry Potter mashed with the Hunger Games, then this is literally the book for you. The magic was pretty cool and got neater and neater as the story progressed. I really did end up enjoying the multiple POVs and each character arc was crafted really well and engaging across the board.

I do feel like I should warn you, the story finishes on a cliffhanger which would've been nice to know going in but now I'm just dying waiting for the sequel.

Overall, a super fun, fast read that felt very familiar and almost nostalgic in some ways but was still fresh and captivating!