4.5/5 stars

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint! Ever since AOUV was announced, I was so excited to read it. I'm incredibly thankful to the publisher and netgalley for granting me an arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

The one thing that really made this book stand out was the characters. Each character was very complex, and their motives were very clear. You could see how each characters' motive influenced their actions. All the characters also had very apparent flaws.

Next, the worldbuilding. Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman have crafted an incredibly detailed and interesting world. The magic system was also brilliant. It took a bit to comprehend, but once I understood it everything made a lot more sense.

The plot and romance were also very good. The plot twists surprised me. The only complaint I had with the romance was that it felt a bit insta-lovey. But I still really enjoyed it!

The pacing- this is really where I had some problems. The beginning of the book was kind of slow, and then it sped up a lot. It felt like it ended way too soon.

Overall, I really loved AOUV and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and just general dark fantasy!

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the Earc which was delivered in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t think I was the target audience for this book.
The premise of seven villainous teens squaring off in a magical fight to the death sounded amazing, but I felt like it spent too long building up to the action, only to deliver a payoff that felt a little lacklustre and rushed, with a twist that I’d seen coming from the first time the villain skulked onto the page.
The premise itself was good, and I did like the magic system. I enjoyed learning about the world in the build-up, but I think things fell apart quite quickly when we entered the tournament and the characters started pairing up. It all got a little insta-lovey, if I’m honest?
The characters didn’t feel quite morally-grey enough in some places, then were very dark in others – I can’t say that I felt particularly connected to any of them? Alistair seemed interesting, and I like his bond with his brother, but the others I could take or leave.
Also, four main characters and they’re all white? In fact, I think all the major characters were white – though I might have missed something. I think we can do better than that.
I think this is largely a me thing. As I’ve said, not really a young adult anymore and while occasionally I do still stray into it for something that sounds juicy, I’m hard to satisfy. I appreciate that’s a me thing, though, and that if you’re younger or like YA, this might be a good fit. Little disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

I was drawn to this book by the amazing cover first, and then with its description of being like the Hunger Games but with magic and told from the POV of the victors—I mean HELLO I’m sold.

✨It was an easy, well written, and fast paced read full of some of my favorite things—multi POV, interesting world building, a little bit of enemies to lovers romance, an unbreakable deadly curse, and more. I thought this whole world was very intriguing—how high magick is controlled; the role of spell rings, spell casters and spell makers; the Blood Veil curse and the ill fated family Champions—and it was really enhanced by the multi POV. Put this on your TBR list—it’s so good and I’m already excited for book 2!!

❤️Publish date is November 9, 2021 ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

📚Summary📚

Once per generation, the 7 ruling families must each select a family member of age to be their Champion in a competition within the Blood Veil to win the rights to control high magick. This time, however, the competition is not held in secret—it has been published to the world in an anonymous tell-all book, and now draws tourists and potential sponsors that change the nature of the game.

There are 4 perspectives:
✨Alistair, a Champion raised from birth to be ruthless.
✨Isobel, a Champion thrust into the spotlight by an apathetic family.
✨Briony, a would-be Champion who jealously wants to switch places with her chosen sister.
✨Gavin, a cast off Champion who no one thinks will win.

How will the Champions survive now that the game has changed?

Thank you so much Tor Teen and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
“Every twenty years, we send seven teenagers into a massacre and reward the one who comes out with the most blood on their hands”
Every twenty years seven powerful families of Ilvernarth send one of their selected member to a tournament where they fight each other to death. Only one emerges victories. The victor would award their family exclusive claim over Ilvernarth’s high magick, a claim that expired upon the beginning of next cycle, when the tournament began anew. Historically Lowe family dominated because they were wicked and powerful, or were they?
I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. All the characters are amazing. I hope the author write a novella A Tradition of Tragedy. Full of alliances, betrayal, jaw-dropping twist and morally grey characters, this book is gonna keep you hooked from the very first page.
I will be buying this book when it gets published.

If there was a perfect book for the dark gothic reader this story is it. This story is pure dark magic. It gave me wicked Hunger Games mixed with the Adams Family vibe and I couldn’t put it down.

The story starts out with a dark bang, and it doesn’t let up. There is magic of course, but also brilliant tactics, bold action, snide and sassy dialogue, and more amazing characters then the reader can handle.

The premise is that one young person form each of the top magical families must fight to the death in a series of difficult and devastating games every twenty years. As a reader you go into the story rooting for one of the characters, maybe two but by the end you may have flipped your allegiance and are so involved you are shouting at the character as you are turning the pages… or at least that was me while reading.

I couldn’t have loved this story anymore then I did. I know it is going to be a favorite for years to come and I hope I get to transport back into this world again soon. This story brightens my dark black heart, LOL. I NEED this one my shelf in physical form. Top read of the year for sure.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and Macmillian-Tor/Forge and I am leaving an honest review.

3,5/5 (round up) I have mixed feelings

"Per old superstition, a champion's body is always buried face-down. If they attempt to cloaw their way from their grave to seek vengeance, they will only dig deeper into the earth."

The promise of this book was a mixture of hunger games sprinkled with magic. The plot didn't disappoint : magic, teens fighting to death, betrayals, twists and turns.

What I liked :

- The multiple POVs
- The twists, predictable but still had an effect
- The characters are likeable
- The plot, and the worldbuilding even though it was confusing at some part
- The dark atmosphere

What I didn't like :

- The number of times "crimson" was written - sometimes multiple times per chapter ?? that was quite irritating
- I was expecting "real villains" so I'm a bit disappointed
- It felt a little too slow getting to the actual tournament (about 50% of the book I'd say)
- Sometimes the dialogues were cliché
- It's really white

Despite everything, the ending intrigued me enough to look forward for the sequel.

Would I recommand it ? YES

*****5 Stars!


“The Nightmares had not taught him to fear the dark. The nightmares had taught him to become it.”

First I would like to thank Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book. I am honored to have been given the chance to read it and give an honest review.

All of Us Villains is a story that follows a group of young champions chosen to compete in a tournament to the death. At the coming of the Blood Moon a champion is chosen from each of the seven families residing within the remote city of Ilvernath, they are chosen based on their strengths and talents, each champion risking their lives to win a very desirable prize. Exclusive control over a secret wellspring of high magick, the most powerful resource in the world--once thought depleted long ago. This year's tournament is much different from the last, due to a salacious book published exposing secrets of the tournament and the families tied to it, the seven chosen champions are thrust into the spotlight. With all the changes comes a choice; accept their fate or rewrite their story completely. Despite their choice, the blood staining their story is unavoidable.

This book caught my attention the moment I saw the cover, not only did the beautiful artwork pull me in but the title. As a lover of the villains of stories and morally gray characters, I knew this was going to be a book I would really enjoy. After devouring the book page by page, I was not disappointed! This book lived up to all my expectations and then some! Not only did the end of every chapter keep me on the edge of my seat and wanting more, but the absolutely amazing cliffhanger made me long for more! Each and every character was unique and fascinating to read, there was one character in particular that really clawed his way into my heart and that was Alistair Lowe. It was so intriguing uncovering each and every character’s thought process and feelings as they went along their journey, Alistair’s especially. I loved how not every character was what they seemed to be, depending on the rumors that followed them and their families. The character development in this story was very well done and the slow burn enemies to lovers romance was another favorite aspect of mine.

I felt so sucked into this clever and twisted world, I really enjoyed learning the families of Ilvernath traditions and stories and how they all resonated to their champion in particular. The magick system in this world was another thing I really enjoyed, it was very unique and interesting how it worked for each character. I really like the thought of carrying around crystals and rings filled with spells and curses and how after time one needs to recharge their crystals for them to keep working. I can’t wait to learn more about the magick system in the second book!

The pacing of this book was very well done, it read so smoothly and was fascinating and at times unpredictable. I found myself easily lost in the story eager to find out what will happen next. In fact, All of Us Villains has been one of my favorite books that I’ve read so far this year!

If you’re a lover of villains, morally gray characters, enemies to lovers and magick all wrapped up in a Hunger Games type setting, then you will absolutely love this book! I will be giving out a very high recommendation for this book to all my fellow book lovers. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel to his wickedly charming tale!

I read this in just a couple days, which is very fast for me. This wasn't at all what I expected but in the best way. The whole setup of the world and the magic system had me interested from the very beginning, and the characters were all unique in their desires and motivations. The romances felt particularly well-done, and the betrayals felt entirely believable. I'll be waiting for book 2.

I really really really loved this book, and the things it was trying to do, like a surprising amount. I didn't think that this would be a novel I'd enjoy (because of promised tropes and themes), so even though I liked Amanda Foody's Shadow Game series, I almost didn't pick this up. But I obviously don't regret my leap of faith.

The story and the characters and the mood and the themes and the complicated relationships -- those get 5 stars, easy. I haven't been so attached to a ship since last year.

My only real problem was with the pacing, and not even with how long it took for everything to get started. I liked the setup quite a bit, actually. But the writing in a lot of places didn't flow easily, making scenes feel too fast when I felt they should have lingered a little longer in the moment. Especially in the last 40%, as the beginning was much slower paced, and the contrast was a lot to adjust to. Also with the pacing, after a certain point the plot felt a little back-and-forth, or repetitive, because of how it was structured. The structure was important, really, but at times it was frustrating.

BUT. This didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story, or of any of the other things I loved about All of Us Villains. I just couldn't bring myself to give it five stars, despite how much I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

If you’ve ever wondered what The Hunger Games would have been like when mixed with the magic from Harry Potter, look no further. These two iconic concepts collide in All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman. This thrilling book, set to release on November 9th, is the first book in a duology you don’t want to miss!

For hundreds of years a curse has tied together the fate of 7 families in the small town of Ilvernath, but after the mysterious publication of a book that reveals the town’s secret curse, this year’s tournament is sure to be a public spectacle. While the world believed high magick was gone, the 7 cursed families in Ilvernath have sent one champion every 20 years to compete to the death for control of it.

Only one champion can survive, but who will it be? Alistair Lowe is determined to become the monster his family raised him to be… until his world falls apart shortly before the tournament. Isobel Macaslan never wanted to be a champion, but she wants to survive, and she doesn’t know how to do that when she will ultimately be faced with killing someone she loves or dying herself. Briony Thorburn has always wanted to be her family’s champion, but she is devastated when her lifelong wish seems as though it won’t work out. Gavin Grieve is tired of his family being the underdog. He is ready to do whatever it takes to win, no matter the cost.

I absolutely adored so many aspects of this book! First of all, it is written by two different authors and from four different perspectives, but the narrative is seamless. The four characters are unique and easily identifiable, but at the same time, I completely forgot that this book was written by two people. In my opinion, it is an amazing feat for two authors to maintain a coherent storyline while also differentiating between multiple characters.

While the first part of the book is a little slow, once the tournament begins, it is nonstop action-packed! I honestly didn’t know who to root for because I liked all of the characters for different reasons. However, I will warn you now, this book is going to leave you hanging! Whatever expectations you have, you might as well kiss them goodbye because Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman do not play by the rules! I seriously don’t know how I am going to find the willpower to wait for the sequel!

Furthermore, the magic system in the novel was surprisingly well-developed! More often than not, I feel as though it takes a couple of books to develop a new magic system, but that was not the case with this book. The authors did well with differentiating between curses and spells, and high magick and common magick. The narrative explained the degrees of difficulty for curses and spells and the difference between crafting and casting spells and curses. I was thoroughly astounded by the authors’ ability to describe the magical system in one book, and I can’t wait to see how they expand upon it in the sequel!

Overall, this is one of those books that you just have to experience for yourself. You will be captivated by the magic and the tension between the characters, and you will likely get lost in the story. So don’t forget to pick up a copy of All of Us Villains on November 9th! You can also pre-order a signed copy here: https://www.portersquarebooks.com/book/9781250789259

Let’s imagine that this magical red veil of doom descends on Hogwarts, sealing all the students inside. The last student standing will gain all manner of magical objects and abilities. Some, like Draco, are eager to prove themselves and win. Others, like Hermione, are convinced there’s a way to take down the veil so they all survive.

Let the games begin.

As gritty a book this is, it’s not just a bloodbath fiesta. Some of the characters resign to sacrifice themselves for the others. Some are determined to save everyone. Some are willing to risk it all for that small hope. The story never portrays the tournament/murders as something to be glorified—to the contrary, while laced with grey decisions, this is a story about kids trained to be champions, who (for the most part) don’t want anything to do with it. They all respond in gloriously complex, different ways. Alistair and Isobel really stole the show, but I just hurt for Gavin. And Briony’s a fascinating study in complexity.

I initially thought the beginning before the tournament was slow, but looking back on it, the character development really established their motivations. We get the girl who wants nothing to do with any of it; the boy who’s been waiting his whole life to prove his worth; the girl who just wants to be a hero; and the boy who’s tired of being a monster. The book doesn’t pretend that these characters make the best choices, but it also shows that no matter how dark the circumstances, there is always a choice. And that’s what makes some of these characters villains more than others.

Throw in some doomed enemies to lovers, a chosen one who isn’t chosen, and an underdog who sells his soul to make a point, and you get a pretty fantastic book. If you like gritty, unflinching stories about morally grey characters just trying to do their best, pick up All of Us Villains.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

-Ande

I absolutely LOVED this book. It is being hailed as the Hunger Games but with magic, and yeah whilst that is kinda of accurate, it is SO much more than that.

The characters are well and truly the star of the show. They are tortured and twisted, and kind of…. well there’s no other way to put it, they’re kind of assholes, but somehow you are still rooting for them. Especially Alistair and Isobel. My one complaint (which isn’t really a complaint) was that they were less villainous than I was expecting given the books title. They were more just kids just being forced to deal with family legacy and expectation bullshit. That being said, the sequel has been set up nicely and I feel we will see some proper villainy!

I cannot wait until 2022 to find out what happens, this cliffhanger is going to end me! Thank you to NetGalley and to Macmillan Tor / Forge for the ARC in return for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

*side note: anyone else think this would make a great movie 😜

really liked this book, it was fun and easy to get through. the mc is a great character she isn’t the usually annoying i liked the side characters even more the main relationship was the best thing. the pacing and the setting of this novel was so good and just made the book even better.

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman gives us a competition to the death. Theirs is a world with magic – charms, curses, and the like. But there’s a secret wellspring of high magick, a powerful resource thought long depleted, in the remote town of Ilvernath.

Each generation, the Blood Moon rises, the Blood Veil falls, and the Tournament starts. One champion from each of the seven families enters a battle. To the death. The last one standing gets control of the wellspring, all of the wealth and power that entails, for the next twenty years. Until the next Blood Moon.

But this time, the Tournament’s stakes are even higher thanks to a tell-all book that revealed the cruelties of this bloody tradition to the world.

Seven teens, who’ve known each other their entire lives, some have been friends and even dated. But they’ve also trained to be ruthless champions. Determined to be the last one standing and win their family the prize of high magick.

The Tournament’s Blood Veil will isolate them from the rest of the world. And the Tournament’s magick will force them to battle until there’s only one left.

All of these teens have been twisted, bent, and broken by the tradition of the Tournament and even crueler, by their families. And yet, they can’t even depend on each other. There won’t be a banding together or a refusal to fight. Not fighting means they all die.

The world-building and magick system are unique and intriguing. I want to know more!

And this story! If you want darker than dark, this is it. The story’s written from shifting POV with each of the champions getting to tell their own story with well-crafted and thought-out characterizations. You get deep dives into motivations and fears. Alliances are made and broken. Betrayals come from unexpected places and in unexpected ways.

The authors give you reasons to care about the characters. Even the ones you think you’re going to loathe – you don’t. There’s a lot of despair to feel about the terrible choices the champions are given. And the ending will wreak you. Expect ugly crying. A lot of it. And? A huge cliffhanger that’s going to have you begging for more.

THIS BOOK WAS SO FUN. The premise was interesting and overall it managed to keep me engaged the entire time I was reading it.

I do think it could have done a bit more... it falls flat a few times throughout, but ultimately that didn't make me dislike the book, nor did it hinder my overall enjoyment. Sometimes it just felt like it was missing that extra OOMPH that I was looking for. The romance though... this is THE. ROMANCE. It was so engaging and interesting and SO DEVASTATING: I CANNOT OVERSTATE HOW GOOD IT IS.

This book is fun, it lives up to its premise, and is SO INTERESTING: I cannot recommend it enough. 4.5/5 stars, rounded up.

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

All of us Villians is told in four main character POV’s: Alistair, Isobel, Briony and Gavin.

The world building and fantasy elements in this book were executed so well, the concept of the magic system was so incredible and unique too! The writing style and tone of the world is fantastically dark and intriguing.

The four main characters were all really interesting and well written. As this book is very character driven we get to know each character in depth and I am in love with them all.

This was definitely one of my most anticipated reads for the year and it exceeded every expectation! Such an intriguing concept and fans of the Hunger Games will absolutely love it - I cant wait for the sequel!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an Arc!

Boy, do I have a lot to say about All Of Us Villains.

First, I wanted to say that the premise of this book was incredible. It has everything a book could ever want. Magick, an ensemble cast of morally grey teenagers who believe themselves monsters, a romance between rivals destined to be each other’s demise, a tournament to the death. I was entranced from beginning to end with the world itself, the spells and the curses, the grief and love and hatred.

However, I do think the book could have had more. I just felt like it was missing something as I read it, and I think perhaps it needed to be more detailed, more intricate. That is a very difficult thing to achieve while having to write the point of views of four separate characters, I guess. It did read very much like a book for young people (which isn’t a bad thing at all), but with the way it was marketed, I felt most of the book was lacking in ruthlessness and bloodshed until the very end. This really was the only reason I gave the book four stars instead of five. The prospect of the next book in the series being better and bloodier does have my interest peaked, though.

The romance between Alistair and Isabel, moreover, had me screaming the ENTIRE time. I loved them so very much. The rivals to lovers to rivals again made me absolutely insane. The torment of their feelings for each other warring with their instinct to kill each other made for a heartwrenching read. And the betrayal at the end of the book broke my heart! I would die for both of them, I think.

When there’s an ensemble cast of characters in a book, it’s inevitable that you’re not going to love all of them. I felt this way about both Gavin and Briony. While I don’t dislike them, I found myself looking forward to their point of views the least when I was reading. It’s probably just because Alistair and Isobel were so interesting to read about together, that reading the others’ chapter was a bit of a bore compared to them.

All Of Us Villains didn’t meet all of my bloody, villainous expectations, but it was still a wonderful book, and I am so, so excited to stay tuned to watch the rest of the series unfold (and for Alistair and Isobel to get their happy ending). I would definitely recommend this book to fans of fantasy, ensemble casts, and rival romances!

If you want to see more of my book reviews, check out my Youtube channel, Lipstick & Literature!

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing me with an ARC via Netgalley!

Wow! I'm not a big fantasy reader, but I really enjoyed this book. The worldbuilding/fantasy elements were easy to follow even for someone who reads mainly contemporary. I thought the characters were each interesting, with developed personalities that helped to differentiate their voices as well. I did find it a little bit choppy sometimes simply because of the POV switches, but it wasn't anything major that pulled from the story.

I did expect that more of the characters would be ruthless (although Briony and her sister?? ouch), because of the title. Perhaps I am desensitized (thank you media), but I did not find any of them to be overtly villain-like at all. Still, I enjoyed the story and always find joy in imminent death situations (not in a bad like real-life way, in a consumer of book kind of I like action kind of way).

If you liked the hunger games and if you're a fantasy reader then I would say this is definitely a good read for you! I would recommend it to my friends for sure.

All of Us Villains has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2021. When I got approved for an ARC I was literally in tears. I read it in one sitting. I took a flight to New York from California and I couldn’t stop reading. I kept hearing a lot of people talking about this book and comparing it to The Hunger Games I was intrigued . I can see the similarities fighting to the end/death but All of Us Villains is unique in a great way.
I loved both authors writing style and the story was well crafted with multiple point of views of our main characters. The book is vey dark and taking place in a dark curse/ tournament that takes place every 20 years. All the champions are chosen by their families and must compete to win and control high magic. I enjoyed all of the characters but I must say Alistair Lowe is my favorite. The Lowes have won the tournament the most and it has made Alistair the most dangerous and powerful champion. I can’t wait for book two. I am positive it will be darker and more ruthless. Thank you so much Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing book.

IMMACULATE!! dark academia perfect!! think harry potter x the hunger games but 1000 times better! it reminds me of the beautiful intensity n vibe of the atlas six! literally addictive to read because it’s SO well written. the story telling is incredible and you really feel like you’re right there besides the champion. you suck in breaths as they face hard decisions and you’ll be transported into the magical world of ilvernath as you read. every POV is fantastic and you just can’t help but turn the page. AND THE ENDING?? SPECTACULARRRR without a doubt, 5 ⭐️ thank you net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review
ps i think i’m in love with alistair