The Hungergames but with magic. This book is brilliant! I have never before been so upset starting a book in a new series because now I have to wait for the next book to come out! I could not stop listening to this book! I look forward to book 2!

This would have been a perfect Halloween read. Imagine The Hunger Games, but with magic. Bonus, you get to connect with more characters as it’s a multiple POV read. It’s also delightfully wicked and a bit brutal. I loved it! The characters and their tragic backstories, the villainy, and the interesting magic curses made this a fascinating read. There’s even a hint of romance, but not a lot.

That ending though 🤯🤯😩

I hate cliffhangers! I’m dying for the next book already.

I have never been one for audiobooks but I really enjoyed this one! Before going into the story itself, I wanted to say that I really appreciated having a male and female voice actor go back and forth between the characters which helped me be more immersed into the story. I was first drawn to the story because I do love a storyline where there is a competition or quest and All of Us Villains really filled that need for me. I also really loved having a book full of morally gray characters and yet they were all likable in their own ways, even the ones that were more of a straight up villain type. I am ready for book 2 though! Once we got to the end I was super ready for the curse to break down and see the aftermath but it was over! My only complaint is the lack of worldbuilding. I want to know more about this world of magic and more background. Overall, All of Us Villains was a great first book!

Waiiiit! You can’t leave me hanging like this!

I’m hoping there will be more in this series.

So it reminds me of a mix of The Hunger Games and A Deadly Education.

In this world, every 20 years each of the seven high families must send a teen champion into a battle under the blood veil to fight for the right to control the most powerful form of magic. Only one champion can survive for the tournament to end.

Some champions think they’re ready to take lives, others think they can end this curse and some are just trying to find a way not to hurt others.

Every single character is varying shades of grey. There are not totally evil or totally innocent characters.

This book ends on a total cliffhanger with very little resolved. I cannot wait to read more.

DNF at 40%

I think my problem with this book is that I just do not care about the premise, and honestly it feels a little tone deaf. All of Us Villains is kind of like Hunger Games, but with magic. Which sounds cool! The problem is that instead of doing what Hunger Games did- using the story as a way to explore power, privilege, and revolution from the bottom- this book is about privileged white kids fighting to the death to gain control of magic for their wealthy, privileged, abusive families. I'm not even kidding- there's literally a line where someone comments on how all the competitors look the same because they're pale and have been intermarrying for generations.

The writing is okay (although I do think there are too many POV characters with mediocre characterization), but ultimately I just couldn't find anyone in the story to care about or root for. It's like they had this idea of how cool it would be to do Hunger Games with magic, but missed the entire point of what made that story as powerful as it was. I received an audio review copy from NetGalley. all opinions are my own.

I DIDNT KNOW THIS BOOK WOULD HAVE A SEQUEL AND I NEED IT NOW! That cliffhanger! I think I am dying.

This book was so good! Touted as Hunger Games with magic, which describes it perfectly. I honestly don’t even know how but these authors made me root for these morally grey characters so much that I want all of them to win!

Wow! This dark tale of magic and survival in a game arena pulled me in from the beginning. The seven families who sacrifice their children for the game, every Blood Moon each have their own history and stories of the tournament and how it affects their family's magic. The story unfolds through different characters' alternating chapters and perspectives. At first, I thought, "Oh! This is <i>Hunger Games</i> with dark magic, but as the plot develops, the conflicts become more complicated... no spoilers, but, I did not see the twist coming and can't wait to read the next book in the series.

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I would definitely be recommending this book to readers on my Instagram bookstagram account.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Macmillan Young Listeners in exchange for an honest review.

What would happen if you take the hunger games and make it about 7 magick wielding families that due to a curse, have to battle it out to the death every generation in order to determine what family will have control over high magick? Oh, and most of the contestants of the tournament are morally grey. You get ALL OF US VILLAINS. These teens are cutthroat, they are cunning, and some of them have a few tricks up their sleeves.

I will say that this novel has A TON of perspectives, each chapter flips between the teens competing in the tournament. So at times it's a lot of viewpoints to keep track of as you get to know the characters, but Billie Fulford-Brown and Raphael Corkhill do a good job with the audiobook narration.

ALL OF US VILLAINS started off a little slow, but once the pace picked up I was hooked. I really enjoyed the rules of magick in this world, and thought The Blood Veil is an interesting concept. The spells and curses were varied and fascinating (can I say curses are fascinating and still be a good person?).

Now I REALLY need book 2 to come out because I have to know what happens next!

This magical and bloody hunger games truly delivered what it promised with surely more to come in the next book. We have different point of views, many characters each different from the other but all with the same goal. Survive the tournament and win it!
I really liked the POV changes as it allowed me to understand the characters better, And there's also something else I liked, well two things: the subtle queerness of it, and the fact the this is not a romance book so there's no force romance storyline. There's something that will probably be explored more in the future but I'll be happy it staying this way. Not all books need romance. If the plot is strong like this one, it carries the story on its metaphorical shoulders without needing anything more that will definitely keep the book from the main themes and twists.
The way it was written is easy to follow even with a fantasy plot that may have resulted in a really complex writing. The different POV don't confuse the reader at all and I really liked that.
The last part of the book made me want to fast forward time so I can read the sequel asap!

Ding Dong!!!
All the wows with that ending and I’m going to need the next book now!! This book was The Hunger Games with Magic and I’m here for it. I was bouncing around thinking “are the villain”? No, you’re the villain. At this point I can’t tell you, out of the 4 main characters, which is my favorite. I just need the next book.

There is a book every once in a while I feel like it would have been more beneficial for me to read as a physical book. This was one of them. I loved the premise, but there were several POVs right off the bat which confused me and kind of made it easy for me to zone out a little bit while listening. Because of this I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I did enjoy the characters, it's just no one really jumped out at me. I think Allistair may have been my favorite.
The plot of this book is sort of a Hunger Games with magic and that really intruiged me. Champions get chosen from specific families to compete in a tournament to the death and whoever wins, their family gets to keep all the high magic until the next tournament and the next winner. I was totally ready for this book to be a blood bath, but there are things no previous tournament participants have figured out. Maybe killing isn't the only way to end the tournament.
I think the book was split pretty much half and half between gearing up for the tournament and the actual tournament. I was actually more invested in the before part believe it or not. The magic that happened in the tournament was a little bit confusing and I got a little bit lost. Some parts seemed a little slow and others quite fast. It ended at a spot where I totally want the next book and I may have to do a physical book reread beforehand. This is one I will definitely recommend!

While the plot is very similar to that of the Hunger Games series, the characters are unique enough to tell their own story. Each of the four main characters are well-developed and sympathetic, even as they murder their peers (albeit grudgingly). The primary romantic plotline is a little rushed and uneven, but most readers and listeners will definitely be engrossed in its progress. Still, the ending leaves a lot of questions unanswered, even if it is just the first installment of a series. While it will certainly leave readers and listeners wanting more, the end still lacked the payoff that felt deserved. That said, the final moments of the book were incredibly poignant and effective, and the ultimate twist was neither predictable nor unearned.

The narrators do a spectacular job, and having two different readers who reflect the genders of the characters was a very good decision. Because the plot is so action-packed and the setting so unique, it will keep the attention of teens and adults alike.

Even though the overarching story is reminiscent of others, the details allow it to stand out. As an audiobook, it excels.

Take a bunch of teenagers on the morally grey spectrum and stick them in an urban fantasy hunger games.

Seven kids from great magical families battle over the span of a couple of months to be the last one standing. Four of the seven contestants are POV characters (Forgive any misspellings I listened to the audio 😂):
Alister Lowe from the reigning villain family
Isobel Mcaslin the accidental champion
Gavin Grieve from the under dog family
Brioney Thorburn the unselected shoo-in

Overall I really liked it (I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would but I did like it). The narrators were spot on and I would recommend it for anyone looking for morally grey characters and/or a competition story. It does end on a cliffhanger so be warned.

I LOVED this book. All of Us Villains is how I imagine the Hunger Games would've gone if the story centered on the careers from districts 1, 2, & 3. These characters come from seven of the most wealthy, powerful noble families of their land, and they must fight to the death in order for one winner to rule the kingdom (with their family) until the next tournament.

This book has the perfect ratio of plot to character development. A complaint I've often had with fantasy, dystopian, or sci-fi books is the heaviness of the plot; I didn't find that here at all. The book focuses so much on the trauma, character development, and developing relationships between these characters, which I *really* loved.

I also loved how the shades of grey morals are really investigated in this book. The title alludes to all the main characters being villains, but they're so much more than that. At times they prove to be born of their circumstances, resistant to their circumstances, or completely falling into the villainous characterization the world makes of them.

The world building and magical system of this book was super unique, and very well done. Magic is a craft to be bought, rather than something everything can do, which is a pretty unique idea. The universe and setting in which this world is set was really well-written; the authors gave so much to visualize about the towns from which they live and the actual arena where the kids must fight, which really added to overall atmosphere.

I do feel as though this book has borrowed really heavily from tropes and characterizations of popular books, whether intentional or not. The plot was very Hunger Games, and I found one sister dynamic in particular was pretty similar to Katniss/Prim. One of the characters was very similar to Kaz Brekker. Perhaps the authors borrowed from these stories, or perhaps I've just read so many books that I'm able to make these connections, I'm not sure.

As far as the audiobook, I really enjoyed the dual narration for female and male characters. The male narrator in particular was really great at inflection and acting, which made the book just *that* much more atmospheric.

I'm really glad a sequel is being made from this book, because the ending, while fantastic, left me wanting so much more. Overall I definitely recommend!!

This book was fantastic. I received a physical ARC as well as the audiobook ARC and loves the narrators for the audiobook. Very much Hunger Games vibes obviously, but it also reminded me of the Night Circus. The writing was very well done! Though this is marketed YA, it definitely has adult crossover appeal. There’s some pretty dark, grim and violent spots. I was shocked more than once by the turn of the plot.

You’ve got villain love interests, enemies-to-lovers, dark magick, an ancient death tournament, group cast shenanigans, and the only-one-bed trope packed into a story of seven families who must compete in a in order to win exclusive control of the high magick.

I found myself swapping sides a lot to root for the different families. Villains you can’t help but love. I had to keep reminding myself how young they were because it was so tragic. A lot of this story was tragic.

I was totally mind blown by the ending and will be DYING for the sequel to come out.

I went into this knowing.. almost nothing about the book except that it had a seriously amazing cover and a promising title.

And let me tell you, this book did not disappoint. I immediately got Hunger Game vibes from this.. but if Hunger Games was built into a snotty magic based society. Which is what most of the characters backgrounds consist of. Minus one of course.. always got to have an underdog ;)

The book is a bit of a slow burn.. in that I feel like its setting us up for an amazing book 2. Plot wise, I don't feel like a lot happened.. we spend most of the books getting to know each charters (all of whom I really enjoyed), understanding their motivations and morals.. and you get a little bit of plot/betrayal development. I honestly didn't mind it. The characters and world are fleshed out in such an interesting way.. that I was captivated throughout the entire book. Towards the end is when things start to get spicy (action spicy mind you, not spicy spicy) and I think my only real disappointment is waiting for book 2 after all this set up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan- Tor/ Forge for the e-arc!

I stopped what I was doing about 20 minutes in & listened straight through to the end! 🖤

What a good book! Kinda YA but not annoyingly so.

7 houses. Every 20 years 7 champions are sent behind the red veil and & only one can emerge the winner & you know what that means! MDK!!! When the winner emerges their house controls the elusive high magic for the next 20 years. If no one winner items determined within 3 months they are all dead. BUT do 6 young adults HAVE to die?

I really liked the characters even though all of them are not technically villains … but definitely damaged. It’s DARK! I enjoyed the magic system, Common & High. Great prose. Easy read! Fun! Quick! Loved it! I would ask for a sequel but like like we’re getting one!

Thank you #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for letting me listen to the book! I need the physical book now!!

A tournament of Terror!

Calling all villains, it’s time for the Tri-Wizard contest. Oops. Not the tri-wizard contest but the tournament for all the magick.

So, when I started this, I thought is this a mash up of Harry Potter and The Hunger Games????? Well, it gave me the vibes of H.P. initially if H.P. is a Villain from a villainous family who is fighting for all the magick, but this one is dark, and check out that cover, and grab yourself a copy!

The Blood Moon rises. The Blood Veil falls. The Tournament begins.

Every generation in the remote city of Ilvernath, seven families name one of their own as a champion to compete in a tournament to the death. Nothing says I love you like sending one of your children out to fight and potentially die. The odds are not in their favor (see what I did there?) but the payoff is huge. If you win- you win BIG. You get control over a secret wellspring of magick. But is it worth your life?

This was a delightfully/wickedly magical tale, and I can’t stop fangirling over it. There are quite a few characters, but I found it was easy to tell them apart. I had a favorite - Alistair, but there are others, and you may find yourself rooting for one of them!

The authors did a good job setting the stage, giving the characters distinct personalities and backstories. By the end of the book, I was anxious and a little well, upset. That goes to show just how well the authors did with making characters you root for, feel for, and want to boo and hiss at. There is going to be another book and I am looking forward to it as this one ends with things left hanging.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It had me from the start and I was busy trying to find excuses to listen to the audio.

A great book which had me wanting more!

Dark, magical, and deadly. Monsters aren't always what or who you think they are, or are they?

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman in exchange for an honest review. This book felt like Harry Potter meets Hunger Games. Seven families choose seven champions to battle to the death, the last one standing controls the high magic. An interesting premise.