Member Reviews
I can't pick a character I loved most in All of Our Demise. I love a united brother sibling relationship and Al and Henry melt my heart. Give me a bad boy with that one person who makes him soft any day. At the same time, I loved Isabella and Briony's character development here. But even more so, All of Our Demise takes these characters and puts them through the emotional wringer. They are faced with their demise and the fate of the world in their hands. It's a sequel that truly sinks into the themes of perception and villainy.
Of wondering if we will be made into the villains, the bad guys, the monsters of the story. And how it feels when we aren't allowed to want a different future. We cannot control how people perceive us, all we can do is create our own ending. Our own choices in a system that keeps trying to tell us who we are or who we should be. I listened to All of Our Demise as an audiobook and Billie Fulford-Brown & Raphael Corkhill were fabulous narrators not only with the accents, but also with conveying the character's conflicted decisions.
I loved the first book in the series but I struggled with this sequel. It was slow and I was bored. I would have preferred the entire story to be one volume with a lot of the narrative in this second book removed.
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
All of Our Demise is the second and final installment within All of Us Villains duology. Just like the previous book, the tournament kept me on the edge of my seat. The entire thing gave off Hunger Games vibes and I wasn't disappointed one freaking bit. Of course, we do get some drama spicing things up and honestly the chaos was highly entertaining.
Honestly, so much happens throughout this book. Everything is so fast paced that I had to catch myself at times and slow down so that I didn't miss anything important. Which, yes, was very hard to do because I was so obsessed with the tournament. My head was spinning so much because of what the characters were making me go through. It's not even a bad thing because I was so here for it all.
In the end, let the chaos free and be entertained the entire time. I really hope Amanda and Christine work their magic once again so we can get another amazing book/series.
I highly recommend the audiobook version. The narrators are all great and really bring the story to life. This was a good end to the duology. I will say it is longer than the first book and is a little drawn out. While it was full of action and moved along there were quite a few things that felt unnecessary. Overall I recommend this duology.
This was such a good end to this duology. There was so much action. I loved the character development throughout. I could not put this book down. I definitely recommend the duology. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio arc in exchange for my honest review.
I absolutely love Amanda Foody’s writing and this duology met all my expectations. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who loves fantasy.
I enjoyed the narrators for this book. I especially enjoy when there is more than one narrator when the story has multiple perspectives. It helps to bring more life and individuality to the characters and their story lines. This book picked up exactly where the first book ended, so I really enjoyed that readers were pulled right back into the world. The vibe was very much Hunger Games meets Harry Potter, but only the Slytherins. There was a lot of action, drama, and some romance. I feel like the book covered a little bit of everything. Overall, it was a fun read. I'm glad it was done in two books and not three.
Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for #gifting me the audiobook for 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞.
Amanda Foody and Christine (now Charlie) Lynn Herman are an amazing team of authors! I absolutely loved 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 and could not wait to read 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞.
If you haven’t read the first book this duology has…
• Magic (a different type of magic system I haven’t come across before)
• Dystopian (magical fight to the death, winner gets to control High magic until the next one)
• There are special landmarks the champions can claim that protects them from outsiders which is pretty cool.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤:
• Was not like other second books. It picked up right where it left off and was just as well written as the first book.
• I had no idea how this book would end. There were multiple different times where it could have gone either way. And I loved it.
• I absolutely loved Alistair, and fell for Reed a little bit.
• There’s LGBTQ representation.
• I loved how a happy ending isn’t guaranteed.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤:
• I loved the voice of Galvin the most.
• I enjoyed how each character had their own voice.
• The narrators did an amazing job telling this story. I never wanted to turn off the audiobook.
• If you’re going to read this duology I highly recommend listening to the audiobook. The writing is amazing, but the audiobook gives it an extra spark.
Over all this duology is one of my favorites now. I loved both books equally!
Fantastic. Perfect narration, well-crafted romance(s), and a satisfying ending. Better than All of Us Villains, and distinguishes itself from similar series (Hunger Games, etc.).. I really can't recommend it enough.
This is an AMAZING fall listen. I loved reading All of Us Villians and knew I had to listen to this one. Let me just say. the dynamic between reading and listening to this series is unreal. I love hearing the expression in the narrators voice! AMAZING, I don't know if I can go back to physically reading this series!
Thank you to Net Galley and MacMillan audio for the arc of this book in exchange for my review.
All of Our Demise in the sequel and conclusion to All of Us Villains which I read a few months ago.
All of Our Demise is longer than book one was. The audiobook is almost 19hrs long vs book 1 at just under 13 hrs. I bring this up because I think the story would’ve been better told as one long story vs a duology. Overall the books feel chaotic and there is a lot of time wasted on waiting for things to happen. I get that some of this is intended to give time for various relationships to build or crumble. It just makes the book bloated and distracts from the actual story.
As all YA books that feature some sort of fight to the death, All of Our Demise is compared to The Hunger Games. I think this is in accurate and is really on reflected in the general competition sense. If there is any part of The Hunger Games that is similar, then its like the movie version of Mockingjay Pt 1 & Pt2. It was unnecessarily drawn out and while it did allow for more details of the story when viewed separately feel incomplete.
Now I do think that all of these fault could be fixed simply by adapting this story into a tv show or movie. I think it would dramatically reduce the feeling of disorganization because you wouldn’t need to get bogged down in locations or narrator perspectives. Visual representation of those elements would be a boost to the story.
The audiobook was really good. The narrators Billie Fulford-Brown and Raphael Corkhill did a good job. If I have to nitpick anything it would be that Briony and Isabel sounded a little too similar so that made it hard to keep track of the story sometimes.
By the end of the book I didn’t care how it ended, I just wanted it to be over. I do think it has a satisfying ending though.
Listening speed: 1.75x
Do I recommend this book?— Yes if you enjoyed book 1 then you will probably like this too.
I've been eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this eulogy since I read and listened to [book:All of Us Villains|56179338] last November. I pre-ordered my matching hardcover ages ago, and was delighted to receive an early copy of the audio. And while I didn't love the male performer in the first book (I ended up reading more than listening over it), for some reason this time around, his voice grated on my nerves a lot less, though it is the same man. He still speaks on the overly dramatic side that sometimes comes at a price of articulation, but it's a bit tamer this time. And I really enjoyed the female performer's voice for Briony and Isobel - just as much as I did for the first book!
As for the story itself, this wastes little time in picking right back up where the first book left off. The authors inserted reminders well to refresh the reader's memory without feeling too redundant or overly repetitive. The curse still stands with some of the surviving teens banded together to work towards ending the curse for all rather than continuing to fight to the death until one is left standing. With more betrayals, romances and friendships, this conclusion moves quickly from start to finish. I must admit that some of the relationships didn't go in quite the direction that I had been hoping for... so the plot definitely holds some unexpected twists! I really enjoyed listening to this and think that this writing duo works well together. This makes for a satisfying conclusion - though I really appreciated how magic worked here and grew to like most of the characters. I hope that this isn't the actual end of this writing duo collaborating!
Ohh! It's here! Time to finally see how the All of Us Villains series comes to an end. I know it's only been a year – but it feels like I've been waiting for ages to see how this all wraps up. Written by the duo Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman, All of Our Demise portrays a dark tournament of magic, sacrifice, and the highest costs.
Every generation, a new tournament begins. The tournament's winner (and sole survivor) decides which family will be in control of high magic. Until the next tournament, that is. However, this latest tournament isn't going as planned.
Mainly because the contestants aren't willing to lay down their lives for their families. Instead, they are rewriting the rules and hopefully breaking the 'games' in the process. But what will it cost them, assuming they even succeed?
“Footsteps thudded down the stairs, and the flickering figure of Hendry Lowe appeared outside Alistair’s prison bars.”
I've been counting down the days to the release of All of Our Demise. I can't speak for everyone else, but I, for one, just had to know what would happen next in the tournament.
Duologies with high stakes can be tough. Either the second novel lives up to the expectations, finding ways to up the ante, or it doesn't, leaving readers disappointed. All of Our Demise falls into the former category, raising the stakes with every chapter.
As with the first novel, All of Our Demise is split into several perspectives; Gavin, Isobel, Alisair, and Briony. Each one has a unique story to tell. First, there's the boy whose family gave up on him. Then there's the girl thrown to the wolves. Next comes the boy raised by darkness. And finally, the girl has more determination than anyone else in the room.
Naturally, this series wasn't afraid to get dark – this helped set the tone for everything that follows. There's no doubting the darkness of certain families, though I couldn't help but feel like they were all corrupt and horrible by the time I was done. Why else would these families willingly risk their kids for a little bit of power?
There were a lot of surprises in All of Our Demise. Some were dark, while others were bright – little pockets of hope to carry readers onward to the conclusion. It was the right balance of tones.
The conclusion was everything I could have hoped for. It carried the weight of sacrifice and felt in keeping with the whole of the story up to this point. I'm sad to see it end, but I can't complain about how it went.
Honestly, I wouldn't have minded seeing more of this world. Do you think that there will be a spin-off series or two? That'd be fun.
The conclusion is excellent! It ties up all the loose ends in a satisfying conclusion. The narrators of the audiobook are stellar. It’s wonderful to have a different voice for each. This is definitely a story anyone should read! Read if you like morally grey stories and ones with enemies to lovers. Very action packed and easy to understand magic system. I’m so glad I got the advance audiobook— Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!
This book was a treatise on lost potential.
The premise and characters, and of course the storyline, were all excellent. But everything except about 53%-85% fell flat. That specific portion of the book was suspenseful, interesting, and I couldn't get enough of the dynamic between Alistair and Gavin.
But the rest of the book was long-winded without anything really happening. I feel like editing it down would have made for a much better read. I didn't love how every single character had to get paired off with another, as if teens cannot be friends without falling in love. And I didn't care for the other 4 characters' stories. I would have liked it better if the entire story was written from Alistair and Gavin's perspective - especially the end. It was unnecessary and took away from the dramatic climax of the ending to have each character have another chapter. Al could have told all of their stories.
It's hard to put my finger on why I just didn't care about anyone else's story and why I didn't really care about Alistair and Gavin until 53% of the way in - I just didn't. Maybe the emotion was drawn out too long between chapters, to where it wasn't suspenseful, it just dragged.
This book was that audio clip "Is it me? Am I the drama? I don’t think I’m the drama… Maybe I am! Am I the villain? I don’t think I’m the villain!" and I approve.
I feel as though I waited ages for this sequel, finale to one of my most highly anticipated 2021 releases, and I'm delighted to say that it did not disappoint! Do I have beef with Tor and their decision to make the font so bloody small in all their books? Yes. Will I be having my lawyer contact the authors for emotional damage after that ending that I did not see coming? Also yes.
So, what's been going on? Well let me see. Book one left off with the tournament basically starting to fall apart. Alistair killed Elinor, leaving five of the Slaughter Seven to carry on. Gavin forced a spellmaker into his dungeon. Isobel almost died and barely saved herself by cursing Alistair, except now she's being held hostage by Reid MacTavish. Briony and Finley figured out how to break the tournament's curse. Oh, and Alistair's brother has magically returned from the dead and is tied solely to the tournament itself.
Relationships have shifted from how they were in the first book, with new alliances and goals driving this ruthless cast of characters. On the side committed to ensuring the tournament continue in its usual bloody only-one-person-walks-out-of-here-alive way, we have Alistair, his newly resurrected brother Hendry, and Gavin. And on the other team, fully prepared to do whatever it takes to tear the tournament apart, we have Isobel, Briony, Finley, and Reid.
Yes, you read that right: the cursemaker has become a champion in the games against his will, and I found that a very interesting twist! My favourite couple in the first book was Isobel and Alistair, and a couple they no longer are. I kept hoping for an enemies-to-lovers rebound, but the journey each character took worked out quite well in the end, so I'm not mad. They also remain the coldest and most calculating of the characters, and I can't help but stan that. I still don't care much for Briony. She's so self-righteous and one screw loose in her efforts that her chapters became my least favourite. I did warm to her in the end, but her saviour complex wasn't for me in the beginning. I'm just glad that we got Hendry back because I really liked him in the first book and was crushed by what happened to him.
I remain so in love with this world. The tournament is so well crafted. There are so many pieces that fit together so cleverly and weren't difficult to follow. The magic system itself, with the rings and curses, feels so different in a genre full of magic usually bound by blood and wands. I also love the touch of modernity that fits into this world with paparazzi and reporters.
Was it better than the first? Honestly, no. I do think it went on a little long and the pacing could have been tightened, there were a few elements that needed to be better integrated sooner, and some of the relationship dynamics I didn't care about as much this time around. But all that said, I can't bring myself to give this less than 4.5. I still enjoyed the heck out of it and will easily read it again.
I could not get into this one. Like the first book it felt a bit slow to me. I really did not enjoy the narration on this one. Thank you for the opportunity to listen and review.
I had the opportunity to listen to an audiobook arc of this, and it was excellent! The narrators did a great job of portraying the four different POV's that we follow.
I really enjoyed this sequel even more than I did for the first book. I felt like the story and the characters were really fleshed out and I kept wanting to listen to more and more to see what happens next. This book was also very emotional and left me in a daze a few hours after I finished it. I highly recommend this series to everyone who is a fan of dark fantasy of the magic realm with a hunger games feel.
Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!
All of Our Demise is the epic conclusion to All of Us Villains, a fantasy duology and a 2021 favorite of mine. Long story short, it did NOT disappoint.
All of Our Demise picks up pretty much right where All of Us Villains ended: the familial champions of each house are caught in a tournament curse, destined to fight to the death. But what if the curse could be broken? The novel opens up with newly drawn and fragile alliances being formed between those who want to break the curse and those who want to win the tournament the old-fashioned way (i.e. by killing all of the champions).
With the tournament’s curse weakened from the events of book one, our champions find themselves faced with new benefits and new challenges. The tournament boundary has effectively dissolved, allowing the champions to re-enter town to gain information and new spells while non-champions can enter the arena and complicate matters to their hearts content. This evolves into news and PR quotes at the beginning of each chapter, conveying what the public is seeing and hearing as the tournament continues. It makes for a fascinating and compelling development to book one’s world-building foundation, to be sure!
My favorite aspect? The multiple POV’s! They are all so well-developed! The audiobook narrators did a fantastic job individualizing the voices as well. I connected with each tournament champion, and loved seeing events from each of their eyes, especially Isobel and Alistair. They are each so unique and complex, and they each brought something to the table as the narrative developed. Without getting to spoiler-y, a character has been resurrected and a new champion unexpectedly joins the tournament, allowing for even crazier dynamics across the board. Plus, we get budding romances and we get to see how it develops from both sides!
As both a character- and plot-driven narrative, you’ll be rooting alongside all these morally grey narrators as this fast-paced and action-packed tournament of death comes to a close. Isobel, Briony, Finley, Alistair and Gavin will take you on a dark, atmospheric, adventure in this latest and final installment!
Enjoyment: 4
Total rating: 4.43
I am not as versed in magical worlds as an avid fantasy reader, but having read a few fantasy series, All of Us Villains duology worked for me.
I loved the world-building, the action, the characters and the story. This is one of the best fantasy books I have read recently. Although the first book was stronger, in my opinion, All of Our Demise brought it home to a satisfying conclusion. The overall story was engaging and enjoyable. I would love to see it adapted to the screen, so I can fill in the details I couldn't picture in my mind.
Billie Fulford-Brown and Raphael Corkhill were the perfect narrators for the audiobook, they brought the characters and world to life, and I feel they emoted the tension and urgency perfectly when needed.
Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of All of Our Demise.