All of Us Villains (All of Us Villains, 1)

ALL OF US VILLAINS by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman is a novel I got from NetGalley, and ended up buying a hardcover for my shelf as soon as I could. By a third of the way through, I was hooked. This isn't a book I wanted to rush through, for fear I'd miss even one comment, so I took my time. It was a book that I wanted to focus on completely, where normally I alternate between 2-3 books at once.

". . . Villainy in the modern age was a delicate balance.

Originally described as the Hunger Games, with more blood and magic, this book was so much MORE, and I feel took things to a very original level.

". . . Blood before all . . . "

In the small village of Ilvernath, seven families have long had the tradition of a blood moon tournament, once every generation. Seven competitors were chosen, and the one that survived had the honor of their family being in control of the last source of "high magic" that the rest of the world thought long gone.

"The only part about the tournament that makes it a fairy tale is that it's definitely gone on ever after."

Only this cycle is different. Someone from the town wrote a book just prior, telling all about the town's previously "secret" traditions.

"Do not judge the champions too harshly. Survival could make villains of any of us."

Seven teenagers, armed with curse/spell stones, and their own knowledge of magical spells are pitted against each other--either until only one remained, or three months had passed....

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the intricate characterization. Each of the seven chosen "champions", along with many other characters, were so well fleshed out throughout the length of the novel that I never had trouble mixing any of them up--despite the rather large cast.

"The nightmares had not taught him to fear the dark. The nightmares had taught him to become it."

Everything from the individual family dynamics, the feelings of the competitors themselves, and the unique magical system was something I couldn't get enough of. I never felt as though something was missing, although I always wanted MORE. (This, to me, made a novel I would eagerly re-read, and one I needed to have a physical copy of).

"We're raised to call them champions, but I would argue there's a better word: sacrifices."

I know at least one other book is coming out in this series, and I can't wait for more news on that.

"Monsters couldn't harm you if you were a monster, too."

This was a story I was completely captivated by, with an ending that left me screaming for more. Is there any higher praise?

Highly recommended.

When I first read the description of this one - as a sort of darker, fairy tale-esque twist on THE HUNGER GAMES, I knew that I just had to read it! So I was thrilled to get my hands on the audio ARC! I also ended up getting a physical copy of it - while the performance of the female reader is great, the overly dramatic rendition of the male performer quickly became grating. I always listen to books at 2x speed, and because he didn't regulate his own speed or volume, it gave everything an odd emphasis and was really distracting. The sections that he narrated really made me feel like consistently like I was missing something. I really loved the female performer, though - if only she had narrated the whole book! I think I would only get the sequel on audio if there was a different male narrator (or none at all).

As for the story itself, I loved it! It follows a curse laid on the town of Ilvernath - where the seven great families are cursed to provide a young champion for a fight to control the town's high magic every 20 years. There can only be one winner and each family maintains their own secrets and traditions for choosing their champions. The book opens just before the next cycle of the curse begins. Four members of different families narrate throughout- Alistair Lowe, the chosen champion of the family who most commonly wins, Gavin Grieve, a young man desperate for his family name to be great once again, Isobel Macasalan, thrust into the spotlight first as this is the first year that the curse fight has publicity rather than secrecy and Briony Thorburn, a confident young woman who feels ready to win at all cost.

Like many YA Fantasies, there's some romance here - but also violence, bloodshed, and an ending that leaves the reader quite desperate for the next installment. The world-building gets this off to a bit of a slow start and some of the melodrama of it all does fit with the nature of the over-the-top performance of the male narrator... But as the characters develop and grow, this becomes a much more riveting read. There may be a few predictable turns, but there are definitely some surprises, too!

I really enjoyed this! I think this author duo works quite well together and I am really excited for the next book. The characters are well-drawn - and I am not even sure which one I am rooting for in the end to be the last one standing! And I think the magic of the spell-rings and curses feels fresh and fun! I can't wait for more!

I know I saw this title around a few times and read about it and ultimately decided not to read it each time. Then the last time I saw someone mention it, I read about it again and said yes. Ordered it, received it on May 20, picked it up to read the first page or two once I got through my son's birthday and the holiday weekend... and I know people use "I was hooked from the first page" a lot to describe a book but I don't know if the sentiment has even been more true for me than it is with this book.

I did not mean to commit to reading this but once I read page one, I was in it for the duration. I feel bad for anyone that read this as soon as it was released because it is a duology and I am so grateful I only have to wait until August 30. Because, I need more and I need it soon. Thankfully, this author duo didn't make readers wait an entire year, which is really appreciated.

So this book.... Multiple POVs which we love to see. High magick is believed to be gone. Common magick is still around and free for all to use. But what the rest of the world doesn't know until a salacious tell-all book is released, is that there actually is still a source for high magick around. But long long ago, seven families came together to cast a curse. A tournament. A fight to the death for one champion from each family. Winner takes all. For twenty years at least. When the blood moon rises, the tournament will soon begin. As the blood veil falls, the seven champions are sequestered and there can be no out side influence from anyone. (Think Hunger Games but richer and darker, without the huge government interference.) But there is some government interference now because thanks to the new book, this tournament that has always been a secret amongst the seven families, now has all of the eyeballs on it.

Believe it or not, with everything I just explained, there is still so much more you don't know. But if I explain it in much more depth, we're going to get into spoilery territory and nobody wants that.

I mentioned the multiple POVs, this is (to me) a very character driven plot. But you're wanting to know what is going on so badly, that you keep reading and reading. The plot does develop slower but you get what you want, exactly when you need it. This keeps the story going and the pages turning.

As for our characters, they're all villains. HELLO. It's in the title. Our champions are going to let you get to know them and then they're going to do or say something that changes how you viewed them. Skewing in both directions. So be prepared.

A few reasons I loved this book, beyond just being thoroughly entertained anytime the book was open... I had recently DNF'd a book for trying to be some comment about social justice issues and felt like I had been baited and switched. This book is 100% NOT THAT. I got exactly what I was wanting and hoped for. It's dark, somewhat gritty, morally grey characters ALL DAY, fast paced. And even something I rarely comment much about with books but the writing style just worked for me. I loved all of the character development, while also getting a highly entertaining story and a new take on death tournaments.

So, I would absolutely recommend this book. Even to people that feel their YA days are behind them. This book, while easy to understand for a younger reader, also doesn't read young to a more seasoned readers. I know that makes zero sense but it's still true.

So if you need me, I'll be over here crossing my fingers and toes for an earc of book two or patiently waiting for my preorder to arrive so I can get back to this world the authors have created.

What am I supposed to do with myself now?
This is the best book I’ve read in a while. The character development is fantastic. I feel both horrified and worried and wishing that these characters WON’T be villains, and that’s maybe one of the most intriguing things. Sometimes we think of ourselves as one thing when others see us as something else entirely. We may be the heroes in our own story, but that makes us somebody else’s villain.

I cannot WAIT to see where this goes, hence the despair at there being no title and no exact release date for the next one yet.

With Reid, who is not a champion, I could definitely see something brewing.
All of the POVs are so different, and allegiances are constantly changing.

If you liked The Hunger Games, it’s true you’ll probably love this, and even though the tournament is similar the magic system is so intriguing, and we’re seeing the tournament from multiple perspectives.

How far will they go for power, or for revenge, or for what they believe is right and necessary??

This book was described to me as a mix of The Hunger Games and Harry Potter. Without spoilers, you have a tournament that has magic and curses. I found myself intrigued and committed to read it to the end. I enjoyed the villainous characters. I enjoyed how the story was told through different narrators and found myself reading through sections to get back to my favorite character. I loved the concept. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the fact that the sequel is not out (at the time of this review). I cannot wait to read what happens next.

'All of Us Villains' was, for all its build-up, mostly disappointing. It's a magical teen death tournament, where the winner's family gets to control the most powerful magic for a generation before they all have to do it again -- but this time around, someone leaked a tell-all book to the world, and now they're horrified figures of public scrutiny as well as semi-traumatized teens told they have to murder their peers for the family honor. It could have been interesting; I really liked that we got two-thirds of the way through the book before the tournament even got close, because it really let us get into their messy social dynamics, but it turns out that this is _also_ because the book ends half-way through the tournament, without any sort of resolution to either the magical plots or their social bonds. It's interesting, but not at all compelling enough to recommend in this unfinished state.

All of Us Villains is The Hunger Games for goths, with a hint of Needful Things thrown in for good measure. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was definitely not expecting the sometimes brutal exploration of what humans are willing to do to survive.

I have read and enjoyed Christine Lynne Herman’s The Devouring Gray, and I am a fan of books that twist norms, so All of Us Villains intrigued me from the get-go. In a world where magick exists, the book follows seven teens who are thrown into a competition where there will be only one survivor (the Hunger Games vibes are strong here). However, these seven will be fighting for their family’s control over powerful magick.

The concept of a battle to the death over control of a powerful magic source is an interesting one, and the book is just different enough to distinguish itself from The Hunger Games. Another difference between the two books are the multiple points of view that add different layers to the book. The characters all added something new which really helped flesh out the world.

Briony considered herself the perfect champion, and is one of the few characters who actually wanted to be in the competition. She isn’t necessarily blood-thirsty, she is just supremely confident in her ability to win. Of course, there’s a hiccup (no spoilers given, I promise) that changes things completely, leaving her with different choices to make, and many questions that need answering.

There’s Isobel, who didn’t want to be in the competition and is understandably terrified. She is also rather annoying. I can’t put my finger on why she bothered me, but she did. Possibly because she felt a little less fully developed than some of the other characters. Or maybe it’s that her whole budding romance with another champion seemed really odd (Now? While you’re all busy trying not to die?) What do I know, though? I’ve never been in a battle to the death; maybe that’s the best time to go looking for romance. However, she was an odd combination of ruthlessness and selflessness, which was definitely fascinating.

Gavin was easily the “villain” of the villains. He has something to prove and will do just about anything to prove it. I liked that his desperation led to an interaction that allowed one of my favorite characters to develop a little. The fallout from some of his choices also caused things to change in unexpected ways, which I really enjoyed.

Then there’s Alistair, one of my two favorite characters. He’s the one expected to win; powerful, with a dark reputation, he was so much fun to read about! Instead of being a stereotypical villain, he is actually unsure of himself and trying to protect himself by becoming the monster everyone claims he is.

My favorite character by far was Reid McTavish. Not a champion, he actually owns a magic shop which helps several champions with exactly what they need- but what is the price? He reminded me a little of Leland Gaunt from Stephen King’s Needful Things, and I was loving the reminder. I could never quite figure him out, which was brilliant. I know he has an angle, probably one which is deliciously diabolical, and I can’t wait for it to be revealed.

That last sentence brings me to an important point: this ends on a cliffhanger. I know that is not everyone’s thing, so I figure it bears mentioning. I do believe it worked well in this case, as any sort of finalized ending would make book two start in a very odd way.

All of Us Villains was a fun, quick read. While I wouldn’t necessarily say it shattered expectations or was incredible, it was extremely entertaining. At the end of the day, books like that have their place too. I recommend this book to fans of The Hunger Games, readers who like their characters to be morally conflicted, or those who want something diverting and fast-paced.

Seven powerful families send one selected member on a suicide mission: a tournament where the contestants fight to death. Only one can survive, but can they change their fates by changing the game?
Think the Hunger Games but with magic.

Loved this book so much, I simply couldn’t put it down. captivating characters throughout

A riveting YA novel! This book kept my interest from start to finish! Looking forward to reading the 2nd book!! Highly recommend!