As someone who enjoys villains, I was thrilled at the opportunity to read an ARC of All of Us Villains. Dark, devious and conflicted morally grey characters meant this book was hot on my radar.

Ilvernath was an intriguing world that felt modern medieval with technology and the media. The atmospheric tone was well done, and I enjoyed the worldbuilding and magic system (the buying and selling of spells was very cool, and Isobel’s family’s way of collecting magic was intriguingly macabre). However, there were times when I was a little confused and would have liked to have known more; but as this is the first book of the series, I suspect some of those things, such as the government’s involvement and motivations, may appear in the sequel. I also really enjoyed the writing style and the fun, immersive action.

All of Us Villains has four POV characters with distinct perspectives, and I liked them all to a certain extent and naturally others a little more. For me, Alistair Lowe was the most interesting character with complex family pressures, and I found his chapters more fascinating, especially the way he made himself into a perceived 'monster'. I was immediately pulled in by Alistair’s voice, whereas the other characters took longer to grow on me. I also enjoyed Briony’s initial jealousy, the lengths she went to for her sister andher role in the story and her character arc, as well as Gavin's need for status. While I didn’t find any of the characters particularly villainous (except for a few instances), I liked their resistance against their family’s expectations and wanting to change things. Their insecurities and conflicted feelings felt apt and well-executed since they’re teens trying to survive an overbearing system and traditions while still trying to be teenagers.

Going into the book, I wasn’t expecting to have the long build-up to the competition, but on reflection, I’m glad we did and that we had the chance to spend that time with the characters. However, there are some time skips and I would have enjoyed reading some of these friendships forming.

There were elements of predictability, but overall I found that this didn’t sway my enjoyment of the book.
All of Us Villains was an entertaining book and with this world, magic system, characters and setup of the ending, the next book in the series has the potential to be an exciting one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gollancz for an eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

The best way I can describe this book is to imagine the Hunger Games but with magic. It had crossed my mind that it had elements of A Darker Shade of Magic but, i found it wasn’t as ‘dark a story as I thought it was going to be. However, the story was extremely engaging and delivered on what I expected overall.

Once every generation, the seven families of Ilvernath select a champion to compete in a tournament to the death in order to gain control of high magick and govern the remote city. The champions all have their talents whether that be spell casting, spell crafting or the sheer will to survive. The question is, who is the true villain amongst them?

The characters in ‘All or Us Villains’ were extremely interesting and had great depth and development throughout. I really liked that we got an insight into each characters background and how their upbringing has effected their personalities and appearance. I was so looking forward to see their villainous, cruel and ruthless tendencies but to be honest you didn’t see much of that until the end where deception and betrayal raises its ugly head and promises for a darker sequel.

The magic system in this world was interesting. In order to harness magic, it is first required to be crafted into a particular spell by using a spell board and then transferring it into a spell stone to then be harnessed and used at any time. I would of liked a little more depth and explanation into the magic and world building of Ilvernath as it’s still a bit of a mystery. I am hoping that the authors will be more adventurous and forthcoming in the next book!

Still an amazing book with so much potential!

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman definitely belongs to the category of books "to devour". I would say that the description stating that it's Hinger Games with magic is on point.

There are seven cursed families in the city of Ilvernath. Every one of them is a bit different, one is feared, one is kind of the city's black sheep, etc, yet they are brought together every twenty years in a tournament where seven champions battle to death to get control over very powerful high magick.

The story is told in 3rd person through 4 of these champions. And I would like to say that even though I have favorites (hello, Alistair!) I cared for every one of them. They have strong personalities and well-thought backstories and motivations. Plus, they all go through great character development as they are confronted with what it means to have blood on your hands. Overall, the family histories and pre-existing relationships were interesting as hell.

Now to the individual narrators. Like I said, one of them is Alistair Lowe. He's now one of my morally gray fictional boyfriends. His chapter captivated me, more and more I read. He considers himself to be a monster. He was born and bred by his ruthless family to continue the Lowe legacy of winning the Blood Veil tournament, and my heart just broke a little for him. This disaster child deserves a big hug. I can't stop thinking about him since I´ve finished the book.

And there’s Isabel Macaslan, the media's darling. She's a talented spellmaker, coming from a family reviled for the way they acquire the raw magic. I loved her.

Gavin Grieve. Oh, boy. He's the black sheep of the tournament because his family has never won it. Usually, the Grieve's champion dies first, even within a few hours into the tournament. Gavin is determined to do everything in his power to change that. Overall, this book really shows how far are people able to go, what they are willing to sacrifice, in order to survive and obtain power. I loved that aspect of the story.

And finally, Briony Thorburn who always dreamed about going through the tournament and winning it for her family. This girl convinced that there is a way out of this dreadful situation aches to be a hero. Nevertheless, she makes some questionable decisions too.

I think that All of Us Villains has it all. There’s a really unique magic system (Please, can I do cool named spells like that?) and great world building, well-rounded characters which you just want to hug and hold tight, a town with gruesome history, ruthless and wicked families, friendships, betrayals and shifting alliances, a lot of action to keep you on the edge of your reading spot, enough twists and turns, star crossed lovers mixed with enemies-to-lovers, and writing that will force you to keep turning the pages throughout all night... right into the early morning hours.

I love the plot, the setting, the magic, the characters, the relationships, that ending, all of it. I was not able to put it down, and I cannot wait to read the sequel!

In conclusion, get ready for what's coming your way when "The Blood Moon rises. The Blood Veil falls. The Tournament begins."

I'd been really excited for this book for a while but I just couldn’t connect to the characters. It’s not the book, it’s me. The story itself was brilliant, a Hunger Games style competition to gain strong magic with the addition of treacherous families. I think my biggest problem was finding it hard to relate to a set of families that happily send their children off to the tournament? There was only really one parent who seemed to care about her daughter and I just found it hard to place myself in the shoes of those competing.

Again, it’s not the book, it’s me. I still found it entertaining to read! 3.5/5

When I originally heard All of Us Villains pitched as a dark magical Hunger Games I was immediately intrigued and knew it had the potential to become a new favourite book. While it didn’t quite reach favourite territory, I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading All of Us Villains and recommend it to anyone looking for some villainy, a cool modern magic system and disaster teenagers just trying to survive.

The magic system of this book has interested me since I first heard of it. This book takes place in the modern world imbued with magic. Spells are bought and sold in department stores and kept inside jewellery until they’re cast. I just think this is such a cool concept and I loved learning more about the magic system and lore of this world as the story progressed. In particular, I loved the exploration of family and tradition and the beginning of breaking the cycle through our competitors.

All of Us Villains has four POV characters and I enjoyed reading from them all, though I definitely had my favourites. Each character had a distinct voice and motivations and I loved getting to know them. The characters are all morally grey and all struggle with their own villainy which was really fun to explore. The war between duty to family and this role they’ve been raised to fulfil and their own morals and desires was really well executed and I could sympathise with all of them. There was also an enemies / rivals to lovers romance which I adored; it brought new dimension to this struggle between duty and free choice and upped the stakes for the characters.

This book kept me hooked right from the beginning and didn’t let me go. All of the characters, the competition and the intrigue were so enthralling that all I wanted to do was find out what happens next. Not knowing who the characters could trust and knowing that they each had the capacity to turn on each other at any moment had me on the edge of my seat.

I highly recommend All of Us Villains, especially if you love explorations of morally grey characters, cool magic systems and a bit of a thriller element in your fantasy. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

I dnf'd this book because I just wasn't enjoying it and wasn't really invested in any of the characters so I didn't really feel for them.

Many thanks to the publisher & author for letting me review this!

This was sold as a morally grey hunger games, and definitely fit the idea. The storytelling was vibrant and the worldbuilding interesting. However, I didn’t connect much to the characters. But the action was perfect so I’ll definitely be reading more in the series!

I ADORED this book. The suspense, the world building, the characters, everything was just so beautifully done and left me on the edge of my seat as I had no idea what was coming or when it was going to develop. The only critique I had was that the villains didn't actually seem as villainous as I was hoping- I was genuinely expecting a lot more evil and underhand tactics instead of a bunch of teenagers who want to change their fate, however, I still thoroughly enjoyed every page and loved how atmospheric and easy to follow everything was. I can't wait for the next installment!

In the city of Ilvernath there is a tournament every generation during the Blood Moon. Tied to a curse, this tournament has been happening between 7 families of the city, for the prize to control a spring of coveted high magick. Each family sends a young champion and to win they must kill each other. The tournament was not known to the rest of the world until now...

A narrative full of villainy (pun intended), a whiff of the macabre and sarcasm, with a sense of foreboding that turns to outright danger, all wrapped up in melancholy. Elaborate and to the point descriptions embellish a captivating mythology. Undoubtedly the authors' imagination is a thing of wonder as they build this intriguing world.

Presenting multiple POVs where each has its own distinct voice and you get not just a taste but the whole meal of what the character is going through. Showing the worst in people but also the best. You feel for them even when they are being ruthless and that makes it nearly impossible to decide who to root for.

There is a lot more going on than just the tournament, more depth to the story and I like all the twists and turns. Despite the intricacy it is so comfortable to read. It is gasp-worthy and well-paced. Though there are decisions that are made by the protagonists that seem to not make sense or are out of character and the rules of the magic system are sometimes confusing and inconsistent.

Exemplifying the don't judge a book by its cover phrase, or in this case someone by their reputation. You encounter glimmers of hope plus delicious darkness in this story that keeps surprising you.

Bravery against odds is the main ingredient of this intriguing beginning to a new series.

I was sold on this book as soon as I read the description and it did not disappoint. The first half felt slow to set up the tournament and then I realised this is a series and flew through the rest of the book.

I loved the history we got of the main characters and the love they have for their friends and siblings was the bright spot in some truly awful families.

I am beyond excited for what will come in the next book because the cliffhangers for each character were brilliant.

This book was SO good.

I love a good villain, so it would have been weird for me to not love this book. Especially Alistair. This book could have been entirely Alistair's point of view and I would still have loved it (he's SUCH a good character), but the multiple perspectives in this novel work so beautifully together. I loved getting to see how different moments in the book affected different characters as greatly as they did and how it affected them going forward.

This book was a surprisingly easy read and I am DESPERATE for answers after that ending. And I just want more Alistair Lowe to be honest.

For many years, every twenty years the Blood Veil descends and the seven powerful magical families of Ilvernath each offer a Champion to take part in a battle to the death to decide which of the families will control the supply of High Magick for the next two decades. It is a curse that all of the families are tied to, and some of the competitors taking part are eager for the chance to prove themselves in combat, while others merely hope to survive. But this year something is different - the curse is no longer a secret, as a book has been published telling the world about the contest, and all eyes are on the seven participants. It has become political, more of a media circus, with more outside interest and into this much more complex arena the seven champions must compete.

Fans of the Hunger Games and the Maze Runner series will enjoy this book, which is suitable for young adults (although at the older end of the scale given the bloody violence and bad language throughout the book) but has plenty to keep older readers gripped too. The characters are distinct and memorable, each of them with their own complicated reasons for behaving the way that they do, and I am really looking forwards to reading the second book of this (two part?) series. I really enjoyed it.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

First of all, I don’t know how to properly express my feelings for this book because it blew me away. I kept putting off reading this for some reason and I really wish I hadn’t because I was addicted to this story and the characters!

‘Monsters couldn’t harm you if you were a monster, too.’

Set in Ilvernath, All of Us Villains is told from the perspective of four teenagers, each chosen to represent their family in the tournament. Every generation, at the Blood Moon, one child from the seven magick families of Ilvernath competes in the tournament to decide which family has control over the remaining high magick in the world. These children have to fight to the death, but some of them know each other, and some used to be friends, so tension is high. Up until the year before, the only people that knew about this tournament were the seven families, but the release of a tell-all book gives the whole world an insight into the goings-on of Ilvernath.

‘Day and night, Ilvernath would remain a haunting crimson until all but one of the champions were dead.’

Alistair, Isabel, Gavin and Briony are our protagonists and they each have their own issues to deal with outside of the tournament. Pushy families is a major issue in this novel. The authors have written an incredibly immersive story with detailed characters and you will just easily get sucked into the story and the action. We find out each families champion as the characters do and we get to see their reaction to the champions.

‘In a choice between staying here or going home, I’d still choose here. With you.’

Once the tournament begins, alliances are formed, almost bordering on friendship. But all champions know that when the time comes, it will all come down to one victor. Not all of these characters want to compete in the tournament, and one even believes there might be a way to end the cycle and the spell of the tournament. There are many twists, turns and betrayals in this book and you don’t quite know who to trust. Whilst the book is called All of Us Villains, these characters are almost pawns to their family’s history. Some characters have their morally grey moments, but at the end of the day, they are just teens trying to survive.

‘Slaying me was supposed to be your ultimate act of victory. But I’m not your monster. Or your trophy.’

One thing to be aware of is the major cliffhanger at the end of this book. I am in desperate need of the sequel, although it won’t be out for another year! All of Us Villains totally impressed me and I think it is sneaking into my top 10 of 2021 last minute. I didn’t want to be specific with the characters in this review as I think it’s something that should be experienced! Absolutely adored this book!

Evil Magic? Check
Tournament of Death? Check
Amazing Character Development? Check
Morally Grey Characters? Check

All Of Us Villains is a dark fantasy following seven champions as they compete in a deadly tournament called the blood veil, that takes place once in every generation, to give their family total control of the most powerful magic there is.

I have taken a star off because I felt like the plot didn't pick up the pace until half way through the book but overall this was a fab read.

I have just sat pressing next page on the kindle several times while my brain caught up & realised there was no next page! Now I NEED the next book. I'm not normally a fan of a cliffhanger but actually it worked really well here & has definitely left me wanting more.

I did struggle at the beginning to get in to the story, I like that it flipped between characters but there was a lot of build up to the action at the start because there were quite a few characters to get to know. Once the tournament started I was hooked & couldn't decide who I was rooting for as the characters all have something going for them. This is where the different perspectives really worked as you could see the outward impression they were giving off versus what was actually going on in their heads.

As I said before, I want more.

The world of All of Us Villains is very similar to ours: they have modern technology and all the discoveries and inventions we do but they also have magic. Spells can be bought by anyone and used to ease daily tasks. Simple magick cannot do much and high magick is believed to have been used up, until an anonymous source publishes the story of the seven families of Ilvernath, who sacrifice one of their own every generation to try and gain control of the high magick that remains. I absolutely loved the concept of this Hunger Games-esque trial happening in a world with gossip columns, journalists, tourists, and the effects of the media. It’s such a refreshing twist to a story like this and I don’t think I ever stopped being surprised by the mention of magic and an airplane in the same sentence. I also loved the way the government gets involved in this centuries old curse, which is definitely not something I’ve seen done before.

The story begins a few weeks before the tournament is set to begin and we get to see the perspectives of four of the seven champions as their prepare for the Blood Veil to drop and the three-month long contest to begin, knowing only one of them will come out alive. Alistair Lowe is the champion for the current rulers of Ilvernath, and everyone expects him to win as most of his predecessors have done before him. He was raised by his family to be the monster in night, the villain and not the hero, and he is determined to win so he can get away from it all and be reunited with his brother, the only bright thing in his world. I loved Alistair, and would have happily read the entire book from his point of view – though I know it wouldn’t have worked for the type of story being told.

Unfortunately, I can’t really remember the names of any of the other champions, because their chapters all felt quite similar – each trying to use their new fame to gain the advantage, and having family drama. It took quite a while to build up to the tournament, and when it did finally happen I again found it all to be a bit repetitive and I admit to skimming certain chapters – I guessed a few of the twists and intentions of the characters so I just wanted to get to the reveals. I will admit there was one final twist I didn’t entirely anticipate which did have me interested, and I really enjoyed the idea of change that the book deals with. However, I also didn’t realise that this book was the first in a series, and so where I was expecting some sort of resolution the ending came as a bit of a shock, and left me feeling a bit disappointed.

Overall, I still really appreciate the concept and the convoluted character relationships that form throughout the narrative, but I didn’t quite feel like the book was saying anything much and it just seemed a little bland. I have seen a lot of people praise the book, and I’m sure many will enjoy it, so I do still think it’s worth picking up by anyone who is piqued by the blurb, but it just wasn’t a standout read for me.

The mix of The Hunger Games, a bit of Harry Potter (especially Twizard Tournament), and kind of teenagers and families feuds in one book. Sound great? Yeah, but not for someone who hates The Hunger Games, unhealthy competitions, and vibes "kill or be killed".

I read it, finished it, but I felt tired and overwhelmed by the plot, characters, and their problems. I expected to find some adults in here, not the young adults who are going into life. Their insecure, sometimes, and complicated feelings to cope with, was hard to go through.

Was this book good? Ok, it is nice written - if we talk about the style, it is totally fine. But the idea, the characters, the events - I felt like I've already known all of that. Not really surprising, predictable, rather boring. I expected so much more.

https://lynns-books.com/2021/12/06/all-of-us-villains-all-of-us-villains-1-by-amanda-foody-and-lynn-herman/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Took its time, but then…
4 of 5 stars

All of Us Villains turned into a book that I really enjoyed. It did take me a little while to become invested but slowly but surely it worked it’s magic.

For me, and yes, I can see where all the Hunger Games comparisons come into play, this is a strange meshing of a few concepts that actually succeeds in standing on it’s own two feet. Similar to Hunger Games this book contains a tournament to the death, similar to Red Rising the participants form allegiances and teams but, uniquely, rather than the contenders rushing for supplies and weapons they instead fight over magical landmarks and relics.

This is a book set in a world of magic – think low and high magic. Most people can perform low magic which is pretty basic and non threatening. High magic, conversely is much sought after and for centuries seven ruling magical families have fought tooth and claw for the privilege of wielding it. The tournament is a curse, once it starts seven champions will fight to the death, the last person standing will gain the right for their family to wield high magic for the next twenty years. It’s almost like throwing seven students straight out of Hogwarts into the mix and see how they fare chucking unforgivable curses at each other.

The setting is a remote place called Ilvernath. For centuries the tournament has remained hidden from the rest of the civilised world, until an anonymous author wrote about the tournament and turned the place into a media circus. Most people are shocked by the brutality of the contest, although little can be done to divert the course of the curse, and there are certain government agencies who are definitely interested in what takes place in this small village every twenty years. You may ask why every twenty years – it’s certainly a long time to wield such power after all, I think that aspect is more about logistics, after all you have to wait for each of the seven families to have had sufficient heirs to be able to choose a viable contender.

There are a number or povs to get on board with but I think the authors do a really great job of bringing each character to life with their own personalities and traits.

Central to the plot is Alistair Lowe (whose family wins the tournament two out of every three times). The Lowes are disliked intensely. They have created a dark and menacing aura around themselves and raised their champions ruthlessly to think of themselves as the monsters of the story.

Isobel Macaslan was surprisingly named champion for her family over a year before the contest was due to start. This was an unexpected development that occurred at the same time as the release of the anonymous book leading many to point the accusatory finger in the Macaslan direction. Isobel, however, has risen to the challenge well, Beautiful and accomplished in terms of magical ability she uses the media attention to her advantage.

Briony Thorburn used to be best friends with Isobel but the two no longer speak – I don’t suppose entering a tournament to the death engenders such friendly connections (difficult to curse to death your bff after all).

I won’t highlight the other contenders. Suffice to say that some of them are more favoured than others and these different expectations drive the story here as each strives to even the odds.

In terms of criticisms. I think the story takes a little time to establish itself so be patient. There is a feeling of depth to the place and the history behind the contest, plus all the vying for position which takes a little while to set in place. I think I was a bit keen to get to the tournament to be honest but you can’t rush these things. Also, the title, ‘All of Us Villains’ – for me, I think All of Us Victims might be more appropriate. I mean, at the end of the day everyone treats the champions as though they’re blood thirsty maniacs but each of them knows they are entering a contest to the death – there is no two ways around it. Fight, or be killed. If it was me – I’d be failing all the magical lessons just to ensure I wasn’t champion – imagine growing up knowing that come your late teens you could enter a contest that there is no walking away from. So, villains or victims?

Anyway, all in all, slowish start notwithstanding, I enjoyed this. It’s a great concept and given the ending I think it has the capacity to develop in very interesting ways and I look forward to reading more.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

My rating 4 of 5 stars

Like many people, the idea of this book - The Hunger Games with magic - REALLY excited me. Especially as it was also advertised as having strong LGBT representation.

First of all I found the setting/time of the book quite confusing. It seemed like a magical medieval type setting but then would mention cars and school lockers other modern things. I know there's magic but it just seemed strange that the champions wouldn't use any kind of modern tools and techniques in the tournament. It was just a bit confusing.

The style of the book is multiple point of view characters which is a style I personally really enjoy. It allows the reader to really get into the minds of the characters and understand what makes them tick. Of course with this being a book about all the PoV characters trying to kill each other, this meant that nobody was safe! There is a real risk of the reader getting close to a character and starting to love them just to have them brutally ripped away from them! That's my kind of book.

Now, although the book is about a murder tournament, it doesn't actually start until about halfway through the book and then when it does begin there are exciting moments but overall is just kind of a bit limp...

Most of the characters talk a good talk about killing the others and being "villains" and "monsters" and then as soon as it is time to put the money where their mouth is, they're kittens. All bark and no bite.

I was expecting some strong LGBT+ elements but there was pretty much nothing. One hinting sentence and that was it. The "love story" was your standard YA opposites attract boy meets girl yawnfest.

There are positives however! The writing style is smooth and easy to follow so it was an easy read. The idea of the plot is great and the magic system is really interesting - especially the system used by Gavin Grieve in the latter half of the book. It is very much a young adult book and I think many young adults will love this and it may well be a great competitor in the genre.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I am attempting to write this little review while things are fresh in my mind, but I am struggling because I am replaying the last two or 3 chapters because, the end...
I- How coul- Wait, what? Well, s- !
These are all things I have said out loud while reading just the last 4 or 5% of a book I have very much enjoyed and would like more of, please.

I hate spoilers, I never look for, or read, reviews myself (just give me a blurb!!), so I will keep this brief so you can wonder into Ilvernath blind, just like I did, but I will say that its wonderfully written, with a rich, well thought out, history and lore that truly gives the depth needed to solidify the characters thoughts, feelings, and actions, making the time I spent with our 4 (main) characters fantastic.
I love them all, even the ones you think maybe you shouldn't, and you feel for them. Their desperation, their fear, their need and desire, and their villainy.

I am hoping book 2 will be out within the year, and while you wait, read this one, maybe read it again to convince yourself you just didn't see that coming because, how? What does it mean? And, why?

A solid 5-star read, All Of Us Villains is available now - go forth, treat yourself, and your villainous friends and family!