trigger warning
<spoiler> trauma, grief, torture, gore </spoiler>

Two people are dead, and the survivors still fight: Some to win the tournament the traditional way, some to break the curse so that nobody has to ever fight for their life in this again.

It is hard to tell much without spoilering.
Also, I had a hard time getting into this as I decided to not re-read book one which proved to be a mistake. To get the perfect experience, I'd recommend reading them both with only a short break between them to get the momentum going.

I was interested in how things would progress, if everyone got their wish and how they would get there, and was drawn in again by the characters and their stories. What I really did not like was the after-stuff, the inclusion of which was important but the way it was done was boring.

I am interested to see what the authors will come up next with. All in all, I would recommend this if you're into fantasy stories revolving around tournaments and games, and don't mind if you maybe can see where things are going because these stories have been told so often already.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

I was looking forward to this follow up book. Picking up where All of Us Villains ended we are right back into the tournament. The contestants are divided, cursed, near death, conflicted and ready for action. For me, it was a bit slow, and felt like a slog to read. I enjoyed the writing, it ended as expected, but left me a bit deflated.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I absolutely adored All of Us Villains so couldn't wait to read this, and I was not disappointed. Herman and Foody have crafted a worthy end to the story that is both believable and true to the characters they established in the first book. There were so many twists and turns in the plot that you never knew which way was up, but never to the detriment of the overall storyline. I did find the 'pairing off' of the main characters slightly frustrating - I would have preferred it if at least one pair could have just stayed as friends - but I loved it all too much to care ultimately. I'm looking forward to seeing if there's another duology in the works!

Thank you to the publisher Orion and NetGalley for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

"All of Us Villains" was a brilliant first book and the sequel, "All of Our Demise" wrapped up the threads of the first book perfectly. Set almost immediately after the first book, this one picks up with most of the champions on opposite sides- Alastair Lowe has been cursed by Isobel Mascalan, and Briony Thorburn's attempts to destroy the Blood Veil tournament will soon require them all to be on the same side. I loved the tension level of this story, and I could never predict how it was going to go. Again Gavin and Alastair were my favourite characters but by the end I absolutely adored Briony as well. There were times when the pacing felt a little off, especially considering the stakes of the first book, but I think some of it benefited the characters' development. What C.L Herman and Amanda Foody have done with this duology is so impressive, especially with the worldbuilding, and I can't wait to read what they might write together next.

I really enjoyed the first book in this duology, but this conclusion was a bit disappointing for me. I felt that the plot was quite repetitive and covered a lot of the same ground as book one, when there was definitely more that could have been explored with the politics and machinations of the tournament. The relationships here felt a bit insta-love to me, but I did appreciate the direction that the authors went in with them. I also thought that the authors made some bold choices for the ending of the book, which were definitely in keeping with the overall dark tone of the story and which I thought worked really well. Overall, I would recommend the series, but I just wish that I had enjoyed this second book more.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I absolutely loved All of Us Villains, so was very excited to get started on this sequel. However, I did not enjoy this one as much, I felt that a lot of the work that had gone into the characters in the first book unravelled, and the fast-paced atmosphere gave way to a much longer and less intricate narrative. I didn't feel the same dynamism of reading. However, I did still love the idea for this story, and enjoyed seeing where the characters ended up.

I enjoyed this book, it was easy to read and held my attention. I will be reading more from this author :)

An epic conclusion for definite.

A uniquely complex, yet simple magic system cursed to make the deadly and gruesome more powerful and the weak die with only a cross through their name to remember them by. Once a generation, each of the seven families select a champion for the blood curse tournament to complete in the hopes their teenager comes out on top, so they can claim all the high magic in the world left as their own for the next generation... until the tournament resets roughly every 20 years. This is not a ‘pretty fairy-tale’ where the winner saves the kingdom, and no one dies... this is a curse and magic filled story told from multiple perspectives but in a YA fashion. So not as much blood, guts, and gore descriptions as you would think; think more with a covering of blood then bathing in it.

Like the first book this brings you in to the dark yet intriguing adventure laced with floods, family, and intense desire to be the best. I am so happy that I have finally had the chance to read this final conclusion to this duology and highly recommend it if you enjoyed the first this should be next on your book list.

A little slower plot wise than the first installment and perhaps those not intrigued by family politics and back story scheming may not enjoy the pace of this one vs All of us Villains, however I am a fan of this kind of thing, so it works for me! Characters tied up nicely, which I was initially concerned about, being made to feel feeling for these wonderfully developed characters and then being emotionally destroyed would have probably tipped me over an edge.. But it comes full circle nicely. I'd say a solid 4.5 out of 5.

Sorry about the screaming.
This deliciously evil book was just what the twisted doctor ordered for this spooky season.
With delectable deviants, vicious villains, murderous malcontents and more malicious magic than any death eater would dare cast; this sequel is perfect for those who like their books on the darker side.

This was a decent final book overall. Similar to the first book, the first 30% kind of dragged due to unnecessary teenage drama but the story definitely picked momentum after a while.

In this book, we have the surviving members of the competition divided into two groups. While one of the groups is trying to end and destroy the curse once and for all, the other group is trying to win the competition which will result in the death of all the other participants. I think this made for a great conflict to the story. So, when they do clash, it made the story so much more compelling as you can never be sure for whom to root for. Sadly, the clash between these two parties is very few and far between all the other stuff that going on and it took me out of the story quite a lot while reading.

Both the parties/teams I guess have compelling motives for what they are trying to achieve but I found myself deeply rooting for Alaistair mainly because his stake in the competition felt so much more personal and at times was very difficult to read because of everything he has been through. The other team came across as self-righteous a lot of times and that is something I have personally come to dislike in books so even though I understand their pov, it was hard to root for them.

The finale rounded up quite nicely at the end and I really enjoyed the various relationship development that happened in this book. Overall, this has some really interesting morally grey characters and I would recommend it for readers who prefer their YA on a bit darker side.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

All of our demise is the sequel to All of us villains, which follows multiple teenagers chosen as champions, who have to compete against each other till death to win access to high magick for their families.

The first installment in this series ended up being one of my favorite books of 2021, so I was looking forward to reading the sequel as soon as it got out. Sadly, I didn't enjoy the sequel just as much. In comparison to the first book, this one featured a lot of scheming, which will probably make many readers happy and which wouldn't have bothered me much if something happened afterwards. But the pace of the story was really slow and there wasn't much action nor interesting character development. Reading the story, it felt a little directionless like the continuation hadn't really been thought through, (which I'm sure it was). The characters lost all their motivation throughout the story and just existed. The stakes weren't high anymore, because their drive to win the tournament disappeared. The alliances were very predictable and had not the effect the alliances in the first book had. The main romance of the beginning of the series was pushed aside, and I believe that was something that took quite a lot of tension away from the story. I kept waiting for something grand to happen, but the characters only discussed the same topics, arriving to no conclusion. The fights were short-lived and ended in everyone being at the same point they were at the beginning. Saying so, they were still some aspects I enjoyed about the story. I liked the character of Henry and Finley's and Briony's relationship. The writing was just right for the story. I found the modern interferences into the tournament such as media and the viewers a fascinating addition to the story. And I think the story had a satisfying and ideal ending. All in all, I would still recommend everyone to give the sequel a try, because it might just be the perfect continuation for someone else.

All of our Demise was an anticipated sequel. With the setup in All of us Villains (a book I enjoyed), I was excited to read how everything would come together in the end.

Alistair Lowe was still my favourite character, his voice and the tone of his chapters kept me entertained, as did his love for his brother, which made his individual motivations understandable and engaging. However, sometimes all of the characters felt repetitive, which did partially make the book feel long, and thus I didn't feel as invested in the other characters and often felt my attention waning. Although one of the relationship pairs works because I felt they had the most connection in book 1, I wish that it was also pursued more in the first book and continued in this one for that extra slow burn, angsty development of the relationship. I also didn't quite understand the other relationship and their attraction to each other that developed in this book, and it felt a little forced even in the situation they were in.

Although the plot is predictable, it was entertaining to read how this band of teenagers would come together to break the curse, the system and what the consequences would be. I'm also glad there was more explanation of the government; however, it did leave me slightly confused and underwhelmed.

Overall, this is an enjoyable series with an intriguing setup of characters and world, but All of our Demise felt long and I wasn't as invested in the characters as I was in the first book; however, it was a satisfying conclusion to the story.

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

Characters – 8/10
Overall I liked all of the characters introduced in this series. Their story arcs didn’t go as I predicted, which was refreshing. I even grew to like Gavin much more than I did in the first book. I think Foody & Herman did a great job with making their characters feel real and making us feel for them.

Atmosphere – 8/10
Once again the worldbuilding was immaculate. I do hope we get more books set in this world. I loved how magic was a part of this world, and how it was incorporated into modern technologies. The lore surrounding the tournament and curse-making was well fleshed out and easy to understand. It’s creative and refreshing and I’d definitely return to this world.

Writing – 6/10
Okay, here’s where I have some critique. This book was way too bloated and repetitive. It should have been 100 pages shorter. The writing isn’t bad, and I definitely found myself glued to the pages past the halfway mark, but it just dragged on. We’d get repeats of scenes and I found myself skipping over large chunks of it. This book could have been trimmed down and edited better.

Plot – 6/10
The same goes for the plot. There was just too much going on, and it felt unnecessary to have so many POVs. It would have actually been refreshing if we followed someone who was outside the tournament. Plenty of new and interesting characters were introduced, but we hardly saw them because we just followed the champions around.

Intrigue – 5/10
Here’s the thing about this book, and this particular genre of YA story. The stakes are relatively low. You know no one is going to die or do anything particularly monstrous. And for most of this book, it’s exactly like that. They try to kill each other a hundred times, but no one actually does it. And in the end, I found myself not caring about their battles. I will give them props for the ending, even though it does seem a bit open-ended.

Logic – 7/10
Once again giving them props for the magic system of this world. It’s inventive and creative. I would love to delve more into the lore of it, and I hope they do. Seriously please give me a magical university with Diya please.

Enjoyment – 6/10
I will admit that I probably should have waited a bit before picking this book up. While it does fit into the spooky vibe, it really wasn’t what I wanted to read. I am a mood reader, unfortunately. Still, I tried my best to give this book a fair shot. You should definitely pick it up if you liked the first book!

All of Our Demise was one of my most anticipated sequels of the year, and it absolutely delivered.
The story picks up right where All of Us Villains left off, back under the Blood Veil, with the remaining champions split into two different alliances. While one faction is working to break the curse of the tournament by destroying the landmarks and relics, the others are preoccupied with saving Hendry, reversing the Reaper's Embrace and the drain on Gavin's life magic. But they're working against the clock

I was surprised to find myself rooting for both sides, hoping there would be a way to dismantle the tournament piece by piece, so that the slaughter seven 'wouldn't simply be the surviving champions of the tournament. They would be the last ones.' I was there to see relationships between star-crossed lovers play out, had a front row seat to all the drama involving the press, I was cheering on the bad boys (who doesn't love a misunderstood villain?), and was increasingly drawn in by all the characters and their motivations.

This book was impossible to put down, it was emotional - there were three scenes that had me choke up - and it was magnificently written. The magic system, the atmosphere, the character development, the ending, it was all and more than I'd hoped for. If you haven't yet picked this duology up, I'd highly recommend it!

Destroy the tournament — before it destroys them all. That is the main goal in this sequel, at least for some of them. Each have their own agenda and villainy reigns again. Or does it?

I will not stop saying that books in series need to have recaps. Luckily the authors do a sort of recap, bringing us up to speed within the beginning pages, as a character's explanation in their POV.

With a straightforward glance, the narrative embellishes itself with notes of a vivid figurative speech and a sense of foreboding that follows everyone. The mythology continues to impress, as does the magic (the spell names are all the money), even though it is confusing at times. Sometimes I had to reread parts to understand how some spells were working, or generally what just happened here. Although the action is always palpable. Things do get crazy in a savourly manner.

The juggling of the POVs is done amazingly, POVs that embrace the whole of the story, leading us meticulously through the plot and bringing us to the center of the action. The twists and turns keep you guessing and there is no way to predict which characters will achieve their goal.

I applaud the authors for making us care about these not-so-virtuous characters. Flawed characters you can't help rooting for, well maybe not all of them (*cough, cough* Reid). For some reason, I seem to have a soft spot for Alistair since the first book and of course I always support the underdog, so Gavin too. But as quickly as alliances change in this tale, you might alter who you are rooting for...

Diving into their emotions and experiencing the dripping of suspense events alongside them, makes this the page-turner that it is. As does the intriguing and well-thought-out plot. This book ponders the question of redemption. Is it possible? How many wrongs make a right? Or even better, can any wrongs make a right?

With a delicious seemingly quirky darkness, if the first book put the duology on the map, this captivating sequel made it into a landmark.

I really loved this duology, not only because of the interesting concept and magic-system, but because all of its characters are morally grey. They’re not good but they’re not bad either. They’re human.

I had my issues with this final instalment and the ending left me a bit eh but I did enjoy the last 50-60 pages.

I’ve come to really like both Foody’s and Herman’s writing and this duology really was a mix of both their strengths and usual elements.

The bloodthirsty families are back! But the champions are starting to question their loyalty and get serious about destroying the tournament forever….well some of them at least.

With Henry back from the dead, Alistair is afraid breaking the tournament will take Henry with him, and he’ll do anything to prevent losing his brother again. 

Briny, Isabel and Finley are determined to find the seemingly impossible path to break the tournament and avoid the fight to the death they’ve all been bred for. 

The characters really shone in this story. I was far more invested in the plot of the tournament in the first book, but All of our Demise brought the characters to the front and I really enjoyed getting to know them, and their back stories, a little more. Especially Alistair and Gavin.

This has been a brilliant duology and I’m so glad the plot (and character relationships ) went in the direct they did!

All of Our Demise
Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Christine Lynn Herman; Amanda Foody 
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was even slower than the first book, which was disappointing. The stakes were higher and there were some interesting alliances made but I didn't feel overly interested in them.

For some reason I didn't feel connected to the characters this time and again I found the pacing weird, it changes throughout the book which made it hard for me to become completely invested in the plot.

At times it was emotional but it wasn't as dark as All of Us Villains and lost some of its edge. The action/fighting was really good and the ending was satisfying.

Overall I was disappointed with this book. I did think things would improve after the first book but unfortunately, for me, it didn't.

*Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers @pushkin_press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

*Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I don’t think I’ve read any other fantasy book and got obsessed with how dark and wonderful is as I’ve been with this one.

I love ‘All of us villains’ about the unique story, the amazing characters that felt so real and relatable and the writing skills of the authors. ‘All of our demise’ is all of that multiplied!

I wanted to devour the pages but at the same time I didn’t want it to finish either. I didn’t want to part with its characters. I felt attached to their humour, struggles and fears. I will really miss it and I believe it will take me some time to find something as good as this duology.