This is a cracking read, i really enjoyed the story, but it is eerily similar to every exquistite thing by Lauren Steven, i had to go back to that book to check if the schools were the same, they arent, but they could be.

Set in an elite boarding school this tells the story of Andromeda whose sister Violet dies but Andy doesnt believe Violet is dead because the body in the coffin is wrong. We get wrapped up in demons, witches, and dark magic. Whilst Andromeda sets out to disover what happened to Violet, what she uncovers is even more sinister than she could have imagined and Violet is not as innocent as Andromeda initially believed..

I really enjoyed this book.

Dark academia had me sold just by looking at the cover!
Really enjoyed how this book jumped right into the action and didn’t mess around with lots of long boring set up.
This was really fun and fast paced and the world building was incredible! I wasn’t sure what to expect for YA but the characters were beautifully well developed and had so much depth. Can’t wait to read more by this author!

I've just finished All the Devils and I feel like a need a lie down. The ending was so fast paced I'm exhausted - but in a good way!
I loved this book - the characters are interesting and believable, the story line is well thought and fast moving. I love the Greek history woven in. I will be recommending this book.
We follow Andy who has just lost her sister, Violet in a drowning at her private, elite school. However at the funeral, Andy looks in the casket and the body is not her sister. Andy then goes on a mission to find her sister. This takes her to the elite private school and beyond.

It’s hard to write an original dark academia story with the number of books in this genre that have recently flooded the market, but I think that Catelyn Wilson managed to write a compelling and suitably haunting book. I am always going to love books about secret societies, intriguing puzzles and adventures in hell-like landscapes. I think that these elements of the plot, particularly the sections of the story that dealt with the Underworld, were the strongest parts of the book.
The characters were also likeable and interesting, but I felt that their motivations could be confusing at times. I think the fact that many of them have secrets is compelling but there were moments where I became frustrated with them and their actions. The protagonist was also a bit bland at times. Andy clearly loves her sister but we don’t learn as much about her as an individual as I would have liked.
Despite some of these issues, I thought that the book was entertaining and I loved the parts which focused on mythology.

this book has you hooked - you are pulled into the world and you have to wait as everything slowly starts to unravel, the hidden codes and the questions that she is asking... you get pulled into needing to know the answers as much as the fmc in the book, you feel like you need to know her and be there for her. demons and monsters YA dark academia books. full of secrets and mystery

Strong world building and dark vibes, with an excellent driving plot pace? Tick tick tick! This is a book that can easily be DEVOURED in one sitting.

Character development was good, I wanted a little more depth but it didn't hinder the overall enjoyment as the plot is moving along nicely.

I can see why this is being touted for Wednesday lovers, it's definitely got that darker mystery elements to it, so if you enjoyed that show, you're likely going to love this!

This book was advertised as a cross between Netflix’s Wednesday and Ninth House; this description along with the dark academia and fantasy themes drew me into this book. However, I unfortunately didn’t really get along with this one.

The story itself was okay, I enjoyed the horror and supernatural aspects as well as the mythological themes throughout the book, but my biggest issue by far was the pacing. Everything was described in such excruciating detail that I lost track of what was actually happening; it was both too slow and too fast which meant that I just couldn’t get fully immersed in the story.

I also struggled a bit with the characters themselves. Andromeda, Andy, was a very dislikable main character who rather lacked any sort of personality or strong character traits - I couldn’t tell you anything about her other than the fact that she has pale skin, curly hair and glasses, has profound and unmitigated anger issues and cares about her sister. By the end of the story, I felt as if she was the same character that we met at the very beginning; we didn’t find out about her aspirations, passions, or life before her sister went missing. This was unfortunately the same for the other characters too, who all felt rather one-dimensional.

The final quarter of the book was probably the best part but by that point, I had honestly lost any investment in the plot. This was such a shame as certain reveals and revelations didn’t quite have the same impact.

I can tell that the author genuinely had a lot of passion to tell this story and I do think that others might enjoy this more than I did. This book felt more like a first draft to me, as many of the issues I had would probably greatly improve after another edit.

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was so nearly an amazing read but it just fell short for me in the end.

I think if it had been a non magic world with a teen thriller-esque plot in a boarding school for the elite OR a magic world with the complex magic plot unravelling it would have worked so well. But, the non magic world WITH the complex plot of magic just was a little too disconnected for me personally.

But I think this is a book that a lot of people are going to love! It just wasn’t quite for me.

Firstly, thank you NetGalley / Penguin House for the opportunity to read the arc for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dark academia, secret society/cult, mythology and egyptology, demons, Gods and the underworld? I am hooked already.

All The Devils starts with a young girl Andromeda (Andy as she prefers) whose sister Violet has recently died. However, while at the funeral, she makes the revelation that Violet may not actually be dead. To find out what happened to her sister, she attends the illusive schools Ravenswood Academy, the institution Violet attended before she met her demise. While trying to find clues and solve the mystery of Violet’s death, she meets Jae, a student who is also trying to discover what truly happened to Violet that night, having an understanding on Andy’s pain.

This book is highly descriptive and well thought-out which is why I shall keep the rest of the review vague to avoid much more spoilers. It’s face-paced and the plot is consistently intriguing. The author provides so much lore, mythology and interest in these topics that it’s captivating from start to finish. Although I feel the limited romance is not pivotal as much as the mystery of Violet, it really balances the entire action-packed dynamic and the slow burn was excellently done. Just all the twists and turns really keep you on your toes.

If I had to critique the story, it would be that I really wish we saw much more of Andy as a person, than just as the sister of the “dead” sister if you will. I feel like her character could have been explored much more on a deeper level so she has much more dimension. While I don’t think she is dislikable character, I think she could be much more relatable had we been allowed in more than we are.

This is my first book by Catelyn and I was not disappointed. I will take several seats for the next one.

If you enjoy fast-paced dark academia with magic, mythology and secrets then this is the book for you!

My Review of “All The Devils” by Catelyn Wilson

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the chance to read this ARC.

All The Devils by Catelyn Wilson follows a young girl Andy whose sister has recently died, Andy discovers her sister isn’t actually dead and is on the mission to figure out where her sister is and who tried to kill her. Andy ends up at very secretive Ravenswood Academy, the school her sister Violet went to before she was killed. Andy believes something deeper happened and that the school covered it all up. When she is there she meets Jae a boy who also is trying to discover what really happened to Violet, Andy and Jae team up to get to the bottom of the “death” of Violet, they discover secret societies and cults along the way, all that could be connected to Violets “death”.

I really enjoyed this book, the plot was gripping and I kept wanting to read on and on to discover what was coming next. I loved Jae’s character so much too! At points I felt like they could have been developed a bit more, I think Jae and Andy’s relationship could have been explored more than it was, but that is only a subplot of the story and I’m an avid romance/romantasy reader so will always hope for more romance in any book! I liked Catelyn’s writing style and it was all very fast paced and a nice change from all the slower books I have read recently. From the first page we were chucked in at the deep end but Catelyn really developed and explained the plot well. At points I was slightly confused as there was so much going on but it was all cleared up throughout the story and it just kept giving.

If you are looking for a dark academia, thriller, evil school mystery story then this is the book for you.

For more themes and tropes, check out my bookstagram link

My review of All The Devlils by Catelyn Wilson (2 stars)

I think I will be in the minority on this one, but I struggled to get into this book. Having read 40% of the book, I decided this was going to be a DNF for me. There are a couple of reasons for this:

1. The pacing: This book is incredibly fast-paced, to the extent of giving me whiplash. The events unfolded right off the bat, as we followed our FMC in her journey to uncover what happened to her sister. Unfortunately, due to the pace of the events being so fast, we barely got any time with our characters. I struggled to care for them as I had a very limited idea of who they were and what made them interesting. The FMC showcased very little growth in the 40% of the book I managed to get through and was quite frankly a little annoying. Not having established any connection with the characters made it hard to follow the events of this book.
2. The logic: Perhaps due to this being an unedited copy, I noticed some gaps in the logical flow of events. One moment our FMC is dedicated to finding a certain location and then in the next scene she ends up in a completely different situation, the certain location not even mentioned until three scenes later. None of it seemed to make any logical sense.

Overall, I was disappointed in this book. It had all the elements to be successful: a dark academic setting, secret societies and magical creatures, but the execution was lacking.

"To my little star. Follow the path of Anubis. I know you can do it."

All the Devils is a fine work of dark academia and it has held me gripped for the past couple of days. It is certainly one of the best Arcs I have read this year and I am grateful to Penguin Random House for sending it to me. It is a dark, atmospheric tale of ancient gods, monsters, magic and the fine line between life and death.

The story begins when Andromeda is mourning the death of her sister Violet, yet a chance discovery makes her wonder if Violet is really dead after all, or if the body is fake. She decides to enrol at her sister's old school, Ravenswood, in order to solve the mystery of what exactly happened there and why her sister suddenly disappeared then turned up dead.

This is a book that is rooted in mythology and Egyptology. Andy must learn to read old symbols and hieroglyphic messages, as well as unravel a series of clues and signs left behind by her sister. The result is a novel that descends deeper and deeper into darkness, with plenty of action to keep you turning the pages.

Although it is set in an elite school, much of the story takes place in the shadowy Underworld, as Andy seeks out the gods and ghouls who can help her to discover if her sister is dead or alive. There is a touch of romance included and a very satisfying dénouement which is full of adventure, strange twists and dark thrills.

Its a difficult book to review without giving away any spoilers, but if you enjoy reading stories based on ancient mythology then you will probably like this one. It doesn't stick to one single pantheon of gods, but mixes together all the deities connected with the Underworld, so you have Anubis and Hecate in the same story. This can be a little jarring to those of us who are familiar with the different pantheons, but it doesn't spoil the storyline and it all makes sense in the end. This novel ends in such as way that it sets up the premise for a sequel too, so it certainly looks like there is more to come.

Although I read this novel back in the spring, I wasn't allowed to share it until closer to its release date. All the Devils is the perfect read for foggy autumn days, so grab a cup of cocoa and snuggle under a blanket as you descend into the Underworld with Andromeda and her gods and monsters.

Happy Reading!

BB Marie x (Review to be posted on 18th September 2024)

If you're after a dark academia book with hints of murder mystery, magic, and mythology, All the Devils is the book for you.

We follow Andromeda (Andy) who, having recently attended her older sister's funeral, has discovered that the body is a fake - her sister's whereabouts and wellbeing are unknown. Suspecting that her sister's haunting, gothic boarding school has something to do with it, Andy enrols to search for answers. She is joined by Jae, a first year student, who is also searching for his own answers,

The premise for the book is incredibly interesting and as the reader, you get rushed straight into the action. The pace is quick, and at times hard to keep up with. What stuck out for me was the characters - they fell a bit flat for me. Our main character is unlikeable which isn't a bad thing, however she forms instant connections and favourable impressions with the students she meets which just seems unbelievable given her behaviour.

An enjoyable spin on the dark academia archetypes, All the Devils is a ghoulish romntasy where a beleaguered girl must venture into the Underworld, save her sister from the dead, and if she has time, fall in love with a god of the dead. A little cliche perhaps, but generally a fun and well-written time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for allowing me to read the ARC for this book!

This book definitely fits into the 'Dark Academia' genre, with a mix of fantasy and a touch of horror, the blend was executed very well. The mix of mythology was interesting too, and I found the book to be quite enjoyable. It was well written, and I would recommend to those who are a fan of dark academia.

I found the plot enjoyable, however there were parts that felt a bit dull or slow, and it initially took me a while to get into it. However I would still say it is definitively worth giving this book a read if yoh are usually a fan of the genres as it really picks up further into it.

The premise and blurb of this book is highly intriguing, however the story fell flat. The main character was not likeable and rather childish. I was unable to create deep connections with the characters. The story is extremely fast-paced and doesn’t give you enough time to breathe and enjoy the characters as it jumps from one scene to another. Main and side characters needed more depth.

I did really enjoy the romantic side plot of the story. It was beautiful and very slow-burn.

The ending of the book alluded to another part, which might give us more insight into the worlds and characters.

All The Devils - Catelyn Wilson

I didn't read too much about this book before going in and I'm glad I didn't, the plot had a good combination of a steady pace and provoked enough Intrigue from the beginning to keep me interested. We get enough introduction and background on the characters to know how they work into the story whilst keeping an element of mystery to their full involment and role in the society. The author does a very good job of giving plenty of lore about The Underworld, the beings that inhabit it and the connection with the mortal world without feeling like an information dump of world building.

Some might have an issue with how the author describes the world throughout calling it an excessive use but I loved how she managed to perfectly paint an image of the world and characters in an effortless way that kept the images rolling consistently in my brain without taking my attention away from the plot or lore.

If I had any criticisms then I would say that the characters I feel like I know the least about are the main ones Violet and Andy, I wanted to know more about Andy herself not just as a sister to Violet. Andy also was a descendant of Hecate but her having powers felt brushed over and even Violets didn't feel fully explored though the ending does give an indication to abook two that could solve this issue.

I read this in two days and got this courtesy of Netgalley, I would recommend for anyone who is into ancient god's, magic and mystery.

definitely recommend this book to Ninth House fans and lovers of dark academia and fantasy. (At times I did feel they were suuuuuper similar but also different)the end of chapter 1 well and truly had me hooked, but I will admit my attention and interest seemed to waver by the mid point. I found some phrases perhaps overly used, for example stating one’s name and its various iterations across mythology like anubis, hermes etc, (like okay i get it) also, violets personal situation with her health was kind of lost on me - until it came up again at the end, but this could simply be down to how I felt I was dragged through the middle. I will say, I really enjoyed how this ended open for the next book and despite my points raised, I do think I will be picking up the next one just to see how things pan out as the series continues.

My very first ARC and it did NOT disappoint!

What drew me to this book…
“Dark academia meets horror in this YA fantasy series. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House and Netflix’s Wednesday.”

About the book (no spoilers)…
Andy Emmerson is mourning the death of her sister, when she finds out she isn’t really dead. She travels to hell and back (quite literally) in order to save her. She joins her sisters school which isn’t quite what it seems. She meets the mysterious Jae who wants to help her on her quest, but he has secrets of his own. Andy has to battle demons, Gods, fellow students, teachers, parents, and even her own sister.

My thoughts…
I honestly loved this book from start to finish. It had absolutely everything I could want from my first ever YA dark academia book. Suspense, heartbreak, romance, magic, sisterhood, friendship, loyalty, and betrayal. The style of writing was perfect, the twists and turns were excellent. The ending was a cliff hanger I wasn’t expecting but thoroughly enjoyed. I cannot WAIT for the next book!

It is the perfect autumn read, which makes perfect sense why the release date for this book is September.

I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. It was the perfect book to introduce me to dark academia. It was an exciting and fun read & I think everyone should add it to their TBR

All the Devils follows Andy Emmerson who is mourning the sudden death of her sister, Violet. But on the day of the funeral, Andy realises that the body doesn't belong to her sister and suspects she's still alive and that her sister's elite boarding school is covering up the truth. Andy attends Ravenwood Academy to get answers and follow Violet's clues that introduce her to secret societies, monsters and magic. Andy is assisted by the mysterious Jae Han.

I was really intrigued by the blurb, and I did find the plot itself interesting. The book didn't waste any time getting stuck into the plot, and things happened very quickly in the story.

I think my main problem wasn't with the plot or the world, but with the characters. I didn't find Andy very likeable and she rushed around blindly, literally not knowing where she was going or what she was going to do. She didn't listen to any advice or share any information, while at the same time telling people that she couldn't trust them until they shared information with her. I just found all of this behaviour too immature, even for the age of the character. I think there was an opportunity missed with some of the side characters too, particularly Violet's friends. They were all quite one-note, and antagonistic to Andy from the very start. There was probably a missed opportunity there for at least one of the friends to actually be nice to Andy and almost convince her that it's all in her head, only to be caught out later on when Andy started to spiral. I don't know, I just wanted a bit more out of the characters and for them to be more than they appeared initially.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.