All of Us Villains

"This book was so good, though it had a premise I’ve definitely heard before, albeit with an interesting twist. It’s like the hunger games but mixed with magic and family secrets. I loved a lot about this novel. All of the champions, especially the four main characters (Alistair, Isobel, Briony and Gavin) were so complex and had such intricate reasons for wanting to be the victor of the tournament. They all had their secret motivations which made all their interactions, alliances, and relationships 10 times more interesting. Speaking of relationships, Alistair had the people falling for him left and right (me included). Isobel was completely smitten with him and Gavin was totally fighting off his attraction for him. For a “villain,” Alistair was easy to fall in love with. Another thing I loved about this story was the theme of there being no such thing of true heroes or villains in real life; that everyone was morally gray in their own right. Everyone in this book did something morally reprehensible at one point or another and it just made the story more enthralling. What also made the story interesting was all the jaw dropping moments!!! (SPOILER ALERT 🚨)What happened to Hendry (I almost cried; I LOVED him)!Who actually wrote A Tradition of Tragedy and WHY??! What the blossoming love story between Isobel and Alistair eventually became! Hendry coming BACK?!?!? What Briony did to Innes?!! All of those moments were actually insane and I’m dying to read the sequel and see if they break the curse over Ilvernath or something worse unfolds!!!"

"Really good read! Definitely recommend!"

"#multiplepov "

"Even without much world building the story had a nice dark and ominous atmosphere. We follow four Pov's but from the beginning, the two female characters seemed to mesh together. They were both a little boring to be honest and felt flat on the page. Unfortunately, that was a problem since this story was character driven. So why all the complaining if I gave it four stars? Well, I'm writing this after I read the sequel so obviously it didn't hold up in the end. Still, I loved the chance to see not one but four morally grey characters. The atmosphere was spot-on, and the upcoming game intriguing. There were also a few twists and turns that made the first book worth it. I'm wondering if the book suffered from too many pov's. Especially in a do-or-die tournament. I mean how many books have been written that the narrator dies? I did enjoy Alistars character the most. But I always go for the bad boy so nothing new there. Something is missing though and I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe worldbuilding, more backstory, or magical rules. I dunno."

"If huger games and Harry Potter had a child this would be it. It has so many twists and turns, just when you think you understand what’s happening you find out you don’t. I also love how the story is played out in 2nd person so we can see all the main characters thoughts and views.#magic #betrayal #twistsandturns "

"Gothic Magical Hunger Games. Dark and Twisted at all the right times"

"3.5 stars - The premise of All of Us Villains has so much potential for amazingness but I think it would have been better served if the book was adult instead of YA. If the book is supposed to be about a bunch of murderous villains I’m kind of confused about why there was only one or two deaths that could be deemed villainous. I think much of that has to do with the YA categorization of the book. I just wish the level of savagery was explored more so the book would have greater impact. I also felt like the romance was forced and would have preferred there be no romance at all because it kind of lowered the stakes of the tournament in my opinion. <br/><br/>I did enjoy the setting of the story, I thought the lore was well described and the tournament grounds matched the vibe of the story. I also adored the dynamic between Hendry and Alister and was sad to see they had such limited page time. The ending was surprising for me and I’m excited to read book 2!<br/><br/>Thank you to Edelweiss for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review."

"The overall theme was interesting and it was a quick read. However, the plot and characters were so predictable. The language was clunky. I wanted to like this but it just fell flat to me. "

"This was one of the best books I’ve ever read. There were so many twists I felt dizzy with how much I pivoted from liking a character to hating them. I was truly impressed with how these authors showed how three dimensional humanity is by giving us characters that made only morally dubious decisions. The characters still felt relatable because they were stuck between a rock and a hard place every other chapter and they truly felt like victims of circumstance. I want the next book out NOW! "

"Might be my favorite/one of my favorites I’ve read. Loved the characters and the way the magic was easy to understand and it wasn’t overpowered. In short, it’s like hunger games, but with magic✨"