All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman is a high-stakes fantasy that puts a unique twist on the concept of the tournament to the death. Depicting a competition where players fight through curses, this one contains morally grey characters and a well developed magic system. This is a great read for those looking for a dark, character-driven fantasy.
Title: All of Us VillainsSeries: All of Us Villains #1
Author: Amanda Foody, Christine Lynn Herman
Publisher: Tor Teen
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Rating:
Series Rating:
The Blood Moon rises. The Blood Veil falls. The Tournament begins.
Every generation, at the coming of the Blood Moon, seven families in the remote city of Ilvernath each name a champion to compete in a tournament to the death.
The prize? Exclusive control over a secret wellspring of high magick, the most powerful resource in the world--one thought long depleted.
This year, thanks to a salacious tell-all book, the seven champions are thrust into worldwide spotlight, granting each of them new information, new means to win, and most importantly: a choice - accept their fate or rewrite their story.
But this is a story that must be penned in blood.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody
Each generation, seven families nominate one champion to compete in a fight to the death. Only, instead of fighting with weapons, they fight with curses. Should a family’s champion win the competition, they earn the privilege of controlling high magick, which everyone else in Ilvernath believes is obsolete, until the next games. This year, however, the secrets of the tournament have surfaced, bringing reporters and spectators to the games for the first time ever. Now, with all eyes on the tournament, the competitors have a choice to make—continue on, or put an end to the games forever.
❀ Well-developed narrators
This book contains four different narrators, and each is well developed. As the tournament progresses, we follow Alistair, the champion with the highest chance of winning, Isobel, who never wanted to compete in the first place, Gavin, the underdog, and Briony, who stole the opportunity to compete from her sister. While there are many characters to keep track of, each is distinct, and the authors do an excellent job outlining their differing motivations. These characters are also complex and morally grey, as the title suggests, although I wouldn’t necessarily call them villains.
❀ Unique use of magic
One of the elements that impressed me the most was the role of magic in the book. The concept of a fight to the death through magic is unique, and the world building details such as the characters purchasing spells from a store brings dimension to the story. I especially enjoyed the consequences of using magic, as it may backfire if the characters make curses themselves. While I found that the world building could have been stronger, the unique use of magic made up for this.
❀ An original fantasy
All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman is an original fantasy with magic and plenty of twists. The tournament is brutal yet engaging, and each of the competitors is well developed. The use of magic is particularly well executed, bringing a unique angle to the story. Fans of The Hunger Games will not want to miss this one.
About Amanda Foody
Amanda Foody has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After a double life as an accountant preparing taxes for multinational corporations, she now spends her free time brewing and fermenting foods much more easily obtained at her local grocery store. She lives in Boston, MA with a hoard of books guarded by the most vicious of feline companions, Jelly Bean.
She is the author of THE SHADOW GAME series and more. Her middle grade debut, WILDERLORE: THE ACCIDENTAL APPRENTICE, is available now and ALL OF US VILLAINS, co-written with Christine Lynn Herman, releases in November 9, 2021.
About Christine Lynn Herman
Born in New York City but raised in Japan and Hong Kong, Christine Lynn Herman subscribes to the firm philosophy that home is where her books are. She returned to the United States for college, where she traded out a subtropical climate for harsh, snowy winters and an Honors English degree at the University of Rochester. Currently, Christine and her books reside in Brooklyn, along with her partner and their extremely spoiled cat.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, novice New Yorker, & professional bibliophile.
Wow! I knew about this book but I hadn’t really known what it was about and I’ve gotta admit it sounds really amazing. The magic system in the story sounds awesome!
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Review: The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins
I think that you will love it! 🙂
This sounds like a great read and I am looking forward to reading it.
I hope that you love it as much as I do! 🙂
Do you think this would be appropriate for an almost 14 year old? Or is it too dark?
It has about the same amount of violence as the Hunger Games. Also, there isn’t romance or anything like that in the book, so I would say it should be suitable. 🙂
How interesting! The addition of magic into the competition is pretty cool!
Right?! I think so, too! 🙂
Ooh this sounds awesome!
It is going to be hard to wait for the next book! 🙂
We’ve never heard of this book, but it sounds fascinating. It almost sounds like a mix between Serpent & Dove and The Testing!
Ooh! I am going to have to try those ones! 🙂
This sounds like an exciting read. I love the cover–simple, bold. Very effective.
And now I want that one!!
I keep hearing great things about this book! Great review and as a big fan of the Hunger Games I will definitely be looking into purchasing this one!
ive been unsure about this one but i think i will check it out! thanks!
Cool cover