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edilyaaang's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The beginning is a little slow and boring. I had a hard time pushing through the parts before the tournament began. But once the fight started I got hooked.
The only charcter I didn't like was Isobel. She started out strong for me. A bad-ass pretty girl who can stand for herself. Heck yeah! But as the story progressed, she began acting all wishy-washy and I find myself rolling my eyes at Isobel more.
She claims to hate being a champion and dreads that she has to kill other people especially her friends and Alistair but when presented with a possible way to end the tournament without further bloodshed, she refuses to listen. Ugh! And the communication skills of everyone in this is shit. Why can't they just listen to one another when they obviously had agreed to alliances.
Those are the only downsides and why I did not give this book a 5⭐.
I love Alistair's character the most. He was the realest of everyone even though he was raised to prentend as someone he never was. I do feel sorry for him though. That is one sad way to grow up. That ending though! Satisfying
The only charcter I didn't like was Isobel. She started out strong for me. A bad-ass pretty girl who can stand for herself. Heck yeah! But as the story progressed, she began acting all wishy-washy and I find myself rolling my eyes at Isobel more.
Those are the only downsides and why I did not give this book a 5⭐.
I love Alistair's character the most. He was the realest of everyone even though he was raised to prentend as someone he never was. I do feel sorry for him though. That is one sad way to grow up. That ending though! Satisfying
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gore, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Death, and Violence
novelty_reads's review
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I have recently been finding myself gravitating towards dark fantasy this year and honestly? I love it. Dark fantasy brings forward everything I love in books: enemies to lovers, forbidden romance and magic schemes that make you wish the world was a little more magical than it actually is. All of Us Villains had the perfect recipe to become a newfound favourite.
I was lucky enough to read a few pages of the book before it was out. I enjoyed the sampler so much that I bought the book (and its sequel) already knowing I would be transfixed and pun intended, spellbound.
The book has been pitched to me as The Hunger Games but make it magical and villainous. The book is told in four perspectives: Briony, Alistair, Isobel and Gavin, four of the seven champions forced to fight to the death to win high magic, a rare magical commodity. The book spends a lot of time showing us how the champions have prepared and strategised for the tournament, building up the characters and showing how they all cope with the knowledge that they'll one day fight to the death.
To me, Alistair was an instant stand out. I loved reading his perspective. He reminded me of Lira from To Kill A Kingdom in that he was raised to be villainous but really, his villainous behaviour was a result of what his family expected from him. He may be morally grey but I could tell he had a softer side and the way he cared for his brother, Hendry was really sweet and wholesome.
Isobel started off as a character I really enjoyed reading but towards the end, I started losing interest with her character. Her parts were better in terms of plot and moving things along but as a character, she lost me towards the end.
Gavin was a character I was very interested in. I am a sucker for the classic underdog story where the odds are stacked against them and they manage to be victorious. Gavin's entire family haven't won the tournament in all the centuries it's been happening. Gavin is seen as a dead boy walking and he wants nothing more than to prove people wrong. Out of everyone in the tournament, he and Elionor seemed the most ruthless in their pursuit to win and eliminate competitors.
Briony was the last of the perspectives however, she never really grabbed me as a character and so, I wasn't as excited reading about her as much as I was for Alistair or Gavin. I won't lie, she sort of annoyed me. The other side characters I enjoyed were Hendry and Reid. Hendry was such a sweetie he's easily one of my favourite characters. Reid was a character I predicted would have a huge influence on the plot. He kind of reminded me of Harry Hook from The Descendants mixed with Yungblud and a bit of Palaye Royale. I hope I get to see him more in book two.
The characters were a big win for this book. As in, all the characters felt unique with their own personality that I could easily tell apart. The only real negative I had was the book at times felt a little slow. I also wanted more suspense and tension from the competition. I knew the stakes were high but I didn't feel the danger or risk from the tournament even when things started going pear-shaped. By the end of the book, I started getting that anticipation I was looking for with the book ending on a tantalising cliffhanger. Naturally, I have started the sequel instantly.
ACTUAL RATING: 4.2 STARS
I have recently been finding myself gravitating towards dark fantasy this year and honestly? I love it. Dark fantasy brings forward everything I love in books: enemies to lovers, forbidden romance and magic schemes that make you wish the world was a little more magical than it actually is. All of Us Villains had the perfect recipe to become a newfound favourite.
I was lucky enough to read a few pages of the book before it was out. I enjoyed the sampler so much that I bought the book (and its sequel) already knowing I would be transfixed and pun intended, spellbound.
The book has been pitched to me as The Hunger Games but make it magical and villainous. The book is told in four perspectives: Briony, Alistair, Isobel and Gavin, four of the seven champions forced to fight to the death to win high magic, a rare magical commodity. The book spends a lot of time showing us how the champions have prepared and strategised for the tournament, building up the characters and showing how they all cope with the knowledge that they'll one day fight to the death.
To me, Alistair was an instant stand out. I loved reading his perspective. He reminded me of Lira from To Kill A Kingdom in that he was raised to be villainous but really, his villainous behaviour was a result of what his family expected from him. He may be morally grey but I could tell he had a softer side and the way he cared for his brother, Hendry was really sweet and wholesome.
Isobel started off as a character I really enjoyed reading but towards the end, I started losing interest with her character. Her parts were better in terms of plot and moving things along but as a character, she lost me towards the end.
Gavin was a character I was very interested in. I am a sucker for the classic underdog story where the odds are stacked against them and they manage to be victorious. Gavin's entire family haven't won the tournament in all the centuries it's been happening. Gavin is seen as a dead boy walking and he wants nothing more than to prove people wrong. Out of everyone in the tournament, he and Elionor seemed the most ruthless in their pursuit to win and eliminate competitors.
Briony was the last of the perspectives however, she never really grabbed me as a character and so, I wasn't as excited reading about her as much as I was for Alistair or Gavin. I won't lie, she sort of annoyed me. The other side characters I enjoyed were Hendry and Reid. Hendry was such a sweetie he's easily one of my favourite characters. Reid was a character I predicted would have a huge influence on the plot. He kind of reminded me of Harry Hook from The Descendants mixed with Yungblud and a bit of Palaye Royale. I hope I get to see him more in book two.
The characters were a big win for this book. As in, all the characters felt unique with their own personality that I could easily tell apart. The only real negative I had was the book at times felt a little slow. I also wanted more suspense and tension from the competition. I knew the stakes were high but I didn't feel the danger or risk from the tournament even when things started going pear-shaped. By the end of the book, I started getting that anticipation I was looking for with the book ending on a tantalising cliffhanger. Naturally, I have started the sequel instantly.
ACTUAL RATING: 4.2 STARS
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death of parent, and Blood
Minor: Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Toxic friendship
misszoe's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed the book and how messed up the characters were. At first you think they aren't as bad but as the book goes on.. They do become villains, each in their own right. What I loved was the characterization of each character and how they each had very clear goals and motivations. I will say though that Alistair's widow peak did not need to be mentioned quite as often - that being said, Alistair is my fave <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Bullying
ghostlyprince's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Abandonment, and Vomit
enyltiak's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Such a fun fantasy. The worldbuilding is incredibly intriguing and so detailed—every aspect of magic from spellmaking to spellcasting has its own rules that truly affect the characters without ever being confusing. The characters themselves are so twisty, dynamic, and morally grey, and they're (mostly) all self-aware of it. Alistair is hands down my favorite, no competition.
The twist ending wasn't mind blowing-ly shocking, but I don't need to be befuddled by a twist—I like to see the evidence line up throughout the story and make sense once we finally get the truth, and I think this book does that excellently. Highly recommend and I can't wait to read book two.
The twist ending wasn't mind blowing-ly shocking, but I don't need to be befuddled by a twist—I like to see the evidence line up throughout the story and make sense once we finally get the truth, and I think this book does that excellently. Highly recommend and I can't wait to read book two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
micaelacccc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Violence, Murder, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
corporealmystic's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Characters: 4/5- Three out of the main seven characters have chapters in the book, so I feel there are other voew points missing. However this does not in anyway take away from the characters that we get to know deeper. They are very well crafted and interesting.
Atmosphere: 5/5- You get the sense that from the first few chapters that their is a heaviness that surrounds the place and the people. It is always there throughout the whole book, even when your thoughts aren't focusing on it.
Writing: 4/5- Fast-paced, day-to-day venacular, most readers will be able to pick up the book and not have trouble with word pronunciation or definition.
Plot: 5/5- Seven children, one from each "great" family, are chosen to enter a tournament to the death to become the victor who will weild (along with their family) the rights to control High Magic.
Enjoyment: 5/5- Overall, the book was very enjoyable. Easy to read. Quick paced. Can't wait to get my hands on the second book.
Atmosphere: 5/5- You get the sense that from the first few chapters that their is a heaviness that surrounds the place and the people. It is always there throughout the whole book, even when your thoughts aren't focusing on it.
Writing: 4/5- Fast-paced, day-to-day venacular, most readers will be able to pick up the book and not have trouble with word pronunciation or definition.
Plot: 5/5- Seven children, one from each "great" family, are chosen to enter a tournament to the death to become the victor who will weild (along with their family) the rights to control High Magic.
Enjoyment: 5/5- Overall, the book was very enjoyable. Easy to read. Quick paced. Can't wait to get my hands on the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Murder, and Gore
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Child death
jessy4550's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book. THere was some twists I didn't expect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Blood, Death, Body horror, Child death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Cursing, Torture, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Medical trauma, and Self harm
Minor: Alcohol, Confinement, Alcoholism, and Kidnapping
alliecat1915's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gore, and Grief
Minor: Suicide, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
alex_emilia_smith's review against another edition
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Murder, Body horror, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Child death, Gore, Grief, Toxic relationship, Blood, Violence, and Genocide
Minor: Violence, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Vomit