Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - All of Us Villains

Wow, I love the perspective of the 3 MC's we follow are the "villians".

To see whom will claim the high magic, the 12 families choose a champion to fight in the tournament. Where there is only 1 winner, everyone else dies.

I love me a good villain and throughout this novel, I have been team Alistair🤍🤍🤍 I cannot explain it, I just adore his character

It has dark magic, mostly spells and characters whom will literally die to bring their family name honor. I'm tracking down its sequel and highly look forward to it👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Content Warnings

krystlereine's review

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

himbomeena's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging 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

4.0

Content Warnings

allisonwonderlandreads's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This ya fantasy has an intriguing premise where common magic is woven into everyday existence, and high magic, thought exhausted, is hoarded by seven families. A tell-all from within their midst outed that magical repository to the world a year ago, in addition to details of how under a blood moon, teenagers battle to the death on behalf of their families to capture the use of that magic for the next generation. The book boasts four well-crafted POVs from among the families, giving a more complete view of the brutal proceedings than you would get with one protagonist. They all have conflicted feelings towards the tournament, some more enthusiastic and others embittered. But none have a choice about whether they will compete.

The story is atmospheric and tense, moving along at a fast pace with emphasis on action and survival, while big questions about the curse powering the game swirl around. Even the most dedicated champion will question the murderous tournament once the blood veil actually falls. Expect twisted bargains, desperate alliances, and high-cost strategies to dominate as both characters and readers wait for the first of seven to fall. Curses will fly, and not all will survive.

My only quibble is that the more human components of the book, especially relationships, are rushed, too tangled up in the power plays and festering emotions of the tournament to be truly viable. The story relies on shorthand among characters who knew each other before the tournament began, and one moment of empathy is meant to convince us of a deeper connection among new relationships. In the romantic plot, there's too much revenge and betrayal floating around for even the lovely "only one bed" trope to vanquish single-handedly.

I admit I couldn't look away. The drama is intense, the outcome still up in the air. And I very much want to know where it will all end up. The writing is immersive, and I have high hopes that the relationships will deepen and take on more meaning in the second half of the duology. Pick this up if you're looking for a ya fantasy steeped in darkness and moving along at breakneck speed.

Content Warnings

More...