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novelty_reads's review
- 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
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
Graphic: Murder, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death of parent, and Blood
Minor: Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Toxic friendship
styxx's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Blood, Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, and Violence
kate001's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, and Suicide
shannonvonpesach's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship
alex_emilia_smith's review against another edition
- 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
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
directorpurry's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and War
weepingstones's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child death, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Body horror
maresuju's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Classism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
kitkat6678's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death, Murder, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Alcohol, and Child abuse
Minor: Toxic friendship and Alcoholism
catorureads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Child death