Title: All of Us Villians
Author: Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman
Publisher: Tor Teen
Page Count: 400
Publication Date: 2021
Category/Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBTQ, Magic, Paranormal
Good Reads Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.95)
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (4)
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.
Full disclosure. When I started this book, I had it in my mind that for some reason it was going to be very ‘young’ and I wouldn’t really get pulled in. Don’t get me wrong. If you follow me for any time you know that I love young adult books, but some seed had gotten itself planted in my head and that was the expectation that took root and grew.
But, I’m so happy to report that I was wrong. This novel is essentially Hunger Games with magic.
“High magick fell from the stars, and when we found it, we did what humans always do. We decided it was ours to claim.”
It is a high-stake, fast-paced, action-packed whirlwind of a story. Also with deeper substance and thought-provoking ideas about good vs evil, heroes vs villains, family loyalties vs independence, and discovering the lines of alliances, friendships, and enemies.
There was so much about human nature, family bonds, and changing the course or outcome of the story.
See, no one is ever truly evil nor are they ever truly good.
This is a character-driven story and they were developed so well. Each of them had their own motive, their own internal conflict, and their own tortured soul to wrestle with in order to reach their goals. No one was immune and they all were equally prone to their ideals crashing down before them and being consumed by the moral dilemmas that confronted them.
“His guilt told him to let Isobel go free. His grief told him it was a blessing he had someone here, that he’d never done well alone. And his heart warned him the only one of them in true danger of being hurt was him.”
There were plenty of twists, darkness, action, and scheming/plotting to keep any reader on the edge of their seat. If you are a fan of exciting and fun but also disturbing and competitive-based stories then I would highly recommend checking this out.
It is the first in the series (which I didn’t realize when I picked it up) but the second is due out this summer so not too long of a wait for the closure.
Down the Rabbit Hole 