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By C.L. Herman and Amanda Foody

Rating

Review

All of Us Villains by C.L. Herman and Amanda Foody is a YA fantasy novel that explores complex themes about family dynamics. Every twenty years, the blood veil falls, and seven champions, each from one of the noble families, fight until there is only one left standing. The winner gets glory, and their family gets precious high magick. All of Us Villains follows four main characters as they fight to the death in the Tournament, and struggle to understand their own values in the face of danger. I thought the novel was a very interesting, unique, and face-pasted read that kept me engaged throughout the whole story. The characters are very well-developed, the plot is very unique, and there are very thoughtful themes embedded throughout the story, all of which greatly contributed to my enjoyment of the novel. Many motifs of fear are present in this book, which allows for powerful reflections for the reader. The characters are also very well-written, and they contrast one another quite nicely. While this novel has many positive aspects to it, at times I struggled to grasp the characters’ fast development throughout the novel. The book is very fast paced, which, at times, made the character growth feel rushed, and even unrealistic. In the end, I rated this book four stars, because while the story was overall enjoyable, the rushed character growth took away from the story. This book is perfect for fans of Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, as it contains many different elements of those stories. All of Us Villains also contains many motifs similar to those in Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, which may make it an enjoyable read if you like any of Bardugo’s novels. Overall, this book is a great option for any reader who enjoys young adult fantasy novels, or someone who is looking for a fun adventure with a side of murder.