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bookcheshirecat's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
“The Grieves had raised Gavin to die. The Lowes had raised Alistair to kill. Both of them deserved a better story.”
➽ I think I liked this sequel even better than the first book! All of Our Demise is the conclusion to the duology and though I wasn't sure about the direction the series was taking, I ended up liking it! It took me a bit to get back into the story, but then I got really invested. The story follows our champions now that the Veil has been dropping and the Tournament is slowly falling apart. That means outside forces - such as the families, the spellmakers and the press - are getting involved and have a much bigger influence than before.
➽ Isobel, Briony and Finley are working together to break the Tournament's spell in a controlled way, as otherwise they are all going to die. Unfortunately, not everyone cares about that and lots of people see only the high magic they could gain, no matter how it happens. I liked Isobel much more in this book, as she continues struggling with the media attention and the fallout of her casting a deathly hex on Alistair. Her own family's curse is making her feel like she's fading away. I still don't love Briony as she was very self-righteous in the beginning, but I liked that her past actions were addressed and she had to confront the cost of the plan! Her relationship with Finley was sadly bland and uninteresting to me, I didn't really care about their dynamic. To me, Isobel's love-hate relationship with Reid was much more intriguing. Reid wrote the book about the Tournament and was a famous spellmaker who tried to play them. Now he's forced to work with them to undo the curse, but there's obviously a lot of bad blood between them. I wasn't sure about him at first, but Isobel had much better chemistry with him - compared to Alistair in the first book - and their animosity felt more intense and intriguing to me!
➽ Gavin and Alistair end up teaming up against the others and I loved it!! Alistair's not interested in breaking the Tournament, as his brother Hendry - who died - is part of it now and could be lost again. After killing their whole family, Alistair is only out to finish what he started and gain the high magic by winning the Tournament. Since everyone else is now involved and the others are trying to find another way, he needs a new ally. Gavin's the only one who isn't taken with Briony's plan, especially since he's still dealing with the aftermath of using his life magic to cast spells. I've been saying from the very beginning that Gavin and Alistair would have made a better couple than Alistair and Isobel ... and I was right!! I couldn't believe it at first, but there is a romantic dynamic between Gavin and Alistair!! I loved it so much: the pairing of the underdog and the vicious favorite; the forced team up and great tension!! Alistair and Gavin both have reason to distrust each other, but can't help but get to know each other beyond what their families intended for them. Their complicated feelings for each other were so well-written! They both deal with the expectations and legacy of their respective families and mirrored each other so well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
Moderate: Mental illness, Kidnapping, Gore, and Grief
samwambam's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I absolutely loved this book, dare I say even more than the first one. I say this because in the last book I was not a big fan of Isobel and since she’s a main part of the plot it was hard to enjoy ALOT of parts. Although, in this book I grew to like her more towards the middle/end.
I would most definitely re-read this book and book series. Truly a delightful read I recommend.
<Spoiler>
I adored Alistair and Gavin’s relationship through both books. I love those two together since book #1 when Gavin had been looking at Alastair’s photo and said he thought he was very good looking- but not that it mattered. Even then I knew! I’m not sure if the authors originally intended to make them endgame, but I am so glad they are! I would’ve greatly disliked the book if Alistair had ended up with Isobel. None the less, yes! I’m just so in love with how Alistair and Gavin’s relationship has unraveled. They are a relationship I will root for till the end of time!! :)))
As for Isobel, I find I have grown to like characters more when they paired up with someone romantically. So when I noticed something was going on between her and Reid I was all here for it. (Again even shipped then since book one!!) My only main problem with the two was the age difference. We know Isobel is sixteen while Reid is said to be two years older, making him eighteen. I’m not to sure how I feel about a sixteen year old and an eighteen year old dating…..but besides their age gap which is a bit concerning. Then I love the pair!!
In conclusion, this book was such a fun read and a roller coaster of emotions. I can’t tell you how many times I have cried while reading this entire book series. I love all of these characters and just wow! Great book ❤️
I would most definitely re-read this book and book series. Truly a delightful read I recommend.
<Spoiler>
I adored Alistair and Gavin’s relationship through both books. I love those two together since book #1 when Gavin had been looking at Alastair’s photo and said he thought he was very good looking- but not that it mattered. Even then I knew! I’m not sure if the authors originally intended to make them endgame, but I am so glad they are! I would’ve greatly disliked the book if Alistair had ended up with Isobel. None the less, yes! I’m just so in love with how Alistair and Gavin’s relationship has unraveled. They are a relationship I will root for till the end of time!! :)))
As for Isobel, I find I have grown to like characters more when they paired up with someone romantically. So when I noticed something was going on between her and Reid I was all here for it. (Again even shipped then since book one!!) My only main problem with the two was the age difference. We know Isobel is sixteen while Reid is said to be two years older, making him eighteen. I’m not to sure how I feel about a sixteen year old and an eighteen year old dating…..but besides their age gap which is a bit concerning. Then I love the pair!!
In conclusion, this book was such a fun read and a roller coaster of emotions. I can’t tell you how many times I have cried while reading this entire book series. I love all of these characters and just wow! Great book ❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Violence, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Death, Blood, Child death, Torture, and Gore
kal517's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Torture, Grief, Murder, and Kidnapping
nicoledelairs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
crunchylettuce's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, and Torture
Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Blood, Violence, and Grief
isitcertain's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Torture, Blood, Death, Violence, Mental illness, Gore, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
madison_reads_'s review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping and Torture
Minor: Self harm
killetcak's review
dark
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Torture, Self harm, Murder, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Kidnapping
bzliz's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The conclusion to this deadly tournament could not have clutched me in its grasp any harder. I know it would be easy to criticize certain character choices or plot points but I simply do not care that characters bounce from one alliance to the next like a ping pong ball (they are children faced with nothing but uncertain, impossible choices doing the best they can with the information they have in that exact moment) or just how convoluted the relationship between the spell makers, the government & the families ends up. I don’t even care about how convenient it is that the remaining champions- including a new addition, bound to the tournament against his will with hasty, experimental magick- end up with someone to pair off with.
The relationship between Alistair and Gavin is a fantastic development from enemies to lovers. Isobel and Reid also make sense to me, still enemies to lovers but in a more this relationship is definitely a little toxic considering we both took each other as prisoners at one point and we each have our own serious personal growth to do kind of way. Briony and Finley are the most predictable and boring but I think that has more to do with him being essentially a prop in her story than anything else. Briony’s final sacrifice made me tear up- she became a true hero rather than the heroic charade her family had been playing at.
There could not have been a better ending for this sequel and it certainly could not have been happier without completely betraying the horrors faced by everyone whose lives were impacted by the tournament curse.
There could not have been a better ending for this sequel and it certainly could not have been happier without completely betraying the horrors faced by everyone whose lives were impacted by the tournament curse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Self harm, Torture, Blood, Death, Gore, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
louisegraveyard's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Gore, Toxic relationship, and Death