Scan barcode
A review by bottleblondebookworm
All of Us Villains by C.L. Herman, Amanda Foody
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I loved this book so much! I really didn’t know what to expect going into it, but I think that just made it all the more enjoyable. The Magic system is very well done and different than what I’ve read before. There are definitely similarities to The Hunger Games in regards to the tournament and fight to the death deal, but the world and tournament itself is different enough that it doesn’t feel at all like THG. The world building and history of the town and seven families is done really well considering there are so many people and families involved. The book does jump right in with the magic system and doesn’t give too much explanation of how things work, but I found it easy to figure out.
As for our four main characters, where to begin?! Alistair Lowe has my heart. He is such a rich, complex character, and yeah, a bit of a cliché, but really, who doesn’t love a dark, broody villain?? Isobel is a strong character. I really liked her backstory, and the challenges she had to face in the tournament, definitely a surprise to me! I did get somewhat annoyed with her choices, and I’m interested to see what happens with her in book two! Gavin, beautiful, tortured Gavin. I didn’t connect with him as much the other two, but I still enjoyed his story and again, can’t wait until book two to see how far he’ll go to prove himself. Our fourth MC, Briony, was a bit difficult for me. I didn’t like her that much at first, but she grew on me, and towards the end of the book, I was rooting for her.
The plot was somewhat predictable. I had strong suspicions at the beginning of the book on what was going on, and I was correct. However, I was still on the edge of my seat reading it all unfold. For me, the predictable-ness didn’t detract from the story or my enjoyment one bit.
All in all, this was such a wonderful read, and I cannot wait to read the conclusion to this stunning story!
As for our four main characters, where to begin?! Alistair Lowe has my heart. He is such a rich, complex character, and yeah, a bit of a cliché, but really, who doesn’t love a dark, broody villain?? Isobel is a strong character. I really liked her backstory, and the challenges she had to face in the tournament, definitely a surprise to me! I did get somewhat annoyed with her choices, and I’m interested to see what happens with her in book two! Gavin, beautiful, tortured Gavin. I didn’t connect with him as much the other two, but I still enjoyed his story and again, can’t wait until book two to see how far he’ll go to prove himself. Our fourth MC, Briony, was a bit difficult for me. I didn’t like her that much at first, but she grew on me, and towards the end of the book, I was rooting for her.
The plot was somewhat predictable. I had strong suspicions at the beginning of the book on what was going on, and I was correct. However, I was still on the edge of my seat reading it all unfold. For me, the predictable-ness didn’t detract from the story or my enjoyment one bit.
All in all, this was such a wonderful read, and I cannot wait to read the conclusion to this stunning story!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Grief