A review by snootle
All of Our Demise by C.L. Herman, Amanda Foody

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I finished this duology because I was curious how it would end, but overall I struggled to enjoy this book and the first one.

I liked the trials and challenges they faced recreating the relics,
but the constant changing of each character's feelings and objectives made it difficult to connect with them. Moments that should've been tense and time-sensitive were filled with drawn out, emotional dialogue which made it seem like they were rarely in actual danger.

My biggest problem with this duology is how it relies on telling rather than showing. It tells you that every character is a villain/monster/bad person, but overall there is little to show this outside of a handful of events. We have to rely on reading their every thought. Everything is spelled out, even to the point where obvious, simple story beats are explained at length, leaving no opportunity for thought or speculation from the reader. 

I enjoyed the world building, setup/involvement of the champions' families and some of the magic, but unfortunately this series fell really flat for me. 
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