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All of Us Villains #2
All of Our Demise
The epic conclusion to Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman’s New York Times bestselling All of Us Villains duology that's The Hunger Games with magic.
“I feel like I should warn you: this is going to be absolutely brutal.”
For the first time in this ancient, bloodstained story, the tournament is breaking. The boundaries between the city of Ilvernath and the arena have fallen. Reporters swarm the historic battlegrounds. A dead boy now lives again. And a new champion has entered the fray, one who seeks to break the curse for good... no matter how many lives are sacrificed in the process.
As the curse teeters closer and closer to collapse, the surviving champions each face a choice: dismantle the tournament piece by piece, or fight to the death as this story was always intended.
Long-held alliances will be severed. Hearts will break. Lives will end. Because a tale as wicked as this one was never destined for happily ever after.
“I feel like I should warn you: this is going to be absolutely brutal.”
For the first time in this ancient, bloodstained story, the tournament is breaking. The boundaries between the city of Ilvernath and the arena have fallen. Reporters swarm the historic battlegrounds. A dead boy now lives again. And a new champion has entered the fray, one who seeks to break the curse for good... no matter how many lives are sacrificed in the process.
As the curse teeters closer and closer to collapse, the surviving champions each face a choice: dismantle the tournament piece by piece, or fight to the death as this story was always intended.
Long-held alliances will be severed. Hearts will break. Lives will end. Because a tale as wicked as this one was never destined for happily ever after.
474 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2022
About the author
Amanda Foody
24 books2,852 followersAmanda Foody is the New York Times, USA Today, and indie bestselling author of All of Us Villains (with C.L. Herman), the Wilderlore series, the Shadow Game series, and more. Her work has appeared in publications including Buzzfeed, Popsugar, Culturess, and Amazon selected All of Us Villains as the Best Young Adult Book of 2021. Originally from Pennsylvania, she lives in Boston, MA with her partner and their orange tabby, Jelly Bean. When not writing, she unironically loves to cook.
The Night Compass, the fourth installment in the Wilderlore series, releases on March 5, 2024. A Fate So Cold, her next novel with C.L. Herman, follows in Fall 2024.
The Night Compass, the fourth installment in the Wilderlore series, releases on March 5, 2024. A Fate So Cold, her next novel with C.L. Herman, follows in Fall 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,813 reviews
January 20, 2024
All of Our Demise is a solid conclusion to the duology, and yet...
I can't help but feel unsatisfied. I remember how much I enjoyed the previous book. It was fresh and exciting, filled with memorable characters and interesting story arcs. I wanted to keep turning the pages and couldn't wait to find out what happened next.
But this book somehow lacked that vital energy. Where is the fun? Where is the excitement? Almost everything that happens in here, you could foresee from book 1. The only exception is a development near the end, and I'm not sure I totally buy it. It feels like it came out of nowhere and was thrown in for emotional punch rather than to add something meaningful to the story.
It doesn't help that this book is so long. Instead of just sticking to the tournament (the most exciting part), we also have side stories involving random spellmakers, follow the detailed fallout as townspeople freak out about the curse, and putter around as each champion deals with their families. It's just too much and takes the momentum away from the main plot.
The writing also feels more YA. There are lots of moments when we stop right in the middle of the action to pontificate the meaning of various champions' lives, or take multi-page detours into their romances with each other. Perhaps if I were younger, this would appeal to me, but it doesn't work for a grizzly old curmudgeon like myself.
Don't get me wrong, this is a decent story. But it seems to suffer from sequel syndrome. On the surface, everything that worked for the first book is here. But somehow all the elements don't quite come together into the riveting tale it should've been. Instead, it feels like a rather mundane, long-winded wrap up of a foregone conclusion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
#1. All of Us Villains
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
I can't help but feel unsatisfied. I remember how much I enjoyed the previous book. It was fresh and exciting, filled with memorable characters and interesting story arcs. I wanted to keep turning the pages and couldn't wait to find out what happened next.
But this book somehow lacked that vital energy. Where is the fun? Where is the excitement? Almost everything that happens in here, you could foresee from book 1. The only exception is a development near the end, and I'm not sure I totally buy it. It feels like it came out of nowhere and was thrown in for emotional punch rather than to add something meaningful to the story.
It doesn't help that this book is so long. Instead of just sticking to the tournament (the most exciting part), we also have side stories involving random spellmakers, follow the detailed fallout as townspeople freak out about the curse, and putter around as each champion deals with their families. It's just too much and takes the momentum away from the main plot.
The writing also feels more YA. There are lots of moments when we stop right in the middle of the action to pontificate the meaning of various champions' lives, or take multi-page detours into their romances with each other. Perhaps if I were younger, this would appeal to me, but it doesn't work for a grizzly old curmudgeon like myself.
Don't get me wrong, this is a decent story. But it seems to suffer from sequel syndrome. On the surface, everything that worked for the first book is here. But somehow all the elements don't quite come together into the riveting tale it should've been. Instead, it feels like a rather mundane, long-winded wrap up of a foregone conclusion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
#1. All of Us Villains
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
June 24, 2024
If Isobel and Alistair don't end up together I am actually suing.
September 10, 2022
some really good character development in this! the characters are what i liked the most about the first book/what kept me interested in the series in general, so im really happy that the character arcs got the development they deserve.
however, the overall plot/conclusion wasnt anything too special. this pretty much ends exactly how i thought it would, so none of the book felt high stakes for me. which, for being nearly 500 pages, made the plot feel slow paced.
but overall, a decent conclusion to this duology. everything is wrapped up nicely and does the story justice.
↠ 3.5 stars
however, the overall plot/conclusion wasnt anything too special. this pretty much ends exactly how i thought it would, so none of the book felt high stakes for me. which, for being nearly 500 pages, made the plot feel slow paced.
but overall, a decent conclusion to this duology. everything is wrapped up nicely and does the story justice.
↠ 3.5 stars
January 7, 2024
All of Our Demise is the finale to the All of Us Villains duology.
This Dark YA Fantasy, featuring a magical competition to the death, is penned by the dream duo of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman.
If you haven't read the first book, please proceed with caution. There may be some things mentioned in this review that some would consider spoilers.
I will not be hiding them.
After the conclusion of Book 1, the limits of the tournament are beginning to erode. The status quo shaken.
The public is now more involved with the process than ever before, with Reporters flocking to the historic battlegrounds, turning the pain and misery of the Champions into entertaining fodder for everyone else.
It's basically the Capital during the Hunger Games. The magical contestants are bona fide celebs.
Additionally, a dead boy has returned, now influencing the tournament and out of nowhere a new champion has entered the ranks, looking to dismantle the tradition entirely.
The champions end up divided into two groups: those who wish to proceed as normal and those who wish to break the curse, thus ending the tournament forever.
This book was freaking intense. I reread the first book, All of Us Villains, just prior to starting this and I am so glad I did.
This is quite a detailed world and it is very fast-paced. Therefore, I have a tendency to race along, excited to get to the conclusion of the action. Occasionally this causes me to forget fine details.
The first book is really where we are learning the bulk of background on our main characters and their families. I was super glad to have that refresher before getting into this one.
Luckily, I loved that one so much and really had fun revisiting the story. This installment builds beautifully off of everything that occurred there. It was a seamless transition from one book to the next; very well done.
I loved how in this one, our main characters shift themselves into essentially two opposing teams. There are those who want to end the tournament and those, mainly those whose families have gained the most from the tradition, who want things to remain as they are.
This seems relatable to the real world, doesn't it?
We do follow the same characters here as we did in the first book. I was glad for that. I was a little concerned we were going to move on to new perspectives, as sometimes happens. I'm glad the authors stuck with the characters we already know and love.
I did see so much character growth for each of these mains. As they interacted with one another more, it helped to reveal a deeper side to their personal wants and motivations. There were some great arcs; particularly for me, Allistair and Gavin.
I think this is such a fun duology, dripping with dark atmosphere, engaging characters and non-stop action.
My head was left spinning. There was so much covered in this book alone. Overall, a great continuation, with a more than satisfying conclusion!!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Teen and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
I'm seriously looking forward to more collabs from Foody and Herman!!
This Dark YA Fantasy, featuring a magical competition to the death, is penned by the dream duo of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman.
If you haven't read the first book, please proceed with caution. There may be some things mentioned in this review that some would consider spoilers.
I will not be hiding them.
After the conclusion of Book 1, the limits of the tournament are beginning to erode. The status quo shaken.
The public is now more involved with the process than ever before, with Reporters flocking to the historic battlegrounds, turning the pain and misery of the Champions into entertaining fodder for everyone else.
It's basically the Capital during the Hunger Games. The magical contestants are bona fide celebs.
Additionally, a dead boy has returned, now influencing the tournament and out of nowhere a new champion has entered the ranks, looking to dismantle the tradition entirely.
The champions end up divided into two groups: those who wish to proceed as normal and those who wish to break the curse, thus ending the tournament forever.
This book was freaking intense. I reread the first book, All of Us Villains, just prior to starting this and I am so glad I did.
This is quite a detailed world and it is very fast-paced. Therefore, I have a tendency to race along, excited to get to the conclusion of the action. Occasionally this causes me to forget fine details.
The first book is really where we are learning the bulk of background on our main characters and their families. I was super glad to have that refresher before getting into this one.
Luckily, I loved that one so much and really had fun revisiting the story. This installment builds beautifully off of everything that occurred there. It was a seamless transition from one book to the next; very well done.
I loved how in this one, our main characters shift themselves into essentially two opposing teams. There are those who want to end the tournament and those, mainly those whose families have gained the most from the tradition, who want things to remain as they are.
This seems relatable to the real world, doesn't it?
We do follow the same characters here as we did in the first book. I was glad for that. I was a little concerned we were going to move on to new perspectives, as sometimes happens. I'm glad the authors stuck with the characters we already know and love.
I did see so much character growth for each of these mains. As they interacted with one another more, it helped to reveal a deeper side to their personal wants and motivations. There were some great arcs; particularly for me, Allistair and Gavin.
I think this is such a fun duology, dripping with dark atmosphere, engaging characters and non-stop action.
My head was left spinning. There was so much covered in this book alone. Overall, a great continuation, with a more than satisfying conclusion!!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Teen and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
I'm seriously looking forward to more collabs from Foody and Herman!!
October 8, 2022
”In a different story, would we still have been enemies?”
before we get into it, full transparency... did i give this four stars because my ship happened!??
yes, yes i did💅🏻
it was probably closer to three stars if they hadn’t been a thing, but overall (in terms of plot and character development) this was leagues ahead of book one. surpassed it by a mile, honestly. i can’t believe i enjoyed it this much.
”Killing is easy,” Alistair murmured. “It’s the afterward that’s harder.”
“But it’s the afterward we’re fighting for.”
i went into this book pretty resigned and already prepared to label it a flop since the first book and i didn’t exactly get along— i acknowledge its kinda mean of me to have done that, but when you haven’t enjoyed the previous book, it’s hard to get excited about the second. i wasn’t really invested in book one, but i was curious to see how the duet ended, more so to find out the fate of the characters than to see where the plot was going.
both were a heart-achingly wonderful surprise that i can’t believe i enjoyed quite this much.
i thought the authors would go down the very obvious and predictable route that had been laid out in book one, so i wasn’t looking forward having to read said predictability. i assumed it was just going to be something that’s been done before time and time again, with nothing new or special incorporated. especially regarding one of the relationships in this story...
but the direction Foody and Herman took this second instalment in actually shocked me. im still astounded they chose this route and no one is happier than me. when i was roughly around 30%, i kept saying to myself “is this happening? am i reading too much into this? am i just projecting because i want these two to be together so bad???”
you bet your arses i was highlighting EVERY quote— every glance, every pining moment, every flash of tension. my entire kindle has barely any highlighted notes that aren’t my ship😭 normally i will break up my reviews by interjecting some of my favourite quotes throughout but i literally have none because they’re all spoilery— the ones i do have were me really scraping the barrel💀 these two will be my new personality trait in the coming weeks, so sorry to everyone in advance.
He loved monster stories, after all, and he was undoubtedly the monster of this tale.
this will also be spoilery for book one (not this one though, dw!), so if you haven’t read that one and intend to, don’t say i didn’t warn you :)
All Of Our Demise is split into two converging storylines— those who want to break the curse and end the tournament for good, and the ones who don’t. this actually gave the plot very clear and concise direction with higher stakes, which i found the first book severely lacked. it wasn’t overly complicated but still intricate and well-thought out so it was easy to follow. while the world-building was solid and not too presumptuous like i found it to be in book one. this one just felt more refined and sharper. i didn’t have high hopes for the plot, i was relying solely on the characters for enjoyment but the plot managed to ensnare me, too. this was something i could sink my teeth into. finally.
but ultimately it was the characters and their development that were the shining stars of the book.
character motivations were clear here (and it was probably my biggest issue with book one) and their personal growth was staggeringly poignant and wonderful. watching each of them come full circle was achingly satisfying as it was melancholy. by the end, i really felt like i had gone on an enlightening, gruelling and rewarding journey with these four main characters.
looking back on these characters at the beginning then to the people they are by the end of the duet was almost jarring for me— their individual growth was executed effortlessly throughout this book that i barely noticed just how much they’d all changed until I got to the very final chapters. i noticed it the most with Gavin initially and then i began to notice it with everyone else too. i have to admit i started this series liking two characters, and no one else, and ended up falling in love with all of them.
the book drew a lot more emotion from me too— i cried more than i care to admit.
Gavin had once agonized over whether the real Alistair Lowe was more boy or monster, but now he understood that Alistair was both. And even though neither canceled the other out, he didn’t think that made Alistair beyond redemption.
now onto the characters— we have four main characters who POVs we jump between, then roughly three major side characters who we don’t get a POV of (but i kinda wish we did).
🦋Alistair Lowe🦋
his first chapter actually revived me from the boredom of the previous two. he just brings a severity and ruthlessness to the story the other characters don’t. my dog was sleeping next to me, and because she’s a drama queen who doesn’t like her slumber to be disturbed, i had to snigger to myself to cover the loud belly laughs at Alistair’s dialogue.
i just adore him so much. his character development!????
he was one of two characters where i finished the book and could clearly see the journey of his character arc. you first meet this dark, brooding “monster” everyone fears but in reality he’s a soft broken boy begging the world to see him. he’s incredibly multi-faceted, to me, almost an enigma at times— you expect one thing from him and he ends up doing the complete opposite. he’s fiercely protective and loyal, snarky and deadpan to a fault.
i must have a thing for Alistairs in fantasies.
The Grieves had raised Gavin to die. The Lowes had raised Alistair to kill.
✨Gavin Grieve✨
my favourite underdog. my unhinged boy. my bby. ilysm. he was my favourite from the previous book and he’s still my no. 1 now💅🏻
Gavin was the other character who’s growth was staggering— the way i envisioned him in my head when i first met him vs his final appearance was so satisfying. out of everyone, i feel like he deserved that growth the most. being raised so he can be slaughtered and never feeling loved, his journey of acceptance and self-love had me weepy af.
Gavin Grieve you will always be famous!!
The Thorburn family had always played the heroes in their town’s ancient, bloodstained story, and no one resented that more than the Thorburn sisters.
🥀Briony Thorburn🥀
i really enjoyed watching Briony grow. she wasn’t exactly my favourite in the previous book. she felt like a knock-off Hermione Granger without the bite. here though? i loved seeing her come into her own, carving out her own destiny rather than be tied down by the shackles of the Thorburn legacy. she comes full circle and just felt softer, i suppose.
and she made me cry, too, so there’s that😭
Because the Macaslans were disgusting, conniving, greedy. They spun whatever tales suited them; they took advantage of every contemptible opportunity that fell at their feet. And the only way to finish their true story was to stoop to the vilest low possible to survive.
🔮Isobel Macaslan🔮
for the first half of this book, i wanted to tussle with Isobel so bad.
i feel like in every fantasy book when it alternates between multiple POVs, there’s always that one person who’s chapter you get to and think “eurghhh, really? again? already?” and Isobel is that one for me. for me, Isobel is the only character without clear direction and motivations.
i struggled to connect and sympathise with her, to root for her and genuinely like her. i think her constant pity-party was just stifling— it wasn’t until she fully owned who she was that i started to thaw towards her. because, the previous three characters? their irrecoverably flawed and they know it. with Isobel it took her a while to own up to her shit and accept the flawed parts of herself, rather than blaming everyone else around her.
so in the second half she really grew on me too. will she ever be my favourite? no. but was a rooting for her? 100000x. and was i shipping her with a certain somebody?👀 absolutely. she really switched up and me and im so glad because i was sick of being a hater lmao.
There was no denying it—no matter how much perfume she spritzed on to cover her stench, Isobel was a true Macaslan champion.
🍃Hendry Lowe🍃
all you need to know is that i would die for this man.
🖤Reid MacTavish🖤
i really enjoyed his role in the story! again, i assumed his character would go down a very predictable route from the way he was set up in book one, but i found myself really intrigued by him and loved the trajectory F&H took his character.
but my favourite character is Marianne with her lil gargoyle tea-party and her rat skeletons🥰 i needed more of the comedy queen who stole the show.
it wasn’t all perfect though— i found the climax of the plot to be... messy, honestly. and a little underdeveloped. i kinda skimmed it, mostly to focus on the characters because i found it all a bit confusing. and there were aspects of the plot i found to be weak and rushed.
They weren’t friends; they were allies.
and i have to reiterate... MY SHIP SET SAIL🥳🎊🍾🎉 they stole the show for me, i wouldn’t have loved this so much without them— i won’t spoil anything but i’ll just say that the pacing was perfect, the development was authentic, and the tension had me in a chokehold. im so happy F&H did it. Herman owes it to me after my she sunk my The Devouring Gray ship. doing the Lord’s work.
so, after my long-winded fangirling, i think even if the first book wasn’t your favourite and you’re unsure whether to dive into the second one, i think you should still give it a go. book one lays the foundation of the story while book two effortlessly elevates it.
thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2023
✨ Jak napisać doskonałe ostatnie zdanie ✨
July 19, 2024
✅ Alistair and Gavin
✅ Morally grey characters
✅ Good character development
✅ Plot
✅ Action and fights
✅ Magic system
✅ Hate-to-love romances
✅ Pace (but 🆗 at times)
✅🆗 The rest of the characters
✅🆗 Romances
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: death and murders, corpses and gore
This book picks up right where All of Us Villains ended. The tournament is starting to break, and while some champions believe the tournament can be ended once and for all, others think it’s not possible and want to continue doing it “the old way” because they want to survive. Alistair now cares only about keeping Hendry alive, but Hendry’s life is now linked to the tournament’s high magick. After the wards surrounding the tournament were broken at the end of the first book, people can now go into the tournament grounds, and contestants can access the city’s resources and people, making everything more complicated. This solid conclusion is full of fragile and shifting alliances, mistrust, and secrets, and I really enjoyed it.
The magic system remains one of my favorite aspects of this duology. I love how the people who can see and use the magic have to collect it and craft spells and curses to channel it. It’s not just an endless supply that they can use whenever they want to for whatever they need. The atmosphere is also a big part of the reason I really got into this series. It’s dark, and bloody at times, and the characters can be really ruthless when they need to. The authors are not afraid to make them do mean and horrible things, and I love that they all remained kinda “morally grey” even when some of them decided to work together.
The plot is good, and the story is full of magical fights, making it a very easy book to get into, even though the pace was a little slower at times. I did see many of the “twists” or even romantic developments coming, so I think the plot could have been a little more complex, or some clues could have been subtler, but I still really enjoyed this book and this series as a whole.
The characters still had their distinctive personalities in this second book (except boring Finley), and I liked having the different POVs to see all sides of the alliances between them, but I also have to admit that Briony's and Isobel’s POVs bored me a little at times. I much preferred Gavin's and Alistair’s chapters. There is also a new contestant that is forced to enter the tournament, and the authors did a good job with him because while I didn’t care much for him in the first book, I ended up liking him in this one and finding him interesting.
Alistair and Gavin remain my two favorite champions. Briony got better in this book, but I was still annoyed at her because of her whole hero complex from the first book. Finley is not a bad character, but he is kind of bland honestly, and Isobel is an interesting and ruthless contestant, but I did not connect with her as much.
Alistair goes through so much change in this sequel, and we can see a more human side of him. He has no choice but to face the fact that his family is twisted and maybe fucked him up a little with all their stories and trials, and that winning is not all that counts now that Hendry is back, and now that he formed alliances with some champions and realized that they are just scared teenagers too.
Gavin is the one that everyone underestimated, but he was the MVP in this sequel. He stopped complaining about his doomed existence and impending death and started to take matters into his own hands to make sure that he would survive the tournament. Overall, he was much more likable in this book and I love the change in him.
Isobel also changed now that she is dealing with the after-effects of Alistair’s curse and the Roach’s Armor, and she slowly stopped seeing herself as a poor victim of everything and everyone. I mean, she is a victim because her father’s family basically forced her into the tournament, but she is far from being innocent. Still, she made some self-reflection in the second half of the book, and she also started to spend more time with Reid, the cursemaker, which helped her because against all odds, he did make her a slightly better person.
Briony got her redemption arc in this finale. She had to face the consequences of her reckless choice to cheat her way into the tournament, but she was true to her word and really tried her best to end it once and for all, no matter the cost. As I said before though, it was not enough to make me really like her, because she really REALLY annoyed me in the first book.
And then, there is Finley, and I honestly don’t have anything to say about him. He is just bland and ordinary. He follows Briony into any plan she has, and he is loyal to his alliance, but that’s about all we know about him…
*mild spoiler about the romances bellow*
Okay, I have to talk about the romances (yes, plural) in this book, because I have mixed feelings.
First of all, I find it highly convenient that everyone ends up finding love in the midst of a tournament to the death. Some champions like Briony and Finley had a history before, and we could already see some hints of repressed feelings between them in the first book so it makes sense that something more developed between them, but the other relationship were almost all developed in this one book, and I am still not sure if I like them or not.
I honestly still don’t know how I feel about Isobel’s relationship with Reid. Again, it felt kinda convenient for them to end up together, but at the same time, I can see how their feelings developed. It was not too rushed or an insta-love kind of romance, it was even a decent hate-to-love, but for some reason, I am not 100% invested in their relationship, and I don't see what it brought to the plot. Everything they did could have been accomplished with them remaining simple allies or even friends, the romance aspect was not necessary, and did not impact them or their choice that much.
Gavin and Alistair have a great hate-to-love relationship, but while I am very happy that they somehow overcame their hatred and learned to see the good and the worth of the other, I am disappointed that all the tension between them lead nowhere. There was a huge build-up in the first book, and we were constantly reminded of how Gavin hated Alistair and couldn’t wait to kill him, while Alistair considered Gavin to be unimportant and not even worth his attention, and I feel that this build-up just fuzzed out at the beginning of this book when they were forced to spend much time together. So again, conflicted feelings on my end when it comes to the romances in this book.
Overall, this is a very good, fast-paced, and action-packed duology that I definitely recommend to anyone looking for a ruthless tournament to the death (I haven’t read The Hunger Games trilogy, but I imagine the vibe is similar), full of morally grey characters, shifting alliances, secrets and betrayals, and a very interesting magic system.
1. All of Us Villains ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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✅ Morally grey characters
✅ Good character development
✅ Plot
✅ Action and fights
✅ Magic system
✅ Hate-to-love romances
✅ Pace (but 🆗 at times)
✅🆗 The rest of the characters
✅🆗 Romances
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: death and murders, corpses and gore
This book picks up right where All of Us Villains ended. The tournament is starting to break, and while some champions believe the tournament can be ended once and for all, others think it’s not possible and want to continue doing it “the old way” because they want to survive. Alistair now cares only about keeping Hendry alive, but Hendry’s life is now linked to the tournament’s high magick. After the wards surrounding the tournament were broken at the end of the first book, people can now go into the tournament grounds, and contestants can access the city’s resources and people, making everything more complicated. This solid conclusion is full of fragile and shifting alliances, mistrust, and secrets, and I really enjoyed it.
The magic system remains one of my favorite aspects of this duology. I love how the people who can see and use the magic have to collect it and craft spells and curses to channel it. It’s not just an endless supply that they can use whenever they want to for whatever they need. The atmosphere is also a big part of the reason I really got into this series. It’s dark, and bloody at times, and the characters can be really ruthless when they need to. The authors are not afraid to make them do mean and horrible things, and I love that they all remained kinda “morally grey” even when some of them decided to work together.
The plot is good, and the story is full of magical fights, making it a very easy book to get into, even though the pace was a little slower at times. I did see many of the “twists” or even romantic developments coming, so I think the plot could have been a little more complex, or some clues could have been subtler, but I still really enjoyed this book and this series as a whole.
"Heroes are just villains with worse survival instincts and moral superiority complexes."
The characters still had their distinctive personalities in this second book (except boring Finley), and I liked having the different POVs to see all sides of the alliances between them, but I also have to admit that Briony's and Isobel’s POVs bored me a little at times. I much preferred Gavin's and Alistair’s chapters. There is also a new contestant that is forced to enter the tournament, and the authors did a good job with him because while I didn’t care much for him in the first book, I ended up liking him in this one and finding him interesting.
“Killing is easy,” Alistair murmured. “It’s the afterward that’s harder.”
Alistair and Gavin remain my two favorite champions. Briony got better in this book, but I was still annoyed at her because of her whole hero complex from the first book. Finley is not a bad character, but he is kind of bland honestly, and Isobel is an interesting and ruthless contestant, but I did not connect with her as much.
Alistair goes through so much change in this sequel, and we can see a more human side of him. He has no choice but to face the fact that his family is twisted and maybe fucked him up a little with all their stories and trials, and that winning is not all that counts now that Hendry is back, and now that he formed alliances with some champions and realized that they are just scared teenagers too.
Gavin is the one that everyone underestimated, but he was the MVP in this sequel. He stopped complaining about his doomed existence and impending death and started to take matters into his own hands to make sure that he would survive the tournament. Overall, he was much more likable in this book and I love the change in him.
Isobel also changed now that she is dealing with the after-effects of Alistair’s curse and the Roach’s Armor, and she slowly stopped seeing herself as a poor victim of everything and everyone. I mean, she is a victim because her father’s family basically forced her into the tournament, but she is far from being innocent. Still, she made some self-reflection in the second half of the book, and she also started to spend more time with Reid, the cursemaker, which helped her because against all odds, he did make her a slightly better person.
Briony got her redemption arc in this finale. She had to face the consequences of her reckless choice to cheat her way into the tournament, but she was true to her word and really tried her best to end it once and for all, no matter the cost. As I said before though, it was not enough to make me really like her, because she really REALLY annoyed me in the first book.
And then, there is Finley, and I honestly don’t have anything to say about him. He is just bland and ordinary. He follows Briony into any plan she has, and he is loyal to his alliance, but that’s about all we know about him…
*mild spoiler about the romances bellow*
The Grieves had raised Gavin to die. The Lowes had raised Alistair to kill.
Both of them deserved a better story.
Okay, I have to talk about the romances (yes, plural) in this book, because I have mixed feelings.
First of all, I find it highly convenient that everyone ends up finding love in the midst of a tournament to the death. Some champions like Briony and Finley had a history before, and we could already see some hints of repressed feelings between them in the first book so it makes sense that something more developed between them, but the other relationship were almost all developed in this one book, and I am still not sure if I like them or not.
I honestly still don’t know how I feel about Isobel’s relationship with Reid. Again, it felt kinda convenient for them to end up together, but at the same time, I can see how their feelings developed. It was not too rushed or an insta-love kind of romance, it was even a decent hate-to-love, but for some reason, I am not 100% invested in their relationship, and I don't see what it brought to the plot. Everything they did could have been accomplished with them remaining simple allies or even friends, the romance aspect was not necessary, and did not impact them or their choice that much.
Gavin and Alistair have a great hate-to-love relationship, but while I am very happy that they somehow overcame their hatred and learned to see the good and the worth of the other, I am disappointed that all the tension between them lead nowhere. There was a huge build-up in the first book, and we were constantly reminded of how Gavin hated Alistair and couldn’t wait to kill him, while Alistair considered Gavin to be unimportant and not even worth his attention, and I feel that this build-up just fuzzed out at the beginning of this book when they were forced to spend much time together. So again, conflicted feelings on my end when it comes to the romances in this book.
Overall, this is a very good, fast-paced, and action-packed duology that I definitely recommend to anyone looking for a ruthless tournament to the death (I haven’t read The Hunger Games trilogy, but I imagine the vibe is similar), full of morally grey characters, shifting alliances, secrets and betrayals, and a very interesting magic system.
1. All of Us Villains ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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September 7, 2022
I'm just.... not sure how much I enjoyed this as a whole? I only really cared about one relationship in this installment, and thankfully it was the one that mattered. Otherwise, very slow paced, very underwhelming, but not mad I made it to the end.
January 29, 2023
SLAYED THE DAY
August 20, 2022
review:
i don’t want to review this book because i don’t want to be done with this world and these characters🫠 but here goes.
also, this is the sequel to all of us villains, so please don’t read this review if you haven’t read that!
due to the events of the previous book, things in this one are…kinda wacky, to say the least. for the first time in history, the boundaries between the tournament and the real world are basically non-existent, and reporters are all-too-eager to get their hands on a good story about ilvernath’s greatest families’ champions. hendry lowe is also complicating things as no one knows what to make of him—alistair is only hoping to win the tournament to somehow cure him with high magick. and to make things even more complicated, a new champion enters the tournament—what?! now, the pressure to end the tournament once and for all is even higher for briony, isobel, finley, and this new champion…though alistair and gavin are still convinced the only way to end it is the “right” way.
this was full of so much action and so many plot twists. every time i thought things were winding down, BAM something new would pop up. this book really kept me on my toes and there was not a dull moment, between the plot twists and the increasing tension (so many kinds of tension…luckily this was balanced out well with funny moments, though!).
throughout this book, i really warmed up to all of the characters. i won’t say much about that except that characters i disliked/felt indifferent toward in book one, i began to understand and even feel for in this book. although we got the same points of view as in all of us villains, this one really highlighted each champion��s thoughts and motivations.
overall, this was an amazing sequel, and i definitely will not stop thinking about it for a while. if you enjoyed the first book, you need to read this one!
06/17/22:
so this was waiting for me on my doorstep when i got home…best surprise ever
i’m so scared for this ahhhhh😭
i don’t want to review this book because i don’t want to be done with this world and these characters🫠 but here goes.
also, this is the sequel to all of us villains, so please don’t read this review if you haven’t read that!
due to the events of the previous book, things in this one are…kinda wacky, to say the least. for the first time in history, the boundaries between the tournament and the real world are basically non-existent, and reporters are all-too-eager to get their hands on a good story about ilvernath’s greatest families’ champions. hendry lowe is also complicating things as no one knows what to make of him—alistair is only hoping to win the tournament to somehow cure him with high magick. and to make things even more complicated, a new champion enters the tournament—what?! now, the pressure to end the tournament once and for all is even higher for briony, isobel, finley, and this new champion…though alistair and gavin are still convinced the only way to end it is the “right” way.
this was full of so much action and so many plot twists. every time i thought things were winding down, BAM something new would pop up. this book really kept me on my toes and there was not a dull moment, between the plot twists and the increasing tension (so many kinds of tension…luckily this was balanced out well with funny moments, though!).
throughout this book, i really warmed up to all of the characters. i won’t say much about that except that characters i disliked/felt indifferent toward in book one, i began to understand and even feel for in this book. although we got the same points of view as in all of us villains, this one really highlighted each champion��s thoughts and motivations.
overall, this was an amazing sequel, and i definitely will not stop thinking about it for a while. if you enjoyed the first book, you need to read this one!
06/17/22:
so this was waiting for me on my doorstep when i got home…best surprise ever
i’m so scared for this ahhhhh😭
March 28, 2023
“Truth can be buried, but it is never destroyed.”
This book was so good! This was an action-packed and interesting young adult fantasy about power, betrayal, love, sacrifice, and survival. All of Our Demise follows the champions as they continue to decide whether to break the tournament or fight to the death. Each of the champions find new allies and enemies and learn more about themselves.
I was completely transported into this world that the authors created from the first page, although the pacing was a bit slow in the middle. The plot was so interesting and engaging. I enjoyed learning about the characters from their own perspective. This book had everything that I wanted in young adult fantasy including enemies-to-lovers romance, magic, great characters, and an interesting plot. This book gave me Hunger Games and Harry Potter vibes. The magical system was so unique and I loved learning more about the interesting world. The characters were morally gray and so complex. Each of the characters go through their own challenges and solve them in different ways. I loved Alistair, he is smart, powerful, ambitious, cunning, and protective. I loved his character development, he grew so much and learned that he is not a monster and he is worth loving. I really liked Gavin, he is strong, brave, cunning, ambitious and smart. Gavin's character development was excellent, he grew so much and realized his worth and that people care about him. I liked Briony, she is smart, brave, resilient, caring and strong. I enjoyed watching Briony grow and learn that she is worth being saved. I really liked Isabel, she is fierce, brave, strong, but at times I didn't agree with the decisions she made. I liked Finley, but he was boring at times and I really didn't know much about him. I was hoping that Finley had more character development, he felt flat and boring. Briony and Finley relationship was good, but I didn't feel the chemistry between them. I loved Gavin and Alistair's relationship and their chemistry was amazing. The storytelling was excellent and I felt like the characters came alive with the authors writing. The writing was so descriptive, I felt like I was in the tournament with the characters experiencing every moment and thought that they felt. The ending was so exciting and shocking!
I recommend this book to anyone who loves young adult fantasy, morally gray characters, excellent writing and a unique magical system.
This book was so good! This was an action-packed and interesting young adult fantasy about power, betrayal, love, sacrifice, and survival. All of Our Demise follows the champions as they continue to decide whether to break the tournament or fight to the death. Each of the champions find new allies and enemies and learn more about themselves.
I was completely transported into this world that the authors created from the first page, although the pacing was a bit slow in the middle. The plot was so interesting and engaging. I enjoyed learning about the characters from their own perspective. This book had everything that I wanted in young adult fantasy including enemies-to-lovers romance, magic, great characters, and an interesting plot. This book gave me Hunger Games and Harry Potter vibes. The magical system was so unique and I loved learning more about the interesting world. The characters were morally gray and so complex. Each of the characters go through their own challenges and solve them in different ways. I loved Alistair, he is smart, powerful, ambitious, cunning, and protective. I loved his character development, he grew so much and learned that he is not a monster and he is worth loving. I really liked Gavin, he is strong, brave, cunning, ambitious and smart. Gavin's character development was excellent, he grew so much and realized his worth and that people care about him. I liked Briony, she is smart, brave, resilient, caring and strong. I enjoyed watching Briony grow and learn that she is worth being saved. I really liked Isabel, she is fierce, brave, strong, but at times I didn't agree with the decisions she made. I liked Finley, but he was boring at times and I really didn't know much about him. I was hoping that Finley had more character development, he felt flat and boring. Briony and Finley relationship was good, but I didn't feel the chemistry between them. I loved Gavin and Alistair's relationship and their chemistry was amazing. The storytelling was excellent and I felt like the characters came alive with the authors writing. The writing was so descriptive, I felt like I was in the tournament with the characters experiencing every moment and thought that they felt. The ending was so exciting and shocking!
I recommend this book to anyone who loves young adult fantasy, morally gray characters, excellent writing and a unique magical system.
August 7, 2022
Calling all Villains!!!!!
It began with All of Us Villains and it ends with All of Our Demise! Both books were amazing, both dazzled me, both cast their spell on me!
This book will not work as a stand-alone. Read All of Us Villains first. You will thank me and be swept away into the world of high magick!
I could not wait to see how this duology ended. After finishing the first book, I was instantly wanting more. This book did not disappoint!
The curse is teetering towards collapse. The tournament is breaking and a dead boy lives. YES!!!!!! I was so sad at the end of All of Us Villains and was so happy to see that my favorite character lived! There will be a new champion, revelations, alliances tested, and love explored!!!! Bring it on!
So good! There are twists, turns and revelations. I am not a big fantasy reader but this one completely won me over. I hoped for them, held my breath for them, my heart ached for them, and I cheered for them! Whew! Such a clever, gripping, and captivating book! This one cast an enchantment on me!
Well written, magical, and exciting.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
It began with All of Us Villains and it ends with All of Our Demise! Both books were amazing, both dazzled me, both cast their spell on me!
This book will not work as a stand-alone. Read All of Us Villains first. You will thank me and be swept away into the world of high magick!
I could not wait to see how this duology ended. After finishing the first book, I was instantly wanting more. This book did not disappoint!
The curse is teetering towards collapse. The tournament is breaking and a dead boy lives. YES!!!!!! I was so sad at the end of All of Us Villains and was so happy to see that my favorite character lived! There will be a new champion, revelations, alliances tested, and love explored!!!! Bring it on!
So good! There are twists, turns and revelations. I am not a big fantasy reader but this one completely won me over. I hoped for them, held my breath for them, my heart ached for them, and I cheered for them! Whew! Such a clever, gripping, and captivating book! This one cast an enchantment on me!
Well written, magical, and exciting.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
November 6, 2022
Loved this duology!!
Spoilers below for book 1!
A gripping and fast paced way to end this series.
Told in four POVs, Briony, Finley and Isabel are fighting to bring down the competition and end the curse once and for all.
Meanwhile, Alistair’s brother Hendry has returned from the dead, and Al will do anything to keep his brother with him - even teaming up with rival Gavin Grieve.
I loved all the different curses and magical elements, I still found Isabel a bit irritating - she whined a lot about feeling inferior to Briony but with no real reason for it. She got tiring.
I enjoyed the part that Reid McTavish played, when it comes out that he was trying to sabotage them all - they trick him into being stuck in the competition with them.
Overall, an enjoyable series. Real good fun, with a few sad parts thrown in.
**********************
Library copy available for pick up
Spoilers below for book 1!
A gripping and fast paced way to end this series.
Told in four POVs, Briony, Finley and Isabel are fighting to bring down the competition and end the curse once and for all.
Meanwhile, Alistair’s brother Hendry has returned from the dead, and Al will do anything to keep his brother with him - even teaming up with rival Gavin Grieve.
I loved all the different curses and magical elements, I still found Isabel a bit irritating - she whined a lot about feeling inferior to Briony but with no real reason for it. She got tiring.
I enjoyed the part that Reid McTavish played, when it comes out that he was trying to sabotage them all - they trick him into being stuck in the competition with them.
Overall, an enjoyable series. Real good fun, with a few sad parts thrown in.
**********************
Library copy available for pick up
October 16, 2022
THIS FUCKER WAS PERFECT.
I don't know how the authors managed to write two perfect books back to back but they did. My only issue is that I'm having the WORST book hangover I had in months and I'm in need of a third book. Or a prequel. Or something. Anything! I just can't let this world go yet.
The magic system, the worldbuilding, the characters… I should also mention that the authors are very good with writing different characters and different personalities. If chapters didn't have characters' names at the beginning, I'd still be able to separate them which is amazing? Because so many people fail to do just that.
This book gave us not one but TWO enemies-to-lovers couples. And when I say enemies to lovers I don't mean slightly annoyed to lovers. I mean "I've been trying to kill you and now I'm dying to kiss you." kind of enemies to lovers. PEAK ENEMIES TO LOVERS. You'd think two enemies to lovers going on in one book would be too much but it wasn't. I couldn't get enough. I'm hyperventilating just thinking about that one couple. It also had a second-chance trope going on but for me, it fell short. Why? I'll get to that.
Also, how can you write a YA/Fantasy book but make it poetic? How? I JUST-
SOMEBODY SEDATE ME BEFORE I EXPLODE.
(How many times can I say "enemies-to-lovers" in one review you may ask? We shall never know. Anyway.)
Honestly read this book. I mean surely you'll read this if you read the first one but hear me out, READ THIS RIGHT NOW.
Rest of this review will involve small and big spoilers. They'll be tagged but mobile GoodReads sometimes don't work so read at your own risk. I wouldn't wanna ruin this book for anyone.
Now that's out of the way, let's get going with the characters.
Side-note: I hated almost each and every character at the beginning, except my perfect little baby Alistair, because they all had that annoying superiority/god complex going on with them. Almost all of them redeemed themselves as the book progressed. Almost. I still don't like that bitch Briony. I hate her so much that I physically had to force myself to write her name instead of the more colorful monikers I have for her in my mind.
Alistair Lowe
I still love him. My precious amazing little murderer. Plus he is canon bisexual so I shall protect him at all costs. There is this meme that goes: "You can fix him? No. I can fix him No. He can fix himself? No. We can fix him? No. But am I going to marry him? Yes." And that is exactly how I feel about him. If only I was obsessed with real-life people as much as I am obsessed with fictional murderers who need therapy. Then maybe I wouldn't be single.
Isobel Macaslan
I still don't like her but she was tolerable in this book. I usually enjoyed her chapters, rooted for her and to get together, and I was actually curious to see how could she break her curse. I still wouldn't wanna read a whole book about her but it's safe to say she redeemed herself in this book.
Gavin Grieve
He won my heart with this one. I found him boring in the first book but he was great in this book. Now, I wanted to see him as THE villain in this book but I was disappointed. He was kind of bad at first but that arc didn't meet my expectations. It wasn't deep or exciting. It was just something that was happening in the background. But still, he was so entertaining in this book that I'll give it a go.
Briony Thorburn
I still hate her. She was still a piece of trash. She never got better. She thought she did just because she thinks herself as perfect but she didn't change. Not one bit. If I was to explain Briony with one word, it would be disappointment. I couldn't give a rat's ass about her. I almost skipped her chapters. (I didn't do that though, I pushed through just for the sake of this book as a whole.) Another annoying thing was how many times this book mentioned how she was at her best under pressure. Like did none edit this book? I can't tell how many times it was mentioned. WE GET IT. This was so annoying but it turns out I'll let it slide.
Speaking of Briony…
As for the side characters: I do seem to like Reid now, that's new. Finley was as entertaining as a blank paper so, there's that.
The relationships will get their own section in this review because I just can't get enough of them.
It was kind of weird that a lot of romantic drama happened in the span of what? Two months? But I will look past it because I believe being close to getting murdered by an old curse or an ally every other day makes you horny.
So after this long-ass meltdown I would like to call a review, it is safe to say this duogoly has a special place in my heart.
All of Us Villains 𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
I don't know how the authors managed to write two perfect books back to back but they did. My only issue is that I'm having the WORST book hangover I had in months and I'm in need of a third book. Or a prequel. Or something. Anything! I just can't let this world go yet.
The magic system, the worldbuilding, the characters… I should also mention that the authors are very good with writing different characters and different personalities. If chapters didn't have characters' names at the beginning, I'd still be able to separate them which is amazing? Because so many people fail to do just that.
This book gave us not one but TWO enemies-to-lovers couples. And when I say enemies to lovers I don't mean slightly annoyed to lovers. I mean "I've been trying to kill you and now I'm dying to kiss you." kind of enemies to lovers. PEAK ENEMIES TO LOVERS. You'd think two enemies to lovers going on in one book would be too much but it wasn't. I couldn't get enough. I'm hyperventilating just thinking about that one couple. It also had a second-chance trope going on but for me, it fell short. Why? I'll get to that.
Also, how can you write a YA/Fantasy book but make it poetic? How? I JUST-
SOMEBODY SEDATE ME BEFORE I EXPLODE.
(How many times can I say "enemies-to-lovers" in one review you may ask? We shall never know. Anyway.)
Honestly read this book. I mean surely you'll read this if you read the first one but hear me out, READ THIS RIGHT NOW.
Rest of this review will involve small and big spoilers. They'll be tagged but mobile GoodReads sometimes don't work so read at your own risk. I wouldn't wanna ruin this book for anyone.
Now that's out of the way, let's get going with the characters.
Side-note: I hated almost each and every character at the beginning, except my perfect little baby Alistair, because they all had that annoying superiority/god complex going on with them. Almost all of them redeemed themselves as the book progressed. Almost. I still don't like that bitch Briony. I hate her so much that I physically had to force myself to write her name instead of the more colorful monikers I have for her in my mind.
Alistair Lowe
I still love him. My precious amazing little murderer. Plus he is canon bisexual so I shall protect him at all costs. There is this meme that goes: "You can fix him? No. I can fix him No. He can fix himself? No. We can fix him? No. But am I going to marry him? Yes." And that is exactly how I feel about him. If only I was obsessed with real-life people as much as I am obsessed with fictional murderers who need therapy. Then maybe I wouldn't be single.
Isobel Macaslan
I still don't like her but she was tolerable in this book. I usually enjoyed her chapters, rooted for her and to get together, and I was actually curious to see how could she break her curse. I still wouldn't wanna read a whole book about her but it's safe to say she redeemed herself in this book.
Gavin Grieve
He won my heart with this one. I found him boring in the first book but he was great in this book. Now, I wanted to see him as THE villain in this book but I was disappointed. He was kind of bad at first but that arc didn't meet my expectations. It wasn't deep or exciting. It was just something that was happening in the background. But still, he was so entertaining in this book that I'll give it a go.
Briony Thorburn
I still hate her. She was still a piece of trash. She never got better. She thought she did just because she thinks herself as perfect but she didn't change. Not one bit. If I was to explain Briony with one word, it would be disappointment. I couldn't give a rat's ass about her. I almost skipped her chapters. (I didn't do that though, I pushed through just for the sake of this book as a whole.) Another annoying thing was how many times this book mentioned how she was at her best under pressure. Like did none edit this book? I can't tell how many times it was mentioned. WE GET IT. This was so annoying but it turns out I'll let it slide.
Speaking of Briony…
As for the side characters: I do seem to like Reid now, that's new. Finley was as entertaining as a blank paper so, there's that.
The relationships will get their own section in this review because I just can't get enough of them.
It was kind of weird that a lot of romantic drama happened in the span of what? Two months? But I will look past it because I believe being close to getting murdered by an old curse or an ally every other day makes you horny.
So after this long-ass meltdown I would like to call a review, it is safe to say this duogoly has a special place in my heart.
All of Us Villains 𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
Shelved as 'paused'
August 21, 2022I need the authors to prove to me in this one that the entire duology shouldn’t have just been one book
___________
stalking Tor Teen like a gremlin rn
___________
stalking Tor Teen like a gremlin rn
October 6, 2022
This book could be a tutorial in how to throw away all the buildup you did in the first book. Major letdown…
All of Us Villains was one of my most anticipated releases last year, and I felt like it mostly delivered. It did leave us with a major cliffhanger and I was so eager to see how it all played out. And I got… this. How fun.
I did find that the last book could’ve raised the stakes a bit, but I was still in the dark what would happen. But everything felt so straightforward in this book and no major surprises could be found. It made the book drag and felt unnecessarily long.
But what I was most excited for in this book was the dynamic between Isobel and Alistair given how we left things in the last book. But that was completely ignored. It was brought up like once and then never mentioned again.
From here, it’s going to be spoilers.
And for what, for Gavin and Alistair could spend the entire book making moon-eyes at each other? Where did that even come from? Oh yeah, fan-service. You can’t spend an entire book building something up, to just throw it away like hot garbage in like a second.
This made me greatly dislike the chapters that followed Gavin and Alistair. They spent the majority of the book working against the rest that wanted to end the curse. They were for keeping the tournament and make sure more generations of kids keep slaughtering each other. And for what reason? I could understand Alistair, but what did Gavin have as an excuse?
And then when it gets revealed to Gavin that he’s an idiot, he switch sides. Then he throws this out:
Isobel swallowed, then nodded. “Reid and I can craft and oath spell after, then. We’ll keep it a secret. But that means destroying the Pillar’s on us, and us alone.”
“We’ve done the rest of this alone, haven’t we?” Gavin pointed out.
No, the others have done the rest. Not just alone, but with you assholes trying to sabotage and kill them. You don’t get any fucking credit.
Oh, right. They did one trial. When the rest faced flesh-eating insects, skeletons, shrinking rooms and swinging blades, they got the task to clean a room! And it didn’t even seem like there was a time limit either, because they stopped for snack-breaks and playing 21 questions. What an contribution!
And Alistair had the Reaper’s Embrace to worry about too. They did all things imaginable to cure it and nothing seemed to work. But then it got cured…
”How?” the cursemaker asked in disbelief. “Breaking it would take…”
“Something powerful,” Gavin said pointedly. “Something good.”
And what was it? Their first kiss… I’m i supposed to believe that their *love* was stronger than any other magic. I rolled my eyes so hard that I though they were going to fall out.
And I do not agree with that Briony had to die and both Gavin and Alistair got to survive. Why do they get a happy ending? Alistair should’ve died, it was his family’s curse. And even better, he should’ve sacrificed himself to save his brother. That would’ve been a worthy end for him.
I probably would’ve found the Alistair/Gavin & Isobel/Reid pairing okey, if that didn’t mean that it rendered the majority of the first book unnecessary. But now I was annoyed and put off by both. Without these romantic pairings, I would’ve rated this book 3 stars. And they keep mentioning how they are filthy and greasy, and they still keep making out? How… romantic.
Some of the curses are also still named by children. It was a long time since I was this disappointed by a sequel.
All of Us Villains was one of my most anticipated releases last year, and I felt like it mostly delivered. It did leave us with a major cliffhanger and I was so eager to see how it all played out. And I got… this. How fun.
I did find that the last book could’ve raised the stakes a bit, but I was still in the dark what would happen. But everything felt so straightforward in this book and no major surprises could be found. It made the book drag and felt unnecessarily long.
But what I was most excited for in this book was the dynamic between Isobel and Alistair given how we left things in the last book. But that was completely ignored. It was brought up like once and then never mentioned again.
From here, it’s going to be spoilers.
And for what, for Gavin and Alistair could spend the entire book making moon-eyes at each other? Where did that even come from? Oh yeah, fan-service. You can’t spend an entire book building something up, to just throw it away like hot garbage in like a second.
This made me greatly dislike the chapters that followed Gavin and Alistair. They spent the majority of the book working against the rest that wanted to end the curse. They were for keeping the tournament and make sure more generations of kids keep slaughtering each other. And for what reason? I could understand Alistair, but what did Gavin have as an excuse?
And then when it gets revealed to Gavin that he’s an idiot, he switch sides. Then he throws this out:
Isobel swallowed, then nodded. “Reid and I can craft and oath spell after, then. We’ll keep it a secret. But that means destroying the Pillar’s on us, and us alone.”
“We’ve done the rest of this alone, haven’t we?” Gavin pointed out.
No, the others have done the rest. Not just alone, but with you assholes trying to sabotage and kill them. You don’t get any fucking credit.
Oh, right. They did one trial. When the rest faced flesh-eating insects, skeletons, shrinking rooms and swinging blades, they got the task to clean a room! And it didn’t even seem like there was a time limit either, because they stopped for snack-breaks and playing 21 questions. What an contribution!
And Alistair had the Reaper’s Embrace to worry about too. They did all things imaginable to cure it and nothing seemed to work. But then it got cured…
”How?” the cursemaker asked in disbelief. “Breaking it would take…”
“Something powerful,” Gavin said pointedly. “Something good.”
And what was it? Their first kiss… I’m i supposed to believe that their *love* was stronger than any other magic. I rolled my eyes so hard that I though they were going to fall out.
And I do not agree with that Briony had to die and both Gavin and Alistair got to survive. Why do they get a happy ending? Alistair should’ve died, it was his family’s curse. And even better, he should’ve sacrificed himself to save his brother. That would’ve been a worthy end for him.
I probably would’ve found the Alistair/Gavin & Isobel/Reid pairing okey, if that didn’t mean that it rendered the majority of the first book unnecessary. But now I was annoyed and put off by both. Without these romantic pairings, I would’ve rated this book 3 stars. And they keep mentioning how they are filthy and greasy, and they still keep making out? How… romantic.
Some of the curses are also still named by children. It was a long time since I was this disappointed by a sequel.
April 19, 2023
Jedno wielkie rozczarowanie.
April 22, 2023
"Heroes are just villains with worse survival instincts and moral superiority complexes
I honestly liked this one more than the first book. It might have been a bit too long at times, maybe some parts could have been cut out, but overall I was really entertained and even with my reading slump, I still felt that old excitement I used to feel when reading.
**beginning and end of spoilers will be highlighted with this ⚠ **
I read All of Us VIllains earlier this year and fell in love with these characters and the story they were telling. So, I immediately knew that I had to read the sequel too before the end of the year. I saw a lot of people rating this book 3 stars, so I went into it not expecting to love it as much as I did and I definetily didn't expect to love it more than the All of Us VIllains. But surprises did happen. And this was not the only one.
All of Our Demise picks up from where the first book left off and from page on things are intense. Our storyline is divided between those who want to break the tournament and those who don't, and for the whole plot, we see how the two parties interact with one another and how their stories are ultimately intertwined.
As I mentioned before, we are immediately thrown back into the world. I loved the plot, and I was invested from page one. While for the first book I've had some critiques and I wasn't sure what was the direction the plot was supposed to go towards, in this one we have a clear goal and we understand from the start what the characters are aiming for. It was really well structured, and it kept me intrigued all throughout. I've never felt bored while reading All of Our Demise.
"Killing is easy," Alistair murmured. "It's the afterward that's harder."
"But it's the afterward we're fighting for."
The characters are for sure my favourite part of the book. Like in a book, the plot can be dog shit, but if it has great characters and I fall in love with them, it doesn't change a thing. That book could still become my favourite. That wasn't the case with this novel, but I still believe that the characters outshined the plot.
Alistair
Gavin had once agonized over whether the real Alistair Lowe was more boy or monster, but now he understood that Alistair was both. And even though neither cancelled the other out, he didn’t think that made Alistair beyond redemption."
He was my favourite character in the first book and still is now. His chaptersand Gavin's were the ones I looked forward the most while reading. I love him so much, and his character arc is so beautifully written. He considers himself a monster because that's what his family raised him to be. But all throughout the story, he fights his demons and tries to be better. He doesn't want to be a monster. He doesn't want to be a villain, although everyone claims that he makes a good villain. He just wants the world to see him for who he really is. The world sees him as this cruel person who would kill everyone with no remorse if it served his purposes, but in reality, he's the complete opposite. While on the outside he may look scary, he's a kind person who is always willing to put himself at risk if it means protecting the people he loves, he is fiercely loyal and the best part of all he is snarky and can be extremely awkaward and clumsy.
"He loved monster stories, after all, and he was undoubtedly the monster of this tale."
Gavin
The Grieves had raised Gavin to die. The Lowes had raised Alistair to kill.
Both of them deserved a better story.
Gav's character took me completely by surprise. I was pretty neutral about him in the previous book. I found him to be quite boring, and I just didn't really care about him. Now, he became one of my favourites along with Al. I felt like his character had so much more depth, and we could actually see his struggles and how the way he was raised and the curse affected him and his life. His growth was asthonishing. I feel like he changed so much. The person he was when we first saw him is completely different from the person he was in the last scene, and I say this in the best way possible. His character development was *chef's kiss*
One another thing that definitely played a part in making me love him was his interactions with Alastair. The scenes they had together were my favourites. I can not explain the feeling I would get when I'd realised that a scene with them together was coming.
Isobel
"Because the Macaslans were disgusting, conniving, greedy. They spun whatever tales suited them; they took advantage of every contemptible opportunity that fell at their feet. And the only way to finish their true story was to stoop to the vilest low possible to survive."
I honestly didn't like her as much as I did in All of Us Villains. She used to be one of my favourite characters, but with the way things ended in the first book and the way she was acting in the beginning, I just didn't feel the same love I did. She annoyed me a lot for the first half of the book, and she did start growing on me towards the end of the book, but I still didn't care that much about her. To be honest, the way I felt for her throughout the book was the same way I felt for Gavin in the previous one. I just couldn't connect with her character anymore, but at least her chapters weren't completely unbearable to read. Most of the times, I was still interested to see the story from her POV even if I didn't care that much about her, but I still would have rather read from Al's or Gav's POVs.
Briony
All throughout the book, I wanted to slap Briony, and I'm not even being dramatic. I hate her so much for multiple reasons, but her hero complex was just not for me. I admit, she did grow, and she wasn't the oblivious and ignorant girl she used to be. She understands that not everything is about her, and it's not her "job" to save everyone, but her hero complex is still there because otherwise, she would have no personality. I understand her role in the story and why she is needed, but that doesn't change the fact that she was my least favourite character.
Whenever her POV's came, I would always be disappointed. I would always sigh to myself and wish that it was an Al chapter. This is honestly pretty common in multiple POVs books. Or at least that's what I noticed in my case. There's always one character whose POV, I hate. I don't think there's any book that I've read that is an exception to this.
Reid
Once again, a character that surprised me. He was really interesting, and I ended up really liking his character. There were so many layers to him, and I just wanted to find more about him. To understand him better and to understand why he took this path, why he felt the need to do the stuff that he was doing and so on. And although we had no idea if we could trust him or not, I was 100% rooting for him too.
I also believe that he should have gotten a POV too
"In a different story, would we still have been enemies?"
The romance was another part I loved. While there was one couple I didn't particularly care about, I loved the other two, and I was fangirling so much. I'm a romantic at hearteven if I don't really like romance books that much or read them that often and seeing my ship sail made me so happy. THEY HAD SO MUCH CHEMISTRY AND I WAS HERE FOR IT. I HAD TO SEE THEM TOGETHER. I also loved the unpredictability of it all. I really thought the plot would go into this obvious place, that All of Us Villains pretty much set up, at first, but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm so happy with the route the authors decided to take, and I definitely wouldn't have loved the book as much if they didn't do this.
Seeing the way everything ended was very satisfying for me. It definitely wasn't a perfect ending, there were some things that I believe that they could have been improved to make it a bit less confusing, but after everything the characters have went through, it was the ending that they deserved.
⚠ MILD SPOILERS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED FOR THE SHIPS ⚠
ok, so I need to ramble and fangirl about this, BUT ALASTAIR AND GAVIN. I WAS ROOTING FOR THEM SO MUCH AND ISTG IF EITHER OF THEM DIED I WOULD HAVE THROWN HANDS
ngl at first, I thought I was imagining the tension between them, but the more chapters we saw with them, the more painfully obvious the pining became. I found it hilarious how both Hendry and Reid noticed that they were in love with each other before they did??
"You can't kill my brother. You like him too much."
I was laughing hysterically when Hendry said this tbh
and the last chapter had me smiling like an idiot. seeing them together and happy made my heart do little jumps in my chest. I was so happy for them.
and you can bet that most of my highlighted quotes are of them, lmao
"In a bout of weakness, of confusion, of whatever he wanted to call it, Alistair embraced Gavin, his arms locked around his enemy's shoulders. Gavin froze for a moment, but then his hands folded around Alistair's back. Alistair felt strangely small within them, and he didn't mind it. He grasped at Gavin tighter-his fingers interwining with the cotton of his T-shirt-and pressed his face into his chest. Gavin couldn't let go now even if he tried."
⚠ END OF SPOILERS ⚠
This book is for sure one of my favourites that I've read this year just because it reminded me how fun reading is and why I love it so much. This book will be one that I'll probably be thinking about constantly, and these characters will forever have a place in my heart.
"Sometimes I can't believe it's over. I guess we lived in a nightmare for so long, it's hard to wake up."
___________________________
[pre-read:]
istg if alistair dies in this one-
and seriously, he is the one character that is not allowed to die
I honestly liked this one more than the first book. It might have been a bit too long at times, maybe some parts could have been cut out, but overall I was really entertained and even with my reading slump, I still felt that old excitement I used to feel when reading.
**beginning and end of spoilers will be highlighted with this ⚠ **
I read All of Us VIllains earlier this year and fell in love with these characters and the story they were telling. So, I immediately knew that I had to read the sequel too before the end of the year. I saw a lot of people rating this book 3 stars, so I went into it not expecting to love it as much as I did and I definetily didn't expect to love it more than the All of Us VIllains. But surprises did happen. And this was not the only one.
All of Our Demise picks up from where the first book left off and from page on things are intense. Our storyline is divided between those who want to break the tournament and those who don't, and for the whole plot, we see how the two parties interact with one another and how their stories are ultimately intertwined.
As I mentioned before, we are immediately thrown back into the world. I loved the plot, and I was invested from page one. While for the first book I've had some critiques and I wasn't sure what was the direction the plot was supposed to go towards, in this one we have a clear goal and we understand from the start what the characters are aiming for. It was really well structured, and it kept me intrigued all throughout. I've never felt bored while reading All of Our Demise.
"Killing is easy," Alistair murmured. "It's the afterward that's harder."
"But it's the afterward we're fighting for."
The characters are for sure my favourite part of the book. Like in a book, the plot can be dog shit, but if it has great characters and I fall in love with them, it doesn't change a thing. That book could still become my favourite. That wasn't the case with this novel, but I still believe that the characters outshined the plot.
Alistair
Gavin had once agonized over whether the real Alistair Lowe was more boy or monster, but now he understood that Alistair was both. And even though neither cancelled the other out, he didn’t think that made Alistair beyond redemption."
He was my favourite character in the first book and still is now. His chapters
"He loved monster stories, after all, and he was undoubtedly the monster of this tale."
Gavin
The Grieves had raised Gavin to die. The Lowes had raised Alistair to kill.
Both of them deserved a better story.
Gav's character took me completely by surprise. I was pretty neutral about him in the previous book. I found him to be quite boring, and I just didn't really care about him. Now, he became one of my favourites along with Al. I felt like his character had so much more depth, and we could actually see his struggles and how the way he was raised and the curse affected him and his life. His growth was asthonishing. I feel like he changed so much. The person he was when we first saw him is completely different from the person he was in the last scene, and I say this in the best way possible. His character development was *chef's kiss*
One another thing that definitely played a part in making me love him was his interactions with Alastair. The scenes they had together were my favourites. I can not explain the feeling I would get when I'd realised that a scene with them together was coming.
Isobel
"Because the Macaslans were disgusting, conniving, greedy. They spun whatever tales suited them; they took advantage of every contemptible opportunity that fell at their feet. And the only way to finish their true story was to stoop to the vilest low possible to survive."
I honestly didn't like her as much as I did in All of Us Villains. She used to be one of my favourite characters, but with the way things ended in the first book and the way she was acting in the beginning, I just didn't feel the same love I did. She annoyed me a lot for the first half of the book, and she did start growing on me towards the end of the book, but I still didn't care that much about her. To be honest, the way I felt for her throughout the book was the same way I felt for Gavin in the previous one. I just couldn't connect with her character anymore, but at least her chapters weren't completely unbearable to read. Most of the times, I was still interested to see the story from her POV even if I didn't care that much about her, but I still would have rather read from Al's or Gav's POVs.
Briony
All throughout the book, I wanted to slap Briony, and I'm not even being dramatic. I hate her so much for multiple reasons, but her hero complex was just not for me. I admit, she did grow, and she wasn't the oblivious and ignorant girl she used to be. She understands that not everything is about her, and it's not her "job" to save everyone, but her hero complex is still there because otherwise, she would have no personality. I understand her role in the story and why she is needed, but that doesn't change the fact that she was my least favourite character.
Whenever her POV's came, I would always be disappointed. I would always sigh to myself and wish that it was an Al chapter. This is honestly pretty common in multiple POVs books. Or at least that's what I noticed in my case. There's always one character whose POV, I hate. I don't think there's any book that I've read that is an exception to this.
Reid
Once again, a character that surprised me. He was really interesting, and I ended up really liking his character. There were so many layers to him, and I just wanted to find more about him. To understand him better and to understand why he took this path, why he felt the need to do the stuff that he was doing and so on. And although we had no idea if we could trust him or not, I was 100% rooting for him too.
"In a different story, would we still have been enemies?"
The romance was another part I loved. While there was one couple I didn't particularly care about, I loved the other two, and I was fangirling so much. I'm a romantic at heart
Seeing the way everything ended was very satisfying for me. It definitely wasn't a perfect ending, there were some things that I believe that they could have been improved to make it a bit less confusing, but after everything the characters have went through, it was the ending that they deserved.
⚠ MILD SPOILERS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED FOR THE SHIPS ⚠
ok, so I need to ramble and fangirl about this, BUT ALASTAIR AND GAVIN. I WAS ROOTING FOR THEM SO MUCH AND ISTG IF EITHER OF THEM DIED I WOULD HAVE THROWN HANDS
ngl at first, I thought I was imagining the tension between them, but the more chapters we saw with them, the more painfully obvious the pining became. I found it hilarious how both Hendry and Reid noticed that they were in love with each other before they did??
"You can't kill my brother. You like him too much."
I was laughing hysterically when Hendry said this tbh
and the last chapter had me smiling like an idiot. seeing them together and happy made my heart do little jumps in my chest. I was so happy for them.
and you can bet that most of my highlighted quotes are of them, lmao
"In a bout of weakness, of confusion, of whatever he wanted to call it, Alistair embraced Gavin, his arms locked around his enemy's shoulders. Gavin froze for a moment, but then his hands folded around Alistair's back. Alistair felt strangely small within them, and he didn't mind it. He grasped at Gavin tighter-his fingers interwining with the cotton of his T-shirt-and pressed his face into his chest. Gavin couldn't let go now even if he tried."
⚠ END OF SPOILERS ⚠
This book is for sure one of my favourites that I've read this year just because it reminded me how fun reading is and why I love it so much. This book will be one that I'll probably be thinking about constantly, and these characters will forever have a place in my heart.
"Sometimes I can't believe it's over. I guess we lived in a nightmare for so long, it's hard to wake up."
___________________________
[pre-read:]
istg if alistair dies in this one-
and seriously, he is the one character that is not allowed to die
Want to read
November 7, 2021i need this book like RIGHT NOW!!!!
October 11, 2023
3.75
Biedni, straumatyzowani czarodzieje 😔
NGL, zaangażowałam się bardzo, a rozwój postaci był świetny
Biedni, straumatyzowani czarodzieje 😔
NGL, zaangażowałam się bardzo, a rozwój postaci był świetny
Shelved as 'coming-soon'
November 12, 2022Sooo Alistair and Gavin gonna happen or not??
10/2/22
THE COVER IS SO MEH???
💀💀
What- why
Nvm Idfc just give me the book NOW
I hope the UK one is better... this is such a let down from the first one 😭💀
27/1/22
WE.HAVE.A.NAME????
ALL OF OUR DEMISE??? :000
Le excitement I can't-
If anything happens to my baby Alistair Lowe, I promise I will not let it slide 🔪😃😃
----------------
All of Us Villains - ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
I NEED THIS NOW
10/2/22
THE COVER IS SO MEH???
💀💀
What- why
Nvm Idfc just give me the book NOW
I hope the UK one is better... this is such a let down from the first one 😭💀
27/1/22
WE.HAVE.A.NAME????
ALL OF OUR DEMISE??? :000
Le excitement I can't-
If anything happens to my baby Alistair Lowe, I promise I will not let it slide 🔪😃😃
----------------
All of Us Villains - ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
I NEED THIS NOW
July 13, 2022
*ARC PROVIDED BY TORTEEN*
It should come as no surprise to anyone that I needed this ARC more than my next breath. I thought about it from the moment I closed book one last year in July and it was in my thoughts no less than every single week (this is a long time to worry and obsess over someone’s fate you’ve come to care so deeply for). And, when I finally finally felt like it was close enough to the release date that I could request it, I waited on bated breath for a reply….and was both ecstatic and surprised and self-assured in equal measure when I was sent a copy for review. All this being said though…I still don’t know what to rate this story.
Was it bad? No. Not at all. Did I hate it? Not in the slightest. Did I love it, though? No…the sad sad answer is that I did not. I did NOT love the finale to a book I wanted as much as one can want a physical thing. I have agonized over this review since I finished over a week ago, and it’s not because I don’t have the words to say what needs to be said, it’s that I don’t want to say what I feel needs to be said. And what needs to be said, exactly?
Well…if you know me AT. ALL. I am not one to sugarcoat how I feel about ship dumping. And I am not one to really, I don’t know, cherish being led a certain direction only to be thrown out in the cold. I don’t think this is wholly the authors’ faults nor intentions…but that doesn’t mean I do not feel the same cold and detached anger that I felt at a few of my biggest disappointments for series I would have died for, back in the day.
The writing, as always, is superb. I legitimately can’t believe how much I just LOVE immersing in this world, in this amazing writing. And I’ve struggled to pinpoint why I loved book one so much, but it’s become increasingly clear: when reading All of Us Villains it felt not only like I was immersed in a lush portrayal of a harsh, inevitable battle of ruthlessness and cunning, but as if I was watching a movie play out scene by scene, unable to disenchant myself by simply ceasing to read. This movie rolled on far past the credits, and while the story may not be for everyone, it should strike impressive to all that such a macabre story could be so damn enthralling, written in such an addicting way it’s as if I went into a movie theater and I’m left walking out, reeling-Unable to think of anything else for the longest amounts of time, with blowback and feels hitting me seemingly out nowhere when I least expect it. It’s beautiful. It’s raw. It’s absolutely spell-binding-I love Villains so much it hurts. And perhaps this truth strikes deeper simply for that exact fact of surprise of how much I loved enduring that pain and heartache.
And while I felt all of this when reading Demise, it was stunted. Not only by the fact that I was pondering and puzzling why the authors were choosing to take the path they did, but because book one-while not all out action, necessarily-had so much heart and fight and desperation in each and every scene, no matter how subtle. This one was more about research, alliances, what can we do to end this tournament vs fighting those who did not want the tournament’s end. And while I actually truly LOVE the premise of this masterfully laid groundwork, I felt like there was a sacrifice made…and that sacrifice was the STRONGEST pull of book one, in my opinion.
It's not that wasn’t the most important thing in the world to me, it was the wasted potential of the absolute epic WIN sat right at our feet at the end of book two, and the waste of the build-up (just in my opinion, of course) of that amazing betrayal all throughout book one. I just think….there was SUCH an awesome play on TRUE here and it was just kind of thrown to the side for the same exact play, but with a different song and dance and grasping onto the little clues from ONE SIDE thrown our way from book one. THAT BEING SAID-I was one hundred percent okay with how it all turned out, because if you truly love a character, you love and support their story. And I do. I did. End of. I just wish it had come about differently.
ALL THAT ASIDE….I do believe there was something missing here that was present in book one. I can’t quite say what it is other than I think I just-personally didn’t enjoy the plot as much. Because, in the end, I DID like the feeling, the swirling fall leaves on crisp, cold air. I felt every moment like I was apart of it. And that’s perhaps what I loved most about this duology-these authors know. How. To. Build. An. ATMOSPHERE. I just love their descriptions, always. SO freakin’ beautiful.
Which, finally, I guess leads me to why I really didn’t just fall head over heels-I guess that, in the previous installment, I cared for almost every single character barring one. Well…I won’t go into that ‘one’ character, but aside from him/her, I didn’t mind anyone. In this story I just…only cared about Alistair, if I’m being honest. And, inevitably, *insert eyeroll here* the one character I didn’t HATE but didn’t LIKE from book one. So that left many. Many. MANY characters that I was morose about and bored to tears with their narratives. And-okay-let’s be frank. They angered me. It just was not the direction I wanted and I know I can’t control that, but it made me upset all the same. The twisted mind games (not what you think, I LOVE twisted mind games, believe me) that really just didn’t add much to the story and the way that-all of a FREAKING sudden-someone suddenly had so much animosity towards another certain someone seemingly out of nowhere. What even and when did that even happen? I don’t buy it, and-again-that sets my anger-dar off.
I digress. My point in all this is-I feel that I should have grown to like these people MORE, not less, and it really threw me for a loop that I all of a sudden only wanted two POVS out of however many (and okay, yes, I did like two main POVs in the last book, but I didn’t HATE having to switch to the others, at all). Plus, I’m going to say it-this book was, in no way, brutal. *shrug* I guess I just really pictured all out THG style stuff, but I definitely felt it wasn’t as crazy as I’d have liked. Yes, I’m bloodthirsty. Yes I’m unhinged. And NO I am not sorry.
All that being said, I can see this shooting up in popularity for MANY people because of ~reasons~, but I can also see people being a lot like me, plot wise. I DO understand it and I also DO realize I’d be probably at a four star minimum if I hadn’t felt flummoxed at the turn of events, because I think this was a realistic way to end this duology, as far as a full book plot wise, but that doesn’t change that I wish it could have been different, more bloodthirsty, more lusty, and, frankly, more, even if that is simply only my personal taste, and I realize that. But-again-no one understands how much all this breaks my heart, so there is that.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
*****
okay but why do I feel like I'm going to throw up :/
Never have I been more nervous to read a conclusion to a favorite series [or at least not in this gruesome way and not in a long time].
I would LITERALLY sell my soul to have this book in my hands right now.
“Killing is easy,” Alistair murmured. “It’s the afterward that’s harder.”
“But it’s the afterward we’re fighting for.”
It should come as no surprise to anyone that I needed this ARC more than my next breath. I thought about it from the moment I closed book one last year in July and it was in my thoughts no less than every single week (this is a long time to worry and obsess over someone’s fate you’ve come to care so deeply for). And, when I finally finally felt like it was close enough to the release date that I could request it, I waited on bated breath for a reply….and was both ecstatic and surprised and self-assured in equal measure when I was sent a copy for review. All this being said though…I still don’t know what to rate this story.
As it was, he felt as though he lived with some sort of comical in-between, with an Alistair who’d put his shiny new pitchfork in a place of honor by the fireplace, who mumbled about souls and goblins and whatever other nonsense when he thought no one was listening.
The broom cupboard, alas, had extremely thin walls.
Was it bad? No. Not at all. Did I hate it? Not in the slightest. Did I love it, though? No…the sad sad answer is that I did not. I did NOT love the finale to a book I wanted as much as one can want a physical thing. I have agonized over this review since I finished over a week ago, and it’s not because I don’t have the words to say what needs to be said, it’s that I don’t want to say what I feel needs to be said. And what needs to be said, exactly?
Well…if you know me AT. ALL. I am not one to sugarcoat how I feel about ship dumping. And I am not one to really, I don’t know, cherish being led a certain direction only to be thrown out in the cold. I don’t think this is wholly the authors’ faults nor intentions…but that doesn’t mean I do not feel the same cold and detached anger that I felt at a few of my biggest disappointments for series I would have died for, back in the day.
The writing, as always, is superb. I legitimately can’t believe how much I just LOVE immersing in this world, in this amazing writing. And I’ve struggled to pinpoint why I loved book one so much, but it’s become increasingly clear: when reading All of Us Villains it felt not only like I was immersed in a lush portrayal of a harsh, inevitable battle of ruthlessness and cunning, but as if I was watching a movie play out scene by scene, unable to disenchant myself by simply ceasing to read. This movie rolled on far past the credits, and while the story may not be for everyone, it should strike impressive to all that such a macabre story could be so damn enthralling, written in such an addicting way it’s as if I went into a movie theater and I’m left walking out, reeling-Unable to think of anything else for the longest amounts of time, with blowback and feels hitting me seemingly out nowhere when I least expect it. It’s beautiful. It’s raw. It’s absolutely spell-binding-I love Villains so much it hurts. And perhaps this truth strikes deeper simply for that exact fact of surprise of how much I loved enduring that pain and heartache.
And while I felt all of this when reading Demise, it was stunted. Not only by the fact that I was pondering and puzzling why the authors were choosing to take the path they did, but because book one-while not all out action, necessarily-had so much heart and fight and desperation in each and every scene, no matter how subtle. This one was more about research, alliances, what can we do to end this tournament vs fighting those who did not want the tournament’s end. And while I actually truly LOVE the premise of this masterfully laid groundwork, I felt like there was a sacrifice made…and that sacrifice was the STRONGEST pull of book one, in my opinion.
“In a different story, would we still have been enemies?”
“Does it matter?”
It's not that wasn’t the most important thing in the world to me, it was the wasted potential of the absolute epic WIN sat right at our feet at the end of book two, and the waste of the build-up (just in my opinion, of course) of that amazing betrayal all throughout book one. I just think….there was SUCH an awesome play on TRUE here and it was just kind of thrown to the side for the same exact play, but with a different song and dance and grasping onto the little clues from ONE SIDE thrown our way from book one. THAT BEING SAID-I was one hundred percent okay with how it all turned out, because if you truly love a character, you love and support their story. And I do. I did. End of. I just wish it had come about differently.
The Grieves had raised Gavin to die. The Lowes had raised Alistair to kill.
Both of them deserved a better story.
ALL THAT ASIDE….I do believe there was something missing here that was present in book one. I can’t quite say what it is other than I think I just-personally didn’t enjoy the plot as much. Because, in the end, I DID like the feeling, the swirling fall leaves on crisp, cold air. I felt every moment like I was apart of it. And that’s perhaps what I loved most about this duology-these authors know. How. To. Build. An. ATMOSPHERE. I just love their descriptions, always. SO freakin’ beautiful.
“I think maybe people need stories to survive, but they can also use them to hurt each other. Or themselves,” Gavin said. “If you’ve found a way for your family’s stories to feed you without feeding on you . . . that seems worth holding on to.”
Which, finally, I guess leads me to why I really didn’t just fall head over heels-I guess that, in the previous installment, I cared for almost every single character barring one. Well…I won’t go into that ‘one’ character, but aside from him/her, I didn’t mind anyone. In this story I just…only cared about Alistair, if I’m being honest. And, inevitably, *insert eyeroll here* the one character I didn’t HATE but didn’t LIKE from book one. So that left many. Many. MANY characters that I was morose about and bored to tears with their narratives. And-okay-let’s be frank. They angered me. It just was not the direction I wanted and I know I can’t control that, but it made me upset all the same. The twisted mind games (not what you think, I LOVE twisted mind games, believe me) that really just didn’t add much to the story and the way that-all of a FREAKING sudden-someone suddenly had so much animosity towards another certain someone seemingly out of nowhere. What even and when did that even happen? I don’t buy it, and-again-that sets my anger-dar off.
After everything he’d gone through, one thing remained unchanged: He’d always want what he’d never have.
I digress. My point in all this is-I feel that I should have grown to like these people MORE, not less, and it really threw me for a loop that I all of a sudden only wanted two POVS out of however many (and okay, yes, I did like two main POVs in the last book, but I didn’t HATE having to switch to the others, at all). Plus, I’m going to say it-this book was, in no way, brutal. *shrug* I guess I just really pictured all out THG style stuff, but I definitely felt it wasn’t as crazy as I’d have liked. Yes, I’m bloodthirsty. Yes I’m unhinged. And NO I am not sorry.
It was a story that could only end in death. Trying not to make that death his own shouldn’t feel shameful. Just necessary.
All that being said, I can see this shooting up in popularity for MANY people because of ~reasons~, but I can also see people being a lot like me, plot wise. I DO understand it and I also DO realize I’d be probably at a four star minimum if I hadn’t felt flummoxed at the turn of events, because I think this was a realistic way to end this duology, as far as a full book plot wise, but that doesn’t change that I wish it could have been different, more bloodthirsty, more lusty, and, frankly, more, even if that is simply only my personal taste, and I realize that. But-again-no one understands how much all this breaks my heart, so there is that.
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*****
okay but why do I feel like I'm going to throw up :/
Never have I been more nervous to read a conclusion to a favorite series [or at least not in this gruesome way and not in a long time].
I would LITERALLY sell my soul to have this book in my hands right now.
November 8, 2022
Extremely disappointed by this follow up of All of Us Villains. I skipped most of it so I do not have that much to say except I really tried to give it a chance and forced myself for couple of hundred pages it but was unfortunately very, very bored until I finally gave up.
I found some aspects of this book quite embarrassing, a character keep referring himself as “a villain” and “a monster” forty times per page although he is mostly an angsty teenager and what was at least a little intriguing in the first book became increasly irritating in the second one.
So that’s a big no for me but if you’re into YA and don’t mind being told a few hundred times the same things over and over again, go for it. Personnaly, I can't let myself read any YA ever again.
I found some aspects of this book quite embarrassing, a character keep referring himself as “a villain” and “a monster” forty times per page although he is mostly an angsty teenager and what was at least a little intriguing in the first book became increasly irritating in the second one.
So that’s a big no for me but if you’re into YA and don’t mind being told a few hundred times the same things over and over again, go for it. Personnaly, I can't let myself read any YA ever again.
May 8, 2023
i will never recover from this
reread maj 2023: i still haven't recovered
reread maj 2023: i still haven't recovered
December 12, 2023
I wanted to like this one though found it so boring compared to its predecessor
All of Us Villains
. While the first book in the series always kept me on my toes, for some reason I struggled to remain interested in All of Our Demise. I’m not sure if it���s because the ending felt obvious or because the novel lacked the higher stakes of the first book . I also was annoyed that so many characters ended up in romantic relationships. I’m mostly giving this novel three stars out of nostalgia for the first in its series. The writing was not technically bad in any sense, though it failed to captivate my attention.
September 2, 2022
I think I messed up. I read this without realizing it's the 2nd in the series. I felt a little lost at parts without the back story of the first book. Overall though, this book was great and kept me interested. I wish I would've read the first one first though, as now I know how the duology ends. Lol But such a great read. Do not be like me, read the first one first!! Such a great fantasy book with interesting premise plus great twists and turns!
I received ARC book from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All opinions above are my true opinions after fully reading this book. This book released August 30th (2022). However I highly suggest you snag the first one before you dive into this!
I received ARC book from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All opinions above are my true opinions after fully reading this book. This book released August 30th (2022). However I highly suggest you snag the first one before you dive into this!
November 24, 2022
Clunky title, fun book.
May 10, 2023
Reread: jeszcze większe love 🖤 mogłabym czytać to w kółko żeby nie rozstawać się z tymi bohaterami, miałam małego płaczka pod koniec, bo znow sie do nich przywiązałam 🥹
May 31, 2023
You ruined the perfect enemies to lovers, all that angst and build up in the first book, for what…?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2022
Awful. Sorry but so much about this book bothered me. Not only were there so many things left open at the end of the last book so that you basically HAD to read this one, but I literally hate all of the characters…
Like I’m confused. The characters all started out so strong and interesting at the beginning of All of Us Villains, and by the end of this book they are all FUCKING PATHETIC. I’m honestly pissed about it. What the eff did you do to Alistair? Like do you really want me to believe that he just becomes this soft boy? Like the enemies to lovers thing was hot, but it IMMEDIATELY changed to him just being a simp for whoever he had to spend the most time with. The fuq?? WEAK!!! 👺👺👺👺👹👹👹 AND He could have been queer to begin with, but it’s like the authors just made him into boys as an afterthought so it would fit in the story. Cool.
AND ISOBEL AND REID???!! SHE LITERALLY DESCRIBES HIM AS A GREASY NERD AND THEN LATER IN THE BOOK CALLS HIM HOT….WHATTT THE ACTUAL FUCK??? she is also pathetic. Like girl 🙄
I literally can’t. I had to force myself to keep reading tbh…
Also did Finley even mourn Briony?? Did he even cry or nah??
If I had the physical book I would have tossed it off the side of a bridge. If I could give it a zero I would.
Like I’m confused. The characters all started out so strong and interesting at the beginning of All of Us Villains, and by the end of this book they are all FUCKING PATHETIC. I’m honestly pissed about it. What the eff did you do to Alistair? Like do you really want me to believe that he just becomes this soft boy? Like the enemies to lovers thing was hot, but it IMMEDIATELY changed to him just being a simp for whoever he had to spend the most time with. The fuq?? WEAK!!! 👺👺👺👺👹👹👹 AND He could have been queer to begin with, but it’s like the authors just made him into boys as an afterthought so it would fit in the story. Cool.
AND ISOBEL AND REID???!! SHE LITERALLY DESCRIBES HIM AS A GREASY NERD AND THEN LATER IN THE BOOK CALLS HIM HOT….WHATTT THE ACTUAL FUCK??? she is also pathetic. Like girl 🙄
I literally can’t. I had to force myself to keep reading tbh…
Also did Finley even mourn Briony?? Did he even cry or nah??
If I had the physical book I would have tossed it off the side of a bridge. If I could give it a zero I would.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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