Each of the champions may have come from different families, but they had all learned that "life was inherently unfair". Briony Thorburn was never exactly my all-time favorite character in this world but I still appreciated her deep conviction and her determination to carve out her own path rather than an obedient champion following the Thorburn legacy footsteps. She´s a rebel through and through. R.F. Kuang, Sue Lynn Tan, Rebecca Ross, Kate Heartfield, N.E. Davenport, Saara El-Arifi, Juno Dawson and Sunyi Dean This duology has been compared to The Hunger Games--with magic--and while that's not off-base, I felt it was so much more. Ilvernath is one town that has what no other has--high magic. The question becomes, at what price?

All of Our Demise (Book Review) - A Blog of Books and Musicals All of Our Demise (Book Review) - A Blog of Books and Musicals

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. All Of Us Villains was one of my favourite reads of 2021, so I've been impatiently waiting to get my hands on the conclusion of the duology. I was so excited to get it as an ARC and it really did deliver beyond expectations. Content warnings: violence, death (familial, sibling, friend), grief, emetophobia, body horror, tortureImmediately pulled into the red veil and the amazing world building that conjured up Ilvernath, and the stunningly intricate and complex magic system, I was caught like an insect in a spider web, caught up in the ever increasing layers of story and magical system. To mix my metaphors even more, this duology is totally an onion! The whole tournament literally had me on the edge of my seat. The plot barrelled along at the perfect pace, having plenty to keep you going but a lot to keep you guessing and rolling with the twists and turns. I loved it all! It took the reader to places I don’t think any of us were expecting but it was done masterfully. As the story unfolds, readers are drawn deeper into the complex world of Ilvernath, and the motivations of the characters become increasingly murky. With the help of powerful allies and the guidance of their mentors, the contestants must use all their skills and cunning to emerge victorious. It felt a bit chaotic at the early stages as so much was going on but it the events in play were very high stakes so this was to be expected. However once I got into the swing of things again, I was hooked.

All of Our Demise: The epic conclusion to All of Us Villains All of Our Demise: The epic conclusion to All of Us Villains

The ending was unexpected, and a bit of a gut punch if I'm honest - but that's all I'll say on the matter (no spoilers here!) As she recounted all of this, Briony watched Innes’s expression, hoping for respect, or at least understanding. But her face didn’t change at all.Yesterday’s events at the Champions Pillar have shown the citizens of Ilvernath that this year’s tournament will not be fought safely beyond the Blood Veil. I love how truly morally grey and cunning all of them are. Nobody´s safe there as everyone in this bunch is capable of swift betrayal of one another, i.e. thinking about killing the allies and even (former) friends. Anyway, while I like them all, the fact that I love Alistar, Gavin, and Reid the most now speaks volumes. These three completely won me over. They are my precious disaster trio. Magical, clever and cutthroat, All of Us Villains sets out to make it impossible to know who to root for…. A fun, twisty ride through a world full of spells and family secrets’ Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series The incredible conclusion to the tournament that started in the category bestselling novel All of Us Villains.