I read All of Us Villains last year and there is and was just something about this series that has genuinely edged into my dreams over the past year. It's dark, it's nasty, and underneath it all, it's human too.

I have absolutely loved this series of anti-heroes scrabbling to be more than they've been painted. I would honestly say, though, that this second book wasn't quite as a good as the first for me. I think the shock of the Hunger Games style tournament that the participants actually wanted to win, as well as the magic construction elements and the characters themselves really won me over for All of Us Villains. By the time book two came along, I'd already been exposed to all of that, so I was much more interested in where it would go instead.

It felt like there was a lot more waiting for things to happen in this book - the tournament was breaking, the risks and dangers were even higher, but no one quite knew what to do until the end, which resulted in a lot of flailing and treading water until anyone could work out what to do next.

We saw the strained relationships between the competitors grow and develop further, although I found the need to ultimately pair off by the end a little pointless - I get that we want satisfyingly wrapped up endings, but it fell into that YA 'let's kiss whilst we're in danger and covered in blood and filthy from being on the run for months' trap that I can never approve of.

However, there were still plenty of satisfying (and satisfyingly upsetting - what does that say about me??) moments. And the authors did a great job of exploring the three magic systems further - common, life and high magic - with the additional double-cross and betrayal moments that you come to expect from this series.

I didn't find this quite as gripping as the first book in this duology, which had left me thinking about it all year, but that's the curse of having to follow up a wickedly good first book. The story dragged in a few places whilst everyone sat around talking about things, but it was still a satisfying ending. And it didn't stop me devouring it all.

If you had asked me if I expected this story to take this turn my answer would have been no. If I had known the plot without reading the book I would have probably thought it was not what I wanted. But damn it, this book was amazing and it really surprised me.

First of all, in All of us villains I was very invested in Alistair and Isobel and I didn’t pay that much attention to the other characters, so it was probably genius to split them in this book, so I was interested in the entirety of the story.

Even if nothing of it could be real, I still felt all the pain the characters felt, I even cried because it’s impossible not to with a book like this.

I loved seeing the characters overcome the brainwash their parents gave them and how they understood how to become their own persons and take their destiny in their hands, even if it meant taking heartbreaking choices.

I want more even if this ending is just as much bittersweet as I like it!

I really enjoyed this sequel, and couldn't stop thinking about it when I put it down. They have created a very enticing world of magic that I think we'd all want to step into, despite the dangers.
I found this book quite a surprise. It moved quickly, and not at all in the direction I thought it would. Alliances breaking up, new ones forged, secrets revealed. The ending broke my heart, and I don't think I have recovered yet.

I'm a little conflicted. All of Us Villains was one of my fave reads last year, so my expectations going in to All of Our Demise were sky high - and that probably worked against my enjoyment of this book!

Straight off the bat, I'll make it clear that I enjoyed reading All of Our Demise and am giving it 4 stars. However, it took me almost three weeks to read it, and considering I can easily finish a book in a day that's definitely a sign something was up. Frankly, the opening half of the book dragged! It was so slow! And I don't think the authors did the greatest job at recapping through the narrative what had happened during the previous book, so I spent a long time trying to remember everyone's connections with each other. I'm still not completely sure why Briony gave Isabel's name to the media as a champion, and I've read too many books in the meantime for that information to ever come back without the authors spelling it out. They alluded to it but I was still hazy. So for a long time I was reading without fully remembering or understanding the full weight of everyone's connections to each other.

I don't like to include spoilers in reviews but here's a spoiler:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
One death had me absolutely sobbing and one left me pretty 'whatever' and it all came down to the strength of relationships the authors had managed to build between the characters.

END OF SPOILER

So anyway - I enjoyed this. If these authors released another series I would definitely consider reading it. But the first book was brilliant and unfortunately the sequel was simply 'okay', so even though I did enjoy it I'm still aware of what it could have been.

Thanks to Orion and NetGalley for providing an eARC to review!

2.5

Like the first book, I think this will never be able to escape its comparison to the Hunger Games, which I think is to its detriment. In this book in particular I felt like I could draw links between particular characters and events that were a bit TOO similar for my liking (breaking the dome, Briony as the symbol of the revolution after taking her sister's place in the competition, Alistair/Gavin felt like a Cato/Peeta fanfic...). The magic added an interesting element, but it also added some TOO convenient solutions to things.

I also felt like Alistair's curse where he was described as super monstrous etc. just felt like albinism? Which is a bit (a lot) problematic - like I thought it was meant to be this super grotesque transformation but he just lost the pigment in his skin? Especially after seeing the discourse on the Hell Bent cover I think that we could have definitely gone for something else that actually is monstrous but I guess they did it for the ~aesthetic~ (which when that aesthetic is something real people have I don't think you should link it so thoroughly to being a monster). Also GOD am I sick of the monster boy trope in YA!!

While it picked up in the second half, for the first 250 pages or so I did feel like it dragged a bit and I don't know that this needed to be as long as it was. There was a lot more about exploring fame and fan culture which were themes I weren't really expecting to come up, but it also meant that for a lot of the first half it was just two groups mostly camping out and interacting with the press. I also think that the 4 POVs worked better when the groups were more separated or when there were more players on the board, because it kind of removed all tension since you knew where basically everyone was at all times so you were forewarned for any kind of action.

I think, like with the first book, this would be more enjoyable for people who haven't read or aren't super connected to the Hunger Games, since otherwise I feel Hunger Games is the better book and you should just read that. But it was definitely an interesting series concept and I think there was a lot of potential, especially with all the different ways the characters were connected to each other. Everyone paired up as well which I felt was a bit unnecessary, but hey how else will you get time for teen angst while you're trying to stop everyone from dying?

One of my favourite books from last year was All of Us Villians, which left us readers on an insane cliffhanger, so as soon as the digital for All of Our Demise hit my inbox I had to immediately start it.

Once again we are thrown into the tournament and each of the villains perspectives. While AoUV was all action, AoOD is cunning and introspection. This book is about the relationships all of our champions have forged together.

Because of this tonal switch I did find the first half of the book to be a little bit slow, but by the time I got halfway through I couldn’t put it down. Again, I have to praise the magic system in this book, as it feels so vivid and different and the crafting of spells and curses is still some of my favourite passages in the series.

My only complaint is that I feel like the romances were a little underdeveloped, especially since one of them was incredibly well done. All in all though, I loved the conclusion, and couldn’t imagine it any other way.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @gollancz @orionbooks for an arc of this title. All of Our Demise comes our September 1st.

This might be one of those rare cases where the sequel is so solid it shows up its predecessor in a series, maybe?

To start off this review, though, believe me when I say that some of this book is pure, unadulterated chaos: the character development is rocky at times (and maybe ropes in a rapid change of heart too many), there are conspicuous plot holes, and the pacing is sometimes a bit of a mess, honestly. But as the story raced to its high-stakes conclusion, I realized that amid all the the myriad bluffs, betrayals and twists, the rekindled relationships (of all types) and the surprising romance made this a much more satisfying read than All of Us Villains.

Both the main concurrent storylines (one per hesitant alliance and their contradictory aims when it comes to the tournament) are defined by spades of tension (again, in all shapes and sizes), doubt-heavy reservations about their chances of survival or destructive success, and continuous turmoil when it comes to sizing up how much trust the others champions deserve, given what they're at the mercy of.

Above all, what All of Our Demise does much more deftly than All of Us Villains (and what makes all the difference, I think) is that the motivations of its characters are suddenly starkly more clear - a change helped to a huge degree by their backstories (especially when it came to their conditioning by their power-thirsty bloodlines prior to the tournament’s beginning) being better documented and their behaviour (and psychologic states) more accounted for, and thus making a bunch more sense this time around.

The directions the plot snaked in and the shifts in personal determinations of the revenge-bent, bone-tired champions were consistently surprising, and while some minor points did strike me as unresolved by the closing sentence, the authors did tie things up in a tidy, circular, and relatively hopeful manner, one I definitely didn’t anticipate from a series that for so many pages relied so much on bloodthirst and cruelty to propel its premise along. So, if All of Us Villains didn't convince you to stick with this duology, I hope I managed to sway you just a tad bit to give All of Our Demise a shot anyway.

Thank you to Orion/Gollancz for kindly passing on this ARC! 💫

I honestly didn't think that the authors could top the first book, but I am pleased to say that All of Our Demise exceeding all expectations to become one of my absolute favourite reads. The characters we know and love/hate all feature in this race against time to defeat the curse that requires 6 teenagers to die at the hands of their peers every 20 years. There are alliances and betrayals, and a plot so fast paced you worry about being left behind. I was enthralled from the first page, and am gutted that its now over!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

All of our Demise #2

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.75 rounded up

I received this as an Arc from the authors in exchange for an honest review.

Get your hands on this book as soon as you can!!

The first book - All of us Villains - has been the rage of tiktok for ages and I couldn’t wait to start reading, especially when it’s described as a more adult epic Hunger Games with magic.

The atmosphere setting up the characters as ‘villains’ and the archetypes established were expertly achieved and I immediately felt drawn into the story and setting.
It was almost like a dark academia book with the deep and twisted characters with various motivations, haunting descriptions and beautiful prose but obviously with the magic, high stakes and action of a fantasy book.

Full of alliances, tense relationships and hard choices. If the first book was like the first hunger games book, this one is similar to the second one where some characters must team together for the greater good.
But of course, the pairings are better, we’ll drawn-out and intricate.

All of Our Demise is the final book in the All of Us Villains duology and after a slightly disappointing first book I'm pleased to say I enjoyed this one so much more!! I think knowing what to expect definitely helped but also I thought the characters and relationships in this book were just done so much better!

We continue to follow our 4 champions as they compete in a trial for the future of Ilvernath. New alliances are formed and stakes are higher than ever. The champions are trying to defeat the trial by reuniting objects with landmarks, which leads to revelations and hidden dark family secrets that will shake the foundations of their world. I also really liked the challenge aspects of this book, every time they reunite a landmark and object they must undergo a trial relating to that family and this made the book so fun.

I really liked both alliances in this book as well as all the new relationships! Gavin and Alastair have such a fun and antagonist dynamic and I really liked the development of their relationship throughout the book. I remember thinking in book 1 they had so much better chemistry (even if they hated each other lol) than Alastair and Isabel. Alastair as a character was also so much better in this book for me. I feel like in book 1 we were batted over the head with how bad a person he was, despite seeing no evidence of it, however in this book his character is much more balanced and conversely probably more morally grey.

I also really liked the dynamic between Isabel and Reid. Reid is such a fun character, I love the bad boy who was kind of the villain in book 1 having to then join the side of the protagonists. Isabel was also a character I found very boring in book 1 but I really warmed up to her in this one. The development of the friendship between Briony and Isabel was great as well, I love good female friendships in books!!

I feel liked this book worked because it embraced it's inherent cheesiness. It knew it was a fun, over the top ride and didn't try to pass itself off as pretentious or overly erudite. It was also very angsty and dramatic which was so entertaining to read.

Overall I would definitely recommend this duology if you are in the mood for some fun YA fantasy that has darker vibes but also some really great friendships and a hopeful ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orion for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

All of Us Villains was in my top ten reads last year. Knowing how much I loved this series, the characters and the concept, I couldn't wait to dive back into the world.

For me, this book was the highest four stars I could possibly give without it being a five, it's in touching distance but I did feel like I wanted the ending to give me more. I'm still not sure whether this is what I wanted for the characters, and the ending they were given has me on the fence, but that doesn't take away from how quickly I devoured this book.

I really enjoyed the concept of how the characters had to attempt to end the tournament, and the jeopardy this created.

The character arcs over these two books have me obsessed. And my ship came true - I spent the first book going, is this going to happen?? Am I reading too much into this? - But no, it actually happened in the slowest of slow burns and I was here for it. So much.

This book continues to alternate between character's POV's for the chapters, and it does feel a little slow to read when you have your least favourite character's chapter coming up but that's something you can't change with people's opinions and the pay off for continuing, was always worth it!

Still after a couple of days of finishing it, I find myself thinking about this book and smiling to myself. The only question I have left is, how soon is it too soon to re-read a book you've just finished?

~ Warning: spoilers for who survives All of us Villains included in review. ~

The main thing I want out of a YA book is a fun, easy read, and this duology certainly provided that and more.

All of our Demise has so much going for it. Continuing from the first book, we have five compelling leads who endure all sorts of moral quandaries and character growth when some books barely manage to do the same with two, and a developing magic system which remains both simple and unique. Some might argue more could have been done with the world-building, as we never really get a sense of the wider world beyond Ilvernath even in this second book, but personally I liked the insularity of the setting - it reminded me of The Scorpio Races where the characters feel similarly trapped by their circumstances and the location reflects that.

Plot-wise, All of our Demise carries straight on from the first book. The first few chapters serve as a recap as much as they move the plot forward, which I didn't hate as I have the memory of a goldfish, but they did read a bit clunkier than the rest of the novel. Anyway, the story quickly regains its pace and from then on it's a great balance of fun action scenes and quieter moments between the characters. I enjoyed the Alistair-Gavin-Hendry side of the story most of all, followed closely by the Isobel chapters. Briony's POV was probably my least favourite, just because it was more plot-based and the other characters had more interesting ethical dilemmas to deal with, but I still liked them and her last chapters are some of the best in the book.

It's interesting looking back how messy and problematic all the characters are, in the best way. There's an unexpected romance between Isobel and another character which at first I wasn't a fan of, until I remembered every character in this book is something of a monster who has done highly questionable things, including Isobel herself. Finley is probably the least problematic character, but even he was prepared to kill other teenagers, including his ex's sister, to achieve his goals. Even more so than the last book, All of our Demise shows how far the characters are prepared to go in order to survive, while at the same time their reluctance to do so grows, as they come to see their fellow champions not just as rivals, but as fellow human beings. Isobel is particularly troubled by this, and other characters aren't beyond torturing and killing to help themselves and those they love. Yet you can't hate them, even at their worst, because the authors do such a good job of developing their motivations.

When reading All of us Villains, I quickly came to realise that the story wasn't going to go as expected and that I couldn't guess what would happen next. This was true with All of our Demise too, albeit it to a lesser extent, but even with the plot points I could guess I was still excited to see how they would play out. I loved the different trials, even though some felt less threatening than others - the ones with higher stakes were incredible but even the less dangerous trials were fun to read from a character growth perspective.

This duology is definitely YA. The writing, while atmospheric and full of creative visuals and fun dialogue, is on the simpler side, and the teenage angst is certainly there too (albeit never in an overwhelming way). This will likely put off readers who were expecting something more adult, but I went in expecting YA and got the perfect YA story. Sure, maybe it's not as thematically brilliant as other YA novels like Legendborn and Blood Scion, nor as beautifully written as Chaos Walking or as excellently crafted as the Six of Crows duology. Yet there's the deadly fun of The Hunger Games here, with an extra dollop of heart under the addictive wickedness.

To conclude, a perfect ending to the duology. Looking forward to reading more by the authors!

All of Us Villains was just an amazing book so I was highly anticipating this book and was so incredibly happy to get the chance of an early review copy through Netgalley.

As with most books, where you have a gap between, it took me a minute to get back into the world and to grips with all that was going on, partly as you are thrust right into things as we deal with the fallout that happened at the end of book one.

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.

I'm not going to say much about the actual story as I don't want to spoil anything but this sequel definitely lived up to the high standard set by the first book.

As is the same in the first book, our group are at odds, and have been their whole life, due to the nature of the tournament. They were raised by their families knowing it was a kill or be killed situation they were preparing for and how they acted in the tournament was a matter of family reputation. How do you put that aside, if you even can, for the greater good?

Every single character in this book is morally grey, and sometimes downright villainous, but when you are doing wrong for what could ultimately be a good reason, how wrong can it be. How far is too far to go before you cross that point of no return....

I loved this series and will, at some point, go back and read them back to back as I think this will make the experience even better.

Book 1 is available already and book 2 is out 01 September. Enjoy!

Once upon a time, I wrote about All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman that it definitely belongs to the category of books “to devour” and now I want to say that its sequel All of Our Demise belongs there too. I went into this book pretty hyped and it did not disappoint.

Disclaimer: The following text includes spoilers for All of Us Villains so if you haven´t read it yet, proceed carefully.

Cured or not, there was no end to the monster story if, all along, the monster had been him.

All of Our Demise picks up where All of Us Villains ended. Cursed Alistair got Hendry back. The Lowe family got massacred kind of Game Of Thrones style. Briony is determined to end the tournament once and for all. Isobel is in the hands of Reid MacTavish. Gavin is still convinced that fighting is the only real way out. A new champion enters the game.

“To be fair, a lot of people have accused us of murder over the last week.”
“Yes, but those were the murders we actually committed!”

As well as AoUV, the sequel is told in 3rd person through 4 of the champions (Gavin, Alistair, Briony, Isobel) with POV-less Finley, Reid, and Hendry more or less joining the game - the deadly over 800 years old lasting tournament - and influencing its outcome.

The characters split into two groups — those who want to break the curse by dismantling the tournament piece by piece and end the bloodbath for good, and the ones who still want to fight as was always intended. The question is what they are willing to sacrifice to see their desired result being the one that gets to play out. As the synopsis states, “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”. Just read the book to see for yourself how these two converging storylines come together in an epic and heartbreaking finale.

After the boundaries protecting Ilvernath from the arena fall down, the whole city gets more involved in the plot - let's talk the government agents, members of the Ilvernath Spellmaking Society, and people of the seven ancient families, all of them having their own goals, as well as the all-too-eager reporters seaming the battlegrounds to capture the course of the tournament and get peppered stories for their newspaper or magazine.

The seven Landmarks and seven relics play a key role in the plot. Their pairing, the following trial the characters have to go through, and the ultimate destruction of the place provide enough action throughout the book It is well balanced with more quiet moments - magic planning and strategy talks, intimate and funny moments, peering into the character´s hearts - to keep you turning the pages.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are.” Alistair’s voice drifted through the woods, sounding straight out of a nightmare.

When it comes to the characters, I loved that they are irrecoverably flawed and they know it. Plus we delve deeper into their backstories - learning more about their homes, lives before the tournament, and their relatives - and how that all influences their choices. It was delightful and satisfying to watch their personal growth, to witness their fears and their hopes, and finally see them come out of it definitely not unscathed (more like heavily traumatized) but as better people.

Alistair Lowe is considered by everyone to be this dark, ruthless monster but while he brings a certain level of weight and wickedness to the story, deep down he´s just a broken boy who needs a hug and deserves someone to see him and love him no matter what. When you are “his person” he becomes fiercely protective and loyal. Just ask Hendry. He can tell you all about it. All in all, Alistair is my precious multilayered monster boy and he needs to be protected at all costs.

Gavin Grieve intrigued me from book one - like, who would not root for the underdog whose family has ever raised him only to be slaughtered and never actually love him - but now he just swept me away. His journey made my heart ache.

Alistair aka my bisexual disaster monster boy still owns my heart and throughout the sequel, Gavin sealed its place in it too. I love them separately and as a duo as well. I´ve highlighted so many scenes with them!

One character I initially did not expect to like because of all the s**t and manipulation he had done but he won me over is one and only Reid MacTavish. I found myself really intrigued by him. As I began to understand him I surprisingly enjoyed his role in the story. This rascal simply grew on me.

I loved seeing Isobel Macaslan dealing with the aftermath, owning up to her deeds, and accepting herself for who she is. She goes through quite a journey too. Nevertheless, while I still enjoyed her parts very much I feel like the reason why her POV was more interesting for me than Briony´s is those boys, first Alistair and now Reid.

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.

I actually do not have many thoughts about Finley Blair. He was just kind of there, playing the second (or maybe more like sixth or seventh) fiddle.

“So welcome to the bad guys’ club. You learn to get used to it.”

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.

During the first book, I had a feeling that a certain character may harbor a secret crush (so secret that he doesn't know it yet) on another one but I still thought that the authors will go down the quite obvious route that had been laid out in book one. While this change may upset many readers who favored a certain ship, it made me happy. One thing that these two authors can apparently do excellently is to make you change your perspective and feel happy even though you initially rooted for the pairing as well and could not imagine them not ending up together. Due to my prior hunch, I started thinking that there is no way I am imagining and reading too much into this pretty early on (in the first quarter or so) and it delighted me that I was right. I enjoyed the scenes with them so much! All that tension! It´s the enemies to lovers I didn´t know I needed so much. Their interactions full of snarky remarks stole the show for me. They ensnared me. As I held my breath - my heart aching - I prayed for a happy ending for them.

I have a fan club who draws me with fangs and a six-pack.

The writing is truly beautiful, with deeply captivating and absolutely spell-binding descriptions. I was immersed in a lush portrayal of a harsh and pretty macabre world filled with spells and curses imbued crystals, ancient magical objects, dark alleys, spell shops, and aged stoned walls of magic-filled champions´ shelters. One thing is certain, this author duo knows how to build an atmosphere and pull you in.

Plotwise, All of Our Demise is a truly ripping and captivating story full of twists, turns, and revelations. Alliances are forged, tested, and broken, love and attraction explored, tension increased, and the battle getting inevitable. It is all so damn enthralling cocktail of pain, heartache, love, ruthlessness, desperation, and hope, carefully and gradually unveiling the thoughts and motivations of the champions.

I love the intriguing plot, the fantastic setting, the unique magic system, the multidimensional characters, the tense relationships, the high stakes, the twisted mind games, and that (I think quite realistic) ending. All of it! I was not able to put it down. The action and plenty of twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat, kept me on my toes, and forced me to turn the pages at lightning speed.

Overall, it was delightfully and heartachingly addictive to follow the journey of Ilvernath´s Slaughter Seven. I am satisfied with how it ended but also deeply miserable that it´s over. I loved being swept away into the fascinating world of high magick! Overall, All of Our Demise is a bit bittersweet but a wonderful conclusion to a fantastic duology.

With thanks to Netgalley and Gollancz from the Orion Publishing Group for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I thought 'All of us Villains' was a pretty good read, but 'All of Our Demise' just blows the first book out the water. I felt something was missing from the first book but thankfully the second, and final instalment in the battle for Ilvernath's high magick, had all what I was looking for and more.

Don't read on if you haven't read 'All of us villains'!!!!! (But you really need to go add it to your TBR now if you haven't!)

With the champions split into different camps and allegiances, the final surviving five teenagers are once again brought into a fight to the death to win the magickal prize for their family and the honour of being the champion. Some of them still want to shatter the curse, others are still prepared to kill each other seeking out the glory of winning and some are rather unsure what the hell they're actually doing there! The character growth in this book is phenomenal as each of them begins to discover secrets about their families and find themselves slipping deeper into being the monsters they were born to be. However, there is a chance that they could be the champions to finally end the violent competition, but it's not just their families who don't want them to succeed in ending the tournament.

The pace of this sequel is so much better paced than the first book, and I was immediately invested in the champion's stories. I didn't want to put it down! I found myself rooting for all the champions, including the surprise one and desperately wanted to see them win and destroy the tournament. I was reading far into the night to find out what their various fates would be. There were twists and turns a plenty in this book, and, just like the characters, we really don't know who the hell we can trust till the very end!

I'm so pleased this book didn't go in the direction I thought it would after book one...I know some people were on the fence after 'All of us Villains', but you MUST give this book a chance. I absolutely loved it and really want to read the first one again now!

Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an honest review.

A great follow on from the first book in the series. It was well written with an absolutely enchanting storyline and well developed characters. I loved it,

This review may contain some spoilers - I need to feel my feelings for this one.
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The ending of All of us Villains left me screaming, I needed to know what was going to happen asap and it was one of those books that has kept being on my mind since I finished it. When I got accepted for the e-arc of All of our Demise, let's just say my neighbours probably heard my squeal.

So we start up exactly where we left off, Alistair and Hendry need Alistair to win to try to keep Hendry alive, Bryony, Finley, and Isabelle need to find more icons to break the tournament, and Gavin is being Gavin and trying to fight for his life once again. We are thrown straight back into the action and that was immense. There was enough back information in the first few chapters to give you a gentle reminder about what happened previously, but not enough to make me bored and get frustrated about everything being repeated. Obviously, if you have not read book one, then please read that first, there is so much information you need for book 2 to make sense.

The magic system is still an interesting concept and I love how intricate it gets throughout this second book. We are deeply thrown into the world again and I feel like we get more knowledge because Reid is dragged in with them. The champions use the tear in the inner blood veil to use the resources around them, and the spell makers get to play the biggest role they have ever had in the history of the tournament.

This book made me even more attached to our main 4 champions and I felt we really got to understand and grow with them. By the end of the book, everyone is changed and only just learning how to truly be themselves. This is due to their families not having access to them of course.

That ending, do not get me wrong, I loved the ending and it was the perfect way to end. I knew there would have to be something, a twist, to make it more realistic. But obviously, I wish there was another way it could have happened. (This is nothing about the book, it is literally me being an emotional wreck and just wanting my way). The ending was magnificent and I cannot see how it could have ended in any other way. It was superb and had me crying and then feeling that sense of calm.

Basically, if you loved All of us Villains you will devour All of our Demise. The book was well worth that wait and I am so thankful I got to read an e-arc as I needed this book asap. Not many duologies make me this happy and content, I always want more, but this felt right.

Now when I say I adored ‘All of us villains’, the first in this series, I really meant it! It was a book I couldn’t get out of my head for months and was eagerly awaiting the follow up so I could continue on in the story. It was much anticipated and wow did it meet my expectations!

I grew to love all of the characters involved in the tournament, from Briony’s unwavering determination, to Gavin who had a point to prove, Finley who is just lovely, headstrong Isobel and Alistair, a boy chased by demons. And Reid was an unexpected and interesting element, the curse maker who seemed to be more at the forefront than anyone would have expected….

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.

I don’t think I’d be the only one saying so I wish (and hope) there are more books set within this world to come. This book series worked perfectly as a duology but I think there is so much more potential for more to be set within this world as it’s just a fantastically created book-verse. More please!

All in all I was left very happy with its conclusion and could have kept reading forever. What a brilliant series!

With symbolic trials, life-threatening challenges, betrayals, connections and a great amount of character development for all the champions, this is a great way to end a fantasy duology, and a very captivating read.

Each of the characters works through their own struggles, and their journeys are filled with surprises I didn't see coming in book one. New alliances are formed, and stronger relationships bloom under pressure.

At first, I wasn't a big fan of at least half of the main characters, but by the end their experiences had softened or strengthened them into people I was rooting for. I did wish for more of Briony and Finley in this book, as I felt that they were overlooked in favour of some of the other champions, but their character arcs were still fulfilled and I was satisfied (if broken) about how their tales played out.

Something else I particularly loved was how the authors showed the wider world's reaction to the tournament. In a lot of tournament-based books, the focus is (rightly) on the champions themselves, but little exposure is given to any outside reactions, leaving me with lots of questions. Authorities would definitely step in and take matters into their own hands if they had the chance, which is exactly what is played on in this story, and I was so glad to finally see that explored. In this way, I can understand the comparisons to The Hunger Games, and I could totally see this series as a movie.

Preliminary 5-star review. Will post a full review and adjust the rating accordingly after I finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.