
All of Us Villains #2
Fantasy, YA
Tor Teen; August 30, 2022
468 pages (hardcover)
Goodreads • StoryGraph
Author Website Foody • Socials
Author Website Herman • Socials
8.0 / 10 ✪
Please beware spoilers for All of Us Villains!
• All of Us Villains – Review •
The Blood Veil has fallen.
The tournament to decide the fate of high magic continues. Two contestants now lie dead. Three are united in their attempt to end the practice once and for all. And two more stand to oppose them.
Alastair Lowe has become the greatest monster in Ilvernath once again. Following the reappearance of his brother, the destruction of his family, and the death-curse that plagues him—he has taken on an otherworldly pallor, to go along with his sparkling personality. Still reeling from the betrayal of the girl he loved, he must alter his alliances and his perceptions if he wants to remain in the game.
Briony has done everything to get here—here, where she can make a difference. Be the hero. But with her plan in shambles and her alliances frayed, she faces an impossible choice: continuing on the noble course will most likely find her dead, while reverting to the original one will surely see all her friends dead. Not a great option.
Ilvernath itself cannot hide from the terrors anymore. With the champions now able to enter the town, most residents have barricaded themselves at home, venturing forth only for emergencies. And there is a killer on the loose. Someone siphoning the life magic of anyone unlucky enough to be out past dark. Could it be the boy whose own life is waning? Or the tournament’s darkest monster? The resurrected boy? Or the girl who would do anything to be the hero?
Anything can happen as the tournament draws to a close.
—
“You should know by now—all the fucked-up fairy tales in Ilvernath are true.”
—
All in all, a good conclusion to the duology. With the Blood Veil fallen, the story is now open to a whole new range of options absent from the first book. They could transition from the landmarks to the town itself. They could, say, go interact with the families that put them here. They could leave the area entirely—though with the knowledge that the high magic of the tournament will probably kill them all when the Blood Veil descends. Or they could interact with (and/or siphon life force) any of Ilvernath’s citizens, in a desperate attempt to help them win/finish the tournament once and for all.
And it works, mostly. The interactions between the champions has always been a strong point, something that continues throughout Book #2. Now that alliances have shifted (and are constantly tested) and new variables have entered the fray, there’s more at stake than ever before. And more that has to be sorted out among those with the most to lose.
—
“How does it look?”
“I mean, you’re still cursed,” Gavin said.
“Great. Thanks. I had no idea.”
—
As before, I again most enjoyed the Big 3—Alastair, Isobel, and Gavin—as Briony continued to rub me the wrong way. And yet that may have been the point all along. As Briony continued to fray throughout Book #2, I actually found the effect as humanizing her to a point she’d never have admitted before. Alastair himself was a bit inconsistent in this part (more on that in a sec), so I ultimately found myself more invested in Gavin and Isobel’s stories. Fortunately the two represent both sides in the conflict, so it all worked out well. Four main characters, two on each side—you don’t have to like everyone for it to work out.
The romance was the biggest letdown of the whole story. And not just because it was a typical love-triangle, will-they won’t-they, romeo-and-juliet, fight-to-the-death kinda thing with all the tropes competing with one another for the lead. Instead, it all came down to the one with the curls. And whether he would pick the fiery girl, or the golden boy. To be honest, it seemed a bit like each author was fronting their own opinion. Like they hadn’t discussed it in advance. Instead the two were competing to win the third’s heart. Which honestly doesn’t sound like a terrible idea, except that someone has to write the third’s POVs, all while remaining impartial to whom they choose. Which they didn’t. And when this love interest went back-and-forth—sometimes dramatically and unexpectedly so—it distracted from, you know, the whole fight to the death. Or the fight to break the curse.
TL;DR
A satisfying, if not absolutely perfect, conclusion to the duology, All of Our Demise definitely combines a death-curse and a love-triangle, a serial killer and a would-be Lazarus, a united front and a divided house. I quite enjoyed half of the portrayals within—while falling out with one, I began to make up with the other. It continues to be a good format, and an interesting take on the Battle Royale genre. While the tournament itself continues to wow, the romance turns a bit stilted and begins to distract from the plot at large. I can’t wait to hear more from these two authors—either as they go off alone or stay together and weave more dramatic fantasy goodness!