All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After the publication of a salacious tell-all book, the remote city of Ilvernath is thrust into worldwide spotlight. Tourists, protesters, and reporters flock to its spellshops and ruins to witness an ancient curse unfold: every generation, seven families name a champion among them to compete in a tournament to the death. The winner awards their family exclusive control over the city’s high magick supply, the most powerful resource in the world.
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In the past, the villainous Lowes have won nearly every tournament, and their champion is prepared to continue his family’s reign. But this year, thanks to the influence of their newfound notoriety, each of the champions has a means to win. Or better yet–a chance to rewrite their story.
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But this is a story that must be penned in blood.
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All of Us Villains
Magick and Mayhem!
In the city of Ilvernath, there was a well of high magick which was thought to be gone from the earth. In each generation a champion was chosen from each of the seven cursed families. The tournament and the vein of high magick were a secret until last year when someone from one of the seven families wrote a tell all book about it and now the reporters and cursemongers have descended upon the town. Those chosen champions fought in a tournament to the death and the winner bestowed his family with the right to control the high magick.
Allistair Lowe – the Lowe family wins 2 out of every 3 tournaments and Allistair is the favorite to win. The Lowes are hated by all in Ilvernath, though Allistair and his brother Hendry often sneak out of their mansion and go into Ilvernath to get away, to drink and to see what goes on in town. Allistair is a villain but wants to win so that Hendry doesn’t have to mourn him.
Isobel Macaslan – when the reporters and cursemongers came to town not long after the book, “A Tradition of Tragedy” was released, they immediately named Isobel as the champion often Macaslan family and she became an unwitting media darling. Though her family hadn’t yet named her as their champion it was pretty much a done deal.
Gavin Grieve – the Grieve family were the bad name in town. They were usually the first to die in the tournament and no spellmaker has ever allied with the Grieve family. Though Gavin had made a point to study hard, lift weights and prepare himself for the tournament as best he could, he was at a severe disadvantage because he basically had to train himself.
Briony Thorburn – she knows she is the best choice in her family to be the champion. Her family has a series of trials to find out who is worthy of being the family champion but when it comes down to the last trial, she finds a corrupt government has made a deal with her family and her sister is chosen over her.
“He tilted his head up, stared into the hazy sky. In less than two weeks, those clouds would turn the crimson color of high magick, like a red-tinged shroud draped over Ilvernath, and the tournament would begin. The Blood Veil would lighten a little bit with every champion’s death, until at last, when only one remained, true day and night would return and seemingly wash all the blood away, just like that.?”
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
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