February 2023 Not First in a Series BOTM - All of Our Demise, by Amanda Foody

[Alaina]

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.

**This BOTM thread will be open until March 5th @ Midnight (in your time zone)**

[Elizabeth]

24% (view spoiler)[ I really feel for everyone involved, but mostly Alistair, Hendry, and Gavin. I love a good hero story but there's something more honest and relatable to people trying to survive. They're desperate and hated. I respect that none of them are denying who they are or what they've done.

Meanwhile, I understand Briony and Isabel and the PR they're doing. But Briony is especially annoying with her self-delusion.... This makes her an interesting character but I wish she saw she's being played by her family and the government.

I feel Finley is an underused and kind of flat character. I don't think it's fair he doesn't get his own POV as one of the original Champions who's made it this far. (hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

54% (view spoiler)[Ooh, I wasn't expecting the spark between Alistair and Gavin.

The research that the Spellmakers and Reid have each independently done are also interesting developments. I do hope Gavin and Hendry can help each other. I'm not sure if the duplicate cloak will completely work but maybe it will? (hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

77% (view spoiler)[ I think Isabel and Reid and Alistair and Gavin make more sense. They're able to be more vulnerable and fierce with their new romantic interests. It also seems like they can support each other better. I loved how Gavin and Alistair were both hesitating to hurt each other and once they cooled off their feelings, they were trying to think of a wait for them to both and Hendry to survive. It's an interesting foil compared to how Isabel hurt Alistair in book 1.

It's sad that Hendry never had a chance, not really. He did deserve much better. They all did.

It's bittersweet to see that they do stand a chance to end the curse peacefully.

I'm not exactly loving how the news from the rest of the city are incorporated (i.e. Ines coming in to brief and help or the spellmaker warning them about the other spellmakers), but I guess there were limits to how the MC's could find out before it was too late. (hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

100% (view spoiler)[ So I really enjoyed it a lot but I didn't like the government bits as much.

I do like how the last chapters explore the aftermath of the Tournament ending. I hope they can all heal and the people that deserve to pay do so. (hide spoiler)]