All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

Every 20 years, the Blood Veil falls in Ilvernath, signaling the beginning of the tournament. Champions from the seven families of the town compete against one another for control of Ilvernath's complete store of high magick. This year, Alistair Lowe, Isobel Macaslan, Briony Thorburn, and Gavin Grieve are prepared to fight the other three champions, and each other, to the death (as is expected). However, in the days leading up to the tournament, it becomes clear that this year won't be a typical iteration of the battle, least of all because of the release of a tell-all book about the seven families and their curse. More than one champion has a trick up their sleeve, but it's not clear who's going to make it out alive. All of Us Villains is a fantasy novel cowritten by Amanda Foody (Ace of Shades) and Christine Lynn Herman (The Devouring Gray). As the first in a planned duology, this book spends a lot of time on setup and backstory, ensuring that readers understand the characters and their motivations. This helps because over the course of the book, readers' feelings about each of the characters will definitely shift- I ended up with a favorite character I never expected. The setting feels both modern and ancient at the same time, with moody descriptions of the village and families' homes contrasting with today's trends and technologies. The magic system is well developed, and easy to follow.

Full of plenty of twists and turns, this book is perfect for tried-and-true fantasy fans, as well as those who might not typically pick up the genre. Read it before the second book of the duology comes out later this year.