Amber (The Literary Phoenix)'s Review of Vicious (The Villains, #1)

by V.E. Schwab

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates - brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find-aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the arch nemeses have set a course for revenge-but who will be left alive at the end?

V. E. Schwab's dark superhero/supervillain story tackles the question of what is natural, and the true nature of a soul corrupted (enlightened?) with power and foresight after death. It's fascinating from a philosophical angle, but it's also immensely good from an entertainment perspective. If you're a fan of Schwab's YA books, do not look past her adult novels. Because... wow.

For as much as I enjoyed Lila Bard in [b:A Darker Shade of Magic|22055262|A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic, #1)|V.E. Schwab|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1400322851s/22055262.jpg|40098252], Victor Vale takes the cake. Guarded and determined, Victor is a formidable character. The books leaves you wondering who is right and who is wrong, and who is doing the right thing for the wrong reasons... or the wrong thing for the right reasons? And of course, there's superheroes. How many adult superhero novels are out there? With the overwhelming success of the Avengers franchise - now is the time!

I really enjoyed this book - the pacing was a little slow at times, and there was a lot of jumping back and forth - but overall I thought it was the perfect balance of story and action, and I'm really looking forward to Vengeful. Fans of Schwab's other dark fantasy work will surely like this one.

Vicious (The Villains, #1)

by V.E. Schwab

Reviewed by Amber (The Literary Phoenix) on Aug 26, 2018

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