Vicious by V.E. Schwab Review

Title: Vicious

Author: V.E. Schwab

Age Group: Adult

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Villians, book one

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

                I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

                V.E. Schwab is one of my favorite authors, and is an absolute titan in the writing industry. I’ve had my eye on one of her early novels, Vicious, for a long time now. Unfortunately, I had to return it to the library several times before I could actually read it. I couldn’t renew it anymore, so as soon as I was finished with Ghosts of the Shadow Market, I dove in, not wanting to return it without reading it yet again. Vicious is a tale about one of America’s classic tropes: superheroes! A dark, twisty science fiction tale full of revenge, gore, and old rivalries gone bitter, Vicious was captivating, thoughtful, and surprising—this book might be my favorite in Schwab’s extensive body of work. I cannot wait for the sequel, Vengeful!

                Victor Vale and Eli Cardale are college roommates and reluctant best friends. Both are ambitious, intelligent, and eager to show the world their abilities. They are both fascinated by EOS, short for Extra Ordinary. Both young men manipulate nature in order to control godly powers: Victor can manipulate pain levels: he can take away pain and give it in spades. Eli, on the other hand, has the ability to regenerate, rendering him practically invincible. Two former friends turned enemies, Victor and Eli are fixed on a collision course for one another, hellbent on getting revenge for their wrongs against each other. But other people, humans and other Extra Ordinaries, are going to get hurt. But what’s a little bit of collateral damage in exchange for retribution?

                I loved, loved, loved this book! Superheroes is an often-overused trope, but it’s one of my favorites and V.E. Schwab breathed fresh life into it. The pacing was breakneck, and I was immediately captivated. I also loved the way that Schwab jumped from one character to the next: Victor, Eli, Sydney and Serena. I loved this new twist on science fiction; Schwab’s gorgeous prose kept me glued to the pages, and I was thinking about the book even while doing other things. This book was thoughtful, too, and touched on things such as God, a higher power, fate, free will, and power, and what it means to have all of those things. I loved watching Victor and Eli face off, both in the past and the present. But I think my favorite part of the novel was Sydney. And that ending! Oh, my goodness, talk about a doozy! I’m so excited for Vengeful it’s difficult to put it into words! The bottom line: Thoughtful, violent, and suspenseful, I loved Vicious, and I can’t wait for Vengeful! Next on deck: The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee!