Vicious

Vicious

2013 • 366 pages

Ratings418

Average rating4

15

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 archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn't automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.

"A dynamic and original twist on what it means to be a hero and a villain. A killer from page one…highly recommended!" —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Marvel Universe vs The Avengers and Patient Zero

Become a Librarian

Series

Featured Series

2 primary books4 released books

Villains

Villains is a 4-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2013 with contributions by V. E. Schwab.

Warm Up
Vicious
ExtraOrdinarios
Vengeful

Reviews

Popular Reviews

Reviews with the most likes.

September 29, 2020

On of the strongest and most original work of V.E Schwab I had the change to read and maybe my favorite.
Probably the first time I am addicted to a book with not much lovable character. Absolutely fascinating. Highly recommend

March 22, 2021

Read my review on my blog here: https://theconsultingbookworm.wordpress.com/2015/06/30/vicious-v-e-schwab/

July 1, 2015

Top Prompts

Featured Prompt

10 books

#10 in What book had you eventually rooting for a character you initially despised?

Have you ever found yourself unexpectedly cheering for a character you initially couldn't stand? Whether they started as an arrogant villain, a selfish anti-hero, or just someone totally normal who...

JustCakie
CakieSupporter
#1
The Blade Itself
#2
Vicious
#3
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Traitor Baru Cormorant
The Lost Metal
A Conjuring of Light

Featured Prompt

2,773 books

#2773 in What are your favorite books of all time?

When you think back on every book you've ever read, what are some of your favorites? These can be from any time of your life – books that resonated with you as a kid, ones that shaped your personal...

#1
The Lord of the Rings
#2
Dune
#3
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Way of Kings
1984
Mistborn: The Final Empire