Vicious
Ratings488
Average rating4
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
Series
Featured Series
2 primary books4 released books#1 in Villains
Villains is a 4-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2013 with contributions by V. E. Schwab.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
the premise of the story is really good and interesting, but i think what didn't work so well for me was how the story was told. like how the narrative kept jumping between past and present, and not just one linear timeline in the past but multiple points in time in the past. it was really confusing and kept making me lose interest and momentum in the first half of the book. this was especially confusing before i could piece together what exactly was even going on and what was the central mystery of the whole story, which i was only able to do around the halfway mark. once you got a grip on the story though, that's where it gets interesting and hooks you in, so the second half was a lot easier to read than the first.
the premise was very original and refreshing. i liked the idea about ExtraOrdinary people who gained superpowers after experiencing a Near-Death Experience, and their powers being strongly influenced by the kind of last thoughts they had before they “died”. i also liked that these EOs lose some part of their humanity after coming back from near-death, and they are all more than a little inhuman in some aspect or other. i liked the character dynamics between Serena and Eli running circles around each other, each trying to assert control over the other, Eli becoming some kind of religious megalomaniac going around self-righteously killing other EOs, Victor hell-bent on causing Eli as much pain as possible even when he knows he can't kill him, and Sydney being a huge wildcard in terms of how much humanity she really has in her, considering she seemed to be able to manipulate Dominic in the end in going back to save Dol her dog, although her power isn't like that of Serena's. so all in all, i'm a fan of the premise, it's just the narrative structure that really turned me off and would make me hesitate to pick up the sequel.
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
Read my review on my blog here: https://theconsultingbookworm.wordpress.com/2015/06/30/vicious-v-e-schwab/
Top Prompts
Featured Prompt
15 books#3 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...
Featured Prompt
3,356 books#340 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...
