V.E. Schwab Gets Positively Villainous in Vicious
A Darker Shade of Magic, the first book in V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy, was published in 2015, one of those books that seems destined to define a career. Though she’d written a whole stack of novels already, mostly for young readers and teens, in the story of magician Kell; his magnificent, color-changing coat; a hardscrabble thief named Delilah Bard; and doorways to other worlds, Schwab created a book readers could slide into like a mountain hotspring (but watch out for the snakes—so many snakes), and characters they could love deeply, flaws and all. But that’s not where the author’s story truly began—V.E. Schwab’s first foray into adult fiction came two years earlier with Vicious, a comic book-inspired tale that features no heroes, only villains—some of the sharpest, most dangerous villains I’ve ever encountered within the pages of a book.
Vicious (Signed Book)
Hardcover $27.99
Vicious (Signed Book)
By V. E. Schwab
Hardcover $27.99
Though it received good reviews and attracted a vocal fan following, Vicious flew under the radar upon its initial release—at least in comparison to her later trilogy. But if you haven’t read it yet, you might be surprised to find that it represents some of her best work, laying a foundation that would later produce such a fully realized villain as Holland in the Shades of Magic series. Now that her name is recognized everywhere in fantasy fiction (her YA novel This Savage Song topped The New York Times’ YA bestsellers list in 2016; the third Shades book, A Conjuring of Light, hit the adult list the following year), it’s time to revisit Vicious, which Tor Books has republished in paperback and in hardcover, with stunning new art and, in the back, two bonus stories—one a prequel set before the events of Vicious, and a second that leads into the sequel, Vengeful, arriving this fall.
Though it received good reviews and attracted a vocal fan following, Vicious flew under the radar upon its initial release—at least in comparison to her later trilogy. But if you haven’t read it yet, you might be surprised to find that it represents some of her best work, laying a foundation that would later produce such a fully realized villain as Holland in the Shades of Magic series. Now that her name is recognized everywhere in fantasy fiction (her YA novel This Savage Song topped The New York Times’ YA bestsellers list in 2016; the third Shades book, A Conjuring of Light, hit the adult list the following year), it’s time to revisit Vicious, which Tor Books has republished in paperback and in hardcover, with stunning new art and, in the back, two bonus stories—one a prequel set before the events of Vicious, and a second that leads into the sequel, Vengeful, arriving this fall.
Victor Vale and Eli Cardale are roommates at Lockland University. Both are ambitious pre-med students, and relentlessly competitive. Eli seems to have it all—money, looks, and the girl of Victor’s dreams—and when his science thesis threatens to outshine Victor’s, Victor’s solution is to join forces, taking his research into adrenal response to new heights while Eli theorizes about what might make a person “ExtraOrdinary,” in the superpowered sense. When theory leads to experimentation, deadly consequences result, leading to a betrayal of trust that pushes the pair from friendly rivalry into outright war.
Vengeful (Signed B&N Exclusive Book)
Hardcover $25.99
Vengeful (Signed B&N Exclusive Book)
By V. E. Schwab
Hardcover $25.99
This book is remarkable in how it portrays the origin stories of two larger-than-life villains, winding us through the events that led to their respective downfalls via multiple timelines. We begin with what happened just last night, as Victor Vale and his ally Sydney Clarke dig up a fresh grave. Then we jump 10 years into the past, and the circumstances that led Victor and Eli to their extraordinary biological discoveries. Schwab expertly moves from the very recent past and the distant past, maintaining the mystery and intrigue as long as possible as she reveals how it all began, and what happens next with Victor and Eli. The supporting cast—including Sydney, who has the power to resurrect the dead at a touch—are given origin stories as well. Such a far-reaching plot and ambitious structure could easily collapse into a muddle, but Schwab cuts with a sharp scalpel, shaping a plot that stands impossibly solid, balanced between intrigue, clever worldbuilding, and, her true dark talent, creating characters who are all too relatable in their villainy.
This book is remarkable in how it portrays the origin stories of two larger-than-life villains, winding us through the events that led to their respective downfalls via multiple timelines. We begin with what happened just last night, as Victor Vale and his ally Sydney Clarke dig up a fresh grave. Then we jump 10 years into the past, and the circumstances that led Victor and Eli to their extraordinary biological discoveries. Schwab expertly moves from the very recent past and the distant past, maintaining the mystery and intrigue as long as possible as she reveals how it all began, and what happens next with Victor and Eli. The supporting cast—including Sydney, who has the power to resurrect the dead at a touch—are given origin stories as well. Such a far-reaching plot and ambitious structure could easily collapse into a muddle, but Schwab cuts with a sharp scalpel, shaping a plot that stands impossibly solid, balanced between intrigue, clever worldbuilding, and, her true dark talent, creating characters who are all too relatable in their villainy.
At the end of the novel is short story, “Warm Up,” originally published on Tor.com, that offers a glimpse into the world Victor and Eli have brought about, one in which ordinary people have begun to manifest ExtraOrdinary abilities, as well as an excerpt from Vengeful itself. There’s no sign of Victor and Eli in this first chapter, but we do meet an intriguing new set of characters, and discover a new plot ready to unfold. It will be interesting to see how Victor and Eli’s stories intertwine with this new thread.
If I can step from behind the veil of the anonymous review, I will say that Vicious is my favorite of Schwab’s books, and one of my favorite novels of all time. With a beloved trilogy and several more well-crafted novels besides, between Vicious and Vengeful, I can’t wait to see where her more mature talent will lead my two dearest villains.
Vicious is available now in paperback and a signed hardcover edition from Barnes & Noble. The exclusive, signed Barnes & Noble edition of Vengeful publishes September 25.