T;LDR: Ambition and jealousy create a deadly situation in V.E. Schwab’s Vicious, where no one is really the good guy or the bad guy and no one winner takes all. Except the reader.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
College roommates Victor and Eli compete against each other in a deadly game of who can die first and come back with superpowers. And then it works, but someone dies and doesn’t come back. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to get his revenge on his former best friend and sellout, Eli. The book covers the past and the present in a timeshifting format, as we see where they were and how they came to be.
When I first began reading this book, I wasn’t sure I’d like it, but as the story deepened and you saw more of who the characters were and are, it sucked me in. An interesting plot, fun world, and very gray characters make Vicious a quick and easy read. For this, I give it four and a half stars.
The Plot
Competitive college roommates turned best friends, Victor Vale and Eli Cardale start out the book giving their professor their thesis topics around adrenaline. It seems harmless enough, but Eli’s idea is a little too out there, a little too interesting. Soon, Victor is driven to not only know everything Eli is learning, but also to attempt his thesis: create a near-death experience and wake up with superpowers.
Things go horribly wrong and someone dies.
Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined on one thing — revenge against his old friend Eli. Along the way, he meets, helps and is ultimately helped by, a small crew of superpowered people, including his prison cellmate Mitch and a thirteen-year old girl named Sydney.
Eli, in the meantime, is on a mission to kill every single superpowered person he can, aside from his side-kick Serena, whose superpower has begun to work just a little too well on him. Eli sees himself as a hero, but is he one?
T;LDR: Victor Vale breaks out of prison bent on revenge against his former college roommate and best friend Eli. Both men have superpowers and superpowered sidekick. Will Victor be successful or will Eli have the last laugh…again?
What I Liked & Liked Less
The plot idea reminded me of the movie Flatliners, except instead of facing your demons, you get an ability and potentially lose something else. I really liked it. It was unique, especially once you see why they get the powers they do, which is not random at all. That was my favorite part of their world — the unique abilities they all get for specific reasons.
Victor Vale is a deep and interesting character. You see a lot of the book from his perspective and get to know him the best out of all the characters presented. I love that he is really flawed at the beginning and has different flaws at the end. You definitely see his journey in this story. I also love that he questions what side he’s on — good or evil — even if it wouldn’t stop him from his plan against Eli. He’s a very gray character, but done in a way that’s human and interesting. I wouldn’t want to be his friend, but I also didn’t dislike him in any way.
It’s like his character stands on a knife edge; push him too far one way and he’ll slice you, but push him too far the other and he’ll still slice you. The author did an amazing job keeping the balance between loathable and likeable, while also making him relateable.
I also like the side cast of characters. They all had their spotlight in the book and you got to know their backstory as to how they arrived where they did. None of them felt flat or two-dimensional. Serena was another character who was more gray than bad or good. And her character was the perfect example of how power can corrupt and twist you to do things you wouldn’t have done before.
However, I would’ve liked to see more of Mitch’s story or power here. We hear about his past and there’s some discussion of what he thinks and how he feels, but for how important he was to the overall plot, I felt his character arc got shafted a bit. It left me wondering why we had his chapter at all, because it didn’t have the same oomph as the others.
The other thing that threw me at the beginning of the book were the time shifts between chapters, especially in present day. I got a little confused as to what was when and what was happening, which is why I took off a half of a star. I would’ve liked it to have dates or days, rather than just last night, two days ago, etc., because it would’ve put the narrative in a cleaner line for me. But this may just be a me thing and my inability to put thoughts in some kind of order.
To Sum Up (Too Late!)
Overall, this is definitely a character-driven plot, even with the mystery of how Victor would find Eli, set up Eli, and stay out of trouble in the process. And I am a huge fan of character-driven plots. It took me a bit of time to get past the time shifts and understand the story line, but once I did, I was fully hooked. I loved the gray characters, the way the powers were decided, and ultimately that there were no good or bad guys here, just flawed people. And thus, I gave it four and a half stars.
About the Author
Victoria “V.E.” Schwab is the #1 NYT, USA, and Indie bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including Vicious, the Shades of Magic series, and This Savage Song. Her work has received critical acclaim, been featured by EW and The New York Times, been translated into more than a dozen languages, and been optioned for TV and Film. The Independent calls her the “natural successor to Diana Wynne Jones” and touts her “enviable, almost Gaimanesque ability to switch between styles, genres, and tones.”
If you wish to purchase this book, pick your vendor of choice here, or just cave to the man and get it from Amazon here.
This book fulfills another square in my Fantasy Bingo Card — the square with Revenge. I’m over half-way done already!
Originally published on Feedium.