Vicious (Villains, 1)
A masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, and superpowers from the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil.
Includes a short story set in the Villains universe, “Warm up”, and a teaser of the next book in the series, Vengeful.
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
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Customer Reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars 6,257
—
4.7 out of 5 stars 404
4.2 out of 5 stars 9,866
4.4 out of 5 stars 122,252
Price
$10.88$10.88 $31.99$31.99 $29.76$29.76 $22.99$22.99 $11.25$11.25
Enter the Bestselling Worlds of V. E. Schwab
In the thrilling follow-up to Vicious, a super-powered collision of extraordinary minds and vengeful intentions leads to a terrible reckoning. The triumphant conclusion to the bestselling Villains series. Against all the years, the betrayals, and the odds—the arch-rivals and their allies will meet for a final time, on a chess board laid out by an enemy they never saw coming. The first two installments in V. E. Schwab’s bestselling Villains series, a gritty, comic-book-style world in vivid prose The instant #1 bestselling genre-blending novel of the lives of three very different women. This is a story about life—how it ends, and how it starts. In a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever—and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Publisher : Tor Books
Publication date : May 29, 2018
Edition : 2nd
Language : English
Print length : 400 pages
ISBN-10 : 1250183502
ISBN-13 : 978-1250183507
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.4 x 1.2 x 8.2 inches
Book 1 of 3 : Villains
Best Sellers Rank: #15,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #4 in Superhero Science Fiction #35 in Contemporary Fantasy (Books) #170 in Fantasy Action & Adventure
Customer Reviews: 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (20,774) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Original price was: $19.99.$9.10Current price is: $9.10.
A masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, and superpowers from the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil.
Includes a short story set in the Villains universe, “Warm up”, and a teaser of the next book in the series, Vengeful.
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
From the Publisher
Add to Cart
Add to Cart
Add to Cart
Add to Cart
Add to Cart
Customer Reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars 6,257
—
4.7 out of 5 stars 404
4.2 out of 5 stars 9,866
4.4 out of 5 stars 122,252
Price
$10.88$10.88 $31.99$31.99 $29.76$29.76 $22.99$22.99 $11.25$11.25
Enter the Bestselling Worlds of V. E. Schwab
In the thrilling follow-up to Vicious, a super-powered collision of extraordinary minds and vengeful intentions leads to a terrible reckoning. The triumphant conclusion to the bestselling Villains series. Against all the years, the betrayals, and the odds—the arch-rivals and their allies will meet for a final time, on a chess board laid out by an enemy they never saw coming. The first two installments in V. E. Schwab’s bestselling Villains series, a gritty, comic-book-style world in vivid prose The instant #1 bestselling genre-blending novel of the lives of three very different women. This is a story about life—how it ends, and how it starts. In a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever—and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Publisher : Tor Books
Publication date : May 29, 2018
Edition : 2nd
Language : English
Print length : 400 pages
ISBN-10 : 1250183502
ISBN-13 : 978-1250183507
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.4 x 1.2 x 8.2 inches
Book 1 of 3 : Villains
7 reviews for Vicious (Villains, 1)
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Original price was: $19.99.$9.10Current price is: $9.10.
Brittany –
Such a perfect tale of supernatural and revenge
(Review originally posted on The Book Addict’s Guide)I had heard so many good things about VICIOUS before I had finally gotten around to it for our group read with On the Same Page. I actually didn’t quite know what it was about due to my penchant for going into books blind, but I did know that it was something along the lines of science mixed with superheroes. I mean honestly, how can you say no to that? It’s always a bit nerve-wracking to go into a book that so many people LOVED, but clearly I had nothing to fear here!VICIOUS was actually my first Schwab book and I somehow started with her adult book before I read her YAs — seems a bit out of order for me, but there you have it — so I actually wasn’t familiar with her writing at all beforehand. I felt like the book really flowed well, from character to character as well as from scene to scene. There are moments when the book jumps from present day, back to ten years ago, and even hopping around from time to time, but I really never felt lost or confused. I actually really enjoyed following this non-chronological way of story telling because I got exactly the story I needed at exactly the right times. If told chronologically, there wouldn’t have been nearly enough suspense or too many details all at once.The story line of the EOs (Extraordinary [humans]) was fantastic. If you were a fan of the TV show Heroes, it had very much of the same vibe, except there are a few interesting twists to the “superhero” concept which also brought quite the darker tone to the novel. I won’t go divulging what those little twists really are (although the synopsis touches on it) because I like to let the reader experience that journey of discovery themselves, much like the characters did. I really loved the idea of how each EO obtained their powers and how their power directly related to their specific situation. It was incredibly fascinating and the way science, research, and Victor and Eli’s thesis papers all tied in was truly interesting and I was totally captivated the whole time.I love the tale of revenge in this story. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Victor and Eli, formerly best friends, are now mortal enemies and Victor is hell bent on getting his revenge against Eli and ending their connection once and for all. I really, really loved seeing Victor as this antihero. I just love a good antihero. I was totally rooting for him, pretty much at all costs, and I really felt a lot of sympathy for him. I also loved that Victor, aside from his relationship with Eli, had his own unique and interesting relationships with each of the secondary characters in the book (specifically loved this post that Amy wrote for our On the Same Page feature of this book)! The relationships created in this book are just so interesting and each one is complicated and yet delicate.VICIOUS was a tale of revenge, intrigue, adventure, and brought up several issues of morality and faith. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it and I’m so glad the hype I’d seen from my fellow reviewers hadn’t affected the outcome for me at all! The mash-up of supernatural and science was excellent and VICIOUS was definitely a fantastic read for me!
UppercaseYa –
Great Character-Driven Fantasy
Vicious was an interesting science fiction story that was driven by very strong characters. I’d read a TON of 5-star raving reviews about this novel, and was honestly a bit let down.Although I certainly think the writing is top notch and the storytelling is engaging, it didn’t leave me with the “OMG, I must tell everyone I know about how awesome this book is!!!”But, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good.What I enjoyed about Vicious was the lead up to a big showdown between Victor and Eli, two college frenemies who turn hardcore nemeses. The story is told in a day by day then hour by hour lead up to when these two men meet again after 10 years and is interspersed with their history and backstory from years past.The countdown added a lot of suspense and movement to the book. I didn’t necessarily feeling “pulled” through the story as with other books, but I liked the drama of knowing everything was leading up to ONE BIG MOMENT.Because so many of my blogger friends loved and reviewed this book, I didn’t realize it wasn’t YA for the first 100 pages or so. Then all the f-words tipped me off.Vicious is a very dark story, but one that hasn’t been told before. Victor and Eli live in what I would say is a contemporary time (they have smartphones and the Internet), and they are experimenting with idea that EO’s (ExtraOrdinaries) live among us.Victor is the narrator for the first half of the book, and his story is filled with sadness and bitterness. It makes him an even more interesting character though. There is a lack of pretension about him that I really appreciated.It could have been the lack of a romance (love and feelings are mentioned but not highlighted) or it could have been the more battle/fight driven plot, but Vicious felt quite dry at times. It seemed like something was missing.What I pushed through the book to read (and not DNF instead) was the super complicated relationships. Victor and Eli both love and hate and respect and loathe each other. Their relationship changes over time, and the definition of “good guy” and “bad guy” is in question (<-- the best).Plus, larger issues of faith and law are deftly woven in as well.OVERALL:If you are a sci-fi lover, this book will delight and fascinate. You MUST be ok with no romance and difficult-to-like characters. Although neither of those things are my exact cup of tea, I definitely appreciated the great writing and the complication relationships in the novel. Vicious is definitely a strong read overall.
Katchena –
Love this book so much! The writing was amazing and the story was captivating. Evil vs Evil which side are you on?
Laura Machado –
Depois de ter uma relação de amor e desgosto com a série Tons de Magia da mesma autora, realmente considerei me manter longe dos livros dela. Mas foi esse, Vicious, que quis primeiro e não conseguiria aguentar a curiosidade sobre ele. Muitas pessoas em quem confio o recomendaram loucamente. Alguma coisa tinha que ter aqui.É difícil classificar este livro. Ele tem ficção científica, tem muito dos quadrinhos de super heróis, mas também é bastante realista e se passa hoje em dia, com protagonistas adultos e personalidades complexas. Ele fala sobre vilões, mas fala mais sobre humanos, sobre crenças, sobre limites e ambição. Tem um tom mais sério, mas ainda assim consegue ser divertido. Não tem muita ação, mas são tantas peças interessantes se montando em uma narrativa fora de ordem cronológica, que é muito fácil ficar viciado na leitura. É um livro muito único e excelente.Victor Vale me conquistou logo de cara, confesso, desde sua primeira cena no livro. Ele está longe de ser uma boa pessoa, e talvez essa seja sua melhor característica, mas é extremamente carismático e seus “companheiros” e ele acabaram se tornando uma das minhas equipes favoritas. Adoro a Sydney e espero que ela apareça no próximo livro. Do outro lado, Eli é realmente um dos personagens mais complexos que já encontrei, mas fez total sentido desde o começo. Sua loucura (é assim que vejo, não tem jeito) me assustou muito, mas também fiquei impressionada com o jeito da autora de assumir o personagem e suas atitudes, ainda deixando muito nas entrelinhas.Outra coisa excelente é a relação do Victor com o Eli, principalmente na época da faculdade. Essa questão de amizade e rivalidade, inveja e admiração, que é tão complexa e difícil de definir, mas que a autora conseguiu acertar em cheio.Sobre o enredo, não é tão movimentado e cheio de ação como um livro “de super herói” costuma prometer, mas definitivamente foi muito bem feito e melhor ainda por isso. O jeito da autora de contar essa história, intercalando linhas do tempo sem muita ordem, mas com bastante lógica, foi o ponto alto para mim. Tudo apareceu na hora exata, sem me fazer ficar torcendo para voltar para outra hora ou até para outro ponto de vista.Sinceramente, é um livro completo e perfeito. Claro que fico feliz de ter uma “continuação”, mas também estaria bem satisfeita com esse final. Ainda bem que meu incômodo com os outros livros dela não me impediu de dar uma chance para esse livro incrível!
Fefe –
Maybe you would think that the super hero idea is just people running on pijamas and defending NY. But NO. NO, you’re really wrong if that’s the only idea you have about people with ExtraOrdinary abilities… The plot of this book is so simple and brilliant, I just couldn’t put it down. Bravo to Victoria! I can’t wait to read Vengeful (2nd book)
Dana –
The book wasn’t in the best condition it looks kinda used a little but thankfully without spots or ruined. I still haven’t read it yet so I’m not recommending anything
Jill Jemmett –
V.E. Schwab is one of my favourite authors. She is an amazing writer. This book is a fabulous example.Throughout the story, the setting switches between the present, two nights ago, ten years ago, and other time periods in between. In many stories, this is confusing, but it made sense in this book. In each chapter, the main character was introduced quickly, so I knew exactly where we were in the storyline.The information in the story is unraveled slowly, but it made it so addicting to read. I had lots of questions right from the beginning, and the answers were slowly given. It was enough to keep me intrigued but I also didn’t have any idea where the story was going.I loved the way that the disinction between good and evil are blurred in this story. It isn’t clear who is a villain or a hero, or even if there isn’t a hero or villain. Victor and Eli both have reasons for hunting out people, and they both think they’re right, but who are they to decide who lives or dies? I loved this philosophical layer to the story.I’m glad I read this story now, because the long awaited sequel is coming out later this year. I loved this book!