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Cover of Vicious by V. E. Schwab

Vicious

Book 1 of Villains

  • 384 pages · about 6 hours
  • First published 2013
  • 15 editions

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1 About this book

A masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, desire, and superpowers.

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.

Good for readers who want: a thriller, friendship, and the supernatural.

  • Fantasy, paranormal
  • Friendship
  • Thrillers
  • Ability
  • Ambition
  • Heroes and heroines
  • Paranormal fiction
  • Heroes

2 About V. E. Schwab

Born 1987

Victoria Elizabeth Schwab (born July 7, 1987) is an American writer. She is known for the 2013 novel Vicious, the Shades of Magic series, and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, which was nominated for the 2020 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. She publishes children's and young adult fiction books under the name Victoria Schwab.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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