College roommates Victor Vale and Eli Ever, brilliant and dangerously competitive, discover through their own shared research that carefully controlled near-death experiences can grant genuine superhuman abilities, and their experiment succeeds beyond either of their expectations. V.E. Schwab builds this dark superhero thriller around the devastating night everything goes wrong, when Eli actually kills Victor's girlfriend and leaves his former best friend for dead, launching a real decade-long path toward violent reckoning between the two.
A Shared Research Project Given Genuine Ambitious Origin Construction
Schwab gives Victor and Eli's shared research project genuine ambitious origin construction, grounding their superhuman abilities in authentic scientific curiosity.
Competitive Friendship Given Real Sustained Charged Characterization
Victor and Eli's competitive college friendship is given genuine sustained charged characterization, their rivalry carrying real dangerous undertones from the start.
A Devastating Betrayal Given Honest Visceral Narrative Catalyst
Eli's devastating betrayal of Victor is given genuine visceral narrative catalyst, launching the novel's central decade-spanning conflict.
Eli's Self-Righteousness Given Real Disturbing Antagonistic Treatment
Eli's belief that EOs are abominations he must eliminate is given genuine disturbing antagonistic treatment, complicating simple hero-villain framing.
Victor's Moral Ambiguity Given Honest Sustained Antihero Construction
Victor's own ruthless methods in pursuing revenge are given genuine sustained antihero construction, refusing readers a simple, comfortable protagonist.
Sydney's Resurrection Power Given Real Sympathetic Character Treatment
The young EO Sydney's power over death is given genuine sympathetic character treatment, grounding the novel's ensemble in real emotional stakes.
Dual Timelines Given Honest Interwoven Structural Construction
The novel's alternating past and present timelines are given genuine interwoven structural construction, building toward the two men's inevitable confrontation.
EO Abilities Given Real Inventive Original Power System Construction
The novel's EO ability system is given genuine inventive original power system construction, avoiding familiar superhero genre conventions.
Escalating Violence Given Honest Sustained Visceral Consequence
The consequences of both men's escalating violence are given genuine sustained visceral consequence, grounding the superhero conflict in real physical stakes.
A Conclusion That Honors Genuine Ambiguous Unresolved Rivalry
The novel's ending honors genuine ambiguous unresolved rivalry, setting up further consequences rather than offering a clean, simple resolution.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Its morally ambiguous protagonist and antagonist give the story genuine authentic complexity
- Its inventive EO power system offers real originality within crowded superhero fiction
- Its devastating college betrayal grounds the rivalry in genuine honest emotional stakes
- Its interwoven dual timelines sustain real suspense building toward the inevitable confrontation
- Its sympathetic supporting ensemble adds genuine emotional depth beyond the central rivalry
Cons:
- Its morally gray characters may frustrate readers wanting a clearer traditional hero
- Its dual-timeline structure requires genuine attentive tracking across multiple years
- Its unresolved ending leaves several genuine plot threads open for its sequel
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the first book in a series?
Yes, it begins the Villains series, continuing with further installments following the same characters' ongoing conflict.
Are the two leads clearly hero and villain?
No, Schwab deliberately blurs the line, giving both Victor and Eli genuine disturbing and sympathetic qualities.
Does the novel explain how the superpowers work?
Yes, the near-death-experience origin of EO abilities is explained in genuine detail as the plot unfolds.
Is this considered dark or lighthearted superhero fiction?
It is genuinely dark, morally complex superhero fiction, closer in tone to a crime thriller than traditional lighthearted superhero stories.
Final Verdict
Vicious succeeds through V.E. Schwab's genuine ambitious construction of Victor and Eli's shared research project, using their sustained charged college rivalry to ground the eventual superhuman abilities in authentic, dangerous competitive curiosity. Eli's devastating betrayal launches a visceral, decade-spanning conflict, while his disturbing self-righteous belief that EOs are abominations complicates simple hero-villain framing with genuine moral discomfort. Victor's own sustained ruthless methods in pursuing revenge refuse readers a comfortable protagonist, and young Sydney's sympathetic power over death grounds the novel's wider ensemble in real emotional stakes beyond the central rivalry. The interwoven dual timelines build genuine suspense toward the two men's inevitable confrontation, while the inventive EO ability system avoids familiar superhero genre conventions with real originality. The escalating violence between both men carries genuine visceral physical consequence throughout, and the ambiguous, unresolved ending honors the novel's commitment to ongoing consequence rather than a clean, simple resolution. For readers seeking morally complex superhero fiction with genuine authentic darkness and real inventive world-building, this novel remains a gripping and distinctive series opener.
Rating: 4.4/10