Vicious by V.E. Schwab is a science fiction fantasy involving two college roommates who—in an attempt to play mad scientists—discover the ability to bestow superpowers to individuals through the use of extreme stress. Things quickly go wrong in this fateful discovery, and Victor, one of the roommates, is imprisoned for their deeds. Ten years later, he swears revenge on his roommate, Eli, beginning a mission to destroy anyone with powers that he finds. Schwab creates an intricate story about revenge and betrayal through a dual timeline featuring Victor and Eli’s college years and their lives 10 years later, post-prison..
Vicious is a foray into the popular superhero culture and creates an inventive spin on the classic themes we all know. Schwab creates a subversion of the hero genre through the characters of Victor and Eli, who are the protagonist and antagonist, respectively. However, neither seems to be particularly better than the other. Both characters have major and necessary flaws, which help further the story. This is a story of betrayal and revenge played out by two morally gray individuals who have no particular desire to be better people.
This novel is barely fantasy, which works all the better for it. Had Schwab leaned more into the fantastical elements of the story, it would have lost its charm and fallen into various tropes that a fantasy story entails. It is a story set in our world, occurring to normal humans. However, odd occurrences begin to happen to our characters; supernatural and fantastical elements work together to enhance the story and elevate the tension between scenes. Vicious is an incredibly fast-paced book, and its sharpness lends itself to the dexterity of the story. It helps you feel the emotion and suspense created by Schwab throughout the novel.
However, one of the largest criticisms I have of the novel is that, despite the book solely focusing on the main characters and their relationships with each other, they did not seem fully fleshed out to the best of their ability. While there is a sequel where they are explored further, it was noticeable that their motivations and actions seemed to occur for the plot’s sake rather than any character choice. However, this is not necessarily a deep criticism, as it is barely noticeable while reading.
As mentioned before, the book’s pacing is quick. In fact, despite the book being slightly over 400 pages, it took less than a day to finish. Once the story hooks you in(which it will do quickly) the short chapters and sharp scenes will keep you reading until you reach the end. The relationships the characters have with each other and the dynamics at play in the novel are deeply intriguing and leave you wanting more, which the book promptly delivers. The novel is dark and dramatic and filled to the brim with tension. Stress continues to build up throughout the story until it finally reaches its climax at the end. This is a novel I highly recommend to someone who wants to pick up a quick and captivating read while also exploring an interesting subversion of the superhero genre.
