Vicious

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same ambition in each other. A shared 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 with 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 arch-nemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end? "Supremely plotted and incredibly well-written." The Independent on Sunday "Vicious is the superhero novel I've been waiting for: fresh, merciless, and yes, vicious." Mira Grant, New York Times bestselling author "Schwab writes with the fiendish ingenuity, sardonic wit, and twisted imagination of a true supervillian." Greg Cox, New York Times "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 "Schwab gathers all the superhero/supervillain tropes and turns them on their sundry heads... I could not put it down." F. Paul Wilson, New York Times bestselling author


Genre: Fantasy

"A noirish cross between the X-Men and 'The Count of Monte Cristo.' You won't be able to stop turning the pages." - Alex Bledsoe

"V.E. Schwab writes with the fiendish ingenuity, sardonic wit, and twisted imagination of a true supervillain." - Greg Cox

"Fresh, merciless, and, yes, vicious. Wow." - Mira Grant

"Utterly brilliant. Schwab takes the notion of superhero fiction and bashes it on its head...prepare to be thoroughly entertained." - Jackie Kessler

"Vicious is dark and intricate and daring, twisting back and forth through time and morality and life and death until you can't turn the pages fast enough. I loved it." - Dan Wells

"An epic collision of super-powered nemeses. The writing and storycraft is Schwab's own superpower as this tale leaps off the page in all its dark, four-color comic-book glory." - Chuck Wendig

"A fun, morally-flexible revenge tale...Vicious methodically ratchets up the tension as Victor and Eli circle each other for the inevitable kill." - Daniel H Wilson

"Schwab gathers all the superhero/supervillain tropes and turns them on their sundry heads.... I could not put it down." - F Paul Wilson