““All Eli had to do was smile. All Victor had to do was lie. Both proved frighteningly effective.” ”
Antihero, ‘a protagonist or notable figure who is conspicuously lacking in heroic qualities ‘ (Merriam Webster online, 2019). I find it’s easy for people to conflate villains and antiheroes, which is a disservice to both character styles. In Vicious, knowing the difference is important. If you’re looking for a book with virtuous heroes or a clear moral line, Vicious isn’t for you. If you’ve joined the dark side, then grab a cookie and read on.
REVIEW (NO SPOILERS)
Vicious is worth the hype. College students Victor Vale and Eli Cardale struggle with the same question: why be ordinary when ExtraOrdinary (EO) could be possible? The premise of the book is that Near Death Experiences (NDEs), under the correct circumstances, can unlock powers beyond the average human potential. Both young men survive their brush with death. Both come out of it changed forever. One becomes a villain. One becomes an antihero. Both surround themselves with powerful EO companions before their final(?) confrontation.
The ‘Mouth of Sauron’ that sits on my desk sneering at me — always inspiring!
Schwab’s writing is masterful. It’s immersive. The characters are well-rounded and believable. There are good qualities to even the darkest characters, and darkness within the few bastions of light. My husband loves the ‘Luke Skywalker’s of the fictional world, and this book is not written for him. For those of us who have always cheered for the villain (I have a figurine of ‘The Mouth of Sauron’ sitting on my desk), Vicious heralds in the age of the Antihero and Villain. There is death, suffering, torture, manipulation, and wonderful side dish of moral ambiguity that leaves the perverse aspects of us sated.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Vicious is the style with which Schwab writes. The timeline isn’t linear, she jumps from the past to the near-present while pushing forward to the present clearly and cleanly. I was never once confused wondering ‘wait, didn’t that already happen?’ It is masterfully done.
Vicious left me wanting more, enough so that I immediately went out and bought its sequel, Vengeful. More on that in it’s own review, but as a note: the problem I had within the Shades of Magic series with power creep appears to have been creatively and perfectly solved for the Villains universe.
