Vicious
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.
★ “Everything starts with belief. With faith.”
From Arcane to Vicious: An Introduction
I was first introduced to Vicious by V.E Schwab through a series of TikTok book recommendations. These were based on the TV show Arcane, a hit Netflix series inspired by the video game League of Legends. I love Arcane, and right after the second season premiered, I found myself missing the world of Piltover and Zaun, especially the relationships of these characters that I was so fond of.
This is when I came across Vicious. It was recommended for those who missed the morally gray, science-driven aspects of Arcane, along with the promise of a similar Jayce and Viktor dynamic. This was a relationship in the show that I adored, so I was ready to dive in and try out Vicious.
★ “You remember me, and I’ll remember you, and that way we won’t be forgotten.”
First Impressions: Instantly Addictive
This book provided me with everything I needed and more. Despite having to read this book over a long period due to life’s chaos, I was pulled right back into the story as if no time had passed at all. V.E Schwab created a world that you could immerse yourself in so seamlessly, and you could dive right back into the heart of the story. The tone and pacing of the story made reading it a consistently enjoyable and emotionally charged experience; I never found myself becoming bored with the narrative.
★ “You asked me if I ever wanted to believe in something. I do. I want to believe in this. I want to believe that there’s more.”
Victor and Eli vs. Viktor and Jayce
Naturally, I looked for remnants of Arcane while reading. Victor and Elis’s dynamic definitely mirrors that of Viktor and Jayce, and the comparison was shown very clearly. In both stories, they are two bright minds that are obsessed with pushing the limits of scientific innovations. The duos start as very close friends who collaborate while pursuing their interests, only for them to fracture and deteriorate as their ideals and goals become dangerously incompatible.
While not carbon copies of each other, the resemblances are undeniable. Their relationships turn from collaboration to confrontation as their means of using power “for good” become vastly different. Eli and Viktor are driven by the need to use their power for something bigger than themselves, and they acquire a sort of god complex that fuels their actions. Whereas Jayce and Victor have to work against them as they have become the targets of the others’ fight.
While neither of their relationships is explicitly romantic, they both have an emotional complexity that transcends a normal friendship, making them both tragic and intimate. I found myself oftentimes seeing Viktor and Jayce in Victor and Eli, and I was able to get the sense of Arcane that I was looking for.
★ “The absence of pain led to an absence of fear, and the absence of fear led to a disregard for consequence.”
Plot Overview: The Consequences of Obsession
The story begins with Eli Cardale and Victor Vale, two brilliant college students who have a shared obsession with researching ExtraOrdinaries, or EOs. These are individuals who develop superpowers after surviving a near-death experience.
What starts as a simple thesis and research project turns into a dangerous experiment, and now both Eli and Victor find themselves to be EOs. Their once close bond is now broken as they find themselves changed, and as Eli is now on a hunt to eliminate every EO he can find, Victor is on a hunt to destroy him.
The stakes only continue to rise as more characters are introduced: Victor’s friend Mitch, an unlikely ally from prison; Sydney, an EO who can raise the dead; and Sydney’s sister Serena, an EO who has the power of persuasion. You watch as Victor and Eli slowly realize that they can test their theory and see who their true characters are, especially Eli’s, as their theory becomes true.
★ He and Eli were bonded, by blood and death and science.”
Victor and Elis’ Complicated Bond: From Friends to Enemies
Victor and Eli are two sides of the same coin. At first, they help fuel each other’s passions and innovations, pushing each other further through competition and collaboration. But once their curiosities got out of hand and their goals clashed, they each became obsessed with the other’s downfall.
However, even as enemies, their lives still revolve around each other. Even with other characters in the picture, Victor and Eli are each other’s greatest preoccupation. No one else in their lives seems to matter as much to them. They were driven towards each other not just by hatred, but by a shared understanding of one another. Their intimate, toxic, and complex relationship caused them to be dependent on each other, and without Eli, there would be no Victor, and vice versa.
★ “Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.”
Eli: A Morally Gray Masterpiece
While both Victor and Eli are complex characters, Eli stands out as the most interesting character in this story. While at college, he portrays himself as an intelligent, charismatic, and curious student with a hunger for more knowledge. But when he becomes an ExtraOrdinary, we see just how far this hunger goes, and something in him unravels.
He starts to develop a god complex and convinces himself that he is cleansing the world of evil for the good of humanity. He becomes obsessed with tracking down EOs and resorts to violence and murder to fulfill his goals. He is manipulative, self-righteous, and disturbingly convinced that his actions are justified, that he has the divine right. Schwab writes him in a way that is horrifying and magnetic all at once, and you find yourself getting pulled to him and unable to look away.
★ “No one is going to hurt you. Do you know why?” She shook her head, and Victor smiled. “Because I’ll hurt them first.”
Found Family: A Beautiful Trope
One of my favorite tropes is “found family”, and I am so happy that part of this trope found its way into Vicious. Victor, Mitch, and Sydney form an unlikely but deeply connected trio. After Victor and Mitch became friends in prison, and they were released, they came upon Sydney. They were apprehensive of her at first–after all, she was just a kid–but they slowly started to trust each other.
As the book comes to a close, they have sacrificed their lives for each other, and they trust each other more than anyone. One of the most touching moments of the book is when Sydney is told to go somewhere “safe.” Instead of going far away from the danger, she heads right into the heart of it, because that is where Victor was. Victor became her safe space, and that moment said everything about their newfound friendship.
★ “I think we want to prove some things in life more than we want to disprove them. We want to believe.”
Timelines and POVs: A Narrative Style that Works
Schwab’s use of nonlinear storytelling and shifting point of view is an extremely effective way of immersing you in the story. Victor and Elis’ past is seamlessly intertwined with the present, and we watch as their relationship forms, fractures, and then explodes. As their lives go from researching a college thesis to a fight to the death, you can see how their past affects their present, and what will happen in the aftermath.
Another aspect of the book that helps deepen the story is seeing events through multiple characters’ perspectives. One moment, we are with Victor, who is plotting and planning his next move; the next, we are in Eli’s head, watching as he slowly unravels, trying to figure out what Victor is plotting. This was a great way to tell the narrative, and it felt cinematic and engaging at all points.
★ “You must make time for that which matters, for that which defines you: your passion, your progress, your pen. Take it up, and write your own story.”
Final Thoughts: Viciously Good
Vicious is a dark, intelligent, and unforgettable read. The characters are beautifully layered and complex, and they force you to question who (if anyone) is in the right. It was entertaining and attention-grabbing, and V.E Schwab did not disappoint. If you are a fan of Arcane, complex villains, or stories that blur the lines between right and wrong, Vicious will be well worth your time.
I’m excited to continue the story with Vengeful, the next installment in the Vicious universe. If it is anything like its previous counterpart, I will thoroughly enjoy it.