Reviews with content warning for Murder - Vengeful

I took so long to finish this because I didn’t want it to end. V.E. Schwab crafted a LITERAL MASTERPIECE like the metaphors, the anecdotes, THE CHARACTERS!! She has somehow woven such beautiful backstories for all of them it reminds me of Daredevil/Luke Cage in the way that you can’t truly hate the villains when they have such clear motives and pain in their past. I will not be able to shut up about this universe so I’m sorry in advance :( would do anything for a book 3

Content Warnings

stardustvein's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

artmuseam's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

what can i say? ve schwab has done it again. if i have to be honest, the second book was somehow even more enthralling and twisted than the first one. i loved the new characters we were introduced to and the way that both new and remaining characters were intertwined was so well done! the fast-paced action and constant suspense made it so difficult for me to put down this book. i can’t get enough of this!! 5/5 stars <3

Content Warnings

mxdegroot's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I. NEED. THE. NEXT. BOOK.

Schwab never fails to pull me into a book and not let me go before I've finished it. Her pacing is gripping and well-balanced and her writing adds to the tension. You'd expect that a long book consisting of short chapters, perspective changes and time jumps would be very confusing, but to me, it was very easy to follow. The fact that the reader gets left on a character cliffhanger for roughly fifty pages every once in a while and then gets thrown back into their story after another character cliffhanger adds amazingly to the tension. By the end of longer chapters, I sometimes forgot where in the timeline I was, but they're always stated in the chapter title, so all you have to do is just flip back and your memory is refreshed.

I was so happy that we finally got full insight into Eli's backstory. The mystery worked well in the first book, but knowing his history gave the character a whole new dimension and made him ten times more scary/unhinged than he already was.

I have to be honest and admit that June's character arc disappointed me a little. She's not a flat character; we get hinted at her backstory a lot. However, we never really know what happened to her and her exact motivations for doing what she did.

It's been a few years since this book came out, but I hope Storygraph's information is true and there is a new book coming, because this story feels anything but complete to me; there's a difference between an open ending and an incomplete one, and this was the latter. I want to know more about Victor's history and motivations, what happens to him after the book, where Sydney and Mitch are going, June's backstory, and so many more things.

January 2nd, 2024 - January 5th, 2024.

“Gods [were] crucified before they were worshipped.”

“While seeking revenge, dig two graves—one for yourself.”

“Run, thought Victor, and he could see the response in Eli's coiled frame.
Chase me.”

Content Warnings

More...