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docofthedarkarts 's review for:
Vicious
by V.E. Schwab
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5/5 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Spoilers: No
My first introduction to VE Schwab was Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. I was blown away by her prose and character work on that one, and quickly picked this up to start exploring her back catalogue, and it did not disappoint!
Now generally speaking, I'm not a big superhero person. I've never been a big fan of Marvel, or comics, or superhero stories. Vicious takes such an interesting look at "super powers." A unique, scientific way of getting them, and I love the fact that our "heroes" are all in some way kind of horrible. These morally gray characters were so fun to explore, and the added slant of an EO who thinks he is on a mission from god made it all the more intriguing.
This book hit a lot of things that I love: it had the dark academia vibe (as a former pre-med/medical student it gave me some nostalgia there), morally gray characters, and a "magic system" that isn't spelled out to the nth degree, leaving the reader some creative interpretive freedom and mystery. Additionally, it's a magic system and a world that seems possible, all in a sort of noir backdrop. The narrator was solid, and the story took some great twists and turns. The ending was fantastic.
The relationships in the book were very interesting, and every one was fraught with tension. I also thought there was an interesting underlying romantic tension between Victor and Eli, although not explicitly stated. The sisters' relationship was particularly interesting, and it left you guessing throughout the book. This was a mix of character and plot development, and while I would have liked to explore the characters' backgrounds a bit more, the characters themselves were super interesting.
Overall this was a great listen/read, and I'm really excited to see where this goes in book 2 of the series.
Format: Audiobook
Spoilers: No
My first introduction to VE Schwab was Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. I was blown away by her prose and character work on that one, and quickly picked this up to start exploring her back catalogue, and it did not disappoint!
Now generally speaking, I'm not a big superhero person. I've never been a big fan of Marvel, or comics, or superhero stories. Vicious takes such an interesting look at "super powers." A unique, scientific way of getting them, and I love the fact that our "heroes" are all in some way kind of horrible. These morally gray characters were so fun to explore, and the added slant of an EO who thinks he is on a mission from god made it all the more intriguing.
This book hit a lot of things that I love: it had the dark academia vibe (as a former pre-med/medical student it gave me some nostalgia there), morally gray characters, and a "magic system" that isn't spelled out to the nth degree, leaving the reader some creative interpretive freedom and mystery. Additionally, it's a magic system and a world that seems possible, all in a sort of noir backdrop. The narrator was solid, and the story took some great twists and turns. The ending was fantastic.
The relationships in the book were very interesting, and every one was fraught with tension. I also thought there was an interesting underlying romantic tension between Victor and Eli, although not explicitly stated. The sisters' relationship was particularly interesting, and it left you guessing throughout the book. This was a mix of character and plot development, and while I would have liked to explore the characters' backgrounds a bit more, the characters themselves were super interesting.
Overall this was a great listen/read, and I'm really excited to see where this goes in book 2 of the series.