Fantasy
![undefined - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_undefined.jpg)
![V. E. Schwab - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_v_e_schwab.jpg)
Vengeful (Villains, 2)
*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
*2018 GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION CATEGORY*
*Entertainment Weekly's 27 Female Authors Who Rule Sci-Fi and Fantasy Right Now*
A super-powered collision of extraordinary minds and vengeful intentions―V. E. Schwab returns with the thrilling follow-up to Vicious.
Magneto and Professor X. Superman and Lex Luthor. Sydney and Serena Clarke. Victor Vale and Eli Ever.
Great partnerships―now soured on the vine.
But Marcella Riggins needs no one.
Flush from her brush with death, she's gained the control she always sought―and will use her newfound power to bring the city of Merit to its knees. She'll do whatever it takes, from taking over the mob to collecting her own sidekicks, and even leveraging the two most infamous EOs, Victor Vale and Eli Ever, in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
With Marcella's rise, new enmities create surprising opportunity―and the stage of Merit will once again be set for a final, terrible reckoning.
"In Vengeful, V.E. Schwab is at the top of her game, with twisty action, oddball family pairings and unexpected antiheroes you can't help but root for." ―Washington Post
"Schwab's characters feel vital and real, never reduced to simple archetypes... In a genre that tends toward the flippant or pretentious, this is a rare superhero novel as epic and gripping as any classic comic. Schwab's tale of betrayal, self-hatred, and survival will resonate with superhero fans as well as readers who have never heard of Charles Xavier or Victor von Doom." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
*2018 GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION CATEGORY*
*Entertainment Weekly's 27 Female Authors Who Rule Sci-Fi and Fantasy Right Now*
A super-powered collision of extraordinary minds and vengeful intentions―V. E. Schwab returns with the thrilling follow-up to Vicious.
Magneto and Professor X. Superman and Lex Luthor. Sydney and Serena Clarke. Victor Vale and Eli Ever.
Great partnerships―now soured on the vine.
But Marcella Riggins needs no one.
Flush from her brush with death, she's gained the control she always sought―and will use her newfound power to bring the city of Merit to its knees. She'll do whatever it takes, from taking over the mob to collecting her own sidekicks, and even leveraging the two most infamous EOs, Victor Vale and Eli Ever, in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
With Marcella's rise, new enmities create surprising opportunity―and the stage of Merit will once again be set for a final, terrible reckoning.
"In Vengeful, V.E. Schwab is at the top of her game, with twisty action, oddball family pairings and unexpected antiheroes you can't help but root for." ―Washington Post
"Schwab's characters feel vital and real, never reduced to simple archetypes... In a genre that tends toward the flippant or pretentious, this is a rare superhero novel as epic and gripping as any classic comic. Schwab's tale of betrayal, self-hatred, and survival will resonate with superhero fans as well as readers who have never heard of Charles Xavier or Victor von Doom." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
Editorial Reviews
"Readers won't be able to put down this dark and riveting tale of power and revenge."―Kirkus Reviews, starred
"With all the knife-sharp thrill of its cinematic predecessor, 2013's Vicious, bestseller Schwab's second Villains series plunges readers back into the world of extraordinary humans."―Publisher's Weekly, starred
"Vengeful picks up five years after the insane events of book one, ratcheting up the stakes and introducing two kickass women with extraordinary powers."―Paste Magazine
"Schwab does a masterful job in these two books, capturing all of the questions superheroes would raise in our reality and with nuance not often found in the genre at large."―BookRiot
"If Vicious is a blast to the chest, then Vengeful is a cold knife between the ribs, sharp and something that'll sit with you long after you reach the last page."―Culturess
"[Schwab is] a highly skilled writer...With each page, the story grows faster, denser, and more inescapable, like all good books should. Vengeful, like Vicious before it, is one of those books."―Den of Geek
"The long-anticipated sequel to V.S. Schwab's super-villain novel, Vicious, is finally here, and it's worth the wait."―Bustle
"V.E. Schwab showcases her prolific writing prowess in Vengeful…an adrenaline rush."―Hypable
"With all the knife-sharp thrill of its cinematic predecessor, 2013's Vicious, bestseller Schwab's second Villains series plunges readers back into the world of extraordinary humans."―Publisher's Weekly, starred
"Vengeful picks up five years after the insane events of book one, ratcheting up the stakes and introducing two kickass women with extraordinary powers."―Paste Magazine
"Schwab does a masterful job in these two books, capturing all of the questions superheroes would raise in our reality and with nuance not often found in the genre at large."―BookRiot
"If Vicious is a blast to the chest, then Vengeful is a cold knife between the ribs, sharp and something that'll sit with you long after you reach the last page."―Culturess
"[Schwab is] a highly skilled writer...With each page, the story grows faster, denser, and more inescapable, like all good books should. Vengeful, like Vicious before it, is one of those books."―Den of Geek
"The long-anticipated sequel to V.S. Schwab's super-villain novel, Vicious, is finally here, and it's worth the wait."―Bustle
"V.E. Schwab showcases her prolific writing prowess in Vengeful…an adrenaline rush."―Hypable
Readers Top Reviews
ThatBookGalRachel
I have such confused feelings about this one, I've no idea where I'd rate it, at times I hated it, and really enjoyed other parts, so I'm settling for a middle of the road 3 stars. I really like the idea of EO's and was excited to see what happens with Mr Vale after the events of the last book. But honestly, I just did not like him in this book. He was boring and completely unlikeable, speaking to everyone like crap and seemed to have lost the charming edge that made him endearing in the first book. June just was Mystique minus the blue, and I couldn't get past that because it then just started to feel like it was ripping off elements of X-men. Marcella I just wasn't interested in and found my mind drifting whenever she was around. I think possibly my biggest problem is there never really feels like there is true peril. With Sydney's ability to resurrect the dead, it just feels like it doesn't actually matter if anyone dies because there are more than likely going to come back. That led to the sense of me not caring for most of the book. Will I read the third book....probably, but I also kind of wish I'd just left it at book one and read it as a standalone.
Kristel GreerThat
Many superhero duos go sour over time and the friendship of Victor Vale and Eli Ever is no exception. After their showdown which resulted in Eli's incarceration and Victor's death, it's safe to say their friendship is dead. One thing that Victor has going for him is Sydney and the ability to bring him back to life. But as with all her resurrections, his powers aren’t working quite right. He experiences power surges with extreme pain that results in his death for short periods. Each time it happens he stays dead longer. As he hunts for answers and a cure from other EOs, the trail of bodies he leaves behind draws the attention of the authorities. Meanwhile, a new EO emerges. Marcella Riggins survived an attempted murder by her mafia husband and a house fire. This resulted in her having the ability to reduce anything to ash. After taking revenge on her, she plans to take control of his mob business. Marcella gathers other powerful EOs to her side to aid her in this takeover. With a manhunt for her capture is underway, she decides to leverage the two most wanted EOs instead. Merit City has a war brewing as these three powerful EOs do battle but a malicious hidden figure has come up with a way to suppress their abilities. Will he show his hand before it's too late or will his meddling cause even further damage? Will Marcella be able to turn over Eli and Victor in exchange for her freedom or will all three of them finally pay the ultimate price for their crimes and duplicitousness? 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟. I was hooked instantly while reading Vicious but the introduction of Marcella between Eli and Victor added depth to the story, new and thrilling action and a chance for all their characters to develop which showed their true motivations. Victor was darker in this one. I felt this was spurred on by his fear of death which made him take risks and questionable actions. Sydney was still his conscience in this story and I loved how her story arc progressed. The finale left me holding my breath to the last page. I look forward to reading more in this series.
Aparna AgarwalKri
I was gifted the first book 'Vicious' by a friend and could not stop myself from getting the second one! I like the author's take on mutants/super humans in this book and the system she created! The storyline was very interesting and I liked the ending too but I so wish there was a 3rd book and the story continued! :(
SharonAparna Agar
Okay Schwab needs to write a third book. Seriously You cannot end it like that and not have a third book in the works. Please. Pretty Please. This books is set 5 years after Vicious. And we still have all our favorite villains: Victor - Have to say Victor kind of irked me a bit in this one. Sydney - Oh I still love her. Mitch - Oh I still love him Dol - 3 times dead dog. What is not to love Eli - Actually was a part in this book I felt sorry for him Plus a few more added: Marcella - Don't let her touch you June - Who is she really. I would really like to see a book about her because I really liked June. Want more on her backstory. And Jonathan: He was more of a minor player But a very cool power. I really did like this book. Have to say I liked Vicious more but this was still excellent. Especially the end. WOW! As in the first book I loved all the powers these EO's had. And I think the new characters were very well written. This book confused me a bit though with all the jumping around it did. And Marcella, June and Jonathan were the more focal characters. While Victor, Sydney, Mitch and Eli were more secondary this time. Which I was kind of disappointed. But with the way the story went That is how it had to be. I did think some parts sort of dragged for me. But the end sure made up for all of that. That was an edge of my seat, tension building ending. It was still all in all an excellent book. If you loved Vicious, you have to read this. And if you didn't love Vicious, well What is wrong with you LOL
Kindle SharonApa
What is good? What is evil? Is the hero who you think he is, and how exactly did he get his powers? When said powers manifest, just how far will he push the line between hero and villain? I absolutely loved this story. Can’t wait to read the sequel!
