4 stars

Review: Vicious

10:00

Vicious
By V.E. Schwab

 Source: Library, paperback
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, 

 Goodreads Synopsis:

 Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. 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. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the arch nemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

 My review:
After reading V.E. Schwab’s other book, A Darker Shade of Magic, I knew I was going to enjoy this one. It had a really original concept that I instantly became intrigued by, even though I’m not a huge fan of comics or superhero films. It was fast paced and really addictive, so I constantly wanted to read on.

I found the relationship between Victor and Eli so interesting to read about. The way they had turned from best friends, to rivals, to arch enemies, made the book so much more unique. They both changed a lot through the story, and to experience that, along with the constant action and nerdy science-fiction explanations and ideas, made this book so much more original.

I also really enjoyed the themes woven through the book. The jealousy and rivalry between Victor and Eli made this book stand out, because of the way this is something that is explored so little. I also really enjoyed the way the line between being a hero and being a villain is shown, and the way that the book questions the difference between heroes and villains.

The plot was also really enjoyable. It was original and unpredictable, so I was constantly gripped. It ha so many twists and turns, but they were perfectly paced and explained so I was never confused. The flash-backs never became boring either, as it was obvious they were going to become important later in the story.

Although this book was a little slow to start with, as soon as I got into it, I enjoyed it so much. Everything explored was really original, meaning the book was never predictable. I’m now super excited for the sequel to be released (as I think the author announced she was writing one) - I found the ending to round off the book well, but there is definitely area for a sequel. I know I’ll definitely be reading it!

 Rating:

3.5 stars

Review: A Darker Shade of Magic

16:00

A Darker Shade of Magic
By V. E. Schwab

Source: Personal purchase, paperback
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

 Goodreads Synopsis:
Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit. 
Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London - but no one speaks of that now.
Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.
But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — trickier than they hoped.
This is another book that I have really mixed views on. It was very well written, with complex characters who were easy to love, yet (and I hate to say this, and am somewhat scared because so many people love this book) in some places I found it boring. I liked the fact that it was Adult Fiction, yet had the same magical feel like a YA read.


The characters were my favourite element of this book. They were badass so I was cheering for them, yet complex and had depth so they were loveable. Both Kell (the male protagonist) and Lila (the female protagonist, who wasn’t focused on as much as Kell was) were different yet similar, and very interesting to read about.
The thing that I didn’t like was the pace of the book at the beginning. Because there were 4 different Londons in the book, 4 different world-builds got a bit slow. I was also a little bit confused and really had to pay attention to which world we were in. I really had to persevere through the start because of this book.


It was only until around the middle of the book a goal formed. I began caring much more about what was happening because we were working towards something - I was more invested because I actually wanted to know what was going to happen.


The ending was very exciting. I was really invested in the story by this point, and lots was happening. There was lots of action so I really wanted to read on. This was definitely my favourite part of the story. Things were also a lot less confusing in this part.

Overall, I enjoyed this story, but felt like the start could have been sped up a bit. It was very well written, and the characters were loveable. The book was also very imaginative which made it even more of an interesting read.

My rating: