Vicious (Villains, 1)

Vicious (Villains, 1)

<p><b>A trade paperback repackage of <i>New York Times</i> bestseller V.E. Schwab's <i>Vicious</i>, a masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, and superpowers which will include:</b></p><p><b>*A n</b><b>ew cover by Wil Staehle, cover artist of the iconic Shades of Magic trilogy covers</b><br><b>*Schwab's Tor.com short story set within the <i>Vicious</i> universe, "Warm Up"</b><br><b>*A teaser for the upcoming sequel, <i>Vengeful</i></b></p><p>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.</p><p>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 archnemeses have set a course for revenge€•but who will be left alive at the end? </p><p>In <i>Vicious</i>, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn't automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.</p><p><b>"A dynamic and original twist on what it means to be a hero and a villain. A killer from page one€¦highly recommended!" €•Jonathan Maberry, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Marvel Universe vs The Avengers</i> and <i>Patient Zero</i></b></p>