Marcella Riggins has had enough. After her cheating husband swans off and leaves her for dead, she decides to take on the mob and bend the city of Merit to her will. But with pain-controlling genius Victor Vale at death’s door, and the immortal psychopath Eli Ever locked up in a terrifying lab, is there anyone out there strong enough to take Marcella on? And really, when it comes down to it... does anyone actually... want to? Packed full of wicked-sharp observations about the treatment of women, rape culture and the patriarchy that’ll have every woman screaming at the page, “YES, YES, YEEEEEEEEES!” it’s shocking to think Schwab came so close to canning this book altogether. I’m so pleased she didn’t. Marcella Riggins is a God damned gift and easily one of my favourite characters of all time. The writing is as succinct and cinematic as one would expect from Schwab, and she really takes her time pushing all her pieces into place. Well over half the book consists of “introductions” and flashbacks to offer insight into the current situation (prepare to want to give Eli a cuddle), but not in a way that feels ponderous. As the finale draws ever closer, the chapter titles count down to the present for maximum stress-inducement, and the payoff is absolutely stunning. I loved this book. It’s actually better than Vicious, which is saying something, so if you haven’t read Vicious, GET ON IT. You need to read Vengeful. YOU NEED IT.

WHY WAS THIS SO GOOD? Also, how? This was a pleasure to read, though there may have been too much Marcella and not enough Victor/Eli and Victor's found family. I understand the purpose she serves, but dammit I found her infuriating. Some early/mid chapters felt a little too long when we were only focused on one character. It felt like Vicious was more fast-paced. Though we did get that sense of pace at the end though, which I absolutely enjoyed. Absolutely CANNOT wait for book three. Will ABSOLUTELY read, because I may or may not be obsessed with this world, where it's going, and the wonderful characters that inhabit it.

Cut to Vengeful in which things get even darker. I don’t even know if I would call any of what happens morally grey because there does not seem to be a character left without blood on their hands. For a series called Villains, this is the ultimate tentative conclusion…because the story hasn’t actually ended there, the third book, Victorious, is coming! Do we trust anything that gave us closure in the end of Vengeful? I wouldn’t trust these characters as far as I could throw them, and I can’t throw them because they’re incorporeal! 5 stars!

It is no secret that Victoria Schwab is my favourite author and her book, Vicious, my favourite book of all time. So, obviously, when I heard it was getting a sequel, I squealed, screamed and everything you can possibly imagine I could do to express my joy. Now, truth is, I am a bookseller and thanks to my job, I got the chance to get my hands on a copy of Vengeful a week before its release and I am immensely thankful to Thor for sending me a copy of this magnificent book. By the way, when I opened the package and saw Vengeful, I cried. Before I start, I want to say that I am biased when it comes to Schwab and especially her characters as I truly love them with all my heart and would die for them. Now, let’s start this probably very messy review! Vengeful takes place 5 years after the ending of Vicious although half of the book does take us back into the past, at various times, to show us what happened to our favourite characters during all those years. Moreover, we are introduced to new characters, ranging from EOs to law enforcement. I can’t go into too much details without spoiling but what I can say is this - the story is extremely well-structured, planned and thought. Everything, every side stories, fit perfectly together and give us this whole plot that is complex and beautiful. And I’m honestly so amazed at Schwab’s ability to create such a story. Furthermore, the writing is still as enthralling and perfect as ever. I cannot get enough of Victoria’s words. Now probably comes the longest part of this review as it concerns what I love the most about Schwab and her books; the characters. — Victor Vale is one of those characters that I can never truly forget. He’s always somewhere on my mind, like a shadow and reading about him again was liking getting high - this is a very weird way of phrasing but oh well. I am in love with Victor Vale’s character. Because of his complexity, his reactions, his way of being with Sydney and Mitch, of the way Schwab brought him to life. I simply cannot name another character that could fascinate me more than him - except probably Eli. He is my favourite character of the Villains duology and my favourite character, period. And I am still blown away, every single day, by Victoria’s ability to create such a character. In Vengeful, we discover a new side of him, a certain desperation that we didn’t truly witness before. And I just can’t explain how much he fascinates me and I just, wow. — Sydney is now a teenager and although her appearance did not change that much, her mental did. She is stronger, more determined and on her way to become really fierce lady. And I want to protect her and be her friends, thanks. — Eli Cardale is an enigma that I’ll never be able to figure out. He is an extremely complex character but so brilliant and captivating. I absolutely love his arrogance and ways of twisting things around in his favour. — Marcella is a newcomer and what a character she is. She is the fiercest character I have ever read about. She is powerful, strong willed, fascinating and frightening all at once. And I do have to admit that she is really fun to follow around and to see just how little thoughts she gives about men and their thoughts. — June is another newcomer and let me tell you, this girl is a mystery. We get glimpses of her past and true identity that made me really curious about her and her story and I truly hope we’ll be able to see more of her in, perhaps, a third book. With every book I have read by her, the parts I’ve always loved the most about Schwab’s works are her characters. And to me, her strength truly lies with her ability to create complex characters that you will care for until the very end. Moreover, in the Villains series, none of her characters are all good or all evil – like Eli, is he a genius or a psychopath? A hero or a villain? All of them are complex and multifaceted. And I love them. To conclude, I can say that Vengeful is a brilliant, well-written and well-thought sequel that ranks as a masterpiece for me. This is probably one of the best books I have read this year, if not in all my 22 years of existence. And I could never thank Victoria Schwab enough for writing both Vicious and Vengeful, for creating Victor, Eli, Sydney, Mitch, Dol, Marcella & June. Victoria, you are amazing and you can be proud.

HOLY WOW THIS BOOK WAS GOOD. I’m not joking – I WAS HOOKED, in a way that I haven’t been in a LONG time! I remember seeing this image of V. E. Schwab with her notes on the floor, re-plotting Vengeful and, when I read it, I could see the work that went into making this masterpiece the best it could be. With the exception of the ending, I wouldn’t have changed a THING about this book, but even then, I’ll give it five glowing stars because THAT WAS A GREAT READ. THINGS I LOVED: 1. THE STRUCTURE: From past to present, varying between character and character, the structure – and the mystery that that structure brought – was what brought Vengeful to life. Everything about this book was darker and twist-ier than Vicious as the fight wasn’t just Eli V Victor anymore, but with other equally powerful EOs, government agencies and slightly deranged scientists now in the mix. It was shocking and heart-wrenching and if you loved even a moment of Vicious, you’ll ADORE Vengeful. 2. VICTOR: I REALLY loved how Victor’s story progressed in this book. It was juicier and darker, because he was fighting for his own survival and OH WOW I LOVED IT. 3. THE FINAL BATTLE: I loved the culmination battle of Marcella VS Victor VS Eli VS the task force and all the power and the twists. I wish the CONCLUDING scene with Victor was a little more fleshed out, but I enjoyed it all regardless. MY VERDICT: Get your hands on this series NOW. Vicious and Vengeful are absolutely, deliciously mind-blowing, dark and twisty and everything you would expect from a book about villains!