Vengeful

Second book in the Villains series. Sequel to Vicious.

Author: Victoria Elizabeth Schwab

Rating: 4.5/5

Recommend: A second book about Victor and Eli – could it possibly be wrong? Vengeful provides some much needed answers which we longed for in Vicious; from the history of Eli, to a world rapidly getting to know about the existence of EO’s it provides all the details you’ve been craving and more.

I might as well admit it: nothing can live up to the perfection that is Vicious. Vengeful, however was a valiant effort by V. E. Schwab. It’s darker than its predecessor, and there were more than a few parts where the book sent literal shivers down my spine. I write this on a gray, drizzly afternoon… I still can’t get the effects of reading Vengeful out of my mind.

After the events of Vicious, many things in the Villains world begin changing. Brought back from the dead by Sydney, Victor is alive but with his power greatly flawed. There is a new government facility called the EON (ExtraOrdinary Observation and Neutralization centre) where Eli is being kept. There are new EO’s in the novel with extreme powers: Marcella who can ruin things, Jonathan the living force field, and Jude who can become other people.

Our favorite villains <3

"Eli had faith because of how it felt when he pushed his father down the basement stairs."

Schwab gives us some heartbreaking details in the plot. I had to suppress tears while reading about Eli’s childhood. Eli is the boy who grew up with a sadistic father, a pastor who regularly whipped and hurt his wife and son to “get the demon out of their eyes”. He’s the 12 year old who found his mother dead, and killed his father soon after. He is the boy who had no home and created a separate image, a facade so that people could never truly see how broken he was – all people except Victor.

I feel Victor and Eli’s bond more than ever in this book… the dynamic between the two remind me of Will and Jem, of Charles and Eric. Sydney shooting the villain we all love to hate seemed a fitting death for Eli. But, I don’t want him staying dead. No one is ever truly dead in the Villains series (not as long as Sydney is around) and I have a strong suspicion that this isn’t the last we’ve seen from Eliot Cardale, and that there is a very good possibility of him returning as human. Now wouldn’t that be great?

Quite the resemblance!

Imagine a scene where Eliot, Victor, Sydney and Mitch are all at the same dining table eating breakfast! A girl can dream, right ;)

If you loved reading Vicious, then I strongly recommend reading Vengeful. The parts about Eli alone are worth it, and there are a ton of satisfying deaths in the novel which you really don’t want to miss. I can’t wait to find out what happens next. Meanwhile, I’ll be strongly rooting for the Eli coming back as human theory :D Are you for Eli Cardale coming back? Leave your thoughts in the comments!