This meme hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies is so cool! From the original post:
“Shelf Control picks will be books that I already own — either physical copies from my overflowing shelves, or one of the many unread titles elbowing each other out of the way on my Kindle.”
What will be included in each post is:
- Title metadata (essentially)
- How I got it
- When I got it
- Why I want to read it
You can find last week’s post here.
Without further ado, I present you this week’s pick!
Title: Vicious
Author: V. E. Schwab
Publisher: Titan Books
Year Published: 2013
Synopsis: A masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, desire, and superpowers.
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognised 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?
In Vicious, 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.
(Taken from Goodreads)
How I got it: I think… just spontaneously? It was a big tome and I was looking for some revenge stories and anti-heroes to get my reading mojo back.
When I got it: Several years ago?
Why I want to read it: I was a big fan of A Darker Shade of Magic, and I love Schwab’s writing style. Plus it sounded like the story’s protagonist was an anti-hero, which I personally adore. This jumped to the top of my queue for two reasons: Schwab’s new book and me seeing the comic book adaptation of this (or Shade) somewhere.
Any books sitting on your shelves you’re itching to read? Tell me about them in the comments!
I’ve set up a ko-fi account to support my book expenses, as finances are a bit uncertain due to Covid. If you like what you see, I would appreciate it if you could pay it a visit. No worries if you can’t donate right now! Take care of yourself 💗
Bookmarked 
I’ve been wanting to read this! I’ve had a copy for years too, and I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews. Great choice!
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