The Vicious and Colliding Skies Diaries

Hello everybody, and welcome back to The CW Torch. In this edition, I will be reviewing two Sci-Fi books I finished in the month of March. Those are Vicious by V.E. Schwab and Colliding Skies by Debbie Zaken, both of which I enjoyed thoroughly. V.E. Schwab has become one of my all-time favorite author’s, an author who I can trust to always put out amazing books. While there were some issues I had with Colliding Skies, I still had a fun time reading it. With that being said, let’s get into the reviews for these books, because I have a lot to talk about. As always, there will be a reading vlog at the end of this blog!

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Dates Read: 2/25/2018-03/04/2018

Final Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis:

Victor and Eli started out as two brilliant but arrogant college students 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 reserve nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other superpowered 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?

Story:

“V.E. Schwab’s Vicious is the superhero novel I’ve been waiting for: fresh, merciless, and yes, vicious. Wow.” -Mira Grant, New York Bestselling author of Blackout

Just like this blurb stated, this was the superhero story I have been waiting for. As a fan of superhero television shows (as you can probably tell from my blog name), I surprisingly haven’t read a ton of superhero novels. But, that’s simply because, there aren’t a whole lot of superhero stories out there, other than the comic books. Vicious is a true superhero story about superheroes vs. villains, and where the line is drawn between being good or evil. It questions what it means to be good or evil, and if there really is a line between the two. Vicious is really a true anti-hero story, rather than a superhero story, because both main characters would be categorized as villains. Even though they both think they are heroes, doing things for the greater good.

A part from this question of morality, I really enjoyed the plot-line of how Victor and Eli both got their extraordinary powers. You could tell that V.E. Schwab really did her research on extraordinary abilities, and how humans such as you and I, could acquire these abilities. She made it seem believable, by Eli’s thesis, that you could acquire such abilities via adrenaline and near-death experiences. It seemed way more believable than being bit by a radioactive spider.

But, what really got me with this amazing book, was learning how Eli and Victor became the worst of enemies, after being such close college friends. As this story was set in two different times periods, when Eli and Victor were studying in college. To Ten years later, when Victor had escaped prison, and wanted nothing more than to see Eli’s downfall. To me, this plot line was the heart of the story, and what really got you to root for your favored villain. After reading both sides to the story, you start to lean more towards one side of the story, even though they are both villains. Neither of which you should be rooting for, after all the wrongs they did. But, after a while you start to believe in one over the other, based on their actions and why they are doing the things they are doing. This friendship turned enemies story, really reminded me of Clark Kent vs. Lex Luthor. They were friends at first, but when Lex finds out about Clark’s secret, which he decides to hide from Lex, things turn for the worst. But, in this story, they both knew what Eli wanted to accomplish. It was all a question of whether it was the right thing to do.

Writing:

V.E. Schwab has become one of those author’s, who I can trust to always write an amazing story. There is just something about her writing that is so easy to follow, yet makes you think throughout the entirety of the novel. While her chapters are extremely short, she still keeps you invested, and makes you continuously turn the pages. And before you know it, the book is over, but you are still questioning what the hell just happened. In this book especially, she makes you think about morality and what it really means to be a hero, which are themes that I absolutely love. Not only is she a master at plot, but she is even better at writing believable characters. She manages to develop each and every character, enough to make you love each and everyone of them. Even if they aren't the most lovable characters in the world. If there was one thing I had an issue with this book, it would be the flipping of time periods. Since each chapter was a different time period, one of the past and one of the present. It was somewhat difficult to follow the story, because it felt choppy. I would've found it easier to follow, if half the book was set when Eli and Victor were in college. And the other half was the present, ten years later. Other than that, V.E. Schwab has easily become one of my favorite author’s of all-time. And someone who I look up to, when writing my own works.

World:

The world in this book, wasn’t too different from ours. I felt that was the one thing that lacked in this story, as opposed to some of V.E. Schwab’s other works. This book mainly focused on the characters, and the question of morality. Which we question each and every day, in our own world. The obvious difference of our world vs. the world in which Vicious is set in, was the presence of EO’s. That was the main focus of the story, and I thought V.E. Schwab did a wonderful job at crafting that aspect of the novel. Other than that, the world wasn't much different from ours.

Characters:

“Schwab’s characters feel vital and real, never reduced to simple archetypes…” -Publisher’s Weekly.

V.E. Schwab somehow manages you to root for unlikable characters, in a story filled with flawed characters. She masterfully writes the perfect depiction of the anti-hero, to where you still have the ability to choose one side over the other. Based on their background stories, character development, and their reasons for doing the horrible acts they are committing.

In Vicious, it was difficult to root for any one specific character, but I found myself to side with one in the end. Mainly, because of his character, he wasn’t doing bad things just to do them. While I did have a favorite character, here are a few other character’s I did enjoy, and why I cared for them.

Victor Vale:

“If Eli really was a hero, and Victor meant to stop him, did that make him a villain?” -Vicious by V.E. Schwab

The one character who I was truly rooting for in this story, was Victor Vale, even though he committed a crime that was extremely unforgivable. I found myself siding with Victor more so than Eli, because to me he was more human than Eli. He actually cared for the people around him, and wanted nothing more than to help the people he loved most. He truly thought, what Eli had come up with and what he ended up doing, was truly wrong. Even though he was having a moral dilemma, trying to decide if he was the villain or the hero in this story. And doing some unmistakeable terrible things in the process, like brutally beat a cop to a pulp. Even through all that, I could still root for him, because he ultimately thought that what he was doing, could possibly save the world from evil.

Eli Ever:

On the other side, we have Eli Ever. A man who was so obsessed with his thesis of EO’s, that he actually almost kills himself to become one. When he finds himself with new powers, he has a moral dilemma with God. Questioning if he is still human or if he is pure evil. He realizes that he has this God complex, and is more superior to others like him. And that anyone else like him, doesn’t have the right to exist on this planet. This sort of thinking consumes him, and ultimately is what turns these two former friends into vicious foes. Because for some strange reason, the idea of ridding the world of EO’s, makes people think that Eli is some kind of hero.

The main reason as to why I liked Victor more than Eli, was because he didn’t have this superiority complex. Eli’s motivations for killing weren’t justifiable in my eyes, as much as Victor’s. However, I still enjoyed Eli as a character, mostly in his way of logical thinking. He did find a way to successfully become an extraordinary human being, which to me is a brilliant way of thinking. Even if it did get over his head.

Serena Clarke:

Serena Clarke is one of the most interesting female characters I have read in a while. She is feisty, a little cold-hearted, but at the same time a force of nature. She is not your average girl, because she is a villain. But, just like Victor, she is one supporting character you want to root for.

All the other secondary characters; Sydney, Mitch, and Dominic, were all fleshed out, and incredibly well-developed. V.E. Schwab is just a master at creating loveable characters, even if they are flawed and a little bit vicious.

All in all, I absolutely adored Vicious! The characters were the main standouts to me, in this story! I am so glad I finally picked this book up, and can’t wait until the second book, Vengeful, comes out! I am so sorry for those of you who had to wait years, not even knowing that a second book was even a possibility!

Colliding Skies by Debbie Zaken

Dates Read: 02/25/2018-03/4/2018

Final Rating: 3.75/5 Stars

Synopsis: Since Skye Reiley can remember, she has been looking up to the stars. With high school graduation upon her, her telescope in one hand and her college acceptance letter in the other, she has life as meticulously mapped out as her star chart. That is, until the Celeians arrive and she meets Ethan, an alluring alien. Ethan collides into her like an asteroid, causing a gravitational shift in Skye’s trajectory and hurling her life into a cataclysmic collision course of interplanetary proportions. The Celeians promise many things. An end to disease, global warming, and famine. The knowledge to help humankind. Despite the suspicions surrounding the intriguing aliens and rising anti-alien protests, Skye gives Ethan her trust, and eventually her heart. The very heart he could stop with a lethal electrifying touch of his hand. When the Magistrate, a council of alien leaders, threatens to put an end to their interspecies relationship, following her heart could cost Skye her life and the lives of everyone she loves. Not even light can escape the pull of a black hole. Story: When reading this book, I would have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I thought there was a lot of action, that was well-written. I surprisingly enjoyed the romance in the story; between the out-of-this-world beautiful Celeian, Ethan, and the ordinary star-gazer, Skye. However, the part I enjoyed the most, when reading this story, was the space-travel. I thought the author masterfully wrote the star-gazing and space-travel portions of the book, so much so that I felt like I was zipping through space along with the two lovebirds. While I did enjoy the majority of this book, there were a few issues I had with the story-line. For instance, I didn't think the relationship between Ethan and Skye was well-developed enough. There was no real reason as to why they were so in love with each other, it kind of just happened. Which falls into the insta-love trope, that I am not too fond of anymore. While they did have electrifying chemistry, I just couldn't understand why they were together. Other than just being physically attracted to each other. In fact, I really liked Skye and her former boyfriend, Taylor, who she dumps to be with Ethan. I thought that relationship was more fleshed out, than her relationship with Ethan. To me, Ethan was a bit creepy, as he continuously stalked Skye to make sure that she was doing all right. I just thought the romance was a bit juvenile, and nothing too special. I was disappointed that the romance was the main focus of the majority of this book, even though to me it was nothing truly special. I really wished the author spent more time on the political intrigue between the Celeians and the Humans, because those were the most interesting parts of the book. A part from the space-travel portions of the book, I was really intrigued by this idea that the Celeians promised to make Earth free of disease, global warming, and many other things the Earth suffers from. I would’ve liked to see how they were going to accomplish that, and if the humans would let them. I would’ve enjoyed this book a lot more, and would’ve given it a higher rating, if the author delved more deeply into that aspect of the book. Writing: This was the first book I read from Oftomes Publishing, that didn’t really suffer from editing problems. I thought this book was well-written, especially through the plot-line and action. I also thought the aliens in the story were well-crafted. I really enjoyed the fact, that they physically looked like humans, but had a lot of different viewpoints than humans. Especially in how they think the world should be saved. I also really enjoyed the pacing of this book, I thought the action provided for a quick read. Throughout the story, I could tell that Debbie Zaken was really passionate about space and space-travel. Especially, when Ethan would take Skye traveling throughout space. Those parts were really special to me, and stood-out from the story. However, I did think this story lacked from character development, and was definitely a more plot-driven book. While I think the author wrote the plot very well, I still would’ve liked some more character-development. But, that is just my taste in reading, I am definitely more of a character-driven person than a plot-driven reader. I also think the romance fell into that insta-love trope, that I just don’t gravitate towards anymore. All in all, I really enjoyed the author’s writing style, which is why I gave this book a higher rating, than most of the books I have read from this publishing company. World: The world wasn’t much different than our present world, so world-building wasn’t too prominent of a factor in this story, similar to Vicious. However, with that being said, I really loved the space and space-travel explorations of this book. I also, thought the alien-race was something very original, for it being a YA sci-fi. Characters: As mentioned earlier, I didn't find the characters all that interesting or well-developed. But, that doesn’t mean I didn't like them. Skye Reilly: I thought Skye was a really smart girl, which is something I love seeing in YA novels these days. I love seeing, strong, independent, intelligent main female protagonists in this genre, because this is something that definitely lacked in YA when I was reading it prominently at a younger age. I could also appreciate how rebellious she was from her parents, sneaking out to see Ethan, even when her parents told her not to. I thought that was something a teenager would do, in that type of situation. However, I did think her intentions for breaking up with Taylor, was kind of juvenile, and didn't really make sense. But, that’s just because I didn’t really think, Ethan and Skye’s relationship made sense. Ethan: While I did love the chemistry between Ethan and Skye, I thought he was kind of creepy. He pretty much stalked her throughout the majority of the book, even though he said that he was only trying to protect her. I didn’t think he was anything special, and thought there relationship only existed because of his out-of-this-world beauty. However, I did love his relationship with his sisters, he really put all of his trust into the woman in his family. Which I absolutely adored. Taylor: I actually thought Taylor was more fleshed out than Ethan was, and was honestly rooting for him and Skye to stay together. While there were some moments in the book involving him, that I found extremely annoying. I thought he was more relatable than Ethan, and not just because he was human. He actually had flaws that I could relate to, and I thought Skye was actually turning him into a better human being. Emily and Lucas: I absolutely adored the best friends in this story, and at some points thought they were more interesting than our main characters. They provided some comic relief, throughout all the cosmic chaos. In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed Colliding Skies, and thought it was one of the best books I have received from Oftomes Publishing. I thought it was well-written, out-of-this-world fun, and action-packed. However, I did wish there was more political intrigue, and less romance. For those reasons, I rated it a 3.75 stars instead of a 4/5 stars! Thank you Oftomes Publishing for sending me a free arc for review, I really enjoyed this one! Thank you all for reading this post, I hope you enjoyed my reviews! As always to end this review, here is my reading vlog diary for Vicious and Colliding Skies. Reading Diaries Vlog | Feb. 26th-March 4th.