There are a few authors whose books I will read without knowing what they’re about. I will always read Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books and marvel at the way she writes realistic characters and engaging stories. I will fall in love with the incredible story-telling abilities of Leigh Bardugo, and even cry at how wholesome Alice Oseman’s books are. Since I started my journey on Bookstagram, the one author who has stuck with me, and whose books have been some of my favourites, are books by V.E. Schwab.
One of the first books I ever bought when I started my Bookstagram account was A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. I didn’t know much about it, except that it was recommended by Hannah from AClockworkReader on Youtube, whose videos I watched religiously. I fell in love instantly and found myself picking up any V.E. Schwab books I could find.
I have now read every book that has been published under the name pen name V.E. Schwab – I have yet to pick up the ones written under the name Victoria Schwab. In this guide, I will recommend you books by V.E. Schwab based on the kind of books you enjoy – and show you that she truly has written books for any tastes!
For the morally grey characters lover
If you love morally grey characters I would recommend that you read the Vicious duology. Following Victor and Eli, two university friends turned archnemesis, Vicious and Vengeful are the perfect example of antiheroes with morally grey ambitions. During their senior year at university, Eli and Victor experimented on themselves to prove their theory: ExtraOrdinary people (EOs for short) are created through traumatic events. But after their experiment works too well, they both find themselves with abilities beyond their control, and hunt each other across the US.
These two books are amazing, very well-paced and with characters you will care about, even though their ambitions are more than questionable. If you enjoy reading about personal ambition and morally grey characters, this is the best book for you.
As a bonus, you can also read the ExtraOrdinary comics, which is set in the same world and includes Eli and Victor after the events of Vengeful.
For the YA urban fantasy lover
If you enjoy post-apocalyptic urban fantasy books, you should read the Monsters of Verity duology, with This Savage Song and Our Dark Duet. These books follow Kate and August, who are on different sides of the war over the town of Verity, where monsters and demons terrorise the inhabitants. August wants nothing else than to be a human, and to live a normal life, which is why he accepts to spy on Kate, who could provide some invaluable information, just to be able to go to school, like any other boy his age. The two of them instead find themselves fighting on the same side of the war after monsters try to assassinate Kate.
This is a really fast paced and enjoyable duology, where you will root for the characters and want them to succeed above all else. It is more on the YA side, which you should keep in mind if you want to read it, but a great series nonetheless!
For the fantasy lover
If you love fantasy above all else, you should read the A Darker Shade of Magic trilogy (with more to come!). Set in London, the series follows Kell Maresh, one of the last Antari magicians, whose power allows him to travel between dimensions. While he lives in Red London, he travels between dimensions as an ambassador, keeping an eye on the ever changing regime in White London and the welfare of Grey London, where magic is inexistant. On one of his travels to Grey London, he meets Delilah Bard, who follows him, looking for an adventure.
This is probably one of my favourite fantasy series I have ever read. The characters are well written and you will be rooting for the heroes the entire time, while also hoping for redemption for the villains. I fell in love with the story and the characters, and if you enjoy fun fantasy books, this is the perfect fit for you!
For the spooky-mystery lover
If you enjoy fantasy but prefer to have something a bit spookier, I would recommend that you read Gallant, which is V.E. Schwab’s latest book. With its mirror image of a house and spooky parallel dimension, it reminded me for Coraline in the best – and worst – ways.
This book is very difficult to summarise, but just know that it is absolutely amazing, and makes great use of the uncanny and the creepy. The main character, Olivia Prior, is an orphan, whose only possession is her mother’s journal that she wrote before unravelling to madness. When Olivia’s supposed family finds her and takes her to Gallant, she finds herself having to uncover deeply buried family secrets.
I was worried when I first picked up the book, because Olivia does not speak, which means that there isn’t a lot of dialogue in the book, but fortunately, it didn’t change anything about the book, and it was still incredible!
For the literary lover
If you like slower narration, and more literary writing, I would recommend my all-time favourite book from V.E. Schwab – and maybe favourite book ever – The Invisible Life of Addie Larue.
Out of all of her books, this might be the most unique one, and definitely an acquired taste. The story itself is simple and interesting to read about: centuries ago, Addie Larue made a deal with a powerful demon: to live free forever. However, there was one condition: she would never be remembered by anyone. Until one day, a few centuries later, she meets Henry, who utters words she has always dreamed to hear: I remember you.
The book alternates between different styles of writing and has a more lyrical style than her other books, but it is one of the things I loved the most about it.
V.E. Schwab is one of those authors whose books can fit pretty much any mood you’re in; you just need to know where to look! From comic books to fantasy novels, you will be sure to find something that will make you happy. You can also check out her upcoming queer fantasy series coming to Netflix on June 10 called First Kill.
Juliette @a_spoonful_of_juliette
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