The Kudzu Review

In an unexpected—but most welcome—turn of events, V.E. Schwab announced the release of a third book in her Villains series, Victorious, earlier this year. Though she’d been hinting at revisiting the superpowered world of her own making for some time now (through some alluringly cryptic Instagram stories) the book’s release wasn’t made official until this past winter, when news surfaced that the acclaimed Villains duology was in fact becoming a trilogy.

I’m loathe to admit it, but as a longtime fan of this duology, when I first discovered there would be a third installment, my first thought was one of uncertainty. I wondered how a story that was so succinctly concluded in the second book, Vengeful, could be further expanded in a way that didn’t feel gratuitous. In the wake of this nagging question, I did what any sane person would do and bared my soul to Tor Books via email. Thankfully, they were generous enough to pacify me with an ARC of the third novel, Victorious, which will be hitting shelves this October. For those that haven’t had their first encounter with the Villains series, you may want to read the next section to gauge if these not-so-super heroes and their antics are your speed before we dive into the final installment. Longtime followers of Schwab’s favorite supernatural nemeses may still want to skim at their discretion before skipping the review. After all, it has been nearly a decade since we last entered the electrically perilous gates of Merit City.

“Not-So-Superpowered” — The Villains Duology Primer

The Villains series follows two best friends turned archrivals who seem to be in a perennial fight to rid themselves of the other after they make themselves “Extraordinary” beings. In this world, the concept of humans attaining superpowers seems to be an underground conspiracy theory which catches the attention of the protagonists, Victor Vale and Eli Ever, two top students at Lockland University. The two want to prove that these powers are not only real, but achievable through a very specific experiment. You see, to become Extraordinary, or an “EO” as the series calls them, you must have a near death experience, which once you come back, gives you special abilities in the form of your last thought before death. In Vicious, the first novel, Victor and Eli toe the line between ambition and atrophy as they induce these superpowers in themselves by essentially attempting suicide, trusting the other to bring them back from the brink of death. When they do attain their powers, however, things aren’t as copacetic as they believed.

Eli, the first to attain his powers, is given the power of regeneration and invulnerability, which he seems thrilled by initially. However, Victor, the more acerbic of the two friends, has the power of controlling nerve sensitivity, giving him the ability to give, or take away pain. These opposite yet complementary powers force them both to contend with their respective principles, missions, and loyalties to one another. For two books, they circle around each other, blurring the lines between villain and hero as other EOs and government officials disrupt their cat and mouse game further than originally intended.

The Verdict

After devouring the now final installment of this thrilling series, I am beyond elated to report that I was wrong to ever doubt Schwab’s instinct for storytelling. The first two books, Vicious and Vengeful, construct a carefully crafted sci-fi world where superhumans roam the earth with a myriad of abilities they must hide to evade the government organizations that fight to capture and experiment with their kind. We’re introduced to multiple Extraordinary beings that cross paths with the polar forces that are Victor and Eli. In Victorious, Schwab not only expands this world, but also gives some existing EOs a depth that many criticized her for not digging into in the original duology. Most readers are initially drawn to the series for the sizzling tension and complex bond between Victor Vale and Eli Ever, but end up staying for the peculiar world of powers Schwab produces. Many of the Extraordinary beings we met in Vengeful, come back in this third installment with purposes that are more demarcated than ever. Even the new additions to our unorthodox crew feel essential to the high stakes finale we’re promised for the entirety of this book. For instance, Gabriel, the newest villain of the bunch, is bound to be reminiscent of other iconic literary antagonists like Victor Frankenstein and Hannibal Lecter in a way that feels invaluable to the unending conflict between Victor and Eli.

Other central characters readers grew to love in the first two books also make a return in this third installment and are given some closure that we were deprived of in the previous book, Vengeful. Sydney, Mitch, and June are given storylines that showcase the maturity and sensitivity in V.E. Schwab’s writing that always leaves readers both heartbroken and craving more of her touching storytelling. The pacing of these stories is also remarkable, as no character perspective feels less exhilarating than another. We were promised the series would go out with a bang (wink wink) and Schwab does nothing if not deliver.

Readers of the previous books will recognize that these characters have been in an equally, if not more tumultuous journey than our protagonists for the duration of the series. They have been caught in the wake of a violent and unrelenting zero-sum game that most of them didn’t ask to be a part of, and are now left to deal with the aftermath of last book’s catastrophic ending. For some characters, that means looking on to peaceful new beginnings, but for others, let’s just say readers aren’t the only ones dying to see Eli and Victor again.

Speaking of which, this book answers the question I’m sure many longtime fans are dying to have answered: do Victor and Eli meet again after their fatal fight in Vengeful? The second book ended in a showdown where one of our main anti-heroes died and the other was left substantially injured and bereft. Of course, I am bound by secrecy and can’t reveal how these two titanic forces are made to clash again in this jaw-dropping finale, but I doubt fans will be left unsatisfied with the resolution of this decade-long conflict. Anyone who has read these books knows Victor and Eli’s fates are intrinsically tied, and how that plays out will be for readers to find out this fall.

By the end of the book, my heart was equal parts broken and warmed as I closed the final chapter of an era I’d lingered in since I picked up Vicious in middle school. To fans anticipating the end of this bestselling series, know you’ll walk away from this story of found family, entwined enmity, and perilous ambition with a finale that feels nothing less than gloriously earned. Although, of course, as the title suggests, there are certainly some winners and losers in this ExtraOrdinary game. To see who cinches the final victory, pick up Victorious, which will be available at your favorite bookstores October 6^th, 2026.

Sincere thanks to Macmillan and Tor Publishing for providing me with this ARC. All opinions are my own and reflect my honest reactions.

For more information visit: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250192233/victorious/

Myrna Zamora is a senior at Florida State University majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in Psychology. She currently holds a position as Editorial Assistant for the Kudzu Review with the PR & Marketing sector. After graduation this fall, she hopes to attend law school and pursue a career in Entertainment Law.