📖 Overview
Victoria Schwab is an American fantasy author who writes for both young adult and adult audiences, publishing under V.E. Schwab for her adult works. She gained widespread recognition with her Shades of Magic series, which began with "A Darker Shade of Magic" in 2015.
Her works frequently explore themes of parallel worlds, complex morality, and the nature of power, with notable series including the Villains series starting with "Vicious" and the Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Schwab has reached #1 on both the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, with her books being translated into over two dozen languages.
Multiple adaptations of her works have been optioned for television and film, including "City of Ghosts" at the CW and "A Darker Shade of Magic" at Sony Pictures. Her career spans multiple genres and age categories, from middle grade to adult, encompassing both standalone novels and series.
Schwab divides her time between writing, touring, and teaching creative writing, having served as an instructor at various institutions. Her background in art history and her extensive travels frequently inform the detailed world-building present in her novels.
👀 Reviews
Readers consistently highlight Schwab's intricate world-building and morally complex characters, with many pointing to her ability to craft unique magic systems. The Shades of Magic series and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue receive particular attention for their atmospheric writing.
What readers liked:
- Character depth and development
- Original magic concepts
- LGBTQ+ representation
- Prose style and pacing
- Stand-alone novel quality within series
What readers disliked:
- Romance subplots sometimes feel forced
- Middle books in series can drag
- Some find the pacing too slow
- Character relationships occasionally underdeveloped
Ratings across platforms:
Goodreads:
- A Darker Shade of Magic: 4.1/5 (259,000 ratings)
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: 4.2/5 (487,000 ratings)
- Vicious: 4.2/5 (124,000 ratings)
Amazon averages 4.5/5 across titles, with Addie LaRue maintaining 4.6/5 (43,000+ reviews)
BookTok and Instagram communities frequently recommend her works for fantasy newcomers and seasoned readers alike.
📚 Books by Victoria Schwab
A Darker Shade of Magic - A magician who can travel between parallel Londons becomes entangled with a cross-dressing thief and a dangerous magical artifact.
A Gathering of Shadows - Former street thief Lila Bard competes in a magical tournament while darkness gathers in Red London.
A Conjuring of Light - The three parallel Londons face a battle against magical darkness that threatens to destroy their worlds.
Vicious - Two college students discover how to create superhuman abilities, leading to a deadly rivalry years later.
Vengeful - Five years after the events of Vicious, a woman with the power to control others rises to power in Merit City.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - A woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever but is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
This Savage Song - In a divided city where violent acts breed actual monsters, two opposing heirs form an unlikely alliance.
Our Dark Duet - Monster hunter Kate Harker and monster August Flynn face new threats in a city overrun by a new, deadlier breed of monster.
City of Ghosts - A young girl who can see ghosts after a near-death experience travels to Edinburgh with her ghost-hunting parents.
Tunnel of Bones - Ghost-seeing Cassidy Blake encounters dangerous spirits in the catacombs beneath Paris.
Bridge of Souls - Cassidy Blake's ghost-filled adventures continue in New Orleans, where she faces her most dangerous opponent yet.
The Near Witch - In a town where no strangers ever come, children begin disappearing when a mysterious young man appears.
Gallant - An orphan discovers her family's supernatural legacy when she returns to their ancestral home.
Everyday Angel - A series about a guardian angel helping different children through difficult life changes.
The Archived - A teenage girl works as a Keeper, returning the restless dead to a library of sleeping souls.
The Unbound - Keeper Mackenzie Bishop confronts her traumatic past while investigating disappearances linked to the Archive.
A Gathering of Shadows - Former street thief Lila Bard competes in a magical tournament while darkness gathers in Red London.
A Conjuring of Light - The three parallel Londons face a battle against magical darkness that threatens to destroy their worlds.
Vicious - Two college students discover how to create superhuman abilities, leading to a deadly rivalry years later.
Vengeful - Five years after the events of Vicious, a woman with the power to control others rises to power in Merit City.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - A woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever but is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
This Savage Song - In a divided city where violent acts breed actual monsters, two opposing heirs form an unlikely alliance.
Our Dark Duet - Monster hunter Kate Harker and monster August Flynn face new threats in a city overrun by a new, deadlier breed of monster.
City of Ghosts - A young girl who can see ghosts after a near-death experience travels to Edinburgh with her ghost-hunting parents.
Tunnel of Bones - Ghost-seeing Cassidy Blake encounters dangerous spirits in the catacombs beneath Paris.
Bridge of Souls - Cassidy Blake's ghost-filled adventures continue in New Orleans, where she faces her most dangerous opponent yet.
The Near Witch - In a town where no strangers ever come, children begin disappearing when a mysterious young man appears.
Gallant - An orphan discovers her family's supernatural legacy when she returns to their ancestral home.
Everyday Angel - A series about a guardian angel helping different children through difficult life changes.
The Archived - A teenage girl works as a Keeper, returning the restless dead to a library of sleeping souls.
The Unbound - Keeper Mackenzie Bishop confronts her traumatic past while investigating disappearances linked to the Archive.
👥 Similar authors
Leigh Bardugo writes fantasy with morally complex characters and dark magic systems. Her Six of Crows duology and Shadow and Bone trilogy feature thieves, assassins, and power struggles in fantasy worlds.
Holly Black creates urban fantasy stories about faeries and mortals intersecting in modern settings. Her Folk of the Air series contains political intrigue and antagonistic relationships similar to Schwab's work.
Maggie Stiefvater writes contemporary fantasy focusing on mythology and magic bleeding into the real world. Her Raven Cycle series deals with death, fate, and complicated character dynamics.
Laini Taylor builds multilayered fantasy worlds with detailed magic systems and forbidden romances. Her Strange the Dreamer duology explores gods, monsters, and the gray area between good and evil.
Neil Gaiman crafts stories that mix real-world settings with supernatural elements and dark undertones. His novels Neverwhere and The Ocean at the End of the Lane feature hidden magical worlds existing alongside our own.
Holly Black creates urban fantasy stories about faeries and mortals intersecting in modern settings. Her Folk of the Air series contains political intrigue and antagonistic relationships similar to Schwab's work.
Maggie Stiefvater writes contemporary fantasy focusing on mythology and magic bleeding into the real world. Her Raven Cycle series deals with death, fate, and complicated character dynamics.
Laini Taylor builds multilayered fantasy worlds with detailed magic systems and forbidden romances. Her Strange the Dreamer duology explores gods, monsters, and the gray area between good and evil.
Neil Gaiman crafts stories that mix real-world settings with supernatural elements and dark undertones. His novels Neverwhere and The Ocean at the End of the Lane feature hidden magical worlds existing alongside our own.