VICTORIOUS (Villians #3)

By

V.E. Schwab

Publish Date October 6, 2026

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5

A Long-Awaited Conclusion That Was Worth the Wait

There are some books that are incredibly difficult to review without giving too much away, and Victorious is one of them. I have been sitting on this review for a while because I really, really don't want to spoil anything.

And yes, I know I could put a giant SPOILER WARNING at the top. But fans have waited years for this third installment of the Villains trilogy, and I think you deserve to experience it for yourself.

So I'll keep this one spoiler-free.

What Worked

The characters.

This book does an EVEN better job than the first two of really defining the difference between a villain and an anti-hero. The characters continue to evolve throughout the trilogy, and in Victorious, that evolution continues.

They're complicated. They're flawed. They're sometimes downright terrible. And yet, Schwab manages to make them increasingly relatable as the story progresses.

The tension.

Holy tension.

Victorious starts strong and doesn't really let up. The stakes are high from the beginning, and the pacing keeps the story moving. There wasn't much of a point where I felt like the story was dragging.

After waiting this long for the conclusion, fans will appreciate that Schwab didn't waste time getting us there.

The timeline jumps.

If you've read the first two books, you already know Schwab likes to jump around in time. That continues here.

I'll be honest: this can take some getting used to. But I've found that the best way to read this series is to stop trying to figure everything out immediately and just go with it. Once I did that, the timeline shifts actually added to the tension and created that high-stakes feeling that works so well for this story.

What Didn't Work

My biggest warning is also probably the most obvious one:

This is NOT a standalone.

Do not pick up Victorious thinking you can jump into the series here. You need the first two books, and I would definitely recommend reading them relatively close together if you can.

Schwab also doesn't spend a lot of time catching you up. There are no giant info-dumps explaining who everyone is and what happened previously. I actually appreciate that, but if it's been years since you read the first two books, you may want to find a recap before starting.

Read This If You Like

• Villains who aren't quite villains

• Morally gray characters

• Anti-heroes

• Superpowers

• High-stakes urban fantasy

• Complicated character arcs

• Nonlinear timelines

• Stories where "good" and "bad" aren't nearly as simple as they seem

Final Thoughts

This was easily my favorite book of the Villains trilogy. This book has even more characters. Schwab managed to keep the gritty, intense edge from the first two books, yet it is somehow more fun.

And honestly? I think fans of this series will say it was worth the wait.

I know this review is intentionally light on details, but that's because I really don't want to be the person who accidentally ruins one of the biggest moments for someone else. There is so much I could say about what happens in Victorious, but I think this is one of those books where it's better to experience it than to read someone else's explanation of it.

If you've been waiting for this one, go read it.

Just read the first two books first. 😉

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.