Books like a gathering of shadows

Victoria (V. E.) Schwab (born July 7, 1987) is an American fantasy author best known for her 2013 novel Vicious, the Shades of Magic series, and for her children's and young adult fiction published under the name Victoria Schwab.

The Guardian called Vicious "a brilliant exploration of the superhero mythos and a riveting revenge thriller". It received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which also named the novel one of its best books of 2013 for SF/Fantasy/Horror. The American Library Association's Reference and User Services Association likewise awarded it the top fantasy book in their 2014 Reading List. In late 2013 the rights for a film adaptation of Vicious were bought jointly by Story Mining & Supply Co and Ridley Scott's Scott Free Productions.