V. E. Schwab

V.E. Schwab is an American author of fantasy, science fiction, and horror whose novels span multiple genres and age groups with inventive worldbuilding, compelling characters, and prose that is both elegant and propulsive. Writing as both V.E. Schwab and Victoria Schwab, she has become one of the most popular and prolific fantasy authors of her generation. Born in 1987, Schwab grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and studied at Washington University in St. Louis. She has spoken openly about living with chronic illness and about the importance of representation in fiction. A Darker Shade of Magic (2015) was her breakout — the first book in the Shades of Magic trilogy, set in a world where four parallel Londons exist side by side, each with a different relationship to magic. The trilogy, completed with A Gathering of Shadows and A Conjuring of Light, was a critical and commercial success, praised for its inventive premise, its vivid worldbuilding, and its complex characters. Vicious (2013) and Vengeful (2018), the Villains duology, explored what happens when two college friends develop superpowers — and one becomes a hero while the other becomes a villain. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (2020) was her biggest commercial success — the story of a woman who makes a deal with the devil to live forever but is forgotten by everyone she meets. The novel spent months on the New York Times bestseller list. Schwab has also written numerous young adult and middle grade novels, including the Cassidy Blake series and the City of Ghosts books, alongside standalone works and short fiction. The audiobook editions of Schwab's novels are immersive and atmospheric, with narrators bringing her richly imagined worlds to vivid life. Her books and audiobooks are essential for fantasy readers who love inventive worldbuilding, morally complex characters, and stories that blur the boundaries between hero and villain.