V.E. Schwab
Science Fiction/Fantasy

A Rundown of V.E./Victoria Schwab’s Books and Upcoming Adaptations

Get to know V.E./Victoria Schwab's books and their upcoming potential adaptations.

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V.E. Schwab is the author of over a dozen books, all of which have been published since 2011, so…she is basically NONSTOP. To alleviate confusion, at least in the United States, V.E. and Victoria Schwab are the same writer; she publishes adult books under V.E. and YA and middle grade books under Victoria. I met her in 2018 and my soul nearly left my body. Several of Schwab’s books have been optioned for film or television. She frequently reminds her fans that film production moves slowly and that option is just that, an agreement between an author and a potential film producer for the rights to purchase a screenplay. There are a lot of steps to a finished film. This is simply a rundown because there are a lot of books and a lot of news out there and I’ve done my best to put it together for my fellow Schwab fans. The best way to get the most recent news is her Twitter account. She’s a great follow for writing inspiration and sheer, relentless work ethic on both Instagram and Twitter.

Shades of Magic

The story begins in A Darker Shade of Magic. Kel is a magician in Red London where magic is everywhere—in the river, in the air—and, most of all in, him. He is one of the last Antari, magicians with the power to travel between parallel Londons. Officially, he serves as an ambassador for his adoptive parents, the king and queen of Arnes. When an exchange of forbidden goods goes badly, he meets Lila Bard, a girl from Grey London, a London without magic. She saves his life and forces him to bring her to his world. With dark magic running amok, two must work together to save both Londons. There is also a comic series in this universe, The Steel Prince, that follows Maxim Maresh, before he was king. Threads of Power is the forthcoming sequel series and will take place five to ten years after the events of Shades of Magic. By the way, did you know that the special edition of A Conjuring of Light will feature a short story about Kel’s origin? Adaptation Status: It was recently announced that Derek Kolstad, screenwriter of the John Wick series, will be adapting A Darker Shade of Magic.

Villains

This series, which begins with Vicious, is about what would happen if near-death experiences gave people superpowers…but not everyone becomes a superhero; some people become villains. When Victor Vale and Eli Ever decide to become ExtraOrdinaries, they don’t realize how this decision will change both of their lives. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up with Eli to get his revenge. The series contains Villains and Vengeful (and is not completed). Adaptation Status: There is a producer and production company attached to the film.

City of Ghosts/Cassidy Blake

Cassidy Blake died but was rescued by Jacob, who happens to be a ghost and who becomes her best friend. She’s not quite alive and not quite dead. Her parents, who host a paranormal TV show and are fairly inept ghost hunters, travel around with Cassidy (and Jacob, who they cannot see) to all sorts of purportedly haunted locations. The series starts with City of Ghosts, which takes place in Scotland. This is currently Schwab’s only middle grade series. The sequel, Tunnel of Bones, was released in September. The next book is expected in 2020. Schwab has announced that the title will be Bridge of Souls. Adaptation Status: The CW television series adaptation will feature an older Cassidy Blake.

Monsters of Verity

In the city of Verity, a city whose violence has begun to breed actual monsters, Kate is a monster hunter, determined to prove to her father that she doesn’t need to be protected. August is a monster whose music makes souls visible. Their fates entwine and they must flee for their lives in a city that proves to be as corrupt as it is dangerous. The duology is complete with This Savage Song and Our Dark Duet. Adaptation Status: This Savage Song was optioned by Sony in 2016.

The Archived

The stories of the dead go to the Library. Histories look like the people they were when they were alive but they are not people. Sometimes Histories escape the library and Keepers like Mackenzie Bishop must find them when they escape into the Narrows, the corridor between our world and the Library. There are two books in this series and you can get them bound together as The Dark Vault. Adaptation Status: The CW series will focus on another family of ghost hunters.

The Near Witch

The Near Witch is supposed to be a myth, something parents tell their children to keep them in line. There are no strangers in the town of Near but suddenly, one day, there is. A boy with unusual powers arrives and the children start disappearing. Does the boy know more than he lets on? Or is the Near Witch more than just a story? A short story in this universe, “The Ash-Born Boy,” is available in the 2018 rerelease of The Near Witch. Adaptation Status: No adaptation news. Schwab also wrote the Everyday Angel series and the second volume of the Spirit Animals: Fall of the Beasts series, The Rise of the Guardians.