Wicked As They Come (A Blud Novel #1) Delilah S. Dawson
Steampunk PNR
March 27, 2012
Pocket

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “Is it inevitable?”

“Only if you want it to be.”

Tish Everett has just come out of an abusive relationship. She is finally free after three years and has no plans to enter into another relationship that could take away her fragile new found freedom. When she attends the estate sale of a former patient, she finds an old locket that opens up to reveal the most delicious man she has ever laid eyes on. That night, Tish awakens, naked, to an alternative world and Criminy Stain. Criminy is a gypsy, magician, and a bludman. His owns and operates a traveling circus caravan, outfitted with the wonders of his world. Criminy claims that he placed a wish on the locket, a wish for his soul mate, and Tish is the answer to that wish. As Tish tries to adapt to this new world and to Criminy, she finds herself struggling to maintain a link to her old world. Criminy offers her a position in his caravan as a fortune teller when it’s revealed that his world gives her this talent. Glimpses into the future show her that she has some hard choices to make that could effect both their worlds if she isn’t careful. When her locket is stolen, Tish and Criminy set out on a journey that pits them against monsters, ghosts, bludbunnies; ultimately leading them to an evil that plans to use the locket and Tish to destroy Criminy and rid the world of his kind forever.

Wicked As They Come is the debut novel of Delilah S. Dawson. Ms. Dawson has a wonderful voice that hooks you with humorous sharp dialogue, smooth pacing, and descriptive details. An enchanting mixture of steampunk, fantasy, and paranormal romance, Ms. Dawson introduces us to a world that mirrors ours with some very interesting differences. Sang is a rich convoluted magical world where the past and future meet in a convergence of Victorian fashion and attitude, with dirigibles and submarines. Slight twists on normality give us cute fuzzy killer bunnies and humans (pinkys) and bludmen (blood drinkers) living side by side in a dangerous explosive environment of prejudice and fear. City names are just off enough to allow us to feel like we are home yet understand we aren’t. Though the world of Sang is a lush adventure begging for a more through exploration, it’s the characters who drive this story home. Charismatic and well drawn out, I like the effort Ms. Dawson takes to ensure that we not only know these characters but understand them. The beginning starts a little slow for me but only because Ms. Dawson spends a lot of time introducing the world and it’s inhabitants to us and Tish. Not that I objected but it’s not until the halfway mark that the action picks up and Tish’s adventure really starts.

There are three main characters in here. Tish Everett, Criminy Stain, and Jonah Goodwill. Tish Everett is a likable heroine whose actions and emotions are realistic for what she is going through. Called a Stranger, she is the rare human that travels to Sang through her dreams. Burdened with some heavy baggage and emotional scars, she finds herself somewhat overwhelmed by all that has happened. She has been dropped into an alternative world with a man who speaks to her at a level that scares her to death, she has no idea if she can go home, and she’s on the low end of the evolutionary food chain. Even the bunnies are more dangerous than her.

“Did you dream that?” he asked
“The rabbit? Sure, I suppose I did. He’s a cutie. Probably represents my kindness. Or innocence. Something like that.”
The rabbit sniffed my foot, nose twitching, eyes bright. I smiled. And then it bit me, sinking fangs into my bare ankle.

She is understandably upset. She adapts easier to the world and its inhabitants better than the romance. At times I found her fear of love and unwillingness to be honest with herself trying. She equivocates love with captivity and fights to avoid anything like that with a passion. While it’s understandable after what she went through, it’s still irritating at times. Even with her stubbornness, her intelligence, humor, and genuine joy of life is appealing.

Criminy Stain has to be the most delightful hero I have run across in a while. Born a bludman, he is like a vampire where he drinks blood but follows none of the other stereotypes. Though he is stronger, has a longer then average longevity, and can heal faster then humans, he is still alive. He can walk in the sun, and garlic, stakes, ect…don’t work on him. An alpha-beta mix, he is an naughty rogue who’s strong will, playful personality, and kind heart hides a romantic streak a mile wide. How can you not love a man who wishes for his own true love? And then waits forever for her to come, because his belief in her is that strong? When he finds Tish he instantly knows she has to be handled carefully. He delights her, confounds her, intrigues her and charms her. He knows he must keep her own her toes if his wish is to come true. I love he never demands but rather nudges her; wanting her explore and be everything she can without changing a single piece of her. Even if she chooses to leave him, he is willing to let her go because of that love. He’s not perfect but you can’t help but fall in love with him yourself.

Jonah Goodwill is a human and a Stranger like Tess. Having lived in Sang for 20 years, he has grown to hate it . As we divulge deeper into the story, his motives for hating it are given life.

The chemistry between Tish and Criminy is a sweet and romantic with a healthy dose of ribald humor. I love watching their romance unfold, never knowing what would happen. Ms. Dawson doesn’t make it easy for them but then as Criminy says, “Nothing easy is worth having.” There is a small love triangle that is a little bothersome but it is used more as a learning experience for Tish than anything else. There are some smexy love scenes that give you just enough then fade out and you are required to use your imagination. Thankfully, I have LOTS of imagination.

As we venture deeper into the plot, I found the adventure to be very appealing; sprinkled with action, suspense, and some lighthearted moments that keeps the story from becoming to serious. We see more of the war between the bludded and the humans which only further highlights the similarities between our world and this one. As I posted earlier, the first half of the book is world building and stage setting but the last half is non stop adventure as Tish and Criminy go in search of her locket and engage with a variety of characters and situations along the way that both help and hinder them. The ending is a mixture of danger and revelations as it answers some important questions yet leaves some things open to ensure we will be visiting this world again in the future. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Dawson’s work. If you looking for a unique character driven fantasy with a steampunk romance flavoring, then I wholeheartedly recommend Wicked As They Come.

Overall Rating: B

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