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Wicked as They Come (Blud #1)

by Delilah S. Dawson (Goodreads Author)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 1,411 ratings · 427 reviews

First in a steampunk-tinged paranormal romance series in which a woman is transported to a world filled with vampires and magic. When nurse Tish Everett forced open the pesky but lovely locket she found at an estate sale, she had no idea she was answering the call of Criminy Stain, from the far off land of Sang. He’d cast a spell for her, but when she’s transported right t...more

Mass Market Paperback, 395 pages

Published March 27th 2012 by Pocket Books

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Apr 30, 2013 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult

photo 8aa3d20f-c596-4f50-9783-78d182abaddc_zpscd0459b8.jpg

It all started with a locket...

I could picture it shining on some young lady's neck, part of an epic story full of romance and a Prince Charming who didn't turn out to be an overbearing, soul-sucking jerk.

3.5 stars. Wicked as They Come is not going to be a book for everyone. I understand why some people are completely enraptured, while others are not feeling the love. This time, I am happy to report that I fell closer to the enraptured side. Uniqueness is such a rare thing in fiction (it's al...more

34 likes · like · see review

Apr 03, 2012 Jill rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-4-5-5-stars, 2012-debuts, fantasy-pnr-sci-fi-romance

4.5 stars

She shouldn't have really taken the locket. But when twenty-five year-old nurse, Letitia Paisley Everett finds an antique locket in the house of one of her recently deceased patients, she's intrigued. Inside is a portrait of a man. Slipping it over her neck that night she falls asleep, only to wake up later, naked, (with the locket still around her neck), lying on a stone in the woods. Standing nearby watching her is the man whose portrait was inside the locket.

"You're here," he said si...more

30 likes · like · see review

Apr 06, 2012 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read my review here...

http://badassbookreviews.com/review-w...

or below.....

3 cups fantasy
2 cups paranormal romance
1 cup steam punk
1 tablespoon of historical fiction
1 teaspoon contemporary
A dash of time travel

Mix all together at once, add a touch of magic, a gorgeous alpha male, a woman learning to stand on her own two feet, and you’ll have Wicked as They Come. I LOVED this book. I’ve been hesitant lately giving 5 stars since every time I give 5 stars, I want it really to be a step above all othe...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Ceridwen, maybe Joel, NSP

Recommended to Elizabeth by: Jill

Shelves: reviewed, 2013, empowerment-by-bikini-wax, fantasy-sci-fi, hem-steppers-and-bodice-rippers, hi-ho-hi-ho-it-s-on-a-quest-we-go, in-by-of-the-americas, lost-in-the-steampunk-supermarket, vamps-and-other-mythical-beasts

I have been known, on occasion, to read too much into a book. It's very rare that I'm just going to let a story wash over me. Sometimes it's just because I'm interested in how the author created her universe. How did she select this period? Where might she have got that idea? Is there any connection to this other idea over here? It's how my mind works, in the identification and following of patterns. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.

This tendency can either help or hinder my enjoyment of the...more I have been known, on occasion, to read too much into a book. It's very rare that I'm just going to let a story wash over me. Sometimes it's just because I'm interested in how the author created her universe. How did she select this period? Where might she have got that idea? Is there any connection to this other idea over here? It's how my mind works, in the identification and following of patterns. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.

This tendency can either help or hinder my enjoyment of the book. This time, I'm not sure, and I'm going to recommend the book to others so that they can decide for themselves. This is certainly the most inventive fantasy/romance/steampunk/time travel/carnival/vampire book I've read in a while. The complexity of the concept does it a lot of credit. When was the last time you read a book set in the contemporary US south and also a alternate universe version of 1905 England where there are magicians, steampunk clockwork devices, and vampire bunnies?

Yes, vampire bunnies, although here they are called "Blud" bunnies, as the people who survive by drinking blood unlike the "Pinkies" who eat the way a reader would consider normal. The crux of this story is the relationship between the two societies: those of the Blud and those of the Pinkies and their uneasy success or failure to live side by side.

This is where the book got (1) interesting and (2) confusing for me. Was Delilah S. Dawson drawing on medieval history about the Jews in England? Relegating the Blud to ghettos and giving them a different language that they used among themselves, and described by the non-Blud heroine who is a Stranger entering this society to sound vaguely Eastern European or possibly something like Yiddish, gives one that impression. Especially with (view spoiler) at one point and the overwhelming fear of the Pinkies of the Blud because, well, they drink blood. How similar or not is this to the blood libel against Jews? And was all this deliberate on the part of the author?

I don't know. Maybe this is just what happens when you create a new idea from a lot of old ones? Maybe it was deliberate. Maybe an accident. Maybe we're going to learn a very valuable lesson about tolerance somewhere in all this. Who knows. And it probably isn't necessary to worry about any of it while reading the book. The book is fun and interesting for all the elements. Things that usually bother me in steampunk didn't here because Dawson cleverly adds the element of magic. For me, that means it's okay that the clockwork monkey behaves as if it has the programming of an animal out of Blade Runner behind it. You go, ~~girl~~ Ms. Dawson.

I'm still not convinced to read the next book in the series. For all the elements of the story that I liked, when I wasn't following distractions of my own making, there were elements that I found a little too contrived. The love at first meeting thing never works for me, unfortunately, and the (view spoiler) seems contrived and unnecessary. Still, it's a good book. If this is your thing, I'd recommend it, highly.
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Mar 27, 2012 MISS VAIN rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, paranormal-love, steampunk

"I would burn down the world for you," he whispered fiercely. "Your world or my own. I would rip down the entire city with my bare hands without a second thought. I don't need to taste anything else, I don't need a comparison. "

Wicked As They Come is magical beginning to an intoxicating new paranormal romance series, I can't wait to dive into the next one. My only disappointment with this novel is that the next book will not follow Letisha and Criminy, but it will switch to another couple, thou...more

28 likes · like · see review

May 24, 2012 Dija rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Dija by: Buddy read with Anzu and Aly! ♥

Shelves: mar-2012, could-have-been-sooo-much-better, great-disappointment, my-reviews, meh, read-in-2012, uf-or-pnr, waste-of-anticipation-energy, everyone-loved-but-dija, first-in-series

Wicked As They Come has the following endearing features:

1. The ever-useful love triangle clutch,
2. insta-love,
3. slow beginning syndrome,
4. unnatural and stiff dialogue,
5. contradictory characters,

...and the list goes on.

What I liked:

1. Putting aside how dull it was for a second, the beginning was very, very exciting to read because I kept feeling it would somehow lead to more. I instantly loved Criminy and how the story had a slight Alice in Wonderland feel to it. I was even sympathizing with...more

21 likes · like · see review

Oct 02, 2012 Guilty Pleasures rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: didi-reviews, publishersent

This review posted on Guilty Pleasures

Recommended Read

WICKED AS THEY COME is a refreshing blend of paranormal, urban fantasy and romance, consisting of words so beautifully crafted I could hear carnival music in my head and could clearly visualize the sights and sounds of the Caravan in vivid technicolor. I was transported to another world, a modern day world consisting of wonders of days gone by, steampunk elements, bludanimals, clockworck pets, vampires, a strong yet wounded heroine, quirky ye...more This review posted on Guilty Pleasures

Recommended Read

WICKED AS THEY COME is a refreshing blend of paranormal, urban fantasy and romance, consisting of words so beautifully crafted I could hear carnival music in my head and could clearly visualize the sights and sounds of the Caravan in vivid technicolor. I was transported to another world, a modern day world consisting of wonders of days gone by, steampunk elements, bludanimals, clockworck pets, vampires, a strong yet wounded heroine, quirky yet sexy hero, fantasy, passion, humor, magic, and love.

Tish is a nurse, taking care of her ailing grandmother and recovering from an abusive relationship. Tish finds herself in a strange land, where there are humans called Pinkies and vampire-ish people called Bludmen, cute bunnies called bludbunnies, who will eat you faster than a piranha and other assorted bludanimals. Tish has one goal in mind, getting out of this strange land and back to her grandmother.

Criminy Stain, sighhhhhh, is a Bludman, the charismatic leader of the traveling carnival. He is sexy, funny, and totally in love with Tish. In my mind Criminy is a sexy mix of Russell Brand meets Captain Jack Sparrow meets Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp).

Criminy and Tish set out to save the Bludmen, while on their journey Tish finds it hard to resist her growing feelings for Criminy. They set out on an action packed, at times gory, adventure that tests their strength, trust and the growing bond between them. The chemistry between the two is intense. The love scenes are quite steamy. The love scenes occur in the latter part of the book and in my opinion were paced perfectly for the story line. I cannot find one bad thing to say about this book, the epilogue was original and has me hanging off a cliff waiting to see what happens next in the wonderful world of Sang.

Before reading WICKED AS THEY COME, I had not read anything steampunk-ish, never thought I would want to. Maybe it was a spell Criminy Stain put on me while I was drooling over him on the cover, all I know is as I read the blurb, I knew, without a doubt, I would read WICKED AS THEY COME. From the first page, I was immediately drawn into the story and couldn't put it down. I was not even half way through it and was telling friends "you HAVE to read this". Now that I have read it, I definitely want to read more of the sub-genre. I can totally see WICKED AS THEY COME as a movie, produced/directed by Tim Burton with Johnny Depp as Criminy.

I recommend this book to paranormal, urban fantasy, and steam punk fans, as well as anyone looking for something different to read. I absolutely cannot wait for the next BLUD book from Delilah S. Dawson.

p.s. I want a Clockwork of my own! =)
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Apr 14, 2012 Anna (Bobs Her Hair) rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: PNR fans craving something different

Shelves: steampunk, fantasy, paranormal-romance

3.5...It's definitely creative. There's adventure, bludcreatures, and spiffy gadgets. There were many longing glances from Criminy and I wish the romance would have been stronger. Criminy's POV would have been nice. Leticia's character started out strong then there were times she felt a little flat. Still, it was an enjoyable story with a good ending.

Thinking, thinking, thinking.

***** edited for full review *****

Wicked as They Come combines sub-genres (science fiction, steampunk, and urban fant...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Cat Russell (Addicted2Heroines) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

If you didn't think it possible to fall in love with a gypsy king who has magic tricks up his sleeve and drinking blood on his mind, then allow me to introduce you to my newest fictional obsession, Criminy Stain.

He's a cunning predator one moment and a perfect gentleman the next. He's lively, charming, charismatic, and romantic. He's also ruthless, possessive, bloodthirsty, and dangerous. He's a well-rounded, well-developed character and I feel like he was made just for me.

Unfortunately, he's g...more If you didn't think it possible to fall in love with a gypsy king who has magic tricks up his sleeve and drinking blood on his mind, then allow me to introduce you to my newest fictional obsession, Criminy Stain.

He's a cunning predator one moment and a perfect gentleman the next. He's lively, charming, charismatic, and romantic. He's also ruthless, possessive, bloodthirsty, and dangerous. He's a well-rounded, well-developed character and I feel like he was made just for me.

Unfortunately, he's got his eyes, and his heart, set on Tish. She's pulled to him by magic and once they meet, he's determined to have her.

I watched him playing with the long blades of grass, weaving them into patterns as he hummed an unfamiliar song, a waltz.
"What are you doing?" I asked him.
"I'm letting you get used to the idea of me," he said idly.
"I'm pretending to be harmless. Is it working?"

She's understandably reluctant. Sure, Criminy is delicious, but he's also a bludman, or what Tish relates to as a vampire. And she's tossed into a world very different from her own.

Sang is a fascinating place filled with true magic, clockwork monkeys, dangerous Coppers, where even the cutest and furriest of woodland creatures are bloodthirsty predators with a craving for flesh.

Needless to say, she's disconcerted and for a period of time she's too fixated on returning home to truly appreciate the bludman in the magical top hat who will eventually win her heart.

"I would burn down the world for you," he whispered fiercely. "Your world or my own. I would rip down this entire city with my bare hands without a second thought. I don't need to taste anything else, I don't need a comparison. I always thought that when you came to me, you'd feel that way, too."

I enjoyed every moment of Criminy's playful dialogue, the imaginative world building and fantastic character development. This is an exciting, entertaining debut in a series that I look forward to continuing.

And now I'm thoroughly convinced that Delilah Dawson must have a magical top hat of her own. And from it, she's produced a magical world with magical characters accompanied by a magical romance. I'm hooked.

www.addicted2heroines.com (less)

34 likes · like · see review

Jan 03, 2013 Kathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, pnr-uf, series-opener

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Steampunk, pnr with explicit sex and lots of blood (but not too gory). No typos, minimal cussing (if any), no profanity. Nicely done! ツ
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This is book 1 of the Blud series. It is Delilah Dawson's debut novel and one of the better paranormal romances I have read this year. I also liked the shorter sequel The Mysterious Madam Morpho. Here is my review for the sequel.

Spoil-free synopsis:
One day in contemporary Alabama, Letitia Paisley Everett (her POV), a hospice-care nurse, fi...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Katie(babs) rated it 5 of 5 stars

There are certain times when I get the reading blues. Everything I read I fine boring or fails to excite. But then a book comes along and shakes you up and helps you jump start your reading excitement again. I recently finished such a book and if not for Fiction Vixen’s review, this book might still be languishing in my monster TBR pile.

Wicked as They Come is the debut by Delilah Dawson. When I first saw the title, it reminded me of one of my favorite spooky movie from the 1980’s, Something Wick...more

10 likes · like · see review

Nov 04, 2012 Kinga rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kinga by: Jill

Shelves: jill-made-me, sexy-and-lovely

Thou shalt not steal. No, seriously, thou shalt not. Just look at Tish Everett, she was just minding her own business, visiting her dying grandmother, moaning over and over about the break up with her control freak of a boyfriend and then one day she somewhat accidently steals a locket from an old house and before she knows it, she is transported to some phantasmagoric land where she is forced to join the troupe of a grotesque paranormal circus to avoid being eaten by vampire bunnies. Yes, vampi...more Thou shalt not steal. No, seriously, thou shalt not. Just look at Tish Everett, she was just minding her own business, visiting her dying grandmother, moaning over and over about the break up with her control freak of a boyfriend and then one day she somewhat accidently steals a locket from an old house and before she knows it, she is transported to some phantasmagoric land where she is forced to join the troupe of a grotesque paranormal circus to avoid being eaten by vampire bunnies. Yes, vampire bunnies – in the book called ‘bludbunnies’. This is the awesomest.

I would say that this whacked out world of Sang is the strongest element of the book. Dawson really knows how to transport her reader to some alternate reality and I’m even (almost) willing to overlook certain inconsistencies, like that she created an impossible ecosystem. See, in Sang there are pretty much no normal animals left in the wild. All of them have been turned into blood-sucking predators. That’s Ecology 101 – you can’t have an ecosystem with predators only. It’s said in the book that generally those vampire creatures won’t eat another vampire creatures, just like carnivores would generally not eat other carnivores. Unless, of course, there is nothing else to eat. Ok, so let’s say that vampire deer eat vampire foxes that eat vampire bunnies. What do vampire bunnies eat? They might get lucky occasionally, but there is apparently so many of them everywhere. What do they eat? Surely, there is not enough blood around for them to survive, which should cause the bludfoxes to die and then the deer, etc. Ok, never mind.

Now, the romance. First of all, Criminy Stain, our hero, is introduced as a ‘naughty Mr Darcy’ and I honestly didn’t get that vibe from him. I mean, a naughty Mr Darcy would’ve been great, but he just wasn’t one. Ok, he did kill a horse with his bare hands and ate it, but as far as our heroine goes he has always been sweet as sugar and professing his undying love from day one. For the record, that’s not cute and sexy, it’s creepy. Luckily, Tish agrees with me on that and dismisses it.

“I told him my own story, from locket to fainting. But I left out the part about how I was supposed to be Crminy’s magic mail-order bride.” Yeah, Criminy charmed that locket to bring him the love of his life. Dude, that’s just weird, stop it.

Generally, the love story wasn’t all that bad, but I would’ve liked a lot more push and pull. I would like Criminy to really be as ‘wicked as they come’, but he isn’t; eating a horse just doesn’t cut it anymore. I would like his love to grow at some sort of more realistic pace. But the sex scenes are good. Especially the one after Criminy ate a horse. It really turned Tish on.

I gave this review to my sister to read and she said: Great review. So… did you like this book or not? In case you’re also confused. Yes, I liked it. Come on, it has bludbunnies!

PS. I read this book as a part of challenge/project we have with Jill where I make her read some weird literary fiction (usually by people who ended up committing suicide) and she recommends me some fabulous romance novels in return.
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Jan 19, 2012 Rane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, first-reads-arcs-netgallery, keeper, paranormal-pnr

Set between two worlds our Earth and Sang- a world where objects have a strong steampunk flavor with clockwork, mechanical animals, vampires and humans living side by side in a dangerous world where prejudice against those who are different and everything maybe out to get you- like the vampire bunnies!

An author has to play it just right to pull off the parallel world plot and Deliah S. Dawson does just that by giving the reader a rich world in Sang. From the cute little animals we see in our w...more

20 likes · like · see review

Apr 11, 2012 Mrs.Norman rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Mrs.Norman by: Cat Russell (Addicted2Heroines)

Shelves: steam-punk, vampires, fantasy, magic, paranormal-romance, my-harem

Tish is a home nurse for hospice and since one of her patients passed on she's there sorting through her things. The family is selling all her antiques in an estate sale and Tish happens upon a beautiful locket. In some wierd way it calls to her, so she steals it. But once she opens it she teleports and winds up naked in a field with the sexy man she saw inside the locket who introduces hisself as Criminy Stain.

“I was startled when I saw him there, leaning against a birch tree. Seconds before, I...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 01, 2013 ~V~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Wow, what a unique and interesting book! Part UF, part PNR, part steam-punk all set in a strange world where there are Bludman (basically a vampiric race) along with Bludbunnies, Bludmares, Bludstags and Bludrats...creeeeepppy!!! Humans in this world are called Pinkies and they're a a downright rude and prejudice group of people! Then again, if you are being eyeballed to be someone's next meal, no matter where you go, i guess that might "harden" a person!

Sang, the name of this world, is crazy.....more

9 likes · like · see review

Apr 03, 2012 Melindeeloo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-romance, urban-fantasy, steampunk

4.5 stars - Tish, thinks she's still dreaming when she wakes to find herself naked in the presence of an oddly compelling man in a top hat, Criminy Stain, who just so happens to be the man pictured in an usual locket she's just acquired. She finds it hard to believed that she is actually in another world where there are lots if critters who think human blood is a yummy snack and that she's there because opening the locket triggered a spell to bring Criminy the perfect woman he's been waiting for...more 4.5 stars - Tish, thinks she's still dreaming when she wakes to find herself naked in the presence of an oddly compelling man in a top hat, Criminy Stain, who just so happens to be the man pictured in an usual locket she's just acquired. She finds it hard to believed that she is actually in another world where there are lots if critters who think human blood is a yummy snack and that she's there because opening the locket triggered a spell to bring Criminy the perfect woman he's been waiting for.

I just have to rave about Wicked As They Come, once the heroine makes it to the world of Sange, with its predatory vampire bunnies, I was totally hooked. I especially liked the early parts of the story set in Criminy's carnival where Tish learns about the world, meets her fellow performers and where she gets to use her newly discovered and rare ability to 'glance' and see the future. I loved the very unique world with its steampunkish trappings, and touch of magic and the off kilter characters that lived there really appealed to me. The magical gypsy Bludman, carnival master Criminy Stain was an interesting hero, perfect in his surety of his love for Tish, whom he calls by her full name Latisha, but with an edge of danger to him, because as a Bludman he is a predator too.

I would say however that story with its first person narrative and alternate world was probably more UFish in tone than paranormal romance that it claims, even though the story follows the one couple. Additionally, there wasn't much tension in the romance department since the leading man is totally committed to winning the heroine from the beginning - but that didn't really bother me because the pair have places to go and things to do and I enjoyed their adventure – and there were three love scenes (mild on the sensuality scale).

Others have mentioned that they were unhappy with the ending since it didn't explicitly connect the dots to the happily ever after for Criminy and Tish, but I thought that there were enough little things here and there and in the heroine's visions that I was happy and sure that they would end up together. So the bottom line is that I really liked Dawson's steampunk/paranormal/romance Blud series debut and now I can't wait for the next one – Wicked as She Wants which stars a different couple but has a character we've already getting his one HEA.(less)

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Apr 03, 2012 Mariya rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, steampunk

“I would burn down the world for you," he whispered fiercely. "Your world or my own. I would rip down the entire city with my bare hands without a second thought. I don't need to taste anything else, I don't need a comparison.”

Everything I heard about this book totally blew me away, even those totally sexy quotes made me swoon over this book. One thing for sure is WICKED AS THEY COME is a very different book, and categorized in a genre that I don't read very often, Steampunk. WICKED AS THEY CO...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 01, 2012 Ren marked it as own-but-not-read-yet

Shelves: rolling-my-eyes-at-the-cover, vampire, plan-to-read-2013, own-paperback, will-continue-read-it, do-not-finish-2012

UPDATE :

DNF for now. I will hold this one for a while. I like the world that so much like Alice in the Wonderland meet League of The Extraordinary Gentlemen. I love how Criminy Stain remind me of Bones. But I have issues. Especially with the heroine and the first POV.

********************************************************************

From the blurb alone :
Tish Everett has just left an abusive relationship to find herself and take care of her dying grandmother. When she inadvertently steals an a...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Parajunkee.com rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

PJV Quickie: A very different take on the usual Paranormal Romance, ‘Wicked as They Come’ was unique and I was quickly sucked into the world, but something about the romance wasn’t as scintillating as I would have liked.

Review

The premise of this novel blew my socks off. Alternate dimensions, people are sucked into the world when they are sleeping, in a coma or a vegetable. The alternate dimension could compare to the 1700s-ish – but they have a slight problem with vampires. They call them the Bl...more PJV Quickie: A very different take on the usual Paranormal Romance, ‘Wicked as They Come’ was unique and I was quickly sucked into the world, but something about the romance wasn’t as scintillating as I would have liked.

Review

The premise of this novel blew my socks off. Alternate dimensions, people are sucked into the world when they are sleeping, in a coma or a vegetable. The alternate dimension could compare to the 1700s-ish – but they have a slight problem with vampires. They call them the Blud. Everything can become a blood-sucking fiend – rabbits, deer, rats (yeah argh!) and the remaining humans have locked themselves up in cities, afraid and festering. Great concept!

The deliciously crafted heroine is Tish, an in-home care provider that happens upon an estate sale where she decides to pinch herself a locket that she finds stuffed in a book. The locket is quite interesting looking but will not come open, that is until she finds herself in another world, butt-naked and draped over a rock. Since she had been sleeping, she figures it a dream, especially when Criminy Stain steps into her clearing and turns her world upside down.

I loved Tish and was entranced by her take on this other world. She was very spunky and tough in that “normal” way (not the ass-kicking Urban Fantasy way). I enjoyed her interaction and her acceptance of the new world she found herself in. She actually enjoyed her circumstances – which I think is fun and different because most heroines are all lost in the “What, Whys and Holy Sh*ts” to stop and appreciate their interesting surroundings. I also understood the author’s focused transition, the point being that Tish had to step out of her comfort zone, out of normal and into the Blud world. I think the plot, the setting and character crafting was amazing in ‘Wicked as They Come’. Dawson crafted and excellent novel and I can’t wait to read more of her writing.

Why the low rating though? You are probably asking yourself. Well, the fact that ‘Wicked as They Come’ is a paranormal romance. Yet, the romance is where I found the story lacking. It all starts with Criminy Stain, at first impression of him — he screamed Jack Sparrow and he was just too much. He literally threw himself at Tish and then there was the journal that showed that they were married, so that sort of threw all tension out the window. On top of that, the description of his “claws” kind of freaked me out. I know Tish wasn’t bothered by it – but I was. Your hands I think are integral in a relationship, touching, caresses — “ah get away from me with those blackened claws”. Sorry! So, I was sort of pushing her to go for someone else, which rarely happens for me in a paranormal romance and because of this, the book wasn’t what it should have been for me.

I want to swoon over the hero and there was no swooning for me. My humble opinion leads me to believe that with a few tweaks and pushes to the right, ‘Wicked as They Come’ might have been better served with a little less romance and a bit more Urban Fantasy. I also wanted to see a bit more steampunkery, yes there were mechanicals galore, but I just didn’t get the steampunk paranormal romance vibe like I have with other greats in the sub-genre.

Recommendations:

Recommended for fans of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, this might not be a good transition novel with all the Bluds, but I think PNR fans will embrace this one with open arms – maybe Criminy will make you swoon. Romance means adults only.

Like This, Like That

‘The Iron Duke‘ (A Novel of the Iron Seas) by Meljean Brook
‘Soulless‘ (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger(less)

4 likes · like · see review

May 09, 2012 Carla *Jen7waters* rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, steampunk-reading-challenge, read-in-2012, did-nothing-for-my-lady-parts, annoying-female-lead, love-triangle-ugh

2.5 stars ... maybe
Okay. So this one kind of disappointed me, because I was expecting great new things from it and it turned out to be more or less the same paranormal vampire thing – it’s just that in Sang, where the story takes place, vampires are called Bludmen. Fancy.
My main problem with the book was the heroine, she started out okay, but then she just becomes boring, and I gradually stopped caring about her. The love triangle didn’t help (HATE THEM SO FREAKING MUCH) especially because both...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: wish-list, series-to-read

As reviewed on Read Our Lips:

This was a great book (amazing, love it, need to reread soon =D ), it´s Steampunk and a new take on both Bludmen (vamps) and Alternate Universe that i never thought of before.
Tish finds a locket (or takes, to be honest) that she just can´t resist but put on herself, and as soon as she falls asleep, she´s in another world where the mysterious Criminy Stain is waiting for her. He´s a Gypsy King, ruler of the caravan, and believes that she´s his soul mate. But back hom...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Steph rated it 4 of 5 stars

This one isn't like anything I've ever read before. The plot is outlandish, but fun and entertaining. A well written, image filled, and easy to read book, that kept me glued, at least at the beginning. A jumble of different genres, Steampunk/Witchpunk, Fantasy, Vampirism, and Romance, makes this one difficult to categorically define.

The male protaginst is not your run-of-the-mil hot brooding alpha male lead, you get with most bodice rippers. A mix between Willy Wonka and Merry Poppins, with a d...more This one isn't like anything I've ever read before. The plot is outlandish, but fun and entertaining. A well written, image filled, and easy to read book, that kept me glued, at least at the beginning. A jumble of different genres, Steampunk/Witchpunk, Fantasy, Vampirism, and Romance, makes this one difficult to categorically define.

The male protaginst is not your run-of-the-mil hot brooding alpha male lead, you get with most bodice rippers. A mix between Willy Wonka and Merry Poppins, with a dash of fabio for good measure. I don't think I've ever read a story with killer-blood sucking bunnies or caravans full of carnies. I don't normally equate carnies as being hot or all that interesting.

However, this good book does fail in one major way, and that's with its dispassionate tone. The interaction between the main characters and the dialogue just seems to fall a tad flat & emotionless. However, this might only be due to the style of the genre or the era that the alternative world it emulates. Either way, it was the main thing that kept this one from being a Top Read.

********
Trish is a down on her luck, after a rather bad breakup from an abusive and controlling man. After she finds an old beaten up locket at an estate sale, the world as she knows it turns upside down. Muddled and divided between two realities, Trish has to find her way home before all is lost, including her sick and elderly Grandmother. But can she leave behind the wondrous and deliciously handsome Bludman, who is quickly whittling his way into her heart? Alice has nothing on Trish, as she flips between her normal life, as a broken hearted & rather bored hospice nurse to a courted gypsy who has the power of foresight.

In Summary, this book is Incredibly imaginative and well written, but I often found my mind wondering, leading me to put this book down on several occasions. Simply put, the lack of emotion, character ARC (Somewhat Shallow), and heat between the MCs (it just wasn't believable), prevented me from embracing it fully. Those who aren't looking to commit to a whole series, will be happy to know that this books ends the current MC's story.

Warning: Sexual Content (2 scenes) and a bit on the Gruesome side

Similar Reads: The Native Star, The Greyfriar, & Phoenix Rising (less)

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 Rebecca ♥ Ash, Jem, Warner ♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of PNR, urban fantasy, historical romance, or high fantasy romance.

Shelves: adult, vampires, steampunk, romance, own-physical-copy, fantasy, magic, adventure, reviewed, memorable-men, favourites

This was incredibly unique and surprising. Leticia is a home care nurse coming out of a long-term abusive relationship and she is not looking for anything serious. But someone else is. Someone is looking for someone just like her. She is strangely drawn to a ruby necklace she finds at an estate sale of a deceased patient, and without really understanding why, she steals it! That night she wears it as she falls asleep, and she wakes up in a strange magical land.

She is found by a caravan gypsy ki...more This was incredibly unique and surprising. Leticia is a home care nurse coming out of a long-term abusive relationship and she is not looking for anything serious. But someone else is. Someone is looking for someone just like her. She is strangely drawn to a ruby necklace she finds at an estate sale of a deceased patient, and without really understanding why, she steals it! That night she wears it as she falls asleep, and she wakes up in a strange magical land.

She is found by a caravan gypsy king named Criminy Stain (sounds like a girl's name to me, but oh well). He is a Bludman. In his world called Sang, Bludmen are born, and besides drinking blood, their only similarities to vampires are their strength and longevity. When Leticia asked him if he was a vampire, and explained to him what a vampire was, he was rather insulted to be compared to something dead. He is very much alive and lives life to the fullest. It is a very strange world Leticia finds herself in, with Victorian dresses, magic, and clockwork pets, and where she suddenly has the power of a seer. And most confusing of all, is when Criminy tells her that she has been brought there for him.

He had his heart broken once when he was younger. Now he is 130 years old and still alone. So he put a spell on the necklace to go out and find him his perfect mate. But he never anticipated that she would resist. He just assumed that if she was perfect for him, he would be perfect for her. She is drawn to him of course, he's like a wickedly delicious version of Mr. Darcy, but he is not the kind of man she ever actually imagined herself with. He's just a secret fantasy. And at first that is what she thinks he is, a dream. Criminy is extremely forward and honest about his feelings, but Leticia refuses his advances. Then her necklace is stolen and she is stuck in his world. Together they must chase down the rich and powerful man who stole it and stop his plots against Bludmen. On their journey they have to fight ghosts, blood thirsty bunnies and jealous, backstabbing mermaids, and commandeer a submarine.

The world this book created is extremely unique and vivid, but my favourite part is the characters. Criminy and Leticia are not your usual hero and heroine. They have some of the familiar traits, but Leticia was really a damsel. She is brave and clever and kind, but she is not strong and never did any of her own fighting, and she cries rather easily. But I really enjoyed her character because she felt so real and genuine. And her and Criminy complemented each other perfectly. Criminy has a viscous side, like any blood drinking creature, vampire or not. But he is not dark and mysterious like you might be expecting. He is vibrant, exciting, and open, always making Leticia laugh with his magic tricks and crooked smile. They are an amazing couple. Criminy loves her so openly and freely, and although Leticia may not be there yet, I can see theirs becoming a truly epic love. I cannot wait for Wicked As She Wants. **The blurb has since been release and Wicked As She Wants will be about Casper, a musician from Criminy's caravan. I dont know if we will get to see Criminy and Leticia's relationship develop further.**

Warning that this is an adult book and there are a couple of sexy scenes in it, although it was not overly emphasized. I am very glad that this is one of few adult PNRs I've read where the sex does not overshadow the romance.(less)

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Feb 05, 2013 cEe beE rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: beautiful-quirky-love, monster-mash, my-kinda-hero, spirited-heroine

If you ever wondered what would happen if Alice fell in love with the Mad Hatter or Dorothy stuck around Oz with the Wizard, this book can give you a hint of what that would be like. In Wicked as They Come, Delilah S. Dawson writes a fantasical, seductive tale of adventure, and love set in a bizarre and dream like realm. I LOVE Criminy Stain and his wild world of Sang.

Ms Dawson's prose is ordinary, but the world building is highly imaginative and I often wished she lingered longer on details an...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Sabrina rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is probably closer to 4.5 stars (if that were an option) but alas I gave it a 5. I thought the world of Sang was extremely original and full of perilous adventure that included biting bunnies and not so innocent deer. The characters were wonderful and outlandish particularly the Gypsy King Criminy Stain with his circus caravan full of carnavillero misfits!! I absolutely LOVED Criminy, he's definitely as Wicked as they come; perfectly suited to scare the crap out of you one minute, enth...more

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Apr 09, 2012 DemetraP rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is a paranormal romance. The world was interesting with all of the animals being turned into bluds, so there are vampire bunnies and vampire deer and vampire horses, etc. There is a lot of prejudice against the bluds and that was portrayed.

The hero, Criminy Stain (terrible name but I pretended the author was going for Crimson Stain aka blood) is awesome. He is a romantic and created a necklace with a magic spell to find the perfect woman for him and bring her to his world. He is a mag...more

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Apr 22, 2012 VampireNovelFan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, favorites, paranormal-romance, steampunk, vampires, witches, urban-fantasy

My FAVORITE book of 2012 thus far!!

Yeah, those of you who follow me closely know I wouldn't throw that out there lightly, but there it is! I'd heard good things about the series but I wasn't in the hugest rush to read it. Man am I SO glad I got around to it!

Delilah Dawson introduces us to a new world through the eyes of Letitia Everett (aka Tish), a nurse who spends most of her time tending to patients in reality, including her terminally ill grandmother. That is until she stumbles upon this in...more My FAVORITE book of 2012 thus far!!

Yeah, those of you who follow me closely know I wouldn't throw that out there lightly, but there it is! I'd heard good things about the series but I wasn't in the hugest rush to read it. Man am I SO glad I got around to it!

Delilah Dawson introduces us to a new world through the eyes of Letitia Everett (aka Tish), a nurse who spends most of her time tending to patients in reality, including her terminally ill grandmother. That is until she stumbles upon this interesting ruby locket at an estate sale. Unbeknownst to her it happens to be enchanted, and once she falls asleep it thrusts her into an alternate world called Sang where she meets Criminy Stain, a rebellious gypsy Bludman (aka vampire) who has been waiting for her for a long time. After all, he's the one that had the locket spell cast to deliver the love of his life to him.

He leads a travelling circus mixed with fellow Bludman and Pinkies (aka humans) alike. Tish will fit right in as she realizes her powers as a Glancer, where she can see into someone's past and future with just one touch. It's a valuable ability and she learns her own fate when she touches Criminy, seeing her ultimate doom. Anchored between both worlds through wearing the locket, she can decide what she wants, but when the locket is stolen she goes on a journey with Criminy to find it. They face many enemies by land and sea, their ultimate target being the evil and manipulative Magistrate who hates all Bludmen and has a plan to eradicate them all from Sang. If they succeed, she must decide on a normal structured life or an unpredictable destiny with the person she was least expecting to love. Is Tish meant for all of this?

I won't answer that question here, but I can just say that I loved loved LOVED this book! Dawson has an amazing imagination and has crafted a truly unique world with the Blud series. I wasn't sure how much I could get into the world-building because Steampunk novels can be too heavy on the details for my liking. But she was able to harness it and describe everything effectively while still keeping my attention. I seriously don't recall being bored at all and that's saying a lot.

I liked that the Bludmen are really different for a change. Instead of being at the top of the food chain and rich like vampires in normal series, their race is oppressed and their people are considered second class citizens. Let's not even get into the topic of a Bludmen becoming involved with a Pinky. It's super taboo and usually the two races aren't attracted to one another (well, aside from Bludmen seeing them as food of course). Because of this I enjoyed watching the tensions mount between the two.

Criminy Stain. Just one word to describe him: AMAZING!! I just don't know if we can get enough of this character. He is so unique in a genre where it's only getting more difficult to separate the best from the rest. He's a born leader, honorable and adventurous; he cares about his people and hates that they're suffering, but even still he doesn't become emo and self-loathing. He maintains a great sense of humor throughout it all. I probably haven't read about a more dynamic character since Algaliarept from The Hollows. The only downside is that I'm not sure what the second book will have in store. The book doesn't end in a cliffhanger, but I just can't tell what's going to happen next for him since the second book seems to shift focus. To ignore this character is to ignore a goldmine. He's got potential to be a fan favorite, like a Jericho Barrons, Algaliarept, Jean Claude, Curran, the list goes on.

I think the love story between Criminy and Letitia is very well done and not too heavy on that sap. It's definitely more of a romantic adventure so a lot of the focus is on the adventure side of things, which is just how I like it. All the while the feelings build allowing things to happen at the right time.

I really wish this series came out bi-annually simply because of him. Maybe we can coax the author into writing up some short stories or vignettes.

This series is one where I would love to see a movie adaptation created for it. It could be a big hit, seeing all of this come to life.

*Review also posted to Amazon (less)

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Mar 27, 2012 Rebecca Lea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-new-releases, urban-fantasy, vampires, comfort-heartbreak, ibook

OH OH OH FOR THE LOVE!!! Can I give this fifty bajillion stars?! Please?! It's something new and fantastic and brilliant..

Oh Criminy had me at Hello, Love.

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 17, 2012 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book drove me insane because I really should have loved it and just... didn't.

I'm not generally a romance reader, so maybe that's part of it (although I do indulge from time-to-time). And I prefer my fantasy to be almost reality (urban fantasy) rather than dreamy Wonderland-like fantasy, so maybe that's another part of it. And I seem to be having issues with Steampunk which so far has impressed me with a lot of awesome images and a few good ideas, but little actual readable work. A few piec...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Deniz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, vampire, paranormal, favorites

The cover caught my first interest, I really like it, second was the title. Like it as well.
When I read the discribtion I thought this could be another vamp story as usual, still gave it a try. and I am so glad I did.

The story starts in our world and time, when letitia the narrator finds a locket in a estate sale of one of her former patients. Through the locket, which was enchanted by criminal stain, she end up in sang. A parallel world to ours full of blud creatures. while there her locket ge...more The cover caught my first interest, I really like it, second was the title. Like it as well.
When I read the discribtion I thought this could be another vamp story as usual, still gave it a try. and I am so glad I did.

The story starts in our world and time, when letitia the narrator finds a locket in a estate sale of one of her former patients. Through the locket, which was enchanted by criminal stain, she end up in sang. A parallel world to ours full of blud creatures. while there her locket gets stolen and criminy helps her hunt for it.

The story is quirky and different, there is a love triangle, adventure and the question of commitment

sang is a very different world with similarities to Victorian England. I love the parallel world that Dawson created, while it is new it's not completely alien but still very different and surprising
I really love criminy with his clear convictions and wicked sense of humour. He is a well accomplished, dangerous bad boy who is prepared to pay the prize for what he wants. While he is handsome and rather a bit of a superhero, he is not one of those to dye for perfect vamps, rather he describes himself as a preditor and so does the narrator. Wild and powerful.
letitia is a good hearted,genuine person who is still scared by her last relationship and as much as she is impressed by her two suitors she doesn't fall easily for them or swoons to their every whim. The choices she makes make sense and on her journey she slowly finds herself transforming and discovering more about herself and what she is looking for. While she is at times lost in the new and strange world she is a strong women not a constant damsel in distress
I totally could relate to her. her fears of being trapped in a relationship and why she made her choices.
Love the passage where she discovers how one cand be bound to someone without being trapped. It's not only beautiful it also is very true for me on a personal level

All in all, a really well told fun story that mixes many genres with great skill! (less)

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Paranormal Addict...: Wicked as They Come series - Delilah S. Dawson	11	57	Apr 27, 2013 09:53pm
Girls, Guns and G...: June 2012 BOM Wicked As They Come (Spoilers)	10	25	Jun 11, 2012 08:00pm
Girls, Guns and G...: June 2012 BOM Wicked As They Come (Spoiler Free)	9	14	Jun 10, 2012 01:19am
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About Delilah S. Dawson

Delilah S. Dawson comes from a long line of Roswell, GA natives. WICKED AS THEY COME is the first in her Blud series for Pocket/S&S, and a creepy paranormal YA, SERVANTS OF THE STORM, will be out with Simon Pulse in 2014. Delilah is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Georgia Romance Writers. She is also an Associate Editor at www.CoolMomPicks.com and www.CoolMomTech.com, where...more

More about Delilah S. Dawson...

Books by Delilah S. Dawson

The Mysterious Madam Morpho (Blud, #1.5)

The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance (Blud, #1.6)

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“Time to beat back the bunny hordes," he said gallantly,knowing that any blood-hungry animals in the area would be waiting outside for me.
He threw open the door, shouting, "Bunnies, prepare to meet your doom!” — 40 people liked it

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