What do you think?
Rate this book
Blud #0.5
Carniepunk: The Three Lives of Lydia
Set in the enchanting land of Sang, a Blud series urban fantasy short story by the winner of Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Steampunk, Delilah S. Dawson, from the thrilling Carniepunk anthology.
The question isn’t whether Charlie Dregs has met Lydia, a Sang riff on Lydia the Tattooed Lady, but rather whether the woman has even met herself. Enter the mysterious steampunk world of Sang, and prepare to be amazed.
The question isn’t whether Charlie Dregs has met Lydia, a Sang riff on Lydia the Tattooed Lady, but rather whether the woman has even met herself. Enter the mysterious steampunk world of Sang, and prepare to be amazed.
39 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2014
7 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Delilah S. Dawson
182 books2,882 followersDelilah S. Dawson is the New York Times-bestselling author of Star Wars: Phasma, Black Spire: Galaxy's Edge, and The Perfect Weapon. With Kevin Hearne, she writes the Tales of Pell. As Lila Bowen, she writes the Shadow series, beginning with Wake of Vultures. Her other books include the Blud series, the Hit series, and Servants of the Storm.
She's written comics in the worlds of Marvel Action: Spider-Man, Lore's Wellington, Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars Forces of Destiny, The X-Files Case Files, Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, and her creator-owned comics include Star Pig, Ladycastle, and Sparrowhawk.
Find out more at www.whimsydark.com.
She's written comics in the worlds of Marvel Action: Spider-Man, Lore's Wellington, Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars Forces of Destiny, The X-Files Case Files, Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, and her creator-owned comics include Star Pig, Ladycastle, and Sparrowhawk.
Find out more at www.whimsydark.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 7, 2018
Great little novella by talented writer Delilah S Dawson set in her amazing Blud world.
October 23, 2016
OMG.
My mouth is agape and I'm like wow. Didn't see that coming.
So good. So sinfully good. It's like that thing you have to have but know you shouldn't.... oh, but do it anyway....
What a twisted little tale.
I loved it.
I don't know whether I like the imaginative part or reality part better, but boy-oh-boy, I liked it.
see, and now I need more. I need, Wicked As They Come. NEED.
Listen, read the synopsis. If you think you might like it, you probably will and should read it. I think you have to be into the unusual, but that's a good thing.
My mouth is agape and I'm like wow. Didn't see that coming.
So good. So sinfully good. It's like that thing you have to have but know you shouldn't.... oh, but do it anyway....
What a twisted little tale.
I loved it.
I don't know whether I like the imaginative part or reality part better, but boy-oh-boy, I liked it.
see, and now I need more. I need, Wicked As They Come. NEED.
Listen, read the synopsis. If you think you might like it, you probably will and should read it. I think you have to be into the unusual, but that's a good thing.
November 16, 2019
I'm not entirely sure of the point of this weirdly miserable prelude to
Wicked as They Come
, but... I liked it?
I liked being back in Sang.
I liked seeing Criminy again - if only briefly.
I liked yet another unsuspecting human being attacked by bludbunnies (little vicious, but I am what I am?).
Which bodes well for the second in the series, Wicked as She Wants , because as mentioned in my review of Wicked as They Come , I really can't figure out what the hell I feel about Delilah S. Dawson and her bludmen.
Is it too silly?
Are her heroines TSTL?
Are her male characters a little chauvinistic?
Is there just too much bloody stuff happening in one fairly small book?
Am I overthinking this?
Am I not thinking enough?
And can my fear of sea creatures hold up against another Kraken encounter?
...
Nope.
Still don't know.
I might never know.
But I liked this short.
So... yay?
...
Fuck it.
I'll report back after WaTC .
I liked being back in Sang.
I liked seeing Criminy again - if only briefly.
I liked yet another unsuspecting human being attacked by bludbunnies (little vicious, but I am what I am?).
Which bodes well for the second in the series, Wicked as She Wants , because as mentioned in my review of Wicked as They Come , I really can't figure out what the hell I feel about Delilah S. Dawson and her bludmen.
Is it too silly?
Are her heroines TSTL?
Are her male characters a little chauvinistic?
Is there just too much bloody stuff happening in one fairly small book?
Am I overthinking this?
Am I not thinking enough?
And can my fear of sea creatures hold up against another Kraken encounter?
...
Nope.
Still don't know.
I might never know.
But I liked this short.
So... yay?
...
Fuck it.
I'll report back after WaTC .
May 3, 2024
Lydia ends up in Sang; an alternate world (I think?). There are bludmen (those who drink blood) and various carnivorous animals too (think bunnies, ie, bludbunnies). Point is, Lydia also very clearly has some sort of mental illness, so how much was in her head? Interesting.
December 27, 2014
I liked this short for the most part, but the ending was a bit disturbing. It also just made me confused about the world of Sang, since Lydia is clearly suffering from some kind of mental illness. I suppose that was the point though, the author wants you to wonder if Sang really is real or all in these people's heads.
November 22, 2015
Well that was twisty!!! This was a fun little sneak peak. I loved how it interweaves with things that I've read in Wicked As They Come. I love stuff like that. It was interesting and the end definitely threw me for a loop. Definitely enjoyed it :)
May 1, 2018
Would classify this more towards horror than sci-fi. Twisted sort of story.
March 23, 2015
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
October 20, 2016
This was a strange short story that packed a twist. A dark one, or not.
Lydia wakes up in a strange world. A carnival where there are vampires and others. And they say she is a stranger from another world. She meets someone and she sort of finds herself too.
Short and good.
Lydia wakes up in a strange world. A carnival where there are vampires and others. And they say she is a stranger from another world. She meets someone and she sort of finds herself too.
Short and good.
December 20, 2021
Gosh, I fucking love this story. I just revisited it 7 years after my first time reading it, and I fell in love all over again. I haven't read any of Dawson's other work, but my overwhelming love for this story makes me think that I should, because I absolutely adore her prose. Her writing is so damn poetic that I just want to print half of the story out and plaster it onto my walls—it's that good, at least by my standards. Right from the first sentence, she has me hooked (but then again, I'm a huge sucker for alliteration), and that first paragraph is just a gorgeous sampling of what's to come. Now here's a woman who knows her way with words! She effortlessly transported me to a beautiful, magical, treacherous world that vividly unfurled before my eyes as easily as if I was looking at a painting and not mere words on a page.
And that's just the words at face value—I found the plot and characters absolutely spellbinding. I don't think I can even come up with a set of adjectives that properly captures how dizzily ecstatic her story makes me feel, because boy oh boy, do I love Lydia & Charlie!!! I can relate to Lydia so much, and just like her, I fell hopelessly in love with Charlie in the span of a few sentences. With his kohl-lined eyes and gentlemanly tenderness and poor kicked-puppy social status... man, Dawson was really gunning for my heart. I love that while Charlie technically protects Lydia from Sang, she also protects him by defending him against everyone who acted like he's a mutt unworthy of love. They're two outcasts who become beautiful together and find home in each other's arms. Tragic and beautiful and oh so tragically beautiful—my favourite kind of story, because I love torturing my poor heart :') And holy shit, when Charlie strokes her hair and kisses her softly and touches her tattoos like he's worshipping her skin... I could feel myself being seduced through the page, whew!
Dawson also does a great job at foreshadowing Lydia's fate with . isn't particularly unexpected—in fact, I'd say the foreshadowing makes it pretty obvious—but what makes this story so amazing to me is Dawson's power to make you so emotionally invested in her characters. That is why I'm heartbroken & in love by the end of it. She twists the knife so damn deep by setting the story up so that it just so happens that when . It's the cruelest fucking irony and I'm 100% sure Dawson knew what she was doing to her readers' hearts with that. For Lydia, it seems like . The first time I read this story, I remember crying really hard at the ending because I thought . I'll definitely be reading this story again and again because it's engraved in my heart as one of my all-time favourites.
And that's just the words at face value—I found the plot and characters absolutely spellbinding. I don't think I can even come up with a set of adjectives that properly captures how dizzily ecstatic her story makes me feel, because boy oh boy, do I love Lydia & Charlie!!! I can relate to Lydia so much, and just like her, I fell hopelessly in love with Charlie in the span of a few sentences. With his kohl-lined eyes and gentlemanly tenderness and poor kicked-puppy social status... man, Dawson was really gunning for my heart. I love that while Charlie technically protects Lydia from Sang, she also protects him by defending him against everyone who acted like he's a mutt unworthy of love. They're two outcasts who become beautiful together and find home in each other's arms. Tragic and beautiful and oh so tragically beautiful—my favourite kind of story, because I love torturing my poor heart :') And holy shit, when Charlie strokes her hair and kisses her softly and touches her tattoos like he's worshipping her skin... I could feel myself being seduced through the page, whew!
Dawson also does a great job at foreshadowing Lydia's fate with . isn't particularly unexpected—in fact, I'd say the foreshadowing makes it pretty obvious—but what makes this story so amazing to me is Dawson's power to make you so emotionally invested in her characters. That is why I'm heartbroken & in love by the end of it. She twists the knife so damn deep by setting the story up so that it just so happens that when . It's the cruelest fucking irony and I'm 100% sure Dawson knew what she was doing to her readers' hearts with that. For Lydia, it seems like . The first time I read this story, I remember crying really hard at the ending because I thought . I'll definitely be reading this story again and again because it's engraved in my heart as one of my all-time favourites.
November 27, 2017
Huh.... You know how sometimes you find a story that just leaves you feeling confounded? Well that is what this tale does but in the best of ways. I am a fan of the Blud series and this was a fun snipped that happens before the first book.
We are introduced to a young woman named Lydia who wakes up in Sangland, surrounded by the carnival wagons. She happens upon Charlie Dregs who helps her along and becomes her guide. Now this novella is short but interesting.
Dawson is an excellent writer who makes diverse characters and Lydia is certainly a testament of that. Like others have said I didn't see that ending coming! BIG SPOILER.
It's very grim and quite grisly. I feel bad for her because she is clearly mentally unwell, in the worst sort of way. But I also feel like Charlie dodged a bullet. A girl like that could easily go Glenn Close on you. Spooky! This is a great snippet and if you like the Blud world then I would recommend you read it!
We are introduced to a young woman named Lydia who wakes up in Sangland, surrounded by the carnival wagons. She happens upon Charlie Dregs who helps her along and becomes her guide. Now this novella is short but interesting.
Dawson is an excellent writer who makes diverse characters and Lydia is certainly a testament of that. Like others have said I didn't see that ending coming! BIG SPOILER.
It's very grim and quite grisly. I feel bad for her because she is clearly mentally unwell, in the worst sort of way. But I also feel like Charlie dodged a bullet. A girl like that could easily go Glenn Close on you. Spooky! This is a great snippet and if you like the Blud world then I would recommend you read it!
July 31, 2025
This is a story set in the Blud world, so I was excited about checking it out. And wow, glad I did!
When Lydia wakes up in a strange and dangerous, but exciting world, she meets Charlie Dregs and agrees to become the Tattooed Lady. But nothing is as it seems...
Like I said, this is an amazing short story. First, I got swept up in the mystery of how Lydia got to Sang. Then, I was captivated by the mutual attraction between Lydia and Charlie. Before I feared about her safety. Until I was shocked to find out the truth.
Yikes!
O.M.G.
This is definitely a story I'll think about often. It's so well written, and so dark. A twisted fairy tale that I enjoyed. A lot.
Fantastic!!
When Lydia wakes up in a strange and dangerous, but exciting world, she meets Charlie Dregs and agrees to become the Tattooed Lady. But nothing is as it seems...
Like I said, this is an amazing short story. First, I got swept up in the mystery of how Lydia got to Sang. Then, I was captivated by the mutual attraction between Lydia and Charlie. Before I feared about her safety. Until I was shocked to find out the truth.
Yikes!
O.M.G.
This is definitely a story I'll think about often. It's so well written, and so dark. A twisted fairy tale that I enjoyed. A lot.
Fantastic!!
January 7, 2021
Not sure what I read. It was twisty and fantastical. Lydia wakes up in Sangland and Charlie Dregs is her guide through the carnival of strange world/people. Is it real? Is it a dream?
February 25, 2022
Fun intro
Read
October 24, 2023Hm. I liked the world. Not sure about the ending.
February 8, 2024
Achei deprimente que uma jovem só possa se encontrar em um ato contra si mesma. Uma fantasia que até seria interessante se não fosse essa questão.
February 17, 2017
3 1/2 - Loved the world building. Didn't see that ending coming and it creeped me out, in a good way.
October 4, 2016
Right after I finished Wicked as They Come, Twitter informed me that this book was free on XOXO After Dark until the end of the month. It's a super short story (all of 39 pages), and although it's technically the prequel to the first Blud book, I'm not sure much it would be appreciated if you weren't already invested in the series? As with WATC, the world-building is fantastic and lyrical, and you really feel like you're there, at the carnival. The romance is pretty unexciting, since Lydia and Charlie fall for each other immediately. There's a fair bit of action, and Lydia experiences a lot of violence for such a short story, but I did appreciate the continuity with the details in WATC, like explaining why the wolfman was no longer part of the carnival when Tish arrived, etc. I was going to rate this book 3*, until the twist at the end. It's incredibly dark and unexpected, but I loved it. I'm generally not a big fan of short stories, unless they do something surprising like that, so this is getting bumped up to a 4* purely because of the ending.
March 15, 2016
3.5 stars - It was intriguing and well written with good characters and a solid plot. However, it was a little confusing as someone who has not read anything else set in the Blud-universe and I am having a hard time figuring out where it actually falls in the timeline of the series.
I did like it enough to buy the first book in the series though so I guess that says enough.
I did like it enough to buy the first book in the series though so I guess that says enough.
September 29, 2016
This is my first venture into the world of Delilah Dawson and I enjoyed the story. I will look into the Blud series since I liked what I saw in this.
Lydia's "three lives" - The life she imagines, the life she dreams (or is it a dream?), and the life she actually lives (her reality.) I enjoyed the carnival world and liked the twist at the end of this story.
Nicely done.
Lydia's "three lives" - The life she imagines, the life she dreams (or is it a dream?), and the life she actually lives (her reality.) I enjoyed the carnival world and liked the twist at the end of this story.
Nicely done.
Read
February 4, 2015Not sure what to think about this one.
May 21, 2015
It's a wonderful tale. I was entranced from beginning to end.
January 7, 2016
I probably would have liked this story better if I had read more stories in this world first. As it was, I found the ending to be very disturbing.
October 7, 2016
A slightly sad reason for being in Sang. I am interested in reading more about these two. I really enjoy Dawson's writing!
January 19, 2021
I liked it for the disturbing mindfuckery a pretty fresh take on "a tumultuous romance"
December 15, 2015
A great story, but sad, and frustrating.
October 9, 2017
The world is engaging and enchanting, and I liked the variety and mystery the author brought to the idea of a carnival. The end was wholly unexpected and kind of upsetting. I hope to read more by this author.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews