Sang For The Win!

My love affair with the Blud series began last year when I read Wicked As They Come and was introduced to the incomparable Criminy Stain and his clockwork caravan. Two novellas and a much-anticipated sequel later, the affair is still going strong. I adore the world of Sang. It's one of my favorite places to visit as a reader, so when I received my ARC for book two, WICKED AS SHE WANTS, I was a very happy bludbunny.

Before I dive into my review, I must first say this: WICKED AS SHE WANTS is not the continuing adventures of Criminy Stain and his lady-love, Tish. Yes I know, we all want more Criminy, and maybe someday Delilah S. Dawson will grant our wish, but for now, we must content ourselves with Criminy/Tish guest appearances. Not to worry, though. You'll still get a kickass story without them.

Okay, now that we've cleared up who the book isn't about....

WICKED AS SHE WANTS is the tale of Blud princess Ahnastasia and washed-up musician-slash-Stranger, Casper Sterling (whom we first met in book one). Their paths cross purely by chance, and after some initial death threats and much arguing back and forth, Ahna convinces Casper to escort her home to Freesia so she can reclaim the throne that is rightfully hers. Casper reluctantly agrees, and with Casper's young friend Keen in tow, they set off on a life-altering journey through Sangland and beyond.

I enjoyed the heck out of Ahna. She starts out as the typical spoiled, arrogant royal, with people skills that leave much to be desired and a view of the world that is limited at best. And so ruthless, too! She's a Bludwoman with a predator's killer instincts, and I got a hugest kick out of all the violent thoughts that swirled through her head. I also loved that she didn't lose that side of herself over the course of the story. She softened up in other areas and yes, her horizons broadened considerably, but that aspect of her personality remained.

As for Casper, what a surprise he turned out to be! He gets kind of a slow start in the beginning of the book (not in every scene) and then WHAM, suddenly there he is, front and center. Is he as awesomesauce as Criminy Stain? Frankly, no, but he's a damn close second. There's a lot more to Casper than we saw in Wicked As They Come, and I loved discovering all the different sides of him. He is, by turns, brooding, gentle, daring, and when he gets his sexy alpha male on, whoa mama! SWOON ALERT! Ahna is a very lucky woman :P

Keen is also fantastic (honestly, I don't think Delilah knows how to write bad characters) and I hope she gets her own story someday, because she would totally rock it.

As always, the world-building is excellent. I really like the mix of paranormal and steampunk elements this series provides, and I think in this book, even more than the last one, I felt just how big, exciting and dangerous Sang really is. The descriptive passages were great, too. I could picture every person and place in my mind's eye in vivid, Technicolor detail.

Needless to say, WICKED AS SHE WANTS was a hit for me. If you haven't already discovered this incredible series, now is the time to start - and be sure to read the novellas too! Anything Blud is good :)

4.5 Stars ★★★★1/2
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.