REVIEW: Wicked Ever After by Delilah S. Dawson

In Wicked Ever After (Blud #4) by Delilah S. Dawson, Letitia ‘Tish’ Stain feels as though she’s been living two lives over the past six or so years. She has her married life with Bludman and caravan ringmaster Criminy Stain in the world of Sang, and her other life as a hospice nurse in modern day earth with her beloved grandmother. Once there is no longer anything left that can help her cancer stricken grandmother, Tish knows she will stay permanently in Sang and begin her life as a Bludwoman.

“I wish to share my life with you, and I long to give you my blud, but it’s not some knee-jerk reaction to trouble. This is your life. And you’ve resisted being bludded for half a decade. I’ll not have you resenting me for a choice you made when you weren’t seeing clearly.”

Tish and Criminy find themselves in more danger than normal when her grandmother is brought to Sang and gets tangled up with an evil being. It will take all of their resources and strength to overcome their challenges both within the caravan and inside London. Tish will have to make some decisions about her future and proving her devotion to Criminy, before her choices are taken away from her completely.

“Criminy?” I whispered, and the door opened quietly as he slipped in.
“What do you wish, love?” His voice was a sweet whisper in the dark…
“Just hold me,” I said. “Make it right again.”

Tish and Criminy finally got their Wicked Ever After in the last full installment of the Blud series. Now, Steampunk novels are known for being adventurous, but this duo’s crazy journey brought the genre to new and exciting heights.

First off, I highly suggest reading at least Tish and Criminy’s story in book one, Wicked as They Come, before this book or you won’t have a true sense of who they are and what they’ve been through together. Secondly, I know Steampunk is not for everyone. But if you’re a fan of the genre, then I think this entire Blud series is definitely worth a go. Delilah S. Dawson has created an intriguing world full of absolutely compelling characters.

I don’t know about other Blud fans out there, but I so do love Criminy Stain. He had that smooth British way of using endearments that sounded so sexy in conversation, like: ‘my best love’ or ‘my darling one’. *swoon* But Criminy was also a Bludman, so he was dark, mysterious and could fight his own battles. His bad boy persona worked so well with Tish where she was kind and caring, but was still strong. I thought they balanced each other out exceedingly well without losing all the chemistry between them.

There was a lot going on in the plot for such a relatively short novel (just under two hundred pages) but the pace didn’t seem rushed to me. We got to see an assortment of previous characters and there were lots of happy moments to enjoy. I’ll admit I wasn’t completely satisfied with how things ended up with Tish’s grandmother, not that it ended badly, but I was hoping for a bit more about the two of them together when this flashed forward several years in the epilogue. However, things were still wrapped up nicely overall.

I don’t think Steampunk fans will be able to turn down this charming romance that was filled with all of the elements (and characters!) we’ve grown to love over the course of this series.

Book Info:

Publication: Published October 5th 2015 | by Pocket Star | Blud #4

Delilah S. Dawson’s award-winning Blud series comes full circle as Tish and Criminy, stars of Wicked as They Come, embark on a sexy and harrowing final adventure in a world RT Book Reviews called “delightfully edgy with hidden charms.”

Ever since landing in the magical world of Sang and falling in love with dashing ringmaster Criminy Stain, Tish has been waiting for the axe to fall. Until her dying grandmother’s last breath on Earth, Tish can’t bring herself to give up her all-too human frailty and commit to life on Sang as a youthful, long-lived Bludman like her handsome husband. But when a peculiar twist of fate delivers Tish’s grandmother to Sang, an unexpected chain of events forces Tish and Criminy to embark on one last wild adventure. From old friends to new and into the lair of terrifying enemies, the couple’s love and longevity will be pushed to the brink by each harrowing encounter. Is blud thicker than blood, and can Tish and Crim find their wicked ever after?