.#Review ARC #Giveaway Wicked As She Wants by @DelilahSDawson

Wicked As She Wants
By Delilah S. Dawson

Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages

Published April 30th 2013 by Pocket Books

Goodreads




The second book in the darkly tempting Blud series, featuring a vampire princess who embarks upon a dangerous journey to claim what is rightfully hers.

When Blud princess Ahnastasia wakes up, drained and starving in a suitcase, she’s not sure which calls to her more: the sound of music or the scent of blood. The source of both sensations is a handsome and mysterious man named Casper Sterling. Once the most celebrated musician in London, Sangland, he’s fallen on hard times. Now, much to Ahna’s frustration, the debauched and reckless human is her only ticket back home to the snow-rimmed and magical land of Freesia.
Together with Casper’s prickly charge, a scrappy orphan named Keen, they seek passage to Ahna’s homeland, where a power-hungry sorceress named Ravenna holds the royal family in thrall. Traveling from the back alleys of London to the sparkling minarets of Muscovy, Ahna discovers that Freesia holds new perils and dangerous foes. Back in her country, she is forced to choose between the heart she never knew she had and the land that she was born to rule. But with Casper’s help, Ahna may find a way to have it all….

Blud Series

Wicked as They Come (Blud, #1)
The Mysterious Madam Morpho (Blud, #1.5)
The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance (Blud, #1.6)
Wicked as She Wants (Blud, #2)      
The Damsel and the Daggerman (Blud, #2.5) 
 Wicked After Midnight (Blud, #3)           
 

Wicked As She Wants held my attention right from the beginning. A journey into the unique world Delilah writes about, and a delight to read!

In this next installment to the Blud world, things are changed up a bit. We find new characters and a returning character from the first book. Having read every book in this series, I find that I quite enjoy Delilah's writing style  and hope the journey continues on....

Casper Sterling is a musician whom, has crossed over from the human world to the magical world of Sang. He has an uncanny way about him that lures you into his mysterious world. When this book first opens we are thrown into a mystery, and find a beautiful vampire princess locked in a suitcases, drained, and basically dead.  Ahnastasia is found by Casper, whom sees him as food, but he manages to calm the beast within Anha. 

Anha is at a loss of what has become of herself over the past couple of years. She is feisty, and is determined to make amends and fight for her right back to her throne to become queen.

A journey is then set forth, as Casper and his young companion Keen, help Anha return home and assist her in battling a ruthless witch,  Ravenna.

Ravenna has eliminated almost all of Anha's Family and has taken over the kingdom of Freesia. Anha is determined to avenge her family's death and take over as Queen of Freesia, her rightful place. 

The journey to Freesia is long, and sends the characters into a world of trying to stay hidden amongst the vagrants. Traveling means come in the form of trains, and zeppelin's and a good portion of the book is spent on their journey within these vessels. Of course, there is a building romance and some swoony scenes throw in the mix.

 The ending was a bit climatic but not overly so.

The relationship between Anha and Casper is a growing one, and will change Casper, forever. 

I enjoyed Anha and Casper as a budding couple, and think they make a great match.  

Wicked As She Wants, was a little bit of a directional change compared to the last three books in the series. Although I enjoyed the character development, romance, and overall storyline, I found myself missing the original characters, more of the steampunk elements, and the unique way the author creates the elements of her "Blud creatures". I found this book to be just as well written, as the last three, just as engaging, but more of an adventure/romance. Not necessarily a bad thing, just different then the world-building of Sang. What I would LOVE to see in the next installment would be more of the unique creatures that Delilah incorporated in her first book, and of course keeping up with the fantastic writing that I find holds my attention right from the very first pages.

4/5 

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