Helpful Score: 5
I have to admit that I bought this book based on the cover. I rarely do that, having been burned one too many times, but this one just screamed Buy ME! So I did. To be honest, I went into it not expecting much but I was sucked into the relatable heroines world gone wacky right away.
Tish is just piecing her life together after a breakup with an overbearing alpha-hole. She spends her time caring for hospice patients and her ailing Nana and is living alone with her kitty and enjoying her newfound independence. While visiting an estate sale she somewhat accidentally walks away with an ancient locket that she cant resist touching. She takes it home, none too easily pries it open and red liquid pours out revealing the photo of a devilishly rakish man. Then she goes to sleep and thats when the lovely weirdness that is the rest of this story kicks into high gear.
Tish awakens naked and in a strange world called Sang where her locket man has come to vivid life. He tells her he is Criminy Stain and that it was his charmed locket that brought her to Sang after he sent it out to find the right one and that hes been waiting especially for her for oh-so-long. Tish doesnt take this turn of events well. Hes gorgeous and all but she thinks him a bit loony with his sarcasm and funny little fits of dancing. He then explains that hes a bludman who thrives on blood, which explains the pointy teeth, and that she must get covered up from head to toe ASAP because shes a pinkie and the bludbunnies(!) of his world would love nothing more than to feast upon her lovely flesh. And because shes a stranger in his dangerous world, the coppers will also be out to get her. He brings her back to his travelling caravan where she is dressed in lovely Victorian garb and given a place as a fortune teller. Criminy has discovered that she is a glancer and can read people with just a touch. He proceeds to declare his joy at finding her but she is not so easily taken by his pretty face. At least not right away. She wants to go home and shes crushing on another sensitive, hunky pinkie shes met in the caravan. Her reactions and confused feelings are believable and I loved the fact that she didnt fall all over Criminy immediately even though she admits (if only to herself) that she finds him too seductive for own good. Poor Tish!
This book surprised me in many ways with not only its quirky world filled with clockwork animals and bloodsucking beasts but also with the way the author handled the building of Criminy and Tishs relationship. Oftentimes I wasnt sure how it would all end. But its Criminy, of course, who really steals the show. He is adorably sweet and sarcastic and seems so very lonely but he also has a dangerous, darker side and takes care of his people. Hes devoted and 100% committed to Tish from the moment they meet. This love at first sight thing will usually set my teeth on edge but here it worked because in a nifty twist its the heroine who is uncertain about her feelings and they have to work at making it all work. Or as Criminy laments nothing worth having ever comes easy. They also both have a wicked sense of humor and spend a lot of time laughing like maniacs. This completely charmed me. I wish more fictional characters would laugh like idiots over silliness. It clearly proved just how much they enjoyed being with each other.
The last part of the book was filled with adventure and the ending wasnt tied up all nice and neat like with a pretty pink bow which I appreciated. The only thing keeping this from a full 5 star rating comes down to my aversion to too much action-adventure. I would have preferred a little less adventure in the last half and a little more time spent getting to know the folks in the caravan better. But who knows, that may happen in the upcoming sequel which tells the story of hunky musician Casper Sterling. I cant wait to find out!
Tish is just piecing her life together after a breakup with an overbearing alpha-hole. She spends her time caring for hospice patients and her ailing Nana and is living alone with her kitty and enjoying her newfound independence. While visiting an estate sale she somewhat accidentally walks away with an ancient locket that she cant resist touching. She takes it home, none too easily pries it open and red liquid pours out revealing the photo of a devilishly rakish man. Then she goes to sleep and thats when the lovely weirdness that is the rest of this story kicks into high gear.
Tish awakens naked and in a strange world called Sang where her locket man has come to vivid life. He tells her he is Criminy Stain and that it was his charmed locket that brought her to Sang after he sent it out to find the right one and that hes been waiting especially for her for oh-so-long. Tish doesnt take this turn of events well. Hes gorgeous and all but she thinks him a bit loony with his sarcasm and funny little fits of dancing. He then explains that hes a bludman who thrives on blood, which explains the pointy teeth, and that she must get covered up from head to toe ASAP because shes a pinkie and the bludbunnies(!) of his world would love nothing more than to feast upon her lovely flesh. And because shes a stranger in his dangerous world, the coppers will also be out to get her. He brings her back to his travelling caravan where she is dressed in lovely Victorian garb and given a place as a fortune teller. Criminy has discovered that she is a glancer and can read people with just a touch. He proceeds to declare his joy at finding her but she is not so easily taken by his pretty face. At least not right away. She wants to go home and shes crushing on another sensitive, hunky pinkie shes met in the caravan. Her reactions and confused feelings are believable and I loved the fact that she didnt fall all over Criminy immediately even though she admits (if only to herself) that she finds him too seductive for own good. Poor Tish!
This book surprised me in many ways with not only its quirky world filled with clockwork animals and bloodsucking beasts but also with the way the author handled the building of Criminy and Tishs relationship. Oftentimes I wasnt sure how it would all end. But its Criminy, of course, who really steals the show. He is adorably sweet and sarcastic and seems so very lonely but he also has a dangerous, darker side and takes care of his people. Hes devoted and 100% committed to Tish from the moment they meet. This love at first sight thing will usually set my teeth on edge but here it worked because in a nifty twist its the heroine who is uncertain about her feelings and they have to work at making it all work. Or as Criminy laments nothing worth having ever comes easy. They also both have a wicked sense of humor and spend a lot of time laughing like maniacs. This completely charmed me. I wish more fictional characters would laugh like idiots over silliness. It clearly proved just how much they enjoyed being with each other.
The last part of the book was filled with adventure and the ending wasnt tied up all nice and neat like with a pretty pink bow which I appreciated. The only thing keeping this from a full 5 star rating comes down to my aversion to too much action-adventure. I would have preferred a little less adventure in the last half and a little more time spent getting to know the folks in the caravan better. But who knows, that may happen in the upcoming sequel which tells the story of hunky musician Casper Sterling. I cant wait to find out!
Helpful Score: 1
Hard to explain what I loved about this book but I guess it is the slightly off kilter people/places.
I love Criminy. He's just off enough. The whole set up of this story reminds me of other favorite books/places/people. Some of those are Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland and little Gene Wilder from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. There is a bit of steampunk with clockwork creatures and vampires (bludmen).
The ending was not exactly HEA but struck me as the more realistic compromise that two reasonable adults who love each other would come to (realistic in the "reality" of the book:lol:)
Really am looking forward to the next in the series "Wicked As She Wants" in 2013.
I love Criminy. He's just off enough. The whole set up of this story reminds me of other favorite books/places/people. Some of those are Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland and little Gene Wilder from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. There is a bit of steampunk with clockwork creatures and vampires (bludmen).
The ending was not exactly HEA but struck me as the more realistic compromise that two reasonable adults who love each other would come to (realistic in the "reality" of the book:lol:)
Really am looking forward to the next in the series "Wicked As She Wants" in 2013.
Helpful Score: 1
The instant I read the blurb on this book, I put it on my wishlist as I knew I would love it. Steampunk, alternate world, Bludmen (vampires)--wow- right up my alley, what's not to like. I loved the world building of this alternate world but I never felt a spark of connection between the characters. They were rather blah which is sad as I felt this series had the makings of an awesome trip to a new universe. Instead it was rather flat. That said, I'll still probably read the next book in the series but will probably get it second hand rather than forking out my money for another ho-hum book.
Helpful Score: 1
Previous to this book I had read Dawsons YA book Servants of the Storm and really enjoyed it a lot. This is the first book in Dawsons Blud series and is the first of three books in this series. It was a well done steampunk romance with gothic overtones.
Tish is a nurse recovering from a bad relationship with an abusive and domineering boyfriend. Then one day at an estate sale she is drawn to a strange locket; little does she know when she opens it she will be answering the call of the bludman Criminy Stain in the land of Sang. In Sang there are people like Tish, called Pinkies, and Bludmen (who live off of blood but really arent anything like your traditional vampire). They have trouble coexisting and Tish and Criminy are drawn into their politics. Additionally when Tishs locket gets stolen she loses her only way back home to her old life, she is determined to get the locket back.
There was a lot I really loved about this book. I loved the idea of the world of Sang, where everything has gone a bit wrong and many creatures live off of blood. Nothing is what it seems in Sang and it reminded me of a very dark and twisted Wonderland of sorts.
I also really loved Criminy as a character; he runs a circus in Sang and is a bit creepy. At the same time his ideals, the respect with which he treats Tish, and his general swooniness are very fun to read about. He is a wonderful lead man for this book and just perfect.
Tish was an excellent heroine as well. As a nurse she has a very nurturing side, but in Sang she gets to explore a more mystical side to herself. I thought it was interesting how she was kind of living two lives throughout the book and working to make everything work out for her.
This book is primarily a romance with a lot of steampunk elements. However, the world-building was amazing as well and there is an excellent story to go with the romance. Tish and Criminy have great chemistry together; however I wish some of the scenes between them were a bit more just...well-written. There were scenes in this book that could have been absolutely engrossing but they ended up being just good because of how they were written.
The book ties up in a way that is realistic and interesting, but not exactly the type of happy ending I was hoping for. It does match the dark and gothic tone of the book well though.
Overall I enjoyed this book and will most likely read the rest of the series. I loved the world-building here and really loved the world of Sang. I also enjoy Tish and Criminy as characters. The book is well written and engaging. This book will remind readers of a lot of other steampunk romances out there; although this book has a bit more of fantasy element to it. If you enjoy Calihans Darkest London series or McMasters London Steampunk series I think you would enjoy this book as well.
Tish is a nurse recovering from a bad relationship with an abusive and domineering boyfriend. Then one day at an estate sale she is drawn to a strange locket; little does she know when she opens it she will be answering the call of the bludman Criminy Stain in the land of Sang. In Sang there are people like Tish, called Pinkies, and Bludmen (who live off of blood but really arent anything like your traditional vampire). They have trouble coexisting and Tish and Criminy are drawn into their politics. Additionally when Tishs locket gets stolen she loses her only way back home to her old life, she is determined to get the locket back.
There was a lot I really loved about this book. I loved the idea of the world of Sang, where everything has gone a bit wrong and many creatures live off of blood. Nothing is what it seems in Sang and it reminded me of a very dark and twisted Wonderland of sorts.
I also really loved Criminy as a character; he runs a circus in Sang and is a bit creepy. At the same time his ideals, the respect with which he treats Tish, and his general swooniness are very fun to read about. He is a wonderful lead man for this book and just perfect.
Tish was an excellent heroine as well. As a nurse she has a very nurturing side, but in Sang she gets to explore a more mystical side to herself. I thought it was interesting how she was kind of living two lives throughout the book and working to make everything work out for her.
This book is primarily a romance with a lot of steampunk elements. However, the world-building was amazing as well and there is an excellent story to go with the romance. Tish and Criminy have great chemistry together; however I wish some of the scenes between them were a bit more just...well-written. There were scenes in this book that could have been absolutely engrossing but they ended up being just good because of how they were written.
The book ties up in a way that is realistic and interesting, but not exactly the type of happy ending I was hoping for. It does match the dark and gothic tone of the book well though.
Overall I enjoyed this book and will most likely read the rest of the series. I loved the world-building here and really loved the world of Sang. I also enjoy Tish and Criminy as characters. The book is well written and engaging. This book will remind readers of a lot of other steampunk romances out there; although this book has a bit more of fantasy element to it. If you enjoy Calihans Darkest London series or McMasters London Steampunk series I think you would enjoy this book as well.
