#Monday Review - Wicked Ever After (Blud #4) by Delilah S. Dawson (Steampunk, Fantasy)

Series: Blud # 4
Format: Kindle, 177 pages
Release Date: October 5, 2015
Publisher: Pocket Star
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Genre: Steampunk, Fantasy

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? 

Wicked Ever After is the fourth and final installment in the Blud series by author Delilah S. Dawson. In the world of Sang, half the population is human (aka Pinkies), while the other half are Bludmen/women. A bludman/woman in Sang is like a vampire in our own world. Only, bludman aren’t dead, they don’t feel cold, and they are basically a different race that lives on blud (“blood”) instead of food. There are also some terrifying animals that roam Sang like bludbunnies (no laughing matter!) who feast on Pinkies blood. Wicked Ever After comes full circle as Criminy Stain and his wife Tish Everett-Stain make their return engagements. It is also the last chance, perhaps, to see your other favorite characters as they exit stage left.

Tish Everett-Stain, a hospice nurse in our world, has been going back and forth between Earth and Sang to ensure her grandmother gets the best care she needs before she passes on. Time moves differently on Earth. It has been only a few weeks on Earth, verses 6 years in Sang. Tish has always hesitated in being Bluded by Criminy for fear that she can never return home again once she's no longer human. But, what if the reason for Tish going back and forth between worlds makes her own choice to accept a second chance at life? What if being Bluded is no longer a choice to be made by Tish, but by someone else and deemed an imperative by Criminy so that she survives?  

Tish has made a name for herself as Letitia Stain in Sang, but she's also faced difficult odds. She's still dealing with the witch Hepzibah's curse on her that takes away decades of her life that makes her look 60, instead of 32. She's found herself with powers as a glancer, or I dare say, a seer. Tish can see into someone's past and future with just one touch. But, Tish has hung onto her humanity for six long years knowing that once it's gone, it's gone forever. On top of everything else she has to worry about, Tish's grandmother becomes an entirely different person named Ruby after coming to Sang and being turned into a bludwoman. The she completely goes off the reservation which gives Tish a whole lot of hurt feelings.

Even though she's seen her own future as being a bludwoman in previous installments, she's always hesitated because of her grandmother. So, let's just say it and get it over. I am damn glad that Tish was finally able to accept that being a bludwoman was her fated course of action. She is an entirely different character as a bludwoman, and that is fine with me. Except for the whole family angst and anger issues on Tish's part, this story is exactly what it needed to be. Dawson listened to her readers, and gave them one final novel featuring Criminy, the rake, the strangely creepy Bludman, who loves Tish with all his Blud. One last novel with all the character that readers of this series either love, or hate, or have come into our lives and left even quicker.

I have, in fact, read ever single book, and novella in this series. I am happy that Dawson was able to wrap up this series in a rather unique, surprising, and shocking way instead of letting readers guess as to what happens to Tish and Criminy. Yeah, you're not getting any spoilers from me!  Series wrapped up. The End. Good-bye. Fare thee well. Buona Notte! 

**I received this book for free from (Publisher) via (NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

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