Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Wicked and the Willing by Lianyu Tan

4 reviews

tig_'s review against another edition

challenging dark tense

5.0

Christ, this book. I feel like it is very under-identified as a horror because make no mistake, THIS IS A HORROR. Mentally, emotionally, and physically. It goes hard. 

It. Was. Awesome. I loved reading an interpretation of vampires as *actual monsters* instead of the sparkly sexy undead, and my god are they monsters. The author is masterful in the slow unveiling of the villain’s true evilness; you are beguiled down the path, shown instead of told, just like the protagonist.

For those who like audiobooks, the narrator does a fantastic job — adding to the book instead of merely reading it out loud. 

If you are a sensitive reader, pay close attention to the content warnings at the beginning of the book. They are accurate but not all inclusive either. I’ve added as many to this review as came to mind for me. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Death of parent

sofipitch's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book is both indulgent and intelligent. It also handles themes of colonialism, race, and abusive relationships, while also still being an entertaining horror erotica? I feel like nothing captures the way the book toes the line than the fact that there are two endings, you can chose how you'd want it to end. I feel like the ending with Verity is how the book would end, while the Po Lam ending is the fanfic fix it ending 😂 Well written and made with a lot of love

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

readsbymoonlight's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting

Minor: Child abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, and Classism

happily_undignified's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Wicked and the Willing by Lianyu Tan is a dark fantasy sapphic romance set in Singapore in the 1920s. It is very adult and should be read only after checking out the content warnings. There are tons of them including SA, racism, classic, DA, gore, and violence. The main character, Gean Choo, Is caught in a love triangle between Verity, a. Powerful vampire and Po Lam, her majordomo. As the book progresses, we learn more about Verity's motivations and how Gean fits into everything. The world building in the book is very gothic and surreal. The mansion sounds like something straight out of interview with the vampire. This book is gratuitously, violent and definitely a good read for people who are a fan of gore and horror.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism