Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

The Wicked and the Willing by Lianyu Tan

9 reviews

the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

3.5

The things I liked about this story, I loved. But the things I disliked, I hated. 

The metaphors comparing the vampire and abusive partner to imperialism and white supremacy are brilliant and expertly crafted. I was really compelled by how deeply this story reached into that narrative to criticize the imperial system and how you may think you're immune to its harms when you're really another victim. ("She needs me." "She needs someone like you" will live in my head rent-free forever). This metaphor also explored abusive relationships in a similar way with thinking that you will never become the victim of their rage because you're unique, but truly you're just convenient at the moment. Just truly well-done.

With this being said, the gratuitous and graphic sexual violence was almost made to feel "sexy" in a way that felt deeply upsetting.

The non consensual fisting scene goes on for pages and doesn't serve any real and meaningful purpose for the story. By going so into detail with it, it was hard to differentiate it from the other consensual sexual scenes. Focusing on the unwilling orgasms taking place during the rape also seemed to be "sexy" instead of upsetting as they should have been.

Additionally, the torture chapter felt pointless in the greater narrative and, to me, mainly served to add a "horror" element without really furthering the story. It was graphic and hard to sit through, but I admit this might be my personal taste.

If you are interested a heavy and dark book in terms of violence and can handle a lot of graphic sexual violence, you might like this story more than I did. I have high hopes for future works of the author's, and I think the author is supremely talented. I just would like to see some care in the way certain kinds of violence are addressed through these stories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

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. 

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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

woolerys's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.0

Writing - 3/5 

Plot - 4/5 

Characters - 4/5 

World-building - 3/5 

Personal tastes - 2/5 

TOTAL: 3.2 

I should have paid more attention to the content warnings on this one! There is some pretty explicit content, and dark. 

I thought it was obvious from the beginning that the vampirism was an analogy for colonialism—extraction, control, hierarchy, etc.—and yet the options for the two endings had me questioning my reading! Why is there an ending with

the option to save Verity

??? Is it supposed to be about how we also allow colonization into our minds and struggle to unlearn it? Or

is Verity supposed to be a sexy villain who tugs at your heartstrings? Because I find that disgusting; she is terrible. I 100% support the Po Lam ending, even if by that point it’s the less believable one!

Anyway I will say that I always appreciate a nuanced villain. And even if I thought the choices at the end were kind of bogus, I like the concept of having a choice in the ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Blood, Trafficking, and Colonisation

The author has put a detailed list of content warnings in the front of the book that I would recommend checking.

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

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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

bbpettry's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

So I'm pretty new to the smut world, so I can't speak as an expert but this rocked my world. It's rough but restorative. Tan gives you characters in satisfying extremes. Our main vampire is deeply monstrous in the, "but she's so beautifully human" way that makes vampires genuinely chilling. Po Lam is the quintessential strong, quiet Butch. Gean Choo is the sweet street urchin coming of age in a hard world with a soft, soft heart that completes the triangle and sets it aflame. Without the full structural exposition of high fantasy, the world that these characters traverse is well fleshed out with other folkloric creatures and delicious descriptions of clothes and environs. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, and Colonisation

readwithbells's review against another edition

I feel like Lianyu Tan wrote a historical fiction paranormal book and someone told her no one would read it without a lot of sex so it became a mediocre dark romance. It’s more dark than it is romance, the romance itself isn’t fun because no one is enjoying themselves (Verity literally can’t even experience sexual pleasure), and the main character loses her entire sense of self before the halfway mark and not for plot! She just becomes vapid, a little stupid, and very passive where she opens with so much depth and intellect. It’s so weird because the setting of Singapore in the 20s is incredibly rich and the vampire lore feels unique and well thought out. I was so engaged in the first half and it really fell off, idk I just don’t care how it ends and the sex isn’t sexy enough to carry me through. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Racism, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

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.

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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

nittiotvaan's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Cannibalism

Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, and Colonisation

thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.5

Thanks to the author and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

This dark, sapphic horror takes us to 1920s colonial Singapore. 

Gean Choo starts a new job as a lady's companion for Verity Edevane, who unbeknownst to her initially is a vampire. Gean Choo falls hard for Verity, and also for Po Lam, Verity's majordomo. This love triangle is unique in that, we the readers get to make the chose for Gean Choo, with two different endings.

I loved the historical setting of colonial Singapore which isn't something often told in literature.

Horror isn't something I usually go for, but I throughly enjoyed the darkness and steamy of this book. Giving two alternative endings is a great way for the author to keep all readers satisfied.

I certainly preferred the second ending.

The length of this book ensured we got plenty of time to feel for each character and understand some of their motives. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be checking out some of the author's other work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia