A review by tig_
The Wicked and the Willing by Lianyu Tan

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