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

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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