I like novels, romantic, sweet, sexy, angst, everything. So in general I like sweet and sultry stories. Having said all that, it seems my tastes have changed slightly. I find that I find ‘dark stories’ that are edgy, so to speak, extremely interesting. That’s why I enjoyed this novel by Lianyu Tan so much. And also the beautiful cover!

In The Wicked and the Willing , the story revolves around the orphan Gean Choo. Her mistress is Verity. Po Lam, who is Verity’s help, is also central to the story. The story is set in 1927 in colonial Singapore. I thought that was special. I know next to nothing about this time period or the location where it takes place. Lianyu Tan also frequently used words associated with this time and location. But hurray for the dictionary on my e-reader that translated or explained words I didn’t know.

Gean Choo becomes a servant for Verity. What she does not know is that she is the umpteenth one in a long line. Verity is a vampire and only needs her for her blood. Verity is a very beautiful vampire. Her activities can only be called erotic. However, her other activities may be nasty. She is very fond of Gean Choo. You could even say that Verity has affection for her. Gean Choo also develops feelings for Verity, however unlikely. But also for Po Lam, the loyal helper who only obediently helps Verity with her dark events.

Po Lam in turn also falls for Gean Choo. She finds herself longing more and more to get out of under Verity’s yoke. Especially when she sees what Verity is doing to Gean Choo. She decides that she wants to take her with her to a free life.

Well, vampires, lots of blood, death and torture, abuse and you name it. And yet I found it romantic and exciting 😈. Even erotic! I also liked that you can choose how the story ends. Really nice because a love triangle is such a hassle.