Allison's Reviews > Revenge and the Wild

Where do I even BEGIN? This book has everything: vampires, some steampunk, magic, cannibals, pet chupacabras, child psychopaths, weaponized parasols, werewolves, a sweaty and foul-mouthed heroine with a mechanical arm? (Ending that list with a question mark, since my voice is getting higher and my hand motions are becoming more frantic the longer I talk about it like "HOW DARE YOU PUT THIS ALL INTO ONE BOOK AND MAKE IT WORK?") Also, pretty dresses.

I've read a few books that try to cram a lot of "stuff" into one setting, and it rarely works well. Carey's Agent of Hel series comes to mind. I found myself saying "Jesus, what kind of creature NOW?" a lot. Also, the Powder Mage trilogy. "So this kind of magic. But also this kind? And a few other magic systems also. Actually I have no idea!"

"Revenge and the Wild" somehow seamlessly blends all of the above elements into a believable world. The magic is straightforward: there is magic, the Wintu control it, and everything that is magical or needs magic ..... contains or uses the existing magic. Simple. No more on that, because spoilers, but I promise the creatures fit into everything and don't clutter the narrative. ALSO, sexy vampires. Ok, and I don't usually like sexy vampires, but Costin was a much less annoying, less stalkery, but still super rich, version of Jean-Claude (of Anita Blake fame).

The steampunk elements really only surface in Nigel's inventions: Alistair's mask, Westie's arm, some airships, Emma, etc. You don't get the feeling that, crammed in with everything else, there's also a giant steampunk theme underlying the narrative. Just steamy ~bits. And other steamy bits, because aforementioned vampires and also Alistair, a scarred and rugged fellow cannibal-attack survivor. Somehow there isn't a love triangle. It's not really a love triangle. I promise.

And then Westie herself: a foul-mouthed, mechanical arm-wielding, cannibal-hunting, recovering alcoholic. She's pretty damn great, I guess. I'll let her speak for herself.

Also, lots of cannibals. So many cannibals. Cannibals equal parts terrify and interest me (the old man in the hermit shack in the first Witcher game, too many Lovecraft stories, an obsession w the Donner party as a child, etc; I could blame all of this), and I shouldn't have read this as late at night as I did.