A beautiful and very saucy story about finding purpose in yourself and loving those who deserve it.

The writing is poetic and fluid, it really feels like a diary full of emotion and revelation. The scope of the story moves quickly with sporadic detail, jumping through a very long lifetime. The relationships aren’t developed very thoroughly at first, primarily just an instant physical attraction, but end up evolving over time.

If you want a story about very horny vampires, and fighting back against those who try to control you, this is for you!

This is weirdly everything i needed. Dracula is my favorite classic and usually retellings of my favorite stories are a miss for me but this was so compelling and well written. I was sucked in from the beginning and i couldn't stop reading. I'm also not a fan of lyrical writing style but this just worked for me. The story had a lot of suspense in it even if it wasn't scary per se. The story was really heavy (lots of trigger warnings) but it was really well done and had a good flow.

4.5/5 stars

Please review the trigger and content warnings before diving into this book!

I have to be honest with you, I felt very conflicted about my feelings for this book, while I was reading it and when I had finished it. I felt confused. After mulling it over and writing my thoughts out, I realized how much I deeply cared for, appreciated, and enjoyed this book.

This was heavy, dark, and intense, and I did have to put the book down a couple of times to let myself physically and mentally 'step away' and come back later. Despite the writing style, which is like a letter written between one character to another, it was not difficult to deeply connect with the characters as they experience their trauma and abuse, and find a way to overcome it. I found myself crying at times, feeling overjoyed other times, and frustrated many times. I felt with the characters, and sometimes felt what I can only describe as suffocating -- feeling that raw fear and confusion the characters often feel through the story. This story wasn't incredibly atmospheric, or intense in its world-building, but it was extremely character-driven and lush with quotable lines and gripping emotion.

There's not a lot that I can add that others haven't added in their reviews already, but I must include how incredibly freeing this story felt in the sense that these characters were unconditionally and fearlessly queer. I loved the quad we followed (or rather a trio within the quad *cough*), which was m/f/f/m, and seeing the love between each of the them and the unique dynamics and qualities to each relationship within the quad. I loved that their queerness was just there and present, without question. Is it strange to say I love how much they loved? I loved this with all my heart.

In conclusion, this was a stunning book and I highly recommend it! I'm interested in checking out S.T. Gibson's other work in the future!

4.5/5

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Nyx Publishing for a eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this beautiful retelling of Dracula’s brides. The writing was gorgeous and poetic, and the atmosphere was spot on. I really thought that this was wonderfully written and I loved the ease of representation of sexual fluidity and polyamory. It is easily one of my favourite reads so far this year.

Writing about vampire sex is tricky. A Dracula figure that can fuck and kill is definitely a case of having your cake and eating it. Giving the Count a functional penis flies in the face of the sublimated sexuality that Stoker embodied so successfully in his iconic figure. Perversely, it also hetero-normalises the vampire archetype, transforming it into a kind of weaponised male privilege.

S.T. Gibson tries to get around this problem by having her characters enter their vampiric state by degrees, meaning they do not abandon their bodily appetites and functionality right at the point of conversion. Instead, there is a kind of lingering dissolution that, in the case of Magdalena, also ends in melancholy (and, as it turns out, eventual madness for many other consorts.)

The book begins with Constanta (presumably) killing “my lord, your hot blood splashing hot flecks onto my nightgown and pouring in rivulets onto our bedchamber floor.” This baroque writing style, part gothic and part horror-noir, is a deliberate affectation on the part of Gibson that, unfortunately, draws too much attention to its own aesthetic and distances the reader from the emotional sub-text.

This beginning is preceded by a dedication: ‘To those who escaped a love like death, and to those still caught in its grasp: you are the heroes of this story’. Clearly we are in media res in terms of the plot, and also at a defining moment when Constanta assumes control of her own agency.

What could the ‘lord’ she refers to have possibly done to invoke such an extreme reaction from her, in defense not only of her personal freedom, it seems, but the very essence of her individuality and femininity? This is the main, er, thrust of ‘A Dowry of Blood’, which follows the arc of a traditional abusive relationship narrative.

While Stoker’s Dracula did have three seductive female vampires shacking up with him, these women are only ever referred to as the ‘weird sisters’ and are not individually named. Despite the name ‘Dracula’ not being mentioned once in Gibson’s text, the cover copy explicitly names the central vampire protagonist as such, describing the book as ‘a lyrical and dreamy reimagining of Dracula’s brides’.

I am unconvinced it <i>is</i> Dracula, despite the main vampire never being given any actual name. I also think the cover copy does the book a bit of a disservice, for rather than ‘lyrical and dreamy’, it is instead a blood-soaked tale of a serial abuser having the tables turned quite spectacularly on his own manipulation and violence.

When Constanta is turned, she assumes she is the be-all and end-all of her lord’s existence … only to be introduced to the even more radiant and enigmatic Magdalena, with whom she forms a strong sexual and emotional bond. Much has been made in the marketing about this being a ‘polyamorous’ retelling of the Dracula story, but the sex scenes are pretty tame and lack conviction.

The most problematic part of the narrative for me was the introduction of Alexi, a nineteen-year-old youth they encounter in Petrograd in 1919, whom Constanta describes as “our sunlight, our destroyer. My prince cast in marble and gold.” Alexi behaves like a typical teenager, if a tad more dissolute than most, and his lord’s parenting skills are certainly not up to the task of curtailing his mercurial temperament and innate restlessness.

The result is that the vampire lord in question attempts to do to Alexi what he achieved so successfully with Constanta (and to a lesser degree with Magdalena): Place him under a psychological yoke of his own devising, with a bit of male rape on the side. This brings out a fierce and protective mothering instinct in Constanta (not to mention a soupçon of sexual titillation one feels was simply thrown into the mix to give the book a rather brittle patina of perversity.)

Since the book cannot help but be focused on, and thereby uphold, the patriarchal point of view, not to mention the male gaze itself in terms of all the blood-letting and sexual shenanigans, it is inevitable that the most interesting and sympathetic character is the chief abuser himself. Gibson tries to do something interesting by framing him as a scientist and researcher, who spends his long life and fortune in attempting to understand his vampiric nature.

Well, that certainly does not have the desired end result, I suspect. Though there is a hint that what happens at the end, despite opening up the book to a possibility of a much broader follow-up, was part of his grand plan all along to forcefully spread the seeds of both his ideas, and by implication his blood and semen, throughout the body politic.

Yes, writing about vampires is tricky. While Gibson’s book is often pretty enough to the point of being poetic, what it lacks is a true undercurrent of darkness, such as that vile ichor which pumps thick and black through the heart of Constanta’s beloved.

“Love is violence, my darling, it is a thunderstorm that tears apart your world. More often than not, love ends in tragedy, but we go on loving in the hopes that this time, it will be different.”

This is a reimagining of Dracula’s brides told from the perspective of the “main” wife: Constanta. It really is atmospheric, dark & gothic which is great. There’s also this ubiquitous queerness that’s not used as a plot device (it’s not a topic, event, turning point etc.) it just IS & I think that’s wonderful.

The story is told directed as a letter to “her Lord” - the vampire not God. One of my book pet peeves are these long letters because they’re so unrealistic: you’re telling a full narrative story in like 200+ pages including just retelling the person events that they were present for.. it drives me crazy - just call it a diary or confession or something different.

I really enjoyed the atmospheric writing overall and would read this author again but I wish there was more depth to the story - it felt like it moved too fast and didn’t quite scratch the surface for the characters & plots... I would’ve liked more!

*I received an arc in exchange for an honest review*.

An absolutely gut-wrenching, vivid, and poignant story.

Told in the form of a letter from Constanta to her former love, this story depicts the difficulty of breaking away from an abuser. The tale follows Dracula (who is addressed as "you," but never actually named) and his three partners: Constanta, Magdalena, and Alexi. What at first seems to be a dreamy love quickly turns into something more sinister, ensnaring the four in a bond that can only be broken through death.

Wow, this was a heavy read. I usually put my content warnings at the end, but this definitely isn't the book for you if you are sensitive to topics like manipulation and domestic abuse. With that being said, it was so, so powerful. I really loved that the book was in letter form, as it gave Constanta the ability to never name her abuser. Too often when these stories are told, people remember the name of the perpetrator, not the victims. It felt like not naming him took away that much more of his power.

I immediately fell in love with the three protagonists, and at times I wanted to just wrap them all up in a giant hug. The build up from the initial seemingly harmless love to an absolutely controlling toxicity was done so deftly and slowly that you really felt like you were there with the characters (hence why I say be very careful in choosing to pick this book up). You really did fall for Dracula at the beginning, getting pulled into his charm. It was heartbreaking to see when he began to manipulate Constanta, to feel her struggle to pull away only when she realized she was in too deep.

I also think this has a really powerful message about reclaiming your power, about being worthy of a love that isn't suffocating. Although it is very heavy throughout, that weight is lifted at the end. I think it will resonate with many.

It did take me a while to get into the writing, as it was more formal and gothic. However, once I got farther into the book I absolutely couldn't put it down. The descriptions and metaphors were gorgeous, and it flowed so nicely that the book went very fast. I would definitely recommend this book for the pretty writing alone!

Intended audience: Adult
Content warnings: manipulation, domestic abuse, murder
Pacing: medium-fast

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



Even though A Dowry of Blood was not a comedy, I still really enjoyed devouring this one. It was dark, sultry, bloody, and all kinds of fun. There was also so much manipulation and drama throughout the entire book that I was just in a daze. I honestly couldn't find anything to make me put down the book because that's how enjoyable it was.

From the very beginning, I was hooked. We know that Dracula is considered dead by a possible love of his life.. but we don't know how or when it actually happens. Or why really. So it was interesting to see how he helped create Constanta. Then we see her fall in love with him but then she starts to pull away at the same time.

Secrets definitely come out and it was always a question in the back of my mind.. what happened to his past lovers? Does he always seek out 3 and then gets bored? Or just keeps adding and adding to his little collection? He also doesn't like it when they have a mind of their own but it was bound to happen from time to time.

In the end, I absolutely adored this and now I need another Dracula retelling stat!

This arc was provided by Nyx Publishing, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

TW: emotional, verbal, and physical intimate partner abuse, gaslighting, domestic violence, sadomasochism, self-harm, depression, mania, blood, body gore, war, plague.

5 stars!

Dare I say this is one of my top favourites of 2021? I think I do.

Firstly, I strongly encourage you to go into this blind as the synopsis perfectly explains what happens in this book. It's not another vampire story, but one of survival and love, especially self-love.

The writing immediately pulled me into Constanta's storytelling, the story of her life. I was immersed in her words and in love with her. I truly felt I was beside her as the story unfolded, as well as the other characters.

A Dowry of Blood is beautifully written, and I wanted to frame each sentence. There's complexity to the relationships and so much depth to the characters' feelings and their struggles. I do wonder at the author's ability to write such an impactful story in only 248 pages. I was in awe at the beginning, middle, and end of the book. Hours later, as I write this review, I still think strongly about the story and I long for more.

This is a story for the strong-hearted, for the romantics, and the grieving ones. I loved it and I hope more people will enjoy this.

A Dowry of Blood is a dark and atmospheric retelling of the legend of Dracula's Wives. When Constanta is saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, she is transformed into a creature of night, a medieval bride fit for the vampire king himself. As Constanta lives through the centuries with her husband, the dark and enigmatic Dracula, others are enticed into their bed and home, and Constanta begins to see a ruthlessness in her husband she never noticed before. Alongside her fellow brides, Constanta finds that the only way to be free of her cruel husband lies in the things he keeps hidden from them, and she is determined to repay his cruelty with a dowry made of blood. A Dowry of Blood is dark, bloody, sexy and addicting. It's one of those reads that is understated but pulls you in with a bite (pun intended). I loved the Gothic feel and the feminist twists played on this legend as Constanta finds ways to take her power back from her controlling husband. Toxic masculinity is a big issue addressed in this book as are the ways those in abusive relationships find themselves trapped by both the circumstances they are in and their own doubts about their abusers. But in the end, the only way for Constanta to be free and have a chance at happiness was to make the choice to leave. Its a really powerful and commendable message. I also loved the unique way that the writer penned this novel in that they used second person type of POV as Constanta writes her farewell confession to Dracula. It isn't something I see much of in books written today and the author pulls it off very well. A Dowry in Blood is a story about darkness and love, and the complex nature of toxic relationships and how victims can find hope even in the midst of them.

There was something intoxicating about S.T Gibson’s writing style. I could not get enough of her lyrical and dark prose. This book is lush with monsters and blood. The story is poetic and gorgeous. Despite being short, this story was packed with subtle character development and constant plot. The only thing that felt lacking was the worldbuilding, but considering that you’re reading from the perspective of a vampire, I feel like that it was legitimate for those details to be vague. Vampires don’t really have a sense of time.

This book is a revisited story of Dracula’s Brides, with a queer twist, and told from the perspective of his first bride, Constanta. The whole story is an open letter that she wrote to her husband. I admit that a part of me was afraid that I wouldn’t like the style of a very long open letter, but I read so many great reviews, I decided to give this book a chance.

A Dowry of Blood deals with some heavy themes, such as abusive relationships, sadomasochism, blood and gore, self-harm, alcohol and drug use, and there are mentions of physical and sexual abuse, but mainly, it focuses on the abusive relationship that Constanta is stuck in. We can see her analysis of her whole relationship with Dracula, from the very first night she met him, until the last one, and how she was stuck between her knowing that Dracula could be cruel and evil, her love for him despite everything, and her fear of leaving.

The first part of the letter explains how Constanta spent the first few decades of their life together, and how they traveled for a while before her husband (that she never names in the story) invites Magdalena and Alexi into their marriage. The writing is gorgeous, and the description of the polyamorous relationship is very well done. It focuses on the challenges and less pleasant feelings that come with it, but also on the positive that it brought in Constanta’s life. I liked to see how she slowly grew to love the other brides, and how it empowered her and made her feel stronger not to be alone anymore in this toxic relationship. Constanta, Magdalena, and Alexi all have their own struggles with their husband that eventually become too much to bear, but even when she sees and realizes all that is wrong in their relationship, Constanta is torn between her love for her husband, her desire for freedom, and her need to protect Magdalena and Alexi.

The atmosphere is dark, and the pace is slower than what I usually enjoy, but I still liked this book a lot! It is also a quick read, so I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy gothic atmosphere, lyrical writing, and complex relationships.

2,5 stars .

My thanks go to NetGalley and Nyx Publishing for allow me to read this advanced copy.

My Dowry of Blood kind of let me down a little. I love vampire stories and I really wanted to read this book because the synopsis sounded very interesting.

I really enjoyed the writing style even though it felt a little more for younger audiences from time to time. Even though the content definitely is not for younger eyes. Since there is quite a lot of detailed sex in this book. But still I liked the writing style and it definitely was capturing and easy to read.
My problem was with the way the story was told. It’s told in a letter to Dracula where Constanta gives a summary of their life together and why she killed him. (This is not a spoiler since she start the letter of by saying that she will explain why she killed him.)
My problem was with the fact that this book feels like a summary of a story. It’s divided in three parts and I feel if those parts where individual books you would get a lot more dept and detail which I was missing while reading this book. I loved the story but it just felt like a summary and I was not spending enough time in the events that where occurring or with the characters. I felt disconnected because of this with most of the characters.
It’s such an amazing concept with huge potential but I just felt that it was not reached in this book. I would love to spent more time with them and everything just felt rushed and the story lacked incredibly in dept.
The ending of the book felt a little rushed and almost as if the writer forgot that she still had to explain why Constanta killed Dracula. I felt that the reason was a little sudden and felt not good enough. It felt rushed and it kind of came out of nowhere. The build up towards the end was not done really well and I feel that this is to blame because it’s a summary so you don’t see everything in detail.

I am really sorry that I didn’t enjoy it more, but just give me three books with more details and dept. So we can have more and better character development and the story will feel more real.

This was just a whole vibe. Perfect length & pacing for a novella. Gothic & lush & just the perfect amount of creep needed for a Dracula retelling as told by one of his brides. Constanta was a boss! I love how she continues to cling to her humanity & form bonds despite centuries of aging. Bonus points for atmospheric beauty & gore!
Thanks to NetGalley & Nyx Publishing for this edition.

This wonderful story is narrated by a woman whom Dracula calls his wife. Constantatells how she came to Dracula's notice, and her long years with him. Dracula had saved her from death after a slaughter of her village and everyone in it, and the two spent many years together before he expanded their family with two more vampires.
Constanta was originally the daughter of a blacksmith, strong, independent-minded, but years of isolation with Dracula and his mercurial ways changed her and ground down her spirit to the point that she’s unable to oppose or argue with him. When things become dangerous for her and the others, Constanta finds her voice and the strength to save herself and the others.
The prose is lovely, even gorgeous, and I could see the colours and textures of the rich fabrics, the growing love between Constanta and Magdalena, as well as feel Constanta's terror of Dracula's displeasure.
The atmosphere is lush and the tension is great in this novella; a wonderful, compact story of horror and love and family.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I enjoyed A Dowry of Blood about much as I thought I was - a lot. Vampire books and movies have been an integral part of my life for as far back as I can remember. This queer, lush reimagining of an old story was a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed the characters and writing style and I liked how the author used an unexpected medium to play upon very real relationship problems like domestic abuse outside of the usual physical representation.

I would recommend this to lovers of all things dark and gothic, those who enjoy hints of the salacious and erotic without being outright overwhelmed in it, and vampire lovers everywhere.

What is it like to be in a relationship with the same vampire for centuries?

A DOWRY OF BLOOD read almost epistolarily, perhaps a nod to the original <i>Dracula</i> story. The book opens with “you” (think Dracula, but never named) bleeding to death, seemingly killed by the first-person character Constanta. Divided into three parts, each part tells the history of where “you” find each new lover—Constanta, Magdalena, Alexi—over the last few centuries.

Two wives and one husband for “you.” I love how casually queer everyone is in the story and all four of the main characters are m-spec (bi/pan). The main theme is the abusive relationship between “you” and all the lovers where “your” love is so grand and enticing it seems to drown out all the manipulations and controlling—no friends, no going out alone, etc. What the four of them have isn’t really a polyamorous relationship since the addition of lovers was never consented by all parties beforehand but accepted gradually. And yet there is so much lust and adoration between them all.

I would say that all of them are morally grey; the book opened with a murder, after all, and given that they are all vampires, they also kill a lot of humans to keep themselves from starving. “You” are charming and powerful and horrible, and the three lovers all have distinct personalities, too. It is hard for me to pinpoint Constanta’s, since she is the first-person character describing all the events, but I’d say she is the most emotionally conflicted because she has been with “you” for centuries, before there were Magdalena and Alexi. I love Magdalena the most, I think, because she craves freedom and yet plays “your” games to stay adored, a very real and tragic and cunning person. Alexi is the baby of the family and he is the most energetic and free. Each character harbors some ideologies of the time period where they were born in, too.

The dedication page of the book reads, “To those who escaped a love like death, and to those still caught in its grasp: you are the heroes of this story.” Love, death, and religion were threaded throughout this bloody story with passing mentions of European historical events. Their love, endless combinations (m/f/f/m). All possible pairs and trios of this quad love one another in their own ways and that made my heart very full. There is also some blood drinking during sex and I believe that is always the best thing in relationships between vampires.

Gibson is also a poet, and the writing in A DOWRY OF BLOOD did not disappoint. The language contributes to the deadly atmosphere of the story, too, but it did go a bit overboard in terms of analogies for me even though they were all well-written and I love analogies.

If I thought I loved Magdalena and Alexi already, the ending made me love them even more. It was so beautiful and satisfying, definitely better than what I had envisioned and expected. There was so much hope and joy.

A terrible (as in sinister) story laced with great fun and ended on a light note, A DOWRY OF BLOOD is well worth a read, and I would pick up Gibson’s future works without hesitation.

[Content warnings:blood, death, bones, gore, murder, loss of family, burning, plague, war, manipulation, emotional abuse, depression, sexism, cutting, confinement, isolation]

"This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession. I suppose both are a sort of gentle violence, putting down in ink what scorches the air when spoken aloud.

If you can still hear me wherever you are , my love, my tormentor, hear this:

It was never my intention to murder you.

Not in the beginning, anyway."

Told from the perspective of one of his brides, Constanta, A Dowry of Blood is an open letter to her husband who shall not be named. Contanta recounts her rebirth, her relationship with her husband and her fellow spouses, Magdalena and Alexi, up to its victorious end.

"I wouldn’t realize until later that you were irritable precisely because I was in bloom, because there were suddenly so many sources of joy in my life apart from your presence."

A Dowry of Blood is a powerful narrative about toxic relationship, grooming, and overcoming abuse. It's brutal and honest. The portrayal of an abusive relationship is spot on. How a loving relationship can turn controlling, manipulative, and violent.

"I knew then I would chase your tiny moments of weakness all the way into hell and back. What is more lovely, after all, than a monster undone with want?"

The epistolary style really works well in capturing Constanta's inner struggle, complex emotions, and her subtle change of thinking over time. And mixed with Gibson's writing, A Dowry of Blood is stunning and enthralling. Her writing style is hauntingly beautiful. It's lyrical, poetic, and dark. It suits the gothic atmosphere perfectly.

"You did not let me keep my name, so I will strip you of yours. In this world, you are what I say you are, and I say you are a ghost, a long night’s fever dream that I have finally woken up from . I say you are the smoke-wisp memory of a flame, thawing ice suffering under an early spring sun , a chalk ledger of debts being wiped clean.

I say you do not have a name."

Overall, this is one of my best read this year so far. Filled with well-rounded characters, rich imagining and breathtaking prose, I devoured it in one sitting. A Dowry of Blood is a story of liberation from an abusive relationship. I highly recommend!

"I simply broke under the weight of a thousand tense nights, a thousand thoughtless, soul-stripping words. I felt like I was losing my mind in that place, and eventually my desire to do something about it, anything about it, outweighed my fear of you."

“I will render you as you really were, neither cast in pristine stained glass or unholy fire. I will make you nothing more than a man, tender and brutal in equal measure, and perhaps in doing so I will justify myself to you. To my own haunted conscience.”

ARC provided by the publisher Nyx Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warning : emotional, verbal & physical intimate partner abuse and gaslighting; sexual assault mentioned, depression & mania; self-harm, alcohol consumption, drug use mentioned, blood & gore depiction and body horror, drowning mentioned, murder, war themes, famine and plague (by Trigger Warning Database).

It started with a letter written by a devoted bride about her life with her lustrous savior turned abuser and her fight to end the bloody cycle. A Dowry of Blood is a seductive gothic horror debut novella that explores toxic relationships in all its darkness and the emancipation of three partners from a bloody cycle.

If you are on book tweet you’ve probably seen a couple of people on there tweeting about this novella. Since it’s release in January this book has acquired a following in the community. Blurbed as “.. a reimagining of Dracula’s brides..” sure can peak ones interest. A few of my friends have read it as well screaming how good it is and how it depicts a queer poly-relationship with that I was tempted. I read this book not knowing anything about it with the intention of cleansing my brain from all the thick fantasy books I’ve been reading. My expectations were wrong because it is not at all a light vampire romance story. I would like to remind future readers of this book to read the trigger warnings before reading. Before I jump into my review, can we appreciate how enticingly beautiful the cover art for this book is ? Done by the ultra talented Marlowe Lune, please check out their works and follow them on Twitter. Marlowe truly captured the essence of the book perfectly. Constanta looks flipping gorgeous on the cover with the details of the rosary and the knife! And HER VEIL! TO DIE FOR! No pun intended.

A Dowry of Blood is a gothic fantasy horror novella and debut by S. T. Gibson. A queer reimagining story about Dracula’s brides, a bloody tale about a vampire that saves a girl from her imminent death by turning her into a vampire. Naming her Constanta as she is “reborn” with a taste for blood and claimed by him to be his wife. Throughout the centuries of their undead life, Constanta discovers a horrible toxic pattern to his love and realizes that her new life is just an eternal prison. As he took on new partners into their tainted relationship, Constanta takes it upon herself to end the bloody cycle of abuse and emancipate herself and the people she loves.

“You coaxed that tenacity out of me and broke it down in your hands, leaving me on your work table like a desiccated doll until you were ready to repair me.“

S. T. Gibson’s writing is exquisite and luscious to read, with every sentence there is longing, beauty and a developing empowerment in Constanta’s voice. The whole story is written in first person from Constanta’s perspective as she recollects all the events in a letter written to her dead husband. Gibson masterfully writes a dark and traumatic story with a lyrical flowery prose which makes the experience sad yet beautiful. The heavy tones of abuse take many forms in the story as it gradually escalates with time. Again I would like to remind readers to check the trigger warnings. What I want to applaud Gibson is how she writes about these traumatic experiences the character goes through that is not at all romanticized. At first I was worried about reading this book because as someone that has experienced abuse I can’t bare to see it romanticized in any way. Turns out my doubts and worries are unneeded because Gibson did a wonderful job in showing a raw realistic depiction of relationship abuse. Gibson doesn’t shy away from showing the horrible acts and manipulation done by the man. It paints a realistic picture of an abusive relationship that is clouded with betrayal, secrets, gas lighting, and emotional turmoil. The writing immediately pulls you in and engages your attention the minute you start reading.

“But now, all my carefully crafted excuses for you dissolved like sugar under absinthe, revealing a truth I had spent centuries avoiding.“

Constanta’s character is the reflection of many abuse survivors. The waves of doubt and fear she feels during her relationship with the man is realistically explored. Constanta’s character development from the obedient wife that fears her abuser to the strong willed, brave, and tenacious woman by the end of the story is truly a remarkable to witness. Readers will surely root for Constanta as she confronts her abuser and eventually kills him ending the cycle of abuse. The other characters that became Constanta’s motivation and source of strength, Magdalena and Alexi, also experienced a varying degree of abuse and manipulation from the husband. Magdalena is the second wife, she is a head strong character that thrives from social interaction. As she is slowly isolated and held back by the man, Magdalena eventually falls into depression. The slow deterioration and the waves of depressive episodes that Magdalena endures is depicted in a realistically heartbreaking way. Alexi, a young aspiring actor that loves the art of theater and all it’s glory, is suffocated and beaten into obedience. That twinkle of deviance Alexi has early on slowly disappears into a dull stare of hopelessness. Together the three of them created a bond that holds each other up during the hardest years of their undead lives. Their bond blossoms into a loving polyamorous relationship that is passionate and lustful, with all of them engaging in a variety of late night bloody escapades and dark hall way rendezvous’ that will leave readers breathless. The queer found family aspect is like a flower that grew from the cracks of a barren dessert. There is still love and support despite the trauma and pain. Gibson built up the tension marvellously between the three characters with the husband that climaxed in a bloody satisfying way.

“I had given you a thousand second chances, made a thousand concessions. And this wasn’t just about me anymore. It was about Magdalena, and Alexi.“

The main antagonist of the story is nameless and we don’t get to discover his name even until the end. Which is the most bad ass decision S. T. Gibson chose to do. The man is a narcissist with an unhealthy habit of maintaining control over his partners cowing them to do his bidding. He glorifies himself as a being that is higher than humans granted with eternal life and naturally enticing features. Taking every opportunity to scavenge from the chaotic moments in humanity such as : war, revolution, coup, etc; to feast or to conduct “experiments” killing many innocent human lives. Gibson writes this man’s character to be an oppressive figure that thrives on control and submission from his partners. The horrible tendencies he does make him a sickeningly good antagonist worthy of being hated. Through his character Gibson shows the patterns of an abuser that is methodically disgusting and believable.

“You didn’t let me keep my name, so I will strip you of yours. In this world you are what I say you are, and I say you are a ghost, a long night’s fever dream that I have finally woken up from. I say you are the smoke-wisp memory of a flame, thawing ice suffering under an early spring sun, a chalk ledger of debts being wiped clean.“

“I say you do not have a name.“

Final thoughts, A Dowry of Blood is a sensual dark story with important themes of relationship abuse, hope, queer love, and emancipation. Gibson’s lyrical writing that is embellished with flowery yet dark undertones takes you off on an European tour throughout the century as the world evolves but life stays stagnant in the eternal cage of “love”. The built up of frustration, anger, and disappointment felt by the the characters bleeds through the pages achieving an ending that was a feast for the imagination. It surprised me how immersive this book is and how fast I finished reading it. Normally genres that are gothic and dark isn’t something I gravitate towards but I’m glad I picked this book up. If you are a reader that’s looking for something short, very sexy, bloody, and fast paced this book is for you.

“I have one final promise to make to you, one I hope I will never break. I promise to live, richly and shamelessly and with my arms wide open to the world.”

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

This book has some absolutely beautiful writing, I kept highlighting stuff on my Kindle. Sadly, the plot was just lacking. It's a good premise though; a retelling of Dracula, told from the viewpoint of one of his brides, Constanta. It features bisexual, polygamous representation, but it just feels a little flat, like we never get under the skin of these people (despite the amount of blood in this book!).
And there were a few historical inaccuracies I couldn't help but being thrown by, which didn't help. I've seen so many excellent reviews, so maybe it's just me, and the cover is gorgeous! I loved the revenge aspect, and if it had been more fleshed out I probably would have given it a higher rating.