Not only is A Dowry of Blood beautifully written, with an enchanting, lyrical style that immediately sweeps you off your feet, but it also tells an incredible story full of blood and beauty. This novella is incredible, and I wish I could read it for the first time over and over again.

The writing is the highlight of the entire book. It flows and was a standout in a lot of books I’ve read. I’ve never read writing like it and loved it.

The book isn’t a long read but that doesn’t stop it from having a lot of emotional weight. We’re introduced to Dracula although his name is never said. He finds his first wife on a battlefield and the story starts there.

It’s written similarly to the epistolary style of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, although without dates and is in three parts. So you’re reading letters addressed from one wife to her husband. His name is never said—and there’s a reason for it—it’s always ”you”. ”You said this, you said that”.

There is sexual content and it isn’t really explicit. There also isn’t much swearing. Not only that but no one in the book seemingly has a preference for one gender over the other. Which I always love to see. That’s a bonus for me.

With all that said, the story hinges on abuse. Suffering and overcoming it and the way people will disguise it as love in an attempt to control others. It’s about protecting yourself but also the others you love and how hard it is to overcome the cruelty and pain that abuse is wrapped up in.

It could be very triggering to anyone who has suffered abuse.

We don’t get a very good look at how the other partners feel about their relationship because the story is told in first person from one character. The writer does a good job of letting us know how this character feels about her life.

While a quick read, it’s a good one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. I loved the read.

Reading this felt like Mozart's Lacrimosa was written to be a soundtrack to this book.
It also felt like standing alone on an abandoned forest road in the middle of a winter night when there's no moon- or starlight and you dip your toes in a cold stream.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book - I've read and seen a few Dracula retellings so far and this one might be my favourite. It got the tone right in a way none of the others ever did.

Did I read a different book to everybody else? The writing is Anne Rice levels of florid. Ugh. And I thought this was going to be a sapphic romance but as far as I have read it ain't. And the sex? Eye-roll worthy. I'm afraid that I could not take the writing seriously. I found it funny when it tried to be dark and empowering. Judging by the rave review for this book I am in the minority so don't let my not so enthusiastic review deter you from picking this novel up.

4 stars.

I consumed this book in one sitting in 2 hours on a Friday afternoon. I found myself unable to stop reading as Constanta long love letter is nothing short of beautiful poetry. Her story to date lasts longer than she can even recall, the dates beyond her when she was enthralled by her savior. But as time goes on, she begins to see him as not a quasi god but a cruel and unrelenting captor. For gods do not come to aid people at their times of death.

But she lives on, with no money nor life of her own. This story reads clearly as one of a abused wife, with the cycle of love bombing over the ages. Even with her future lovers (love the poly rep), they all grow to want more than the control nature and irrational moods. So when the climax comes, with a murderous mob on their doorstep, what better time to escape?

What I find really well done in this book is that even after she is free, she still worries and fears about her captor possibly following. That valid and gnawing paranomia is never early to escape, so it should be no different for a vampire. And while her captor was never named in the letters - only a constant usage of "you", I'm sure we've all heard enough stories to know.

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The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"We've waltzed through a hundred tiny apocalypses, you and I, walked unharmed through the ash of countless crumbling regimes. We feast on the ruin of empires, Constanta. Their destruction is our feast day."

This was a fascinating, heartbreaking read that I read over the span of a few hours; I simply couldn't look away from it and its tragedy. From my understanding, this is a retelling of Dracula (but, as I have not read that text, I am not sure how similar it is to the original). It at least has the similarity of being somewhat epistolary as the original Dracula was, but rather than written in letters it is as though the whole book is addressed to "You"--the Dracula character, whom the narrator chooses not to name. Considering he renamed her after siring her, she had every right to erase his name from history.

This is one of the best vampire stories I have ever read. It was a perfect mix of lyrical paragraphs and gut-wrenching truths. This was a narrator (named Constanta by her sire, her husband) who had lived hundreds of years by someone's side--seeing their cruelty and command, and still being unable to escape the cycle of abuse. For, while the fantastical element of vampirism is at the heart of this book, it stands side-by-side with surviving an abusive relationship; it is especially hard for Constanta to stand up for herself and her husband's other spouses when he never physically hurt them, when he manipulated them to think his abuses were for their own good.

I was completely enraptured by this novel, and I highly recommend it. Not only is it a Dracula retelling, but there is queer and polyamorous rep as well (though the latter seems to be an attempted Sister Wives scenario). Seeing history through Constanta's eyes was incredible, but seeing her own life was something more. My heart broke every time Constanta convinced herself that it wasn't abuse, since it felt so real and accurate; she was stuck and hindered for years, and the whole book I couldn't stop rooting for her to break free.

I've been eager to get my hands on a copy of this ever since I heard about it on Twitter, and finally tucking into it on a cold, rainy day did not disappoint in the least. This is a relatively quick read but it is not a light one; it's lyrical and macabre and devastating and romantic and complex, and it's definitely a dark journey but manages to be ultimately cathartic and satisfying by the last page. I'd recommend this to anyone looking to read a really fantastic take on the classic Dracula story, but it's also an incredibly successful piece of vampire, Gothic, horror fiction that will keep you riveted.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

To quote a famous scholar "after teasing us with the most problematic relationship of the year" this book explores intimate relationships and the addiction, enthrallment and toxicity than can come from them. It is a dark, seductive ride full of vampires, blood and sex.

We are following Constanta, one of dracula's brides (although he is never named, it's very clear this is who he is character) as she is telling her story to dracula, presuambly after his death as we find out in the first chapter she has allegdly killed him. This is ultimately a story of getting revenge on your abuser.

Journeying around Europe, we follow Constanta and Dracula, shortly after Constana has been turned, and along the way they pick up some new brides, Magdealena and Alexi, who then all form a polyamourous relationship. I love polyamory in books so I was obviously very here for this. I also really enjoyed the sex scenes, I thought they were tastefully written and honestly gay vampires are so sexy. I think he author has said all the characters are bi and we love to see it!! There is a meme which is like straight people having period sex -> abstience, gays having period sex -> bathed in blood, that is what this book feels like.

The characters were all such interesting characters, Constanta is quieter and almost motherly later on, you see her slowly throughout the novel become more of a jaded immortal and she is not afraid to occasionally stand up to dracula. Magdalena is fiery and passionate and Alexi is such a sweet golden boy, who also butts heads with dracula a lot, ultimately leading to the final conflict.

The writing is very immersive and really fits the whole vibe of the story, the writing is first person but also addressing a 'you' (dracula) and I feel like this was such a good choice to explore the complex and nuanced feelings of love than can come from an emotionally abusive relationship.

In conclusion this is the perfect book if you are in the mood for a quick read that is dark and twisted.

Thank you, NetGalley and Nyx Publishing for this ARC! 4.5 out of 5 stars.

What is love, to an immortal? What is it like, to love an immortal as an immortal yourself? What is it, to be the one to make someone immortal, to be able to control them and manipulate them, to be kind to them? Is that a kind of love? To take the needy, and give them what seems a glory, to let them learn who they are, all under your protective hand? To save lives, and to see to it that they do not despoil what a gift *you* have given them? What is the toll of traveling about, to remain both unseen and obedient?

The prose is a style newer to me, in that I don't usually read epistolary (near or otherwise), and while there were a few times I was caught up in confusing "you" for the protagonist-- something, however, easily remedied by the "I" in the next paragraph or so. Still, I found it highly enjoyable, and it worked extremely well for Constanta's near-passiveness in love, her emotional distance, and her decisions. She makes it clear: this is about him, but *she* is in charge. She will not let him have so much as a name, for all the years he has manipulated and hurt her, for how he has treated her and their spouses.

This is an abusive relationship. There is a huge disbalance of power between their maker, the vampire stripped of his name, and those he chose to turn: with Constanta, with Magdalena, and with Alexi. He loves them. This is all true. Constanta clings to parts of her human life: her spirituality, her morals, her love, as she cannot cling to her name.

Delightfully queer and the relationships true, love is infused in all of them: the love between Constanta and Magdalena, the love they have with Alexi, the love they all have for their maker, even the love he carries for them. There is no homophobia for the Constanta, Magdalena, "Dracula", or Alexi to move through: they're simply attracted to each other, and act upon it.

A fantastically gothic, queer book to curl up on a cold night to read!

I truly don't have the words to describe how painfully beautiful this story is. I feel no matter what I say, it will not do it the justice that it deserves. The prose, the story, the characters - there wasn't a part of it that I didn't enjoy; that didn't pull me in deeper and deeper until I could do nothing but devour this book. A Dowry of Blood could have gone on for another 400 pages and I wouldn't have complained. There are few stories that I could read again and again, even among my favorites, but this certainly is one of them.

God, I want more. I'm as greedy for these glorious brides as Dracula himself was. I'm truly grateful I was allowed the opportunity to receive an early copy, and I will be talking about this book non-stop for a long time to come. I've already ordered a physical copy, and I can't wait to have that stunning cover on my shelf to show off.

Please... treat yourself and pick up this beautiful, haunting queer story.

A retelling of Dracula + LGBTQIA? Yes, I wanted to read it.

The writing was definitely compelling and drew me in. The main lead, Constanta was writing down the events, as they transpired, dedicating them to Dracula, revealing the true feelings she was hiding and too afraid to ever show him. Thing is, we never really find out the name of their tormentor - because that is how Dracula is portrayed here, as an abuser and mad scientist - but we assume from the few Easter eggs thrown in, here and there.

I liked the story, I liked Constanta and even the NSFW scenes. What I disliked was Dracula. As I said, the author chose to portray him as an abuser. Now I'm not saying he's not a monster. He's actually one of my favorite villains from literature but he still showed feelings and a human side, when it came to Mina. Stoker protrayed him as a tormented bad guy. But to each their own.

I do recommend it, it's definitely a book worth reading. It had feels, so that's always a win.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy via Netgalley. My rating is 4 stars.

I saw one (1) tweet about this book talking about vampires, an all bi cast, sapphic longing, & a polyamorous relationship, and I was sold. We all know I have a soft spot for vampires and gay girls, so I had to get my hands on this book.

A Dowry of Blood is written in the point of view of one of Dracula's brides, Constanta. It's an open letter from her to Dracula, telling him about her feelings, about the way she experiences her life with him, about her relationship both with him and with the other brides, about her love, her jealousy, her fear, her doubts.
The writing is beautiful, it reminded me of Deathless in so many ways. And any book that reminds me of Deathless is an absolute wonderful book. I've highlighted so many gorgeous quotes.
I fell in love just as Constanta did, with Magdalena, with Alexi, with Dracula even. I fell in love with their family, their relationships, their love. It's a book about love, but also about power, and violence, and abuse, and freedom. It's a journey, from loosing yourself to finding yourself again, finding out who you are and what you want and need.

As soon as I had finished this book I preordered a physical copy (I mean look at that cover), and I know I'm definitely going to reread it, that's how much I loved this book.