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.

⭐ 4 Star ⭐

A Dowery of Blood explores the intimacy of a relationship forged over thousands of years and how time can not heal all wounds- less it tear open another.

The open letter is the perfect format for this novel. Allowing us a glimpse into the mind of a bride who married her abuser as she deconstructs her relationship and reflects on how her partner's toxic traits masqueraded as romance. The retrospective narrative gave each revelation even more weight and elevated the prose to something that is achingly haunting and beautiful.

It’s vivid, poetic and lush. Perfectly capturing the sensual, Gothic feel of the original Dracula without ever becoming overly florid or self-indulgent.

S.T. Gibson's character development is sublime. Each character is well developed, their flaws are explored as well as their strengths, and their lives unfold over the course of the novel. We understand each decision and why they made it. I had the privilege to read Brideprice in Unspeakable: A Queer Gothic Anthology while working on the anthology, and this story is the perfect expansion of the characters Saint crafted for the anthology.

Trigger warnings by the author: HERE

I received an advance review copy for free via NetGalley in association with NYX Press. I am leaving this review voluntarily 📚.

5/5

***Special thanks to NetGalley and Nyx Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review***

I love this book, As a fan of gothic literature I was very excited to get my hands on this novel and it did not disappoint. This book examines the fascinating lives of Dracula's wives and examines the twisted, oftentimes toxic relationships that were formed between the two.

Interesting characters, and gorgeous cover by Marlowe Lune! The writing style wasn’t my favorite, but it was fun to read!

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
Length: 248 Pages
Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Spoilers Ahead!

"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."

A special thanks to NetGalley and Nyx Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book!

The very first time I saw Bram Stoker's Dracula (at much too young an age, might I add) I've been fascinated with his brides. Played in the film by the beautiful Monica Bellucci, Florina Kendrick and Michaela Bercu, they cut seductive, yet somber figures. Powerful, yet squashed beneath Dracula's thumb, reduced to living off the meager scraps he brings home (Live babies anyone?).

In S.T. Gibson's A Dowry of Blood, we get answers to all the burning questions we've always had. What were their lives like before? Did they consent to become creatures of the night, or were they forced? And most importantly, what happens after his story ends?

Following his first bride Constanta, from her rebirth to his inevitable end, we learn just how sweet - and how cruel - he can be. He gives her the run of the house, excepting his laboratory where he researches their kind, but won't let her leave. Then he takes another bride, the willful and intelligent Magdalena. He lets her have just enough freedom to placate her - then snatches it all away. Constanta can't help herself and falls head over heels for Magdalena - her sister, her lover, her confidante. Eventually another bride is made, a beautiful and poor boy living through the October Revolution called Alexi, and he turns their world upside down. Constanta loves him, first as a son, later as much more. He challenges their master when the others are too scared, even brings human friends back to one of their many houses. As Dracula's anger and violence grows, Constanta decides something must be done. It's him, or them.

S.T. Gibson perfectly captured the eras, from old war-torn Romania to 1920s Paris, in her seductive and lyrical prose. I felt this was one of the most accurate depictions of Dracula outside of the original novel, and loved him and hated him as much as his brides did. Constanta was a breath of fresh air for female protagonists. Gibson let her be strong, but didn't demonize her for showing her naivete and weakness. She waited, even if it meant biting her tongue, for the perfect moment to save all their lives.

I couldn't recommend this more. It is one of the best vampire novels I've read in a very long time.

All I knew to expect from this book was some blood-sucking. But, oh my, did I get so much more. Gibson begins with the end, and pulls the reader into the narrative with a compelling use of the second person as the protagonist narrates her (long-lived) life with the monster who created her.

Constanta, the voice narrating our story through the centuries, is such a refreshing character. She is complex in the interplay of her strength and weakness. She is a consummate survivor with a caring heart, which she realizes from early-on in her second life is somewhat a liability when dealing with her creator. Gibson does a wonderful job of bringing the reader into Constanta's mind, so much so that I could barely contain my emotions during the final climactic chapters.

Overall, the characters are rich and complicated. The settings are gothic and dark. The sex scenes are raunchy and aplenty. What can I say, but read the book! Four blood-stained stars.

Words cannot convey what I feel for this book. I've lost count of the times I attempted to write an eloquent review that would do A Dowry of Blood justice only to give up and end it in a keysmash, so I'll keep this short for now: This story is a loveletter goodbye to a nameless abuser, who is announced to have found his death at the hands of the abused right on page one. There is nothing I don't love about it.

From the very title, to the rapture of its narration, to the heartbreaking (and heartbroken) characters, to the prose of affection, tenderness, of love, the travels through European history, the supreme gothic atmosphere, the name choices, the beauty inside the gore. I love everything. Even the sex scenes - yes, there are numerous sex scenes - were composed to perfection. The intricacies of each relationship were so skillfully crafted, this is the first time in years I want to buy an extra copy of a book just to annonate the hell out of every single detail. And Drac is a confirmed Greek! If I died now after reading this work of fiction, I'd die happy.

Have you yearned for a loose Dracula retelling from the brides' POV, centered around a polyamorous, all-bisexual group of vampires revelling in the opulence of the ages? Do you want to witness a sexy patriarch's downfall brought upon him by his very victims? Are you looking for some kinky reading to keep your spirits up in these trying times? Even if you can't give a positive answer to any of the above questions, I urge you to read this and then come back and talk to me about it.

I think I had high expectations for this book and it fell flat for me. I was excited about the queer vampires and the gothic elements. However, the book was too brief in an attempt to tell a long story, making the characters shallow and the relationships uninteresting.

First of all, I’m not a big fan of epistolary books and this was the first setback. The book is written as one long letter in which Constanta addresses Dracula and their time together, trying to apologize and at the same time justify her actions. Her tone feels so repetitive and tiring!

About the plot, Constanta sums up a very long period of her time with Dracula, causing the narration to feel like a blur. Magdalena and Constanta’s relationship is strange, going from jealousy to desire in a rather confusing and awkward way. There’s no sense of development in their bond and it didn’t make me feel anything. Then, a third bride, or in this case, a broom, joins the relationship. I felt, one more time, that the story rushed to make him join Dracula’s family, not giving time to the character grow or even show his personality.

Another frustrating aspect is the gothic element. The dense and gothic atmosphere, the long descriptions of places, and intern sad monologues are disappointing. The time passes so fast and Constanta’s intern monologues are so quick that is hard to care about something in the story.

I do have to confess that I love this idea of Dracula as a manipulative and abusive lover, making it to be a toxic relationship. It’s an interesting twist. But Constanta sees him as charming and I didn’t feel that!! The most exciting part is the ending, but the book was so boring that even that couldn’t save it for me.

In the end, this novella was a big letdown and I struggled to finish it.

Courtesy of NetGalley.

Review to come in 8 days to blog/goodreads/etc.

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

So this was one of the books I was HYPED about for 2021, and boy did it deliver, this was a ride and I love love loved it so. I will try to write a review but I am still all dizzy with delight over this book!

This book is about Constanta, she tells us, through letters, all about her life with her lord, Dracula, and all that happened in it. The people she met, the family that was added, the wealth, the darkness, the blood and the sex. I just flew through the book and there wasn't a moment of boredom.

The book is split in three parts. The first part is all about Constanta, her being found, her being turned into a vampire, and her figuring out how to please her lord, her lover, the one who saved her. In the beginning things are good, but we see that tension and being held at a leash isn't helping. We see them travel through Europe. Find new houses. Find new places to stay and be safe. I found Constanta a very interesting character and I loved seeing her change throughout the years and centuries that pass by. I have to say I loved all Constanta's but I was the most hyped about the later Constanta's given that she finally dares to speak up. Finally dares to stand up. Dares to do things.
The second part is when we meet Magdalena. A wonderful and strong-willed girl with a passion for learning and politics. She is a sweet and sexy girl and I love how quickly Constanta falls for her. Through Constanta's letters we see Magdalena being turned and we see how the honeymoon years are quite good... but then restrictions happen. The leash is tightened and we see how Magdalena suffers. My heart just broke for the girl, she thought being a vampire meant freedom, meant eternal life of happiness and learning and finding new people. Instead she finds out that she was tricked. I just wanted to give Magdalena a big big hug. I can very much imagine that having such an active life and then being restricted.. that is going to eat you. That will burn you.
And lastly there is the third part in which the last member of the family comes to stage, Alexi. A boy who is destined to be on the stage and was, just like Magdalena lured with the promise of freedom and tons of good times. I really loved Alexi, because unlike our two girls he spoke up, he didn't fawn like Magdalena when the lord had a bad mood, or hide like our MC Constanta in the shadows. Alexi was so interesting and I loved what he brought to the family. I am happy that he was added to the mix, to the family.

I really loved all the characters and they are all well-written. Yes, even the lord whose name we never get, at least I never saw it pop up, but we know from the blurb it is Dracula. While he was an evil being and while his intentions weren't always good, he still was a very interesting character to read about. His moods. How he acted around people. What he thought about humans. How he acted and reacted to things. The secrets he kept. At times he seemed like such a gentlemen, really caring about his brides and his groom... but other times you saw a truly evil and dark side.

I loved that this book was letters/notes from Constanta to her lord though not meant to be send, because of things that happened. I mean, I guess it is technically not a spoiler as the beginning really hints to it, but yeah, I will keep it to this. The letters format with her referring to him as You, was a really fun and original way to tell us a story. To tell us about her life with Dracula.

I loved that the vampires didn't mind if their lovers were girls or boys, they would just kiss and bed them all the same. The sex scenes were well-written and very sexy.

The ending was just so well done, and I loved each bit of it. I was shocked, I was smiling, I was crying, I was rooting for the characters. It was a rollercoaster in a rollercoaster and I love love it. Be prepared!

I also want to mention the amazing cover, though I read this one on my Kindle, I still love how pretty and fitting it is.

All in all, I hope that my review isn't too chaotic, I would highly highly recommend this book to all! I will definitely be buying this book for my collection as I do want to re-read it in a few years. Plus, that cover. It needs to be on my shelves.

I was very much in a "you know what, f**k it" mood when I requested this from Netgalley, but then this beautiful book turned out to be one of my favourite reads this year. So I win.

This is a queer as heck reimagining of Dracula's wives. Dripping with breathtaking prose, sapphic yearning, bisexual energy everywhere, and a polyamorous romance between four vampires, I finished it in two very riveted sittings. This is such a stunning tale that dug its teeth in (no I will NOT apologize) and didn't let go.

The format for this was very interesting. It is written as a confession from Constanta to her husband. We never know his name since he is only referred to as you, but if you need it spelled out for you I don't want to talk. Constanta is found dying on a battlefield, a medieval peasant, by you and turned. I want to say this was in the 1400's or so, and her husband was already over a thousand years old. Constanta's account details their marriage, how it grew to include a Spanish aristocrat and later a starving Russian artist, and their tour of Europe. Vienna, Venice, Paris--they live all over the continent but always under his thumb. He is an oppressive husband to all three of them, keeping them under his control and not allowing them to do as they wish.

I will say that the summary is a bit misleading since it is pretty much the whole book. There isn't much room for the reader to make their own predictions on how the book will end, but I absolutely did not mind. This was a stunning book that is pervasive and gripping and I'd read it again in a heartbeat.

Heartbreaking and heartwarming! I went through some emotions with this one. I'm STILL unpacking them and not sure how to articulate my thoughts

A Dowry of Blood is a dark and twisted reimagining of Dracula's Brides as told in a final love letter to him from his first bride Constanta. We follow them around the world and bare witness to their lives and relationship which along the way includes two more brides they develop an m/f/f/m polyam relationship with.

There are a lot of trigger warnings in this tale including gaslighting, spousal verbal, physical and emotional abuse, self harm and mentions sexual assault to name a few. A lot of the trigger warnings I expected to come from a vampire tale.

Darkly seductive and full of vampires, blood and sex. Exactly what I was after, not necessarily in that order. It did take me a little while to get into as I wasn't expecting it to be a love letter. Once I got used to the format, I fell in love with the writing and emotion of the letter through Constanta and it actually enhanced my experience and created the perfect vibe throughout.

This is one of the few books I've read with a polyamorous relationship and I absolutely loved it. The characters are beautifully written and I could feel every emotion as if it were my own.

This story is bittersweet and about how enthralling and all-encompassing relationships can be, even and especially when they are toxic. And ultimately, getting revenge on your abuser, but even as I write this it is so much more than that. Even once you have revenge, it's not over. The trauma is not over it doesn't just end there ... As I said, I'm still unpacking it.

This is a fairly quick read and is just *happy contemplative sigh* more than I thought it would be. If you like vampires, blood, sex, psychology, sapphic and polyamorous relationships then you will LOVE THIS.

I received a copy of this for review from the publisher and NetGalley (thank you so much!) All opinions are my own.

A Dowry of Blood gave me everything I wanted from it. The relationship between the sire, Constana, and the other vampires was powerful, dangerous, and intoxicating. The prose was beautiful and flowy. Then the ending wrapped everything up in such a tight package. I loved it.

I wanted A Dowry of Blood to be so much more. I know it was supposed to be a letter to Constanta's vampire overlord and he (dead again) wouldn't have to know details, but the reader could use a few. Things were exquisite but no details of what made the dress or house or town exquisite. Sometimes it was hard to tell if it was 1400 or 1920 because of lack of detail. Or the details didn't fit the era. One male character had a waistcoat and lace-up pants in the 1920s. Were they still wearing 100-year-old clothes? Zippers were invented by then.

One time, I think it was supposed to be the 1500's, he told Constanta to stop being paranoid. It seemed to me that the word paranoid wouldn't have been in use 500 years ago. Did you ever see the word paranoid in Shakespeare's plays? No? There is a reason.

Paranoia was first coined to mean a suspicion and distrust of people without justification in the year 1848. The word paranoid was not used until the year 1901.

Another time, also during the Renaissance (I think, sometimes the centuries bled together) Constanta said her vampire overlord (can't remember if he had a name) "repurposed" a barn into his study. Um, I'm pretty sure nobody used the word "repurposed" 500 years ago.

Maybe the vampires saw into the future and borrowed words from hundreds of years to come.

There was a lot of blood in A Dowry of Blood, but I didn't feel like there was a lot of heart in it.

Woah. One of the best books I read this year.
This one pulled me in right from the beginning and I drowned in it’s beguiling waters. I couldn’t put it down until sleep took over me.
The writing was so immersive. I felt drunk, only wanting more. I think I broke my pace record with this one.
A pretty short one but an easy, satisfying read.
I would definitely read more books by this author.

Total time spent: 3h 30min.

~ARC received through NetGalley for an honest review.

This is such a lyrical, dreamy reimagining of Dracula's brides. I devoured the whole book in one sitting and I'm going to be thinking about it for a while. I love retellings and this one was pulled off so beautifully. I loved the relationship between Magdalena and Constanta (sapphic! yearning! at the! opera!) and I loved how every character was fleshed out and real - even in less than 300 pages. I never felt the internalized misogyny of "the other woman" trope because it was so clear how much everyone loved each other.
I also loved the use of the second person narrative and how it created this faceless, nameless villain at the center of the story. This book deserves all the hype it's been getting!

It's not the first "Brides of Dracula" retelling I read but A Dowry of blood is certainly the most interesting and well constructed. It does not try to revolutionize our perception of vampires, it does not invent anything new about Dracula's myth but I loved the dark and extremely relevant take that the author was able to give.

The story is actually a confession. Constanta, Dracula's first "wife", writes letters to her husband retracing their story. From the moment He (because she is never really mentioned) turned her to the extreme decision she will be forced to make. In between is a wonderful fresco of Europe through history: politics, art, luxury, excesses and blood ...

But He is at the centre of it all.

The way the author has managed to describe the relationship between him and his wife is absolutely perfect. A relationship of abuse, imprisonment, subjugation. Constanta is the victim of her bond with him, her Lord, her Master, her Maker. She thrives on every little compliment and benevolent gesture, she vanishes for every evil look or word he addresses to her. The relationship is absolute, there is no room for herself but only for him.

The only thing that can keep her from fading away is the arrival of Magdalena and Alexi. Both will bring a brief breath of fresh air to a relationship that constantly falls back into oppression. And it will be the love that Constanta feels for them and her innate and absolute desire to protect them that will allow her to finally wake up from a sleep in which her abusive relationship had made her fall.

The polyamorous relationship between the four characters is another element that I loved very much. Each partner is different from the other, Constanta is nurturing, Magdalena cunning, Alexi has the fervour of youth. And each has a different relationship with the other characters. Including Him. Everyone relates to the abuser differently and with different results. Every relationship is born from a pinch of jealousy but grows and transforms to become love. Only the love they feel for each other can save them from the real monster that is their Lord.

'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.'

•A Dowry of Blood is an open letter written by Constanta to her maker and lover, detailing their relationship and life through centuries.

It's both a beautifully written love story and a story of Dracula's brides getting revenge on their abuser.

•Honestly, I don't know what to write about this novella because I feel like nothing will be enough to describe how extraordinary and brilliant it is.

The writing style is wonderful, I don't remember reading something similar to this, ever.

Reading A Dowry of Blood felt like reading my mother's letters I've found on the attic or something like that. It felt so incredibly real, like every tiny thing from the letter happened and you are the only person in the whole world who knows that (except for the brides, of course). Magnificent.

•Constanta is my favorite character but I loved Magdalena and Alexi very much, their relationship is my favorite part of the novella. They are so different but unique and dazzling in their own way, I'd everything I have just to read this story from their point of view.

•Let's not forget that A Dowry of Blood isn't just a queer retelling of Dracula and his brides, it's a story about abuse survivors.

•If any of this sounds interesting to you, give this novella a shot, it deserves it.

A Dowry of Blood - 5🌟

I'm beyond grateful to @netgalley and @nyxpublishing for allowing me to read an ARC copy.