A Dowry of Blood is a reimagining of the story of Dracula's wives in the form of a long letter written by his first wife and addressed to Dracula himself. The letter comprises a narrative of their tumultuous relationship from the beginning of their marriage, where it was just the two of them, to the end of it.

Where do I even begin with this book? Reading it felt like I was swept up in a gothic fairy tale, even though it was far from an actual fairy tale. The writing was so captivating it took my breath away. I was so drawn to the story, the characters, the setting. It was short but it was enthralling in every way. It is no doubt that this book shined because of the prose. It was beautifully poetic and truly captures the essence of the story. There were times when I would literally highlight an entire full page just because of how marvelous the writing is. On top of that, it was also so easy to connect with the characters despite this being a short book. I was not really expecting an in depth characterization for all the characters, so it was a surprise to find myself feeling an emotional attachment towards them. I loved how, despite this being a fantasy book, it was still able to capture and portray an emotionally and physically abusive relationship in such a realistic way. The relationship dynamics among the characters were very complex. It showed how convoluted their love was for one another. Despite the intensity of their love and their passion, obsessive possessiveness was always lingering in the dark, keeping them in chains. With that being said, I also appreciate how the story centers around the question of terrible love and if it is ever worth suffering for.

This book was dark and sexy and it was everything I wasn't expecting it to be but I absolutely devoured it with all my being.

It's been a while since I read a book written in second person POV that manages to shake you to its core. Only for that, I'd give S.T. Gibson's Dowry of Blood 5 stars. But mechanics aside, this is a thrilling, gripping story about immortality and abuse and found families, an atmospheric tale that combines horror, romance and social commentary in one bloody, gorgeous, flawed, pulsing heart. I was very often reminded of Catherynne M. Valente's Deathless while reading this — which for me is yet another reason to love Gibson's book.

Holy shit. Where to start first.

First, you should read this with mood music. There are a couple great Spotify playlists if you type in a Dowry of Blood, and they're already artfully created to put you in the perfect state of mind to be reading this book in.

Beginning in rural Romania in the late 13th/early 14th century, a peasant girl is left for dead by an invading army, only to be saved by a handsome man that promises her life. He names her Constanta after he drinks her blood, turning her into the vampires she grew up hearing only superstitious whispers of. From there on out, they parade around the European continent, hunting and blending in the best they can in their eternal message. That is, until, they get to Spain and he introduces Constanta to Magdalena. And then to Alexi. Three of them caught in their sire's eternal grasp, for better and for worse. They may have been saved from death itself, but there are things worse than a mortal's end.

This hauntingly dark and sexy retelling of Dracula's brides is told from the perspective of Constanta as she writes her (second) life story to him after his death. Dracula is never referred to by name in a conscious effort on Constanta's part, only referring to him as "you" as she pours her undead heart out onto the page of what led her to the mid 1900s, existing without him.

S.T. Gibson is a breathtakingly remarkable writer, gorgeous prose flowing from every page and truly capturing the haunting tone that covers the whole book. Love is messy and raw in its mortal form and Gibson does not shy away from the agony of immortal love. Constanta's turn from love and overwhelming devotion to Dracula to jealousy and mistrust develops beautifully in such a short book; I felt that I was putting down a book at least double its page count when I was done. And I selfishly WISH Gibson had written hundreds more pages delving into the quieter moments between Constanta and Magdalena, Alexi's backstory, what happened to all three of them after the end.

Sexuality is a nonissue in this book, all four of them taking both sexes and each other to bed with no issue. It's beyond refreshing to have an author that has the ability to shape fantasy to her will and chooses to make sexuality a byline rather than a main focus of the book. It's great polyamory representation as well, representing both the beauty and joy of having multiple partners and the distrust and jealousy that can breed from veiled communication and relationship fault lines. We can always use more queer vampire stories, and this felt far more authentic and refreshing as we focused on the different kinds of love Constanta had for the 3 of them rather than the fact that as a woman, she was attracted to other women.

This book stuck in my bones. If you're a fan of vampires, dark academia (though not academia in of itself, you can see Gibson's biggest influence, Donna Tartt, in this work), historical horror, and erotic gothic, this is absolutely the book for you. Even if not, Gibson's poetic prose will be enough to drag you down and into the mythical underbelly of Europe for a few hours.

Fellow Anne Rice fans, I summon thee! This is one for you guys.
Finally a vampire novel for adults done right. Loosely inspired by the story of Dracula's brides, it's a dark and touching story about finding the inner strenght to fight for one's independence.

We follow the story of the protagonist's emancipation and liberation from an abusive relationship, written in form of a farewell letter to her oppressor after his demise, as an attempt to cope with her trauma, shame and survivor guilt.

This book was so heart-wrenching, an emporing story with beautiful prose and full of lush descriptions. It was like reading a classic in the best way.
The story disturbed me through its realism and plausibility. None of the many serious topics that were addressed were taken lightly or ridiculed by the fantasy context.
It was a highly fascinating character study to me. Although it's a relatively short novella, it had an impressive depth to it. I really felt with all of the characters and their motivations. It was also the first time I've read about this kind of representation of a believeable and well-crafted polyamourous relationship.

Perfect for fans of Dracula, Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and gothic literature.

Thanks to Netgalley and Nyx Publishing for providing me with a review copy of this fantastic book!

This book was phenomenal. The unique narrative and storytelling had me hooked from the first page. The beautiful portrayal of love, both true and manipulative was enlightening. The progression of each character was eye opening. I completely adored this book.

A dark vampire lord creates his menagerie of vampire brides

This is nothing like Sister Wives

Written as an homage to Dracula(the book), the story takes the form as a letter from a bride to her jilted lover. The letter revisits the good old days when the vampire couple first came together. It then takes a turn when the Vampire Lord takes a second bride. The three live lives of excess and sensuality. But personalities collide and there is a hierarchy to contend with. Can a monster be capable of love or only control?

This book is fast-paced and short for those curious enough to desire a taste.

I really, really wanted to like this book. It was so beautifully written and I could tell that the author had passion for the subject matter. There were just a few things that kept it from being amazing. I feel as though it could've reached its full potential, but that it was held back--in part--by its plot and its narration style. Firstly, I didn't like how it was written as a letter because it didn't allow us to become immersed in the novel--instead, it turned into a summary with an overbearing amount of commentary that sometimes ruins the atmosphere. It was like I was being told what to feel instead of feeling it myself. Secondly, the plot was a bit repetitive. I would've liked to see more conflict, especially between the characters. There were many time skips that felt uncomfortable in some places as well.

Finally, and this relates to the plot as well, I felt as though it was useless to make the vampire Dracula because he didn't act like Dracula and there was no input from the plot of the original book or subsequent movies, save for a one-off line. I actually think that either the vampire should've been an original one or that there should've been more influence from the original story. For example, by the end, there's three vampires, one of whom was made undead in the 1920's. The original story is in the Victorian era, but in it, there are three vampire women who accost Jonathan Harker. Who is the third? In addition, Mina and Lucy are meant to be Dracula's brides. Could there have been interactions between them and Constanta? Also, Dracula was staked by Quincy at the end--how could he live through that but die when Constanta staked him? Making the vampire Dracula opened the doors to lots of questions that, unfortunately, were not answered.

Again, it's not a bad book. In fact, there were parts of it that I loved, like the sapphic yearning and bisexual representation. I also really loved some of the characters, like Alexi. This book was just held back from its full potential by its plot and style.

A Dowry of Blood is a queer polyamorous reimagining of Dracula’s brides. If you, like me, are already intrigued, I recommend reading this without knowing much more about it, as long as you are aware that it depicts unhealthy and abusive relationships and includes descriptions of gore. This is a meditative look at this relationship, so it’s easy for me to give away more than I mean to–the relationship doesn’t even turn into a polycule until about halfway through. In case you need more convincing, though, I will forge on ahead.

This is a M/F/F/M polycule, and each of the four characters are bisexual (or pansexual). We see this relationship through Constanta’s eyes, who was his first bride. She was dying as a casualty on a battlefield when he came in as her savior, turning her and nursing her back to health. She is overwhelmingly in love with him: “And God, how I adored you. It went beyond love, beyond devotion. I wanted to dash myself against your rocks like a wave, obliterate my old self and see what rose shining and new from the sea foam.” She also kills him within the first pages of the book. The rest of the story backtracks to say how we got there.

Although this is a vampire novel, complete with ample sex scenes and gory scenes, it’s just as much about Constanta reflecting on her relationship with this captivating and abusive person. She begins to see it through a different light, and she doesn’t apologize for her actions. She recognizes that they loved each other, but that they couldn't live this way, and that all three of them were in danger if they let it continue.

If you want a bisexual polyamorous vampire novel that is also thoughtful and atmospheric, definitely pick up A Dowry of Blood.

I really enjoyed this! The writing is absolutely beautiful, and I loved that it was in the form of an open letter from Constanta. I haven't read many books written in the second person, but in this case I felt like it helped convey Constanta's emotions more effectively than if it had been written in first or third person. I loved the relationship between Constanta and Magdalena, too!

The most powerful, visceral depiction of an abusive relationship I've ever seen. The writing is just stunning; the way there's so much pain and horror hidden within the beautiful words shows how even the most loving of relationships can have a vicious depth to them. I really appreciate the author's stark portrayal of emotional/verbal intimate partner abuse and how insidious it can be.

I wasn't expecting to get so attached to the characters, especially in less than 300 pages, but I did. It took a bit of time - I admit I was kind of bored in the first 30-40% of the book because the pacing was really slow then and I needed something apart from the gothic aesthetic to hold on to (since that's not really my thing). But once Magdalena and Alexi get introduced, I was completely invested. I really liked Constanta, Magdalena and Alexi's dynamics and I'm just so glad they found each other.

While the queer polyam rep is a huge bonus, the real strength of this novella is in the way it gives voice to survivors of abuse. Brutal, hard-hitting and ultimately empowering - definitely recommend this one!

Let me start by saying that I loved this book. This was a fantastic reimagining of Dracula's Brides, as told from one of the brides herself, in the form of an open letter. She recounts her life, starting with her human death and the beginning of her immortal life as Constanta. Saved from the brink of death by a strager, she finds herself stumbling into the hands of her immortal savior, sire, and master. Constanta tells you a story of love, devotion, desire, obsession, fear, pain, abuse, and finally freedom. I don't want to give away more than that. I believe it's better to go into it fairly blind.
However, I will say that I was hooked from the very first page. The lyrical writing style on this was stunning. The relationship between the characters and their struggles were so incredibly compelling. I also think the epistolary format worked really well with this story. To be honest I loved every second of it. I will be ordering a physical copy right away!

Content Warnings taken from the author:
- Domestic Abuse (emotional, verbal & physical)
- Gaslighting
- War, famine and plague
- Consensual sexual content
- Sadomasochism
- Self harm
- Body horror
- Violence and murder
- Alcohol use
- Depression and mania

Thank you to NetGalley and Nyx Publishing for a copy of this eARC in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

English/Spanish
First of all thanks to Netgally for letting me have this copy in exchange for an honest review.

A queer story about Dracula’s brides? Hell yes!
This is how our story begins, here we have Constanta, a woman at the edge of death, found by a man who turns her into a vampire. Constanta spends her life beside him (she never mentions his name) She takes us to the past of centuries, she tells us how her life was with him, how much she loved him and how much she was scared of him. She speaks about love and manipulation, and how they coexisted after two more vampires joined them; Magdalena and Alexi.

This is a story full of vampires, psychology abuse and different ways of loving.
Let's talk about the best of this book. The writing is marvelous. All the book is written as if it were a letter to him. Actually it is. In this letter Constanta writes to her beloved the reason behind her actions, as if looking for forgiveness or redemption or both. She writes her feelings, her thoughts while she was with him and them.

Something special I have to say is that if we eliminate the fantastic elements such as vampires and immortality we have in our hands a story of mental abuse in a romantic relationship. Costanta speaks about how was living with him, the fear she felt, the special behavior she adopted in order to deal with his rage, she tells us that saying no was not an option. And how, little by little she became submissive and obedient and how that was happening to the other two companions. She writes about all the things she did in the name of love and how she was accepting behaviors and taking them as normal even though that meant to give up her entire life to his disposal.

With this book S.T Gibson gave us a reflection about what happens in families like this one and its complexity.

The only “bad” aspect I can recall is the rhythm, it’s slow, repetitive and monotonous. I want to think it was intentional due to the characteristics of the story, but it was troublesome for me, even the climax was flat and without emotion. Apart from that I think this is a great book and topic. 3/5 stars.


--------------------------

¿Un retelling de las novias de Drácula? claro que si.

Aquí tenemos primero a Constanta, una mujer al borde de la muerte y bajo el brazo cálido de un hombre es convertida en vampiro. Constanta pasa su vida a lado de este hombre cuyo nombre decide no mencionar y nos lleva de la mano a través de los siglos. Nos cuenta su vida, el amor que sintió por él. Y las otras dos personas que se unieron a su vida inmortal; Magdalena y Alexi.

Es una historia llena de vampiros, abuso psicológico y las distintas formas de amar.
Hablemos de lo bueno. La escritura, todo el libro está relatado como si fuera una carta, es Constanta escribiendo a su amado las razones detrás de sus acciones y cómo fueron sus sentimientos y pensamientos mientras estuvo a su lado.

Algo especial que tengo que decir, es que si quitamos el elemento fantástico de los vampiros y la inmortalidad, nos queda una historia de abusos mental dentro de una relación amorosa. Constanta nos cuenta cómo fue vivir a lado de este hombre, el miedo que sintió, las tácticas que aprendió para lidiar con su ira. Y cómo decir no a un plan no era una opción Como poco a poco fue sometida hasta la completa obediencia al igual que los otros dos acompañantes.

Con esta historia S.T. Gibson nos deja una reflexión de lo que sucede dentro de familias con esta complejidad.

Lo malo, lo único “malo” que puedo decir del libro es el ritmo que lleva, es monótono y repetitivo, quiero pensar que esto está hecho a propósito, dado el tema de la historia. Pero me causó problemas que incluso el clímax se sintiera lento y sin tensión. Fuera de eso creo que es una excelente historia 3/5 estrellas.

Dowry of Blood is a short and tidy reimagining of Dracula from the perspective of his bride Constanta. The story details her journey loving and falling out of love with him, the growth of their polycule and lots of romps across Europe.

I liked this book in theory! I love queer reimaginings of stories, I love lush prose, I love gothic romance, I love something epistolary. I think in practice, the book just didn't do it for me. I found the writing heavy-handed to the point of being unenjoyable, and the aesthetics seemed to overwhelm the narrative, which is unfortunate because I think the main character might have had something more to say if she wasn't writing *only* about her relationship with her husband and how it affected her. Who was she? Why was her sole personality trait her persistence in a relationship that didn't serve her? I suppose the point is that some bad relationships are so all-consuming that people aren't able to form a "self" outside of their partner, but it didn't stick the way I was hoping it would. She felt pointlessly flat, so her ultimate victories didn't feel like satisfying triumph. By the end of the story I still felt a very "so what?".

I would read more by the author, but probably prefer short stories. As it is, the book was a short one, but it still felt too long, and it didn't hold my attention as much as I'd hoped.

Critiques aside, I appreciated that the bi representation was about more than sex, and there were definitely several beautiful lines of writing that I bookmarked to revisit. If you're okay with reading a book that is possibly satisfying in *vibes alone* maybe you'll enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Nyx Publishing, for the advanced copy!

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

Content Warnings taken from author:
- Domestic Abuse (emotional, verbal & physical)
- Gaslighting
- War, famine and plague
- Consensual sexual content
- Sadomasochism
- Self harm
- Body horror
- Violence and murder
- Alcohol use
- Depression and mania

Brief references to:
- sexual assault (not directed at any named character)
- drug use
- drowning

I’ve loved vampires for as long as I can remember. The romanticism, the violence, the glamour, the gore. It all enthrals me and this novella has captured that love, and fear, of fanged immortality perfectly. S.T. Gibson is a poet and you can absolutely tell. Every word is deliberate, every scene a revelation, and this story delighted me.

What is marketed (rightfully so) as a polyamorous relationship is also a look at abusive relationships. It is written with such care and understanding that I felt overcome with sadness. Never before have I read such a fantastic look at vampirism and the role of power dynamics between maker and progeny.

Constanta is such a wonderful narrator — alternating between desperately in love and fiercely protective. Her growth and journey is something I didn’t know I needed. Also? Her relationship with Magdalena is absolutely darling and I want more. More so, the relationship between Constanta, Magdalena and Alexi was so much. It was everything I’ve always wanted to see in vampire media. The sensual, the emotional, the glorious.

This is admittedly the first time I’ve ever read a book featuring a polyamorous relationship and it is magnificent. Not once did I feel that one dynamic overshadowed another and in such a short novella it’s a marvel.

I cannot overstate how much this book delighted me. Also I need to scream about that cover. It is GORGEOUS.

The premise of this book is fantastic, and I appreciated much of what it's trying to do, but I didn't love the overly lyrical style. This is very much a 'me' problem, as I know many people love lyricism and a knowingly archaic/romantic style of writing (but years of grad. school in 19th century studies ruined me). I loved the relationships between Dracula's spouses, so representation-wise this was a hit, but I could never get fully immersed in the world because the writing and worldbuilding left me feeling, emotionally, at one remove from the story.

ST Gibson’s writing is fantastic and had me highlighting quotes on every other page. The way the words seemed to flow together, and express love, pain, and abuse were tangible. Gibson does not try to necessarily sugarcoat the abuse that Constanta and her counterparts experience. As this story travels through time, it’s unique in explaining the history, the buildings, and the ongoing wars around it. If you’ve read any of my tweets or seen my vlogs: you know I don’t like smut. However, this is the first book I have ever highlighted smut in. The way it was written was gorgeous and sexy, terms I generally wouldn’t use for this situation. We aren’t given tons of character development aside from Constanta herself. For most, their characters degrade under the abuse. This is common, and it was interesting to see it in a fantasy and horror concept.
The gore in this was still written in a lush way, but there is quite a lot of blood lust in this. If that’s not your thing, be wary of picking it up. This truly could be the Interview with a Vampire for the Zillenial generation.

A Dowry of Blood is the sapphic, polyam Dracula retelling I didn’t know I needed until I saw the synopsis. And thankfully, it lived it up to the premise. This is a relatively short book, at about 250 pages, but it packs a hefty punch.

The main character, Constanta, is a Romanian peasant girl who is transformed into a vampire as she lies dying, her entire family victims of war. Constanta’s story is told as a letter to the unnamed Dracula, as she recounts her transformation from wide-eyed young woman to a wife trapped in an abusive marriage that lasts centuries. When two new ‘brides’ are brought into the mix – sharp Magdelena and fiery Alexi – Constanta realises the extent of her husband’s manipulation and begins to find the courage to break free.

It takes a little getting used to, but the decision to deliberately not name the villain (even if we all know who he’s meant to represent) is so powerful: in both fiction and real life, the names and stories of perpetrators are shared and remembered, while their victims become nameless, faceless women with no agency except to further myths and legends. (A great recent read on this topic was the The Five by Hallie Rubenfold, which aims to share the stories of the women murdered by Jack the Ripper). I am privileged enough not to have personal experience in this area, but I will also say the depictions of gaslighting and emotional abuse resonated very clearly: you can see the villain expertly pulling Constanta’s puppet-strings – and Magdalena’s, and Alexi’s – but you could also understand and empathise with why the characters might decide to stay.

As for the rest of this book, the writing is frankly gorgeous. It’s vivid, poetic and lush, and perfectly captures the sensual, Gothic feel of the original Dracula without ever becoming overly florid or self-indulgent. I definitely found myself stopping to re-read sentences to take in the imagery. The character work is also excellent. In the space of a short book, Gibson fleshes out Constanta’s relationship with her husband, her burgeoning relationships with Constanta and Alexi (both together and separately) and their relationships with each other. Each of these relationships feels distinct and directly related to the desires and fears of the individual characters, and it is so satisfying to see Constanta, Magdalena and Alexi each forging their own path towards the end.

There isn’t a lot of world-building – this book spans about six centuries, from 1300s Romania to 1900s Petrograd and Paris (and a sojourn in medieval Vienna, my favourite location in the story) but the sense of time passing is fairly superficial. That didn’t impact my personal enjoyment of the story – this is deliberately written as a close-knit tale rather than a sweeping epic – but if you expect deep historical insights from this novel you might be disappointed.

After this book, I’m keen to check out Gibson’s shorter work, and can only hope she comes out with another full length novel in the future.

4 stars. A dowry of blood is an exquisite Dracula retelling in the form of an open letter from his first bride, Constanta. A dowry of blood is an aching enthralling and beautiful book that captures life over the years. The writing was beautiful simplistic and the formatting was very intriguing. Thank you to the Nyx Publishing and Netgalley for providing me this arc.

4.5 stars. This novella is lush and thrilling – a quick read without being unsubstantial. I know absolutely nothing about the story of Dracula’s brides, but that didn’t dampen my enjoyment whatsoever. We know what ultimately happens at the end, but the story of the journey is suspenseful anyway. Also, while this book contains horror elements, I didn’t find it particularly scary.

I enjoyed being in Constanta’s head, as she’s a character with a lot of heart and a lot of conflicting feelings. Ultimately, I found her to be the personification of strength throughout the book, which made the ending even more satisfying. I also enjoyed her complex relationships with Magdalena and Alexei and rooted for the three of them to take down the um, nameless dude.

I ADORED THIS.

The cover is amazing and I needed some vampire fiction and holy man, this was fantastic.

The novel is told in a kind of diary format, where our main character is explaining her actions and past to the reader. The writing is flowery, gothic and atmospheric and I enjoyed the whole vampire family dynamic immensely.

In short I'd describe it as polygamist vampire family drama.

Content warning for emotional abuse, gore, murder and violence.

The cover is perfection. What you get is what you see. #teamconstanta

Thank you so much Nyx Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. This is a gem and if you like anything with Vampires, you have to add this to your TBR.