Although I didn't have my usual reaction to the characters in this book, the writing and build of atmosphere deserves 5 starts in its own fir the level of quality.

4.75 / 5 stars

I've heard a lot of good things about this book, so I was very intrigued to see if I would love it as well. I was a little afraid because of the big hype, it would be a disappointment, but fortunately, I loved it.
CAWPILE Rating: 8.93 / 10

Characters: 9/10
I loved the characters with human (or vampire) traits. They were good characters, but they didn't become my favorites.

Atmosphere: 9/10
I really liked the atmosphere of the book.

Writing: 10/10
The best part of the book was the writing style. I think it was outstanding and very captivating.

Plot: 8/10
I kind of felt like nothing happened, but I enjoyed the plot overall.

Intrigue: 9/10
Almost, I read it in one sitting.

Logic: 9/10
Everything came together, I didn't feel any logical problems.

Enjoyment: 8.5/10
4.75 stars. I really liked it, but I didn't feel that extra for 5 stars. Although maybe, after time, I'll give it 5 stars. It was definitely better than my 4.5-star readings.

4 Stars - Ebook provided by NetGalley

A Dracula retelling written by one of Dracula’s brides is what I have been waiting for. I only have a rudimentary knowledge of Dracula but I found that was enough and no knowledge of the original story was necessary.

The writing is so beautiful as well as dark and melancholy. There were many lines I wanted to underline that spoke to me and captured so much emotion. I found myself stopping often analyse the text like I was back in university.
The reason I didn’t give the book 5 stars is because I found the first half was much stronger than the second. The more characters were introduced the less connected I felt to them. I also felt the writing was stronger in the first half.

Overall it was an amazing book with so much beautiful prose.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

First and foremost, thank you to the Little Brown Book Group UK, Orbit and NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book.

Rating: HIGH 3 star read/ lowish 4 star read (3.75-4.0)

Plot:
This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession. . .
Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a medieval peasant into a bride fit for an undying king. But when Dracula draws a cunning aristocrat and a starving artist into his web of passion and deceit, Constanta realizes that her beloved is capable of terrible things.
Finding comfort in the arms of her rival consorts, she begins to unravel their husband's dark secrets. With the lives of everyone she loves on the line, Constanta will have to choose between her own freedom and her love for her husband. But bonds forged by blood can only be broken by death.

Personal thoughts:
I had A Dowry of Blood on my TBR, for a year or two now, but never got around to buy and read it, so to finally be able to read it during this time of the year was an absolute joy. S.T. Gibson has incredibly mesmerizing writing style and I devoured half of this book in one sitting, which is unusual for me. But this bloody, gruesome as well as poetic novel of love, jealousy, betrayal, desire and obsession was just a true page turner and impossible to put down. I, in particular loved the dark, gothic setting of this book which created a wonderfully spooky, vivid and classic vampire reading atmosphere. In addition to that, seeing how the polyam relationships between the three main characters evolved, flourished, and eventually crumbled was illustrated beautifully by the unique point of view, in which this book was written in and even though we might not live through all of the events that were described to us, it was still possible to imagine them in all of their details. However, I would actually have loved it if this book was a little bit longer, because I think it would have given both the overall story and characters a bit more depth. Nevertheless, this dark, queer retelling of Dracula´s brides is without a doubt a perfect pick for Spooky Season, and I very much enjoyed it.

Important note: I´d highly recommend reading the trigger warnings for this book beforehand, since it deals with difficult topics that might not be for everyone.

Thank you Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for providing me with a ditgital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"It was never my intention to murder you. Not in the beginning, anyway."

A Dowry of Blood is a gothic, queer retelling of Dracula told from the perspective of one of his brides. It has vampires, queer and poly rep, beautiful writing and found family trope. It seems like everything I could want from a book and yet, it was a bit of a miss for me.

I think my biggest issue was that it felt like we didn’t actually get to experience anything along with the characters, we’re told “this and this happened” but we’re not actually living through it with them, as the book is written in a form of a letter. Everything happens really fast, it’s quite a short book and takes place over many, many years. Strangely, even though everything seems to happen so fast, somehow it also feels like the book never really takes off? Another thing is, they travel a lot but we don’t experience the feel of the countries and cities they claim to love so much as most of the action happens inside. I wanted more vampire action, I wanted to see them live their vampire lives, hunt and seduce people, I expected it to be way more dark and twisted.
While I appreciate the queer and poly representation, I didn’t connect to the characters and their relationships at all, mostly because it was typical insta love. There was no build up, no development, the main character seems to be falling in love with these people within a few pages of meeting them.

Overall, the concept was great, the writing was beautiful and it has some truly gorgeous lines but it didn’t quite hit the spot for me. In the end it was just an okay read, I enjoyed it but I would forget about it the moment I put it down. I do think it had a lot of potential and most people seem to love it, so maybe it’s just me. I would definitely give this author another chance though, mostly because of the amazing writing.

"I had never been inclined to violence before. But then again, I had never borne witness to acts so vile they demanded retribution. I had never experienced the kind of agony that leaves the mind coiled and poised to lash out at the first opportunity."

A surprisingly engrossing journey of love and abuse through different countries and times.

A Dowry of Blood is the exposition of Constanta’s second life as she writes it to the person who made her. The person who saved her from the brink of dead during a time of war and promises her eternal life and love. Together they start a new life and relationship that will expand and change over the centuries while they get to experience different cultures of many countries during many different time periods.

This book is written as the main character recounting her life in a sort of open letter to another character, so not the regular format you might expect from a novel.
It really works for this story as it is mainly character driven. The choice of writing it this way makes all the emotions jump off of the pages. The fear, admiration, horror, pain, entrancement, confusion, joy, anger. Add the absolutely stunning prose to it and the result is a true piece of art.

Every new character that gets introduced is just as captivating. They are intriguing entities by themselves, but the depth and intricacies of the built and changing relationships are just astounding. It makes for more people who love each other in unique ways while they also feel as one big family. Magdalena is outspoken and clever in ways that don’t always match with their often secluded life. Alexi is young and still wants to explore everything this new life has to bring him. While Constanta knows to stay within the bounds that were set for her, the others both unapologetically stand up for what they care about but whether it will result in them flourishing, or whining away is still to be seen.

A horrific exploration of all the different types of abuse that will find its way into your mind to stay there for long after you finish reading.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley.

A dark and richly exquisite tale of the brides of Dracula throughout the centuries, A Dowry of Blood captivated me from the beginning and didn't let me go until I'd devoured the book in two sittings.

Constanta was a deeply sympathetic protagonist, and Gibson's writing gives her a distinct voice through which the story unfolds, all as one letter written to her vampire husband. Her love for the other female bride, Magdalena, was also a highlight, the tenderness and drama of their companionship a steady warmth throughout.

Where the story, and writing, really shines however, is the twists and dark turns the relationship between master and brides takes as the centuries pass. As the perfectly bleak gothic romance slowly devolves into a dangerous game, fraught with anger and toxicity, the conflicting emotions are described and portrayed perfectly, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

I would highly recommend this as a perfect fall/winter read, or for anyone who enjoys Gothic literature, which I think this is a perfect example of.

"There are no angels in this world to accompany the dying in their final moments, only pickpockets and carrion birds."

She was somebody’s daughter once, a village girl who faced dead, she had died then woke up as Constanta, a night creature’s wife.

“I never dreamed it would end like this, my lord: your blood splashing hot flecks onto my nightgown and pouring in rivulets onto our bedchamber floor.”
“It was never my intention to murder you. Not in the beginning, anyway.”
“Don’t ask me why I did it.”

A short love story, how love could be destruction and fatal. A queer vampire tale with an old dangerous vampire and his faithful Constanta, brilliant Magdalena and lovely Alexi.
“Desire makes idiots of all of us.”

Many thanks to Little, Brown via NetGalley for giving me a chance to read A Dowry of Blood #1 by S.T. Gibson, I have given my honest review.

WOW where do I even begin with this book? It was beautifully written, and so immersive. The gothic atmosphere was 10/10.

I don't usually like the second-person perspective, but it worked for this book. It's essentially written as a letter or diary entry, where the main character - Constanta - is recounting her life with Dracula (CW: physical and emotional abuse).

The characters were well-written, and I think what I appreciated the most was the way the polyam relationship was developed.

There is some blood and gore (this is a story about vampires after all) however I didn't feel it was gratuitous or over-the-top.

Would highly recommend it!

I need approximately 300 more pages if this please!

This is a beautifully written brides of Dracula retelling, the author really packs a punch in a very short amount of time. The nuanced relationship between Constanta & “you” along with the other brides was handled very well & the pacing was excellent.

To me it felt like there was something missing though, whether it was the impersonal POV that alienated the characters or the surface level view of events despite the way the book was written, I’m not sure which but I would have loved to have seen a bit more depth & detail.

Thank you to Little Brown Book/Orbit & Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Words can't even describe how amazing this book was for me. And it's the PERFECT October/Halloween/Spooky read for anyone looking to curate that sort of reading list for the month. I will have a full review up but needless to say this was amazing, spicy, and emotional. Would rate 10/5 if possible.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4/5

A dark and unique retelling of Dracula, that is written in the most beautiful lyrical form.

I relished the gothic atmosphere of this book, the word building really captured me from early on. Although, the complex relationships are what really elevated this book, nothing was ever straightforward between the characters and their feelings. It really explores the abusive relationships between Dracula and his consorts without romanticising them in a way I find many other books do.

One thing I really admired in this book was the fact that Dracula is never specifically named, that his legacy is almost being diminished.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book but it’s wasn’t a 5 star read due to a few criticisms. I would have loved for more details between the other relationships not including Dracula. I also felt like the ending was a little anti-climatic, it just came to an end so drastically.

Content Warnings: Emotional, verbal, and physical intimate partner abuse, Gaslighting, War, famine, and plague, Blood and gore, Consensual sexual content, Sadomasochism, Self harm, Body horror, Violence and murder, Alcohol use, Depression and mania, Sexual assault (not directed at any named character), Drug use, Drowning, Child abuse (off-page), Death

Firstly, thank you Little, Brown Book Group, Nosy Crow and NetGalley for the arc of A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

There’s definitely been a trend in my reading recently, and of course it has nothing at all to do with it being the spooky season. This book oozes autumnal, Halloween vibes, and is totally perfect for sending that chill down the spine.

I must advise you that such a chilling autumnal read comes with it’s fair share of triggers and I would advise you to be aware of these before you open it, but none are used without reason or contribution to the story.

This book is told in a monologue epistolary style, told from the pov of Constanta, who is writing to her sire and husband. She tells the full story of their lives and deaths, the adoration, love, and at the opposing end of the spectrum, oppression and control of their second lives together.

Other key characters are Magdalena, a strong, vibrant woman, holding a position of power and authority in a man’s world and Alexi, the impetuous and beautiful actor they meet amidst the Russian revolution. Constanta relates their story through beautiful prose that does not shy from the good, the bad or the terrible to relate a story that will simultaneously haunt and engage.

Potential Trigger Warnings
Physical and psychological abuse, murder, abuse, controlling behaviour, grooming, war, depression and trauma.

This was such a unique concept. It was so easy to read and I really enjoyed this take on Dracula as told by one of his wives. It was a dark and poetic memoir/love letter

Thank you so much to Orbit Books UK for sending me an eARC of A Dowry of Blood by S.T Gibson!

While saying I enjoyed this book doesn’t feel quite right because it was pretty dark I can comfortably say I was captivated by it. A Dowry of Blood is written as if the main character Constanta is writing a letter. I’ve not read anything like this before and was wholly taken in by it.

I read this in small sections as the emotional manipulation Constanta reflects on really packed a punch. This, along with the style, made it a heavier and more difficult read. That said, the writing was beautiful and I found myself highlighting so many lines that really hit home.

These vampires are definitely the scary kind which I loved. All of the characters were morally grey and it was interesting to see how the three who were not the villain of this story handled their vampire nature and balanced it with who they were as people.

Read For:
• A letter style account of the relationship between the FMC, MMC, and their two other loves 📝
• Scary vampires 🧛🏻‍♀️
• Historical setting over hundreds of years 🕰
• Elements of horror 🩸
• Defeating their abuser

Rating: 4.5/5🌟
Steam Level: 2/5🔥 (It’s there but if you’re looking for a spicy vampire story that’s not what this is about.)

trigger warning
<spoiler> abusive relationship, grooming, kidnapping, gore, war themes, depression, trauma </spoiler>

When Constanta meets Dracula, who is never mentioned by name, she is dying. He gives her the choice between death and immortality, and of course she doesn't chose the first, not knowing what this will mean in the long run.

Constanta tells her story, one of the unnamed brides of Dracula we meet in Bram Stoker's novel. How she is at first dazzled, then finds out that things are only nice when she adheres to the script laid out for her, and how she begins to find out more.

I would have liked this more if I had read it before discovering Reluctant Immortals earlier this year, I guess, because while this was intriguing, I kept thinking that I really need to re-read Reluctant Immortals because of the atmosphere.

But you, lucky reader, can have them both. If you like vampires, if you like aforementioned story by Bram Stoker, go for it.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

"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."

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Constanta is a young peasant girl in the countryside of Romania. She is saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, she is instantly drawn to him. She becomes his bride and he makes her just like him, a monster. They travel Europe over the years and bring new members into the family. Constanta loves them all and finds comfort with them, however his temper grows ever shorter and he is clearly keeping secrets. As the years go by, Constanta unravels his secrets and makes plans of her own. The pacing in this book was excellent and I loved the writing style. A very different, fresh take on a classic done extremely well.

A Dowry of Blood is a Dracula retelling centered around his brides and their relationship. We follow his first bride Constanta's narrative as she tells him in almost a diary or letter format why she ended up killing him.👰🏻‍♀️🗡 This makes for such a fascinating writing style!
"This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession..."

The writing is beautiful, might be some of the most beatiful sentences I have ever read in this novel. And made me very emersed into this story that is not even 300 pages but feels so lush.

"I wanted to dash myself against your rocks like a wave, to obliterate my old self and see what rose shining and new from the sea foam."🌊

Even though I dont read or like romance stories this one felt really good to read about. The obsession, the jealousy, the preserverence of the brides, and how slowly and steadily you get to see them change and long for a different live together without their creator. I love a good revenge story, this is not that but it gives you the same satisfaction!

This was easily a 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you so much to Orbit books and Netgalley for this arc cannot wait to see these gorgeous finished copies and them to our vampire collection!

book review🧛🏻‍♂️

a dowry of blood • @stgibsonauthor
4⭐️

gifted by the publisher via netgalley

i went into this book completely blind, not knowing what to expect. it’s a dark, sexy, twisted reimagining of dracula’s first wife. constanta is bitten and turned after she has been left for dead, the rest of her family killed. she becomes the bride of her saviour, and embarks on a life with him, hidden away in large houses on the edge of civilisation.

the inclusion of a male “bride” set after the events of bram stoker’s dracula gave the story a fresh twist that i really enjoyed.

the book is more vibes than plot, given the fact the reader is aware of how the story ends from the very beginning. it is written from constanta’s point of view, and unravels a tale of love, lust, control and betrayal.

if you’re craving something vampy, you won’t be disappointed. read it!!