This short novel is a real gothic romance, beautifully written, pacy and engrossing. I really enjoyed this seductive and atmospheric reimagining of Dracula - it has definite Interview with the Vampire vibes, though the lack of sub plots made it pacy but slightly superficial.

This was a fantastic take on the vampire story; I loved the format - that of a letter of sorts that made it very personal and emotive. There was a bit of sauce - though not as much as I expected.
Overall an enjoyable, easy read that I devoured in one sitting.

I get it. It really was a fantastic book.
From the first page I was hooked and wanted to keep reading, I couldn't put the book down. The second person narrative was very well done, it felt like Constanta was talking to the reader and following her story through the centuries was just so interesting, especially after Magdalena and Alexi entered the picture. The relationships were really well written even though the book was quite short but I actually wish it had a few more pages, just so that the characters could have been a bit more fleshed out? I kinda wanted to know even more about them but I get that that wouldn't have worked well with the letter format probably. That's the reason the book is "only" getting 4 stars from me. It just wasn't perfect for me personally even though I enjoyed reading it quite a lot. It was dark and brutal and queer and I truly recommend picking it up if you haven't already.

I've been sitting and stewing on this review for a while, just not finding the words to express my feelings, because I think this is a brilliant little book, but it just wasn't for me.
Not to get all TMI here, but I have a really hard time with poly relationships. Not because I'm morally against them; actually, I wholeheartedly support them. But, once again, we have a saying in Germany: The burnt child shies away from the fire. And my daddy issues won't let me appreciate poly relationships for what they can be.

Whew, my therapist would be proud of me for saying that. So yeah, realm of TMI: I can't deal with poly relationships because they remind me of my cheating father. And, to be even more honest, the main "villain" of this book had to much in common with my father for me to enjoy it.

This book is a brilliantly written reimagining of the three brides of Dracula. In the original novel, they're three women who are actually not confirmed to be Dracula's wives; however, it is generally accepted that they are. This is not a retelling of Dracula, it's more of an examination of how this relationship came to be and how it ended.
Our narrator is Constanta, Dracula's first wife, and after his death, she writes him letters, maybe to gt it all ofher chest, or to explain, or to apologize. So this point of view is absolutely interesting and actually something I have never read before: Constanta writes these letters adressed to Dracula, from first person perspective, and Dracula's name is actually never ever mentioned. She only adresses him as "you". As she tells her story, we learn how Dracula transformed her into a vampire and made her his first wife, and then how he added Magdalena and Alexi to this relationship.

The relationship between these four people is generally a very toxic one, mostly because of Dracula's manipulation. Constanta, Magdalena, and Alexi seem to generally love each other, and they work together to, in the end, band together and murder their captor and husband. This is not a spoiler - it's literally mentioned on the first page. The plot of the original Dracula is barely in this book - it's just a single line, actually. I liked that. This book really focuses on that relationship.

As I mentioned before, the writing is absolutely gorgeous. Constanta's personality shines through her sentences, and the point of view is so innovative and new.
However, I just couldn't. I had to put the book down more than once because Dracula reminded me too much of my father. And then I had to put it down again because that relationship is so fucked up and it physically hurt me.
Another thing I didn't really like was the oversexualization of vampirism. The brides of Dracula are contantly protrayed as overtly sexual, and it's a point of general annoyance with me - I would prefer to see them just as cold, calculating, and brutal as their husband - but it does fit with the overall theme of the novel. I just personally didn't like it very much. (Also, Dracula is like, so unsexy. Maybe it's because I was reading the original novel at the same time, but those two people did not fit together, even though they're supposed to be the same character.)

So, yeah, tldr: Great novel, beautiful writing, not for me.

This book has been absolutely everywhere, highly praised and loved so I was intrigued, I was never drawn into it before with the original cover, it didn't appeal but when it got picked up by the publisher and I saw the new cover I knew I had to give it a go.

I was a very quick read and it was very lyrical and easy to get sucked in. I liked the characters and I was interested in the plot.

Definitely recommend it and I was glad I gave it a go as I adore Vampire books!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an arc of this book.
If you like dark academia and tragic ends, this book is for you
The writing of this book is absolutely phenomenal. The way the characters are portrayed and the attention to detail is astounding. Although I loved the two main characters, Maggie and Alexei felt a bit flat and a convenience to drive the plot. The historical aspect was really interesting to read too and well thought out. In conclusion, it is an amazing read overall

A Dowry of Blood was exactly what I needed to get out of my current reading slump - it is thrilling right from the very first page with its promise to tell the reader a gripping story about love, toxicity and a woman stepping into her own power. While one of the main characters is Dracula, himself, you do not need to read the classic or know much about it, other than that he is a vampire.

The story is written as a letter to Dracula from his wife and takes you through their love story - from the time he sires her, the centuries they spend together, the many places they had seen, the historical events that played out during that time like the plague, and the people they welcome into their polyamorous marriage. I loved that despite the story spanning centuries, the writing remained punchy and intentional - there was no pointless world-building, or lengthy descriptions that didn't add any value. In fact, it read exactly like a love letter filled with raw emotion, unsaid words, and personal history.

Dracula is an interesting character; the author did an incredible job of showing how toxic and manipulative a narcisstic partner can be. Everything he did was designed to serve only him; he made all the decisions with regards to where they would live, when they would move, who they would interact with, when they got to eat, and who they welcomed into their family. He was always scheming and knew that by depriving his wife of attention and recognition, she'd remain hungry and desperate for his affection. More than that, he controlled how much she knew about what she was, so that she felt that she could not live without him. I believe this approach was fine-tuned over his long life, knowing that eventually, they all grew tired of his moods. But even as you read more and more about how he'd treat his wife, she highlights those tender moments, and how she burned just for him - you can't help but want to wrap her up and take her away.

I really loved the pacing and prose of this book - it flowed so beautifully, never dragged and kept me captivated. Maggie and Alexi are amazing characters; touching on Maggie's mental health and the impact of having every aspect of your life controlled with the expectation of changing who you are to fit someone else's mould was another brilliant aspect of the story that added depth. I especially liked the diversity of each character; they were each so different from the other, almost like Dracula was collecting them as his little prizes.
All in all, this is an incredible read with LGTBQ+ representation, strong characters, gothic vibes and a FMC who learns that sometimes all it takes to find your inner strength is knowing that the only you can end the toxicity.

Thank you Net Galley & Little Brown Book Group for the ARC in exchange for this review - I cannot begin to express my thanks for this read, it was superb!

➡️ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
➡️ Spice: 🌶/5

Many thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for providing me this e-ARC in exchange of my honest review!

A Dowry of Blood is a darkly gorgeous retelling of the beloved gothic classic Dracula. This is a relatively short book that spanned across centuries, covering the life of Constanta, a Romanian peasant girl turned Dracula's bride. Written in the form of a letter addressed to her husband, Constanta retraced her long and callous life alongside the infamous vampire lord as the pair travelled throughout the European continent.

The most prominent thing about this book is Gibson's gorgeous writing. Gloomingly lyrical and rich, her writing is particularly efficent to portray the obscure setting of the book. I have been thoroughly impressed as the book progressed because how fitting her gorgeous writing is in accord with the book.

A Dowry of Blood is a love story. In fact, I would argue that this book covered many dimensions of love. For example, Constanta's relationship with her husband is one of control, manipulation and despair. Gibson's way of telling its effects on Constansta's mental state is very prominent as the readers can feel her emotional exhaustion/resignation and her anger as their relationship progressed. Moreover, Constansta's relationship with Magdalena (oh Magdalena my love) is remarkably written. The passion, the love, the lust between them was everything I need. Additionally, I love how everyone in this book is just 💖bisexual💖without being vilified.

Overall it was an excellant book I didn't know I needed until today. I heard that S.T. Gibson has a new book coming out set in the same universe. Safe to say that I am incredibly hyped <3

I will update the review with a link to our blog closer to publication date.
I'd like to thank the publisher Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review

Taking place over the course of centuries, A Dowry of Blood is an atmospheric, queer reimagining of Dracula’s brides narrated from the point of view of Constanta, who believes she’s the first bride but as the story goes on she begins to wonder, since Dracula has lived so long is she really the first?
The story is gorgeously written in an epistolary format. In the beginning of this novel we find out Dracula is dead(not a spoiler it’s literally on page 1), and Constanta is writing letters to Dracula, essentially telling him why she killed him.
At it’s core this is a story about overcoming abuse. Escaping a very toxic relationship. It’s about emotional, verbal and psychological abuse. It is deeply moving, poignant and important. A book that will stick with me for a long time.

Thank you so much to @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for the e-arc!

This book was absolutely fantastic. It was creepy, sexy, erotic, dangerous, everything you want in a vampire novel! Whilst the writing took a little while to get into, it ended up flowing really well. I absolutely sped through did, didn't want to put it down at all.

I'll absolutely be buying this once it is published.

While I appreciate the ideas and themes this book put forward, I personally couldn't get on with the writing style.

I am stunned. Absolutely speechless. I can’t exactly put my finger on why I loved this novel so much.

We follow Constanta, who was just almost beat to the brink of death by men. When a devil disguised as an angel gives her a kiss of love and a bite of everlasting life. As she is turned, she devours those who have hurt her, and then follow blindly behind her maker who would hurt her even worse. We walk through centuries with Constanta and the nameless beautiful creature that made her and she fell in-love with, and once the honeymoon period is over, his true beastliness shines through. Shackled to this man and his string of new lovers he takes every century here and there, something snaps. She can’t have this for eternity. Eternal, she feels as dead as she ever can be. This has to stop, she has to get out… but will she be able to dismantle the one who turned her, stole her heart and soul in order to be truly free finally?

This was absolutely captivating. I read this in one sitting because I couldn’t pry my eyes away from my phone. Gripping, tangling into your thoughts and soul, and absolutely mind-bindingly well written. I loved it so much.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I will post this review on Story Graph closer to the publication date.

I loved the writing style of this book. I thought that it being written in first person was very clever and made the thoughts of Constanta much more personal. I love fantasy novels, so this was of course a gripping read for me - I read it in a couple of hours. The language was just beautiful.

Gay polyamorous vampires - yes.

This book was full of lust and intoxicating attraction between Constanta and Dracula’s newest subject. Would definitely recommend it to fantasy lovers.

I received an ARC from NetGalley but all thoughts are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this copy.

This book is so beautiful, so dark and harrowing, so heartbreaking and so exhilarating. The writing is so lyrical and I was hooked from the moment I picked it up. Very much a book for the lovers of classic vampire tales.

4.5/5
Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
'To those who escaped a love like death, and to those still caught in its grasp: you are the heroes of this story.'
S.T. Gibson spins a masterful story. I absolutely loved it! None of the characters are human however it is still a very human tale, of good and evil and how they intersect and blur, of love and hate and how they too do the same.
One of my favourite aspects that surprised me was the fact that it's all written in letters from our main character, Constanta, to her husband. Another thing I adored was that her husband is never given a name. This is Constanta's story and although he plays a large part in it, it is not his. Constanta is a great main character and all the other characters are also complex and expertly written.
'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.'
The writing itself was beautiful and I kept swooning over all the gorgeous prose. The exploration of abuse and all the depth and nuance that it delved into astounded me. I was so impressed. It's a difficult thing to be able to portray both loving and hating someone, feeling both those emotions and none, constantly at war with yourself over your own feelings and the guilt that plagues you. I think it was done wonderfully and had an incredibly satisfying ending.
The queer and polyamorous representation was brilliant and made me so very happy. I loved the characters and their intricate relationships. I also loved how it was shown that even though they're all in a relationship with each other, the different one-on-one relationships are still unique, whilst never detracting from loving the others. It, again, showed so much depth and nuance which was really impressive.
I instantly fell in love with S.T. Gibson's writing style and the story and I'm so, so glad that I got to read this. It's beautiful and moving and powerful. I can't wait to reread!
'I have one promise to make you, one I hope I will never break. I promise to live, richly and shamelessly and with my arms wide open to the world.'
Review to be published at a later date at request of Little, Brown Book Group UK.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this dark gem of a book!

A Dowry of Blood was an excellent read, and was an interesting look at how the dynamics of abuse can play out in polyamorous relationships.

Each character’s felt very real and well fleshed out, and I fell in love with the descriptions of each historical European city.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is searching for something shorter and darker to read.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc!

Dracula’s brides but polyamorous and LGBT+!!!

First and foremost, thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book!

Picture this: Mitski and Lana del Rey collaborate to create the lyrics to a tragic, Gothic opera.

This book felt exactly like that concept.

A dowry of blood makes you experience it’s story alongside it’s characters. It will seduce and trick you, hurt you, make you feel desperate and hopeless. However, despite all the helplessness that Constanta’s retelling of her life may convey, I never stopped trusting the author when it came to showcasing the main precept of the story, which is the fact that, in spite of everything, you are the sole owner of your life, your choices and your story, and you can be free again.

The prose was incredibly compelling, and despite the emotional charge and the heaviness of its themes, it never felt stagnant. It works perfectly at it’s short lenght.

The great characterization is another aspect that also stood out to me. Constanta, Magdalena, and Alexi’s characters are coherently affected by the abuse, but never abandon their unique and distinct personalities.

One more point that I’d like to highlight is the extensive care with wich the author treats the historical periods and events throughout the book. It really impressed me how, in such a short amount of pages, I could really picture not only the time period easily, but also how well the longevity and tiredness of Constanta’s life came through.

My only critique, if you can even call it such, would be that the ending broke my heart a little. But if I’ve learned anything from this story, is that loving someone means to be able to let them be free, even if it means letting them go.

Overall, if you skimmed through this review, I would like to convince you to read A dowry of blood based on the next few points. So, if you like:

*Sexy, bisexual, polyamorous vampires.

*Gore, but in like, a really kinky, sexy way.

*Stories about overcoming abuse and growing out of abusive relationships.

*European history-fashion-geography-aesthetic.

Then, I would very much recommend you’d read A dowry of blood by S.T. Gibson.

(P.D. : when I say this book is sexy, I really, really mean it. It’s horny af. You have been warned;)

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Group for providing me with an ARC of this book. I will publish this review on my Goodreads closer to publication date.

I really didn’t know what to expect going on but I was swept away by this story.
A queer, polyamorous Dracula retelling? Hell yes.

I personally found this to be more historical fiction than horror as the horror aspect was very minimal. I wanted a bit more spookiness which is why I’m giving this book 4 stars.

I loved the history aspect of it though! It was so cool to see them live through all these time periods and visit different countries.

Constanta is a great main character and I loved her character development. I especially loved her relationship with Magdalena, it was so refreshing and pure.

The writing style was hauntingly beautiful and almost lyrical at times. It took me a short bit to get used to the second-person POV but it was a really nice change. I marked so many lines because the writing is just SO GOOD and to me definitely the main aspect of why I enjoyed this book so much.

I also loved how it told the story of a toxic relationship and what it does to the one(s) suffering from the abuser’s/narcissist’s behavior.

Overall, this was such a unique book and I highly recommend it.