S.T. Gibson can truly create an atmosphere!

The writing in this book is particularly delicious: It is written in first-person by Constanta and follows a similar structure to a letter addressing "you" (Dracula) as she works through her emotions. It's a gripping tale and tells of consuming, sometimes destructive love that slowly grinds you down until you are suffocating in it.
Knowing the ending takes nothing away as we see Dracula's influence corrupting everything he touches. In fact, it makes the romance all that much sweeter between Constanta, Magdalena and Alexi as they are all turned into vampires, and oh my god, can we talk about how well the story portrays a polyamorous relationship? It shows how individual couples decide their own parameters, existing as metamours, how jealousy and compersion can come up, and so much more.

The 2023 UK edition comes with the previously online published short story An Encore of Roses and I found it absolutely vital to my enjoyment of the story - I don't think I would have been as satisfied otherwise. (I did not even realize at first it was not included in the original small press publication.)

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Little,Brown Book Group UK for giving me the chance to read A Dowry of Blood in exchange for my honest review.

First things first,let's start ofof with some Trigger Warnings: use of graphic violence, gore, murder
This is a Dracula retelling so all of the above are to be expected to some degree, and yet the haunting atmospere and gothic vibes this story has, envelop the reader in it's page and sink their figurative fangs to the reader and don't let go until the very end. A compelling first person narration following Dracula's first bridde, Constanta, as she narrates her life at the side of the most notorious vampire in existence, in the form of a most intimate confession to the reader.
A dark,romantic and atmosperic tale of love that is haunting and overwhelming, toxic even as the story moves on, with an after taste of bloody vengeance throughout it's a perfect read who wants to stay up at night clutching to a book as dawn breaks.

**ARC OF THE BOOK** and i have the physical copy of the old version***


i really enjoyed the way this was written - it felt like constanta was talking to me, the reader, and therefore i was more immersed in the story. i enjoyed certain elements of the story and how atmospheric it was - it really suited the whole plot and how different constanta and alexi's pov were. i was surprised by the romantic relationships were - mostly because i didn't expect it!
it was a good read, but i think there could have been more stakes (*pun intended😂*)!
solid 3/5

I am haunted by this book.
I kept seeing it around bookstagram and booktube for a while but never picked it up because I thought I wouldn't like it. Well, what a mistake that was.
Gibson creates a tale so compelling and mesmerizing that you can't help but be sucked in from the first promised lines of the protagonist going "I never meant to kill you - well, not in the beginning at least". It's a magically crafted tale that is filled with pain and anger and rage and fear but also with hope and longing and possession and what it means to escape and to put yourself first.
Dark, seductive and with wonderful prose, if you can stomach the trigger warnings then you need to read this book!

This was an easy read, which did have many poetic lines. However I feel like this book was lacking a bit of plot... While it's interesting reading about Dracula from a different perspective, it felt like there just wasn't enough going on. Things got more interesting when Alexi came along, but only marginally.

Maybe because I read Blood Orange recently, this has caused me to directly compare (both dark romance, both Dracula retellings) and this didn't meet my expectations. Although the writing was definitely better, I highlighted lots of beautiful lines! Unfortunately the story just wasn't as engaging.

J’ai adoré ce livre !
Le style de narration est particulière et j’y ai complètement adhéré.
Cet ouvrage est une missive où l’on ressent ce besoin viscéral de dénoncer, ce besoin de mettre les choses à plats.
J’aime cette plume simple et fluide, sans supperflue, cela rehausse le coter missive.

Un Voyage à travers les siècles et les pays depuis la rencontre de Constanta et de son mari, Dracula.

Un récit remplis de haine, jalousie mais aussi d’amour.

J’aurai aimé en savoir un peu plus sur certaines personnes, et entre autre tout le côté scientifique et recherche du savoir de Dracula… mais ça n’aurait absolument pas coller avec le style et le rendu voulu du récit !
Mais qui aurait peut être pu être en bonus ? Car ce livre fini sur un chapitre supplémentaire qui selon moi n’a pas vraiment lieux d’être, dans le sens où oui c’était sympa, mais on part complètement sur un autre style d’écriture, à voir si c’est une transition pour une suite ?
Bref j’extrapole.

En quelques mots, ce fut une très bonne lecture !

I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of the novel Dracula as I have problems with how the female characters are portrayed, but I was very intrigued by the premise of S. T. Gibson's novel. The first chapters of the novel really made me curious about the plot and I couldn't stop reading. The writing is very atmospheric and it's the perfect novel for a stormy night with a drink of your choice or when you are in the mood for a modern Gothic novel. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and following their journeys.
I can recommend this book for lovers of Dracula (retellings), vampire stories and Gothic novels.

“This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession.”

A Dowery of Blood is a hauntingly slow-burn dip into toxic relationships and love. Almost multigenerational (except, you know, vampires live forever), but still a slow climb through hundreds of years as our main characters grow and shift, living multiple lives.

I loved the character development because it almost happened without noticing, this book is a dark love letter and confession, from our main character Constanta, and we start the narrative with this perspective. We know that Constanta will grow from peasant girl to wealthy wife to someone who begins to unravel around an epicentre of manipulation and deceit. I became so focused on the rising conflict and building climax that her growth naturally bloomed throughout the prose without it being overly highlighted. Additionally, as Constanta fell further into her second vampiric life, her narrative focuses less on her new experiences- which when you live hundreds of years become old rather quickly and we become introduced to the other new additions to the household. The characters become centre stage as Constanta makes them centre stage. Everything falls away to focus on love and toxic relationships.

I enjoyed the lyrical prose, but I’m glad it was a relatively short book, personally, I would have struggled with this format with anything longer and at times I had to push myself to reengage, despite being intrigued and enjoying the characters. At the same time, I still would have loved more (just not in the same format). The characters were so interesting, cue cunning high-born lady and charismatic actor, in a colourful polyamorous relationship with a Romanian peasant from the middle ages and a reimaging of the Dracula.

For a story that is often retold, I would easily argue that Gibson brings a new voice and perspective. If you want lyrical prose, queer rep and a deep dive into relationships (especially ones that span hundreds of years), this should be next on your reading list.

“You did not let me keep my name, so I will strip you of yours.”

Thank You Little, Brown Book Group for this copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was beautifully written, the language used was evocative and well thought out, but I felt the plot was a little too uneventful for my liking. The ending was wonderfully action based but everything else was just them travelling around and meeting one another.

I loved the polyamory. The synopsis calls them rival lovers but all four main characters of this book are in love with each other. The relationship between Constanta, Magdalena and Alexi is perfect and beautiful and honestly relationship goals for anyone whether polyamorous or monogamous. They just could have done without Dracula in the mix.

I really don't have more to say about this book. If you like beautiful writing and polyamory and don't mind a more sedate book, then it's perfect for you.

Thank you to Orbit Books for sending me an ARC of the paperback edition!

An enthralling and lyrical read. Gibson’s prose is perhaps the most beautiful I have read and is easily a new favourite. The characters are excellently written and Constanta is a brilliant narrator. It is also perfectly paced and feels like such a full and wide story despite its short length. An absolute must read, I cannot wait for future stories in this world.

Constanta is about to die when she is saved by a man who turns out to be much more than that. He takes her as his bride, whole and new and perfect again, hunts for her so she can feed on the blood she now needs, gentle as can be. Until he isn't anymore.
Oh! Oh, what a perfect story. This short book did so much to me, coaxing out emotions in every direction possible. Constanta's telling of her relationships, about their dynamics, about her happiness and fear and the horror and love felt about her surroundings and her family made me deeply uncomfortable, so sad I cried, so happy I cried, joyful and fascinated and afraid for the characters told with so much affection. The way S. T. Gibson formed Constanta's voice and her character was marvellous. I loved this story to bits and there's not much more I can say about it than that.

Gloriously dark gothic fiction- sumptous, dripping, decadent - a velvet wrapped read to devour on a dark night with a goblet of wine

Oh dear this book just wasn’t for me. I wasn’t a fan of the second person narrative, it just didn’t work for me in this one. I felt no connection to the characters and in the end had to push through to the end.

A truly amazing gothic tale that descends time.

Ever wonder what it is like to live forever? This story gives us a glimpse into what that might be like, seeing all the things like the rise and fall of empires and how they are insignificant with time and all you have that really matters is the relationship you have with your family.

A disfunctional family at times and although you could live forever is it worth it? What will be the catalyst that finally makes you choose... Iife or death?

ONE OF MY FAVES! loved every little word i read. lovedddd the writing like no other. would appreciate to be buried with this book.

- thanks to netgalley & the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was intense. Full of passion. love, hate, gaslighting and emotional abuse. It was all wrapped up in this melodic, sexy little number about the eternal love and control between vampires. Beautiful prose and a lyrical flow to the writing. Very enjoyable although the epilogue seemed unnecessary.

This book took me completely by surprise. It's so hauntingly beautiful, dark and lyrical while being immersive and fast-paced. I loved the gothic, eerie and mysterious atmosphere we feel while reading. The overall tone of the book was melancholic and reminiscent, which added layers of raw emotion to the story.

I was hooked from the very first paragraph and the story just flowed seamlessly from then right through to the end. The writing was unlike any I've read before. It was unique and poetic. It was interesting the way the author wrote this in 2nd person, as our FMC writes and narrates her story directed at her lover. This is a story of toxicity in a relationship and abuse not in physical form but which manifests as emotional and psychological abuse and trauma. We feel deeply for our FMC as she becomes so completely and utterly enthralled by her saviour and creator that she doesn't realise she's being controlled and manipulated. That is until she does and the story takes a turn. I also didn't know that this was polyamorous going into it which took me by surprise but added so much depth to the story and our FMC. It's a story of family and love and salvation.

Let me tell you the gaslighting in this was HARD to read. Our FMC continuously gets undermined, manipulated, only given the illusion of control over her life and passive aggressively threatened by her 'lover', leading her to live in simultaneous awe and fear of him. It was incredibly frustrating to read about but only made my admiration for the FMC to grow.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading this. It's short and fast-paced, and while it's dark, it's also an incredibly lyrical and immersive read, so I highly recommend it.

*Please search trigger warnings if you need them*

Preliminary 5-star review. Will post a full review and adjust the rating accordingly after I finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

A retelling of Dracula' story with plenty of blood and sex; need I say more!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Strengths -

• Intrigue
• Set up

Weaknesses -

• Plot
• Atmosphere
• Marketing

Overall thoughts -

A Dowry of Blood had so much potential. It started out with amazing atmosphere, and the setup was fantastic, I was annotating anything and everything, and I thought I was going to have a new favourite.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. Maybe this was my fault because I went into this story not knowing much, not knowing it was a Dracula retelling of which I've never read the original and not knowing the focus of the plot, but when I started reading it I thought I was going to get a revenge story, a kind of dark version of Rosalie's (Twilight) backstory.. that's how it began anyway and then the atmosphere and the story telling dropped.

So far in it's main focus became lust, sex, erotica.. not the gothic horror I was promised. I'm more than happy to read within the genre, too, but when I'm being told that I'm going to get something completely different.. yeah, I just wasn't into it. I also have to add that I wouldn't have cared for a sex scene or two, but it literally became THE story.

So yes, this may have been a me problem, but I've also read other reviews that have had the same experience as me and by people who have actually experienced the original Dracula.