Name: A Dowry of Blood
Rating: 4.014285714285714 (91 reviews)
ISBN: 9780316501071

S. T. Gibson

"A dizzying nightmare of a romance that will leave you aching, angry and ultimately hopeful." --Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf A deliciously dark retelling of Dracula, A Dowry of Blood is a saga of obsession, desire and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love. 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.

A Dowry of Blood

Moa Lindborg

This was a really different read compared to what I usually read but really fast paced and I loved the diary vibe it gave. Really gothic kind of book and I gotta say I liked it a lot and it put me in the mood for more Vampire books. You kind of knew the ending from the start but I had no idea how we were going to get there so it's good written

Jenny Engel

annie

"It was never my intention to murder you. Not in the beginning, anyway."
Well it was mine. Fuck you, Dracula

A Dowry of Blood is a dark gothic retelling of Dracula's brides. It's moody and delightful, and is written as a kind of letter from Constanta to her husband (Dracula) after his death.  

"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 depts being wiped clean. I say you do not have a name."

This is a very clever little book and such a delight to read. The relationships, the story and the writing weaves together seamlessly to create the most perfectly dark and disturbing novel. It was a beautifully intoxicating reading experience.

The only thing I would say is not to go into this hoping for some big plot, because this isn't that kind of book. It's more melancholy and quiet and very character focused.

Sophie Elaina 

A Dowry of Blood is a dark gothic retelling of Dracula's brides. It's moody and delightful, and is written as a kind of letter from Constanta to her husband (Dracula) after his death.  

"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 depts being wiped clean. I say you do not have a name."

This is a very clever little book and such a delight to read. The relationships, the story and the writing weaves together seamlessly to create the most perfectly dark and disturbing novel. It was a beautifully intoxicating reading experience.

The only thing I would say is not to go into this hoping for some big plot, because this isn't that kind of book. It's more melancholy and quiet and very character focused.

I enjoyed the narrative and the prose were well done, however I think the writing could be a bit tighter and more impactful, the flowery prose sometimes made the story feel vapid. Though I’m excited to read more from Gibson and see how her writing evolves 

Florence

It was a fun easy read. I appreciated the content warning at the beginning. 

I found this an interesting take on Dracula and his wives.  

Jodie Reads

Alexa M

"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 in this was TOP TIER. Probably the best I've read in a loong time. However, the story was lacking for me and for such a short book, I felt like it was dragging. But, the quotes in this... so good. 


(also why did a book less than 300 pages take me over a week to finish lets talk about it lol)

A Dowry of Blood

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