A Dowry of Blood is gothic and eerie and intimate. I'd heard so much hype about this book and never got around to reading it after it was released by an indie. When it was rereleased I was glad to get an eARC so I could finally jump on board the hype train.

Gibson takes characters that have been explored before - Dracula's brides - but turns them into something completely fresh. They're so well-developed and turned into these complicated and intense characters which, combined with Gibson's incredible prose created a sense of seductive gothic horror that had me utterly hooked.

A Dowry of Blood is a perfect gothic story; hitting topics of patriarchal oppression and abusive relationships with a deft touch while maintaining a thick atmosphere of unnerving, uncanny horror.

This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read!

Updated Review (29/03/2023)

This took me a while to write because I kept deleting and rewriting. Finally I realised, no matter how much I rewrite nothing could sum up how I feel about this book, so here we go :)

Set in a dark and gothic world, author S.T. Gibson weaves a tale of betrayal, revenge, and redemption that will leave readers breathless.

At the heart of the story is Constanta, a vampire who has lived for centuries and has amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience. In exchange for her immortality, she must fulfill her role as a wife and provide a dowry for her new husband. However, as the plot unfolds, it becomes apparent that the dowry is much more than a simple exchange of goods. It is a symbol of power and control, and Constanta is determined to assert her dominance.

Gibson's writing is both poetic and haunting. The characters are well-developed and complex, each with their own motivations and desires. Constanta is particularly compelling, a strong and independent woman who refuses to be defined by her gender or her species.

Throughout the novel, Gibson explores themes of oppression, patriarchy, and the ways in which women are often trapped by the expectations placed upon them. The story is dark, but ultimately it is a tale of empowerment and liberation.

Overall, Dowry of Blood is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that will leave a lasting impact on its readers. Gibson's beautiful prose and well-crafted characters make this a must-read for fans of gothic literature and dark fantasy.

With my love of Dracula and all things vampire I had expected this book to be a slamdunk win for me. However, it didn’t quite resonate. I loved the beginning of the book and the whole Dracula’s brides concept however I don’t think I am the books target audience as it was much more sensual, gothic romance that horror for me.

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

A Dowry of Blood is inspired by the Brides of Dracula and is told through an open letter from Constanta to her husband. Through this letter we learn how Constanta was changed, how she coped and grew into the woman she became during her abusive relationship.

This is a deliciously dark and lyrical story that I really didn’t know I needed. I first started it one evening and just wasn’t in the mood, so set it aside, I then picked it up a couple of evenings later and devoured it.

I absolutely love the way it’s written, I’ve never read anything like it and the way it drew me in like I was the one writing this letter was crazy, I felt all the emotions Constanta went through.

A Dowry of Blood is like no other book I’ve read before, it’s so atmospheric I had goose bumps and nothing existed around me while I was reading. I was totally and utterly absorbed. I think my only complaint was it wasn’t long enough, I wanted more and didn’t want it to end.

If you enjoy dark atmospheric gothic stories that are lyrical with complex relationships then this is a book you need to pick up now.

Ever since I heard the quietest whispers about this book I have been so incredibly excited to read it! A gothic, queer, poly retelling of Dracula’s Brides? The concept itself sounded absolutely fantastic, and my expectations quickly rose through the roof. Always a dangerous thing, because more often than not I am disappointed when actually reading the book, because it cannot reasonably live up to them.

But oh boy. Not only were my expectations met, they were thoroughly surpassed!!

<i>After a gruesome attack on her village, Constanta is saved from certain death by a mysterious stranger who turns her into his undead bride and takes her to his castle, where she quickly and absolutely falls in love with him. Still eternally grateful and devoted, Constanta is quick to overlook and forgive her husband’s erratic behaviour and shifting mood, up until a sharp-minded aristocrat and a beautiful artist are pulled into her husband’s carefully woven web of passion and deceit. And finally, Constanta has to decide between the love for her husband and their freedom. </i>

I will start off by saying that the writing in this book is absolutely beautiful. If you, like me, are someone who adores gorgeously written books, this alone will probably be enough for you to pick up this book and love it. The story flows effortlessly, the language perfectly mirroring the mood and atmosphere of the story, creating a world as lush and vivid as blood-red silk.

The characters are multi-layered and feel completely real, and I am so in love with all of them. Throughout the book, my heart physically ached for them. With just a few words and actions, S.T. Gibson manages to sketch every character so perfectly that they still live rent-free in my head. The story is set against various European countries through the centuries, from medieval France to Spain, to the many canals of Venice and the imposing buildings of Vienna, always decadent, always on the edge of ruin.

Although the relationship at the centre of this story is controlling and abusive, the book itself has a strong message of freedom, love and emancipation: of standing up to your abuser and taking control. It touches on so many important issues in a sensitive, delicate way. By the end I had full on tears in my eyes.

Whether you have never read a vampire book before, or it’s your favourite genre, I can only urge you to pick up this book. It is bloody and hauntingly gothic, gorgeously written and will not let you go. I can quite honestly say that I’ve never read anything like it.

I can't recomend this book enough! It has vampires, smut and lgbt vibes. A retelling of the Draculas Bride with an lgbt twist.

One of my favourite reads of 2022.

I quite enjoyed this book. It wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea but I enjoyed it none the less. It’s the perfect gothic read!

Amazon Summary

S.T. Gibson's sensational novel is the darkly seductive tale of Dracula's first bride, Constanta.

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.

My Review

Really great Vampire novel, it was a little darker than i usually like to read but i really enjoyed it!

Constanta recounts her experiences with living with her sire vampire.

Through letters written to her sire, Constanta tells us the tale of how she lived with him.
The amount of beautiful quotes in this book is unsurmountable.
There were some sentences I had to read 5 times, just because I wanted to appreciate the writing some more.

The book is quite short, but it did not need more.
This is a good example of editing a book and not overdoing it.
It could have become repetitive otherwise.

I am so glad this will get an official release through a publisher, because this book deserves all of the attention.
So, definitely a recommendation from me, especially in this spooky season.

A Dowry of Blood is the queer reimagining that I never knew I needed, this book is just a work of art. Once I started reading I just couldnt stop!

A Dowry of Blood is the story of Dracula’s first bride, Constanta, and her realisation that all in her life may not be as it appears.

I found the characters fully fleshed and relatable, and enjoyed seeing their life from Constanta’s point of view.
However, the story was very character driven which I personally do not prefer. There wasn’t much in the way of action/events plot-wise because of the style of the story.

Overall, A Dowry of Blood was enjoyable enough and would be a great read if you’re a fan of Dracula and character driven stories.

If you’re looking for a beautifully written, dark and horrifically romantic book for fall then this is it! A queer reimagining of Dracula‘s brides featuring sapphic yearning at the opera and a polyamorous relationship.
It is told in the form of a letter by the protagonist Constanta over centuries of her being with Dracula. Saved from death and drawn into his world of blood and gore, Constanta finds herself torn being love, blind devotion and hesitant loathing.
I cannot even put into words what this story did to me and I urge you all to read it because it is one of the most beautifully written books I’ve read so far and will surely stick with me for a while.

The style of writing made me think about about some writer of the beginning of XX century: a bit baroque and full of images, nearly symbolistic.
I wasn't a fan of the book as I found it a confusing at times and it was hard to understand why the characters acted in a certain way.
I think there's potential and I would be curious to read the rest of the series.
.3.5 upped to 4
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This was such a lush and lyrical book that gave me big 'Interview With the Vampire' vibes. Told in a series of letters, in gorgeous prose, the story runs from Medieval Romania through to Paris in the 1920s and follows the turbulent and abusive relationship between an unnamed vampire and his wife, Constanta. The plot was fast moving and interesting throughout and I really felt for Constanta as she comes under the thrall of her vampire lover. A truly scary villain, both because he is a vampire but primarily because he is an abusive and controlling presence in the narrative that brims with dread and angst. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely look out for this author in the future.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Wow! What beautiful writing! Iv heard so much hype and positive comments about this book but still went in with my guard up as beautiful writing isn't normally enough for me to love a book. This book however had me hooked from start to finish and today I'm the proud owner of under-eye bags from staying up far too late to finish it- I READ IT IN ONE SITTING! Loved every minute of this and felt so captivated the entire time.

Thankyou NetGallery and little, brown book group uk for providing me with a review copy via netgalley.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the early access!

I loved the writing style, the language, the atmosphere this book created.

I was hooked for the first half of the book, my only criticism would be that it kind of dragged on in the second half, with not much happening, this losing my interest a little. I still loved Constance, Maggie, and Alexi though!

Overall it was a great book though, and I cannot wait for my Fairyloot edition! I wish they hadn't changed the paperback cover though.

It’s been a long time since a book surprised me so much. If I'm honest, I didn’t know what to expect from this story. I only knew that it was a horror novel told from the point of view of one of Dracula’s wives. What I didn’t expect was this achingly powerful gothic story of abuse throughout centuries written in exquisite prose and filled with quotes that struck a chord with me. Without a doubt, A Dowry of Blood is a book I’ll revisit again.

My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group U.K. Orbit for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘A Dowry of Blood’ by S.T. Gibson.

As I love all things Gothic, this retelling of ‘Dracula’ from the viewpoint of one of his vampire brides should have been a winner. Yet I was disappointed, finding myself completely unmoved.

I will admit that my heart drops a little when I see the phrase ‘TikTok sensation’ associated with a novel as I have been disappointed more than a few times by TikTok hype. Sadly this was no exception despite its many, many glowing reviews.

The writing was lyrical though I found the style somewhat overblown. This wasn’t in itself a problem as melodrama and purple prose are staples of Gothic fiction, but I needed more substance with respect to plot, characters, and settings to balance this.

While clearly I am an outlier, overall ‘A Dowry of Blood’ was just not for me.

1.5 stars rounded up to 2.

Really didn't expect to love this as much as I did, but wow it's amazing! This reads like a poem and is a stunningly well-written book, and I flew through it. It was such a unique style of writing that I haven't come across yet and I wish I could experience it all for the first time again, it was so fascinating to read this as if you were Dracula yourself. Truly one of my favourites of the year and a perfect read for Halloween. The romance was well written and was filled with such raw emotion while maintaining the fantastical aspects of vampires. I really enjoyed that the character relationships were a main focus, rather than it being a majorly plot-heavy book, and I felt the queer representation was done well too.
I feel like it could have gone on for a little longer but that is my only complaint regarding this gorgeous book. Will definitely pick up future books from this author!

Headlines:
Suffocating control
Unconventional relationships
Co-dependent vampires

This was a lush read of decadence mixed with something rather hideous underneath the trappings of 'love'. I found this book totally captivating and uncomfortable but I couldn't look away. I devoured it over 24 hours. I really enjoyed the first person narrative, it worked so well for this tale.

Told over centuries that felt like decades, the story unfolded from Constanta's point of view but it centered on him, her sire, her lord, he who had to be obeyed. This was an utterly complex relationship between these two main characters, initally built on being saved, through to a besotted and an unreal kind of love, then into something deeper but kind of icky.

The story moved into having more key characters and more to the relationships. The sire's truer colours came to light and this tale was one of darkness, dependency and blood.

It was so good to have the bonus short story and I'm wholly excited for more from this series and the characters.

"We are children of the same rotten family, survivors of the same intimate war."