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!!

Really interesting take on Dracula, told from the pov of one of his ‘wives’. It took a bit of getting used to the way it was written, basically like a memoir, but I did enjoy it once I’d read a few pages. The plot wasn’t fast paced or super exciting, and to be fair not a huge amount happened but it was an easy read and something a bit different.

4 stars.

I was already in love with the concept of this book which means I'm so happy to say that I ended up absolutely loving it. The narrative voice was so unique, and I think the use of second person really did add more intimacy to the story, especially as Constanta treads the line between love and devotion throughout. The writing style was gorgeous, adding to the darkly alluring atmosphere, and it was a joy to read every sentence. I was hooked by the changing dynamics between each character and we definitely got a chance to delve into their stories and their complexities, even through the eyes of Constanta. It was a little slow at times, and I wish the ending had been drawn out a bit more, but I think this is a book that I'll be thinking about for a while to come.

Thanks to Netgalley for supplying me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

Most reviews I’ve seen marked this as a stellar book and I was excited to read it especially so close to October and spooky season.

SPOILERS AHEAD -

There were areas of this book I really enjoyed:

I was compelled and interested from the start. The writer had me wondering what had happen to drive the main character to murdering their love and engaged in finding out.

I found this hard to put down and I breezed through the read in a little over a day - a sure sign of enjoyment!

I loved Magdalena and Alexei. I thought they were great characters who had spark and vibrancy to them and brought life to the tale. Id love to follow the both of them living their separate lives and perhaps rekindling.

I really enjoyed the polyamorous and queer aspect to the relationships.

The setting was dark and atmospheric and captured perfectly. I felt like I was reading the book at night (which I wasn’t but it conveyed that feeling very well.)

However I really struggled with the narrator of this book - Constanta. She is Dracula’s first bride and we follow her life through the lens of their relationship for hundreds of years.

The novel is a confession to murder, or a love letter, to Dracula. However it spans such a large period of time that the whole thing feels very vague. It was hard for me to feel worried or invested in Constanta as I felt held at arms length from her. This reduced the impact of the abuse and the stakes for me.

To conclude this book was good and worth picking up if you like lyrical prose, history, queer romance and the idea of polyamorous vampires intrigues you.

thank you to Netgalley & Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

for prose alone, i loved this. the writing was poetic and beautiful and portrayed the heightened sense of lust and love that Constanta feels throughout her journey with Dracula. due to the flowery language, there's imagery aplenty, creating vivid, and often violent, scenes and definitely lives up to the 'gothic' genre.
a dowry of blood is told through a confessional letter, or journal entry, to Dracula from Constanta, his wife. this fits well with the overall tone of the narrative, and the 2nd person point of view withholds the reader from feeling any sort of attachment to Dracula.

while Dracula is violent and controlling, and also sweet and charming, Constanta begins as a shadow of her saviour, completely consumed by her infatuation. but, as time goes by, there are glimpses of a headstrong woman, determined to chose for herself, to want for herself. and as she learns, and detaches herself from Dracula, we understand and empathise with her.
i loved Magdalena - she helped teach Constanta true love, and shows a very different reaction to Dracula's overbearing control. she plays coy, while Constanta becomes invisible and i enjoyed the parallels of these two characters. their bond was my favourite (duh) and i wished there had been more.
i don't think Alexi added as much to the story. for me, he was the most one-dimensional of them all. but he was still cute.

i couldn't get over each of them referring to each other as siblings while getting down and dirty though...

the books biggest struggle, i think, is the time span. there’s centuries wrapped up in this book and yet it felt like no real time past even when i was being told it had.

it's definitely more vibes than anything, but for me that is absolutely fine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown for providing an eARC to review!

I picked this book up because it sounded like it would be perfect for autumn, now I am getting in a spooky mood. I was not disappointed!

First of all, the writing style is beautiful and it fits perfectly with the story. It drags you into the world of Constanta as she writes a letter to her Sire and lover. You feel her love, joy and guilt while exploring the abuse she endures at the hands of her Sire as she lives her second life with him.

As the centuries pass and she gets more and more cut off from the outside world, Constanta's nature changes slowly, becoming more rebellious. Especially after meeting Magdalena, who shows her love and passion. When Alexi is added into the mix the polyamorous vampires struggle even more under the controlling nature of their Sire until Constanta decides enough is enough.

The story was beautiful and haunting, and perfect to read on a dark evening.

Despite being short, it is a beautifully written book with flawed but likeable characters and a really interesting plot.

Apart from that, there were a few issues I had. When they moved to a new location, no other world building was done whatsoever for their new home and I felt like the first half also didn't have much happening and was quite slow. There was a lot of sex, a lot of death but the world just kind of, went on like normal? I did enjoy this but also at the same time, not so much.

I really loved reading this book. Every page was a delight. Constanta's point of view gave the whole story a refreshing twist. I also loved that the story was told through letters which was also a quite unique thing for the author to do.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown for providing an eARC to review!

I can definitely see why this book is so popular - it's a beautifully written exploration of abuse/control and the intimacy of vampirism. As someone who doesn't identify as a vampire girlie this wasn't exactly for me, but I think fans of books in the 'unhinged girlboss but make it literary' genre will really enjoy this.

The writing is definitely flowery - cue heaps of religious metaphors and imagery - but I think it works considering it's coming from an old-timey vampire lady. I did think there was a couple times where the language felt a bit too modern but it wasn't too distracting.

I really hope this finds its audience cause I think those people would truly adore this - the perfect read for those who grew up with Twilight and want something darker/saucier.

I LOVED THIS. It’s so good! Absolutely flew through the pages of this Dracula’s retelling. A must read for any gothic horror fan. The writing is brilliant.

Oh boy did I love this book! I heard so many people raving about it and talking about how beautifully it was written, I knew I wanted to read it as soon as someone told me it was written like one of Dracula's brides telling her story, but I was a little worried I wouldn't gel with the writing style. I am notorious for not really getting on well with classics and the mention of Dracula made me wonder if it would have that kind of old fashioned writing, and how I would find it.

I needn't have worried. The writing style was absolutely wonderful and it fit the story so well.

Written as a confessional letter or journal from Constanta to Dracula, we follow her from the moment she is reborn as a vampire and across the centuries of their relationship. It is not a love story, in the conventional sense, but it is a story that is unfortunately familiar to many. Dracula's love is a terrible, controlling, violent thing. He is happy to share his love, but not as happy to share those he see's as his. He is manipulative, his anger a volatile and destructive thing.

Constanta is shown to be a strong woman, both physically and mentally, at the start of the book. We see her turned at her lowest and exact her revenge. She is happy in her new life, but her strength is slowly smothered. Whilst she is still strong, it morphs into a different kind of strength. A will to survive, an ability to placate, the strength to endure and adapt. Her relationships with the other consorts add to her strength, as she is keen to protect them from the rages she knows so well and looks to keep the peace, before ultimately rising up against an abuser to ensure their safety.

Magdalena is a very interesting character. She shows Constanta what real love and passion is, after so long in Dracula's hold. She illustrates a different reaction to Dracula's control; bouts of depression that dampen her extrovert nature. When Alexi is thrown into the mix, it feels like the three of them finally have balance against Dracula. He is more vocal against their Lord and you can see Magdalena finding strength from this, whilst Constanta's need to protect him gives her the final push needed.

The relationship between the three of them was beautifully handled and it felt very authentic. The book is often pitched as a "queer, polyamorous retelling of Dracula's brides" and it is certainly that, but it is also so, so much more. The book is less about vampires and more about enduring and overcoming an abusive partner. It is done exceptionally well and I cannot wait to see more of what ST Gibson has to offer.

An arresting, luxurious novel from the first page - Constanta’s narration is a fresh perspective on the vampire story we’ve seen told over and over again.
A short read and I enjoyed every page!

It's been a minute that I picked any vampire books because more often than not they don't work for me. However, I found A Dowry of Blood to be surprisingly very compelling and the story gripped me from start to finish.

Firstly, the writing is quite beautiful. The story is written in a form of a confession, where the narrator, Constanta relays an account of her life, of how she became a vampire and the circumstances that eventually led to her committing the murder of her husband and sire. The themes of co-dependency and manipulations in a relationship are explored quite well in the story. Abuse in a relationship can come in any form and we slowly see the noose tightening around our characters and how frightening such circumstances could be.

I think because the story spans over many centuries, the summary form of writing definitely worked for the major part, however, there were instances where a new character would be introduced and new relationship would begin and the subsequent relationship development would be glossed over because of the narrative choice. I just needed some more depth to the relationship development and think that this would have made the ending much more impactful.

Additionally, characters referring to each other as brother and sister wherein they are all sleeping with each other was kind of a weird word choice.

Overall, this was a short, fast and quite engaging at times. Definitely a refreshing take on vampire fiction and I'd be interested to see what the author does next.

3.5 stars!

Written from the point of view of Constanta, this is a Dracula's wives reminaging. It's written in the form of a letter, or journal entry, to the male main character, Constanta's sure, who is never given a name. The style of writing is consistent throughout and very enjoyable.

Constanta, Magdalena and Alexi are part of a polyamorous relationship with their Sire, and the book takes place through what seems to be many hundreds of years as they adjust to their "second lives". Their Sire is a possessive and controlling man, seeking to orchestrate every nuance of their lives.

I enjoyed this book, especially the writing style, and the characters had some depth and relatability. Although there is sexual content, it doesn't rule over the book and fits nicely in to the flow of the narration. Overall an enjoyable title with an interesting view on vampires and their quest to fill their immortal lives.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ebook arc in exchange to review.

If you enjoyed Dracula, dark fantasy, a sprawling timescale, lust, desire and power and the passions of a woman used to being invisible just wanting to survive but achieve the best - this is for you. 🧛🏻‍♂️

Whilst vampire stories are not normally my cup of tea ☕️, so many of my fellow reviewers have been raving about this book so I knew I had to give it a go.
This is written in the form of letters from a woman to her lover, her husband, her demon. 🖊
I love the lilting way she narrated, how she saw each character for who they truly were and their potential.

Dracula’s brides have their own story in this gothic horror novella. A beautifully written love letter that encapsulates toxic, abusive, and consuming relationships; the complexities and beauty in polyamory; and strength in found family. It is delectable queer and climactically liberating.

I loved that this book was written in second person tense, it felt unique and emotional in the storytelling.

The characters are dynamic and magnetic. I adored Constanta and her perspective.

The ending was exactly what I wanted for these characters. But, I did struggle with the pacing a little in the middle.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I’m grateful to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for sending me an ARC to read & review.

I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review

One of last year’s biggest hits, A Dowry of Blood follows the POV of Dracula’s brides as the story unfolds with the creation of one bride to Dracula's downfall. The travels and luxury they’d lap up both in wealth and blood samples and gradually start to notice…uncomfortable behavior about Dracula. Gothic romance comes again with a whirl of jealousy, weakness, lust, manipulation, and companionship [the brides together are really…wow]

No wonder this was an instant classic.