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crybabybea's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Dark and gorgeous. I was constantly impressed by S.T. Gibson's writing, from her ability to set scenes with palpable energy, to crafting allegories that would fit right into classic gothic literature, to perfecting every word used to add tone and emotion. Definitely the best part of this is the writing, hands down. S.T. Gibson elegantly crafted a lush gothic setting, and although we spend most of the book in the head of our narrator Constanta, the world behind it feels atmospheric and dark.
If you dislike melodramatic writing, you will probably roll your eyes, but I ate it uppp. Here's an example of one of my many favorite quotes:
If you dislike melodramatic writing, you will probably roll your eyes, but I ate it uppp. Here's an example of one of my many favorite quotes:
Don’t ask me why I did it.
I was tired of being your Mary Magdalene. I was tired of waiting expectantly at your tomb every night for you to rise and bring light into my world once again. I was tired of groveling on my knees and washing blood off your heels with my hair and tears. I was tired of having the air sucked out of my lungs every time your eyes cut right to the heart of me. I was tired of the circumference of the whole universe living in your circled arms, of the spark of life hiding in your kiss, of the power of death lying in wait in your teeth. I was tired of carrying around the weight of a love like worship, of the sickly-warm rush of idolatry coloring my whole world.
I was tired of faithfulness.
I made you into my private Christ, supplicated with my own dark devotions. Nothing existed beyond the range of your exacting gaze, not even me. I was simply a non-entity when you weren’t looking at me, an empty vessel waiting to be filled by the sweet water of your attention.
A woman can’t live like that, my lord. No one can. Don’t ask me why I did it.
God, forgive me.
Christ, forgive me.
There isn't much in terms of a plot since it heavily focuses on Constanta and her relationships with Dracula and his other consorts. Because Dracula is controlling and hides as much as he can from the characters, there isn't much in terms of world-building and it's not the kind of book that explores vampiric power. It isn't a fun paranormal book with thrilling twists and magical settings.
Instead, the author takes us through Constanta's struggles in an abusive, coercive relationship, which fits perfectly in the gothic world she sets up for us. The writing is strung along with confusion, like you know something isn't right but you almost want to convince yourself that you're reading too much into things and seeing things that aren't there. I think it's such a brilliant way to portray a relationship like this, filled with constant gaslighting, walking on eggshells, fear and anxiety. It's a bittersweet journey to take as you watch Constanta swing from devotion to terror so quickly, and the way she is programmed by her abuser's behavior to watch for every tiny micro expression and hidden meaning behind every word he speaks, until the very end when after centuries of abuse she snaps and determines to find her way out.
The way the novel is written is super unique as well, an epistolary story written in second-person perspective. Constanta details her life in letters addressed to her abuser in hopes of explaining why she felt she had to make the choices she made.
I found the ending brilliant and incredibly accurate to what it feels like to finally cut yourself loose from an abuser; it's not only full of rage and hatred but also love and grief, and as much as you are grieving the glimpses of happiness you found during your abuse, you grieve the life you could have had, the years wasted, the confusion and the intoxication of adoration and passion mixed with hatred and anger. I really loved this portrayal so much.
The novel does include sexual content, but I didn't find the sex scenes to be about pleasuring the reader like typical smut scenes do. To me, they served to depict the intense passion wrapped up in all of the character's lives, the way they clung to each other and the way they defined love for themselves in a space that was suffocating and controlling. The codependency and the way they loved each other like family made the scenes feel less sexually gratifying and more for the purpose of storytelling and furthering the bonds between the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Murder, Body horror, Grief, and Physical abuse
Heavy depictions of gaslighting and abuse. One of the main characters experiences severe mental illness due to the abuse which results in her developing a pattern of depression/mania.elskede's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gaslighting, Grief, War, Terminal illness, Murder, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Blood, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Blood, Domestic abuse, Bullying, and Death
lailybibliography's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I made you into my private Christ, duplicated with my own dark devotions. Nothing existed beyond the range of your exacting gaze, not even me. I was simply a nonentity when you weren’t looking at me, an empty vessel waiting to be filled by the sweet water of your attention.
A woman can’t live like that, my lord. No one can. Don’t ask me why I did it.
I think this might just be my favourite retelling. The dynamic between Constanta, Magdalena and Alexi is so touching and tragic, soaked in blood yet so enticingly erotic and horrific. I’m left in awe of how S. T. Gibson weaved this masterclass in depicting the centuries-long abuse of these three lost souls by an intricate web of gaslighting, isolation, love-bombing and manipulation. Equal parts a love story and escaping a monster, I am so in love with this novel. I cannot wait to read more of this author’s works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Blood, Grief, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Gaslighting, Pandemic/Epidemic, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Infidelity, Body horror, and War
Minor: Sexual content
rbuhrke's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, Toxic relationship, Murder, Domestic abuse, and Death
Moderate: Physical abuse, Grief, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Classism, and Suicide attempt
scam_lark's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Gore, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Addiction, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Blood, Confinement, and Domestic abuse
sxndaze's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dreamy prose that carries you across all three parts. it’s a quick read and truly delicious. gibson writes the various relationships constanta has with ease and fluidity and they’re fascinating to read.
can definitely see why it’s highly recommended by others
can definitely see why it’s highly recommended by others
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content and Confinement
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
bjww34's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Misogyny, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Blood, Grief, and Emotional abuse
sleepyreaderthings's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I devoured this book in less than a day. Absolutely perfect story full of emotion.
I don’t even have the words to describe how wonderful this book is, and I’m mad at myself for not picking it up sooner. I love how it was beautifully written as a letter to Constanta’s lord, husband, and captor. S.T. Gibson told a story about love, manipulation, friendship, sexuality, and abuse. The poetic prose gripped me and transported me to their time. I felt angry, joyous, and sad all at once. This is relatable for so many who have been treated wrongly by past lovers who said or did bad things in the name of love or protection. This book is about selfishness and hate, but it’s also about how we can escape those things and hope for a better future.
I don’t even have the words to describe how wonderful this book is, and I’m mad at myself for not picking it up sooner. I love how it was beautifully written as a letter to Constanta’s lord, husband, and captor. S.T. Gibson told a story about love, manipulation, friendship, sexuality, and abuse. The poetic prose gripped me and transported me to their time. I felt angry, joyous, and sad all at once. This is relatable for so many who have been treated wrongly by past lovers who said or did bad things in the name of love or protection. This book is about selfishness and hate, but it’s also about how we can escape those things and hope for a better future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Domestic abuse, Death, and Adult/minor relationship
leedolee's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was the most entertaining read ever. I love reading anything involving vampires and retellings of Dracula. It was a fast paced book and written as if it were in letters. I've never read a book quite like this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Gore, Grief, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual content, Torture, and Toxic relationship
kynarreth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book would have been 5 stars if not for the last chapter "Encore of Roses". It ruined the ending/mood.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gaslighting, Murder, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Gore