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lailybibliography's review against another edition
- 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.
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
theelisabethan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The writing was great on a line level, and the characters were interesting, but this book wasn't tense, it wasn't scary, it wasn't sad, it wasn't sexy, and it didn't deliver on any character arcs or themes. This book shows its entire hand within the first few pages and never draws new cards. It's still a good read - short and straightforward, with some of my favorite prose I've read this year, but like the vampires in the book, I quickly came to realize that the presence of hot queer people and interesting aesthetics only did so much against the repetitive slog of a boring eternity where the only thing that changes is the scenery.
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Sexual content
shaylatrumpower's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
"You" (Dracula, who is never actually named) is stagnant but purposely so and that carries through the narrative well.
This is in no way a faithful retelling to Stoker's Dracula and in fact there was only one mention of the events of the novel in passing.
One "ick" I had was Constanta's relationship with Alexi. She outrightly states she feels motherly towards him. She spends quite a bit of time explaining how their relationship is not sexual until suddenly it is. It felt clumsily handled and took me out of the story for awhile.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It moved at a steady pace and I finished it rather quickly.
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Mental illness, Violence, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: War
rbuhrke's review against another edition
- 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
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
thebookishwizard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, War, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Death
Minor: Sexism
scam_lark's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Gore, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Addiction, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Blood, Confinement, and Domestic abuse
errie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Domestic abuse, Self harm, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity, War, and Physical abuse
earofthedog's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Blood, Confinement, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
judassilver's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Specific spoilers:
The sex scenes were fine, I do feel like they were to the detriment of any possible emotional development though. This could be commentary on sex as a coping mechanism but the epilogue kinda killed that for me.
The sexual relationship between Alexi and Constanta: Ew, ew, ew, ew. I liked the setup of the implication Dracula groomed his brides, even while underage, and swooped in on their most vulnerable. That felt very real to an abuser and was a rare moment of subtlety. I could have done without Constanta getting the hots for Alexi while reiterating how young he was and how much she felt like his mom, and then having sex with him. Which again almost felt like a commentary on emotional incest and how entangled sexual and emotional relationships can get under an oppressive abuser who controls every aspect of your freedom of expression. Their splitting up at the end almost sealed this for me... and then the epilogue killed my appreciation.
"a modern Machiavelli"... 5 seconds with Google, I beg you.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Confinement, Blood, Murder, Violence, Death, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: War and Religious bigotry
Minor: Mental illness
tifftastic87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Constanta's growth from meek and demure wife to someone strong and protective under the abuse of her unnamed husband was such a dark ride to be on. The way abuse and control was used in this story was so real and raw that I had to pause for a moment a few times.
I was tired of the circumference of the whole universe living in your circled arms.
I was tired of carrying around the weight of a love like worship.
The way he manipulated his spouses into loving him and fearing him and how Constanta felt it as both safety and chains really got to me.
Graphic: Confinement, Blood, Mental illness, Violence, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual content