Reviews tagging 'Cannibalism'

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

29 reviews

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cannibalism, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, and War

wyllora's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Cannibalism, Death, Sexual content, and Gaslighting

jackieyvette's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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

4.75

Constanta, I would have never treated you like that girl! 
This book was a bright light after a week of slumming through my last book at sloth speed. It’s was dark and cryptic and sad, but also the three are so caring and loving to each other it makes you see them for who they are and not what they’re become. 
Read the TW for this book though there is a lot to deal with. 
It’s a super quick read though I finished it in one sitting.  

Crying score: No, but yes. But no. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Gore, Misogyny, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Torture, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Death, Sexism, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, and Emotional abuse

bazkrekker111's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Misogyny, Alcohol, Drug use, Infidelity, and Confinement

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Abandonment, Torture, Cannibalism, Cursing, Sexual assault, War, Sexual violence, Incest, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

rosemaryandrue's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

In a lyrical letter to the lover she killed, Constanta recounts their history together, as well as that of his other 'brides,' and what drove them to do as they did.

I had high hopes for this book. I don't usually love vampire romances, because I feel like they often underplay the dark and twisted nature of the vampires of myth - so the fact that this book promised to go back to those terrifying roots drew me to the book.

The book opens with a striking image - a young woman near death, lying amid her massacred village, and the dark stranger who comes to her offering salvation. It ends with an equally striking image - a husband murdered by his wives, being offered up to a seething crowd bent on revenge. Unfortunately, the pages between these two lodestones are not so gripping.

While I did appreciate the lyrical writing, I felt that sometimes we were led too deep into the morass of it, dwelling in it to exclusion of a more compelling plot. We drift across the centuries in a leisurely fashion, but despite all the places that Constanta and her master go, nothing ever really manages to leave an impression on the reader. Though Constanta is eventually joined by two more 'wives' and falls in love with them both, neither Madgalena or Alexi really feel formed beyond a few impressions about their personalities and what drew them to a life of vampirism.

And so we are left in the end with a few striking images, a narrator floundering in the effort to describe an intense abusive relationship, and a lot of poetic writing. There was definitely a book in this that I would have loved, but for me the delivery fell unfortunately short. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gaslighting, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts

bushrasbookbabbles's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

It’s strange because I wanted to hate this book. The premise was weird after I understood it and a part of me wanted to stop reading it but I couldn’t. I was completely enthralled by the Constanta’s development. Even though I tabbed at least 2 dozen parts of the story that made me ick or gasp, I still read the whole book and maybe even loved it??? 

Edit: 
I can’t stop thinking about this dumb vampire book. I think I love it. Book two is coming out in November and you bet I’m hauling my ass to get it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, Child death, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Violence

williamth's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: War

vixenreader's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

As someone escaping a toxic polycule, this was a kick in the balls for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Mental illness, Alcohol, War, Infidelity, and Murder

Minor: Abandonment, Cursing, Genocide, and Cannibalism

Huge content warnings for anyone who has experienced an abusive, toxic polyamorous relationship and how it affects everyone in the polycule. There is also an example of healthy polyamory and great bisexual representation.

thesawyerbean's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

This was a very enjoyable read. I loved the style of the book being written as a love letter from Constanta to her sire - it gave a more intimate feel and allowed for deeper connections with the main characters, their intentions and their emotions. 
The writing was poetic at times, beautiful, dark, obsessive and erotic - a novel of possession, in body and mind.

I did think however that overall the story was a little shallow, one track minded and by the end, a little same-y. The additions of Magdalena and Alexi occurred to spice things up but realistically it didn’t have that much of an effect on the pacing. 

In summary, an extremely fun book with fabulous queer vampire representation (which is always what we need in my opinion). Definitely worth the read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, Cursing, and Death

my_forest_library's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Cannibalism, and Confinement

Minor: Abandonment