Reviews tagging 'War'

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

157 reviews

anindistinctaccountant's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship

Minor: War

one_more_chapter96's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.0

Such an original Dracula retelling from his first Bride’s perspective. A really twisted and layered story about a controlling and manipulative, powerful love & slowly growing strong enough to break away from what you’ve always known. Really enjoyed this short book and although it was slow to start, once Magdalena was introduced I started to fall in love with the characters & my heart broke for them near the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Body horror, and Death

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and War

amy_reading_23's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.75

This book was an incredibly compelling read, so much so that I finished it in a day. I can't totally tell you why I found it so compelling. It's not necessarily the kind of book I'd usually enjoy, as it is quite dark and tense and uncomfortable. But it is beautifully written. And it's not exactly that I enjoyed it, I just was fascinated by it. It is a book which perfectly shows what it is like to be in an abusive relationship with a narcissist. And as someone who is familiar with those relationships, I found it interesting. But also because it is clear from page one that she kills him. I think that hope is what draws you forward to the end. That no matter what he does, he will be defeated. 

The characters are interesting. You are shown some of their complexities but also not enough of each to know them entirely. There are beautiful lines that are like poetry and some interesting comparisons to religion. I thought I'd be put off by how it is written in letters, but it is very immersive and most the letters are written long enough to be like scenes. 

I do love how she took his power away by not naming him (the abuser). Although this has been described as a retelling of Dracula and his wives, its not quite that, and we never quite know who he is. And that takes the power away from him. 

I could probably go on for ages talking about this book but I will say, I would have found this difficult to read a few years ago. It is hard hitting, uncomfortable at times, and there's some blurred lines between relationships being familial and sexual, which did make me a bit uncomfortable. So don't read this if you're not in the right head space. But if you are, and you want to read a book about a girl finding her own power while being bound by a narcissist, with a long dark period and a finally happy ish ending, then go for it. 

I wanted to say more but this is a bit of a spoiler. I loved how the book traversed time from the middle ages to now. I really didn't expect that. I thought it would stay as a gothic text living in history but instead it shows a vampire living through to our world. I would have liked to see more of what she thought of it but I know that wasn't the point at the end of the book. 

Everything the "Lord" does is characteristic of a narcissistic sociopath in a toxic relationship. He gaslights his wives, tells them they're paranoid, masks his control by making them think they have freedom, taking them away from friends or loved ones, isolating them, allows them scarce joy to keep devoted but derives them of most joy so they depend on him.  If you recognise someone in your life who is like this, it is best to seek help and leave. 

Last point, I wasn't sure about the ending. At Constantines last chapter I'd thought I wished there was more of their lives now, but then I actually found that I didn't totally like Alexi's bit. His possessiveness and dependency on them worried me a bit and I wondered if the ending was meant to be semi uncomfortable. But I might be overthinking, as otherwise I think it interestingly showed how a loving poly relationship can be without a toxic partner.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, War, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Murder, Mental illness, and Body horror

Minor: Incest

hunkydory's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: War, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Confinement

neomreads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

5.0

I was not expecting this book to be so good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Violence, Blood, Sexual content, Self harm, Body horror, Vomit, Gaslighting, War, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Sexual assault and Drug use

clarethajoanne's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Gore

Minor: Sexual content, Murder, Death, War, Infidelity, Gore, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

When you read the content warnings in the beginning of the book, take the gaslighting one VERY seriously. it is abundant. The other warnings yes but, gas-lighting and toxic relationship are the majors.

madiiilm's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.0

A Dowry of Blood was originally sold to me as a sapphic retelling of the story of  Dracula's brides, which is a disservice to what this book actually is in my opinion. This book is, instead, a story of strength and survival in the face of coercive control and intimate partner violence. Told by Dracula's wife Constanta who, through her letters to him, tells of her life from the time she became Dracula's life to

her killing him

. Through their centuries together, Constanta paints their marriage as an incredibly toxic one where he feels the need to control and, eventually, his other brides Magdelena and Alexi as well. I enjoyed reading about the growing bond between Constanta, Magdelena, and Alexi and how they gave each other strength to live through the emotional abuse they faced from their husband. I, however, felt the pacing was a bit rushed at points. I wanted to hear more about Constanta and Dracula's relationship before Megdelena came into the picture. I wanted to see more of how his love bombing and grand gestures of love conditioned her to stay with him later on. I also found some of the writing brought me out of the story. There were multiple confusing metaphors and prose that felt a bit overdone. This is a personal preference of mine but still, one that impacted my enjoyment of this story..

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Blood

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: War

marsh_mall0w's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Bullying, Gaslighting, Grief, Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, Sexism, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Sexual content

Minor: Self harm, Alcohol, Stalking, Medical trauma, and War

sproutedpages's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Self harm, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Blood, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, and Gore

Moderate: Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, and War

Minor: Sexual assault and Drug use

birbmcbirb's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

Beautifully written. What I always wanted IWTV to be.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Blood, Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Sexual content and War