A review by librasgroove
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

A telling of Dracula from the diary entries of his first wife, Constanta. We move from place to place pretty quickly, never really getting a grasp on any one place besides Vienna. Dracula slowly exerts his control over his three spouses and limits their movement and interactions with the outside world. His abuse and control never jumps out all at once, but creeps up in little moments. Dracula is a horror to his spouses as much as to the local peasantry. More over, I think this book as the right blood/beauty/sex ratio that vampires should have; horrible beauty, vicious handsomeness, gorey sex, etc. Also, it does seem to capture vampirism as a manifestation of humanity’s social taboos and darkest fears, while not leaning into the antisemitic underpinnings of Stroker’s Dracula. 

Also, the original cover is sooooo much pretty than the updated one. Going from gothic marriage horror to basic aristocratic blood smear. Bring it back!!!!!!
  
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