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

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

5.0

y'all this book is my new roman empire. oh my god, i will never be over this. s.t. gibson has written the most ethereal, stunning, devastating, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching book i've probably ever read. it's unparalleled. it's fucking divine. you don't believe me? try this on for size:

I wanted to dash myself against your rocks like a wave, obliterate my old self and see what rose shining and new from the sea foam. The only words I had to describe you in those early days were plunging cliffside or primordial sea, crystal-cold stars or black expanse of sky.

you still need convincing? fine, have another:

I craved you like maidens crave the grave, the way death burns for human touch: inconsolably, unrelentingly, aching for the annihilation in your kiss.

and one more for good measure: 

I say you are a smoke-wisp memory of a flame, thawing ice suffering under an early spring sun, a chalk ledger of debts being wiped clean.
I say you do not have a name.

holy fuck. nothing will rip you apart and put you back together like this will. you will suffer at the hands of constanta's abuser with her, with the others, and watch as she is desensitized to him. you beg and plead for her to say something, do anything, to leave, but it's written so excruciatingly well that you know why she doesn't. it only makes you hate him more, and only makes the ending of the book so much more bittersweet.

this is the perfect testament to "they don't have to hit you for it to be abuse" because 99% of the abuse in this book is not physical. it makes you want to follow the survivors around, tugging on their shirt sleeves like a child, and beg them to stand up to him, to not give up, not let themselves be treated so poorly by such a bastard. but they do it anyway, and you see the way that the good days are ecstasy, almost enough to forget the misery of the bad ones. it makes you rage like the fires of hell, and then be sad all over again because you know they're all still in love with him despite knowing exactly who he is. it's excruciating. 

one of the most unique things about this book is that it's written as basically a journal or letter addressed to the abuser, from the point of view of constanta, the FMC. so instead of "he took me to the market" it's "you took me to the market" and it's perfect. it's flawless. the whole entire book is flawless. i was so intrigued by the POV when i started this and it ended up being one of my favorite parts.

if you're looking for a gothic, polyamorous romance about the brides of dracula teaming up to end his reign of terror over their lives, look no further. if you're looking for even one of those things, read this. it's beautiful. it's agony. it's probably the best thing i've ever read. this is classic literature in the making.
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