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

dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

I wanted to like this queer and poly take on the brides of Dracula, and part of me did. The writing was solid and it scratched my autumnal itch for spooky vampire content. But the characters were pretty one dimensional, and since you knew the outcome at the book’s start, it was mostly a meandering walk through an abusive relationship that grew from two to four people over the course of centuries. The author captured the tactics and behaviors of abusers very well, and many scenes were chilling/difficult to read for that reason. This is essentially a very realistic, disturbing and sad story about intimate partner violence, but it’s turned into fantasy because it involves vampires. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you really like Dracula/vampire content and wouldn’t find the themes of abuse triggering.  
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