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A review by hollyhc_
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
4.0
"In my mind, I was God's lovely angel of judgment, come to unsheathe the sword of divine wrath against those who truly deserve it."
A Dowry of Blood follows the recollections of Constanta - the love and abuse she has experienced through her centuries of life. Beginning at the moment she was reborn as Dracula's wife.
I don't think I have ever read a book written in this way and I greatly enjoyed the layout of the chapters. S. T. Gibson has a way of making it feel as if she is addressing the reader, as if they are the ones who committed these crimes against her. It feels incredibly personal and I was captured by the way Constanta's regrets and emotions made me feel.
With the reflections on their relationship, it was bittersweet to hear Constana's regrets - how she wished she had acted sooner. But I think this story highlights how easy it is to be manipulated by someone's sweet words and charm. How you can be a frog in boiling water for so many years.
Seeing the love bloom between Constanta, Magdalena and Alexi was beautiful. Though each new addition was initially met with animosity, this changes quickly. I greatly enjoyed this portrayal of polyamory and witnessing the ways a group of people can love each other. The criticism I have seen regarding referencing each other in familial ways such as sister/brother/mother are somewhat misplaced as I don't believe this is in an attempt to make their love seem incestual. More to highlight the dynamic between the characters and the way they fit together as a family. Polyam is quite misunderstood by the masses so I am not entirely surprised by these comments.
One criticism I do have is that, though the characters are from different cultures, there doesn't seem to be really any indication of these differences between them. There is nothing that stands out as Romanian, Spanish or Russian about the trio. Even when living in different countries, I don't feel there was much exploration of the world and it's influences upon them.
Overall, I am sad that it took me so long to pick up this book but I intend to read the other novels S. T. Gibson is releasing this year.
A Dowry of Blood follows the recollections of Constanta - the love and abuse she has experienced through her centuries of life. Beginning at the moment she was reborn as Dracula's wife.
I don't think I have ever read a book written in this way and I greatly enjoyed the layout of the chapters. S. T. Gibson has a way of making it feel as if she is addressing the reader, as if they are the ones who committed these crimes against her. It feels incredibly personal and I was captured by the way Constanta's regrets and emotions made me feel.
With the reflections on their relationship, it was bittersweet to hear Constana's regrets - how she wished she had acted sooner. But I think this story highlights how easy it is to be manipulated by someone's sweet words and charm. How you can be a frog in boiling water for so many years.
Seeing the love bloom between Constanta, Magdalena and Alexi was beautiful. Though each new addition was initially met with animosity, this changes quickly. I greatly enjoyed this portrayal of polyamory and witnessing the ways a group of people can love each other. The criticism I have seen regarding referencing each other in familial ways such as sister/brother/mother are somewhat misplaced as I don't believe this is in an attempt to make their love seem incestual. More to highlight the dynamic between the characters and the way they fit together as a family. Polyam is quite misunderstood by the masses so I am not entirely surprised by these comments.
One criticism I do have is that, though the characters are from different cultures, there doesn't seem to be really any indication of these differences between them. There is nothing that stands out as Romanian, Spanish or Russian about the trio. Even when living in different countries, I don't feel there was much exploration of the world and it's influences upon them.
Overall, I am sad that it took me so long to pick up this book but I intend to read the other novels S. T. Gibson is releasing this year.