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

dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Someone on Booktube read this and absolutely loved it, and I was so intrigued that I grabbed it immediately. "Dowry" is a retelling of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and I'm admittedly not big on classics, so I've never read the original book, and I didn't need to in order to appreciate this. This is a re-imagining of Dracula from the point of view of his bride, Constanta, who he plucks from near death and turns, laying claim on her forever in the beginning of the book. The more time she spends with him, the more she realizes all that has been stolen from her - and the other two spouses her husband adds to their family along the way. This is a story about found family, enduring love, and breaking away from the grip of an abuser.

I read this so quickly and I think it broke me out of my slump. The writing is so lyrical and gorgeous, I highlighted so many parts of it as I went along, struck by how beautiful this author could make even the most brutal moments. I thought the characters, while we only got a limited time with them, were well defined and easy to get attached to very quickly. I've never really read anything quite like this before - yes, I've read vamp fiction, obviously, but never one with this much queer representation and never one with polyamory. I'm obsessed with the relationship dynamics of the three spouses in particular. This is a fast paced, short but impactful read that I think all my vampire enthusiasts will eat up.
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