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A review by jinxei
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
5.0
Even loneliness, hollow and cold, becomes so familiar it starts to feel like a friend.
A Dowry in Blood is a stunning, gorgeous reimagining of Dracula's Brides designed as an open letter from his bride, Constanta. Told from a first person POV, the hauntingly beautiful imagery and vivid details made it ease to slip into Constanta's shoes.
A Dowry in Blood is told from the standpoint of Constanta, orphaned and left for dead in Romania after the brutal desecration of her hometown. Constanta finds sanctuary and vengeance in the embrace of her savior, her love for him paralleling, if not overtaking, the blind devotion she held towards her religion. The addition of an ambitious aristocrat and a wild and free artist to their family also sows the first seeds of distrust and secrets that their husband has kept buried beneath their noses. The cruelty in his ways, from his overbearing behaviors to his refusal to grant them a sliver of freedom, sparks Constanta to determine at what lengths she would go to protect what she loves.
// Spoilers
The sapphic, polyamorous reimagination of Dracula's brides that I never knew I needed. The poetic method of story telling and the love between the three loves of Dracula were captivating. The abusive nature of their relationships with their husband, the constant excuses for his cruelty and outbursts, was handled not just delicately, but realistically. A love letter to the romance that had, though smothering, been all that Constanta knew before her heart cleaved to make room for Magdalena and Alexi. Though I knew that the ending would need to follow the route it did, I would have loved more tales of the three together with their first taste of true freedom.
A Dowry in Blood is a stunning, gorgeous reimagining of Dracula's Brides designed as an open letter from his bride, Constanta. Told from a first person POV, the hauntingly beautiful imagery and vivid details made it ease to slip into Constanta's shoes.
A Dowry in Blood is told from the standpoint of Constanta, orphaned and left for dead in Romania after the brutal desecration of her hometown. Constanta finds sanctuary and vengeance in the embrace of her savior, her love for him paralleling, if not overtaking, the blind devotion she held towards her religion. The addition of an ambitious aristocrat and a wild and free artist to their family also sows the first seeds of distrust and secrets that their husband has kept buried beneath their noses. The cruelty in his ways, from his overbearing behaviors to his refusal to grant them a sliver of freedom, sparks Constanta to determine at what lengths she would go to protect what she loves.
// Spoilers
The sapphic, polyamorous reimagination of Dracula's brides that I never knew I needed. The poetic method of story telling and the love between the three loves of Dracula were captivating. The abusive nature of their relationships with their husband, the constant excuses for his cruelty and outbursts, was handled not just delicately, but realistically. A love letter to the romance that had, though smothering, been all that Constanta knew before her heart cleaved to make room for Magdalena and Alexi. Though I knew that the ending would need to follow the route it did, I would have loved more tales of the three together with their first taste of true freedom.