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A review by ehmannky
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I honestly expected more from this book. I expected more horror, I expected a bit more of the book Dracula to be present, and I expected the main character to be more compelling.
In terms of the horror advertised, it doesn't exist. It's a fine study of an abusive relationship, but it's not much of a horror novel. There's no tension in this book. It's an epistolary novel told by the eldest of "Dracula's" brides, Constanta, and you're never left to wonder how or why the relationship gets bad or the true nature of Dracula or even really how she escapes from him. And because it's an epistolary novel, a lot of the little moments of possible character development aren't shown. Like, why are the three brides drawn to this vampire...we only ever see his worst sides, never the allure that she assures us is there. In every aspect, it felt like a summary of a story rather than the story itself. Also, Constanta is a boring character. She is never truly angry, she's so Emotionally Strong and never falls into depression, and she's always 100% right about only feeding on those who "deserve it" (which is a vampire trope I'm just coming to strongly dislike). Also, despite the fact she states in the book that people are not meant to live forever, it's fine she made new vampires because she is, after all, Good(TM) and will never ever turn abusive or uncanny even if she also lives 1000 years.
And my smallest complaint about this book is I hated the way the Harkers and the original novel are brought in as a funny aside. This novel is so barely based on Dracula that I felt it should have been omitted entirely.
Gibson's writing is lovely, but this story just fell flat for me. The best part is the epilogue, which is setin modern times and told from Alexi's POV. That's the only part of this book that felt unique and sparkled for me.
In terms of the horror advertised, it doesn't exist. It's a fine study of an abusive relationship, but it's not much of a horror novel. There's no tension in this book. It's an epistolary novel told by the eldest of "Dracula's" brides, Constanta, and you're never left to wonder how or why the relationship gets bad or the true nature of Dracula or even really how she escapes from him. And because it's an epistolary novel, a lot of the little moments of possible character development aren't shown. Like, why are the three brides drawn to this vampire...we only ever see his worst sides, never the allure that she assures us is there. In every aspect, it felt like a summary of a story rather than the story itself. Also, Constanta is a boring character. She is never truly angry, she's so Emotionally Strong and never falls into depression, and she's always 100% right about only feeding on those who "deserve it" (which is a vampire trope I'm just coming to strongly dislike). Also, despite the fact she states in the book that people are not meant to live forever, it's fine she made new vampires because she is, after all, Good(TM) and will never ever turn abusive or uncanny even if she also lives 1000 years.
And my smallest complaint about this book is I hated the way the Harkers and the original novel are brought in as a funny aside. This novel is so barely based on Dracula that I felt it should have been omitted entirely.
Gibson's writing is lovely, but this story just fell flat for me. The best part is the epilogue, which is set
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Violence