It seems like no one else is saying it, so I will say it: the prose in this book is terrible. Trigger warnings: alcohol consumption, violence, murder, depression, mania, self harm, blood, gore, gaslighting, intimate partner violence (emotional, verbal, physical), sadomasochism, drug use (mentioned), sexual assault (mentioned) Thank you to the author and Nyx Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review An empowering look at the many different forms that love can take and how it can transform over time. S.T Gibson devises a story so evocative, chronicling the quiet descent from love into violence over many years. There truly is nothing I love more than a well-executed retelling, and this achieved that and so much more. What I wouldn't give to read a story from either of their perspectives following the events of this book. The jealousy and hatred between the three of them, which quickly transforms into love and a sense of family, was my favorite part of the novel.

What really stole my attention early on, was the ever changing relationship between Constanta and her rival consorts Alexei and Magdalena. The emotions and reactions by Constanta are raw and all the more powerful as a result. While the use of a narrative form is one I have never read firsthand, given the nature of the entire novel being an open letter to Dracula from Constanta it made it much more personal. Truly a testament to how poetic I found the prose. I mean I basically highlighted the entire first chapter, the writing was just *chefs kiss. This is a story that is just as breathtaking as it is heart wrenchingly beautiful, and the use of language throughout epitomizes that perfectly. An incredibly personal look into a dark and classic tale that doesn't hold back from the get go.

With the addition of an aristocrat and an artist into their ranks, Constanta begins to realize the evil her husband is truly capable of, unearthing his dark secrets and bringing them to light.Ī Dowry of Blood is the queer reimagining that I never knew I needed, but will not shut up about for months to come. Saved from death and transformed into a bride, Constanta is drawn into the web of her savior, blurring the line between love and devotion. An exquisite reimagining of Dracula's Brides in the form of an open letter from his first bride Constanta A Dowry of Blood is an achingly haunting and beautiful novel that spans centuries in the life of its narrator. I heard 'sapphic yearning at the opera” and smashed that want to read button.

A dowry of blood cover