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clrouse's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
kelseydaffodil's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this book was so beautifully written and i thoroughly enjoyed it.
the vampire lore was different to other vampire books and shows i have consumed which i really enjoyed. i love when people extend the vampire universe and think of different ways vampires can exist in media. obviously, sapphic enemies and rivals to lovers was perfect. the way s.t gibson writes is always so beautiful.
i did, though, at times, feel like i was crawling through it. i'm still unsure about ms de lafontaine being the only vampire presence for half of the book. i also thought that the rivals to lovers dissolved far too quickly after carmilla was changed. there was a good amount of laura lusting after carmilla before their relationship, but i felt there was a lack of arguments or just anything else that would make their relationship more rivals/enemies to lovers. it just kinda went, they hate each other, mostly carmilla hating laura, carmilla drinks laura's blood, carmilla suddenly doesnt hate her at all.
i feel there was too much going on in the book at times. enemies to lovers, religious trauma/guilt, carmilla's obsession with ms de lafontaine, ms de lafontaine's ex lover, dark academia, murder. it felt like a lot got lost. especially things like how isis would paint the toenails of the girls she murdered, what was the significance ? it was never developed and i found it to be an interesting tell of isis being the murderer.
i rate this book 4/5 stars because though i have quite a lot of qualms with it, i still absolutely loved this book. s.t gibson is certainly up there with my favourite authors, but i did enjoy a dowry of blood more.
the vampire lore was different to other vampire books and shows i have consumed which i really enjoyed. i love when people extend the vampire universe and think of different ways vampires can exist in media. obviously, sapphic enemies and rivals to lovers was perfect. the way s.t gibson writes is always so beautiful.
i did, though, at times, feel like i was crawling through it. i'm still unsure about ms de lafontaine being the only vampire presence for half of the book. i also thought that the rivals to lovers dissolved far too quickly after carmilla was changed. there was a good amount of laura lusting after carmilla before their relationship, but i felt there was a lack of arguments or just anything else that would make their relationship more rivals/enemies to lovers. it just kinda went, they hate each other, mostly carmilla hating laura, carmilla drinks laura's blood, carmilla suddenly doesnt hate her at all.
i feel there was too much going on in the book at times. enemies to lovers, religious trauma/guilt, carmilla's obsession with ms de lafontaine, ms de lafontaine's ex lover, dark academia, murder. it felt like a lot got lost. especially things like how isis would paint the toenails of the girls she murdered, what was the significance ? it was never developed and i found it to be an interesting tell of isis being the murderer.
i rate this book 4/5 stars because though i have quite a lot of qualms with it, i still absolutely loved this book. s.t gibson is certainly up there with my favourite authors, but i did enjoy a dowry of blood more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Gore, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
torrentsofhayl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol
edamamebean's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
So sad about this one but it just was not doing it for me. The entire time I was reading I just felt like the book was missing something important. All the elements were there for a good story, but it had no tension. An intriguing student who has a mysterious and inappropriate connection with a professor, monstrous murders taking place on campus, a university built to house a deadly secret, a twisted obsession between two academic rivals—these should make for a compelling story! But they all missed the mark because everything was revealed to us as it was happening, and without any fanfare. There’s no mystery or element of uncertainty for the reader, not even at the climax of the novel. I was never intrigued to find out more because nothing was being hidden from me. If everything had been shrouded in the thinnest layer of mystery, this book would have hit so much harder.
It’s also so weird to me that Laura has a completely uncomplicated relationship with religion? She’s a lesbian growing up in the 1960s who is sucked into a strange world of murderous vampires, and yet hardly experiences religious guilt over it. Weird. I think there was a missed opportunity here to say something about queerness and religion, but it was so skimmed over that I don’t think there was a point in making Laura religious at all.
And I’m so sad to say this, but I found the romance to be really awkward at times. Mostly, I think, because of De Lafontaine’s constant involvement. She looms over their entire relationship in a way that the characters can never bring themselves to openly acknowledge. There are stories that do this well—Ava Reid’s Juniper and Thorn comes to mind—but this just wasn’t one of them. Instead of adding tension, it felt more like discomfort. Probably because her inappropriate relationships with her students is never explicitly condemned, and the door is left open for a continued relationship after the story is over.
What is so disappointing is that I think this book could have been amazing with just a little bit of restructuring. Keep it only to Laura’s perspective for the first half of the book, have her slowly uncover the strange relationship between Carmilla and De Lafontaine, both of whom she is inexplicably drawn to. Culminate in a big reveal at the halfway point, then have the second half take place from Carmilla’s perspective. It could have been so good! I cry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Murder
kayceeisbookish's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This book started very slow. I enjoyed all the elements of it (dark academia, vampires, Sapphic), but for some reason, it just did not resonate with me like other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Toxic friendship
vic_to_ria's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
People going into this need to know it’s a fun time not a serious time.
This was a fun read once I got into that romance mindset- this reminded me of well written sapphic fan fiction with how the characters acted and how they talked about their love interest. It was very cheesy, lovable romance- more heated and sexual than I normally read so be warned if you aren’t into that.
I was really confused about the relationship between the teacher and one of the main characters just because it felt like the teacher chose her just because she was the main character but near then end I understood more that she was the readers view of the malicious & toxic relationship between the teacher and the other student and how love and hate is a fine line that you need to understand and be able to differentiate sooner rather than later. A lot of this book was me being like “ OH COME ON WHO DOES THIS? STRANGER DANGER?” But it was set in the 60’s-80’s(??) I believe so I can sort of understand how trusting these students are of adult figures.
I do love the slow character development or self actualization both the students go through and how they grew as individuals by the end.
Overall this was an interesting read that I did enjoy :)
Also loved the sapphic representation
This was a fun read once I got into that romance mindset- this reminded me of well written sapphic fan fiction with how the characters acted and how they talked about their love interest. It was very cheesy, lovable romance- more heated and sexual than I normally read so be warned if you aren’t into that.
I was really confused about the relationship between the teacher and one of the main characters just because it felt like the teacher chose her just because she was the main character but near then end I understood more that she was the readers view of the malicious & toxic relationship between the teacher and the other student and how love and hate is a fine line that you need to understand and be able to differentiate sooner rather than later. A lot of this book was me being like “ OH COME ON WHO DOES THIS? STRANGER DANGER?” But it was set in the 60’s-80’s(??) I believe so I can sort of understand how trusting these students are of adult figures.
I do love the slow character development or self actualization both the students go through and how they grew as individuals by the end.
Overall this was an interesting read that I did enjoy :)
Also loved the sapphic representation
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death
Minor: Violence
theyellowbrickreader's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Murder
rabbitsdolly's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol
crankyvampire's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed reading the book, though I found the characterization of some of the characters inconsistent and the pacing a bit iffy. Overall a fun lesbian vampire romp with some questionable relationships thrown in.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship
_p0ssum_'s review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I can't put my finger on why I love this book but it just works. It's a sapphic vampire carmilla retelling why wouldn't I love it ? It's also written by the same women who created "a dowry of blood" so I already knew it would shoot my expectations out of the park
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail