Reviews tagging Injury/injury detail

A Dowry of Blood, by S.T. Gibson

30 reviews

buildawallofbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, and War

Moderate: Grief and Gore

My first read of 2023 and what an amazing start 🖤🩸 I picked up A Dowry of Blood from my tbr and I devoured it (no pun intended!!) I am not a horror girlie in fact I’m the furthest from that but give me gothic, dark, beautiful prose and I will eat it up. I loved the format of this book, a series of letters which make for short chapters (the dream) I raced through this book, it was the epitome of #justonemorechapter Told from the point of view of Constanta who is the first wife of “YOU” this is an exploration of love in all its different forms, an exploration of complicated, dark, messy relationships- please check the content warnings which the author lays out so well at the start of the book! This for me wasn’t a Dracula retelling it was so much more- I loved the omission of “YOU’s” name of course we know who this is but this book isn’t about them - this is special and something which I loved when reading Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell it puts the focus on the woman telling the tale and their strength 🖤 I am so excited to read more from this author!

just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

 

Although I have been on hold for this one at the library since early October (ish), there was definitely some kind of delay in the process because our copy didn’t arrive/get processed til mid-December. And despite the fact that we are now deeply past the “spooky” season this read was meant to be for, I don’t even care because a Dracula retelling/spin-off with a cover like this is absolutely going to be at the top of my personal TBR no matter what season it is. 

As she lays dying after a raid on her small village in Romania, a young woman is “saved” by Dracula, who turns her into a vampire, renames her Constanta, and takes her as his wife. Over the years, her intense feelings for and obsession with her savior are the cornerstone of her existence. Dracula introduces her to so much of life, and love, that she had never imagined. But as the centuries pass and two new consorts, a politically savvy aristocrat (Magdalena) and a starving artist (Alexei), are added to their “family,” Constanta begins to face the darker aspects of Dracula’s love for them. Finding solace, intimacy, and partnership with both Magdalena and Alexei in different ways, she begins to realize that her husband’s secrets are more dangerous that she’d ever imagined, and the three will have to make some impossible choices in the fight for their freedom.       

Now, I usually don’t go in for horror (though maybe I need to revise some of that because I also read and *loved* Nettle & Bone earlier this year), but I have a major soft spot for vampires (always have), so I knew I was going to give this one a try. And I am so glad I did. Although it’s listed as adult fiction, and I totally understand why and agree, it’s written with a style and narrative voice that felt very YA to me, so I flew through it in just a few short sittings. What a haunting, terrible romance this story was. We are dropped right into things with the perfect Dracula-esque opening scenes of bloody pain and vengeance and things remained just as atmospheric until the finale. Although the bloodiness abated through the middle, the same sinister and desire-sodden vibes remained throughout, in slightly different (but spot on for their characters) forms, as Magdalena and Alexei are woven into the story. And the end brings back all the violence and drama that the death of someone like Dracula has always inspired for writers and readers.    

I could not get enough of the complex intertwining of savior and wanting and desire and safety and fear and manipulation, all in a heady rush of confusion and ecstasy and terror, that was Constanta’s every moment with Dracula. It was intoxicating, enthralling and I absolutely lost myself in it. There was also a fascinating combination of the toxicity of (mentally and emotionally) abusive relationships and the magical toxicity that is often present in fantasy that addresses the day-to-day of immortality.  It’s not hard to see how that kind of reality can take a dark turn, which makes the relationships that Constanta, Magdalena and Alexei are able to form under those dual shadows that Dracula casts, and lean into that as their [only] power, in order to make their final stand altogether, no faltering, that much more affecting. 

I think, as a side note, that this is the first polyamorous “romance” that I have ever read. And I can say for sure that it will not be my last. I was fascinated by the dynamics and roles that each character fell into, both with and without Dracula in the picture. I honestly just loved how much love and support there was (obviously discounting Dracula here) and the finale chapter from Alexei’s perspective was honestly one of the most tender and heartwarming things I’ve read in awhile. Just, I loved seeing the three of them forge something whole and safe and beautiful from the darkness and horror of their shared past. 

This novel was a whole mood. What an incredibly fresh take on a well worn classic, with all the dark intensity that a reader would want from anything Dracula-related, but with a more hopeful ending than one usually gets from this kind of “descent into horror/madness” style read. Though the writing was basic, it was affecting, and I loved the complexity and authenticity of the relationships as they were molded and re-molded to fit each other. Atmospheric AF. 

 

“This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession. I suppose both are a sort of gentle violence, putting down in ink what scorches the air when spoken aloud.” 

 

“What is more lovely, after all, than a monster undone with wanting?” 

 

“Love makes monsters of us, Constanta, and not everyone is cut out for monstrosity.” 

 

"There was no huge argument that predicated my decision to betray you, no ultimate act of tyranny. I simply broke under the weight of a thousand tense nights, a thousand thoughtless, soul-stripping words. I felt like I was losing my mind in that place, and eventually my desire to do something about it, anything about it, outweighed my fear of you." (What a perfectly anticlimactic, and all the more affecting for it, in its simplicity and authenticity, moment.) 

 

“You had debased us all over time, as slow as dripping water wearing a hole in stone. We couldn't abide you, but we couldn't live without you.” 

 

“Being around him is like burning up with fever. I know I'm not well, but I'm too delirious to do anything.” 

 

“It would be easier if he hated us [...] But he loves us all terribly. And if we go on letting him love us, that love is going to kill us. That's what makes him so dangerous.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Injury/injury detail, Body horror, and Gore

Minor: Physical abuse

clairew97's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Gore, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Death, and Grief

vixenreader's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

As someone escaping a toxic polycule, this was a kick in the balls for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Sexual assault, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Mental illness, Alcohol, War, Infidelity, and Murder

Minor: Abandonment, Cursing, Genocide, and Cannibalism

Huge content warnings for anyone who has experienced an abusive, toxic polyamorous relationship and how it affects everyone in the polycule. There is also an example of healthy polyamory and great bisexual representation.

thesawyerbean's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

This was a very enjoyable read. I loved the style of the book being written as a love letter from Constanta to her sire - it gave a more intimate feel and allowed for deeper connections with the main characters, their intentions and their emotions. 
The writing was poetic at times, beautiful, dark, obsessive and erotic - a novel of possession, in body and mind.

I did think however that overall the story was a little shallow, one track minded and by the end, a little same-y. The additions of Magdalena and Alexi occurred to spice things up but realistically it didn’t have that much of an effect on the pacing. 

In summary, an extremely fun book with fabulous queer vampire representation (which is always what we need in my opinion). Definitely worth the read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, Cursing, and Death

pastelkerstin's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/injury detail, Blood, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Confinement, Gore, Infidelity, and Violence

Moderate: Mental illness and Alcohol

Minor: Physical abuse and War

vigil's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

this book had so many layers to it, especially in regards to the abusive relationship with constanta, magadalena, alexei, and dracula. constanta and dracula's relationship was easily the most interesting, followed by magadalena, and constanta. alexei was sweet (more innocent i suppose), but mostly window dressing to me. 

i think a stand out moment of this book was the call back to the very beginning when

Spoiler

dracula answers constanta's question of where the servants were with "fled or dead," the same phrase he uses when describing his past lovers, and inadvertently drawing a line between them, and the role of a servant, something he forces the three of them into during the years of their relationship. that contextualized a lot for me, and really hammered home for me (and eventually constanta) how much he needed to go. it's very fitting that she was the one who killed him. it would have been very unsatisfying to me if it were anyone else.

the prose was more dead on than it wasn't for me, though it had its fair share of questionable lines, especially in terms of dialogue which had a tendency to sound more modern than it should. i think the author gave as much information as necessary to the book they wanted to write, and that was largely enough for me, though i think it dampened alexei's introduction which felt, and stayed abrupt throughout the rest of the book. some of it was due to his naturally extroverted nature in what is, in my opinion,  a very introverted book, but a large portion of it was due to his lack of intrigue or development. contrastly, i think s.t. gibson did great with magdalena.

i like the inclusion of the sex scenes, and wouldn't have minded more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, and Physical abuse

saurahsaurus's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, Death of parent, Grief, Child death, Physical abuse, Classism, and Medical content

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, War, and Abandonment

nikenacs's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Injury/injury detail, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Blood, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Confinement, Body horror, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Physical abuse

Minor: Addiction

bookspaperink's review

dark fast-paced

5.0

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for sending me a digital arc of this book to read and review.

I utterly adored this book and could not put it down. 

A Dowry Of Blood is a blood soaked, queer polyamorous reimagining of Dracula’s Brides, told from the perspective of one of his brides Constanta. 

Constanta is a medieval peasant, saved from the brink of death by the strange and mysterious Dracula and whisked away to become his bride and lead an undying life of aristocratic luxury.

This novel spans centuries, narrated from Constanta’s perspective and written as an open letter to her husband and sire.

When her husband adds an aristocrat and a young Russian artist to their household and marriage bed, Constanta starts to notice a much darker side to her husband.


This book explores heavy themes and subject matters. I would recommend researching the trigger warnings.

This novella was so beautifully written and atmospheric. It’s a perfect Autumnal spooky season read. 

I am keen to read more of S.T Gibson’s work.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Body horror, Violence, War, Blood, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Gore, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Death

Minor: Mental illness, Injury/injury detail, Sexual content, Murder, and Confinement