Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - A Dowry of Blood

Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

188 reviews

katherineshawwrites's review

dark reflective tense 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

4.5

As a huge fan of the original Dracula, I hoped I would enjoy this, but I didn't expect to devour it so quickly and enjoy it quite so much. Rather than a tale of horror and gore, this explores the other monstrous side of Dracula's character - his manipulation, control and coercion of his lovers.

The toxic relationships at play are written masterfully, and are really what drives the story and keeps the reader so engrossed. I yearned for Constanta to finally be free, and flew through the pages to find resolution.

My only criticism is that there is virtually no tie-in to the original tale, but only one throwaway reference to the characters. I had expected to see the two tales woven together, and the lack of that was a little disappointing.

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rene_kampfer's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.25

This book is both sensual and devastating. The author somehow managed to deal with heavy topics of abuse in a way that isn’t glorified but is also tragically seductive. The author took everything I love about vampires and threw it into a book.

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livfowler's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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meowlo's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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boba_n_books's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This was an interesting Dracula retelling that focused more on the queer, polyamorous relationship between Dracula and his partners than vampirism. Since Dracula is much older than his three partners, there are power dynamics and hierarchy at play that are explored throughout the novel.

My one criticism is I wish this had been a tad longer so the author had more time to show each partner as an individual at the end without Dracula.

Gibson’s writing style is quite unique and enticing. I’ll definitely be seeking it out again.

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theinkdrinkerhouse's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.0

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discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful 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? No

4.5

Ugh this was so good.

One of the most effective elements of this story is the way that it handles the relationship between Dracula and his—partners? lovers? children (ew)?— because I feel like it’s such a good depiction of the cycle of abuse.

Dracula isn’t always cruel. He’s often charming, doting, tender, and sometimes I found myself genuinely wishing for his redemption. I wanted to make excuses for him, the same as Constanta did. As much as I wanted Constanta to escape Dracula, I also empathized with her genuine heartbreak over having to destroy him to do it.

Also, without spoilers, I’ll just say: the epilogue was the perfect way to end this story. I finished the book with the biggest smile on my face. Such an emotional read!

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