Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

40 reviews

jackiepreston's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Torture, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Alcohol

emilywemily6's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

3.5

There are lots of things about this book that give it merit, but it just didn’t quite do it for me. The writing is beautiful and gripping, and the characters are all very interesting. I think my expectations didn’t align with the book itself as I thought this was more of a retelling than a “reimagining,” so it was hard to appreciate this story when it kept going against the original Dracula novel. The darkness of this book was found more within the toxic relationship with Dracula than with the nature of vampires; I thought this book would show more of the wives’ descent into evil. This take made them seem like immortal humans rather than devilish creatures of the night. I liked seeing the progression of the toxic relationship and how the “wives” came to see Dracula for who he really was. This gothic tale strays from the original novel and tells a very different kind of story. This is a polyamorous relationship also, which took me by surprise. Overall, I’m not sure how much I enjoyed the book as a whole, but I’ll be thinking about it for a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Kidnapping

Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, and Death of parent

rene_kampfer's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol

livfowler's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, War, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gore, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, and Confinement

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Physical abuse and Alcohol

neomreads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

I was not expecting this book to be so good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Violence, Blood, Sexual content, Self harm, Body horror, Vomit, Gaslighting, War, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Sexual assault and Drug use

marsh_mall0w's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Violence, Gaslighting, and Bullying

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, Murder, Sexism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: War, Self harm, Stalking, Alcohol, and Medical trauma

meowster18's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

In this story we follow Constanta, a woman that was turned at a young age by a mysterious man that we can only assume to be Dracula. Constanta is guided into the world of the dead and unforgiving by promises of life and vengeance against those who took everything from her. In the years leading up to their new bride and husband, Constanta only knew Dracula. Brooding but kind. Harsh but gentle. Loving but ferocious. Narcissist. Constanta has her suspicions about how much Dracula really loved her but as the centuries passed, Dracula would “gift” her a new bride. An aristocrat. Fearless and knows what she wants. Later, a new husband. Young, rambunctious, lively, and an artist. 

Absorbed by Dracula’s inconsistent love and viciousness towards her and the others, Constanta begins to uncover Dracula’s dark and damning secrets. With the help of her new companions, Constanta will need to to not only figure out how to save her family but untangle herself from the love of her life. This story is masterfully written and grips you from the first page. This story explores the mind of Constanta as she battles with her emotions and centuries of conditioning to submit. The themes are handled with care and shows the realistic view of a dark and very toxic relationship. If you are not a fan of LGBTQIA+ material then this not for you. The love making was very well written and the depiction of the violence and rage Dracula would often express is attention grabbing. Even how the author allowed Constanta to explore her flaws and come to terms with them is masterfully done. Lastly the pacing is amazing and relatively quick. 

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a quick, dark yet empowering read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: War

ellenigrace's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

2.5

Did its job of being a vampire book, though not a horror novel, and didn't blow me away. The ending frustrated me

Spoiler

because I didn't love that after spending a whole book freeing themselves from a man, Constanta and Magdalena ended up semi-abandoning their new lives for a different man.

I also think that if you're going to say in the blurb that the book is about Dracula, you shouldn't break Dracula canon the one time you allude to that fact?

Spoiler

Even if we allow that he couldn't die in the way he does in Dracula, the fact that the women have to explain who the Harkers were to Alexi means that at that point Dracula only had two brides, not three like in Stoker's canon. A very nitpicky point but it pulled me out of the narrative.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Blood, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Gore

Moderate: Physical abuse, Confinement, and Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent, Self harm, and War

maren_hemsath's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Blood

Moderate: War, Violence, and Body horror

Minor: Alcohol