Book Review of A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

Name of Book: A Dowry of Blood 

Author: S.T. Gibson 

ISBN: 9780316501071

Publisher: Redhook 

Type of book: Vampires, seduction, 1300s-2000s, relationships, drama, secrets, Gothic, gaslighting, Transylvania, Spain, Russia, open love, polyamory, control, desire, survival, seduction  

Year it was published: 2022

Summary:

S.T. Gibson's sensational novel is the darkly seductive tale of Dracula's first bride, Constanta. 

This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession. . .

Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a medieval peasant into a bride fit for an undying king. But when Dracula draws a cunning aristocrat and a starving artist into his web of passion and deceit, Constanta realizes that her beloved is capable of terrible things.

Finding comfort in the arms of her rival consorts, she begins to unravel their husband's dark secrets. With the lives of everyone she loves on the line, Constanta will have to choose between her own freedom and her love for her husband. But bonds forged by blood can only be broken by death.

"A dizzying nightmare of a romance that will leave you aching, angry and ultimately hopeful." --Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

Characters:

The main character is Constanta, a young woman of peasant origins who got turned into a vampire in 1300s possibly. She is not highly educated and doesn't seem to have much interest in expanding her knowledge but she is very loyal, maternal, observant and obedient. Dracula (aka You as Constanta constantly refers to him) is definitely a villain in her eyes, mastering the art of seduction, of gaslighting. At the same time he longs for something and tries to find it in his "pets" (For those who played Baldur's Gate II, he is a lot like Jon Irenicus... but without the extensive background story revealed.) He also loves knowledge a great deal. Magdalena is a former wealthy and intelligent woman who desires to dominate the world rather than become submissive to Dracula. She  is of Spanish origin and became a vampire sometime in 1500s. Alexei is barely a teen of Russian origins and has chosen to become a vampire around Russian Revolution (1917-1918) he is charismatic and has a lost of zest for life. 

Theme:

A lot goes on behind the closed doors

Plot:

The story is in first person narrative from Constanta's point of view in the main body of the book, while in an accompanying short story, An Encore of Roses, another character, Alexei speaks. While I enjoyed the novel a lot, especially the heartbreak in the first few chapters, I really wanted a bit more, and I sincerely hope if the author decides to continue on the story, then fill in the blanks about Dracula (referred to him as 'You' by Constanta in her book) will be addressed, namely the background of the mysterious Dracula. The tale is definitely subtle with large swatches of time jumped over, focusing a lot more on the darkness and of the control Dracula manages to exert over his "pets" , especially the consequences of when people go against their natures are realistically portrayed. Also, for those who are curious, the Harker incident from Bram Stoker's Dracula is briefly referenced but Constanta didn't go into detail about it. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

S.T. Gibson is a poet, author, and village wise woman in training.

She holds a Bachelors degree in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and a Masters of Theological Studies from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Opinion:

Where was this novel when Twilight as well as Fifty Shades of Grey mania spread throughout the world? In the past I have read plenty of vampire novels, both popular as well as obscure titled (and Twilight too, although I could only stomach one book...) and aside from the original source, namely Dracula by Bram Stoker, the vampires are best described as romanticized in the novels, from Louis and Lestat from Ann Rice's novels to Simon in The Silver Kiss by Ann Curtis Klause to R.L Stine's Fear Street Sagas, etc. These are the vampires that dominate our minds, our hearts, our media and, to an extent, our lives. However, A Dowry of Blood definitely presents a unique point of view, of what its like to be a woman vampire as well as someone who is victimized, and the picture isn't very beautiful and strips the reader of the romance that vampires have cast over us. I definitely enjoyed the writing style, the beautiful descriptive sentences that appear shallow but have unusual depth behind their structure. What might also be unique for readers is the fact that the characters are openly polyamorous instead of hetero (young adult vampire creations) or closeted (Ann Rice's creations). 

This was given for review

4  out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)