This was going to be a 5-star read for me all the way through until the epilogue. But overall, it was still fab!

A Dowry of Blood is a thoughtfully written examination of toxic love and emotional control and abuse, with some exquisite crafting of mood and atmosphere.

Constanta's observations and difficult struggles with her own emotions and needs were compelling and moving, and the threads of gothic horror were made all the more suspenseful and visceral for Gibson's restraint in doling them out only as often as needed.

While the story spans centuries, it stays very contained and hews tightly to the main characters. This was incredibly effective in raising the stakes of the drama and building the tension and mental claustrophobia of the relationships.

But, the epilogue seemed tacked on and unnecessary. This undermined the vibe of the rest of the book for me, with the previous chapter feeling much more like the true ending. It provided emotional closure, while being just open-ended enough to leave me wanting more while still satisfied. The epilogue, on the other hand, felt rushed and out of place, like it was transplanted from another book entirely.

There were two things about A Dowry of Blood that I loved in particular that I wanted to mention.

The first is the mention of the story of Judith and Holofernes, which is a favorite of mine, and beautifully mirrored the relationship between Constanta and Magdalena, and provided some deliciously clever foreshadowing.

The other thing I found interesting was how this book used the vampire genre as way to examine toxic and abusive relationships in a post-Twilight age, which I thought was a nice counterpoint and refreshing to see.

While the epilogue was a bit disappointing for me personally, it mightn't bother you. It was still a thrilling read, and I definitely recommend it. ( )

I see a lot of reviews describing this as lush, dark, and decadent. That is spot on. The writing was stunning. I didn’t want this to end! ( )

Didn't hate it but didn't love it. I dont think I jived with any of the characters so it was hard for this to be a fun read. Theres a lot of trauma in here, and I dont geel like there were any real healthy avenues and I don't really understand why they went the direction they did. ( )

This was fine....but not nearly as good as the description led me to hope for. I think this book was either too long (there was a lot of repetition) or not long enough (there was a lot of telling rather than showing). A shorter novella could have been really great or a longer book where Dracula's manipulation was revealed over time and the reader realized how awful he was along with Constanta. Instead, we are given a book that just fell flat for me. ( )

A delectable retelling of the Dracula story, tragic and moving. I loved how the author wove the changing history and settings with Constanta's unique perspective. Themes were dark but not overly done given the subject matter.

The end of the book felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped compared to earlier sections. I'd have loved an epilogue exploring Dracula's perspective, but perhaps that will come in another book!

It was a gripping read I'd certainly recommended for any vampire fan. ( )