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Book: “A Dowry of Blood” by S.T. Gibson
Publishing Info: Redhook, October 2022
Where Did I Get This Book: I own it.
Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound
Book Description: 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.
Review: Earlier this month I reviewed the book “Thirst” by Marina Yuszczuk, a sapphic historical horror tale in which a woman in modern day Buenos Aires is caught up with a woman vampire who has been around for centuries. I made mention of thinking about the “Buffy” characters Darla and Drusilla as I read, and mused that I wish there had been a prequel book about Darla and Drusilla galavanting around Europe with Angelus and Spike being a sexual foursome together. Well, the synchronicity of the Universe kicked in a bit, because shortly after that review was written up, I picked up “A Dowry of Blood” by S.T. Gibson, which had been ALL OVER my social media feeds from various horror influencers. I bought it on a whim with a birthday book gift certificate from my sister, not sure of what to expect. And then when I began reading, I nearly fell out of my chair. Because as the story went on, it was clear that it was going to scratch that Darla/Angelus/Drusilla/Spike itch and all the nasty complications that come with it.
“A Dowry of Blood” is from the perspective of Constanta, a medieval peasant woman turned bride of Dracula after the Count discovers her near death and changes her into a vampire. It’s Constanta finding a newfound supernatural power and an exciting life with her husband, but also finding his dark and manipulative side as he takes on more romantic companions and manipulates them all into loyalty and servitude. I’ve read a few “Dracula” retellings or spin off remixes, but I had never read one from the perspective of his Brides, and this one is such a dark yet also empowering read. Constanta’s story is one of a woman who finds herself in a bad and toxic relationship, and who has to go through the process of understanding it, accepting it, and extricating herself from it, while also feeling a loyalty to her fellow companions, Magdalena and Alexi. The three of them coming together to lean on each other, while trying to figure out how to remove themselves from Dracula, is a nail biter the closer we get to the eventual showdown, and while Gibson basically lays out the outcome from the jump, the suspense is still there.
I hesitate to call this story a romance, as it can be bleak and unsettling seeing how Dracula can hold such abusive power over Constanta, Magdalena, and Alexi, but at the same time there are shades of romanticism between the Brides (and Husband) as they bond, commiserate, and eventually strive for more. There is certainly intimacy, and I loved seeing the relationships between Constanta, Magdalena, and Alexi grow and evolve and strengthen. Watching Constanta evolve and shift and start to find her own power, even against the vampire that she feels she owes everything to, is at times difficult given the content, but is also a story that feels inherently like an unshackling of abusive chains. Hell, even just seeing Constanta go from a dying peasant to a vengeful vampire, who takes out the men who killed her family and tried to kill her, starts this off on an empowering note and shows that Constanta has it in her, even when she is under Dracula’s spell, or at least under his gaslighting, his manipulations, and his abusive tendencies. Looking back at my up-page comparisons to pop culture, maybe it would be more accurate to say this reads like Darla leaving The Master behind and choosing her lovers over him. Regardless, it’s satisfying as hell.
BUT, that said, there are also some really sumptuous and erotic moments in this book when it comes to Constanta exploring her burgeoning sexuality and intimacy with not only her husband, but also the other spouses. Much like Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”, “A Dowry of Blood” does have a bit of a romantic undercurrent about it in spite of the horror and the more toxic thematics. There are so many descriptors and so many beats that make it feel like an indulgence of beauty and decadence (especially if you take into account the epilogue/novella that is included in the edition I have, “An Encore of Roses”. That one was just full on sexy and spicy, and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND SEEKING IT OUT REGARDLESS), while also keeping the tension and the horror there . It also has a lot of really knowing nods to the source material itself, giving these characters a complicated backstory while also harkening to moments from Stoker’s vampire novel without dwelling or relying too much upon them.
“A Dowry of Blood” was a really enjoyable and bloody good read. I love historical vampire horror, and I love it when an author can bring in romantic elements that feel real, scary, and also tender. If Gibson wrote more stories about this group of vampires, I’d absolutely read them.
Rating 9: Erotic, empowering, indulgent, and bloody as hell, “A Dowry of Blood” is a sweeping and entertaining vampire novel that finds the darkness in an abusive situation, while also finding the light in actual love and support and tenderness.
Reader’s Advisory:
“A Dowry of Blood” is included on the Goodreads lists “Bisexual Vampire Books”, and “Classic Retellings and Spinoffs: Monster Mash”.
The Library Ladies 