Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by luluwoohoo
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson (narrated by Kristin Atherton)
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
▪️An utterly evocative, atmospheric vampire novel that triumphantly embodies the gothic genre with a dark and emotional heart
▪️This book is, in essence, an exploration of our narrators relationship with her abuser who is never named (but it definitely rhymes with 'macula') The strength of Constanta as a character is undeniable, as is the portrait painted of her husband and his centuries of control and abuse towards her and her fellow family members
▪️I loved the idea of the polyamorous relationship and how her lovers all helped each other escape, but I felt the characterisation of Magdalena and Alexei was weak in comparison to the central relationship. This is mostly due to the length, which was deliberately kept short and with pin-prick focus, but I longed for more world-building and character development amongst the incredibly long time jumps
▪️The prose throughout is exquisite - being written in epistolary style and directed at the unnamed "you" really allowed Gibson opportunities to make this intimate and passionate in ways you couldn't achieve otherwise. This was significantly enhanced by the narration by Kristin Atherton which totally blew me away
▪️I really enjoyed this interpretation of a story we're all familiar with, but I was left wanting more beyond the scope of the abusive relationship. This MUST be listened to - Atherton's delivery is pitch perfect!
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
▪️An utterly evocative, atmospheric vampire novel that triumphantly embodies the gothic genre with a dark and emotional heart
▪️This book is, in essence, an exploration of our narrators relationship with her abuser who is never named (but it definitely rhymes with 'macula') The strength of Constanta as a character is undeniable, as is the portrait painted of her husband and his centuries of control and abuse towards her and her fellow family members
▪️I loved the idea of the polyamorous relationship and how her lovers all helped each other escape, but I felt the characterisation of Magdalena and Alexei was weak in comparison to the central relationship. This is mostly due to the length, which was deliberately kept short and with pin-prick focus, but I longed for more world-building and character development amongst the incredibly long time jumps
▪️The prose throughout is exquisite - being written in epistolary style and directed at the unnamed "you" really allowed Gibson opportunities to make this intimate and passionate in ways you couldn't achieve otherwise. This was significantly enhanced by the narration by Kristin Atherton which totally blew me away
▪️I really enjoyed this interpretation of a story we're all familiar with, but I was left wanting more beyond the scope of the abusive relationship. This MUST be listened to - Atherton's delivery is pitch perfect!
"Even loneliness, hollow and cold, becomes so familiar it starts to feel like a friend."
"You did not let me keep my name, so I will strip you of yours. In this world you are what I say you are, and I say you are a ghost, a long night's fever dream that I have finally woken up from. I say you are the smoke-wisp memory of a flame, thawing ice suffering under an early spring sun, a chalk ledger of depts being wiped clean. I say you do not have a name."
"Sometimes, when I walk through the city, I get a crawling feeling on the back of my neck that compels me to turn around. Sometimes, I think I see your face in the crowd, only for an instant, before you’re swept away by the masses once again."