A Dowry of Blood

This book was a work of art. I feel like I say that about every book I really enjoy but I truly mean it this time. The prose in this book is so dark and lyrical and lovely that I genuinely believe I will never experience anything quite like it again.

I feel like I quoted over half the book in my notes, but I'll just leave one quote here that I feel like sums up everything you need to know about this story:

‘But the girl I had been disappeared the instant you pronounced me yours.'I don't even think I have the words to describe how the author depicted their romance but it was hauntingly beautiful. Seeing it degrade as the centuries go by, as he just takes and takes and takes from all of them and expects obedience and GRATITUDE for the ‘gift' he gave them, a gift that they all looked on as more of a curse at some point.

The way there are MULTIPLE references to how he treats them like his children rather than his lovers made me physically recoil in disgust: he didn't want consorts, he wanted devotees, believers, people that would follow his every whim and word, and it never even occurred to him that they would want to fight back.

No description of mine can do this book justice honestly. If there's even a smidgen of you that wants to read this, absolutely read it.