A Dowry of Blood

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.