This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession. . .
S.T. Gibson's sensational novel is the darkly seductive tale of Dracula's first bride, Constanta.
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.
From Goodreads:
My Review:
Oh man, these stories! That they're the stories of Dracula's consorts, of the story of how their lives were together-and why Constanta killed him. I had such a great time with them, and how the first book was a written account of their lives, of how she became like him, their lives together, and the end. It was so great!
An Encore of Roses is the A DOWRY OF BLOOD epilogue short story in Alexi’s POV. It was originally sent out in S.T. Gibson's newsletter as a subscriber bonus, and can be read for free on Substack.
Content guidance: This is a story about long-distance relationships and ethical nonmonogamy. It features tender sadomasochism, vampire bloodplay, breathplay, consensual sex between three adults, and a happy ending.
My Review:
Oh man, these stories! That they're the stories of Dracula's consorts, of the story of how their lives were together-and why Constanta killed him. I had such a great time with them, and how the first book was a written account of their lives, of how she became like him, their lives together, and the end. It was so great!
This story was told in three parts, one for each consort that he takes in this book. And we got to see what it was like, when it was just the two of them, when he added another, and then another, and how it all crumbled. But oh, the bonds that they shared were complex and emotionally fraught!
One running through in my head was, if all of your loves have either died by your hand, or have run away, maybe it's you, and your love, that's the problem, not them. He would probably be too egotistical to consider that, but he was the problem, his love was not kind to those he loved. He earned what they did to him!
I loved Encore of Roses, that we got to be in Alexi's perspective, so we could see Constanta from an outside perspective was really great. That it was also more modern, maybe set in the now, was pretty great, as well!
These were some really great stories, and I can't wait for the sequel!
Author: S.T. Gibson
Series: A Dowry of Blood #1, 1.5
Read: January 15th, 15th, 2023
Source: Ebook.bike, Free
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and they're 2023 Retelling Reading Challenge 2023 Books and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Books, and A Dowry of Blood is a Historical Fiction 2023 Book!
Publisher: Orbit, Substack
Published: January 31st 2021, July 11th 2021
A Dowry of Blood:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 4.5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
An Encore of Roses:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 4.5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
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