A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson

“I initially believed that this would be an off-shoot of Stoker's Dracula and an exploration into the three mysterious "women" that Harker finds when he's roaming Dracula's castle but unfortunately, that was not the case. It had its interesting moments and some potential but in the end it devolved into smut.”

⭐⭐

Pros: It started out with potential, since I thought it would tie into Stoker's Dracula and be an interesting offshoot but it wasn't.

Cons: Since the back of the book says that Constanta was Dracula's first bride, I was led to believe that the Vampire in the book, since he's never given a first name, was, in fact, Dracula, but, I was wrong/The timing of everything was just hilariously wrong, let's plot out this whole, dangerous, betrayal, all while the villagers are storming the castle. I guess when you're immortal, your time management skills falter.

Full Review:

Amidst the burning wreckage of her village, Constanta lies on the side of the road, dying, discarded like a piece of meat. She's waiting for death, when it finds her, in the form of a terrible and beautiful man. He promises her eternal life and vows to treat her as his bride. And so, Constanta, takes him up on his offer and is turned into a Vampire. She lives with him for Centuries, all the while being hidden away from the public eye. Though, when they go to meet another royal, Magdalena and he decides to take her as his second Bride, Constanta can't help but feel a bit jealous. Though she quickly falls in love with Magdalena as well, for her quick-wit, indomitable intelligence and gentle but mischievous ways.

Of course, Constanta does begin to wonder how long Magdalena and her Husband were corresponding, since when they first met, they seemed to know each other intimately. And so, she breaks the #1 rule and enters his study, determined to find correspondence. Only, she uncovers a lot more than she bargained for. She finds out that there have been others. Other Brides, other Husbands, all of them bound to him and now, they're nowhere to be seen.

Their eternal life goes on and he takes on another lover, Alexi. They all love one another, in their own ways and they are beginning to understand how controlling and abusive their Sire is. Since Constanta is armed with the knowledge that he's had other Brides/Husbands before them, she knows that they have to get away, their very "lives" depend on it.

Though this book had promise, since I thought it was going to be an intriguing off-shoot of Dracula, I was disappointed. Once the book hit its stride, it had some interesting plot points and betrayals but in all honesty, the majority of this book was plain and simple smut.

Comments

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone." 5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way. Cons: Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager. Full Review: It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...

All the Books.

Search This Blog