A Dowry of Blood

THE DARK FANTASY BOOKTOK BLOCKBUSTER!

In this dark, fantasy sensation, S. T. Gibson spins the gothic, seductive tale of Dracula's first bride, Constanta.

This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession. . .

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.

"A dizzying nightmare of a romance that will leave you aching, angry and ultimately hopeful." --Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

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Published May 2, 2023

320 pages

Average rating: 6.82

276 RATINGS

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What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *A Dowry of Blood* by S.T. Gibson is a beautifully crafted, poetic retelling of vampire lore from Dracula’s first bride, Constanta. Review...

faetedfantasy

Aug 18, 2024

10/10 stars

This is the book I never knew I needed! I loved reading Dracula’s wife’s perspective and the vibes in this book is everything! I am already excited to reread it!

siemelle900

Nov 28, 2025

8/10 stars

I haven’t read Stoker’s Dracula in order to compare. I do think this is a solid read though. I won’t lie, this started off slow and I had considered not finishing a lot of times! Once Dracula had all three “wives”, it picked up. Again, my only complaint is that I wish this were longer, that we had seen more of the characters, delved in deeper. Otherwise, this is worth a read if you enjoy Dracula!

Green Energy

Oct 26, 2025

8/10 stars

Everything about this book was beautiful, the feel and illustrations of the pages, words of love and terror. It took me awhile to get into it, throughout the book I felt like I was eavesdropping on private moments, but that's also what makes the book so good. This re-read will be phenomenal. CHECK YOUR TRIGGER WARNINGS ⚠️

Deja

Apr 03, 2025

6/10 stars

A dark romance that ends in blood and freedom. Decent read.

Jessica Yurkow

Jan 30, 2025

6/10 stars

I loved the poetic tone of the narrator's voice. The plot - a story told from the standpoint of one of Dracula's wives - was interesting . The story provided all the sensuality, bloodlust and "realities" of eternal life someone who loves vampire novels hopes to read about. I'm a fan of S.T. Gibson. This is the second book I've read of hers this summer, and I have her new one, Evocation, on deck.