October Intermission: A Dowry of Blood (2021) - S. T. Gibson

Hi there!

Welcome to our October Intermission for S. T. Gibson's 2021 A Dowry of Blood.

Trigger Warning: Emotional, Verbal, Physical Intimate Partner Abuse, Gaslighting, War, Famine, and Plague, Blood & Gore, Sexual Content (3/5 🌶), Sado/Masochism, Self-Harm, Body Horror, Violence, Murder, Alcohol Use, Depression & Mania, Brief references of Sexual Assault, Drug Use, Drowning

Overall

This book has become a crowd favorite over the years, and it is one of our favorite ones of this year FOR SURE. Not only do we rarely get Vampire Content that doesn't have young hot people in it, but it doesn't feel immature - it feels very adult and serious, yet NOT melodramatic. It feels genuinely intimate and not at all campy. Because the book is written so well (contextually) and written so beautifully (not outdated), we deem it both accessible and contemporary enough that it's relevant and quite advanced. The prose style makes the book feel more mature and serious, as well as giving the powerful characters more power through the prose style.

The Maker

Constanta starts the book by stripping her maker of his power by not naming him. This could also be taken as he is a symbol for all men, which attributes more fear to him, therefore giving him more power, in a way. The Maker enacts a non-consensual life change in her transformation. He's making decisions for Constanta and continues to do that throughout the first half of the novel. He keeps her uneducated and unaware of what is going on and why, as well as secluded. If you are isolated, it's easier to control you.

Love is a choice made by two; possession is one-sided. He "Collects us like baubles!" The Maker called Magdalena a gift to Constanta. In part one, Constanta does not fight against the power imbalance within the relationship with her maker. The Maker turns his collection of lovers into his enemies by treating them as such objects.

Constanta

The tone that Constanta's transformation sets for the rest of the book is that she loses her autonomy in order to survive with this person. She wanted to live, but didn't get a chance to think about the result of that decision - if anything, that is coercion. Also, up until getting more bold with Magdalena, Constanta's description of herself was that of a child, but eventually, they became sisters, so her status internally changed. This makes Magdalena's Sisterhood super important, because Constanta is now identifying herself WITH Magdalena as a Sister, and not a Rival.

Constanta's longing for the Maker is interesting. "He hurt me, BUT, then there's a justification, then there's a fear for when the other shoe is going to drop because he's going to manipulate me again." That seems to be the line of her thinking. He broke a huge promise, and then, because he got caught, he offered Magdalena as a gift to Constanta. Continuing a cycle of betrayal and pacification.

Constanta's relationship with religion is very interesting - sometimes she's yelling at god, and then sometimes she feels like a kitten in god's arms. She's always very submissive. Constanta also sees the Maker as very godlike.

Magdalena

Magdalena's presence is the catalyst for Constata's ability to have some self-respect and autonomy. Agency. Master informs her whole life and being. Magdalena also has an independence that Constanta is jealous of as well. There is a lot of respect there, but there is also jealousy and fear.

Where We Are Now

At this stage in the story, Constanta's concept of freedom is simple: make her own choices and not feel like she's breaking a rule. Later on, it becomes doing what she wants when she wants with no consequences.

Where We Go From Here

We know that they are going to meet another person to add to their household, but not sure what he will bring!

With love, see you soon!

Ceraya & Brieanna