Bound and Unbound: A paranormal novella duology
Ali Hazelwood
A Dowry of Blood
by S. T. Gibson
About this book
- [x]
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
- Publication Date
- May 25, 2026
- ASIN
- 0316501182
Reader Reviews
October 27, 2025
Every Halloween week, I treat myself to a new book in the dark romance or horror genre, and A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson has become one I revisited this year. It absolutely did not disappoint the second time around. If anything, it felt even more haunting and emotionally layered on the re-read. This isn’t just another vampire story. It's a reimagining of Dracula told through the voice of one of his brides, and it is nothing short of mesmerizing. The book is a story of survival, lust,...
March 25, 2021
✨4/5✨ I feel absolutely heartbroken yet hopeful. In the beginning you see Dracula as someone who loves Constanta to no end and just wants the “best” for her. Who shuts her in for “protection”. The abuse that was in this book was so perfectly written and drawn out. I loved Dracula all the way until the end, even when I shouldn’t have. The control he had was sick, the manipulation was sick, everything about him was terrible. And I KNEW this. I was so angry with him and with Constanta/Magdalena...
August 15, 2021
\"How can I blame you for wanting her, my lord, when I wanted her so badly myself?\" This book is for you if... you love paranormal romance and lyrical writing. I was pleasantly surprised by A Dowry of Blood, I'm not usually one for paranormal romance so this was really good for my standards of paranormal romance. But even still I was pretty bored though most of the book, there were beautiful moments that I loved but overall I was just going though the book waiting for more moments that I...
June 17, 2025
This is a very creative way of talking about abuse and abusive relationships and from the very first page you know what you're dealing with. It's poetic, without trying to glorify horrible behaviors, and it's straightforward without diminishing the reality of the topic either. It is just told.. as it is. It's a story about survival, self love, family and that internal battle between what you think is normal and okay in a relationship and realizing you deserve better and fighting for it. It is...
June 9, 2025
Constanta's story is not new, but it is unique. Swept away by a dark and handsome stranger, she finds herself completely dependent upon him for survival. While he offers her physical intimacy, and is initially warm and loving, the situation subtly shifts. He keeps her comfortable, but becomes gradually more distant and cold. He experiments in secret, allegedly trying to catalogue the differences between vampires and humans. He mocks Constanta for her attempt to only target miscreants for her...
