As a Dracula retelling, A Dowry of Blood was unique in its total dismissal of the vampire sire in the story. He remains unnamed as an intentional choice to take away his power in the story. I laughed out loud when the Harkers are mentioned, just brushed aside in a quick aside to Alexei. Constanta, Magdalena, and Alexei's relationship is so dedicated, and though I enjoyed the idea of a happy ending for them, the ending somehow felt like it fell short for me. Still, poly vampires is a fun thing, especially when one is an angel of vengeance, the second is a more creative version of Machiavelli, and the third is a sweet Dionysian actor.