The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

The whole time I was reading this, I kept thinking about the old skool bodice-rippers I love to read-- and it kind of felt like the YA version of one, too. Kizzy and Lillai, the narrator, are two Romani girls living in eastern Europe until their camp is burned down and the children are taken as slaves by soldiers by order of one of the local lordlings.

Immediately, the wounded and traumatized girls are put to work in the kitchen until they heal enough from their injuries to be serving girls/what are essentially sex slaves (since it's YA, a lot of the horror of their situation is off-page or alluded to, but there's definitely a prominent threat of sexual violence). But Kizzy, the beauty of the two, catches the eye of Dracula's righthand man, who thinks that she would be a fitting plaything for the Voivode.

This is a rough read because it really leans heavily into the oppressive structures of a patriarchal feudal system, where women-- especially brown women-- are on the bottom. Despite that, there are strong feminist themes in this book, as well as feminine rage (particularly of the variety spilled in blood), that keep this from feeling like a downer.

Lillai's queerness is also handled well, imo. It's accepted by her loved ones, and when someone objectifies her relationship with someone of the same sex, they are roundly condemned by one of her male friends. I liked how it ended up being such an integral part of her character.

This is not a romance but I liked this take on Dracula's brides. It has a more bittersweet ending than most.

4.5 out of 5 stars