One of the best parts of vampire stories, and particularly the originally Carmilla story, is the desire. And oh my gosh did Dunn capture that.

The half of the novel was quite slow and predictable. I wasn’t really convinced by it as a retelling or a story in its own right. But once it got going, it became an unhinged mess of hunger and blood, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There wasn’t enough Carmilla in it for me, but the additional plot lines did make up for it somewhat. Henry was also a bit cliche as far as evil husbands go, and I thought Lenore was too. Until she absolutely wasn’t - I was totally corrected on that front. I also thought the bits about class/society were interesting, particularly at the very end of the novel.

If you’re into sapphic vampires/Carmilla retellings, I’d recommend this! There’s a lot of pining and a hell of a lot of hunger. Exactly what you want from it tbh.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for the advance copy!

This book is such a brilliant take on Carmilla and vampires in general.

The big focus of this book is hunger. What we deny ourselves and how monstrous it can be when we finally allow ourselves to satiate it. And it worked so well, especially when the vampirism of the story is almost a suggestion. Like with some of the best gothic fiction, you can take this story almost at face value and as if there is no supernatural element to it. Only women who finally let themselves hunger for more than what they have.

Kat Dunn does such a great job at slowly revealing elements of the story and piecing the plot together. When I finally realised what will happen to Henry, mere moments before it happened, I couldn't help but grin at how perfectly we were led to this situation.

The book can certainly be gruesome at times but it didn't feel overwhelming or disgusting. And let's be honest, we cannot have a vampire book without some blood. But it certainly had more of a horror element than many of current vampire books.

I enjoyed it immensely and could spend another 200 pages in the company of Lenore and Carmilla.

A dark and sumptuous sapphic classic reimagined forms the heart of Hungerstone which takes Le Fanu's Carmilla and transposes the tale to industrial era Sheffield. A pleasing slice of good-for-her sapphic fiction, with a secret tenderness to its Gothic trappings.

Sharp as steel.

Hungerstone is a loose retelling of Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu, the OG vampire novel from 1872, that pre-dates Bram Stoker’s Dracula by some 25 years. I will admit that I was unfamiliar with the original before now, but perhaps it is thematically apt that a female vampire is somehow forgotten in favour of their male counterpart.

Set in England during the industrial revolution, this tells the story of Lenore, the wife of a wealthy steel magnate. She was orphaned at an early age, has been married to Henry for ten years, but has not yet produced an heir. They move from London to live in a crumbling mansion house in Sheffield so he can better manage his steel factory there. Along the way, they encounter Carmilla, a young woman who will turn their lives as upside down as the carriage they find her in.

Carmilla is weak during the day, and roams the moors barefoot at night. She recoils from churches, and seems to have all manner of strange hungers. You might imagine that Lenore will become her prey, but instead Carmilla shows her many truths about her marriage, and about herself.

Kat Dunn’s previous book, the excellent “Bitterthorn”, was equally evocative of its gothic setting, but this feels much darker in tone. I would hesitate slightly - if only slightly - to call it a romance, despite the growing sapphic relationship between Lenore and Carmilla. This is primarily a tale about feminine rage and male treachery. As the situation slowly spins out of control, I promise you will be a willing participant in the carnage to follow.

Highly recommended!

Thanks to Bonnier Books for the early review copy.

this is just gorgeous, starving and sticky and rancid. whether or not you know the story of Carmila, this novel stands alone as a testament to female rage. the main character is fascinating and so engrossing: despite being cold, often calculating, and at other times too afraid to free herself, she is powerful, complex, and deeply relatable. i completely adored her. it's rare that i read a retelling that feels like it enriches and expands the original as well as this does. can't wait to read what she writes next!

Rating: 4.75 Stars

Firstly, thank you to @Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for approving my request to read this ARC!

Having read Bitterthorn, I knew I would be in for a treat with Kat Dunn's next release. Her writing is exquisite and I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characterisation of both Carmilla and Lenore is so well done that they simply jump off the page for me. The slight maddening undertone really make this story stand out, along with the repeated question: what do you hunger for? what would you do to satiate that hunger?

Uch, I really adored this book. It made you second guess who to trust, including the main character, Lenore. It made you truly think about what was really going on. Who is Carmilla really? It's special when a book makes you ask questions; it kept me hooked and searching for answers.

The descriptive writing is superb as always. And while this has sapphic, it's important to note Carmilla's alignment. Is she good? Is she bad? Is she morally grey? The relationship between her and Lenore was both intoxicating and maddening. Was it a healthy relationship? I didn't find it to be so. Was it interesting, however? Oh, most definitely!

My only downside to this book was the abrupt ending. I guess I enjoyed it so much that I wasn't expecting it to end where it ended.

Overall, I loved this book. I'm definitely going to check out the original novel of Carmilla!

I wish the author every success on publication day! I cannot wait to see what future works are in store <3

Set against the backdrop of the stunning Peak District Moorland, Hungerstone is a story of reckoning and feminine rage. I really shared the feeling of suffocation and being stifled by your surroundings. Lenore has fought so hard for her position and for her future. When everything comes under threat, she has no choice but to face herself and who she really is. I would have liked to have seen more of the relationship between Lenore and Carmilla. The presence of Carmilla felt like more of a means to an end in order to push Lenore towards her unravelling when there could have been so much more depth to them. This is definitely a slow burn. The book started to feel a bit repetitive and I was worried that we were going round in circles until Lenore finally snaps. I also didn’t care much for the time jumps back to Lenore’s time with Aunt Daphne. I just wanted to progress with the main plot. Overall, I loved it for the gothic, ruggedness and dark feminine energy.

Hungerstone is a book inspired by the tale of Carmilla which I admittedly haven’t read. I went into this expecting to queer vampires but it fell lacking in my expectations, but perhaps this is due to my lack of knowledge on the original story?

The authors writing is very beautiful and fits the historical setting well, so as a fairly visual reader I was definitely transported to the late 1800s setting. I loved that clearly a lot of research has gone into this book to give it some historical accuracy. There is a lot of strange happenings to the book which, as the reader, we know is leading to vampirism but honestly the book just failed to deliver it for me. These references are just made to “hunger” and the madness of women for those that Lenora comes across, but what I wanted to know is what started this hunger and we don’t get that explained at all. In fact Lenore’s own experience of the hunger is rather different to the other portrayals so I felt a bit cheated.

I did find the characters a bit lacking, Lenore wasn’t an FMC I connected with and even Carmilla’s elements were bland. All the excitement happens in the last few chapters of the book after an incredibly slow build up, and sadly I wasn’t motivated at all to pick up this book. For a book that’s only around 330 pages it took me a long time to read as I didn’t find it engaging.

Overall I gave this book a 2.5⭐️ as it didn’t grip me or meet my desired expectations. However, this book was a beautiful read and if you like historical fiction then it would be more enjoyable - whereas I was expecting more to the fantasy element of vampires and therefore I was just a little underwhelmed.

🫦 Hungerstone • Kat Dunn 🫦
★★★★.𝟱

Read if you enjoy:
🫦 Horror
🫦 Historical Sheffield settings
🫦 Unhinged female characters
🫦 Aristocracy
🫦 Feminine rage

“It would make me far more important than I have ever considered myself, to be the target of such a plot.
Perhaps I am not the ghost I thought myself. Perhaps I have always had substance.
If, then, I am allowed a story, perhaps I can become the author of it.”

Lenore is the wife of steel magnate, Henry. After ten years, their relationship has soured, leaving Lenore cold, chasing warmth that is only shown in glimpses. They purchase a new estate, Nethershaw, a manor in keeping with Henry’s ideas of his station. On their journey there, they come upon a fallen carriage with the beautiful Carmilla needing rescuing. As Carmilla recovers in their mansion, Lenore’s appetite comes alive against the backdrop of the moors.

This dark and seductive novel held me tightly in its clutches with its brilliant writing, atmospheric setting, and complex characters. The author explores female appetite thoroughly, its contrast stark against the time period where women are slaves to their husband desires. I found this addictive, delicious, and relatable to any modern day feminist.

Captivating and unsettling with a wonderfully evocative gothic atmosphere conjured amongst the Peak District, I really enjoyed this! I'd not heard of Carmilla before, so could not compare this as a re-telling, but found myself completely absorbed by this story. I felt it might have benefitted from tighter pacing at the beginning, but the tension and pacing really ramped up as the book continued. A great story.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

10/10. No notes. Honestly this book was everything that I needed it to be and everything I expect from Kat Dunn who has such a talent for writing feminine rage in a way that is both relatable and fits the narrative of the novel. Add in the stunning back drop of the Moores, the well held tension throughout and, of course, lesbian vampire vibes and this is a perfect book for anyone who wants a new gothic horror to fall in love with.

Thanks to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC.
Rating: 4.5
Hungerstone follows Lenore, a lonely woman who has recently taken ownership of a great estate—Nethershaw. Grown distant from her husband, Henry, she has thrown herself into its renovation, and curating a distinguished reputation for him. Her life is a devotion to others.
Until she meets Carmilla.
The alluring vampire soon takes root in Lenore's thoughts, as she asks her for what do you hunger?
There is a lot to enjoy in this story. As someone who hasn't read the original Carmilla, I'm coming at it with fresh eyes. Firstly, Kat Dunn's writing style is right up my alley. Descriptive and somewhat lyrical, the Victorian setting is easy to get immersed in. This also happens to be one of my favourite historical periods and the backdrop of Nethershaw's heather-laden moorlands gives it a beautifully gothic vibe from the off.
Lenore's character is explored both in her present situation and by delving into her past. Whilst some of these flashbacks felt a little repetitive at times, they serve to press the point of Lenore lacking autonomy throughout her life. Hers is a series of tragic events and subservience for the sake of survival, never allowing herself to explore her own wants.
Her relationship with Carmilla is a strange one. Carmilla is blunt, often calls Lenore boring or shows her displeasure when she does not get her way. Her sole purpose is to lure Lenore from her position in life, to have her realise what she truly desires past her comfortable station. There are several disturbing scenes which Lenore witnesses, and whilst she suspects Carmilla's involvement, she fails time and time again to send her away. Lenore sways between disliking Carmilla and a strange attachment to the woman. She desires to be alone yet keeps the door open for her. Harbours secret desires for her that she will not confront.
"ℑ 𝔣𝔬𝔩𝔩𝔬𝔴 𝔥𝔢𝔯 𝔩𝔦𝔨𝔢 𝔞 𝔡𝔬𝔤 𝔞𝔣𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔦𝔱𝔰 𝔪𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔥𝔞𝔱𝔢 𝔪𝔶𝔰𝔢𝔩𝔣 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔦𝔱."
There were perhaps a few areas where the book lagged, but overall I found myself eagerly reading on, and the finale of the book has a brilliant conclusion which had me absolutely gripped.
"ℑ 𝔞𝔪 𝔞 𝔴𝔬𝔪𝔞𝔫 𝔴𝔬𝔨𝔢𝔫 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔯𝔱𝔶 𝔶𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔰 𝔰𝔩𝔲𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 ℑ 𝔴𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡 𝔢𝔞𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔩𝔡 𝔰𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡 𝔦𝔱 𝔰𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔰𝔣𝔶 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔱𝔶, 𝔨𝔢𝔢𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔳𝔬𝔦𝔡 𝔴𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔪𝔶 𝔥𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔱 𝔰𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡 𝔟𝔢."

What a fantastic book. This incredible retelling of Carmilla melds the tension between fear and desire within a backdrop of the beautiful Peak District. An excellent demonstration of how you can create a brilliant Gothic novel with all the recognised tropes without being too same-y or stereotypical.
Plus: lesbian vampires, who wouldn’t love it? I’m looking forward to seeing what else Kat Dunn does!

'Hungerstone' is a fever-dream of a novel, full of vampiric horror, gothicky overtones, sapphic undertones, and sumptuous sentences worthy of the very best Gothic classics. I devoured this in just two sittings, immediately hooked by the story of Lenore, her nefarious husband Henry, their 'friend' Cora, and the sinister, seductive unwanted houseguest Carmilla. Kat Dunn paints the North, all bleak moors and remote old piles, expertly. The dark history of female subjugation, marital abuse, obsession, lust and murder was perfectly balanced with ultimate hope. Great stuff.

I enjoyed this book, but don’t have a lot to say about it. It got off to quite a slow start, but there was suspicious behaviour from the husband and the alluringly odd house guest (yay lesbians) and the protagonist’s wound-tight repression, all great things for a gothic novel. The prose was accessible while still feeling appropriate for the historical subject matter, although it wasn’t notably sparkling. Fabulous ending.

I just didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would, I started to enjoy more near the end and then it was over

Lenore is 10 years into her marriage (of convenience...) with Henry and with growing distance between them, Henry's ambitions take the forefront

Lenore travels with Henry to a crumbling estate where she is tasked with planning a gathering to further Henry's ambitions using her connections

Whilst on route, they come across a broken carriage with a strange woman inside, but they must offer her aid - and a place to rest - as the Doctor said she is too ill to leave

Carmilla, as she comes to be known, sows seeds of discontent in the estate. Meanwhile, Henry is gone a lot and Lenores health is declining. Add on more strangeness in some of the townspeople and a visiting friend from home, there is a lot for Lenore to handle

Lenore could not have realised how hungry she was for life until Carmilla came along, but what will she do now her eyes are being opened...

Sumptuously gothic tale where you can feel Lenores frustrations and are going on this journey of discovery with her

Another hit from Kat for sure! Can't wait for this to be out in the world come February

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books/Manilla Press for the early review copy, all opinions my own!

I haven’t read Carmilla, the book that inspired Dracula which was published 25 years before Bram Stoker’s novel. Hungerstone promises the compulsive, feminist retelling and from looking at the blurb of Carmilla, it does look to be quite faithful in some areas.

Lenore has moved to a crumbling new estate in the moorlands of Sheffield with her husband, charged with restoring it to its former glory and hosting a shooting party. However, when their carriage finds a young woman in a bad way in the remote moors, the mysterious Carmilla comes to live with them. What hunger does she awake in the demure and peace keeping Lenore?

The novel is written in a faithful way for the time that it is set in and it has obviously been well-researched. However, the themes and plotlines take a delightful modern spin on the story which felt fully at ease within the world that Kat Dunn has created. Although I haven’t read Carmilla, the fact it was written by a man in 1872 leads me to believe that this is a nice diversion from the original source material.

Kat Dunn isn’t afraid to get graphic in places as well, which sets the tone nicely in her first chapter. The characters within the book, from Lenore and naïve best friend Cora to the aloof husband Henry and mysterious Carmilla are all portrayed with depth, hiding their own secrets and motivations which are drip fed to the reader. Lenore has quite a character progression in this novel which is great to read, from house-wife fainting at the sight of a carriage accident, to a woman grappling with wanting revenge.

For those going in wanting more of a sapphic romance, I will admit that this isn’t what this novel is about. There are some scenes to satisfy these readers, but Carmilla is used more as a motivator to spur Lenore on from her traps in a patriarchal society and even to use this to her advantage. As a result, her character does take the backburner for a lot of the latter part of the book.

Overall Hungerstone is a delightful modern take on Carmilla, full of feminine rage, desire and hunger. Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books – Manilla Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gothic sapphic romance with vampires. So fun and beautifully written. Based on the book that inspired Dracula set in the Industrial Revolution. Highly recommend

In a gratifyingly gothic setting, Lenore and her steel Magnate husband Henry travel to their crumbling estate on the Yorkshire moors during a storm - rescuing a mysterious woman on the journey from an overturned carriage, who they feel obliged to host while she recuperates.

The woman in question has no family to speak of but politeness dictates they let her stay - despite Lenore feeling increasingly unsettled by Carmilla’s intrusive questioning and brazen sensuality. Lenore’s past experiences and the society and position she inhabits have created a stifling environment where self control and repression were her only available tools to survive.

Carmilla acts as a catalyst to Lenore’s unspooling and awakening rather than a protagonist in her own right - she doesn’t cause the horror in the novel but reveals what is already there and demands action.

I understand why Dunn left Lenore to work things out for herself, but I felt like the character of Carmilla and her relationship to Lenore could have been explored in more depth, as at times I couldn’t relate to why Lenore felt such a strong connection with her.

Towards the end of the story, the twisty tale became one of female rage and vengeance as Lenore tries to satisfy the hunger for freedom and justice that Carmilla has helped her recognise. This was hugely fun - and although her retribution is confused and messy, it was also satisfying and sufficiently gory!

Thanks to the author and @bonnierbooks_uk for an advanced copy of Hungerstone, which is out 13 February.

I will post on instagram nearer to the publishing by date