As somebody who loved getting introduced to Carmilla years ago, this actually landed really well for me. The darkness that starts to come out in Lenore is executed with such a great build. She's a woman who's trapped in a bad marriage and meets the mysterious Carmilla at just the right (or wrong) time. It does gothic horror justice. We have the big house full of mystery and multiple women and a husband who are keeping secrets. Really enjoyed this, I think it'll work for people who like the gothic horror world.

What an absolutely GORGEOUS book. Quick disclaimer - I’m not a huge vampire reader - but when it’s a reimagining of a classic, when it’s gothic and sumptuous and sapphic, AND when it’s written by Kat Dunn, I am seated. Needless to say, Hungerstone didn’t disappoint. The themes around repression and hunger were visceral on every page, alongside the tense obsession and the subtle sapphic romance. I may absolutely loved it.

Rage-filled lesbian vampires inspired by the story of Carmilla (and absolute favourite of mine).

What more do you need?

This is the first time reading Dunn's work and I will definitely be on the look out for the future

Sounds strange to say j felt like I was there, but the feeling of 19th Century London and then the large crumbling country estate just felt so real. I’d almost believe that the author travelled back in time to see it for herself.

I also felt this book in other ways. The yearning, the hunger and the horror were all visceral and deeply compelling to read about. I know the author’s heart bled directly on to these pages, and even though it was undoubtedly painful, the resulting art is sensual, beautiful, and most importantly, satisfying.

A rich and unsettling novel, Hungerstone takes the reader on an uncomfortable yet addictive story. This book was written in beautiful prose, that worked perfectly for the story. From the start, Lenore was an unreliable narrator with conflicting opinions and grey moral principles. I thoroughly enjoyed her as a main character, she made it easy to root for evil and her unconventional actions. The plot, albeit slow at first, was a whirlwind. Even though I was able to predict certain plot points, I still found the book engaging. A slick twist on a classic, Hungerstone was full of surprises, blood and horror.

It feels like there's been a lot of Carmilla retellings recently, but I was intrigued by this one as I live near to the setting - darkest Derbyshire rather than Transylvania could make for an interesting Gothic tale!

Kat Dunn is a new writer to me, and I'll be looking out for more of her work. Her prose is beautiful, heartfelt and genuine, especially when the narrator is experiencing difficult or painful experiences. Their naivety with regard to marital abuse hit home in a way I hadn't expected, and this helped the story to slowly ramp up to the 'rescue' by Carmilla. I was rooting for Lenore from the first, and feel that these themes will be particularly relevant to many readers in these difficult times.

The social commentary is excellent, and I felt as though I had picked up a novel from the Romantic period, albeit with rather more contemporary prose than would have been permitted back then!

A gorgeous, timely adventure, especially for those who loved the recent movie 'Nosferatu'.

4.5 rounded up

In this standalone retelling of the original vampire story Carmilla, we follow Lenore, the unhappily married wife of a businessman, set in the industrial revolution. As Lenore and her husband go north to begin renovating their manor house, when they discover an overturned carriage with a woman inside — Carmilla.
As Carmilla recuperates at their house, Lenore grows closer with stranger and starts to discover a hunger inside of herself, while unusual events begin to haunt the manor.

Kat Dunn has really shone when it comes to narration, prose and research, as the way she has written about Sheffield, workers’ rights and the steel industry was very well done. Her ability to create a perfect atmosphere is astounding, her descriptions of the moors in particular were haunting. The scenes were set up so well that you could really imagine the locations and characters and moods.

The book also tackles themes of gender roles and the patriarchy/the oppression of women during the time period really well.

The only reason it didn’t get 5 stars from me is some of it seemed to drag and I struggled to keep my attention on it for too long, but other that, a brilliant novel!

Hungerstone is a vivid tapestry set in the gothic darkness of the near-ruined Nethershaw, a manor house in the vicinity of Sheffield during the industrial revolution. Based on Carmilla, of which I know next to nothing, I was in thrall to the poetry and sumptuous description of the world our caged bird, Lenore, inhabits. Tied up in social propriety that comes with status, and in a loveless marriage, Lenore's world is tipped on its head when the mysterious Carmilla is found and brought to convalesce at Lenore's new home during preparations for a big social event.

The creeping, edgy atmosphere promises danger and delivers a slow anxiety as the story unfolds. It is a delicious concern for the reader as we anticipate what awaits us. The richness of the story, the bleakness of Lenore's world and the freedom of rage that is boiling over is a satisfying treat. It wasn't quite as I expected but felt such a guilty pleasure as Lenore, with Carmilla's help, finds her wings and flies against convention.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the eARC! I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

While Lenore hungered for something more from her life, I hungered for more from this story.

Hungerstone is a retelling of Carmlla (which I’ll admit I’ve not read!). What attracted me to Hungerstone was the promise of a gothic lesbian vampire story. What I felt like I read instead was a story of female rage and revenge. Something that is great but ultimately different than what I was hoping to read based on the blurb and marketing.

There were many things to enjoy about the writing itself. The author clearly did her research around Sheffield, workers’ rights annd the steel industry. loved seeing northern England represented so well and the descriptions of the moors were haunting and beautiful. The scenes were set up so atmospherically that I felt like I was really there with the characters. I also enjoyed reading the author’s note at the end detailing her research. The book also tackles important themes such as gender roles and the patriarchy/the oppression of women during that time.

However, despite the atmospheric scenes, the pacing was slow until around the 60% mark and all the characters apart from Lenore felt one dimensional. Carmilla herself felt like a plot device just to further Lenore’s character arc. Their interactions were shallow and I wish the author had gone deeper into their relationship. The story lacked emotional tension between Lenore and all the characters which would have resulted in a deeper connection between the reader and the characters. Also there was a startling lack of vampires and sapphic tension.

The ending, though rushed, was satisfying and I did give a little cheer for Lenore!

I’m not a horror girlie but I will read anything Kat Dunn writes and I’m so glad because Hungerstone is stunning. Beautifully written, evocative and gothic, it leaves you breathless. She gets better and better every time!

If you like sapphic vampires, gothic settings, and historical romance then this is one for you!

This is a standalone retelling of the original vampire story Carmilla, set in the industrial revolution. The story follows Lenore, the unhappily married wife of a steel magnate, as she and her husband go north to begin renovating their manor house, when they discover an overturned carriage with a woman inside. As Carmilla recuperates at their house, Lenore grows closer with their strange house guest and starts to discover a hunger inside of herself, but strange events start to haunt the manor.

The atmosphere was really well done - Kat Dunn is a master of the gothic romantic fantasy. There are strong feminist themes and I enjoyed Lenore's character development. I did find the book a bit slow paced, and I did want more from Lenore and Carmilla's relationship and Carmilla as a character needed more fleshing out to really make their romance come alive but overall it was a very enjoyable read.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was not what I expected, but nevertheless I enjoyed it greatly! The female rage and the building up of it was amazing, and I liked how Lenore was able to use her role as a 'feeble woman' to manipulate others. I wish we saw more of Carmilla, but unclear character added to mistery.

4.5 stars

Supporting women’s rights and their wrongs 🫶🏼

Ah I loved this book. I think reading this right off the back of watching Nosferatu was a good idea as this was kind of perfect following that film.

Lenore was kind of awful but also kind of great. I liked her character arc and that she wasn’t necessarily portrayed as someone you had to like as a main character but could relate to. Sometimes you kind of want to shake her just to see who she really is underneath (that definitely happens by the end of the book).

The end was just perfect for this book and I was supporting her the whole way…

The only thing I didn’t like was the pacing. The first part kind of dragged a bit and sometimes I found it hard to read or be in Lenores head but I also totally understand why the author did it.

Overall I gave it 4 ⭐️. I enjoyed this book but I didn’t necessarily love it which is why it wasn’t more than 4 stars.

Thank you to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my last read of 2024 and what a book to finish the year on. I absolutely loved this book. It gripped me right from the beginning and I pretty much inhaled it.

This story was delightfully eerie and beautifully horrifying all at once. There were parts I didn’t necessarily want to see but I couldn’t look away despite that. I loved seeing Lenore come into her own as the story went on and her growth into her power was great to read. It was so engrossing.

I also need to mention how vividly depicted the moors were. They were a character in their own right in a way and the atmosphere created by them just jumped off the page. The same can also be said in the care taken in fleshing out the era involved. I could really visualise Industrial Revolution era Sheffield and as someone who isn’t a visual reader that’s really saying something.

One of my favourite reads of the year!!

I went into Hungerstone not knowing a thing other than liking the front cover so as I began to pick up the pieces that it is a harrowing retelling of Carmilla, I knew I would like this.
I particularly liked the constant references to hunger and not being satisfied throughout and the little hints at what Carmilla is.

“Come, my dear. You must be so terribly hungry.”

The female rage had me rooting for Lenore the whole way through, yes she had her delusions but boy did she get exactly what she deserved, revenge and freedom.

I would definitely recommend this if you enjoy Bram Stokers Dracula as Carmilla is the inspiration behind it.

ANOTHER BANGER!!!! A MASTERPIECE NO LESS!!! ROBERT EGGERS GET ON THE PHONE NOW!!!!

This book is stifling and claustrophic and frenetic. I felt a bit insane reading it. The house being a metaphor for Lenore was so good, and I couldn't put this book down as the characters unravelled. As someone who discovered her queerness later in life after years of repression, this was a very cathartic read. Like what if you just feasted?

If you're after a gothic historical horror about repressed hunger, this is the book for you.

Light on the classic vampire but deliciously heavy on the female rage, Hungerstone is a treat of a retelling. The novel is distinct enough in plot and style from Le Fanu's Carmilla to justify itself and its meandering, atmospheric pace. Hungerstone builds tension on the edge of a knife, wobbling till the last third which is staggeringly fast-paced in comparison. I enjoyed the strong perspective voice of the novel's protagonist, Lenore, though I found myself slightly underwhelmed by her relationships throughout, including with (devastatingly!) Carmilla. Many of the secondary characters of Hungerstone feel less developed and multifaceted than I personally tend to like, but I don't consider their singularity a huge failing, especially as we only ever see them from a biased perspective. At it's heart, this is a story about Lenore, and she shines. The novel - and the character of Carmilla, herself - feels less of a seductive, tentative romance than it does a call to action for suppressed voices. The vampire-figure of the novel, then, signifies appetite, and I think Hungerstone portrays this wonderfully.

Different than what I had expected, but no less enjoyable!

This sapphic retelling of Carmela is everything I wanted and more. Kat Dunn is the master of gothic vibes as far as I’m concerned.

I fell in love with her writing after reading Bitterthorn and this completely lived up to that. She is an auto buy author for me now.

A beautifully written, dark and gothic tale that is perfect for these darker months.

Hungerstone is a dark, atmospheric and gripping sapphic retelling of Camilla that I thoroughly enjoyed. As the tension continued to build, I found myself unable to put this book down.

Kat Dunn is one of my favourite authors. Her writing is captivating and I honestly love the gothic vibes of this one. You can tell a lot of work and research went in to this book, especially when it came to female oppression, the steel industry and workers rights in Victorian England. The characters are also written so well and I really enjoyed Lenore's character development. I liked seeing her start to take more control of her life.

I definitely recommend picking this one up if you're looking for a mysterious and poetic story of female rage and reworkings of Camilla!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was lucky enough to read this absolute masterpiece as an ARC from @netgalley @bonnierbooks_uk and I can say with absolute confidence that this is going to be HUGE. Already know its going to be a contender for my top books of the year, and it's going to occupy my thoughts for a while.

Kat Dunn has taken Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla and reworked it into a gorgeous sapphic tale of yearning, compulsion and, of course, hunger. Lenore's life centres around her husband's ambitions and needs until Carmilla crashes into her crumbling new home in the Peak District, unravelling all Lenore thought she knew about her life and role in the world.

This book delivered everything I wanted- sickening unease, heady romance, a classic Gothic setting and stunning prose. 5/5 stars I want to inject this book into my soul x