Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I was so excited to read this after reading and loving Bitterthorn earlier this year.

It’s about Lenore, a woman who is tasked with renovating a dilapidated house in preparation for a shooting event being hosted by her husband. But a lot is happening under the carefully crafted facade, and when a mysterious woman is found in a carriage accident and comes to recover at the crumbling house, the facade begins to crumble too. It’s a feminist retelling of the story that inspired Dracula (Carmilla) - and although I haven’t read Carmilla or Dracula, I was very intrigued by her character and will be reading both in the near future as a result of this retelling.

This book was a total whirlwind in the best kind of way. Its gothic setting and dark themes were so perfectly executed. It was really unsettling without feeling like overkill, with a good balanced contrast of well-developed characters. I do wish we had seen more exploration of Carmilla, though I understand that her mystery was an integral part of her. I was totally invested in Lenore’s story and read the second half of the book in a single sitting, not being able to draw myself away from it. And then, the queer representation… I was completely sold.

Hungerstone is out in Feb 2025 and I’d absolutely recommend it. It’s safe to say that Kat Dunn is now an auto-buy author for me!

A phenomenal story played by the most vibrant women. I loved every word of it, felt every suffering and ecstasy.
This book gripped me wholeheartedly. I've long been waiting for such a literary masterpiece.
For what do you hunger?

I devoured this. A darkly delicious tale of deranged women learning their worth and following their desires.

Kat Dunn has done an excellent job with this. All I'd ask is for a bit more depth from Carmilla and the relationships between Lenore and other side characters, but the core of this book is absolutely brilliant. Well paced and easy to inhale over a sitting or two.

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.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down! Having just read Dracula right before this book, I could really see parallels between Carmilla and Dracula, as well as to Miss Haversham from Great Expectations. I’d now be curious to read Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu to see the main inspiration for this book.

This book had the style of Victorian literature but with a much more modern voice/language, which made for a far more fast paced read. Set across London and Sheffield, we follow a young aristocratic orphan who tried to secure a better future through marriage, only to find herself in an abusive and manipulative relationship. And unlike Dracula, Carmilla is not the villain in this story but a catalyst for Lenore to find her own freedom.

Following Lenore’s journey and awakening/understanding of her childhood traumas and how they have shaped her life now, felt so realistic and heartbreaking, but watching her break free and overcome the struggles in her life was thrilling to witness. I also really enjoyed the parallels to the crumbling house of Nethershaw that Lenore works tirelessly on to tame and bring under control, to the way she also handles herself.

I also never felt at any point reading the book that I could fully guess where it was going which made it all the more enjoyable. If you take out the fantasy elements, the story also felt very realistic of a woman’s life and struggles of this time period, and as a modern woman, you really root for her to overcome her oppression.

Overall, this was a great read and I would recommend to anyone who likes both historical fiction and fantasy.

What a wonderfully dark retelling of carmilla!
The writing was exquisite while the atmosphere remained tense throughout. The characters are well fleshed out and the story is so engaging from start to finish
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

Thank you to NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK, and Manilla Press for the ARC!

What worked for me: this works really well as an adult novel and I really enjoyed having a 30 year old protagonist. Lenore's voice felt mature and realistic. The prose is period accurate, immersive, and painted a gothic and oppressive atmosphere. And the horror themes also worked really well and I wish there were more instances of the 'hunger'.

What didn't work for me: there were elements I felt could have been fleshed out a bit more - namely the sapphic element of the story and Carmilla's character. I didn't feel much of a bond between Carmilla and Lenore, nor did I feel any build up or much tension between them (mainly because Lenore was usually upset at Carmilla's observations about her). Carmilla was intentionally elusive and mysterious, but that just made her feel a bit two-dimensional to me.

It had a few aspects that didn't quite land or feel fleshed out enough for me, so I'd rate this a 3.5. Recommending for fans of An Education in Malice and Bitterthorn.

This book was almost impossible to put down.

Hungerstone is the gothic, sapphic vampire book that the genre has been begging for.

Atmospheric and haunting, I was compelled from the very first page to read on. The writing lyrical and inviting, almost daring me to continue.

This is one of the best depictions of Carmilla I have read - she was terrifying yet seductive, she bounced off the page.

Loved the British setting and the countryside just added to the gothic vibe.

Cannot remember the last time I enjoyed a book this much