Hungerstone is an absolutely stunning read that completely grabs you from the first page and pulls you into its perfect gothic atmosphere. I have to admit, I went into this with some serious reservations. I wasn’t a huge fan of the author’s previous work, especially Bitterthorne, which I felt was a little flat when it came to character development.

But Hungerstone is a whole other beast. It’s rich, suffocating, and full of raw, angry energy. The relationship with Carmilla is primal and magnetic—more metaphor than romance. Because this isn’t just about Carmilla. It’s about hunger. Female hunger: for freedom, for rage, for touch, for something that isn’t allowed. The kind of hunger that festers under good manners.

The prose is lush and bruising, and the gothic setting is flawless. Nethershaw Manor is more than a backdrop—it is Lenore. With its rotting walls, locked rooms, and mold creeping like memory, the house becomes a mirror for everything unspoken.

Personally, I loved it. I'm not bothered by any potential flaws mentioned in other reviews. I loved it for the passion, for the rage, for Lenore and for all the women like her. For the liberation. For the revenge. For the hunger that finally gets fed.

This book doesn’t want to comfort you. It wants to consume you. And it does.

Great retelling of the carmilla vampire story intertwining themes of hunger in women and lesbianism. Great historical novel with an unlikeable but strong willed protagonist and I wouldn't have it any other way

Loved the imagery and setting but the book was sooooo slow wish the plot moved along a bit quicker. Goth elements were so cool

I loved this book so much - the creeping sense of suspense and the blurred lines between what could be explained away by reason and what may be in fact supernatural. Beautifully written with wonderful characters; I already can't wait to reread this gem.

The market for modern gothic fiction has been specific enough and narrow enough to make it quite easy to hit every single checkmark. This book manages to do that remarkably well.
It's a work of lusciously written historical fiction that follows an oppressed woman finding her power ... via sapphic romance with a vampire. Not just any vampire either, but the most famous female vampire - Carmilla.

So, my reading experience was a bit of a mixed bag. I enjoyed the descriptiveness of the writing but found the plot slow moving and not particularly original. I mean, it isn't original - it literally and liberally borrows from a well-known book.
Dunn's Carmilla is mercurial, petulant, and exhaustingly enigmatic. But eventually, Lenore, the novel's protagonist, deciphers her clues and figures out how to break out of the clutches of her evil husband (because of course there's an evil husband) and her suffocating life, discover what she hungers for and go for it.

Personally, I find this trajectory tiresome and overdone. I may be in the minority, given how many of the similarly plotted books are out there. But seriously, how many times and in how many ways can you tell a story of good women triumphing over evil men? It's like yey for girl power, but can we do something else for a change?

Anyway, since originality in fiction has been going the way of dodo, this book is assured immense popularity. And it is, at least, written well enough to deserve some of it. The rest depends on the reader. This one was left wanting more.
Thanks Netgalley.

"It starts with blood."

As far as first sentences go, this one had me, and HUNGERSTONE by @katalicedunn was bloody and delicious throughout. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher @zandoprojects for the e-ARC.

🩸🕶️🩸🕶️🩸

This brooding, sexy, gothic story is a retelling of what is thought to be the original vampire novel (before Dracula) CARMILLA. I loved CARMILLA when I read it years ago and I dare say I liked HUNGERSTONE even better. Full of intrigue, sultry encounters, and a queer and feminine awakening of agency, lust and hunger, this book ticked so many boxes for me. From the gothic atmosphere to the juxtaposition of icy cold indifference (Lenore and Henry) and red hot electricity (Lenore and Carmilla) between the characters, I was enraptured with this story.

I was just as spellbound by the dangerously charismatic Carmilla as Lenore and could feel Lenore awakening from a dull, drab housewife type to a fully fledged feminine powerhouse. There were many other storylines that delighted me but don't want to give too many spoilers.

If you need a "good-for-her" vampiress book fix, this is a great choice!

A lush, angry retelling of an ancient vampire story. I enjoyed the female rage and historical setting. An excellent sapphic horror.

was super intrigued throughout this entire book! i was hooked from the start, the ending just fell a little flat for me.

I enjoyed this book; it had a certain thrill factor and I loved Carmilla's character, with the subtle references to the original novel by Le Fanu. It was dark, atmospheric and rotting. Dunn has a knack for dramatic story telling. However, I thought the sapphic elements of this book were written in for viewer engagement rather than to support the story and characters. If the attraction between the FMC and Carmilla was taken away, the story would still stand on its own (Carmilla as a vessel for female liberation). It took me out of the story somewhat. It may have been better to have their relationship more developed, or alternately be more subtle. Regardless, I would read more by Dunn in the future.

Hungerstone is a retelling of the gothic classic novel Carmilla set in England during the industrial revolution. It’s focused on the character of Lenore, and how the arrival of Carmilla changes her perspectives on her life, including her suffering relationship with her husband, Henry.

It was easy to dive into this book. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I am a huge fan of gothic fiction, so I loved the setting and atmosphere of the novel, along with the supernatural elements. The overall tone is dark and suspenseful, and at times it can be graphic (just a heads up in case that gets to you). All in all, I felt like the story was engaging and kept me hooked the entire time. It felt like a quick read even at 336 pages.

I almost wish I would have read Carmilla before reading this so that I could have an even fuller appreciation for the author’s intentions, but I don’t think it is necessary. I still enjoyed it without any knowledge of the original. I do think most fans of the original will be pleased with this reworking. I would recommend Hungerstone to fans of gothic fiction, retellings of classics, vampire fiction, and horror.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

A bloody gothic where the main character is the mad woman normally kept locked away in the attic. This is a slow-boil of a novel. You're trapped alongside Lenore as she gradually learns how to embrace her own agency and wreak havoc on polite society; the pace and the story heating up as time goes on, until it becomes almost unbearable. The pay off for this one is FERAL, and oh so worth the wait!

This is female rage at its best. This is women reclaiming their voices.
A haunting and seductive retelling of Carmilla, Hungerstone tells the story of Lenore, a woman suffocating under her husband’s control and betrayals, until she finally dares to fight back. She is starving for more than survival, for freedom, for desire, for herself. And she is finally ready to feed that hunger.

The atmosphere is dark, heavy, and gothic to the core. You feel the weight of Lenore’s pain, her yearning, her fury. Then, Carmilla, mysterious and magnetic, enters, offering Lenore the keys to her freedom.
A fierce and emotional sapphic tale. If you love gothic horror, female empowerment, and dark retellings steeped in longing and rage, this one is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for the ARC.

Delightfully creepy and gothic historical fiction about an Industrial Revolution era woman who finds herself unappreciated and resented by her husband when she cannot have children. Murder plots, workplace cover-ups, lesbians, vampires, new money, and titled gentry make this a fun, dark, trope-y reimagining of Carmella.

I enjoyed the dark atmosphere and the tension in this book. It was slow at times but not in a bad way. I wasn’t expecting the sapphic romance so it’s a plus for me! I want more of Lenore and Carmilla.

this was such a fun retelling!! i had no idea what to expect, but it was perfect. feminine rage at its finest, with a dash of women getting whatever the fuck they want. hell yeah!

i love the vampire, queer vibes and almost liked this one more than carmilla. it was so different from the og that helped me enjoy this one as a stand-alone because it diverted and had it's own storyline. i was so glad it didn't follow carmilla or dracula too closely because that would've bummed me out.

i definitely recommend this one. it was a fun read & i finished it in one sitting!

Hungerstone was a super interesting read. I loved the character study and the writing felt propulsive. I'd read more from the author.

Hungerstone has a unique premise and an intriguing atmosphere, but it didn’t fully capture my attention. While the characters are interesting, the plot felt slow at times, and I had a hard time connecting with the story. Some twists were unexpected, but they didn’t quite have the impact I was hoping for. It’s a decent read, but it left me wanting a bit more in terms of pacing and emotional depth. Still, it might appeal to readers who enjoy a darker, more somber tone.

I shouldn't have read this book so quickly after reading the one it's based of (Carmilla)! Although there were many new interesting aspects of the story, there were many overlaps (no surprise here duh). I may be revisiting this after Carmilla is a bit gone from my memory 😀

Hungerstone was a really moody read which I find to be rare with WLW books, I feel like a lot of lesbian fiction tries to hard to sell womanhood by making them without flaw. This was a great slow burn between women. Love!

Hungerstone was a really moody read in the best way. I loved the slow build between Lenore and Carmilla, it was intense and kind of unsettling, but in a way that totally worked. The setting felt vivid, like you could almost smell the old stone. Some parts dragged a little in the middle, but the atmosphere and the tension kept me going. If you're into gothic stories with a queer twist, it's definitely worth checking out. Solid 4 stars from me.