All I have to say is GET WHAT YOU DESERVE GIRL!!! I support women’s wrongs 🫶🏻

No but this book was so good and so infuriating at times also. I just got progressively angrier until I was screaming at the FMC to stand up for herself and allow herself to want things. I do feel some of the negative self-talk got a bit repetitive. But that ending made up for the frustration IMO!

The character development was deep and complex. It actually made me sad how much I related to Lenore’s feelings or destructive patterns at times - they were described with such accuracy. I started feeling everything the FMC was feeling and felt so connected to her. The writing style was weirdly addictive to read, despite this not being a fast-paced book.

Also as a heads up, there were some random vampiric innuendos but this is not a vampire story! It’s very much a historical literary fiction book with a gothic estate mystery/romance. There’s some aspects of horror as well which I loved, but may gross some people out.

This makes me wanna grab my girl best friends and just be completely wild and free 💕

“Poor Lenore Crowther, so terribly sad about the inconvenience of her own murder.”
Ok so when is this/Carmilla in general getting the 2024 Nosferatu treatment?
This book is so tense, sexy, and dirty I’m obsessed. Literally a perfect example of gothic fiction - the tension between what Lenore wants and what she thinks she must do for her husband/society, the way Carmilla allows her to finally reach her most base desires… plus the class commentary!!! PERFECT for your vampire hang over plus lesbians so who doesn’t want that??
5 stars I need to read everything Kat Dunn has written

As an educator, a reader, and a student of English literature, I have a really deep connection with Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla. I was a little bit hesitant going into this just because I love the original so much, and when I first started reading I was getting very very caught up on what the author decided to change versus didn’t, things like names and ages and further context. However, as I read on, I began to love this book in a very similar way to how I love the original Carmilla. I absolutely love that the author chose to keep Carmilla’s character essentially the same, and so many of the additional scenes have become so important to me, particularly the hunger stone and Lenore’s confrontation with Henry.

🩸 Female Rage & Retribution
🤍 Slow Burn Sapphic Romance
🩸 Carmilla Retelling/Reworking
🤍 Atmospheric + Horror Vibes
🩸 Victorian Setting

This is a book that you can really sink your teeth into.

If, like me, you hunger for female rage and retribution, this book delivers. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I put it down, and (it feels early to say this BUT) I think it will be a top contender for my favourite reads of 2025.

Now, I actually haven't read Carmilla, and the vampire *thing* played a more minor role than I had anticipated, but I think that this feminist and queer reworking was brilliant.

This book is going to speak to the people-pleasers of the world, and it will speak to the women who feel like they've had to reduce themselves to fill a role. It will speak to the women who have ever felt like they're playing a part because they feel that who they are at the core isn't worthy of being loved.

I could go on. I could describe the poetic prose. I could talk about the perfectly built atmospheric setting. I could tell you about the slow-burn romantic tension and the perfectly structured yearning between Lenore (FMC) and Carmilla. I could reminisce about the horror elements and mysteries intertwined with the story itself. I could rave about all of the metaphors used therein. I could probably write a novel about this book if I tried... but I think that you should just read it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zando for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sad, haunting, gothic, a beautiful exploration of character and trauma. This period piece feels timeless (there is never a bad time for vampires & lesbians)

Hungerstone is a gothic, slow-burn revenge story, following Lenore, a perfect wife. Well except for her childlessness and trauma of course. She begins to question everything as Carmilla enters her life. What she thought she desired is not where her hunger calls her.

This book was quite repetitive and slow for the first 65% of the book. Much of the flashbacks and build-up wasn't as affective as I would have hoped. While the atmosphere is there and the characters well developed, it wasn't enough to keep me engaged. Trauma patterns don't really work the way they were presented in the book. Lenore came off as too smart and too dumb at the same time, and it was frustrating to read.

When the plot climaxed it was quite exciting and satisfying to read, and I enjoyed the ending with the nuanced depictions of revenge.

As someone who read this for the lesbian vampirism, and not the historical gothic aspect, I have to say I am disappointed overall. Especially with how little there was of both the lesbianism and vampirism. The opening scene with the blood, was impactful in a way the book couldn't live up to.

Despite my critique and frustrations, I had fun and made me more curious to read Carmilla.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Zando for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Hungerstone is a dark, horror story with overtones of Carmilla and Bram Stoker's Dracula. The main character, Lenore was left in the care of a distant Aunt when her parents were tragically killed in a carriage accident which Lenore remarkably survived. A strict upbringing instilled in Lenore a very controlled way of behaving to be accepted in society and to secure a good match. She catches the eye of Henry who is a rich businessman and they are quickly married. It is not a love match, but one of understanding for rising through higher social circles and securing an heir. With no heir in sight, however, and a terrible secret between them, Lenore descends into anger at the life that has been robbed from her.

Enroute to their country home of Hethershaw, which is crumbling and decrepit, they are met with a carriage accident which brings Carmilla into their care. Carmilla proves to be what she wants to be and does what she wants to the utter shock of those she meets. Lenore is expected to be the lady of the house and oversee its restoration, staff, and various parties. Despite the scandalous behaviour of Carmilla, Lenore is attracted to her and what she represents. Lenore has been starved in all manner of ways: her needs, wants, desires, affection, love. She is trapped by everyone else's ideals of who she should be and the hunger that is awakened inside of her fuels a burning anger to gain control of her life.

She is made by the life she's been trapped into, trying to please her husband who has unethical business practices and sinister intentions. Lenore must take things into her own hands. This is a dark tale of anger, hunger and the demands on women that override their own needs and desires.

This is not a fast moving plot, but if you enjoy character development you'll like this one.

I didn't know what to expect when I began reading this book. It was a ride that I would take again! I thought this book was excellent.

Hungerstone is like A Dowry of Blood, Jane Eyre, and Rebecca all wrapped up in one perfect, slightly more gruesome novel. I absolutely adored it. I love NOTHING more than a good revenge plot, especially when it's about a woman scorned. I'll just devour it! I hunger for it like our sweet Lenore. I started 2024 with vampires, now 2025 with vampires, and maybe this is how I’ll kick off my reading year every year. This was a fabulous Carmilla retelling! Huge thanks to NetGalley and Zando for an ARC of Hungerstone. I’ll definitely be picking up a physical copy to add to my shelves. Best ARC I’ve read in a while!

Thank you to Zando and NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

Lenore is an excellent Gothic heroine. She is held hostage by the whims of her husbands and the expectations of high society. She finds herself alone, and numbs herself to her needs as a survival mechanism. Having survived an awful childhood and spent ten years forcing herself into a mold of her husband’s design, she no longer recognizes her own wants or needs. After a clandestine meeting with a mysterious woman, Lenore is forced to confront herself and be honest with herself for the first time in her life. Finally, she is given permission to be hungry, to be emotional, and to be free.

I love that this book feels emotional and claustrophobic as Lenore is forced to fix a manor that is rotting faster than it can be put back together. Her husband alternates between distant and angry, with breadcrumbs of affection sprinkled throughout. The relationship feels realistically suffocating. I also love how themes of desire were explored in this book. I can’t imagine a more stifled group of people than the Victorian nobility, so watching Lenore break free was exhilarating.

It was also a fascinating choice to have the supernatural elements of the book be more subjective and vague. I think it found a perfect balance of fantasy and possibility; were these odd moments the work of a vampire, or simply the workings of a psychological break? Very cool choice.

Definitely recommend! Delicious and vindicating.

I have found that I respond very well to this style of book. Its ability to maintain a gothic vibe while pushing the concept of feminine rage is exactly what I love. This story had a way of drawing you along in anticipation without losing the finer details in the background. I would suggest this book to anyone who liked Dowery of Blood by ST Gibson and I would suggest this book to my audience as a whole.

4.5 stars but rounding it up.

This was exactly the book I needed to start off the year after watching Nosferatu January 1st.

Gothic horror, hunger, mystery, lesbians, vampires. This book had it all.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for gifting me with an eARC in exchange for a review.

Absolutely gorgeous prose. It's nice to see Carmilla getting attention, Dracula normally gets the lionshare of it. I found Dunn's prose heady and addictive. The gothic atmosphere she's crafted is wonderful. I do wish there had been some expansion in places, as I found myself wanting some more answers. Overall, a fantastic depiction of female rage, and a great retelling of Carmilla.

I too hunger for the blood of the patriarchy and the caress of a mysterious sapphic vampire

I know this is a retelling of Carmilla in many ways but it gives big Yellow Wallpaper vibes. A lovely book! Lots of man induced madness and feminine rage. There was a slump in the middle but the ending was delicious, and the gothic writing style really built up an atmosphere of dread and desire both.

I am from Sheffield and am well acquainted with the places and industrial history in the book so that was a fun aspect that I very much appreciated! Kat Dunn really captures the beauty and desolation of the moors.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for the ARC!

Who doesn’t love a book oozing with female rage. This is an atmospheric and dark sapphic romance set in 1888, based around the iconic female vampire Carmilla. This book was everything I needed and more. Mysterious Carmilla suddenly becomes part of Lenore’s life and flips everything’s on its head. She stirs up a hunger in Lenore, opening her eyes to her husband’s behaviours, and her past tragedies. Unravelling her past, and with it uncovering the darkness, this book brings drama and gothic sapphic energy that you can’t not love.

I was lucky enough to read this ARC copy through NetGalley and what a bloody amazing book it is. Honestly get this on your TBR for when it’s released in February, @katdunn has done such a fabulous job with this book!

Hungerstone is a fantastic modern retelling of the Gothic novella Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. For fans of books about female rage and sapphic female characters, this is the one for you. It maintains the Victorian style of writing while modernizing a lot of the elements of past gothic/victorian novels. The protagonist, Lenore, is relatable where you so deeply feel her emotions as her inner world is so rich and vivid. Kat Dunn also states that some of the emotion in this book is autobiographical and it shows with how grounded in reality the themes are despite this being set in the 1800s. A thoroughly enjoyable and tantalizing read.

Lenore is the childless wife of a wealthy Victorian industrialist. Poised and accomplished she is about to take charge of their first country residence refurbishing it ahead of a shooting party arrival. When they rescue a mysterious woman from a carriage accident their new house guest becomes an unsettling and magnetic distraction for Lenore.

There is a lot of pent up rage in this book. And the tension comes from that barely contained rage of Lenore who has a tragic past and is desperately lonely. I really enjoyed the historical and physical setting in this book, the country manor that Lenore is trying to repair is almost a representation of the façade she is trying to maintain to the world. They are surrounded by the wilds of the Peak District and the backdrop of industrialism in Sheffield and the dangers of factory life. And into this comes the wild, unpredictable and mysterious Carmilla. The pacing of this worked really well for me, there is a lot of slow build suspense, you know something sinister is happening but you’re not sure exactly how it’s going to unfold. And although the presence of Henry Lenores husband is significant this is the story of the women, Lenore, Carmilla, Cora. This is about the frustrations and rage and above all hunger of women. This is sapphic, it’s gothic. I really enjoyed it! I am really intrigued to read the original gothic novel on which it’s based now!

I really wanted to like this, but it was a bit of a struggle. Lenore’s backstory felt vague—she talks about her parents' deaths and her aunt’s cruelty, but there’s little detail to make it feel real. I needed more world-building to ground me in the time period and the story to enjoy it more.

The slow pacing worked for the historical setting, but I found myself wanting more of the vampiric allure and chemistry between Lenore and Carmilla. Instead, their dynamic felt frustrating at times, and Lenore’s inner thoughts made it hard to connect with her as a character as she was constantly putting herself down

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC to review! Hungerstone by Katt Dunn is a gothic historical fiction novel following Lenore as she attempts to please her husband, Henry, society, and herself while being pulled into a new world by her intriguing and enigmatic house guest, Carmilla, This was such a decadent story with really gorgeous prose and an immersive story that really slowly builds to its conclusion in such a fun way. This book was so much fun,

Some things I really appreciated about this was the super clear voice Dunn has. The writing helped to build a super immersive experience and create the dread and intrigue that Lenore feels through the novel. I also found Carmilla to feel fleshed out while also being very mysterious. Like you don't really understand her fully, but also you can like see her. That has to be so difficult to create. I also really enjoyed seeing as Lenore learned more about how Henry is the worst, the coloring of his for readers changed heavily with the description. I especially enjoyed how he is always described as handsome while also slowly becoming just worse in his personality. SO good.

I felt like the ending was a little rushed while the rest of the story really settled into a slowly bubbling pace, so I would have enjoyed festering in the ending a bit and maybe getting a few lines that nod more to Lenore and Carmilla's endings.

Overall, I had a great time with this and would recommend this to fans of A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson!

I wanted to like it, but I was struggling a bit.
Lenore and her story seems vague, yes she tells about her parents death but then not how she suffered with her aunt as specifics besides aunt being mean old lady and in these days that must have been bad, I guess (usually reading historical fiction, i need still more worldbuilding as I am not a expert but the author should be)
Overall I thought about how can i root for a main character if i get slow pieces of info but faster thoughts of her like i know all of her past already...which i dont.
I do like the slow build that fits the time in history well, but even with that i’d want more of the vampiric allure and emphasis on the chemistry rather than the almost fustration about Carmilla’s stay in the estate