Gothic, atmospheric, filled with feminine rage, this Carmilla-retelling is more focused on a new character, Lenore, with Carmilla as a side character in many ways. Lenore has lived a life of tragedy, losing her parents in a carriage crash she survived, being raised by an abusive older relative, being sold off to a man in marriage who does not appear to really love her. Yet her tragedy is that of the mundane, the commonplace plight of women.

This has plenty of sapphic yearning but less of a “romance,” really. The relationship between Lenore and her husband, such as it is, felt like it was more central and deeply explored. To me, the sapphic elements felt like they existed to serve Lenore’s self actualization and growth. I don’t mind that, I just had different expectations from the marketing. I would say that the very, very slow pacing of the first 60% or so was a little tough, and I did feel bored at several points. But for me, once things picked up, that made up for it. Not a book to be shocked by clever twists and turns; this telegraphs where it’s going and still manages to be satisfying when it gets there.

I’ve missed reading books that make me unable to sit still or think of anything else but my god Kat Dunn did it so well. I can’t even form articulate thoughts outside of AHHHHH

This was *stunning*. Ugh, I love reading experiences like this one was. Beautifully written, evocative characters, a vivid and eerie setting, and a just all around fabulous historical gothic novel. Inject it directly into my veins next time.

A victorian story about a married woman who encounters Carmilla, a young injured woman who is brought to the country house to recover.

The reading was a bit dry, with a few juicy morsels dangled in front of the reader. It would have been nice to have the Character of Carmilla to be perhaps more hidden so that we don't know its her. Naming her Carmilla gives away that she is a vampire too easily. Why not have her go by a different name.

5 ⭐️. I think Carmilla just put me in a trance but I DEVOURED this book. I am so terribly hungry for more and more and more. Dunn created such a beautiful retelling of the classic "Carmilla" with some spooky twists.

TY to Zando publishing & NetGalley for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

arc review | hungerstone
4.5 ⭐️
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“For what do you hunger, Lenore?”
— Kat Dunn, Hungerstone
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Set against the violent wilderness of the moors and the uncontrolled appetite of the industrial revolution, Hungerstone is a compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the book that inspired Dracula: a captivating story of appetite and desire.
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Thank you so much NetGalley and Zando for granting me access to this eARC!
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We support women’s rights and their wrongs in this house. My goodness. I absolutely LOVED this book. I read Carmilla last year and it was an average read, so I was a little weary going into Hungerstone knowing it is a retelling. But WOW. In my opinion, this was so much BETTER. It was more haunting, more grotesque and far more satisfying. Y’all know I go feral for some female rage. The build up was done so well.
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The writing ??? Exquisite. It transported me to the moors to watch Carmilla emerge through the fog with blood on her tongue. The expert manipulation of language and mastery of imagery really enhanced the horror and unease unfolding. I was ensnared and, like Lenore, hungry for more, more, more.
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Despite it being a little slow paced in the middle, this book had me on the edge of my seat. The complexity of the characters, their secrets, and their relationships progressed in a way that felt natural yet on theme with the horror setting. Carmilla was alluring, mysterious and frightening. The gradual build up and development of her relationship with Lenore was done so well. I loved being inside Lenore’s head and experiencing the revulsion yet undeniable attraction that she felt towards Carmilla. The wanting. Gosh. I don’t know how to express to you how WELL this was done. And the revelations about Henry, whilst not surprising, still kept me hooked on every aspect of the unfolding plot.
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Basically, you NEED to read this. If you loved Carmilla, you’ll LOVE this. And if you were ‘eh’ about Carmilla (like me), I still recommend giving this a read because it was SO MUCH BETTER.

I think I liked the idea of this book more than the actual book. It was well written, but I mostly just felt quite bored as I was trying to read it. It also didn’t help that the book gave me a major ick in the opening scenes when talking about period blood that graphically and having children. I just wasn’t expecting it all so it didn’t set the book up for success for me.

I think this book is going to work for so many people, but I just thought it was fine.

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn is a deliciously dark and enticing retelling of Carmilla. Hungerstone follows Lenore, husband of steel magnate Henry. Years have turned their marriage sour, and Lenore begins to have strange dreams. Henry’s business takes them to the decaying manor of Nethershaw, but on the way, they happen upon a mysterious carriage accident. The sole survivor of the crash, Carmilla, is taken in by the couple as Lenore begins revitalizing the manor. The mysterious Carmilla unsettles and entices Lenore in equal parts, while Henry becomes more displeased with her continued presence. Lenore begins to dig through her past, torn between Carmilla’s mysterious allure and her husband’s affection.

My thoughts: Within the first 3 pages, I’m in love with the writing. This book has just enamored me. So far, this is one of my top books I’ve read this year. It’s somewhat hard to describe, but I found myself saying “just one more chapter” every time I picked this book up to read; this book is so hard to put down. Truly a piece of art from Kat Dunn.

This book is perfect for readers who loved “A Dowry of Blood” and readers who love gothic romance/thrillers. Thank you so very much to Netgalley and Zando for allowing me to read this book.

This sapphic vampire was a fresh new take on a classic. I was dark, gothic and sexy that kept you engaged and had you rooting for a satiating finish.

Thank you Netgalley and Kat Dunn for an ARC in exchange for honest review. I would give this 3.5 stars.

I was really excited to read this story, especially knowing it was a retelling of Carmilla and Dracula. I love narratives that explore female rage, and this book delivered on that front. However, I found myself wanting more from the vampire aspect, it felt like Carmilla existed more as an idea, a guiding voice to help Lenore reclaim herself and truly start living again. While the ending left me wanting a bit more, the story as a whole did a great job of showcasing female power and fury within a beautifully gothic setting.

I have not read Carmilla so I cannot make comparisons, but as soon as I started reading Hungerstone I was so terribly hungry for more! I couldn’t put it down even if I tried!

The writing style was very different to what I’m used to but that wasn’t an issue for me because I was quickly seduced! I felt the choice of language very much helped to create the haunting, gothic atmosphere and an underlying sense of fear and apprehension about what was going to happen next.

I loved the pacing, the building tension, the feminine rage and how all the secrets were finally laid bare.

Simply delicious and one of my favourite reads of 2025

Kat Dunn’s Hungerstone is the kind of book that lingers—both in its atmosphere and its prose. The writing is undeniably gorgeous, rich with a poetic, almost old-world quality that makes you want to slow down and savor it. But that same quality also makes the first half a bit of a challenge. It’s not that anything is done wrong, exactly—it just takes a while to really hook you.

Once it does, though? It really does. There are twists that catch you off guard, characters who feel fully realized, and a slow unraveling of secrets that keeps things tense. If anything, I wanted a little more, but what’s there is well done.

LOVED this. I sort of expected a bigger ending and I would've liked more Carmilla but still fabulous.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

A sapphic vampire romance! Say less!! Took a star off because characters felt a tad distant at some points but overall would recommend.

Thank you so much to Zando and NetGalley for the ARC!

Hungersrone was atmospheric and moody and dark and bloody and I enjoyed every bit of it! I love it when female characters realize just how much strength and power they hold.

While the build up felt a little slow sometimes, I did feel it was necessary for Lenore's arc. Change is not achieved overnight, and Lenore had a lot of issues to work through before finally accepting what she wanted and needed to do in the end.

Female rage will always be a top-tier trope for me.

A retelling of Carmilla that stays true to the historical, grounded aspect and isolated setting of a house paralleling the decay and rot throughout the story. Featuring with an ambitious main character grown docile by her life’s events, and the mysterious yet alluring Carmilla

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a great book. There were a few spots where it was a little slow, but this is to be expected with gothic ficiton. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and its horror elements. The atmosphere of the Moors was fantastic as well. Highly recommend this and I will definitely be picking up more from Kat Dunn.

I really like enjoy novels that are what I would call “quiet creepy,” and this book meets that description beautifully.

This is as much historical fiction as it is a vampire novel, and the subtle menace that pervades the slowly unfolding plot is really artfully done. It’s a slow burn for sure, but in the best possible way.

I don’t really care about romance so that part of the novel didn’t matter much to me one way or the other, and I appreciated that this component of the story was mostly about escape and obsession than moony, schlocky stuff.

The story is in some ways a tribute to LeFanu’s Carmilla and in other ways a rebuttal to it, and I was impressed by how successful it was on both fronts.

Obviously I won’t say much about the ending, but suffice it to say that it’s quite satisfying while still staying faithful to the book’s dark perspective.

5/5 Stars!!

I received Hungerstone as an advanced reader copy, and I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to Gothic vampire stories. This book completely immersed me in its dark and atmospheric world, with richly detailed settings and characters that felt true to the time period.

While some of the vocabulary was a lot (big words aplenty, lol) it never took away from my enjoyment. In fact, it added to the eerie, immersive feel of the story. The writing was captivating, the plot was compelling, and overall, this was an excellent read.

I’m thrilled to say Hungerstone is my first five-star book of 2025! If you love Gothic horror with a fresh twist, definitely pick this one up.

CARMILLA!!!! I finished La Fanu's original pretty recently, maybe in the last two years or so, and therefore this was so thrilling. The expansion we all needed.

Lenore is stunningly repressed, and Carmilla is the thorn in her side that has ignited the most beautiful undoing. In losing everything she finds a sliver of herself. The analysis of the themes of worker oppression and Industrial Revolution's impact was needed but fell short at times. Regardless, I had a blast and will pick up Kat Dunn again. Thank you Dunn and NetGalley for this ARC.