This is a fun, deliciously dark book about the rage of not being taken seriously, using vampires as a path to freedom. I am going through a real vampire phase at the moment and the supernatural plays a smaller role in this book than in other horror books I've read lately. Not scary, but has a wonderfully oppressive and gothic atmosphere. A historical counterpart to "So Thirsty" by Rachel Harrison.

Dark, suspenseful, and oddly romantic. I was unsure of what I was expecting besides lesbian vampires, but I was pleasantly surprised by a tale of female rage woven like a story of a sleepwalker who has awoken. I think Carmilla is in part a lover, but is more importantly a supernatural force similar to Dracula or Nosferatu (in fact I predict fans of Le Fanu's Carmilla and the 2024 adaptation of Nosferatu will love this story). This story is infuriating in the best way (Victorian gender roles, awful husband, etc.), but then grows to be a suspenseful read where I became unsure of the ending. I appreciated Dunn's commitment to a sense of realism in gender roles, even if they infuriated me, though I did feel as though Lenore's present and past felt a bit unrealistic based purely off the sheer amount of misfortune. Her backstory could have been written by Lemony Snicket I swear. I will say that this book is much more than a gay vampire love story, it is a novel of female rage, female want, and hunger explored through the frightening and freeing presence of a seemingly primordial vampiric woman. Dunn has a love and understanding for her characters and settings that is impressive. I loved her note on geography and her use of textual sources. They come together to create a beautiful and gothic fictional Victorian Sheffield. Perfect for literary vampire lovers, historical fiction enjoyers, and those who enjoy explorations of womanhood.

Wow. What a book. A stunning tale of hunger, desire, and freedom (or lack of) taking place in a rotting manor in Yorkshire. A pull and push for power by a woman who has it and yet has none.

This book is like a love letter to those people who love the darkest most disturbing elements of Wuthering Heights, can’t get enough of vampires, maybe had/have a Romantic poets obsession, resonate too deeply with the monster in Frankenstein, and recently loved Nosferatu.

And those people are me! Definitely recommend. Carmilla fans eat your heart out…

a very fast paced and suspenseful , dramatic read for sure. I will highly be recommending this one this year.

Hungerstone is a slow burn that grows on you with each chapter. It took me time to really get into this story. The first half is very slow, taking its time to set the mood and build a slow but steady tension. It can be underwhelming at first, but when things start to pick up, it makes it all worth it.

Once you cross the halfway point the story picks up in a way that’s utterly compelling. The stakes rise, the tension becomes almost unbearable, and suddenly it’s impossible to put down. Kat Dunn’s prose is lyrical and immersive with an immaculate gothic atmosphere.

Though it takes its time to fully hook you, once it does, Hungerstone is a gripping and atmospheric read that will stay with you long after the final page. Highly recommended for fans of gothic thrillers who appreciate a slow burn that leads to a satisfying climax.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I think someone will like this, I'm just not one of them. It is historical (which I like), but like too dark and moody and artsy for me. The writing is flowery and atmospheric and so not really what I vibe with at all to be honest.

I really liked this! It was a fun way to do a vampire book and I enjoyed the sapphic element. Historical books aren’t usually my thing and I often find them difficult to read, but that wasn’t the case with this one

I'll never say no to a Carmilla retelling!. I'll admit that the first half seems a bit on the slow side, but it's worth it to just go with the flow and savor the prose until you get to the second half. I also didn't enjoy the way our fmc's backstory is told slowly over time. Perhaps this didn't need to be so long. Overall decent pacing, good characters and plot. The gothic atmosphere is fantastic.

I DEVOURED this (pun completely intended). I think this benefitted from me being slightly vampire-obsessed at the moment but alas. I did like Carmilla when I read it a few years ago but this fills the gap that the original novella leaves behind in such a juicy, delectable way I literally couldn't put this down. To be a woman is to be hungry!!

I'm a huge fan of gothic horror and books about female rage so this essentially checked every box for me! Its very character driven and quite slow to start but once you get into it - you can't put it down! In a market that is saturated with vampire books I think that this one stands on its own and was very enjoyable to read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Kat Dunn and Zando for gifting me with this opportunity to read Hungerstone! This book was my first read of 2025, I started it on Jan 1st and finished it within the day. I WAS GRIPPED!
What an exquisite book, the imagery was vivid and immersive! I couldn't have wished for a better start to my reading year. Dunn did an amazing job at telling Lenore's story and her female angst! The references to other Gothic tales were exciting to ponder on and it really did add a level of richness to the overall plot.
I can't wait for this book to be out in the world!

Lenore, for me, was a sympathetic protagonist. She is a woman whom I would support through any wrong. The use of Carmilla, and vampirism, was creative. Dunn's writing style is beautiful and arresting. A little bit speechless!

Slay.

Dunn captured this story, the setting, beautifully with her writing. It’s unsettling, mysterious and totally encompasses these gothic vibes that I love in a vampire novel. I would have loved a bit more character exposition though, because some parts of our MC’s backstory and the supporting cast felt a bit too vague. I absolutely loved the ending though. You gotta love a feral lady.

Thank you to Zando for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Hungerstone by Kat Dunne is a genre-defying story of a Victorian era woman who’s struggles with the pressures of being the perfect society wife and hostess are further complicated by the unexpected appearance of a mysterious stranger. With a high level of detail to historically accurate expectations and morés and a gory element that will please the darkest of horror levels, this is a great take on the vampire trope.

While still definitely a “sexy vampire,” Carmilla is never explicitly described as such. She definitely gives hints of her supernatural status, but there’s no overt statement that she’s a vampire. Further departing from the trope, she doesn’t come to Lenore, our main character to take from her but rather to give. She’s a dark, inspiring guardian Angel with a touch of bloodlust. (I also imagined her as sounding like Nadja from WWDITS.)

The story, at its heart, is about desire and want. What happens when you suppress everything you want in order to fit in? What happens when you give in to your every desire? While the metaphor can be a little heavy-handed in places, it’s still a very satisfying discussion and creates some great imagery.

Something that I liked after the fact was that in the acknowledgments the author did a wonderful job of listing the references and inspirations behind some of the places and characters in the book. I love a commitment to having a setting in realty, even if the book literally involves supernatural elements.

I really thoroughly enjoyed this one, and it had some very satisfying moments. A very well deserved 4/5 stars!

(Trigger warning: infidelity, blood, gore, murder, mentions of workplace violence)

It starts with blood.
It ends with blood.
Feminism and vampires collide in this novel of feminine rage, taking back power, finding strength in oneself, and playing the patriarchy set to take a woman down. The role of Carmilla was almost that of a sort of fairy godmother to inspire change within the MC Lenore, and in doing so showed her freedom in her sexuality and thinking for herself. The ending hits quite fast with everything unraveling in the last 10% of the novel and it makes for a truly exquisite ending. The push and pull of husband and wife, societal expectations and being oneself comfortably, and power plays between Lord and businessman made for interesting commentary with a lot packed in, all drawn together with the metaphor of the hungerstone.
Highly recommended for anyone wanting something they can sink their teeth into for a fast, thought-provoking, yet surprisingly easy read, and very little interest in historical fiction in my opinion. Also, I absol tely ate up the crumbling, gothic setting.
The only downside was the very slow burn and unfortunately little part Carmilla played in the novel, however it urged the mysterious guise Carmilla embodies and I personally thought her parts were well worth her as a sort of B Character.

I really enjoyed this book. It's the fisrt I read of Kat Dunn and I can say I will be cheking her other works.

The first thing that stood out for me was the narration, I'm not a big fan of first person narrative, but in this case I don't have any complaint. Reading from Lenore's point of view was quite satisfying, seeing her becoming more sure of herself, and all the changes she goes through the book.

I liked her dynamic with Carmilla, I won't say much because spoilers, but I flew through the scenes where they were both present. And honestly, Carmilla said all the things I thought about the characters, so it was entertaining seeing on page someone telling the things that to me were obvious, and causing a little drama, of coures.

Which leads me to say that this book was predictable, but in this case it isn't something bad, the author made a good job excecuiting the plot points and the metaphores throughout the book, so that compensates a lot, besides the fact that the ending was satisfactory.

The only thing that fell short for me is that I would've liked the ending to be developed a little bit more. All in all, it was a good book and I'd totally recommend it.

Hungerstone pulled me in from page one. Set during the Industrial Revolution, it follows Lenore, whose marriage to Henry is strained by a terrible secret from one of his hunts—a secret that hangs over them like a dark cloud. Things only get more complicated when the mysterious Carmilla shows up, pale by day and strangely alive at night. She awakens a desire in Lenore that makes her question everything she thought she wanted, even as she tries to mend her fractured relationship with Henry.

What I loved most is how this book flips the classic vampire trope on its head in a truly atmospheric way. The gothic setting, the growing tension between Lenore and Carmilla, and the unearthed secrets all combine to create a haunting, sensual story that digs into themes of identity, longing, and the hunger we sometimes fear acknowledging. If you’re after a moody read steeped in the eerie shadows of the past, Hungerstone is absolutely worth picking up.

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn will fulfill your hunger for sapphic vampire stories. Although the story started off quite slow, it did not take long for me to be fully engulfed by the characters. I would say it is more character driven than story driven, but who cares when it's SAPPHIC ! VAMPIRES ! Will not forget about this one for quite some time... Thank you so much NetGalley for providing an E-Arc!

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn is a retelling of carmilla set in the back-drop of the British Industrial Revolution. The tale follows Lenore as she travels to Sheffield with her husband and on the way they encounter a woman who has been in a terrible carriage accident.

Hungerstone has incredible potential to be a really strong carmilla-inspired story. The inclusion of the Industrial Revolution is an excellent background and is rich with history and stories that can be used to propel the classic story of Carmilla even further.

However, Dunn falls short in every aspect.

The plot for this book was weak and the characters had no substance. The backdrop of the Industrial Revolution is not used to its fullest and realistically the time period did not need to be changed. I was incredibly disappointed by this book as I was super excited to read it.

The one thing that Dunn does do well, however, is the way she captures the feminine rage. The anger and injustice of women throughout history and how women are viewed as hysterical.

Arguably, if you’re looking for a book about feminine rage which has a mild undercurrent of industrial history and sapphics then this book is for you. However, if you want a book with strong characters, relationship, and plot, I would look elsewhere.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the ARC for this book!

This was very good albeit a little slow in parts. I wanted more Carmilla and I felt it was more character driven than plot driven. The prose was exquisite. Several "wtf???" moments that were delicious.

If sapphic vampires and female rage are your thing, definitely give this one a go.