"Hungerstone" was simply a treat, in my opinion. I have to admit, I never read the novella "Carmilla", upon which this story is based, but I have known of it for years as its significance in the queer literary community is notable.

The story centres around Lenore, the aristocratic wife of wealthy steel magnate Henry. She believes she's achieved all in life - except giving birth to an heir for Henry, of course. She's the perfect sophisticated wife, all smiles, attentive to guests and impeccable in her social ways. However, her marriage has been crumbling for years now, and Henry has decided to purchase an estate in the countryside that she is in charge of managing. The estate is damp, barely usable, but Lenore is determined to prove herself to everyone around her.
As they're riding there, a terrible accident brings a young woman to their carriage door, and they take her in. Carmilla is their guest now, but she's strange, and more visibly, she is stirring something violent within Lenore.
Soon enough, Lenore goes through irredeemable changes that cannot make her go back to the submissive wife she was before.

I read somewhere that gothic horror is meant to balance desire and violence almost equally, that the characters long for something so deeply that it evokes violent feelings, almost. "Hungerstone" is no different. Lenore's condition as a woman in the 1800s is longing for more, but repressing it: she doesn't deserve it - she thinks, she is nobody and nobody will care about what she believes. Until Carmilla. Carmilla is almost a mirror of sorts, less a character, in my opinion. She's there to hold up a mirror to Lenore's wants, needs and to shine a light on the oppressive fantasy she's created, or she was drawn into.

I highly enjoyed this, despite a few really gory scenes I was not expecting!

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Projects for an ARC of Hungerstone in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it was filled with incredibly immersive and meaningful moments that truly captivated me. However, there were times when the story seemed to explore too many directions at once, making it a bit challenging to fully engage with and invest in the narrative. Overall, though, it was a worthwhile read! If you're looking for a sapphic historical romance, I believe this could be a great choice for you.

After reading Kat Dunn's Bitterthorn I was absolutely obsessed with the author's writing style and storytelling, so I had really high hopes for Hungerstone. In the first part of the book I felt rather bored but later the pace picked up, the characters unravelled and I simply couldn't put the book down.

The dark, gloomy gothic setting is something that I began to love after reading Dunn's previous book and I was happy to discover that, quite like Bitterthorn, Hungerstone had similar traits. The darkish mood is all-consuming and perfectly created the atmosphere, grew with Lenore's evolvement.

Lenore is such an amazing character. From perfect wife, who does everything for her husband, to her breaking point, Lenore's story was something I absolutely adored. And the female rage? Perfect!

Carmilla, on the other hand, felt more like a "uuu I'm so myterious and only talk in riddles" type of character. I wish that, as a reader, I knew more about her because even at the end, she remained a secret.

Something that I personally enjoyed was the description of the old house, its surroundings and all the renovation work. I absolutely adore history and old buildings, so it was easy for me to imagine a 500 year old house that was falling apart. I don't think that any other place setting would have felt as powerful for this story. I felt like I was walking through the house and its grounds with Lenore.

Hungerstone is a dark, intriguing read that offers insights into a repressed woman's feelings and mind and shows what it feels like to finally discover the raw hunger of a female.

Thanks for the ARC of this book!

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn explores a fascinating theme: hunger as a metaphor for desire, frustration, and discontent in women’s lives. That exploration — the idea of wanting something so deeply it consumes you — is where the novel shines.

However, while the themes resonated, the execution didn't fully satisfy. The concept of the vampire felt underdeveloped. I kept waiting for a deeper dive into Carmilla’s nature and role, but she remained more of a vague presence than a compelling figure. The sapphic romantic element had potential for far greater impact, especially considering how many readers have long craved a Carmilla retelling that does it justice. Unfortunately, it fell short, lacking the emotional depth and tension needed to truly deliver.

More often than not, I found myself bored, feeling “stuck” in a static emotional state for much of the narrative. While some might argue that this is characteristic of literary fiction, there's merit in crafting a story that overcomes that inertia. Unfortunately, Hungerstone didn't achieve that for me.

I don't think a vampire exploration was ever really "the point" in this story, so perhaps it was just my expectations being projected. I love however that it stands out for its exploration of women’s desires and frustrations, even if it stumbles in its delivery. A story with compelling ideas that didn’t quite satisfy my own “hunger” for more depth.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

4.5 stars

before i jump into my review, i want to note that the fortmatting of the arc was not the best and made my reading experience a bit frustrating.

female rage is so back, this time with sapphic yearning and vampires🤞🏼 i had a blast reading hungerstone, and despite never enjoying dracula/reading carmilla, i’ve always loved retellings — ESPECIALLY queer ones.

i do wish there were more creepy, gothic vibes in hungerstone to add to the mystery/thriller aspect, but the vibes were immaculate nonetheless.

i enjoyed the character growth of our fmc lenore, and how she goes from an orphan trying to carve a place in the world through an advantageous marriage to a woman with desires and identity freed from that very same marriage she once thought would save her.

i do also wish we had more scenes with lenore and carmilla together, instead of lenore’s confusion about yearning for carmilla, but well who doesn’t love sapphic yearning??

overall this was a bloody (pun intended) fantastic read and i will be sure to check out kat dunn’s backlist!

I am in love with this (very bloody) book.

I hadn't read Carmilla before starting this book. It was so brilliant that I figured I should see how much came from the original. I listened to the audiobook of Carmilla in a day while reading Hungerstone and it just made me even more in awe of the writing and storytelling Kat Dunn has displayed here.

Our protagonist, Lenore, is an orphan with an immense amount of trauma to carry. She marries Henry as a promise of a stable life, and at 10 years into their marriage, things are less than ideal. On their way to a home that she is to build for a grand hunting party Henry is throwing, they come across Carmilla, seemingly a victim of a carriage accident, and who comes to stay with them. As strange hunger seems to plague girls in the local villages, Lenore's hunger for Carmilla grows.

The amount and quality of the symbolism in this story is amazing. I wish I could speak more to it without giving spoilers. It is badass, it is brilliant, it is satiating. And on top of that, Dunn's prose is incredible.

Loved this book anything sapphic with a side of vampire. I miss the dark gothic vibes of October so this Made everything better. I can’t wait for this book to come out I’m ready to have this on my physical bookshelf.

"If I am mad, it is only because they have made me so."

I read Carmilla for the first time last month, and this retelling was fantastic. Kat Dunn, you did it absolute justice! This is a sapphic tale of yearning, compulsion, and hunger. I would not describe this as a story about romance at all. If you love books that are gothic, suspenseful and utter beautiful then this is your story.
Dunn writing is incredible and damn stunning!

"What is a monster but a creature of agency?"


Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC!

DNF at 29%

Was prepared to love this book, I feel like I've really been in the mood for vampire and gothic stuff lately between Nosferatu and revisiting Buffy lately, but I really waited for a fourth of the book for this to really grab me, and it never did. The main character was a little to aware how weak, victimized, lonely, and miserable she was, and every other page was her talking about how alone in the world she was and it was off-putting. She was in a terrible situation, I'm going to give that to her, and I'm sure Carmilla would have saved the day eventually. Just didn't care enough to get there. This is going to be someone else's cup of tea, for sure, it just wasn't mine!

i must admit, i did expect more lesbians and vampires in this. i know that vampirism is a metaphor for hunger and desire but frankly i would’ve liked some more literal vampiric actions in this instead of metaphors. very satisfying in the end tho and it WAS gay, and the writing WAS very pretty, and i DID enjoy it, so still 5 stars. but more lesbian vampires would've absolutely kicked it up to 5

What isn't to love about Carmilla retellings and vampires in general??

I loved this new tale of queer vampiric desire so much. Despite this being based on the classic, Carmilla, it brought an original twist and perspective that made it wholly its own.

One thing that I really enjoyed about this novel was the feminist perspectives that reigned supreme throughout this novel. There was some very clear commentary about the "role of a wife" in a marriage and the consequences of challenging that role, especially when the challenges are coming from other women who have their best interests in mind.

I will definitely be posting about this on socials, as it's required reading for anyone into vampire lore and feminism.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for this ARC!

Hungerstone is a well crafted sapphic vampire story that I really enjoyed reading. I appreciate the historical accuracy that Kat added as well and how immersed you feel in this story. I haven't read Carmilla (it's sitting on my TBR right now), but I plan to after reading this book.

I love any stories with vampires, especially when there is plenty of female rage included! Dunn's writing is wonderful and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

I will absolutely never say no to lesbian vampires. Obsessed with the tension, the desire, the yearning!!

I seem to be in the minority here, but I didn't quite enjoy this book. It was fun (or, rather, the last third was fun) but when I think about it, I am underwhelmed and quite bothered by some elements of the book.

First of all I would like to say that if you can't get enough of unhinged women and you enjoy historical settings, slow to medium pacing and a gothic atmosphere, then this book is for you! And I do think this book is enjoyable, it just didn't work for me.

So, I went into this story expecting a heavy queer element paired with horror, but that's not what I've got. Yes, there is a tiny little bit of queerness, but I felt it was instrumental rather than genuine (which bothered me). Disappointing, honestly. The horror element was a bit more present, though it was still marginal.

Once I realized that this story was not about queerness but rather about womanhood and freedom of thought, then I enjoyed this story more. Plus, the pacing got better in the second half of the book and the plot became more interesting and gripping. However, the ending was too abrupt and in my opinion ruined my enjoyment of the latter part of the book.

Moreover, Carmilla to me was just not convincing. She wasn't charismatic, she wasn't seductive. And she was too direct, she seemed to read out of a modern book on feminism, she hammered the point into the reader and I dislike when this happens in a book. I preferred her in the second part, she was more subtle. Also, I could just not believe that her and Lenore were attracted to each other. I feel there was a lot of telling but little showing, and when they interacted I was mostly confused.

Now, I clearly did not enjoy this read, but as I said I believe other people will enjoy it. To me, it was a 2.5, but I've rounded it up to a 3 stars because a 2 would be too harsh.

I enjoyed the book Carmilla and this was a retelling of that book. I thought the author did a great job on this book and I loved it. There were some really great quotes from this book and I can now understand why people highlight in their books. I would definitely recommend reading this especially if you like vampires or had read the book Carmilla and enjoyed it.

I was so excited to read this. Historical sapphic romance? Vampires? Horror? Sign me up. Hungerstone is a retelling of Carmilla - a book I read a few years ago and didn’t absolutely love but did appreciate - and tells the story of Lenore, a high-society woman whose husband owns a steel works company, and how her eyes are opened to the reality of her life when she takes in an unexpected guest, Carmilla, who’s carriage has crashed near their estate on a stormy night.
Hungerstone is fantastic at establishing its setting and creating a creepy atmosphere. I think where this struggled was with its characterization. Nearly all characters read as quite flat and one-dimensional. This works for the character of Carmilla, who is not a character in her own right but rather a reflection of what Lenore desires and what Lenore has suppressed as a result of her place in society and her marriage. It does not, however, work as well for the husband, Henry, who is just a bog-standard evil villain archetype, nor for Cora who is a self-absorbed “friend”. The only other named characters were servants or other workers who have very few lines, which works to establish Lenore’s isolation at this remote estate, but it means that the characters who do make up the rest of the story need to do the heavy lifting, and I didn’t find that was achieved. Even Lenore felt at times a little underdeveloped or unexplored.
The romance aspect of this also felt somewhat lacking. I expected more discussion of desire, specifically forbidden desire, but the moments that were present felt rushed and they weren’t allowed to linger. Despite that, I don’t think the queerness of this book is entirely about the relationship, but rather about, self discovery and learning to live outside of the bounds and expectations of society, and I enjoyed the parts that delved into this. The other thing is that I’m not entirely sure what this retelling adds to the original Carmilla, other than making many of the themes more explicit. Overall, if you’re looking for a historical sapphic vampire story that examines the oppressiveness of womanhood and traditionality, this may be for you. Although it didn’t live up to all of my expectations, it was enjoyable and very gripping once the story found its footing.

I enjoyed every second with this book and experiencing the story unfold. The attention to detail was immaculate, the dread, the atmosphere, all of it was great, just as I had anticipated.

I don’t need to explain a single reason you should read this book beside the exceptional atmosphere. Every word in the book feels critical and intentional. Every detail about the world or secondary characters was artfully crafted and limited to what the protagonist would like to share with the audience. From page one, it’s eery, dark and intense. Actually a masterpiece retelling.

ᨳ ᨳ᭬ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑.25࿐ྂ

„To be a woman is a horror I can little comprehend.“

I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, but i liked this one quite a lot. Every time i read this i would devour many pages because i wanted to know what would happen next.

Did i absolutely love this?
No, but i do recommend it because the story is quite interesting and the writing style is so beautiful.

- thank you Netgalley for arc in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars
"I am so terribly hunger"
I received this arc for an honest review.

I’m a sucker for a beautiful cover, and the painting style artwork here is absolutely stunning!

I was instantly captivated by this story. Kat’s writing hit all the notes I love—romantic, cunning, and haunting. Lady Lenore Crowther’s emotional journey is raw; she feels only pain, yet it’s through her physical suffering that the emotional toll of her past becomes clear. The lack of life she’s truly lived is both heartbreaking and compelling. Things take a darker turn when a mysterious woman enters the scene...

Kat’s reimagining of Carmilla is a fresh take on the classic vampire tale. It explores not only social and gender norms but also delves deep into the complexities of women’s desires and, perhaps most powerfully, female rage—one of my favourite themes.

What really stands out in this story is its message: you’ve been wronged in countless ways throughout your life—now, what will you do about it? It’s a striking, empowering, and utterly captivating read.

This is my first book by Kat Dunn, and I’m definitely eager to read more!