Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Lenore's marriage begins to sour, her husband brings her to Nethershaw Manor in the hope of elevating their social status. It is within their new home that Lenore meets Carmilla, a mysterious woman who takes up residence at Nethershaw Manor to recover following a carriage accident. As Lenore and Carmilla grow closer, Lenore becomes conscious of a rising hunger within the local women and within herself. And she is unsure whether she can satiate this hunger.

When I heard that Hungerstone was a retelling of Carmilla, I knew that I HAD to get my hands on an ARC. However it is so much more than just a retelling. Kat Dunn has reworked Carmilla into a sapphic feminist tale that is as thought provoking as it is haunting. Since I had enjoyed Carmilla, I knew that it was likely I would enjoy Hungerstone but it was Kat Dunn's clever weaving of feminist ideals into this classic tale that has made Hungerstone my most anticipated release this year. I was lucky enough to be given an ARC on Netgalley a few months ago, and it was officially my favourite ARC of 2024.

Hungerstone is officially out on the 6th of February! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Will you be reading Hungerstone?

As nosferatu once said “i am nothing but an appetite” and i felt that in this book. It scratched such an itch for me. I love when any type of vampiric media uses hunger as the main motivation. Watching her claw her way out of this senseless oppression that society has forced upon her was so rewarding. Watching her realize her wants, her dreams… coming to know herself through this hunger that has always been there at her core that she has always just ignored for the betterment of other, but has now come to fully embrace this hunger as herself and not just an entity outside of her was absolutely stunning. I loved this book so much!

"There are perhaps some graces to being un-mothered. My body is as unused as a dress not yet worn, and so remains as crisp and as fresh as the day it was bought."

DNF @ pg 36 (~11%)

I love me some vampires, but I hate me some Historical Fiction. So it's always tough to tell from just the synopsis and reviews how much a book will lean into the Fantasy elements, and how much they'll be tacked on or used as metaphor. I believe this is mostly the latter (aka I am very much not the right audience).

To start, Lenore is one of the most unlikable characters I've met in a long time. Her POV is of a long-suffering, upper class White lady. Unaware of her privilege and whiny about her womanhood. But simultaneously, it gives strong 'not like other girls' vibes. As I didn't finish the book I can't speak to how much her character growth might change her from this lackluster beginning to the conclusion of the book. I just know this isn't a perspective nor storyline that I tend to enjoy or find well-executed.

The writing is very ornate in an old-fashioned sort of way, and definitely prefers not to use modern conventions and slang or even just contractions, but it's also quite dry? Like potpourri, I guess. Flowery and also flat.

Absolute banger of a cover, though. I'm sure I'll be excited to spot it once it hits the shelves of my local bookstore.

4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I screamed when I saw I received this ARC. This is one of my most highly anticipated reads for 2025. I loved the original Carmilla and this felt like not just a retelling of Carmilla but an extension of the original story.

My few gripes were that pacing issues made some parts feel underwhelming and that other than Lenore, most of the characters were somewhat one-dimensional, including Carmilla.

Other than those two issues, god I needed another gothic sapphic vampire story. The atmosphere was unbelievable well maintained, the stuffiness of Lenore's life felt pervasive throughout. Dunn did a fantastic job with description, and her prose was so beautiful. I know that it can come off as overly contrived sometimes (cough cough Rachel Harrison) but I think the feminist, female rage aspect felt well done and came across wonderfully. I loved hunger as a metaphor for desire, desire for a life outside of her husband, desire for another woman, it was just 10/10 well done. I felt tense and unsettled throughout the story and I will be buying the physical copy for my collection once it's released.

Ok ok ok…..sign me up for any and all sapphic vampire novels. This was to die for. I loved Carmilla so I came into this with high hopes & i do think they were met.

Overall, this was less overtly vampiric than I expected it would be and delved more into Lenore’s dynamic with her husband than I anticipated, both especially in comparison to Le Fanu’s original but i think it works. It does a great job tackling what it’s like when you grow up needing to prioritize someone’s needs over your own.

Hungerstone is a story of desire, control, discovery, womanhood, and excruciating loneliness. With engaging prose and told in a narrative voice that felt authentic and vulnerable, Dunn has crafted a delicious story.

Evocative, stunning and sexy, hunger stone is story of desire, repression and rebirth set amongst the desolate Yorkshire moors

“i am a woman woken from thirty years slumber, and i would eat the world should it satisfy this empty, keening void where my heart should be.”

a retelling of carmilla set during the industrial revolution, this is a fantastically atmospheric story full of female hunger and female rage. the setting, with its wild moorlands and decaying country manor, was a perfect backdrop for the main character’s slow unraveling under the societal pressures and her husband’s vile actions. i really enjoyed lenore’s character arc and thought the writing of her inner thoughts was done so so well.

i haven’t yet read carmilla, so i can’t comment on if it’s a good retelling or not. while i definitely appreciated the focus on carmilla and lenore’s relationship and how it didn’t shy away from being explicitly sapphic, the romance mostly felt like a plot device for lenore’s character development. there was also a lot less vampirism than i was expecting, it more serving the role of metaphor for lenore’s hunger. pick this up if you’re in for historical fiction about female rage and societal roles, with a dash of sapphic!

thank you to zando and netgalley for this early digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Publishing for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

"Hungerstone" by Kat Dunn is a reimagining of "Carmilla" by Sheridan Le Fanu and man does it just EAT (the youngins still say this, right?). Set in the late 1800s of Industrial Era England, we follow Lenore, the unhappy and childless wife of a steel industry magnate. She is taken from London up north where she encounters Carmilla. What follows is an awakening and realization of a hunger that has sat ravenous within Lenore, a hunger that can only end in blood.

I LOVE "Carmilla." It is the story that inspired Bram Stoker and it's just such a brilliantly written vampire story. However, the language story itself isn't as accessible to newer readers. "Hungerstone" is a wonderfully done contemporary reimagining of "Carmilla" that I think adapts the original really well. I enjoyed reading this and thought the pace was great. The suspense was well-done too. When things started getting bloody, I was so happy for everyone involved!

10/10 will be reading again,

Content warnings should be explored if you're unsure, by the way.

Thank you to Zando and NetGalley for this arc.

A woman who was made to be just a wife, an obnoxious husband and a mysterious woman they meet on their way to their new estate.

Do not go into this book expecting a dynamic adventure full of plot twists.

But if you want to read a slow paced gothic book with feminist rage, obsession and dark vibes - this is the book for you!

I adored everything about this book. The crumbling twisted house, the gothic and bleak moorland setting and the noise and harshness of industrial Sheffield, every setting was so vivid and beautifully brought to life. The spiral Lenore faces when she encounters Carmilla was brilliantly written and it was easy to empathise with her and understand why she takes the actions she does. The character of Carmilla was also very well done, she read as both seductive and creepy at the same time and always fascinating.

There was a sense of creeping dread throughout with flashes of horror and gore that added to the gothic feeling. The restrictive nature of the 1800s for women and the feral freedom they may hunger for were woven in with the classic tropes of vampire myth seamlessly.

I cannot wait until this is published and I can have a physical copy on my shelf.

Leonore knows her place: she’s a wife, and she’s fine with that. After all, that’s what women are for, and she’s even better than the others, as she knows how to control herself and never show weakness, emotions, or pain.
Leonore’s lonely, she doesn’t have real friends, and her husband rarely pays any attention to her, but again, she knows her place, and she knows better than to whine about it.
It all slowly but drastically changes when she has to take in a sick guest, who also looks exactly like the creature she has been dreaming of.
Carmilla.

If you’re expecting a dynamic, overwhelming, full of action book, this one’s not it. It’s a long book, and I read some reviews defining it underwhelming, but I feel like it took its sweet time and it worked perfectly. I’m the biggest fan of slow paced books, but if the plot is not evolving rapidly, it’s easy for the reader to lose interest: that’s why there needs to be something that keeps the reader entertained and eager to know more. It can be the characters, the atmosphere, the vibes, the introspective aspect of it all. And “Hungerstone” has all of them.

The story was evolving slowly, but I never felt bored, my eyes were glued to the pages and, as a result, I read this book in one sitting.
I wanted to know who Leonore really was, for what did she hunger, and seeing the relationship with her husband through her eyes was sad but interesting: seeing the way she always made herself smaller in any situation, how she did everything for her husband, not once doubting it.
Carmilla was fascinating, so provocative and mysterious, and the tension between the two of them was perfectly written.

The atmosphere, the gothic vibes, the bloody scenes: it was impossible to put down the book, as I was so captured by it all, I almost forgot where I actually was.

It’s not a book for everyone: not much happens, and definitely not as fast as we’re used to these days, incapable of focusing on the same thing for too long unless it constantly changes and surprises us. There are not many dialogues, almost the entire book is written from Leonore's present point of view, but personally I found it mesmerising. I absolutely loved it from start to finish.

3/5 stars: This is Dunn's 2SLGBTQIA+ Historical Fantasy Romance Retelling (Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu) stand-alone that's set in England in the late 1800's which follows an unhappy and childless steel magnate's wife who travels to the countryside to prepare for a shooting party only to find herself tangled up with a mysterious, dangerous and compelling woman. As she uncovers a darkness in her household she'll have to decide what she's willing to do to protect herself and her way of life. Dunn's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain likable. Lenore's a complex and relatable character who comes into her own power through Carmilla's irresistible pull. Her actions are shocking and horrifying but at that time and given her circumstances there was little she could. I appreciate Dunn's feminist reworking of Carmilla, the book that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula, and it's setting in the violent wilderness of the moors and pitting against the uncontrolled the industrial revolution. Dunn takes on some sensitive subjects; so take care and check the CWs.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Zando in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

The vibes DELIVERED. Spooky? Sapphic? Creepy to the point of stomach-turning? The sheer levels of female rage? YES.

For me, this was a book of three parts. The first section, where we meet Lenore and Carmilla and are introduced to their world, was all the right levels of eerie. All of the exposition was so atmospheric, and while it helps that I do have a deep love for the Peak District myself, I felt transported there instantly.

The middle section was the best bit. Things became so creepy, so far removed from normality, and under it all I could feel that current of the hunger. Carmilla featured much more prominently in this middle section, and she really felt like the driving force behind the plot.

The story lost some momentum towards the end, but still had a satisfying conclusion that embraced the darkness that had been peeking in at the edge the whole time. While I would have liked a slightly more robust backstory for Lenore, the ending still felt utterly right for her. I would have loved to have even more Carmilla in this last section, but the effects of her character were still there even if she herself wasn’t.

While it wasn’t a totally even read, this was still an effective and toe-curling horror, that really does ask: what do you hunger for?

I received a free copy for an honest review.

Lenore has been married to Henry for a decade now and the couple have nothing to show for it (i.e. no child). What they do have is a new home, a crumbling if grand estate that Henry expects Lenore to bring back to life in time for his hunting party. Enter Carmilla: a mysterious and beautiful woman they stumble upon in an accident, who takes a strange interest in Lenore and forces her to see the truth of her crumbling marriage.

HUNGERSTONE is a gothic historical novel about gender roles and how they restrict/confine women, how these restrictions become a script that can cage a woman, it is also about feminine rage and desire, and hunger as metaphor. Drawing inspiration from Bram Stoker’s DRACULA and Sheridan Le Fanu’s gothic lesbian vampire novella CARMILLA among others, HUNGERSTONE follows Lenore as she confronts the meek person she tries to become to be accepted by her husband and polite society at large, and the freedom she comes to relish when she allows herself to do what she wants, even if it means transgressing. At turns atmospheric in capturing the majestic landscapes of the Yorkshire region and slightly psychedelic where Lenore’s dreams and some of her encounters with strange apparitions that may or may not be Carmilla are concerned, the novel balances a crumbling marriage and a woman’s grasp towards agency with the world of power struggles between men and women, between the new rich and old money, and between the rich and the working classes—the disempowered endeavours to fight back, to free themselves. These tensions are centred around Lenore as she finally moves against Henry.

I recently finished 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆 and loved it.

It’s a vampire novel that was heavily inspired by 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂 (it’s a retelling), 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒂 (hello classic vampire), and has the gothic vibes of 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆.

It has the perfect mix of feminine rage, gothic vibes, and obsession.

SimilIar to Woman, Eating, this vampire story is a little bit different. And this line sums it up best: “𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓?”

It’s a book about appetites, or the lack there of for women in the Victorian era.

Lenore is in a marriage of convenience, and she’s learned to stay silent and not want for anything. Her needs? Nonexistent. Her opinions? Scarce.

Enter Carmilla. Carmilla is the feeling of being watched in the darkness, the whisper on the wind, your guts intuition. She becomes Lenore’s obsession, pulling truth from her in small doses, rapidly unraveling the neat little life and all the lies Lenore has fed herself over the years.

Carmilla IS appetite in all of its forms.

I really don’t want to tell you too much because I just want you to read it and let the message curl around your insides.

It’s a delicious sapphic slow burn. But I would say, not overly sapphic. This one is subtle, until it’s not.

This is definitely one of my favourite books of 2025.

that blends historical fiction with dark, fantastical elements. The way it’s set in this desolate landscape of grief, hardship, and survival really hit me. Dunn crafts a deeply emotional and thought-provoking story, and I feel like the world-building here is just so gothic and truly chilling.

The characters, especially Lenore and Carmilla, are raw and complicated, and I really felt for them. Lenore’s growth throughout the story is especially powerful. Watching her confront her desires, trauma, and power through her relationship with Carmilla was really something. Their dynamic adds so much emotional depth as they both navigate personal transformations. I feel like the relationships here—whether familial, romantic, or friendships—are messy in the best way and carry a lot of emotional weight.

What I love about this story is how it weaves folklore and history so seamlessly, creating a world that feels both familiar and eerily otherworldly. The pacing is deliberate, and as secrets unravel, the tension just builds, leaving me emotionally hooked. For anyone who enjoys character-driven, immersive stories with a dark edge, Hungerstone is definitely a must-read!

Though this is described as a Carmilla retelling, Hungerstone expands upon Sheridan Le Fanu’s original story, allowing Carmilla to transcend her role as a vampire temptress to something more: a hunger that cannot be denied. Kat Dunn’s prose is beautiful and polished, heightening Carmilla’s timeless and otherworldly allure within an updated setting both solitary and industrial. Early on, Carmilla’s character and motivation does not appear all too dissimilar to her Sheridan Le Fanu counterpart, but as the second half of the novel unfolds, I was left asking what exactly Carmilla is. She’s not confusing, terrorizing, or draining her victims simply to satisfy her own needs, instead she is unlocking some sort of doorway within them and forcing them to confront their “hunger.” In a twisted sense, she is a devil who is also their liberator. And it is only through this liberation that Lenore is able to parse through her memories, loneliness, and desires so that she might find a way to survive her husband’s scheming.

Yet, despite how intriguing Carmilla is within the novel, Hungerstone is Lenore’s story. For me, the most compelling parts of this novel were the lead up to Carmilla and Lenore’s relationship and its initial climax toward the middle of the book. From here, it shifts to Lenore’s internal battle and their external ramifications, and though I do like Dunn’s treatment of Lenore’s descent into “madness” (awakening is probably a better word), I also felt that we ruminated quite a bit over the same sentiments until they became redundant. It makes sense in reality that breaking away from a lifetime of limitations would take quite some time, yet within the confines of a novel it slowed the story’s momentum significantly. Yet, once we emerge on the other side, the plot speeds up significantly until you’re left questioning exactly how much is true and how much is a fabrication of Lenore’s mind.

In the end, we are left to wonder if Lenore truly did lose a bit of herself to her period of madness, but I like the ambiguity. It was very much a “good for her” feminine rage conclusion which was satisfying in its blood lust even if certain parts were a bit of a stretch. Overall, this was quite enjoyable!

Thank you Net Galley and Zando for the advance copy to read and review.

“𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖒𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖇𝖊 𝖘𝖔 𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖇𝖑𝖞 𝖍𝖚𝖓𝖌𝖗𝖞.”

ARC Review

I wanted so much more out of this book. More sapphic romance, more vampirism, just more.

This is said to be a spin on the classic Carmilla. I haven’t read Carmilla yet so I, unfortunately, can’t compare.

Lenore and Henry are off to their country estate when they come across an overturned carriage with a bruised woman who needs help. They take her in so she can heal.

Carmilla’s health returns abnormally fast and she starts to wreak havoc on Lenore’s thoughts. There was a sapphic love scene that I felt was well done and detailed enough for this book. Extremely detailed smut would not have fit.

There are a few creepy scenes but not enough real tension. Still, I remained interested and pressed on. It did eventually pick up and took off. Lenore has had enough of her lying, cheating husband and her fake friend Cora. Under Carmilla’s influence she unleashes her feminine rage and you know what? Good for her!

The last half of the book was better than the first but I did find the ending a bit abrupt. I would have loved more tension, more of the love between Carmilla and Lenore, and more vampirism. Overall though it was a good book and I did enjoy it more than A Dowry of Blood.

Propulsive, dark, and spectacular! A visceral and exciting interpretation of Carmilla, we are all so hungry.

This book is a retelling of the classic story Carmilla. It follows Lenore, a wife with a history of losing her parents, and who has not produced a child in her marriage. It seems as though her marriage to Henry, owner of Ajax Steel, has gotten stagnate as they haven't slept together in a very long time. As the season ends, the couple closes out their London home to head to the countryside in order to host a huge event to help promote Henry's business into further success. Lenore is in charge of planning everything for the shooting weekend and making sure the house is repaired into pristine condition. As the couple journeys to the countryside, they come across an overturned carriage accident where a woman is discovered. Henry brings her back to the house with the couple and they learn her name is Carmilla. As Carmilla continues to stay with the couple, something starts to stir in Lenore and she begins to witness strange occurrences around the town as the village girls begin to be consumed by a very bloody hunger. As the story continues, Lenore becomes conflicted between pleasing her husband and understanding what Carmilla wants.

This story is epic. I always support a woman's thirst for revenge and freedom. I give this story 4.5 stars due to the fact that at times, especially in the beginning, it was a bit slow. Also I wish we got a more in depth understanding of Carmilla herself as she kept things mysterious, so that Lenore would grow on her own and make her own choices for a life that she wanted. It is a book less about actual vampires, and more about female oppression and how that can lead to insatiable rage and hunger for revenge/to break free. It's about coming to the realization you are living the wrong life and didn't know how to speak your mind for what you want. I thought it was definitely a fresh new take on Carmilla as there have been a few retellings in the past few years.

I will be posting on my IG account @the.bookish.dietitian closer to release date with a review post to my 32.5 K followers! My current review is up on my goodreads account.