Hungerstone

by Kat Dunn

A Rolling Stone 10 Most Anticipated Books of the Year - A Town & Country Must Read Book of the Winter - A Goodreads Readers' Most Anticipated Horror Novel of the Year - A LitHub Most Anticipated Book of the Year - A Book Riot Most Anticipated Book of the Year - A Them 10 Most Anticipated Books of the Year - A Polygon Most Exciting Fantasy Book of the Year - A Scary Mommy 11 Most Anticipated Books of the Year

A compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the queer novella that inspired Dracula.

"Hungerstone is a delicious tribute to the inherent horrors of womanhood and the desperate and exquisite vulgarity of desire. This is everything I dream of in a novel." --Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning and Lady Macbeth

It's the height of the industrial revolution and ten years into Lenore's marriage to steel magnate Henry, their relationship has soured. When Henry's ambitions take them from London to the remote British moorlands to host a hunting party, a shocking carriage accident brings the mysterious Carmilla into their lives. Carmilla, who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night. Carmilla, who stirs up something deep within Lenore. And before long, girls from the local villages fall sick, consumed by a terrible hunger . . .

As the day of the hunt draws closer, Lenore begins to unravel, questioning the role she has been playing all these years. Torn between regaining her husband's affection and the cravings Carmilla has awakened, soon Lenore will uncover a darkness in her household that will place her at terrible risk.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1638932166
• ISBN13: 9781638932161
• Release Date: February 2025
• Publisher: Zando
• Length: 336 Pages

Customer Reviews

A Bit of a Struggle

I liked the sudden, surprising moments of goriness this book offers and I always love a “good for her” story. Plus sapphic vampires? Pure bliss. That being said, this was a hard book to get into. Picking it up always felt like a chore for some reason, maybe because there’s just a lot of historical details going on all the time? It felt overwhelming. I can appreciate the effort the author took but it was just a lot. Also something just felt predictable about the plot, I never felt surprised by anything. Except what ends up happening between Cora and Henry but that was more of a letdown than anything. All that work and he wasn’t even doing what Lenore suspected? Boring. Also??? I needed more Carmilla??? I almost don’t even know why she was there at all. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.