Release date: February 18 2025
Publisher: Manilla Press
Pages: 400
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: I received an E-ARC via Netgalley and I bought a physical copy from Waterstones
Rating: 5/5 stars
Synopsis
For what do you hunger . . .?
Lenore is the wife of steel magnate Henry, but ten years into their marriage the relationship has soured, and no child has arrived to fill the distance growing between them. Henry’s ambitions take them from London to Sheffield, and with his success hinged on a hunt, an old tradition looms over the home; the hunt is a time to settle old scores. If a bullet finds a human home, then it is only that they were foolish to become prey. In the weeks leading up to the hunt, a carriage accident near their remote home brings the mysterious Carmilla into Lenore’s life. Carmilla, who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night, Carmilla who will not eat meals with the family, Carmilla who stirs up a hunger deep within Lenore. Soon girls from local villages begin to fall sick before being consumed by a terrible hunger . . .
Set against the violent wilderness of the Peaks and the uncontrolled appetite of the industrial revolution Hungerstone is a compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the book that inspired a captivating story of appetite and desire.
Review
Hungerstone is a dark and addictive gothic tale from Dangerous Remedy author Kat Dunn. The story follows a woman named Lenore – married ten years to her husband Henry, their relationship has since become strained as they have been unable to produce a child. When Henry buys a crumbling mansion in a remote part of Sheffield, Lenore is tasked with bringing the house to life in time for the arrival of a hunting party. When Lenore and Henry stumble upon a carriage accident, they invite the young woman involved to stay with them, but Carmilla is not all she seems to be and when strange things begin happening in the house Lenore begins to wonder what they really know about their mysterious house guest.
This is my fifth book from Kat Dunn and given that I’ve given all her previous books five stars, I was very excited to dive into this one. I have to say I was completely captivated by this tale and I could not put it down. Dunn has a beautiful, vivid writing style and the descriptions of the wild countryside and the old house practically leaped off the page. Hungerstone is very much a book that sticks with you long after reading and I still find myself thinking about this book after finishing it several weeks ago.
All the characters in this story are keeping secrets and I loved seeing the different dynamics play out between Lenore, Henry, Carmilla and Clara. Dunn does an absolutely magnificent job of creating this tense, uneasy atmosphere and I really felt that tension build as the story progresses. This is a dark story full of feminist rage and it will completely suck you in. This is definitely going to be one of my favourite reads of 2025 and I can’t wait to see what Dunn does next. If you’re looking for a Carmilla retelling that will have you turning pages long into the night, Hungerstone is a book you absolutely do not want to miss.
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