Hungerstone

De: Kat Dunn

Narrado por: Perdita Weeks

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.

©2025 Kat Dunn (P)2025 Zando, LLC

Gripping, well-researched, and unforgettable

This story kept me hooked from start to finish. The writing is beautiful, and the characters are incredibly compelling, but the real horror lies in how accurately it reflects what women went through at the time. The amount of research that went into capturing the era is impressive and eye-opening. A haunting and powerful read that stays with you.

Beautiful

Quite a lovely story of hunger and women. I loved the raw emotion of the narrator.

Loved it

Great writing, & a good unique story. If you like historical 'horror,' (it's not necessarily scary) with a whisper of magical realism you'll enjoy it

Yes!

Such a rewarding read. The characters are believable and intriguing. I love it more than the original.

Well written, captivating

I chose this novel because I am a huge fan of the narrator Perdita Weeks. But I loved Lenore’s journey of self-awareness. As the story unravels it’s was hard to put the book down!

ICONIC & DELICIOUS CARMILLA REVAMP

As a goth girl who grew up reading lots of Victorian gothics and classics, I am always on the hunt for modern fiction that replicates that time period with accuracy and retrospective raw horror appropriate to the time period/world as built in the story instead of a lot of the half-assed anachronistic Victorian/Regency mishmash romance fiction that breaks the historical setting by shoving in poorly implemented modern feminist takes, and this baby did not disappoint!!! This is the kind of book I picture when people say they want to do a modern feminist re-telling of a classic— PURE EXCELLENCE, thank you Dunn 💕💕🥰💕💕 This is a deliciously miserable ride through MC Lenore’s tragic and pain-filled life, which finally begins to take a better turn after meeting Carmilla, although it takes a while to see why anything is getting better as her current life falls to pieces. The suspense, horror, self-actualization, and sapphic sensuality of this book was just what I’ve been craving. And I’ve been so terribly hungry…

Blood and Hunger

A slow and brooding tale of the ways women train ourselves to be calm and controlled, to not take up space, to reject our own desires to support those of the other people in our lives, and of what happens when the resentment and outrage from being taken for granted our entire lives finally comes to a head… oh and I guess there’s a vampire, too.

Extraordinary

A wonderful, imaginative expansion of Carmilla. Extraordinary storytelling. Might be better than the original. Beautifully written

this was the book we needed in 2025!!!

everything about this book had me thinking and wanting to come back and listen to more. I am so incredibly satisfied with the ending, and was happy to see it play out that way. no more needs to be said!

Excellent Retelling

The narration is fantastic, and I honestly think this is the best version of the story of Carmilla out there.