Description
THE FIERCEST, MOST POWERFUL RETELLING OF 2025: A STORY OF AMBITION, FEMALE OPPRESSION AND UNSTOPPABLE HUNGER . . .
'Rich and daring. This is everything I dream of in a novel' Ava Reid
'Ravenous, righteous and utterly sublime' Bea Fitzgerald
'Intoxicating and vivid . . . Sensual and vicious' Hannah Kaner
'An extraordinary book' Jennifer Saint
'Phenomenal' Samantha Shannon
'A true feast for all the senses' Cosmopolitan
'A beguiling and spellbinding story of female repression and appetite' Heat
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 the Peak District, to the remote, imposing Nethershaw estate, where he plans to host a hunting party. Lenore must work to restore the crumbling house and ready it for Henry's guests - their future depends on it.
But as the couple travel through the bleak countryside, a shocking carriage accident brings the mysterious Carmilla into Lenore's life. 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 . . .
Set against the violent wilderness of the Peaks and the uncontrolled appetite of the Industrial Revolution, HUNGERSTONE is a compulsive sapphic reworking of CARMILLA, the book that inspired DRACULA: a captivating story of appetite and desire.
Everyone is devouring HUNGERSTONE . . .
'Hungerstone grabbed me body and soul' Anya Bergman
'A fabulous Gothic feast of a novel' Elodie Harper
'A sumptuous delight. I feasted on it' Jessica Moor
'Repaints the classic story of Carmilla in the boldest, bloodiest colours' Sarah Underwood
'A dark, gothic delight' Hester Musson
'Deliciously dark and atmospheric. Breathtakingly original' Emily Critchley
The fiercest, most powerful adult debut of 2025 - a brilliant feminist vampire novel: a story of ambition, female oppression and unstoppable hunger . . .
About the Author
Kat Dunn grew up in London and has lived in Japan, Australia and France. She has a BA in Japanese from SOAS and an MA in English from Warwick. She's written about mental health for Mind and the Guardian, and worked as a translator for Japanese television. Her YA has been published by Head of Zeus and Andersen Press.
Reviews
A true feast for all the senses. * Cosmopolitan *
This atmospheric gothic novel should only be read with the lights on. * Red magazine *
A sumptuously dark gothic novel that is the sapphic retelling of Carmilla, the first vampire fiction, we all deserve . . . The story delves into themes of female autonomy, desire, and societal constraints. Dunn's atmospheric prose and intricate character development make Hungerstone stand out amongst the crowd. * Glamour *
Based on the book that inspired Dracula, this is a beguiling and spellbinding story of female repression and appetite. * Heat magazine *
A rich and daring reimagining that brings the beating heart of Carmilla to life again. 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 Lady Macbeth *
With writing both evocative and enchanting, Hungerstone is a horrifyingly delectable novel. A celebration of female appetite and agency, Dunn's gothic reimagining of Carmilla is ravenous, righteous and utterly sublime. * Bea Fitzgerald, Sunday Times bestselling author of GIRL, GODDESS, QUEEN *
Hungerstone is an intoxicating and vivid take on the gothic novel. Sensual and vicious, Lenore's devastating story of self discovery, betrayal and power feels like one for the ages. * Hannah Kaner, Sunday Times bestselling author of GODKILLER *
A beautifully written retelling of classic vampire novel Carmilla that explores how love and desire help us get to know ourselves better. * Good Housekeeping *
Hungerstone is an extraordinary book: a dark, sensuous, gothic story of female appetite, ravenous desire and insatiable rage. A blood-drenched, glittering jewel of a novel that I absolutely devoured. * Jennifer Saint *
Phenomenal. This is a book about loneliness and longing, women trapped by the constraints of patriachy, the liberating power of sapphic desire - and most of all, hunger of all kinds. Kat Dunn writes with immense skill and tremendous empathy. * Samantha Shannon *
Book Information
ISBN 9781786583949
Author Kat Dunn
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Manilla Press
Publisher Bonnier Books Ltd
