Hungerstone
The compulsive, fierce and powerful reimagining of sapphic vampire novel CARMILLA
Published on 4. September 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
416 pages
978-1-78658-394-9 (ISBN)
Description
Set against the violent wilderness of the Peak district, a compulsive reworking of original vampire novel CARMILLA, the book that inspired DRACULA: a captivating story of unstoppable hunger . . .
'Rich and daring' Ava Reid
'A beguiling feast of a novel' Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb
'I LOVED it' Taylor Jenkins Reid
'Phenomenal' Samantha Shannon
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 . . .
Everyone is devouring HUNGERSTONE . . .
'An extraordinary book' Jennifer Saint
'Hungerstone grabbed me body and soul' Anya Bergman
'Ravenous, righteous and utterly sublime' Bea Fitzgerald
'Intoxicating and vivid . . . Sensual and vicious' Hannah Kaner
'A true feast for all the senses' Cosmopolitan
'A beguiling and spellbinding story of female repression and appetite' Heat
'A fabulous Gothic feast of a novel' Elodie Harper
***Shortlisted for Best Horror Novel in the 2026 British Fantasy Awards***
'Rich and daring' Ava Reid
'A beguiling feast of a novel' Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb
'I LOVED it' Taylor Jenkins Reid
'Phenomenal' Samantha Shannon
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 . . .
Everyone is devouring HUNGERSTONE . . .
'An extraordinary book' Jennifer Saint
'Hungerstone grabbed me body and soul' Anya Bergman
'Ravenous, righteous and utterly sublime' Bea Fitzgerald
'Intoxicating and vivid . . . Sensual and vicious' Hannah Kaner
'A true feast for all the senses' Cosmopolitan
'A beguiling and spellbinding story of female repression and appetite' Heat
'A fabulous Gothic feast of a novel' Elodie Harper
***Shortlisted for Best Horror Novel in the 2026 British Fantasy Awards***
Reviews / Votes
I didn't like this, I LOVED it. * Taylor Jenkins Reid, #1 bestselling author of Atmosphere and Daisy Jones and the Six * A true feast for all the senses. * Cosmopolitan * Filled with longing and loneliness, Hungerstone is a beguiling feast of a novel. Kat Dunn writes with a disturbing savagery and hunger, yet, Hungerstone and the characters within are left raw from their tenderness. * Lucy Rose, bestselling author of THE LAMB * 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 *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bonnier Books Ltd
Dimensions
Height: 193 mm
Width: 130 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
291 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78658-394-9 (9781786583949)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
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. Kat Dunn's YA fiction has been published by Head of Zeus and Andersen Press, including Bitterthorn, which was shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards and the Polari Prize and nominated for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing. Hungerstone was her hugely acclaimed adult fiction debut. Follow Kat @KatAliceDunn