As a queer woman who loves gothic horror, today’s #spellbooksaturday feature instantly caught my eye…
Hungerstone by Kat Dunn
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
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.
(source: bookshop.org)
Perhaps it was a result of too-high expectations, in all honesty, I was a bit underwhelmed by the novel. While it is evident that Dunn has a passion for the early texts that likely inspired her work (such as Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla), her writing never quite reached the levels of romanticism or terror that I quite hope for in gothic horror. That said, I very much appreciate LGBTQ+ representation in literature, and found the novel to be enjoyable overall.
Have you read Hungerstone? What were your thoughts? Share in the comments!
DID YOU ENJOY THIS SPELLBOOK SATURDAY FEATURE? FOLLOW ME ON GOODREADS, AND CHECK OUT SOME MORE READING RECOMMENDATIONS…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
