Books

Rottenheart

Revenge me. For I am murdered . . .

Odette and her best friend, Cecilia, grow up between two grand homes, one in Hampstead and one in Suffolk, the ancient and imposing Herne House. Odette’s mother, Lydia, is almost parasitic in her neediness, but despite her, Odette and Cecilia come of age together—free to roam, to learn, and to love. When Lydia inexplicably sickens and dies, a dark veil falls. Odette’s father retreats to his study, while her aunt—the cold and cruel Claudine—increasingly takes charge of the household. Lost in grief and spiraling into madness, Odette disappears into the shadows, leaving Cecilia alone and with her affections tested.

As Claudine is announced as Odette’s new stepmother, the girls reckon with this final betrayal, and a sinister presence awakens. To her horror, Odette realizes that her mother never truly left. She now haunts the manor, ready to drag long- held secrets into the light and exact revenge against those who thought her dead and gone. A visceral tale of grief and madness, Rottenheart exhumes the heart of Hamlet to tell a fearless queer love story laced with an unforgettable haunting, asking whether we can truly outrun our suffering, or if we are forever indebted to the vengeful dead.

Praise for Rottenheart

‘Feed this directly into my veins.’ —Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author

‘Rottenheart will transport you. It’s a darkly intoxicating and fierce sapphic retelling of Hamlet, filled with longing, rage, and grief. Kat Dunn has crafted something haunting, beguiling, and mesmerizing, and I’m certain it’s her most extraordinary novel yet.’ —Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb

‘This is a darkly intoxicating, sinister story shot through with beautiful and delicate sapphic yearning. Kat Dunn’s writing is as vivid and immersive as ever, drawing the reader into her immaculately realised ghostly and gothic world. Hauntingly brilliant!’ – Jennifer Saint

Hungerstone

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, 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 something deep within Lenore.

Soon, girls from the local villages fall sick, consumed by a terrible hunger, and Lenore begins to unravel. Torn between regaining her husband’s affection and the cravings Carmilla has awakened, Lenore must confront a darkness that will place her at risk.

This immersive reworking of Carmilla, the queer novella that inspired Dracula, delivers a richly atmospheric look at feminine rage and the desires that feed our hunger.

Praise for Hungerstone

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NPR Best Book of the Year • Goodreads Choice Award Finalist • Book Riot Best Book of the Year

“I didn’t like this, I LOVED it.” —Taylor Jenkins Reid

“[E]viscerating, pleasurable, and inviting; a masterclass of first person present.” —Maya Gittelman, Reactor

“A moody and triumphant retelling of Carmilla . . . A meditation on womanhood, corporate greed, and queer desire . . . Revitalizes Le Fanu’s classic tale without losing any of its appeal.” —Publishers Weekly

Bitterthorn

Blumwald is a town overshadowed by an ancient curse: in a sinister castle in the depths of the wild wood lives a monstrous Witch. Once a generation, she comes to claim a companion to return with her – never to be seen again. Now that time is drawing near once more…

Mina, daughter of the duke, is grieving and lonely. She has lost all hope of any future for herself in Blumwald. So when the Witch demands her next companion, Mina offers herself up – though she has no idea what fate awaits her. Stranded with her darkly alluring captor, the mystery of what happened to the previous companions draws Mina into the heart of a terrifying secret that could save her life, or end it.

Praise for Bitterthorn

‘Deliciously gothic… Dunn plays on fairytale conventions to create a lush, atmospheric story of curses, belonging and betrayal with a slow-burn love story at its heart.’ ― Observer

‘Kat Dunn has spun a love story both intimate and epic. Bitterthorn is a perfect fireside tale, thick with suspense, yearning, and wild beauty – I loved every moment of reading it.’ ― Samantha Shannon

‘A stunning meditation on loneliness, with nods to Jane Eyre, Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent and Naomi Novik’s Uprooted.’ ― Good Housekeeping

‘A moody and stylish Gothic tale that feels both fresh and timeless – a masterful meditation on grief, loneliness, and terrible love. Gutting and unforgettable.’ ― Ava Reid

The Battalion of the Dead trilogy

Dangerous Remedy, Monstrous Design and Glorious Poison

Camille, a revolutionary’s daughter, leads a band of outcasts – a runaway girl, a deserter, an aristocrat in hiding. As the Battalion des Mortes they cheat death, saving those about to meet a bloody end at the blade of Madame La Guillotine. But their latest rescue is not what she seems. The girl’s no aristocrat, but her dark and disturbing powers means both the Royalists and the Revolutionaries want her. But who and what is she?

In a fast and furious story full of the glamour and excesses, intrigue and deception of these dangerous days, no one can be trusted, everyone is to be feared. As Camille learns the truth, she’s forced to choose between loyalty to those she loves and the future.

Praise for Dangerous Remedy

‘Kat Dunn’s captivating debut […] is part steampunk adventure, part historical thriller … An enthralling, fast-paced adventure with a cast of likeable characters; Camille’s relationship with her lover Ada is particularly well drawn. There’s a neat denouement and the promise of sequels’  – Guardian.

‘The characters are well drawn and each one feels fully fleshed-out … so while this adventure is complete in itself, you’ll look forward to the next in the series’  – SFX Magazine.

‘The deadly world of the French Revolution gets a fantastical twist in the first of a new series following a diverse band of fearless rebels. Wonderfully atmospheric fill of strange science, mysterious powers and fearless heroines’ – The Bookseller.