Rottenheart.jpg
Rottenheart.jpg

Rottenheart by Kat Dunn

from $11.58
Hardcover:

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

From the bestselling author of Hungerstone, an intoxicating and chilling gothic horror novel that reimagines Hamlet with a seductive sapphic twist—and where the only thing more dangerous than a family secret is a mother's revenge.

Rottenheart is a gothic horror reimagining of Hamlet with a sapphic romance at its center. Odette and Cecilia have grown up between two grand estates, until Odette's mother dies in mysterious circumstances and her cold aunt Claudine takes over the household.

When Claudine becomes Odette's stepmother, Odette withdraws into grief and something close to madness. Meanwhile her mother's ghost stirs, seeking answers and revenge.

Dunn keeps Hamlet's skeleton of poisoned family loyalty and a haunted court, then shifts the focus to women: a daughter, her mother, and the girl she loves. The book asks whether grief and betrayal can ever really be escaped.

The mood is sensual, tense, and gothic, with a ghost story braided into a love story. Early critics have emphasized both its romance and its horror.

Dunn is the author of Hungerstone, a feminist reworking of Carmilla. It suits readers who want classic literature retold with queer longing and supernatural menace.

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

From the bestselling author of Hungerstone, an intoxicating and chilling gothic horror novel that reimagines Hamlet with a seductive sapphic twist—and where the only thing more dangerous than a family secret is a mother's revenge.

Rottenheart is a gothic horror reimagining of Hamlet with a sapphic romance at its center. Odette and Cecilia have grown up between two grand estates, until Odette's mother dies in mysterious circumstances and her cold aunt Claudine takes over the household.

When Claudine becomes Odette's stepmother, Odette withdraws into grief and something close to madness. Meanwhile her mother's ghost stirs, seeking answers and revenge.

Dunn keeps Hamlet's skeleton of poisoned family loyalty and a haunted court, then shifts the focus to women: a daughter, her mother, and the girl she loves. The book asks whether grief and betrayal can ever really be escaped.

The mood is sensual, tense, and gothic, with a ghost story braided into a love story. Early critics have emphasized both its romance and its horror.

Dunn is the author of Hungerstone, a feminist reworking of Carmilla. It suits readers who want classic literature retold with queer longing and supernatural menace.

  • Publisher: Zando

    Title: Rottenheart

    Author: Kat Dunn

    On Sale Date: October 13, 2026

    ISBN 13: 978-1-63893-465-3

    ISBN 10: 1638934657

    Format: Hardcover

    Retail Price: $28.95

    Page Count: 320

    Dimensions: 6-3/8 x 9-1/4 inches

  • Kat Dunn is an English author of gothic and sapphic fiction. Her feminist reworking of Carmilla, Hungerstone, won the 2026 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction, and her other books include the young adult novel Bitterthorn.

  • Pre-release readers are calling it intoxicating, fierce, and sinister:

    • Taylor Jenkins Reid, the New York Times bestselling author, said she wants this book fed directly into her veins.

    • Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb, called it a darkly intoxicating and fierce sapphic retelling of Hamlet, full of longing, rage, and grief.

    • Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne, described a sinister story shot through with beautiful, delicate sapphic yearning.

    • Library Journal, in a starred review, praised it as a feminist retelling that pairs sensual storytelling with tragic consequences.

This book is for you if

  • You enjoy gothic horror with grand houses, family secrets, and a vengeful ghost.

  • You like Hamlet retellings, especially ones that shift the story toward its women.

  • You're drawn to sapphic romance that is tested by grief and danger.

  • You've read Hungerstone or Bitterthorn and want more from Kat Dunn.

  • You're looking for a suspenseful, atmospheric October read that mixes romance and dread.

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