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hunterofdaisies's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexism
Minor: Child death
lilaceous's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
characters - .5⭐️
plot - ⭐️
engaging to read - .5⭐️
would recommend - .5⭐️
would read again - ⭐️
oh carmilla🤭
definitely predatory lesbian trope through and through, but a fun and campy read nonetheless.
oh carmilla🤭
definitely predatory lesbian trope through and through, but a fun and campy read nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
emdzi's review against another edition
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Blood, and Lesbophobia
manukahoney_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Murder
Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship
I naively hoped that Carmilla and Laura would kiss or have a spicy scene that wasn't a dream and was disappointed but that was my fault.lexybexy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexism, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Ableism, Racial slurs, and Racism
emtees's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I’ve been reading through a lot of pre-20th century vampire literature and Carmilla is the first story that meets and even exceeds Dracula as one of my favorites.
Laura is a young woman living an isolated life with her father when a mysterious mother and daughter suffer a carriage accident on her family’s property. While the mother continues on with her journey, the daughter, Carmilla, is invited to stay and recover. Laura and Carmilla very quickly develop an intense, borderline erotic friendship, but there are things about Carmilla that Laura, telling the story from ten years in the future, realizes are strange: her aversion to religious rituals and even hymns, the strange hours she keeps, her insistence on locking the door to her room when she sleeps. But despite her wariness at some of Carmilla’s behavior, Laura cannot help but be drawn to her. It is only when a friend arrives with stories of mysterious deaths that follow the trail of a woman who suspiciously resembles Carmilla that the truth about Laura’s friend is unveiled.
The big surprise in this book is that it is explicitly queer. Carmilla is famous for being the origin of the “lesbian vampire” trope but I didn’t expect a book of this period to feature a vampire who is unquestionably expressing romantic and sexual interest in her female victim. Laura calls out Carmilla’s attentions, even speculating that she might be a man in disguise. The story doesn’t go so far as to have Laura reciprocate Carmilla’s feelings fully, but it is still much more than I expected. Carmilla is also a much more human vampire than most of her contemporaries. For all her monstrous traits, she is presented as appealing, even likable. Though we don’t get the full backstory on how she became a vampire (my main objection to the story is that the wrap up at the end is rushed, skipping over a lot of Carmilla’s history and her relationships with her mysterious companions), she comes across a something closer to the tragic vampires of the 20th century.
Laura is a young woman living an isolated life with her father when a mysterious mother and daughter suffer a carriage accident on her family’s property. While the mother continues on with her journey, the daughter, Carmilla, is invited to stay and recover. Laura and Carmilla very quickly develop an intense, borderline erotic friendship, but there are things about Carmilla that Laura, telling the story from ten years in the future, realizes are strange: her aversion to religious rituals and even hymns, the strange hours she keeps, her insistence on locking the door to her room when she sleeps. But despite her wariness at some of Carmilla’s behavior, Laura cannot help but be drawn to her. It is only when a friend arrives with stories of mysterious deaths that follow the trail of a woman who suspiciously resembles Carmilla that the truth about Laura’s friend is unveiled.
The big surprise in this book is that it is explicitly queer. Carmilla is famous for being the origin of the “lesbian vampire” trope but I didn’t expect a book of this period to feature a vampire who is unquestionably expressing romantic and sexual interest in her female victim. Laura calls out Carmilla’s attentions, even speculating that she might be a man in disguise. The story doesn’t go so far as to have Laura reciprocate Carmilla’s feelings fully, but it is still much more than I expected. Carmilla is also a much more human vampire than most of her contemporaries. For all her monstrous traits, she is presented as appealing, even likable. Though we don’t get the full backstory on how she became a vampire (my main objection to the story is that the wrap up at the end is rushed, skipping over a lot of Carmilla’s history and her relationships with her mysterious companions), she comes across a something closer to the tragic vampires of the 20th century.
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia
A character expresses period-typical homophobia when another woman makes a pass at hero3tri's review against another edition
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Racism
tessalexandra's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Antisemitism, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Slavery and Suicide
aparker89's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A classic tale, older than time.
We all know Dracula, his real life niece Bathory ,and their reigns of terror. But what if there was someone else waiting in the dark? Camilla is charming, beautiful and witty but something dark is lingering behind her sparkling eyes. Meet Laura, a lonely young woman who wants nothing more than companionship and follow her tale of terror!
We all know Dracula, his real life niece Bathory ,and their reigns of terror. But what if there was someone else waiting in the dark? Camilla is charming, beautiful and witty but something dark is lingering behind her sparkling eyes. Meet Laura, a lonely young woman who wants nothing more than companionship and follow her tale of terror!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Blood, and Gaslighting
Minor: Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Classism
tetedump's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Racism, and Murder