You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
I loved the romance. this was everything i wanted the original "carmilla" to be. -.5 for the ending. lost me when the mom showed up in a vision. and carmilla's murder was a little too graphic for me. Also everyone critiquing this against the original only to then reveal u didn't read the original??!!! ur review is worthless.
A little melodramatic and not enough character development. It was just ok.
"Are you afraid of me?" she asked.
Against her lips, I whispered, "No."
A meaningful, satisfying retelling.
If you read the original Carmilla expecting a sapphic vampire love story, you might have found it more ambiguous than desired. First published in 1872, it’s often credited as a foundational lesbian vampire tale. But its central relationship ultimately leans more predatory than openly romantic.
For readers hoping for something a little more emotionally affirming, Carmilla & Laura offers a fresh perspective. The writing strikes a balance between modern accessibility and period atmosphere, and the emotional arc feels far more grounded and mutual.
This version doesn’t ask whether sapphic love is monstrous or misunderstood. It answers with quiet certainty: it’s love. Full stop.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This sensual sapphic retelling has actually been on my radar since before I read the classic itself, and I’m pleased to have finally read Carmilla & Laura.
If you haven’t read Carmilla, it is a short novel (80 pages) about a young woman, Laura, who lives with her father and governesses in the Austrian countryside. Another young woman, the alluring Carmilla, comes to stay with them. Throughout the story, Laura weakens as the vampire feeds on her, eventually being discovered and destroyed. For a novel published in 1972, it has some homoromantic moments, Carmilla constantly showing physical affection to Laura and declaring that she will never love another as much. Its clear why Carmilla is heralded as a sapphic classic.
Carmilla & Laura expands on the romantic tension between the titular characters, the women falling deeply in love and exploring intimacies which would have been considered scandalous. While, in the original, Laura is confused between viewing Carmilla as her dear friend and a monstrous vampire, in this novel Laura stands firmly at Carmilla’s side, even after revealing her vampirism.
At 120 pages long, this was an easy novella to read. I consumed it in two sittings, roughly the same amount of time as the original classic. The thing I loved most about this retelling was the sultry, breathtaking atmosphere created during the romantic interactions between the characters.
Carmilla’s flirtatious, confident personality and enchanting beauty carried from the original text, as did the writing style. The ending was altered, and I cant decide whether or not I prefer it.
I highly recommend this gorgeous retelling to fans of sapphic romance, horror, and fantasy.
(In the original I spent all the time they were on page pretending the two governesses were a couple, and having one of them as sapphic here gave me a small sense of triumph.)
If you haven’t read Carmilla, it is a short novel (80 pages) about a young woman, Laura, who lives with her father and governesses in the Austrian countryside. Another young woman, the alluring Carmilla, comes to stay with them. Throughout the story, Laura weakens as the vampire feeds on her, eventually being discovered and destroyed. For a novel published in 1972, it has some homoromantic moments, Carmilla constantly showing physical affection to Laura and declaring that she will never love another as much. Its clear why Carmilla is heralded as a sapphic classic.
Carmilla & Laura expands on the romantic tension between the titular characters, the women falling deeply in love and exploring intimacies which would have been considered scandalous. While, in the original, Laura is confused between viewing Carmilla as her dear friend and a monstrous vampire, in this novel Laura stands firmly at Carmilla’s side, even after revealing her vampirism.
At 120 pages long, this was an easy novella to read. I consumed it in two sittings, roughly the same amount of time as the original classic. The thing I loved most about this retelling was the sultry, breathtaking atmosphere created during the romantic interactions between the characters.
Carmilla’s flirtatious, confident personality and enchanting beauty carried from the original text, as did the writing style. The ending was altered, and I cant decide whether or not I prefer it.
I highly recommend this gorgeous retelling to fans of sapphic romance, horror, and fantasy.
(In the original I spent all the time they were on page pretending the two governesses were a couple, and having one of them as sapphic here gave me a small sense of triumph.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood
Minor: Miscarriage
“Some ineffable piece of me had gone, rewritten by her touch, and what had been stolen was patched by a piece of her, some bit of her heart I had unknowingly taken with me.” IM THROWING UO PP. P
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I ENJOYED THIS SO MUCH. It delivered exactly what I want from a literary side-quel. The text of the original book is not cast aside or thrown out. Instead, this book is presented as the artifact of Laura's diary, written with different sentences than the letters that comprise the original text, but describing the same events we already know and love with additional scenes that make this a requited love story.
This was such an engaging read. It was wonderfully paced, and the new details added to the original story fit in seamlessly. I loved Laura's inner conflict, I loved watching the development of her romance with Carmilla, and I also really appreciated that this book did not water down the monstrousness of vampires to make Carmilla a less controversial love interest (smh at the webseries...)
Truly the main thing keeping this from being a five star read is the presence of my most behated, beloathed, despised, and abominated trope Fated Mates. I thought it was so LAME and STUPID to get to the reveal that Carmilla was never going to eat Laura because one time a long time ago she'd seen a vision of Laura as her future soulmate. It is sooooooo much more sexy and sickos if Carmilla HAD been doing her usual seduce/drain/destroy routine and then something about Laura was special enough to stay her hand (but throughout the romance the threat still remains.......... Laura never knows if today's the day Carmilla might lose interest and eat her...... LIKE c'mon that's so much hotter).
This was such an engaging read. It was wonderfully paced, and the new details added to the original story fit in seamlessly. I loved Laura's inner conflict, I loved watching the development of her romance with Carmilla, and I also really appreciated that this book did not water down the monstrousness of vampires to make Carmilla a less controversial love interest (smh at the webseries...)