Carmilla and Laura by S.D. Simper

Description from Goodreads:

In the late 19th century, Laura lives a lonely life in a schloss by the forest, Styria, with only her doting father and two governesses for company. A chance accident brings a new companion, however – the eccentric and beautiful Carmilla.

With charm unparalleled and habits as mysterious as her history, Carmilla’s allure is undeniable, drawing Laura closer with every affectionate touch and word. Attraction blossoms into a temptation Laura fears to name, a tantalizing passion burning brighter than the fires of hell. But when a mysterious plague begins stealing the lives of young women in her home and the village beyond, Laura wrestles to reconcile the truth – that the gentle, fragile woman she loves may be a monster cast out of heaven.

Carmilla, the classic vampire novella written by J Sheridan LeFanu, receives new life in this gorgeous retelling, centered on the provocative, controversial leads of the original, Carmilla and Laura.

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My Review:

Full disclosure. I have not read the story that this retelling is based on. So I cannot comment if it is a good re-telling, but I can definitely still tell you whether this book is still worth the read or not.

I really liked Laura a lot. I loved seeing her confusion and her desires and her fears. It was beautifully done in a way without being the annoying and whiny character. While Laura is very innocent and sheltered, she still does her best to learn and understand the people and things around her with an open mind which I thought was refreshing as well since loner characters such as herself tend to be too filled with fear to move forward. I feel like she was the most layered character in the book.

Carmilla was a mysterious character from beginning to end. While I do love a bit of mystery, I still wish we could have gotten to know her a bit more. Throughout the book, she gives excuses as to why she cannot talk about herself, which makes sense because she is not human. However, we still could have learned more about her personality while still keeping an air of mystery.

I absolutely adored the tender moments between Laura and Carmilla. I thought they were beautifully written and even poetic at times. I do truly think they were great together and I rooted for them throughout the book. However, I wish their relationship had more depth. While I get they're two young women during a time when their lives were decided by the men around them, I felt they still should have gotten more scenes to learn more about each other. I did not understand why Laura fell in love with Carmilla and vice versa.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It was written in a way where I couldn't just devour the book in one sitting. It was more of a slow burn that I got to savor. It was written very poetically without being flowery. I admit it did take some getting used to at first, but once I understood the flow, I really got into it.

Again, I have not read the original story this work is based on. So, I cannot comment on how much the author has changed to fit their narrative or if they added anything, but that did not stop me from liking this book. I highly recommend it if you love a mystical romance that survives against all odds.