S. D. Simper

Carmilla and Laura

S D Simper

"This is a beautiful retelling ... perfect for anyone who likes darker-themed romance, horror stories, or plain ol' lesbian vampires." -The Lesbian 52 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.

Jude Silberfeld

Carmilla & Laura is a sexier, faster-paced retelling of Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu.

In her isolated castle, Laura isn’t unhappy, but she’s lonely. When a carriage accident brings a young woman to the schloss, Laura is immediately entranced by her new companion. Carmilla is beautiful and full of wit, despite the strange disease she suffers from. The attraction between them grows every day, undeterred by the plague that seems to be killing young women around them.

S.D. Simper’s version is pretty close to the original, with two main exceptions: the relationship between Carmilla and Laura is explicitly physical and Simper’s ending goes further than Le Fanu’s. The tone is different too, Le Fanu’s novella a cautionary tale, Simper’s a celebration.

While I would have loved it even more if Simper had drawn further away from the original, added more of her own imagination, she created a delightfully eerie atmosphere, which Lois Ridge carries seamlessly into her narration. Her Carmilla is charming and seductive, Laura couldn’t have resisted even if she had wanted to. I enjoyed Laura’s discovery of her desires, her journey to acceptance, and all the angst and yearning and longing…

Carmilla & Laura is a rather short listen, which readers of dark fantasy and lovers of lesbian vampires should enjoy.

Carmilla and Laura

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