House of Hunger
House of Hunger is a gothic horror novel by Alexis Henderson set in an alternate 18th-century world where the aristocracy survives through a gruesome ritual: consuming the blood of their servants. Marion Shaw, a young woman from the slums of Prane, takes a job at the House of Hunger after seeing an advertisement for a new bloodmaid — and finds herself drawn into Lisavet Bathory's decadent, deadly court. As she rises in favor among the other maids, she is chosen to replace Cecilia as Lisavet's favorite, unaware that the position comes with a terrible price.
A young woman from the slums of Prane who becomes a bloodmaid at the House of Hunger, and is later chosen to replace Cecilia as Lisavet's favorite.
The Countess of the House of Hunger, afflicted with a hereditary illness called the Hunger that requires her to consume the blood and life force of young women; she is based on the historical Elizabeth Báthory.
The First Bloodmaid at the House of Hunger, a woman who served Lisavet for years before being replaced by Marion and later imprisoned beneath the manor.
A nobleman of the House of Fog and Lisavet's nearest living relative, whom Marion approaches for help escaping the House of Hunger.
A Taster at the House of Hunger who evaluates Marion's blood when she first arrives, and hints at the darkness underlying the household.
House of Hunger was a finalist for the 2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Horror, though it did not win (the award went to Jason Rekulak's Hidden Pictures).