What a bizarre little book! And far more horny than I expected? I'm glad I took my time reading it rather than devouring it (no pun intended) in one or two sittings like I tend to do with books I enjoy. I would have missed so much otherwise. A lot is going on, while also very little at all. I won't say much more to avoid spoilers. But blink and you might miss something.

If you are into sword-wielding lesbians, cannibalism, religious symbolism, and bees, this is the book for you! My advice- don't try to use logic, for there is none to be had in this book. Just strap in for the ride and follow the story; it won't disappoint.

The Book of Matthew says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

I personally am very fond of the axiom, “Religion is the opiate of the masses”. And Doctor Taylor Swift told us the road is hard and we can get lost when we’re led by blind faith.

I have a feeling The Starving Saints is a horror novel that will draw a lot of different analytic viewpoints over time as to what Caitlin Starling was trying to say or what the overall message was. As for my opinion? Well, I think it’s a parable for how the religious and conservative people in American society are horrifically exploited by the very people who are supposed to look out for their best interests and that their willful ignorance and blind faith only lulls them into a constant state of complacence that leave them ripe for devastation once the wolves come to town. No matter how the few people who want to save them and try their hardest to save them work it ultimately becomes a fruitless endeavor, because you cannot reach those who are deaf to your entreaties and lost in their own zealotry.

The Starving Saints straddles a very fine line between cosmic horror and religious horror as its main subgenre. While the religious order inside the walls of Aymar Castle (and the kingdom it belongs to) undoubtedly all worship the same set of saints led by The Constant Lady, the saints who enter Aymar Castle are not the same saints even though they wear the guise of them. Are they saints, gods, demons, monsters, or something else altogether? Now that’s where the cosmic element comes into play. There’s also another creature, down in the earth, that’s not a saint or with the company of the creatures above. What is it? All we know is that it hides and shadows and loves a good contract.

This book was everything I hoped it would be ever since I heard about it. It was one of my most-anticipated titles of the year and Starling didn’t disappoint. It was gory, unhinged, captivating, angry, and strangely sexy at times. I had a ton of fun. 5⭐️



I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Body Horror/Cosmic Horror/Feminist Horror/Historical Horror/Horror/LGBTQ Horror/Religious Horror/Sapphic

I cannot lie. I don't know how I truly feel about this book. I loved the premise. I loved the whole medieval, poly, lesbian, cannibalistic, horror aspect. I felt at times it was too dense and got confusing to where I would have to reread or stop reading and return to it. This book was definitely written for a certain audience. I wish I understood some of the antagonists better. Overall, this was a solid book. I just urge that it will not be for everyone.

Thank you NetGalley, Caitlin Starling, and Harper Voyager for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling is out today!

"She can trade one escort for another. A king is not so different from a madowman"

The Starving Saints was an incredible book that kept me on my toes with the story and characters.

The story was honestly so good! the elements of horror that slowly crept through the sides as the story developed was honestly the best part!!
I could not have guessed at the end how the story would end, but I sure as hell enjoyed the path to get there! Phosyne and Voynes' development and relationship had me losing my mind, truly one of a kind wlw horror book! Please give it a chance, and beware of the horrors you will encounter in Aymar Castle

Eat or be eaten.

Lady knight seems to be becoming a trend, and since I am an original Alanna stan, I'm all for it. There were so many things I loved about this book: the eerie, unsettling, and claustrophic atmosphere of Aymar Castle, gory depictions of the delirious and hedonistic bacchanalia, exploration of the morality of actions taken in desperation, experiencing scenes through multiple POVs, everything about our three main characters. At times it felt like the plot was going in circles, and the ending was a bit too tidy for my taste, but overall a fantastic read. Also, I learned a bunch of fun new medieval words like gambeson and contravallation!

Read if you like: Brienne of Tarth, Tamora Pierce's Alanna, Yellowjackets, alchemy, beekeeping.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the free e-ARC!

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling is a visceral fever dream of a novel, and I loved every minute of it. Starling creates an exquisite balance between gory and beautiful, and continually keeps you unsure of what is real. It is set in a besieged medieval castle and told from the perspective of three women (a mad woman, a lady knight, and a noblewoman turned servant set on revenge), and there is some great sapphic love in there. I could not put this book down and can't wait for the next book by Caitlin Starling (if you haven't read The Death of Jane Lawrence, I highly recommend that one, too!). I would especially recommend The Starving Saints to fans of Gideon the Ninth.

A castle under siege. Three women forced to find freedom from their strife. And the intoxicating draw of The Saints, –the potential saviors of the people. Can the inhabitants of Aymar Castle make it out alive with their sanity and souls intact?

The Starving Saints lives up to the promise of an “intensely atmospheric fever dream of medieval horror”. It's one of the darkest novels I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

I was transfixed, horrified, and ultimately unnerved throughout the whole of the novel. I felt like I was slowly losing my touch with reality as I followed the interlocking narratives of three extremely unreliable characters. Did I understand the entirety of this book? Absolutely not. Did I have a fun time? Also no. Is it one of the best books I've read this year? Yes, hands down.

I had to read in small chunks, savoring each tidbit. Slowly immersing myself into the madness of Aymar Castle. And it was madness incarnate. Nothing prepared me, or the inhabitants, for what was about to transpire.

Starling is a master with words and descriptions. I’ve never had such a visceral response to a book I was reading. There were so many times when I felt ill, lost my appetite, or felt claustrophobic and anxious. I had no idea how anything would turn out.

If you are looking for something unlike anything you've ever read, then look no further. Because once you get a taste, you'll only be craving more.

For the queer horror fans who enjoyed the magical element of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. The greatest horror interpretation of fae I have ever seen, the hungry ones, the ones if air and made of stomachs. Amazing

Thank you to the author and publisher for access to an advanced reader copy via Netgalley!

This is an unsettling and propulsive read with witchy, cannibalistic, gothic horror themes. A story of women using their power and sacrificing to survive. The descriptions of the women's trials and their dialogue provoked visceral emotions. A must-read for lovers of sapphic medieval horror!

WOOOW! what such a crazy and amazing read!! the vibes are so unsettling in the absolute best way and it made for such an interesting and spooky read. it took me a couple chapters to get into, but i quickly was sick reading and hated putting it down because i was dying to know what would happen next. the characters were all so amazing and it was so fun to read. i absolutely am a sucker for unreliable narrators so this book was great for me. such an amazing read and will definitely be something that i tell others to check out if they enjoy horror!

A Sapphic Hieronymus Bosch bacchanal with honeyed, cannibalistic saints, sulphuric shadow creatures, blessed cisterns, hungry crevices, and claustrophobic conundrums that demand either miracles or flesh. What a wild ride! If you’ve ever wondered what Julian of Norwich got up to, you’ll love this.

A madwoman, a knight, and a fallen-from-grace former royal—now a servant girl—come together to form the strangest of trios.
The Starving Saints is horrific, magical, and transfixed by a bizarre religious psychosis that kept me in a fever dream. I could never guess what would happen next.

Caitlin Starling has crafted something that’s equal parts body horror, folk horror, medieval horror, and religious horror—all blended with decrepitude, gore, and honey into a kind of alchemical slurry of lesbian yearning.

I was carried along aimlessly, not really caring or worrying where things were going, wandering through dark castle corridors as everything grew darker and weirder. Eventually, it all unraveled—perhaps a bit too much for my liking. Still, I believe Starling has created something entirely new and remarkably fresh, even if many of the tropes she uses are familiar. This is a work of art.

This was a real crazy roller coaster ride. Dark gothic horror set in a crumbling castle with a starving population, this book descends further and further into madness as it goes on. It’s a dark magic cannibalistic fever dream, and I’m not sure how to feel! The pacing of this didn’t really work for me, it felt kind of clunky and the set up for the major plot points in the book took too long. I did like the characterization of the three women in the book, I love a crazy unhinged woman and this was full of them. The writing was very evocative, you can definitely feel the desperation from both the starvation and the situation. I think more regular horror readers may enjoy this more, but for a casual horror reader I did not connect well with it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review! This was a really fun one. Some of my favorite things about this was the variety in the characters individual voices. It made it super easy for me to identify who was narrating from the beginning, especially when we are introduced to so many characters. I also really loved the vivid descriptions, especially the gore and body-horror in this was just really well done. On top of that, I, of course, loved the romance and I have a huge crush on Voyne now....

I do think that the plot moved a little slowly and I found some of the points confusing. I found myself rereading a lot of portions simply because I was getting confused. That could be a me problem, so take that with a grain of salt.

Overall, I had a fun time with this! Once again, thank you for providing me this ARC!

I really don't have much to say other than the creepy medieval vibes were immaculate. I was sucked into this story from the first chapter. Definitely a solid story for anyone who likes medieval horror.

Caitlin Starling does it again! The Starving Saints was like a fever dream. Dreamy and disgusting and creepy and I couldn't put it down.

Darkly atmospheric, unsettling, and surreal, The Starving Saints paints an intense portrait of three women simply trying to survive a world that tries to tear them down. Aymar Castle has been under siege for months and is now completely out of food. Phosyne is the resident heretic and witch who has been ostracized from her religious order, yet is tasked by the king to come up with a miracle to feed the people. Ser Voyne sits at the king’s right hand and prides herself on her protection of the castle, but wishes she could do more and was treated less like a prized guard dog. And Treila is an unassuming servant girl who actually is an orphaned and homeless princess who is intent on seeking revenge on the people that killed her family, including Voyne. As these women struggle against expectations from the king, their responsibilities, and their missions, something sinister is sneaking its way into the castle. The castle falls into madness and chaos quickly from there, as the three women try to survive, strike bargains, come into their own power and strength, and once again learn what it means to lean on someone else.

Fast-paced, at times chaotic, and incredibly dark, I had no idea how this story was going to play out. The castle descends into darkness and madness so quickly—in similar ways to how you might make poor decisions but the only defense you have is “it just happened”—that I was simply pulled along with the tide. The fast pace of this book helped justify the strong hold the creatures and madness had over the castle, but it also meant that sometimes it wasn’t the easiest to follow the magic system. While this may have been a feature of the story as the women were also figuring out the magic as they went, it wasn’t the easiest to understand. And yet, by the end of the book, and despite some minor confusion over how the magic worked, I was rooting for each of the women to be as vicious as they needed to be in order to win. Sometimes you just love women going feral.

Unapologetically queer, brutal, and grotesque this book is definitely not for the faint of heart, but if you like horror and fantasy, and women going feral, then this is the one for you.

I loved this book! I used it for my r/fantasy bingo prompt this year and I am so glad I read it. I love reading about female knights and when you add sapphic elements to it, perfect. This story was so entertaining and gripping and I am so thankful I got an early copy of it.

Starving Saints opens up with a castle and it’s people under siege, quickly running out of food and barely holding on thanks to a miracle performed by Phosyne, a nun turned alchemist. Having left behind a life of the faith, Phosyne managed what her former order could not and cleansed the waters of the castle that had been sickening the people. Unfortunately, by accomplishing one miracle, she then is tasked with performing another: create a solution to their starvation. Placed under surveillance and with time quickly running out, Phosyne struggles to find a solution... and then four mysterious saviors appear, promising food for the desperate.

Throughout the novel, we are presented with an intense, surreal experience, questioning the limits of human debauchery when presented with their own mortality. The desperation of the starved poured off the pages as the pressure increased like a corked bottle, until it burst into a Bacchanalian frenzy of consumption, both of food and of the body. Furthermore, this descent of madness consistently reinforces a strong bond between food and the mere acting of feeding another, creating power boundaries through the experience of hosting. I found myself taken in just as much as the characters with their thirst for knowledge—where did these saints come from, what did they want, and what would be the breaking point for this castle? Would anyone survive their terror?

I loved every part of this book, from the intense relationships between our main characters that brimmed with sapphic energy to the dark descent of the besieged into depravity. Most of all I loved the Saints, glorious, powerfully cruel, and oh so hungry. I have already raved about Starving Saints to several people and recommend it to any who enjoy dark, religious horror. For those looking for catalog purchases, this is a solid choice to add for any horror collection.

Dark, haunting, unsettling, this book will slowly work its way under your skin until nothing but dread remains. The best way to describe this book is a sapphic medieval horror fantasy, but if you were having a fever dream. I am a lover of horror, but this book is a different breed; there is nothing that Starling does not throw at us, and it makes for the most enticing concoction.

My only complaint and reason for giving 4 stars rather than 5 is the first half of the book was slow, almost too slow. But I will say, when I finally reached the second half, everything fell into place. I am so happy that I stuck it out because this is one I will be talking about for ages.

If you are a fan of the horror genre, please read this! I akin this to books like The Unworthy, Bunny, with a sprinkle of Tender is the Flesh. This is one novel I cannot stress enough to check the trigger warning and do your research if you are in any way squeamish.

Thank you, Harper Voyager and Harper Collins, for the opportunity to read and review this arc. This is one that will forever haunt me in the best ways.

This one took me a while to get through because of the sheer terror it instilled in me. I don't often get genuinely scared while reading horror, but something about the utterly alien (and brilliantly built) world, the terror of religious fervor gone wrong, the isolation, and the inability for characters to trust their view of reality (or the views of others) really got to me here. I loved all of the characters with their many, MANY flaws -- even (or maybe especially) the saints themselves. I also learned that bees were an important part of medieval Christian theology, which adds a layer of realism and terror to all of this. I felt like the soundtrack to Eggers's The Witch was blasting in my head the whole way through.