It was an interesting plot and the idea was executed well. It was a really enjoyable read and something about the writing just captivated me. Warning: once you start reading it you are not going to want to put it down. More of my review to come on my instagram!

The Starving Saints.. took me a lot of effort to get through. I can't say I was ever really gripped by the story, but I don't regret reading it.

This book's greatest flaw is that it never gives the reader a reason to care about anything that's happening: there isn't a single likeable character and we never get to know our unlikable characters very well, there isn't even an overarching plot or obvious *reason* why anything is happening.
It takes about a quarter of the book for the pace to pick up (this is reasonable but I almost didn't make it) and then it's just a cannibalistic fever dream to the end (not my thing I guess or maybe I just wanted it to be done differently).

You should definitely NOT read this if you are sensitive to topics related to food or the lack of it.

You *should* read this if:
> • you can appreciate a meal of perfectly prepared roast human, AND
> • you enjoy historical fiction with religious elements, OR
> • you enjoy a revenge story but aren't too invested in the payoff.

*Thank you to Harper Voyager for providing me an e-ARC of this book.*

The Starving Saints is an unsettling, gory, and utterly glorious story of horror with a dread-soaked setting that feels like a fever dream.

This isn’t just horror; it’s a feast of it. Starling doesn’t hold your hand, she trusts you to keep up as the story spirals into madness, where faith becomes feral and power is something you swallow whole. The cannibalism is literal and metaphorical, the horror as much about the body as it is about the soul.

If you love The Terror as much as I did, The Starving Saints will ruin you in the best way. It’s dark, hypnotic, and completely unforgettable. One of the most exciting horror books I’ve read in ages.

5/5, would let it consume me again.

This was a well-written book, but it didn’t really feel like a horror to me. I agree with everyone who has said that it’s atmospheric because it definitely is however, I’m finding that I’m a little picky when it comes to horror and this just didn’t cut it for me. There were aspects of the plot that I liked - I enjoyed the dynamic between our three main characters. I also loved the character development with these characters. They were dynamic and helped grow the story. The book felt more like a fantasy in some ways than it did a horror, but I think maybe that’s because I need to broaden my definition of horror a little bit. I love the author of this story, so I’m sure that’s what it is. Or maybe it’s just one that didn’t click. I don’t still think it’s worth the read because it might be something that resonates with a lot of people. Medieval horror is a niche genre.

The medieval horror elements and atmosphere in this novel were great. You are thrown into the chaos of this story and must accept the madness. I wished that we got more background information on the world and circumstances.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the arc.

3 stars
——————

I have incredibly mixed thoughts about this book.

I love the idea of this one. Medieval queers and cannibalism? Sign me up! The plot was interesting, the writing was beautiful, but the actual execution of it felt disjointed and confusing. I found the pacing to be a little slow to start, but it does eventually pick up nicely. I liked the prose, but it felt too modern at times. The setting and vibes were great, but couldn’t make up for the rest of the book.

I couldn’t find myself connecting with the characters. They sort of blended together and without context, it was hard to distinguish them at times. Our main characters were messy in a good way for the most part, which worked really well for the most part. But again, they just blurred into one. I liked the execution of the Saints. They really make the story interesting and engaging.

I loved individual aspects of the book, but as a whole, I was just confused. I almost DNFed more than once because I had no idea what was happening.

2.5 i wanted so bad for this to be a 5 star!!! Immediately drawn in by the medieval tale of 3 very different women and their roles in this castle under siege. This sounds like something I’d absolutely love.

And it was, at first. But there’s a turning point in the story when things stop making sense and start feeling like scenes from someone’s fever dreams placed together. We are all over the place and coherency felt like it flew out the window. Which is a shame because this was really cool in theory and the writing and atmosphere was beautiful.

I love Starling’s work for the fantastic ideas, and sometimes the stories as a whole work really well. This one just didn’t meet the mark for my personal taste.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an e-arc of this book for me to read!

Visceral, feverish and utterly gripping. A claustrophobic and ruinous medieval descent into madness. In The Starving Saints, Caitlin Starling weaves a that explores themes of faith, desperation, and the grotesque.

The story unfolds through three women: Phosyne, an excommunicated nun turned sorceress, Ser Voyne, a war hero bound by duty and Treila, a serving girl with a thirst for vengeance. As the castle's residents face starvation, the arrival of the Constant Lady and her Saints offers a twisted idea of salvation. However, their miracles come at a cost, leading the trio to confront the darkness that casts a shadow over it all.

Starling's writing is both poetic and unsettling and I felt immersed in a world where the line between the sacred and the profane blurs. The medieval setting is richly detailed, if disjointed and disorienting, which enhances the sense of claustrophobia and decay that permeates every page.

Don’t expect an explanation for everything, as I felt that not every decision made by the characters had clear justifications. Despite that, I enjoyed moments where my mind was allowed to wander into the unknown with a guiding hand by Starling’s eerie scene setting. In a book so full of madness and indulgence, I willingly went with her into the dark.

The Starving Saints is a haunting read that you will likely enjoy if you are a big fan of dark fantasy and psychological horror. I was definitely excited to read a modern medieval horror by an author I was highly anticipating reading more from! Overall, I seriously enjoyed where Starling has gone with her writing and style and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for us as readers.

Aymar Castle, filled with hundreds of people, has been under siege for half a year. No outside assistance is forthcoming, and supplies are running perilously low. As the residents contemplate unforgivable options for sustenance, a group of divine beings headed by the Constant Lady appear with food. But a few people in the castle realize something is terribly off about these supposed saints…

This is an unsettling, atmospheric little novel full of cannibalism, false deities, and sapphic relationships. I think a lot of people will really like it because the vibes are great. There are three POV characters: Phosyne (an eccentric former nun turned sorceress), Ser Voyne (a skilled knight with a dark past), and Treila (a serving girl with a thirst for revenge). Each has a backstory that influences their current actions and their relationships with other characters.

My main complaint is the worldbuilding, which some other reviewers have also mentioned. This is billed as medieval horror; however, it’s set in another world/universe that has some superficial similarities to our Middle Ages but differs in a lot of small and large ways. For example, the religious order combines theology with engineering and beekeeping and appears to be staffed exclusively with women. Women are also knights. Magic, in at least some limited capacity, is present but much of it is also out of the ordinary. But we also don’t know how women generally function in society, why the castle is under a siege, if it’s strategically an important castle, and on and on. It makes the world feel unmoored and pretty hazy from the start, and I found it difficult to invest myself in the story, which in turn decreases the impact of the creeping chaos.

I read the same author’s book Last to Leave the Room and didn’t care for it. I liked this one much more.

A small, imprisoned kingdom on the brink of starvation realize one thing- no help is coming. Voyne, as many as right to be by the side the king but forever forsaken for being born to the wrong gender. She is tasked with overseeing the madwoman, a woman possibly able to help in hopes of conjuring food, water and the hopes of salvation. But before she can set to work on her “magic”, the Saints arrive with a plethora of what can leave them full; but full of what and at what cost?

A historical novel written with people on the hopes of desperation, as nothing more desperate than no food, no water- and the descriptions do not hold back. Once the Saints enter, I was left wondering how much could be what was happening and how much was the delusion of starving. I enjoyed the depth of religion the author goes into- the falsehood of what can fill you; like if you’re full, does it matter what it is and if it’s wrong, where it came from? Where is the line between what is right and what is surviving? Where does your faith align when your life is on the line?

Faith is complicated- leaving you in a moment of
Following it blind or when you question it. And the slow detail in some of the horror moments, the way the author drew it out, I was happy I wasn’t eating at the time. For all the attention to the building horror and gory moments, there were some plot details that couldn’t quite convince me specifically regarding decisions main characters made.

Be forewarned, it feels like being dropped in the middle of a story; little to no plot set up but more character focus as the story progresses. I would have enjoyed a little more imagery for scenery- although the lack of what was created gave an air of claustrophobia, which felt relevant to the story. A haunting story even with the confusing ending dragged out.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC Copy!

Where do I even start with this book. I was so excited to read this when I saw the cover because what can that even represent and let me tell you that the cover for this book is the absolute best representation for the interior of a book that I have ever seen.

This book was a wild ride from the start to the finish. There were times I had absolutely no idea what was going on but that was completely okay with me. I am so interested in other books by this author because this was one of the most unique reading experiences that I have ever had, and if you are able to stomach it (check your trigger warnings) this is such a wonderful and weirdly enjoyable books I have read this year.

Prepare to not eat for DAYS!

Caitlin Starling is the author who makes me forget how to breathe. Her books instill claustrophobia and intense panic while I read them (AND I LOVE IT)! Every single book I've read by her has instilled such visceral reactions that I always find myself clamoring for more! The Starving Saints is a continuation of all of these feelings. Set in a medieval castle under siege, I already felt like the massive stone walls were closing in by the end of the first chapter of the book.

Another fantastic element of this story is that we get 3 main character perspectives that alternate across chapters. This made this story fly by, as each perspective made sure the pacing was consistent, and I was desperate to know what was going to happen to our three heroines. And the horrific plot elements ensured that a happy ending was not promised. I found myself cringing and having to put the story down at certain parts because of how descriptive and devious some of the sequences were.

The climax of this story is not one readers are going to see coming. It is devious, disturbed, and horrible. However, it is also exceptional. It is powerful and engaging and it felt RIGHT for all the characters that Caitlin Starling built in this world. If you're a long-time fan, get ready for a new favorite book in the Starling family, and if you're just discovering Starling, buckle up for a wild and medieval RIDE!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

This is one of the best books I have read so far this year.

This book is a dark, surreal fever dream, the atmosphere is tense and haunting, the saints are weird and unsettling, the MCs are twisted and unhinged, the relationships between them is toxic and obsessive, the cannibalism was gruesome and immaculate!!

Power is a overarching theme in this book, in the way power is welded over the protagonists, and the power they weld over each other. It was endlessly fascinating to watch this play out in the decisions they make and in their resulting dynamics.

I don't want to give too much away so I'll end here. 10 out of 10, I love cannibalism and toxic yuri.

Lush, haunting, and utterly hypnotic, this gothic marvel blends medieval horror with divine dread in the most intoxicating way. The prose is razor-sharp, the atmosphere thick with dread, and the characters unforgettable. A surreal, blood-soaked masterpiece that lingers like a fever dream—bold, bizarre, and breathtaking from start to finish.

What the hell did I just read? This book was equal parts WTF horror and folk horror, which are two of my favorite horror subgenres. The publisher did not lie in describing this as a fever dream. It's very much a disorienting spiral of horror. The three POVs are well written and distinct, which I appreciated. The horror here is very implied - meaning that you see it, but it's not in your face. I don't know how better to explain it. It's so atmospheric, and the tension builds and builds until you feel as though something has GOT to give. Starling really created something unique here, and this is definitely my favorite of three books of hers that I have read. If you enjoy horror books that feel like you went into surgery and had some FREAKY dreams while under, then this one is a hit!

Kicking off Lady Knight Summer with a viscera-and honey-soaked FEAST! THE STARVING SAINTS is a medieval fever dream—complete with mind control, magic, and three beautifully flawed queer women.

Caitlin Starling is one of the few authors I trust to lead me outside my comfort zone, and she has done so once again with SAINTS. I’m not typically a fan of cannibalism, but Starling refines it into something captivating—and dare I say… sexy?!

Caitlin’s ability to build suspense and evoke dread has always been top-tier, but here, her mastery of the craft truly shines. THE STARVING SAINTS, with its dense, sweltering, surrealistic atmosphere and macabre bacchanal of flesh, had me in a chokehold from start to finish.

5/5 • Not just a new favorite Caitlin Starling book, but a new all-time favorite!

Thank you to Harper-Voyager & Netgalley for the ARC!

When I first heard the premise of Caitlin Starling’s latest novel, I knew instantly that it was going to be something special. Set in a medieval castle in the midst of a brutal siege, “The Starving Saints” follows three women doing everything they can to survive. But when four seemingly divine beings appear from nowhere claiming to bring salvation, things become even stranger and deadlier than anyone thought possible.

“The Starving Saints” may have officially stolen the crown from “The Luminous Dead” and become my favorite Starling novel — and if you know how I feel about cave horror, you KNOW what a big deal that is. “Saints” is Starling at her strangest, her creepiest, her goriest, her most unhinged. Even better, “Saints” is also an exploration of madness, trauma, and how to survive in a world where the rules have suddenly changed. AND it’s got a trio of some of the most unhinged and morally gray lesbians you ever did see.

“The Starving Saints” by Caitlin Starling is out on 5/20 — and it’s an experience you won’t want to miss. Many thanks to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this e-galley!

oh wow! this was such an atmospheric novel full of gore, tenderness, longing and medieval horrors. I enjoyed every page, all the characters were so enticing and i am obsessed with the dynamics between all three of the main characters. The prose of this novel was great, the story was intense, and i loved every second. The lesbian cannibalism book of everyone's dreams. messy and perfect and more than a little disgusting, i absolutely adored this.

Filled with nuns, knights, and cannibalism, THE STARVING SAINTS is a fever dream in book form. Think Yellowjackets but make it medieval Catholicism. Vivid and gory (but not gratuitous), this book will get inside your head and make you think twice about eating meat for a bit. A ridiculously talented author who writes some of the best horror I’ve ever read. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Weird cannibalistic maybe-medieval setting horror but with some modern language woven throughout so hard to define a specific time period. The book takes place within the walls of Aymar Castle where the inhabitants are starving as enemy forces continue to attack in an attempt to seize the castle.

We have three women with intersecting fates. Phosyne previously worked for the main prioress (although their focus is much more science-y than religious) but has split off on her own thanks to the help of a knight. Ser Voyne is a super badass female knight who’s been a bit limited by her king previously. Trelia works and lives inside the castle and has taken to catching rats to sell to others. Hunger is everywhere and the supplies are dwindling. All the iron has been turned into ammunition and no one is able to enter or leave the castle. When some religious icons appear in the flesh, will it be their salvation? Or is something more sinister stirring?

I really enjoyed this one. This is my third work by Starling and all three books are vastly different. From historical horror to space mining Starling proves she can write a book in virtually any setting and have you completely captivated. The characters were great and it’s a female lead book, which I always appreciate. I did struggle a bit with the supernatural aspects. The abilities of different characters seemed to be constantly in flux which made it hard to totally grasp the lore. It’s totally possible Starling explained this all very well and my brain just missed it, but at times it added a bit of confusion for me. Overall this was another excellent read by Starling and I can’t wait to check out her next book.