this was the perfect read for my euro trip!! reading a grotesque medieval horror story while walking through castles and churches that are thousands of years old was SO fun and really felt like i was in the book. i highly enjoyed this one and would recommend it if you have a strong stomach and are into cannibalism, lesbians, and religious hysteria LOL. so lucky to have gotten the opportunity to read this early as an ARC from NetGalley! this one comes out on may 20th and i definitely encourage y’all to pick it up 🫀🏰✨

Thank you Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is like if Caitlin Starling peered into my brain and decided to give me the deranged, depraved, debauched fever dream of my dreams. Queer medieval horror rife with cannibalism and toxic women and evil bees and twisted religion, OH BABY, TELL ME MORE.

The Starving Saints is fun and weird, and the atmosphere was incredible. I think by this point I’ve read every book Starling has put out, and while I think this one is probably my favorite, it’s also Very Much a Caitlin Starling book in that it’s a mindfuck and a little unhinged. I loved this because the atmosphere, imagery, and overall content were almost tailored to my preferences, but I imagine this will be difficult for people who want something a little neater, in terms of wrap-up and overall narrative. The sense of impending doom is wonderful and I will be thinking of this strange little book for a long, long time.

There is so much to dissect about this story. It was at once unpredictable, visceral, and engaging. Rarely do I find a story where I can't see what's coming next, and this one managed to actually keep me guessing.

It's a fantastical horror set in a besieged castle where the inhabitants can't leave -- and they're running out of food fast. I was hooked on our three main characters: Phosyne (the so-called "madwoman" and a sort of mage who is tasked with generating an impossible miracle to feed the castle), Voyne (the woman knight and king's right hand who is assigned to be Phosyne's minder until that miracle is produced), and Treila (an outsider with a deadly grudge against Voyne).

It seemed that every time I felt I knew what this book was about, it upped the ante a little more. And then when the truly supernatural occurred, I could no longer predict anything.

I thought the main theme would be the desperation that occurs when humans are backed against the wall in this way, when survival becomes the main objective while no one can run away. And yes, that was definitely true. But also, I was delighted to see how it presented a critical look at unfettered obedience in the context of religious beliefs. It also turned a critical lens upon the corruptibility of power.

My only real critique is that I could feel myself losing the thread in places during the last third or so, and perhaps because it seemed to be running a bit long at that point (and things had truly become the slippery sort of fantastical). This was not unlike my experience with The Death of Jane Lawrence by the same author. However, that didn't stop me from loving the book over all, and finding the premise and execution very interesting.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

This was phenomenal, like, I really don't know what else to say. It's this weird, horrific, blood soaked little fever dream of a book and while technically I don't think it was a full 5 stars in my own rating system, for the sake of NetGalley and everything else it certainly was because, damn. I honestly don't want to say too much about this book, because I feel like it's better to go in mostly blind. The one thing I will say is that the first really BIG thing doesn't happen until around the 25% or so mark, but I just didn't really mind, because everything else that was happening was so terrible and we were still building up this sense of dread, because you just know things had to get worse. This whole book though was just SO GOOD. I loved the multiple POVs, and our three main characters all brought something else to the table. I also think that this is one of those books that you might get more out of the slower you read, and will probably be just as good if not better on a re-read, so after some time I do plan on revisiting this one, and I'm honestly excited about it, because I'll be curious to see how it changes my understanding of what happens, and what things I'll pick up that I ended up missing this time around. If possible you'll probably want to check the trigger warnings on this one, because there are a variety of things in here that could cause someone some distress if they're blindsided by them, as well as some things that will put people off, but if you think you can handle it I would highly recommend giving it a shot because it's so worth it. I will 100% be writing a shelf talker for this, and I've already talked this book up to several co workers, and can't wait to do so for customers when it comes out. I think out of the three books by Starling that I've read this is my favorite, and while it wasn't perfect (there were some confusing elements and the romance - if you can call it that - elements I feel could have been done away with), but overall's so much more good than not. Unfortunately I don't see this book blowing up (although I really do think it should), but hopefully it does well enough that we get more books by Starling, and it's certainly made me want to read the other book by her that I haven't gotten around to yet. I'm also very excited for whatever we see from her in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing an ARC of this book.

I wanted to love this so badly. The cover, the synopsis, the reviews, everything pointed to this being a great read but unfortunately it fell flat for me.

First of all, the names. How do you even pronounce half of them? It was honestly distracting and made it hard to get into the rhythm of reading.

There were so many things that desperately needed deeper explanations. A ton of stuff was happening, and there seemed to be some kind of magic system for certain characters, but none of it was explained at all.

Personally, the only likable character for me was the crack in the wall. There was no depth to any of the three FMCs, and I felt they didn’t have much of a connection with one another either. I’m confused by the reviews that mention sapphic love interests because, aside from a couple of random kisses, there was no actual romance going on.

The whole book honestly felt like a mess. It was painfully slow, yet had too much going on at the same time. A lot of what happened didn’t really make much sense. This book did not need three POVs from characters all in the same residence, nor did it need to be as long as it was, everything became repetitive after a while.

The horror aspects were fine, but the way the cannibalism was portrayed made it feel more flowery than grotesque, which took away from its shock value.

Overall, I’m left with so many questions, and I wish I had DNFed this one during one of the several times I wanted to throughout the read.

I WANT ANOTHER ONE! I'd love to know what happened to the three women after they left the fortress, but I also loved that it ended there. It was wonderful to see three women starving, one for knowledge, one for justice, and one for revenge and how it effected them each in turn. It was creepy, cooky, and all together wonderfully dark. I devoured this book. And I'm starving for more

Medieval horror featuring bees, body horror, cannibalism, heretics, madness, magic, sapphics, and worshippers.

“The Starving Saints” is set in Aymar castle. It has been under siege for six months, food is scarce, and help is not coming. When the king is considering thinning their number, a miracle happens-the Saints arrive. They bring with them relief, food, and prosperity. They want something in return-they want worship. The story follows Phosyne a paranoid nun-turned-sorceress, Ser Voyne-a knight and war hero, and Treila-a former noble turned serving girl, as they try to navigate survival and escape the castle.

A fever dream of a slow (mostly off screen) descent that dives into a staggering on screen madness, prose that is atmospheric and a little unhinged, detailed in the loss of control, the nerves, the struggles, the dreamlike and ethereal figures. It was a little bit all over the place but I found it an unsettling but enjoyable read.

This book has so many elements that I really loved. It is weird and dark and gross in the best ways. It features complex female characters and surreal fantasy and medieval horror. The writing is beautiful and atmospheric. The pacing felt a bit off for me but it is definitely worth the read in my opinion!

This book follows three women, Voyne, Phosyne, and Treila, who are stuck in a city under siege for six months, facing hunger, sickness, and death.The story is dark and full of wild, messed-up moments with really weird and interesting ideas… but I couldn’t stop reading! The characters were super well written and I really got to see all sides of them, not just the good or bad. The writing was clear and easy to follow and it really fit the time period while still being easy to read.

this was a wild, gross, disturbingly addictive read. Such a cool premise. Go in blind and enjoy the crazy ride

** Thank you so much to NetGalley/Avon and Harper Voyager for this eARC of The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling. Expected pub date is May 20, 2025.**

I recently read The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling and I absolutely loved that book! Naturally, I had to request her upcoming novel on NetGalley, and I was so excited when I was approved.
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On the surface, this novel has all the things my dark little heart enjoys in a story-but sadly, it just didn't work for me. I'm so, so bummed too! I love Dark Fantasy so much, but then to couple it with Horror- this should of been right up my alley.
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The story itself grabbed my attention within the first few chapters, but around 50% in things started to become repetitive and confusing. There is cannibalism in this book and honestly none of it was really that descriptive or gross. I mean, I wasn't expecting extreme horror/splatterpunk vibes, but I felt that the envelope could of been pushed a bit more.
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I'm not a reader that needs a lot of word fluff/descriptors- but it seemed like the author would push you to get interested in the scene/item/person/thing- then just abruptly leave everything to your imagination? This left me feeling intrigued but confused for the last half of the novel. I kept reading to the end in hopes of getting a more detailed idea of who/what the Saints were- but I feel like that question was never really answered.
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I think if there was a little bit more world building, I probably would of loved this novel. The story was a cool idea and Caitlin Starling is a phenomenal writer. The prose in the book is beautiful! I just wish I didn't feel so confused.

Gothic horror, dark fantasy, complex women, religion, cannibalism, The Starving Saints has all that and much more, and I devoured every bit of it. Yes, that pun was very much intended.

Caitlin Starling sets her tale in Aymar Castle, a medieval castle under siege, where too many people are packed in and food is quickly running out. The story is told from the perspective of three women trapped within the castle: Phosyne, a disgraced nun who may or may not be able to perform miracles, Trelia, a servant girl with a dark and tragic past, and Ser Voyne, a knight with a shadowy connection to one of the other women. The perspectives shift throughout the book between the three women, giving readers a fuller view of what's happening inside the castle walls and the women's minds.

The story takes a minute to get going, as Starling takes her time, building a fever dream of a world that takes readers inside the claustrophobic and terrifying castle. She allows an oppressive tension to grow as the madness inside the walls slowly unfolds, giving readers the nauseating feeling that they, too, are trapped along with every other living and unliving soul within Aymar Castle's foreboding walls.

By the time the "saints" of the title appear, I could not put this book down. The tension, horror, violence, and despair are thick, and I had to know what was coming next, even though I knew it couldn't be anything good for the people trapped within the castle. To say more would be to ruin the surprises of The Starving Saints, so I'll leave you with a line from the book that I think perfectly encompasses horror within: "If you stay,' he says, eyes shining in the evening light, 'it is eat or be eaten. But I promise I'll make it good." I highly suggest you stay because The Starving Saints isn't to be missed.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc.

This one has a bit of everything. Saints, sinners, cannibals. Starvation, gluttony, finger eating cracks in the rocks? It's a wild ride with LGBTQIA sexual tension, magic, demons, fairy/vampires, knights, nuns, and strange amounts of trypophobia.

This unfortunately didn't hit for me. I got about 50% and then I DNF'd simply because I couldn't stay engaged. I thought the writing was incredibly atmospheric and beautiful, but the story wasn't engaging enough for me. This is one I will probably pick up again at a later date, but for now, this just isn't for me.

4.5 stars rounded down. This book was SO GOOD.

The Starving Saint follows three very different women: Phosyne, a nun turned miracle working "mad-woman," Treila, a former noble woman plotting her revenge, and Ser Voyne, a knight. In the beseiged Aymar castle, the population is starving until mysterious strangers arrive inside the gates. What follows is a dark, twisted fever dream. Cannibals, bees, mysterious finger eating creatures, oh my!

I absolutely devoured this book and can't wait for its release. I will definitely be purchasing a copy for my shelf.

Highly recommend as a great delve into the horror genre for fantasy readers.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Voyager for the digital ARC.

RIYL: Medieval horror, cannibalism as metaphor for (queer) desire, knights

Let’s get this out of the way first: The Starving Saints is sick as hell. It’s one of my favorite reads of the year so far, blending a mythic surreal horror with a messy and compelling triangle of flawed women trying to survive in their own ways. If medieval horror, cannibalism as metaphor for queer desire, and knights are up your alley, I think you’ll love this one.

Everyone in the Starving Saints is hungry from the beginning. The castle of Aymar - from which we only briefly emerge - is besieged on all sides by their hated enemy and its denizens are already down to meager subsistence. The fact that they’ve survived this long is only due to the mechanical inventions of their beekeeping religious order, and the bizarre miracle of water purification stumbled into by one of the order’s apostates, the resident madwoman Phosyne. The Order worships clear and rigorous science alongside the veneration of five holy Saints, putting them at odds with Phosyne, whose occasional bursts of magic come from metaphor, from synecdoche, from agreements and promises. This is how what some call magic has usually been practiced throughout human societies; we are pattern-seeking creatures of narrative, and our sense of magic flows in the opposite direction as our scientific methods. But magic in fantasy stories rarely works that way anymore, especially given the prediction of the rationalized magic systems of Dungeons & Dragons and the works of Brandon Sanderson, making it all the more strange and compelling here.

Phosyne has been tasked with working another miracle; this time, to provide food for the dying castle, ordered directly by the king. To push her along in this process, he assigns his personal guard and renowned general Voyne to keep watch over Phosyne. Voyne is the classical knight; a warrior of great skill and brutality eager for the simple purpose of obedience, to swing her sword at whoever the person with her leash commands. And rounding out the trio is a young noblewoman-turned-anonymous-scullery-maid named Treila, the proverbial rat in the cellars, desperate to survive at all costs and fixated on enacting vengeance for the execution of her father at the blade of Voyne herself. I really loved each of these characters; I especially appreciated how each pairing drew different parts of their personalities out, confronted them with different questions and desires. Each one feels like an archetype fighting to free herself from the bounds of our expectations.

Early on in the book, something truly uncanny enters the castle, seemingly to aid its dying people. But not all miracles are good. Most of The Starving Saints descends into a madhouse of horror and wonder as Phosyne, Voyne, and Treila struggle to keep control of their own souls in the face of reality-shattering hungry void. But their hunger isn’t only physical; each desires something about the other, whether it is purpose or transcendence or will. The brilliance of The Starving Saints lies in how adeptly it navigates the line between desire and fear, sexy and scary, between classic fantasy adventure and bewildering horror. Too many fantasy stories feel clean and defined, too able to be neatly divided up into wikis and understood - or else too surreal and dreamlike. Starling serves up my favorite kind of fantasy - one that understands the balance between rationality and irrationality that makes the genre so endless versatile and thrilling.

The irrational nature of its magic may rub some readers the wrong way, and even I was a little confused at times while trying to track why each act worked or didn’t in the mythic logic of this plot. Maybe it’s all tied together a bit too neatly in the end. But as a person who reads a lot of contemporary SFF, I’m always hungry for something with real meat on the bones, something I can return to gnaw on again and again, something that sticks to me and that I’ll remember years down the line. It’s too early to tell, but I think The Starving Saints is such a worthwhile meal.

Rating: *****

The Starving Saints is set to publish on May 20, 2025.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

This book is absolutely disgusting, and I loved every second of it. The Starving Saints follows the lives of three women trapped under siege at Aymar Castle. Food shortages are dire, and the entire castle faces starvation if aid does not come. But they have sent messengers, many. Aid is not coming. That is until Our Constant Lady and her saints appear within the barred castle gates one day, promising salvation. What begins as holy intervention quickly devolves into carnal bacchanal. Only Phosyne - a heretic and madwoman in living at Aymar - and Treila - a lowly glovemaker and rat-catcher with her own tragic past - seem to keep their sense of self. They use this to rescue Ser Voyne, a knight who has felt leashed by her king in recent times, and enlist her help in saving the castle, or escaping the horrors consuming its inhabitants. Along the way the reader is confronted with the concepts of holiness and worship: is anything holy unless it is worshipped? Can the act of devotion alone make anything, good or evil, holy? A delight of esoteric thought and stomach-churning horror. I expected to be unable to finish this, chicken that I am, but I could not put it down at all.

*Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the e-ARC! All opinions are my own.*

I've unfortunately decided to DNF this one, despite it being a highly anticipated read for me this year. After making it about 30% of the way through, I found myself becoming very lost in the (dual?) timeline of events and was also having a hard time keeping the different characters' names all straight. This is likely entirely my bad. I'm not someone who likes to juggle when it comes to my plots and I was finding myself having to do that here, so it became a bit of a slog for me, unfortunately. Still giving it an average rating of 3 for the writing as the prose itself was well-done and I'd definitely try Caitlin Starling again!

This was insane in all the best ways.
I’ve never read anything like this before. I picked this up on a whim because of a raving review from someone I trust and this didn’t disappoint.
I finished this book like three hours ago and I’m still in shock. This was so eerie yet everything about it was intoxicating.
I can’t wait to start this authors backlog cause wow.
Oh! And Ser Voyne? call me!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc for my honest review!

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for an E-ARC of The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling in exchange for an honest review.

This book introduced me to another author whose previous works I will be reading because I was stunned. I felt as if I was under siege alongside the townsfolk, growing hungry and desperate for salvation. That was due to the writing allowing me enough space to freely interpret the details left out, unlike what is written in typical high fantasy.

The novel centers on three different characters that are fighting against starvation, cannibalistic saints, dominion, and even one another. The magic system was a complaint from several readers stating it was left undone or underdeveloped. Instead, I found it to be refreshingly simple and accurate to its core when our characters used their elements to fight back. In addition, other readers found it insulting when other characters weren’t fully developed even though it was expected that they’d be torn apart—literally. I think it was enough characters to feel part of a castle.

The three main characters—Phosyne, Ser Voyne, and Treila—each serve a different reason for serving the Aymar castle and find themselves defending it until their last breath. One is loyal, one seeks revenge, and one is forced. Reading about how they frame their plan to save the people that are bewitched by the new guests is worth the read. I enjoyed this worldbuilding and this is not our characters’ first encounter with monsters, and it left me to ponder what other creature lie in the dark.