This book is so weird and bizarre and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Loved the unique medieval horror setting, the toxic sapphics, the fever dream of it all. One of Starling's best yet.

I loved this book. It occupies a weird little space between horror and fantasy and I’m sure will receive some comparisons to Between Two Fires. I enjoyed the dark tone and the journey of self discovery of sorts our main characters go on.

The Starving Saints is darkly atmospheric and intense! We follow three women in a castle that has been under siege and in a desperate situation as the food supply is nearing its end. Phosyne is an ex-nun who miraculously was able to purify their tainted water supply; now they want her to perform another miracle, creating food from nothing. Ser Voyne is a loyal knight, cast aside by her king, who has been assigned to protect and oversee Phosyne’s progress. Then there’s Treila, once a noble woman now she works within the walls of the castle, she’s out for revenge against Ser Voyne.

Now, this setup alone would make for an interesting story, but things really kick off when the “saints” worshipped by the people in the castle suddenly show up offering sustenance in return for adoration. But these saints are super sus, and Phosyne, Voyne, and Treila are the only ones who seem to see past their enthrallment even as it threatens to overtake them as well.

This is a dark and atmospheric descent into madness and I loved every moment of it. I loved our three protagonists and their changing circumstances and how these changes impacted them. The character growth, emotional depth, and shifting relationships among the three women were incredibly well done, I was fully invested in their journey. The saints and other mysterious entities we encounter were both fascinating and terrifying, I was captivated by the mystery of what they were and how they came to be in the castle walls. Then there was the imagery and unsettling atmosphere which left a haunting impression. Whether it was voices whispering salvation from the walls, or the chilling image of someone planting fingernails in garden soil, I really loved it.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Where to begin? THE STARVING SAINTS is exactly the kind of wild and weird that I love.

Caitlin Starling’s books have this way of catching me off guard. I mean, before I start reading, I know the content is going to get crazy. And yet I allow her to draw me into the safety of her fictional embrace, slowly building my curiosity, until suddenly I step on the trap and down the rabbit hole I go.

We’re firmly in medieval horror mode, physical and psychological, so tread carefully if that’s a problem for you.

This book is a fever dream. It’s intense and thought provoking and complete madness. And now the story is embedded in my brain, and I see snippets every time I close my eyes.

*Thanks to Harper Voyager for the eARC, provided via NetGalley.*

I think it was ok? It was definitely a slow pace when I really just wanted it to move along and get to the gross parts

Highlights
~bees > holy communion
~fealty
~a failed Lionheart
~a voice (and mouth) in the dark
~is it cannibalism if it started as a fingernail

This sounded like everything my weird little heart could desire, but unfortunately it ended up pretty underwhelming.

The first third or so is great: Starling leans into Medieval Weird, replacing the Catholic church with a Lady and bees, and each of our three protagonists – Phosyne, Ser Voyne, and Treila – are deeply imperfect, all sharp, broken edges and contrasting flavours of unlikeable. Tensions are high, no one in charge really ought to be, and the situation is desperate. All of this came through to me beautifully.

Then the supernatural arrives.

Horror, I think, must be one of the hardest genres to write, and I suspect supernatural horror is even more difficult than other kinds. On the one hand, keeping the reader ignorant of what your monster/magic can do can up the fear factor – but if you don’t convince your reader that you know what it can do, the fear factor dissolves completely. You can’t dread something when you don’t know what to fear, and it’s easy for abrupt reveals to come across as random and disjointed rather than shocking.

Which is basically what happened with Saints. Starling makes up her own kind of demony creatures, and because I never knew what they were or what they could do, I stopped being scared of them pretty quickly, and was just left confused instead. I didn’t know what to dread, and I guess in theory that could have turned into dread that they might do anything at all…but it didn’t. Every new reveal of their capabilities just struck me as freaking random, irritatingly so, because none of their powers or goals seemed to fit together, more of the rules that bound them could be inferred from previous ones. It made for a lot of telling-not-showing as the characters ‘deduced’ each new thing and informed the reader of it. Borderline info-dumpy, at times.

The longer the story went on, the more annoying this got, the less impactful each subsequent reveal was – not just about the not-demons but also about the characters and their capabilities. Phosyne in particular becomes a kind of rival to the Lady, and I never understood how that was happening. The alchemy/magic Phosyne has been experimenting with at the beginning of the book, and which she grows more proficient in as we go along…it’s maddeningly vague, and seems to be, and be capable of, whatever the plot requires in the moment. The vagueness would be less maddening if Phosyne’s main arc wasn’t studying the magic, trying to make it make sense. Hand-waving it as ‘not human logic’ isn’t bloody good enough; I was never convinced that Starling knew how it worked or what-all it could do, and the magic ended up playing deus ex machina far too often.

(I had the vague impression Phosyne was meant to be neurodiverse, and that might be why she can grasp the magic at all, but that wasn’t very clear to me so don’t quote me on it.)

The pattern of abrupt reveals ruined pretty much every aspect of the book. Treila especially does a couple of 180s that weren’t the slightest bit convincing, and the magical reveal about her in the final showdown made no sense; I wanted to throw the book across the room and SHRIEK. At another point, a character is brought back from the dead WITH NO EXPLANATION WHATSOEVER; no one even expresses confusion about it! By the time bits of reality were dissolving up into the sky I had long since stopped caring.

All our protagonists were set up to be extremely interesting, but in the end they were each defined by just one or two traits that never deepened or developped – just flip-flopped like a dying fish. Phosyne went from feral mess to queenly with no transition. Treila discarded everything that made her great (vicious, out for herself, a survivor) for no apparent reason. Voyne…I don’t even know.

The cannibalism, especially the hypnotic feast sequences, was amazing: horrifying on every level, full marks, excuse me while I go throw up. The feverish quality to many scenes: superb. But the moment the book stepped away from that – in its attempt to paint some kind of Big Picture horror – it all fell apart, and kept falling.

(For all that this was trying very hard to be a queer book, none of the queer configurations had any real chemisty, by the way (even if Ser Voyne’s need to serve was delicious) and I remain very confused by a) the Relationship Status of the ending and b) how the m/f dynamic was so much sexier and more interesting than any other set-up. Seriously, what was going on here?)

This is the first Starling book that hasn’t worked for me. I’m disappointed, but it won’t be the last book of hers I try. I’ll cross my fingers for better luck next time – but I really can’t recommend Starving Saints at all.

Thank you Harper Voyager for my free ARC of The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling — available May 20!

» REVIEW «
I seem to be very much in the minority on this particular book, but it wasn't really for me! I couldn't connect to any of the three main characters, and that's a critical component for me in any story. I did enjoy the setting and the general story setup, but it was far too long a book for me when I wasn't vibing with the characters. Everyone else seems to be having a great time with it though, which I'm happy about!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

*the Starving Saints* immerses readers in a besieged castle where 3 women grapple with survival amid a kingdom ravaged by famine.

This haunting tale unfolds through the perspectives of a mad witch, a dutiful knight, and a noblewoman, each struggling to navigate a world that descends into madness with the opportune arrival of some mysterious 'Saints'. While these enigmatic figures promise salvation, they bring with them a chilling atmosphere of gore and horror, plunging the characters—and the reader—into a nightmarish reality where desperation can lead to cannibalism.

⭐️⭐️✨
(2.5/5 ⭐️s — Rounded to 2 if sites don't allow half-star ratings)

The author’s stylistic choices make this an arduous read, almost as if the prose was crafted to challenge the reader’s enjoyment. I found myself frequently reaching for my dictionary, learning a plethora of new vocabulary along the way. However, a pronunciation guide at the beginning would have been a welcome aid. It took me until the last few pages to decipher the name Treila as “Try-luh,” and I’m still perplexed by the correct pronunciation of our main character’s name, Phosyne. (Phosyne? FOH-sign? Ff-oss-eye-n?) My internal struggle with these names often distracted me from the unfolding drama, leading to some rather amusing mental gymnastics that resulted in odd sounds rather than actual names. (ph-osnsnene - vyyyonneee - trreeeeeeeeelalalalalalala)

Completing this book felt like a monumental effort, (I had to REALLY earn this one) & had it not been an ARC, I might have considered DNFing it. I had really high hopes for this one being an easy 4/5⭐️ read — it was one of the ARCs I really hoped got approved.

This is definitely not a read for the faint-hearted, weak-stomached.

However, let’s take a moment to appreciate the book cover—it’s stunning (especially if they added some gold foiling & some honeycomb endpapers with bee stencilized edges (I’m looking @ you @acrilipics @hemingwaybooks )

Despite the struggle reading, I found a haunting beauty within the narrative. Starling has a remarkable talent for weaving together a tapestry of dark imagery, crafting a world that is both surreal and atmospheric.

The story features complex female characters and an intricate blend of surreal fantasy and medieval horror that kept me on the edge of my seat, desperate to uncover what would happen next.

*The Starving Saints* is a testament to the power of words, even when they come wrapped in darkness. If you’re in search of a story that daringly explores the grotesque while providing a glimpse into the depths of human desperation, this book just might be your next obsession.
———————————
I was gifted an #eARC from the publisher of this book in exchange for an honest review via #NetGalley! Thank you @AvonBooks @HarperVoyagerUS & @Netgalley

#Books #bookrecs #reviews #Netgalley #netgalleyreader #readmore #readingiscool #gothic #horror

Never really read a medieval horror book but I did enjoy it. This book had many things going for it between the cannibalism and character questioning their religion and turning to science I at it up. The writing was gorgeous and overall the story was grabbing. Only qualm was some of the pacing felt a little slow for me but otherwise a really enjoyable read for anyone that enjoys horror.

After reading this and The Death of Jane Lawrence, I think that Caitlin Starling is great at creating atmosphere in her books. While the plots may be slow moving, her writing and sense of atmosphere help build the stories into larger, eerier, more fantastical conclusions.

This has body horror, cannibalism, lesbians, mages, zealots, and conversations about power, religion, obedience, will, survival, and faith. I appreciate that this was told in three different perspectives, as we got to experience this world/ time period through three different lenses, all examining how far people are willing to go for survival.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review.

This book was definitely a journey. The story follows three women as they traverse a dangerous game for not only their own survival, but for the survival of their people. The story employees psychological horror first and foremost, but has some religious horror/monster horror elements through out. There is also a lot of explicit gore, so I would recommend to read with caution. Overall I did enjoy this book, not only was it far from predictable, there are a lot of hidden elements to the story that will definitely make me want to reread it because it is the type of story that feels like the more times you read it, the more you will get out of it. If you enjoy psychological horror or religious based horror, I would highly recommend that you read this!

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.