This is everything I want in a horror -- disaster lesbians, cannibals, a lot of fun religious iconography, and weird vibes. Loves it

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I have a soft spot for cannibalism books. I also love a good queer fever dream book so this one hit a lot of great points for me. This has a revolving POV of 3 women who are staying in a castle that is plagued by starvation. Outside the walls an army is waiting to attack, but they are trapped with each other and with their hunger. Food has run out and they are out of options. Out of the blue, a group of otherworldly Saints appear to save them from their nightmare. Or are their saviors wolves in sheep clothing?

I understood 70% of this book as I was reading. And I still have questions about a few things, The imagery was brutal but all I could really think about is how much evening stank. Like omg. The medieval times already stank but this was probably 100 times worse.

I liked how everyone was messy and there wasn’t really anyone I hated or liked the most. They were all just doing what they needed to survive. This was an interesting read and while I was super confused through a lot of it, it held my attention. This was also pretty queer normative, even though I wouldn’t really say there was a solid relationship. This book definitely didn’t have a romance focus. There’s a good little bit of gore for the people like me who like our cannibal books bloody.

3.75⭐️ I couldn’t look away
They are under siege, trapped in a keep with starving people whose desperate leaders know time is running out. The hum of bees is the background music to overpowering hunger.
We follow three characters, the king’s trusted guard, a cunning servant with a past, and a former nun now madwoman. Each of these three woman feels the pressure of the siege while trying to survive.
Then the world tilts and sh*t gets crazy. Cannibalism dipped in honey. Literally.
(Thanks for the arc, I hope your pillow is always the preferred temperature on both sides)

This novel is devastatingly brilliant! I don’t often go out of my way to read historical fantasy, especially medieval, but my god, I’m so glad I did with this one. The prose, vocabulary, and grammar yielded in this book are as sharp as Ser Voyne’s sword.

Aymar has 15 days to find a miracle or starve to death. At first, they think this is an answer to their prayers. However, figures arrive within the walls of the castle who appear to be saints from their religion and who offer the irresistible feast that the inhabitants are desperate for. But what is the cost of this bounty, and will they pay it with their lives?

The Starving Saints follow three heroines from very different walks of life. Phosyne, our nun, Ser Voyne, our knight, and Trelia, our servant girl, all experience incredible character arcs as they battle with the faith they have in their selves and each other as they resist not only the temptation to gorge, but the intoxicating power of the saints. I loved the interpersonal queer relationships between all the characters and rooted for all three to make it to the end.

This story covers the theme of faith vs. reality and what humans would do if presented with the reality of their faith. Would you still believe in your god if he were right in front of you? As well as the theme of how rituals normalize brutality, specifically in how we prepare our food. The lines we draw blur when it is not animals, but our fellow humans, on the table.

There is SO much cannibalism in this book, and one of the driving motivations of the characters, so be warned. This book scared the sh!t out of me, so I recommend reading it in the daylight or if you’re brave, with your toes and fingers safely tucked into your bed.

Thank you, Avon, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for the ARC read!

The vibes in this book were immaculate.: eerie, magical, and just overall unsettling. The religious imagery and overall analysis of that aspect of medieval life, combined with the sapphic, made this an amazing book.

“If my body should fail before yours, you must take my flesh into your own, you just get out.”
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DNF @ 45%
God I really wanted to love this one but it was kinda feeling like a chore to read which is not why I read so I’m choosing to end the work.
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I really wanted to love this one, the premise had promised everything I love, gothic, medieval, sapphic… but this story was just lacking.
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The buildup took forever and I don’t even think I finished it at nearly half the book, the three main characters are all transitioning POVs with no organization. There’s no sapphic ness so far except when that one girl called the knight handsome.
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Overall the characters aren’t fleshed out very well, I don’t care about any of them, the story is very confusing, the world thats trying to be built is confusing. They’re locked in a castle so it shouldn’t be that hard to figure out but still I don’t have a clear vision in my head.
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Maybe it’s me and I’m the problem as I’m not typically a fantasy reader and this feels like it’s pushing on the fantasy-horror bend. I did want to finish but given how I had to force myself to read as far as I did I could not see myself actually recommending this to other readers.
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5 star for the cover that’s what really drew me in, just wish the story matched.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for this e-arc! All opinions are my own. I so desperately wanted to love this book. The cover, the description, the overall premise absolutely had me in a chokehold and I was so excited to start. I will say, there are parts that I absolutely devoured, but for the most part I found myself wanting to put this down and read something else. I’m hesitant to say that though, because I don’t want to discourage anyone from giving it a go. I know there will be readers out there who absolutely love this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

It’s hard for me to pin point exactly why this didn’t work for me, but I think it came down to pacing, clarity, and overall wanting more horror aspects. This book is an amazingly atmospheric fever dream that brilliantly captures what it must feel like to be delirious from starvation while fighting mystical creatures, however at times I was completely lost.

Also, while there was a great deal of horror, I found myself wanting more given that a lot of the more gory scenes are hidden with beautiful prose. Normally I love the juxtaposition, but I felt that this book had so much potential and unfortunately it fell flat for me. I’m am honestly torn, because it was a good book with excellent writing - I just think it could have been great.

Some quick thoughts as I am on my phone. I will need to expand later.

This novel was horrifying and writhing and disgusting and incredible and redemptive.

I have had another Caitlin Starling book on my TBR but this was the first I have read from her. Yes, this is definitely a book that was too horrifying to read before bed. I needed to take my time on it, but luckily it was so gripping I wouldn't forget what came before.

The castle is under siege, and has been for months. They're down to the last two weeks of food. And the king orders Phosyne, a former nun turned witch, with magically making food appear. And the famous lady knight Ser Voyne must watch to ensure she actually does it. Meanwhile, a serving girl named Treila hunts rats in the shadows and will do anything to survive. When the goddess Constant Lady arrives with her saints to bring food, it seems like a heaven sent miracle. But everyone knows that gods never actually show up in person. It's eat or be eaten, and Phosyne, Ser Voyne, and Treila must find a way to survive or escape.

I saw castle and just assumed this would be a gothic. We do have a ruined castle and a maiden but this feels much more like a Last Girl situation than any other monster. Themes: medieval lesbians, fae bargains, cannibalism, bacchanal parties, and fealty to whoever owns your soul.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC.

This book really sunk its teeth into me. It was such a trippy experience, just when you think things couldn't possibly get weirder, it got weirder. The atmosphere was incredibly engaging, and I was hooked once things started to pick up, because I had to know where things were going. It was a bit slow to get into, but I think my patience was rewarded in the end. The elements of horror, revenge, religious devotion, and good 'ol sapphic yearning, were excellent, would reread for sure!

nothing could've dampened my excitement for the book when i first got approved for the arc and it did not disappoint!!! i thoroughly enjoyed it and am grateful to have gotten the chance to read it

4.5-5⭐️

Wow! Okay i barely know where to start.

So this is an insanely beautiful and transfixing medieval horror story, that is essentially one big fever dream. Like that’s the best way to describe it.

The story takes place many months into a Siege at Aymar Castle and we learn quickly that within weeks time they will be running out of food. There’s three main characters / POV’s we get- Phosyne, the Castle’s madwoman who has succeeded in last miracles, Ser Voyne, a war hero, then Treila, a servant with a past.

One day four figures appear within the walls in the likeness of the Saints. They bring with them bounties of food that appear from nothing and soon almost everyone within the Siege is transfixed.

This book was haunting, stressful and beautiful. At first your thrown into the book which may be confusing but let it simmer a few chapters. There’s strange magic, strange beings, moral dilemmas, obsession, hunger… and lesbians. I had NO idea how this would end, had no idea what way any of the plot would go. At times I was u comfortable and disgusted because the author did such a good job at descriptions. I LOVE these types of books, I love characters losing their minds, terrible and dark things happening, so this was right up my alley.

TW’s— claustrophobia, cannibalism, some body horror

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book! This was an eerie read, that started with high tensions right from the get go - the people of the nation are trapped, with no where to go, and help doesn’t seem to be arriving. Oh, and most importantly, they’re running out of food. The tensions start high and remain high as we watch things quickly devolve and the stakes run higher. The book does a shockingly good job of portraying the lengths of human depravity, the toll of desperation, and struggle of survival. A great novel with medieval horror, cult-like religion, and all the elements of a dark fantasy you could want.

A gorgeously grotesque tale soaked in blood and belief, The Starting Saints was a fever dream of fanaticism and horror. Starling's prose drips with dread, pulling you into a cultish world where devotion devours. Perfectly paced and unsettlingly intimate, it's the kind of book that lingers like a half-remembered nightmare.

Astonishingly dark, grotesque, and even a bit beautiful. 10/10, perfect, no notes.

This medieval horror novel is as seductive as it is gruesome. It’s a cannibalistic nightmare of a fever dream… and the best book I’ve read this year. These pages are filled with desperation, violence, and intoxicating sapphic yearning.

The siege of Aymar Castle is going on six months. Food stores are nearly depleted, while prayers to the Constant Lady and her saints seem to go unanswered. Everyone within the castle walls is starving. Phosyne, the heretic, works day and night to produce a miracle that will feed the castle. The King has tasked his knight, Ser Voyne, with supervising Phosyne’s work. Neither woman is happy with the situation - Ser Voyne would rather die fighting her way through the forces assembled outside the castle gates, and Phosyne cannot work in the presence of another person. While the two women suffer in Phosyne’s fetid tower, deep in the castle, the young servant girl Treila is stretching her rations even further. She will do anything to stay alive long enough to see her oath of vengeance fulfilled. She is a survivor. She understands hunger.

One day, the Constant Lady and her saints arrive, promising salvation. What would you do if that salvation seemed too good to be true?

I loved all three POVs in this book. Their fight to survive as the castle descends into bacchanalian madness was utterly compelling. Loyalties shift, relationships change, and their humanity hangs on a knife’s edge. Despite the ever increasing violence and gore, I could not put this down. Or perhaps the horror of the situation is exactly what spurred me on. What does that say about me? What will it say about you?

I do not want to spoil the plot further. This is a book you need to experience for yourself!

It is actually painful to say this because this book has everything I should love, but I had to DNF. The first half felt so slow that I found myself struggling to pick it up right now. I would love to revisit this at a later time, because unfortunately I am such a mood reader, so maybe it just wasn’t hitting at the right time. I do look forward to giving The Starving Saints another chance.

The Starving Saints was one of the books I was most anticipating, and I’m grateful to Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read the e-ARC in advance. There was so much obvious intrigue and appeal to me, as a queer person with a religious past, and the promises the book makes in its presentation and description are completely fulfilled by its narrative. Bacchanalian would be putting it far too mildly, and I mean that in the best way possible. From the very first pages, we are sent spiraling down a twisted path that is only illuminated before us through flickers of delicious chaos.

The magic is complex in this world and full of riddles and negotiations, which are delightfully cruel and attempting to solve them and figure out their deeper connections to the plot is a unique reading experience. Each of the three main characters is fully realized and distinct, and their evolving relationships with each other are fascinating to read about as the world around them descends into a kind of madness that threatens to entrap them all. I’d single out one as a favorite but truly, I loved the time I spent with all three of the women the main narrative follows.

This book is very much a “the girls that get it, get it” kind of a story, and I am absolutely one of the girls that got it. I think a lot of other people will feel the same love for it that I do. Painting with shades of a medieval Mona Awad but with a voice that is all her own, Caitlin Starling describes the fever dream of her world with lyrical precision. It’s grotesque, but undeniably beautiful and rich with religious symbolism. Though you feel the oppressive crush of the danger in the world, you also feel the same pull to explore it as her characters do. To me, this was a triumph and one of my favorite reads of the year so far.

This book was not for me. The synopsis was more interesting than the actual story. I didn’t care for the writing style or the main character. I pretty much skimmed the last 50 pages. The plot was silly and predictable, not worth your precious time, folks.

Thank you Netgalley! I'd actually give this a strong 4.5.

I knew this story was going to be a lot, but wow...it was A LOT. It was a visceral look into the depravity of human nature as told through the eyes of three queer woman. That sounds incredible on the surface and I was kind of expecting to be let down in the execution, but I *loved* it.

The characters and the relationships they had between each other were amazing. Treila was definitely my favorite, but I still loved reading about Voyne and Phosyne and felt very invested in what happened to them. I would have loved to read more about their individual pasts, but I think that's more of a credit to the story than anything else.

The "Saints" were equally incredible. They were very unique and scary, mostly in part to the fact that they weren't explicitly the only monsters--they were just bringing human depravity to the surface. While it was never explicitly stated, I believe they were meant to be faeries and I LOVE that. I thought it was an incredible choice to have them taking the appearances of the humans' religious figures. Obsessed with faeries in a horror context.

first of all. 5/5 stars. I went into this book knowing very little, only that there was some saintly things going on? and well yes. there were. but also this book is sooooo much more than that. We open the story onto a castle that has been under siege for 6 months. it's people are starving and hopeless. our main characters, an outcast nun tasked with solving an impossible problem, a young servant woman with a revenge plot, and an obedient to a fault knight on a leash. what happens when the outcast does solve this problem? and what happens when the solution is more horrific than anyone could have imagined?

this book is gross. its depraved. its delicious. i loved every second of it. the writing is lush and vivid and i wanted to eat it. i loved the characters and their interactions with each other and their situation. i loved how fantastical this story was. i loved how small the characters' world was, it added to the creepiness and horror of the situation. ouhg i think i'm gonna be thinking about this one for a while.

honestly, i recommend going into this story with as little information as possible. obviously look up trigger warnings if you think you'll need them, because it's definitely gory. but i honestly was just so surprised by this book.

god i want to say so much more but i can't without like. giving too much of it away. i would recommend this to anyone who - likes crazy lesbians, doesn't mind a meandering plot for the purpose of imo Immaculate vibes, likes weird and inexplicable magic, and/or wants to get lost in a sickly sweet and sweltering castle 🐝🥩

again, thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me this e-ARC!!!!

The premise is intriguing and so is the book. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I wasn't dissapointed with what I got. I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital edition.