Medieval horror with cannibalism, a sapphic romance, and lots and lots of bees? Sign me up!

This was my first Caitlin Starling novel so I had no idea what I was stepping into. Suffice it to say, I was thoroughly impressed. Reminded me a lot of Masque of the Red Death meets Between Two Fires. Starling's character development and world building are top notch. What drew me into this was the story (read that synopsis and tell me this doesn't sound interesting) but I became so wrapped up in our three female leads. They're all so unique and undergo fantastic character arcs.

The horror in this too is so unsettling and gross. Starling does a great job of ramping up the impeding dread. The descriptions of gore are also very unsettling.

This was a highly anticipated read for me and I'm so glad it delivered. I'm looking forward to catching up on Caitlin Starling's other works!

The Starving Saints is a terrific read (both for being good and for actually making me so scared I had to put the Kindle down and watch cartoons). It's atmospheric, it's dark, and it's perfect for those who, like me, enjoy the dark and the macabre. The characters were solid, the storyline was magnificent, the relationships served toxic excellence and the writing style was otherworldly. I couldn't recommend this more.

This was a highly anticipated release for me personally and unfortunately, after reading, it was a let down.

There were so many great elements here to make a captivating story: unsettling magic, alternate medieval setting of a locked in castle, the bee based religion, gorgeous spooky gory imagery, three sapphic characters of knight, former-nun current madwoman, and an ex-daughter of a dead lord. The execution, however, floundered for a good half of the book and eventually fell flat.

I think the main issue is that the narration is so focused on the aesthetics and showing off the spooky and gory bits that it forgets to have a clear line of plot direction. It also sacrifices character development. We don't really know much about the three main characters other than how they act in present tense. There are hints to their past and where they came from or what they had done before the siege of the castle but it's always maddeningly vague. In fact, so much of the narration is vague that at some point things just lose all threads of logic. Which could work with the kind of magic that the characters encounter but in the end it doesn't because new rules and events keep happening, piling on with vague overexplanations.

So much of the middle of the book is just constant tedious back and forth meandering and the end just neatly resolves everything in a way that feels a bit anticlimactic. The interactions between the three main characters feel forced and so much of their relationship is left unexplored, which really bothered me because that's kind of what I was there for.

The cannibalism aspect of it all and all the creepy creatures really were the stars of the show. It was all just creepy and off-putting enough that I really enjoyed it.

Overall, even though this was a miss for me I will still be reading more of Caitlin Starling's writing. Ultimately, I wish this would've been a short story instead of a full novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I will admit, I was skeptical when I first read started reading this novel. The writing style is not one I typically gravitate toward, but once I had gotten used to it, I didn't want to put this book down. What more could I have asked for from a book? We got queer representation. We got a fast-paced, dark tale with some pretty fun elements to it. We got characters with depth that you couldn't help but love. It was a perfect storm of great writing.

If I were to offer any criticism, it would be that the plot at times was hard to follow, but once I collected my thoughts it sucked me right back in. I will definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for an atmospheric novel they could soar through on a rainy night.

Terrific novel, and thank you to those who made it possible for me to read it.

If you love medieval fantasy, cults, queer knight/damsels in distress throuple, cannabilism and gothic horror.. this is the read for you!! The way this book quite literally ATE me up. The cover originally caught my eye but I had no idea what i was in for. A bit of a slow burn but it was almost torture that way! The gore and eerieness was the perfect amount to make up for the original speed of the story. It was a deeply detailed novel. I would read this over and over again.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

"From the nationally bestselling author of The Luminous Dead and The Death of Jane Lawrence, a transfixing fever dream of medieval horror following three women in a besieged castle that descends ravenously into madness under the spell of mysterious, godlike visitors.

Aymar Castle has been under siege for six months. Food is running low and there has been no sign of rescue. But just as the survivors consider deliberately thinning their number, the castle stores are replenished. The sick are healed. And the divine figures of the Constant Lady and her Saints have arrived, despite the barricaded gates, offering succor in return for adoration.

Soon, the entire castle is under the sway of their saviors, partaking in intoxicating feasts of terrible origin. The war hero Ser Voyne gives her allegiance to the Constant Lady. Phosyne, a disorganized, paranoid nun-turned-sorceress, races to unravel the mystery of these new visitors and exonerate her experiments as their source. And in the bowels of the castle, a serving girl, Treila, is torn between her thirst for a secret vengeance against Voyne and the desperate need to escape from the horrors that are unfolding within Aymar's walls.

As the castle descends into bacchanalian madness - forgetting the massed army beyond its walls in favor of hedonistic ecstasy - these three women are the only ones to still see their situation for what it is. But they are not immune from the temptations of the castle's new masters...or each other; and their shifting alliances and entangled pasts bring violence to the surface. To save the castle, and themselves, will take a reimagining of who they are, and a reorganization of the very world itself."

The Masque of the Red Death meets Gideon the Ninth.

Protect your fingers and your ears my friends, as you attempt to survive the horrific bliss that befalls the starving masses who hide within the walls of the Aymar Castle during a six month long siege. In the moment before the last of the food finally runs out, four saintly beings appear, offering relief in the form of a fabulous feast - glistening dripping meats, the freshest juiciest fruits.

The King and his servants are immediately enthralled and welcome them with open arms. But our three protagonists - Phosyne, an ex-nun with a habit of performing minor miracles; Ser Voyne, one of the King's most loyal knights; and Treila, a serving girl with a taste for revenge - are not so easily fooled. They know this is too good to be true and band together in an attempt to banish the angelic creatures from the castle and restore what little control they might.

As bizarre as it is beautiful, this book is brimming with cannibalism, self mutilation, dark entities, and honey bees. Yes, you heard me right... honey bees. What starts off slowly soon becomes a fascinating deep sea dive into the divine, the devout, the devious, and the delirious.

Once it gets going, you're basically putty in Starling's hands.

Now I'm itching for some more medieval and religious horror. I've got Lauren Groff's Matrix, and Christopher Buehlman's Between Two Fires in the tbr pile and I can hear them calling to me rather loudly right now....

Bacchanalian indeed. Everything the summary promises "The Starving Saints" delivers on and more. This book is gruesome, hedonistic, and animalistic from the moment would be saviors arrive to the castle under siege.

Every chapter increases the stakes and tension little by little and amplifies the outright primordial horror with each phrase. This book is exactly what I wanted from fantasy, all of the horror and beastial nature from non-human creatures beyond understanding. What i dislike about the popularization of fae is that their teeth and horror has been stripped of them in favor of seduction and horny. In The Starving Saints, I got everything I've ever wanted from fae and a primordial fear that made me paranoid in the night.

Describing these creatures is like if one merged the entity in Smile 2 with zombies but made them intelligent and beautiful. I loved the intense visuals and artistic crafting of language to paint a moving atrocity on every page. I loved how this book for the first 3rd of it made the reader question reality and the nature of time, if anything was really happening or if there was something supernatural at play.

I honestly had no idea how the sapphic nature of the story was going to be woven in. It was so artfully woven into the plot I almost didn't notice it at first until it reached a crescendo. Which, was incredible work honestly. I loved every character in this novel which isn't something I can say often. But I was rooting for everyone even the creatures for every reason that made them unique. I did t expect to love Phosyne or Voyne but they rapidly became my favorites and I adored them together. Their give and take of power and leadership was absolutely delicious.

This is exactly what I wanted from hedonistic cannibalism and then some. This is about to become my new hyperfixation for the next 3 years. I loved every moment of visceral and tangible gore and even basked in it. This is definitely going in my top 10 reads of the year.

This book is like if The Glutton and Between Two Fires had a lesbian baby and I LOVED IT. Caitlin Starling pairs flowery prose with the horror aspects really well. The magic system has absolutely zero structure so I would only recommend to people who don’t get so caught up on the logistics of things and can just go along for the ride.

"Hunger is inescapable. You cannot gain any distance on it. It will follow you to the ends of the earth."

The Starving Saints is a beautiful gothic medieval fantasy-horror novel with teeth. It got under my skin and robbed me of sleep.

I have read many books where the narration tells us that the characters are smart. This book did not need to tell us: each of the three protagonists have their own kind of intelligence about them, and it serves them well. I have also read several books in the gothic vein that try and convey being inebriated, drugged, and befuddled. These have only resulted in messy narratives, unclarity, and confusion over terror. Starling has managed to walk the tightrope between confusion and clarity, where characters may be lost but *you* can still follow and it feels natural.

If the phrase "cannibalism gothic" gets your attention, if you love magic that fits into the medieval worldview, if you want some messed-up and toxic dynamics between desperate women... this is the book for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Whew, this was a tough read. I'm familiar with (an appreciative of!) Caitlin Starling's sharp prose and dark subject matter, but I've decided that cannibalism is where my comfort level drops off. Besides this, I was underwhelmed by the romance and the comparisons overall to stories such as Gideon the Ninth. While the plot certainly did not lack for tension or excitement. the subject matter made it a challenge for me to stomach (pun intended). The aestheic overall will charm many, but I just didn't find the themes or content to be within my current zone of interest. Unsettling, but certainly skillful!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

We follow a trio of women trapped in the beseiged Aymar Castle. Food is running out, and the scarce survivors are considering drastic measures... of the Hannibal Lecter variety. Yet just when things seem their bleakest, the Saints of the Constant Lady appear with gifts aplenty. No one is quite sure how they managed to gain entrance to the castle in the midst of such conflict, however any attempts to investigate are quickly discarded to revel in the bounty the Saints brought with them.

Just what is going on within the castle walls? Are these nightly celebrations a mask to hide something far more sinister or the naïve calm before the storm? What do the Saints expect in return for their gifts?—And what punishments await those who fail to provide?

Phosyne the once nun turned magical scientist must perform a miracle, a nigh impossible feat to keep the castle afloat. Her monstrous charges of unknown origin and classification Ornuo and Pneio futher complicate matters. She's meant to be experimenting on ways to acquire food to keep the besieged alive, not studying these nebulous, serpentine creatures. She's already accomplished one miracle cleaning the water supply, surely she can perform another.

Ser Voyne once led armies all across the land. Now she sits at the King's side, watching chaos unfold as she stands guard in shiny plate. She itches for battle, a chance to fight back against the surrounding forces or shift the tide in the Kingdom's favor. A glorified statue or a caged bird, she longs for the chance to prove herself in battle and avoid the lingering gaze her of liege. She's begun to question if her allegiance is perhaps a bit too blind.

Treila once a lady of a now fallen court is now a common servant. A survivor above all else, she carries a deep hatred for the knight who led the charge against her home Ser Voyne. Will the chaos of a siege and impending starvation finally give her the chance for vengeance? Or will her survival instincts send her on a quest to escape? She learned long ago to trust no one but herself and her wits, it seems a poor time to reevaluate that behavior.

The Saints and their goddess the Constant Lady arrive just in the nick of time. Are they a miracle or something far more sinister? Magic. Salvation. Ruse. Each of our leads has a differing opinion on the matter, and how to survive that which is to come. The only thing of which they agree as the machinations begin, change is coming.

This is a slower paced novel full of mounting dread and close quarters. The longer I read this in a sitting, the more the walls seemed to lean inwards ready to trap. Kudos to Starling for so aptly describing the horrors of a Medieval siege and making the reality so horrifically palpable. As tensions continued to mount, the stakes rose constantly keeping me on my toes for how many boundaries this story was willing to cross.

This is a story of survival and power plays. How far is one willing to go to live another day? Who do you believe when everyone has their own agenda? What constitutes <i>the truth</i>?—And better yet, <i>salvation</i>.

This novel won't be for everyone, as horror is so diverse a genre. However, if you're a fan of the ominous long game and culty religious trauma give this a chance! We have sapphic longing, psychosexual obsession, revenge plots, cannibalism... the aforementioned cult.

I love the concept of queer women knights so much! The cover is amazing and the dark horror aspect was a lot of fun.

This story about three women stuck in a siege discusses what humans are capable of when pushed to the brink. It discusses graphically how human nature can be turned on its head and how sour things can become. The writing is lush and gripping. Almost from the moment you meet these characters you can feel what they are going through. I did think it dragged a little towards the end, and I do think the book could have been shorter but it was still very exciting. I am interested to read more from this author and highly recommend this story.

This is so exactly my niche! I love the atmosphere, the horror of everything, the writing style, the research that clearly went into this, and especially all the queer rep. I'm really hoping this leads to more of a trend of medieval sapphics and/or medieval horror!

Not going to mince words, this book fucked. me. up.

I wanted to read it all at once, but I'd get about 50 pages in before my ears would start buzzing and I'd be forced to put it down to stare at nothing for several minutes. Then I'd put it down and come back the next day. Rinse, repeat.

Sitting with the ending for a bit before calling it, but this is in the running for my book of the year. Be prepared for me to be shouty as hell about it for the next several months.

Man, the description hooked me so good, but the actual execution was a letdown.

The pacing was such a slog. It took so long for things to start happening, but when it finally did, I didn't care for it because the narrative was just getting repetitive. I started skimming quite a bit around the halfway mark, as nothing was keeping my interest. A couple other reviewers were saying this could have been more intriguing as a short story, and I find myself agreeing. This could have been more contained than it was.

The main characters don't have much depth to them. They are exactly in line as they are described in the overview, and they don't really change by the end other than becoming a throuple. The LGBTQ+ themes the marketing was promising wee really lacking, too. I don't know if Starling was going for queernormative worldbuilding, but it doesn't really feel queerness was an important aspect to the story, whatsoever. The side characters are blanker slates, and the villains, while interesting in concept, just didn't work for me. I just didn't care about anyone.

All in all, I'm sad this was a dull read for me, but I hope other readers get something out of it more than I did.

Caitlin Starling has given us a medieval, gothic tale of devotion, desperation, and depravity.

Our story is told through the eyes of three inhabitants of the castle: Phosyne-the “madwoman” who has a love of knowledge and alchemy; Treila-whose father was beheaded with Ser Voyne 5 years before; Ser Voyne-a loyal, devoted knight to the king. These three woman weaves together a story that haunts them the longer they must make impossible choices.

Starling starts our journey as a simple “we are starving, and will die if we don’t get food soon”. Without a defeat of the army surrounding their castle, they have no way to bring food in. They pray, they beg, they plead for relief. But none seems to come. That is until The Constant Lady arrived-along with The Loving Saint, The Warding Saint, and The Absolving Saint. They come to offer gifts of abundance for the poor starving peasants inside this closed-off castle.

From this point on, Caitlin shifts the narrative subtly-creating an instant unease, while simultaneously keeping us engaged in where this story is going. It becomes apparent that this is not a rescue story, or a happy one. The author flips the hero narrative on its head with a story of hedonism and gluttony-giving the Saints complete control over Aymar castle. The inhabitants become all consumed with pleasure and desire-creating a nightmare coated in sugary delight. It’s bestial, it’s bloody, and it’s all-consuming.

This is where are trip comes in. Caitlin gives us the only resistance in the castle through 3 women who don’t trust each other, and have different agendas. One longs to learn everything, one seeks revenge, one is locked in a battle of who to remain loyal to. But they all have one thing in common-they know they must resist the Saints, and their “gift”. They know the price for that pleasure is pain, and they will never come back from it. But what the author ultimately shows through these characters is everyone is starving. It just may not be for food.

This was a gripping story of the most macabre kind. And dare I say most delicious kind? If you’re a fan of religious horror, this one’s for you. 4.25 stars

This book is a haunting, visceral journey that is unlike anything I’ve read.

The Starving Saints is a bold, immersive blend of gothic horror and dark fantasy that pulls you in and refuses to let go. The atmosphere is rich and unsettling, the characters are deeply complex, and the story unfolds kind of like a bizarre fever dream. I was intrigued in the ways that this book is beautiful, brutal, and a little difficult to predict.

The author's writing is sharp, with moments that are equally as grotesque as they are poetic. If you're looking for something that will crawl under your skin and stay there, this book delivers. A mesmerizing descent into madness, faith, and survival that left me with more questions than answers.

I have always loved Caitlin Starling’s books because she is so successful and creating something eerie and interesting no matter what story she’s writing. In this case it’s medieval horror fantasy. The story does move very fast, and I will definitely reread this at some point because I’m sure there’s stuff that missed in the overall story because it does just throw you in without too much explanation. If you like dark fantasy or just horror that is a bit strange, this could be a good fit for you.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.