Why You Should Devour This Book

Fans of Gideon the Ninth’s gothic irreverence and Annihilation’s existential dread will find much to love here. Starling’s narrative is structurally daring, refusing neat explanations in favor of a lingering, unsettling ambiguity. The worldbuilding steeped in a bee-obsessed religion and war-torn history is rich yet deliberately disorienting, mirroring the characters’ unraveling reality.

This is not a tale for the faint of heart. It’s a story that claws under your skin, blending poetic imagery with visceral horror. The cannibalism here is both literal and allegorical, a metaphor for the ways we consume and are consumed by power, love, and rage.

It is a feast for readers who crave horror that challenges as much as it terrifies. Caitlin Starling has crafted a world where devotion becomes damnation, and salvation tastes like ash. Enter these gates, if you dare. Just remember: hunger is holy, and every saint has teeth.

Ok this was everything to me. Dark, gothic, fantasy-horror, sapphic, fever dream stories are back in a big way. The atmosphere of this one was so visceral. I could literally feel the heat and the crushing stone overhead. 10/10, would read again.

Hooooly shit! I have been looking for a book to fill the void that The Locked Tomb series has left me and this definitely did the job. It was medieval and sinister and Gross, I loved every single second of it!

Lesbians, religious iconography, cannibalism…what else could you ask for in a novel?

I’ve been a fan of Starling’s for some time. I’ve read almost all her books and unfortunately this is her weakest. The premise was promising and drew me in at first. As the book goes on, the pacing is all the same and too slow. The characters start making infuriating decisions. By the second half I was lost as things aren’t conceptually explained well enough. The writing felt impersonal as well. I couldn’t connect with the three main characters and couldn’t find myself caring about them. It is a shame the plot became confusing and unintelligible.

This book wasn’t for me, unfortunately. The premise sounded really interesting but I couldn’t get past the first few chapters. That is not a reflection of the writing, voice or other aspects of the story, just a personal preference. The cover is absolutely stunning.

Ok for starters the cover of this book is EVERYTHING! So beautiful. Sapphic medieval fantasy/horror? Sign me up. Phosyne, Ser Voyne, and Treila are struggling to survive and thrive in a castle under siege where starvation is becoming unavoidable. Then, redemption comes in the form of four saints offering food and salvation. But are they all they seem to be?

The Starving Saints leans more dark fantasy in the beginning and then turns into a buffet of body horrors (literally.) It’s described as a fever dream which could not be more accurate to this novel. In fact it was a little too dream-like in my experience, veering into incomplete ideas and confusing sequences. I also wanted way more of a sapphic romance as described, rather than three women who seem to have love/hate relationships with themselves and each other.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this arc.

DNF at 58% mark

The premise of this book sounded AMAZING and right up my alley. Most of my favorites are fever dream type horror, but this one wasn’t really either. It was mostly confusing, and we as the reader were provided little information. We are thrown directly into the story with a lengthy build up (close to the 50% mark) that really tells us nothing about the characters. I wasn’t connected to any of the characters because I didn’t learn about them except for sporadic paragraphs where the reader is directly told why one character doesn’t like another (Voyne and Treila in particular) or what their role is in the castle.

Every chapter felt like the same thing repeated over and over, and by the point I reached the 50% mark somethings started to happen? This should not be the case for a 300+ page book. Not to mention the lack of sapphic or LGBTQ+ themes.

This needs to go through more editing and be cut down a lot. This could even be a short story. Having this thought shocked me since there seems to be so much going on in the synopsis, but I think this story tried to bite off more than it can chew.

The cover is INCREDIBLE and deserves five stars, and I did enjoy all the concepts of this story but the execution was lacking. I think this would be a very interesting story to see on screen and would translate better that way (though I don’t say that often).

I thought the descriptions of the saints were done very well, and I could picture them perfectly. They were the part that make this novel feel beautifully eerie.

Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me, but I hope other readers are able to connect to it.

Thank you to Netgalley for access to this arc.

I was utterly captivated by The Starving Saints from the very first time I heard about it, and as soon as I read the first page I was entirely entranced.

Content warnings include: starvation, death, amputation, cannibalism, assault, mutilation. Mentions of: treason, beheading.

I have read all of Caitlin Starling's other books, and they all excell in atmosphere, and The Starving Saints is no different. It's oppressive from the entire beginning, both in setting and feel. It takes place in the besieged castle Aymar, food stores empty, and no sign of help arriving. Starvation is imminent, and things have gotten dire. Additionally, it's the height of summer with a sweltering heat plaguing the already starving inhabitants of the castle.
It's a stifling atmosphere, and the book makes you feel it.

The book centers around three of the women in the castle. Scattered Phosyne, the castle keeper's madwoman, tasked with creating another miracle to save everyone from starvation. Bold Ser Voyne, a battle hero frustrated by the tight leash her king keeps her on. And cunning Treila, a maid with a dark past who keeps to the shadows and who would do anything to escape the castle walls.
The three women become entangled, both by their pasts and presents.

Despite the starving, it's a delicious read. It's both a horrifying crawl and a sensual dance, of the three protagonist as well as their interactions with the Saints that miraculously arrive and offer food and pleasure, despite arriving with empty hands. Something is very wrong, and no-one seems to notice.

I loved following all three protagonists, and the tangled complexities of the respective relationships with each other, and then later how they each deal with the Saints, all dynamics that are constantly in flux. The book is not a romance, but there are some definite sensual elements, though I found them to be more driven by dangerous obsession and a need to consume, than by romantic feelings.

I also particular enjoyed how all protagonists have respective moments of absolute power and realized agency, but also deep lows and vulnerability, which are often brutally exploited - but things are never as they seem.

Consumption, bargains and careful wording are definitely big themes in general. As with almost all of the author's books, the big questions of how and why are answered, but very convoluted and not really straightfoward, and I always find it hard to put my fingers on the answers and put them into words. Rather than frustrating, in The Starving Saints I found this fit the atmosphere very well, and I got just enough answers to be satisfying.

Overall an absolutely stunning novel, though not for the faint of heart. It's brutal and raw, and does not pull any punched with its themes, it's gory, but not overly graphic, though I does not shy away from evil.

My thanks to NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this book!

The Starving Saints is a masterful blend of three kinds of horror, all serving the exploration of relationships.

Let’s start with what I liked:

First, the protagonists grant us psychological horror. They each lose touch with or hold onto reality in unique ways, all while coping with a decaying setting and antagonists that they struggle to understand and outsmart. Each of the three POV characters has destructive tendencies which bring both vulnerability and twisted intimacy to others. I’m happy to say that the author explores these tendencies down to their marrow.

The antagonists mix cosmic and folk horror: they are utterly alien, despite their rootedness in the natural world and the familiar forms they choose. Although the antagonists aren’t incomprehensible enough to strictly fit cosmic horror, they filled the protagonists with a sense of absurd powerlessness common to the genre. They also felt reminiscent of fae, as old creatures with disturbing folk tale logic. This unique horror combination was as mesmerizing as it was terrifying, especially given how the antagonists establish relationships of ownership and territory.

Ultimately, the horror—while masterful in its own right—is a vehicle to talk about relationships. The Starving Saints shows us harmful relationships to the self and to others, as well as the struggle to negotiate alternatives. Loyalty, love, hatred, and possessiveness are all explored in an abstract but nuanced way.

Having gone over this story’s strengths, I’m ready to list some criticisms:

My main gripe is how quickly the protagonists began to love and trust each other. Emphasizing the madness and desperation that drove this trust, or at least adding more positive exchanges between these characters, would probably justify their ultimately favorable bonds and sometimes selfless decisions. Also, the (mild) kink aspect of one particular relationship felt interesting, but could’ve used more and subtler exploration.

And the folk tale logic of the book, while typically quite strong, is sometimes stretched thin. The characters found unexpectedly easy ways out of a few deadly situations. Other events caused by this (again, typically strong) folk tale logic weren’t well-telegraphed. Sometimes, very consequential changes were only explained by following blocks of text—usually the POV characters’ thoughts.

Now, the verdict:

In all, The Starving Saints is an innovative piece of horror with compelling characters and a nuanced exploration of the ties that bind.

The Starving Saints was so weird and gory and incredible. I would not say this book is for the faint of heart, as it is graphically and disturbingly well written. Unfortunately by the time you get to the particularly gruesome bits, you are too engrossed in the story and the characters to stop reading. I thought I knew where this story was going and then about a third of the way through it took a complete turn and we were hurtling into darkness. This book showcases the desperation of humanity, but also the strength, through characters whose morals you are constantly questioning even as you support them. I loved them so much and all three of the main characters were so compelling that I never even cared whose chapter I was reading. If you are able to stomach it, this was a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

I think I enjoyed this book? This was so different from what I typically read I didn't really have any expectations when I picked it up.

In my opinion, this book would be best enjoyed with little context of what it is about. It did take a while for me to really getting my footing with the characters, what exactly was going on, and overall plot of the book, but I believe that was partially what the author intended (again, not trying to give anything away!) To create this feeling of unease, confusion, and horror as the plot begins to unfold.

For me this would be a solid 3 star. I think parts of it really did go over my head and I did have a hard time following some of the scenes and had to re-read a few times before I could semi understand what was happening. I also am not sure this would be a book I widely recommended, but think if it found it's way into the hands of the niche audience, they would devour it.

All in all, if you like horror, strong female characters, cult-ish behavior, pick this up once it releases in May!

The premise of this story really made me want to love it however, it just missed the mark for me. I found myself at time confused by what I was reading and having to go back and reread to understand or gain context. I also felt the story dragged on and at times if felt nothing happening.

I would describe the characters as morally gray as none are perfect and they make bad decisions. So if you are looking for a Sapphic medieval story that makes you question what the heck is going on (fever dream) then this story is right up your ally. But for me overall, it was an okay time.

Part medieval horror, part dark fantasy. The story revolves around three women connected from past events and their fight for survival behind the walls of Aymar. Phoysyne, the mad woman, Treila once of high nobility, and Voyne a warrior all see their lives drastically change as food runs out and the arrival of three mysterious Saints and The Constant Lady. The Saints bring gifts but they come at great costs for all. The story was unique and pacing followed the impending doom of hunger with a few gruesome, explosive scenes. All the characters were interesting and the three main women had connections and back stories made of magic, hate, revenge, and love. Readers of Between Two Fires will enjoy this one. Book will be available in the US, May 20 2025.

🌟 Book Review: The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling 🌟

Caitlin Starling’s writing is so vividly descriptive that the story plays like a movie in my mind. The eerie details—like people gnawing on body parts—left me feeling deliciously unsettled (yes, in a good way!). The spooky atmosphere kept me hooked from start to finish.

It’s an easy read that never once bored me, and I loved every chilling moment. If you’re a fan of unsettling, spooky tales, I highly recommend The Starving Saints! 🖤📚

#TheStarvingSaints #CaitlinStarling #BookReview #SpookyReads #HorrorBooks



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3.5
hmm not sure about my rating but i think i liked it?
sapphic lady knights!! a throuple!! cannibalistic saints!! it was a good time

This book was soooo dark and twisted!! I loved the intersection of magical nuns, evil saints, and a castle at siege. The book is charged with desperation through a constant worry for the famine taking place and a desire for someone to save everyone. The three characters we follow all have their own outlook on the desperate situation, ranging from seeking revenge to saving the whole castle. I was genuinely shocked by how eerie the book was at points. The introduction and presence of the saints was a chilling addition to the plot that had me HOOKED! I do think the romantic aspect of this book fell flat. There wasn’t enough connection or intrigue for me to find some of the romantic interests believable. Still was a very fun read, and I would recommend to people who like a fantasy and horror crossover.

This is an incredible book. It has everything I’ve ever wanted in a book and I obsessed with it!! Medieval nuns, magic and miracles. A must read.

An atmospheric and desperate medieval fantasy that explores what survival means from three equally compelling main characters.

I was nauseated with some of the descriptions but was too intrigued to stop.

A medieval castle has been under siege for six months and they are estimated to run out of food within two weeks. An excommunicated nun, who previously performed a miracle, is forced to perform another: conjure up food from nothing. A devout lady knight is tasked with minding this heretic madwoman, while a former noble turned servant seeks revenge against her.

THE PERFECT HALLOWEEN BOOK.

I just wished I read this earlier in the year, preferably with my halloween candy stash