Given the opportunity to read The Starving Saints via NetGalley and HarperCollins, I dove in with high hopes—and Caitlin Sterling did not disappoint. This book is a delicious blend of horror, fantasy, gothic atmosphere, and a touch of romance, all wrapped up in a darkly medieval setting that oozes mystery and dread.

The story introduces us to a world where beings stronger and darker than mortals hunger not just for flesh, but for something deeper—big emotions, raw feelings, and humanity’s messy heart. That concept hooked me immediately. I loved how Sterling explored the idea that these "saints" are after more than just physical needs. The exploration of those hungers—be it for love, revenge, power, or something undefinable—was both unsettling and gripping.

The gothic tone, complete with crumbling castles, eerie rituals, and a world where nothing is ever quite what it seems, worked perfectly. The medieval setting added just enough grit to balance the more ethereal elements of the plot, and it all felt cohesive and immersive.

Overall, The Starving Saints was a compelling read that drew me in and left me hungry for more (pun very much intended). It’s a beautifully layered story that balances horror, fantasy, and human complexity with finesse. Fans of dark, atmospheric reads with rich worldbuilding will devour this one.

Somone recommended this book to me and called it a 'weird girl' book, which is entirely the vibe! I really enjoyed how strange and unique the story was and im a sucker for a sapphic novel with a lot of gore so if youre into that too, this is the book for you! Thanks so much to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc!

DNF @ 36%

I think that a LOT of other people are going to love this book. The writing provokes such vivid atmosphere and you can just feel that something is lurking around the corner. Unfortunately for me, I just couldn't find myself caring about what was going on in the story or with the characters, which is a real bummer cause I've enjoyed other Starling books!

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling is an absolute medieval horror fever dream! This book is truly disgusting in a good way but also a beautiful, sapphic, cult-ish and powerful story!

Aymar Castle has been surrounded and under siege for six months. The castle is full to bursting with people and the food is running out. Madwoman Phosyne has managed one miracle by producing water but she is having difficulty with creating food. Phosyne is being watched over by Ser Voyne, a lady knight, making sure that she stays on track to feed the people. Eventually salvation comes in the form of The Constant Lady and her Saints. Bringing with them a bountiful feast to replenish the bellies and spirits of the people of Aymar. But that's not all they bring. As the castle slowly descends into debauchery and madness, Phosyne, Ser Voyne and a serving girl named Treila, all can see what is really going on at Aymar. But just because they can see the hedonistic chaos spurred on by the Saints doesn't mean that they are immune to it.

The Starving Saints is such an original and captivating story! For something that is different than what I have been reading, I ate this up! I was pulled into the world of Aymar and I couldn't get out. For not having any world building (we were in the castle the whole time) the setting and atmosphere was seemingly unending with brilliant descriptions! The story is told in three different POVs so you get to experience different perspectives on the same story. Add in a lesbian throuple and you have an absolute standout of a story! Can't wait to read Caitlin Starling's The Graceview Patient!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Caitlin Starling, and Harper Voyager for this ARC!! Publication date was May 20th 2025.

3.5/4 stars for this cannibalistic medieval horror

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc copy.

So I ended up reading this a little while ago, but I felt a little lost and wanted to wait till I had an audio book copy at release to listen to it as well before reviewing.

Let me say, I loved the horror elements in this. They were *chefs kiss* but what kept this book from being a higher rated read for me was at times it just felt long winded and confusing. This felt a little longer than it needed to be, but maybe that was my own descent into madness ;)

Overall though, this was a fun time. I'll be thinking about this one for awhile for sure. Worth a read!

It’s fine. I really wanted to get into it, but parts of the nun character were just wrong, and not in a fantasy way, but in a “cloisters wouldn’t work like this, even in fiction” way. Probably if I knew less about cloisters I would enjoy it more.

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was one hell of a ride! It starts off a little slow, but it is building up to a point and then you're free falling into the madness. I absolutely adored the three main characters. I was pleasantly surprised with the ending and think it ended in a way that could turn into a second novel if the author wanted to do so. There is starvation, hunger, greed, gore, cannibalism, mild torture, mind control, violence, animal violence, but not in detail, magic, bargaining, amputation, mutilation, bees! bees! bees!, romance in a strange way, obsession, and a great sense of unseen terror. Ugh! I absolutely devoured this in a couple of days and it is so worth reading. If this sounds up your alley then check it out! Overall 10/10

It was an interesting plot and the idea was executed well. It was a really enjoyable read and something about the writing just captivated me. Warning: once you start reading it you are not going to want to put it down. More of my review to come on my instagram!

The Starving Saints.. took me a lot of effort to get through. I can't say I was ever really gripped by the story, but I don't regret reading it.

This book's greatest flaw is that it never gives the reader a reason to care about anything that's happening: there isn't a single likeable character and we never get to know our unlikable characters very well, there isn't even an overarching plot or obvious *reason* why anything is happening.
It takes about a quarter of the book for the pace to pick up (this is reasonable but I almost didn't make it) and then it's just a cannibalistic fever dream to the end (not my thing I guess or maybe I just wanted it to be done differently).

You should definitely NOT read this if you are sensitive to topics related to food or the lack of it.

You *should* read this if:
> • you can appreciate a meal of perfectly prepared roast human, AND
> • you enjoy historical fiction with religious elements, OR
> • you enjoy a revenge story but aren't too invested in the payoff.

*Thank you to Harper Voyager for providing me an e-ARC of this book.*

The Starving Saints is an unsettling, gory, and utterly glorious story of horror with a dread-soaked setting that feels like a fever dream.

This isn’t just horror; it’s a feast of it. Starling doesn’t hold your hand, she trusts you to keep up as the story spirals into madness, where faith becomes feral and power is something you swallow whole. The cannibalism is literal and metaphorical, the horror as much about the body as it is about the soul.

If you love The Terror as much as I did, The Starving Saints will ruin you in the best way. It’s dark, hypnotic, and completely unforgettable. One of the most exciting horror books I’ve read in ages.

5/5, would let it consume me again.

This was a well-written book, but it didn’t really feel like a horror to me. I agree with everyone who has said that it’s atmospheric because it definitely is however, I’m finding that I’m a little picky when it comes to horror and this just didn’t cut it for me. There were aspects of the plot that I liked - I enjoyed the dynamic between our three main characters. I also loved the character development with these characters. They were dynamic and helped grow the story. The book felt more like a fantasy in some ways than it did a horror, but I think maybe that’s because I need to broaden my definition of horror a little bit. I love the author of this story, so I’m sure that’s what it is. Or maybe it’s just one that didn’t click. I don’t still think it’s worth the read because it might be something that resonates with a lot of people. Medieval horror is a niche genre.

The medieval horror elements and atmosphere in this novel were great. You are thrown into the chaos of this story and must accept the madness. I wished that we got more background information on the world and circumstances.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the arc.

3 stars
——————

I have incredibly mixed thoughts about this book.

I love the idea of this one. Medieval queers and cannibalism? Sign me up! The plot was interesting, the writing was beautiful, but the actual execution of it felt disjointed and confusing. I found the pacing to be a little slow to start, but it does eventually pick up nicely. I liked the prose, but it felt too modern at times. The setting and vibes were great, but couldn’t make up for the rest of the book.

I couldn’t find myself connecting with the characters. They sort of blended together and without context, it was hard to distinguish them at times. Our main characters were messy in a good way for the most part, which worked really well for the most part. But again, they just blurred into one. I liked the execution of the Saints. They really make the story interesting and engaging.

I loved individual aspects of the book, but as a whole, I was just confused. I almost DNFed more than once because I had no idea what was happening.

2.5 i wanted so bad for this to be a 5 star!!! Immediately drawn in by the medieval tale of 3 very different women and their roles in this castle under siege. This sounds like something I’d absolutely love.

And it was, at first. But there’s a turning point in the story when things stop making sense and start feeling like scenes from someone’s fever dreams placed together. We are all over the place and coherency felt like it flew out the window. Which is a shame because this was really cool in theory and the writing and atmosphere was beautiful.

I love Starling’s work for the fantastic ideas, and sometimes the stories as a whole work really well. This one just didn’t meet the mark for my personal taste.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an e-arc of this book for me to read!

Visceral, feverish and utterly gripping. A claustrophobic and ruinous medieval descent into madness. In The Starving Saints, Caitlin Starling weaves a that explores themes of faith, desperation, and the grotesque.

The story unfolds through three women: Phosyne, an excommunicated nun turned sorceress, Ser Voyne, a war hero bound by duty and Treila, a serving girl with a thirst for vengeance. As the castle's residents face starvation, the arrival of the Constant Lady and her Saints offers a twisted idea of salvation. However, their miracles come at a cost, leading the trio to confront the darkness that casts a shadow over it all.

Starling's writing is both poetic and unsettling and I felt immersed in a world where the line between the sacred and the profane blurs. The medieval setting is richly detailed, if disjointed and disorienting, which enhances the sense of claustrophobia and decay that permeates every page.

Don’t expect an explanation for everything, as I felt that not every decision made by the characters had clear justifications. Despite that, I enjoyed moments where my mind was allowed to wander into the unknown with a guiding hand by Starling’s eerie scene setting. In a book so full of madness and indulgence, I willingly went with her into the dark.

The Starving Saints is a haunting read that you will likely enjoy if you are a big fan of dark fantasy and psychological horror. I was definitely excited to read a modern medieval horror by an author I was highly anticipating reading more from! Overall, I seriously enjoyed where Starling has gone with her writing and style and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for us as readers.

Aymar Castle, filled with hundreds of people, has been under siege for half a year. No outside assistance is forthcoming, and supplies are running perilously low. As the residents contemplate unforgivable options for sustenance, a group of divine beings headed by the Constant Lady appear with food. But a few people in the castle realize something is terribly off about these supposed saints…

This is an unsettling, atmospheric little novel full of cannibalism, false deities, and sapphic relationships. I think a lot of people will really like it because the vibes are great. There are three POV characters: Phosyne (an eccentric former nun turned sorceress), Ser Voyne (a skilled knight with a dark past), and Treila (a serving girl with a thirst for revenge). Each has a backstory that influences their current actions and their relationships with other characters.

My main complaint is the worldbuilding, which some other reviewers have also mentioned. This is billed as medieval horror; however, it’s set in another world/universe that has some superficial similarities to our Middle Ages but differs in a lot of small and large ways. For example, the religious order combines theology with engineering and beekeeping and appears to be staffed exclusively with women. Women are also knights. Magic, in at least some limited capacity, is present but much of it is also out of the ordinary. But we also don’t know how women generally function in society, why the castle is under a siege, if it’s strategically an important castle, and on and on. It makes the world feel unmoored and pretty hazy from the start, and I found it difficult to invest myself in the story, which in turn decreases the impact of the creeping chaos.

I read the same author’s book Last to Leave the Room and didn’t care for it. I liked this one much more.

A small, imprisoned kingdom on the brink of starvation realize one thing- no help is coming. Voyne, as many as right to be by the side the king but forever forsaken for being born to the wrong gender. She is tasked with overseeing the madwoman, a woman possibly able to help in hopes of conjuring food, water and the hopes of salvation. But before she can set to work on her “magic”, the Saints arrive with a plethora of what can leave them full; but full of what and at what cost?

A historical novel written with people on the hopes of desperation, as nothing more desperate than no food, no water- and the descriptions do not hold back. Once the Saints enter, I was left wondering how much could be what was happening and how much was the delusion of starving. I enjoyed the depth of religion the author goes into- the falsehood of what can fill you; like if you’re full, does it matter what it is and if it’s wrong, where it came from? Where is the line between what is right and what is surviving? Where does your faith align when your life is on the line?

Faith is complicated- leaving you in a moment of
Following it blind or when you question it. And the slow detail in some of the horror moments, the way the author drew it out, I was happy I wasn’t eating at the time. For all the attention to the building horror and gory moments, there were some plot details that couldn’t quite convince me specifically regarding decisions main characters made.

Be forewarned, it feels like being dropped in the middle of a story; little to no plot set up but more character focus as the story progresses. I would have enjoyed a little more imagery for scenery- although the lack of what was created gave an air of claustrophobia, which felt relevant to the story. A haunting story even with the confusing ending dragged out.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC Copy!

Where do I even start with this book. I was so excited to read this when I saw the cover because what can that even represent and let me tell you that the cover for this book is the absolute best representation for the interior of a book that I have ever seen.

This book was a wild ride from the start to the finish. There were times I had absolutely no idea what was going on but that was completely okay with me. I am so interested in other books by this author because this was one of the most unique reading experiences that I have ever had, and if you are able to stomach it (check your trigger warnings) this is such a wonderful and weirdly enjoyable books I have read this year.

Prepare to not eat for DAYS!

Caitlin Starling is the author who makes me forget how to breathe. Her books instill claustrophobia and intense panic while I read them (AND I LOVE IT)! Every single book I've read by her has instilled such visceral reactions that I always find myself clamoring for more! The Starving Saints is a continuation of all of these feelings. Set in a medieval castle under siege, I already felt like the massive stone walls were closing in by the end of the first chapter of the book.

Another fantastic element of this story is that we get 3 main character perspectives that alternate across chapters. This made this story fly by, as each perspective made sure the pacing was consistent, and I was desperate to know what was going to happen to our three heroines. And the horrific plot elements ensured that a happy ending was not promised. I found myself cringing and having to put the story down at certain parts because of how descriptive and devious some of the sequences were.

The climax of this story is not one readers are going to see coming. It is devious, disturbed, and horrible. However, it is also exceptional. It is powerful and engaging and it felt RIGHT for all the characters that Caitlin Starling built in this world. If you're a long-time fan, get ready for a new favorite book in the Starling family, and if you're just discovering Starling, buckle up for a wild and medieval RIDE!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

This is one of the best books I have read so far this year.

This book is a dark, surreal fever dream, the atmosphere is tense and haunting, the saints are weird and unsettling, the MCs are twisted and unhinged, the relationships between them is toxic and obsessive, the cannibalism was gruesome and immaculate!!

Power is a overarching theme in this book, in the way power is welded over the protagonists, and the power they weld over each other. It was endlessly fascinating to watch this play out in the decisions they make and in their resulting dynamics.

I don't want to give too much away so I'll end here. 10 out of 10, I love cannibalism and toxic yuri.