Lush, haunting, and utterly hypnotic, this gothic marvel blends medieval horror with divine dread in the most intoxicating way. The prose is razor-sharp, the atmosphere thick with dread, and the characters unforgettable. A surreal, blood-soaked masterpiece that lingers like a fever dream—bold, bizarre, and breathtaking from start to finish.

What the hell did I just read? This book was equal parts WTF horror and folk horror, which are two of my favorite horror subgenres. The publisher did not lie in describing this as a fever dream. It's very much a disorienting spiral of horror. The three POVs are well written and distinct, which I appreciated. The horror here is very implied - meaning that you see it, but it's not in your face. I don't know how better to explain it. It's so atmospheric, and the tension builds and builds until you feel as though something has GOT to give. Starling really created something unique here, and this is definitely my favorite of three books of hers that I have read. If you enjoy horror books that feel like you went into surgery and had some FREAKY dreams while under, then this one is a hit!

Kicking off Lady Knight Summer with a viscera-and honey-soaked FEAST! THE STARVING SAINTS is a medieval fever dream—complete with mind control, magic, and three beautifully flawed queer women.

Caitlin Starling is one of the few authors I trust to lead me outside my comfort zone, and she has done so once again with SAINTS. I’m not typically a fan of cannibalism, but Starling refines it into something captivating—and dare I say… sexy?!

Caitlin’s ability to build suspense and evoke dread has always been top-tier, but here, her mastery of the craft truly shines. THE STARVING SAINTS, with its dense, sweltering, surrealistic atmosphere and macabre bacchanal of flesh, had me in a chokehold from start to finish.

5/5 • Not just a new favorite Caitlin Starling book, but a new all-time favorite!

Thank you to Harper-Voyager & Netgalley for the ARC!

When I first heard the premise of Caitlin Starling’s latest novel, I knew instantly that it was going to be something special. Set in a medieval castle in the midst of a brutal siege, “The Starving Saints” follows three women doing everything they can to survive. But when four seemingly divine beings appear from nowhere claiming to bring salvation, things become even stranger and deadlier than anyone thought possible.

“The Starving Saints” may have officially stolen the crown from “The Luminous Dead” and become my favorite Starling novel — and if you know how I feel about cave horror, you KNOW what a big deal that is. “Saints” is Starling at her strangest, her creepiest, her goriest, her most unhinged. Even better, “Saints” is also an exploration of madness, trauma, and how to survive in a world where the rules have suddenly changed. AND it’s got a trio of some of the most unhinged and morally gray lesbians you ever did see.

“The Starving Saints” by Caitlin Starling is out on 5/20 — and it’s an experience you won’t want to miss. Many thanks to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this e-galley!

oh wow! this was such an atmospheric novel full of gore, tenderness, longing and medieval horrors. I enjoyed every page, all the characters were so enticing and i am obsessed with the dynamics between all three of the main characters. The prose of this novel was great, the story was intense, and i loved every second. The lesbian cannibalism book of everyone's dreams. messy and perfect and more than a little disgusting, i absolutely adored this.

Filled with nuns, knights, and cannibalism, THE STARVING SAINTS is a fever dream in book form. Think Yellowjackets but make it medieval Catholicism. Vivid and gory (but not gratuitous), this book will get inside your head and make you think twice about eating meat for a bit. A ridiculously talented author who writes some of the best horror I’ve ever read. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Weird cannibalistic maybe-medieval setting horror but with some modern language woven throughout so hard to define a specific time period. The book takes place within the walls of Aymar Castle where the inhabitants are starving as enemy forces continue to attack in an attempt to seize the castle.

We have three women with intersecting fates. Phosyne previously worked for the main prioress (although their focus is much more science-y than religious) but has split off on her own thanks to the help of a knight. Ser Voyne is a super badass female knight who’s been a bit limited by her king previously. Trelia works and lives inside the castle and has taken to catching rats to sell to others. Hunger is everywhere and the supplies are dwindling. All the iron has been turned into ammunition and no one is able to enter or leave the castle. When some religious icons appear in the flesh, will it be their salvation? Or is something more sinister stirring?

I really enjoyed this one. This is my third work by Starling and all three books are vastly different. From historical horror to space mining Starling proves she can write a book in virtually any setting and have you completely captivated. The characters were great and it’s a female lead book, which I always appreciate. I did struggle a bit with the supernatural aspects. The abilities of different characters seemed to be constantly in flux which made it hard to totally grasp the lore. It’s totally possible Starling explained this all very well and my brain just missed it, but at times it added a bit of confusion for me. Overall this was another excellent read by Starling and I can’t wait to check out her next book.

"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."

Let's call this book medieval horror fever dream meets cannibal convent. And I mean this in the best way. It's very out there, raw and a bit queer.
Feels like walking through a medieval painting mid bacchanal. But sub the drinks for limbs 😂

Even knowing a bit of the content is coming it totally caught me by surprise.

On the same line of The Unworthy, recommended!

Pun completely intended but I devoured this one in basically one go. There's something about books with creepy dark horror things that come from the woods to an unsuspecting community and causes unadulterated chaos that just hit the spot and Caitlin Starling does this genre so so well. Add in firey dragon-cat sidekicks and a healthy dose of sapphic yearning and you have a winner!

Technically 3.5⭐️ but I’m feeling generous.

To start, this book is perfect for people who enjoy:
• Catholic Imagery
• Lesbians
• Bees
• Cannibalism
• French People

The first half of this book? Reverent. Hopeless. Wholly, and completely dread filled. Took a bit to pick up but once it did, this book was impossible to put down. If you’re a gamer, and/or a fan of the Dragon Age series and Dishonored, then this book is 100% for you. Medieval, bacchanalic, and just entirely carefree until it’s too late. The imagery was impeccable and forever will I visually see the Lady as King Baldwin from the movie Kingdom of Heaven. The magic system (at first) was unique and worked well for what it was, would e loved to see those basic aspects fleshed out more though.

This book is the epitome of “the devil you know”, with the sanctity of the Saints (pre-invasion), the sacredness of honey, the dread and resignation of knowing a body buried is a body wasted. This book was a free trial to starvation-induced psychosis.

Now for the bad.

You can pinpoint the exact moment this book falls apart, and by falls apart I mainly mean there was an idea for the first half and then the author got another idea for a different book and decided to try to meld them together.

That moment? When Phosyne sanctifies her tower and emerges from the cistern dressed in silk robes.

From that moment on it felt like “giving your OC powers and making them invincible and uber powerful” which is unfortunate because Phosyne was my favorite until that moment. At first the magic system felt fresh, it felt unique, it felt very Dishonored-esque and it was amazing but then the ball was dropped and the system was just completely different by the end.

The beginning felt well written, well paced and thoroughly enjoyable while still giving uncanny valley. Post-That Moment felt almost… unedited? Rushed? Don’t get me wrong it was still enjoyable but it felt like an entirely different book.

Furthermore, so many questions did not get answered simply due to that Moment. What exactly are the saints? Are they bees? Are they ambiguous? Are they the manifestation of a collective hallucination due to starvation and dehydration? Are they symbolic? Are they bugs? Obviously Phosyne is an example of “absolute power corrupts absolutely” but thanks to Ser Voyne, the corruption is at bay. Where does Phosyne’s power come from? Hell? The other world? The fingernail planting was mostly glossed over. Vague answers aren’t concrete.

Maybe I missed those answers. Maybe they didn’t exist.

Finally, I wouldn’t classify this book as horror. The only reason it was, I believe, is the cannibalism. Otherwise I would’ve categorized it as Dark Fantasy or simply Fantasy with horror elements.

Regardless, it was an enjoyable read up to an extent. The magic system was enjoyable even if the rules went out the window sometimes. If it would’ve leant more into the horror aspect rather than the magic? This would’ve been a 5⭐️ book. Make people into living, breathing hives. Lean into the body horror rather than just “people are cattle”. Let the saints do experiments, have half human half bee hybrid abominations.

Thank you to Caitlin Starling, publisher Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc.

In The Starving Saints, Caitlin Starling takes us to Aymar Castle, a fortress that has been under siege for six months. Despite sending out multiple messengers requesting aid, no one has come to their rescue and food is quickly running out. And then, a miracle. Four divine figures appear out of thin air offering sustenance and hedonistic revelry. Only three women can see through the madness: a knight, a sorceress, and a serving girl. They must work together amidst countless temptations to save not only their own lives but everyone in the castle from their mysterious visitors.

Starling is one of my favorite writers for a reason. With each of her novels, she masterfully crafts an entire world that feels so tangible and complete on the very first page. She grounds the story by giving us the sensory experiences of each of the POV characters. You smell the sweat on their skin, feel the pangs of their hunger, touch the fluttering of their pulse. I loved watching each of the three protagonists slip in and out of coherence and sanity as they fight to avoid succumbing to the fever dream of the Saints.

One of my favorite things about Starling’s “villains” is how enticing she makes them. The Saint of Love, in particular, I found both tempting and terrifying and I loved the game of cat and mouse between him and Treila (this one is for The Death of Jane Lawrence fans). I also love the tension between Phosyne and Ser Voyne (this one is for Last To Leave The Room fans).

Saints promises an “intensely atmospheric fever dream of medieval horror” and it absolutely delivers. Starling is a master of fear, and viscerally conveys the fear of starvation, claustrophobia, psychosis, body horror, and of course, cannibalism. If you like horror that is medieval, religious, and queer then this is a must read.

CW: body horror, death, gore, violence, blood, cannibalism, claustrophobia, murder, injury, animal death (off page), suicidal thoughts

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ALC and ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“A king is not so different from a madwoman.”

Caitlin Starling never disappoints! I just love all of her books. Each one so different but so good. As soon as I saw a review that said this was a medieval lesbian cannibalism horror, I was sold!

Starling is a fantastic atmospheric author and this book proved it again. I loved all of the gothic, medieval vibes that surrounded her complex and compelling characters. It did start a little slow but in the end, I joined that because I was completely sucked into the world by the time everything went crazy.

Highly recommend this and all of this authors other books!

What to expect:
- Medieval horror
- Touches of dark fantasy
- Very atmospheric
- Cannibalism
- Sapphic romance
- Bees. Honey. Bees

Thank you to NetGalley and Caitlin Starling for the ebook ARC of this book.

I won’t sugarcoat it, the Starving Saints is certainly slow to digest. The writing style is pretty straightforward and based on a personal preference, the setting didn’t really captivate me. However, this book has a natural capability for allure. It is so vague, allowing the reader to envision their own interpretations of various characters and spaces. This particular aspect won’t be for everyone, but when it came to certain horrors, it became a strong suit of this book. Caitlin Starling‘s writing is fairly unassuming at first. However, there are some decadent gems of wisdom scattered throughout. The story read like a movie and the body horror was graphic and gruesome, just the way I like it. There are many unique characters and lots of questions and horrible moments that linger well after you’re done reading. Though this is not my favorite book of the year, this is certainly one that I’m going to think of repeatedly as it haunts my psyche. Not to mention: bee horror. Yes yes yes to more bee horror.

Aymar Castle is under siege and resources are thinning. Desperate for a miracle and thinking about diminishing their numbers, help arrives in the form of divine saints. The saints offer relief in return for devotion. Feasts of unknown origin satisfy Aymar’s hungry population but three women soon find themselves in a castle overran by madness and they begin to question these so called saints. With their pasts entangled with violence they must come together to save not only themselves but Aymar from the very monstrous saints they put their faith in.

This was my first novel to experience medieval horror and it was a vibe!
Starling’s atmospheric and lyrical writing was eerie and transports the reader down a fever dream spiral of cannibalism, body horror, and an extreme hunger from hedonistic ecstasy.

Parts of the novel did leave me confused but entranced by Starling’s writing and disturbingly beautiful descriptions and plot. The beginning of the novel was slow but sets the scene for the novels main antagonists. I couldn’t help but feel spellbound by Our Lady and her saints. Their mysterious and ominous presence was so addicting and truly terrifying. I have to appreciate the religious aspects of the novel and the symbolism of hunger and desperation. When faced with impossible challenges we are often turning to even more impossible solutions.

I liked how the novel was told through the different POVs of the three protagonists and the depth they each brought to the plot. The only thing I have to say that was hard for me to grasp was their names! I’m not sure if that’s just a me problem but I know I butchered them. The writing gave such a gothic lit feel with the occasional f-bomb that made me chuckle.

Although this novel or type of horror may not be for everyone; I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be checking out more by Sterling.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4/5 Stars. "What The Fuck Did I Just Read?" in the best possible way. Gory, atmospheric, and with a lot of unexpected heart. Three very distinct main characters, but all with different kinds of tenacity and strength that was really fun to watch play off each other. A little too nebulous at times for me, but overall, a very enjoyable and creepy read!

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
Genre: Gothic Horror
Subgenre(s): Secondary World Fantasy, LGBTQ+
Book Track: Will You Love Me When I'm Dead by Amira Elfeky

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling is a sun-soaked horror masterwork dripping with blood, honey, and saliva. Conjured with prose that would undoubtedly impress the likes of Mervyn Peake or Nicola Griffith, Starling has constructed a story about three woman whose past and present lives are tangled together. Forced alliances must be made in order to survive the siege upon the castle they are sequestered within and it's not long before things get sticky. Food and clean water are in short supply and the inhabitants turn to their faith to extricate them from this nightmarish situation. Preternaturally beings arrive offering a salvation and the men, women, and children trapped within Aymar Castle quickly discover that it is eat or be eaten...

This book is sharp and sticky. It gets onto and under your skin and it's near impossible to put down once you've gotten a taste for it's sacramental offering. Caitlin Starling shapes this secondary fantasy world with a hazy, historically-adjacent, filter that feels like looking at a piece of art from the 15th Century but from the corner of ones eyes after having stared at the sun for too long. Familiar, near sacrosanct, yet something feels out of place, reskinned, and strangely askew like a mirage. It's this here that makes The Starving Saints special and unlike other tales of medieval horror. This novel feels so full and bright and loud, not just because of the bees or vore, but in the way that Starling describes her settings and atmosphere using all of the senses. In the way the fast paced narrative felt as oppressive as hunger pangs while each chapter somehow still would leave you feeling satiated. This all paired with her whip-smart and flavorful dialogue from characters you'll either hate to love or pray for their salvation. A new all-time favorite for this reader and perfect for fans of The Green Knight and Midsommar from A24. If you enjoyed Lapvona from Ottessa Moshfegh but wanted something more progressive and infinitely more queer, you'll feast on this book.

5/5 Stars
100/100 Score

Note on the audiobook: Barrie Kreinik did a wonderful job with this material. I heard her narration on Slewfoot by Brom and knew she'd do an excellent job bringing these characters and this world to life!

Thank you to both Harper Voyager for sending two of us on the podcast arcs, both physical and audio, and thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an eArc of this title.

The Starving Saints, is a novel that will carve out a permanent piece inside you. With pages containing a nauseating mix of cannibalistic horrors and ghastly entities that lie waiting to torment you into mental submission, and I mean that as a compliment. Fans of To The Bone and Hungerstone, this is for you.

The novel follows three women trapped in Aymar Castle as the residents struggle to find food amidst a siege. Phosyne, a former devout priory member and newly dubbed Castle “madwoman”, after magically purifying the drinking water. Ser Voyne, the king’s right-hand woman and decorated knight, who is beginning to doubt her loyalty to the crown. And Trelia, a former highborn who now lives as a servant in the depths of the Castle, waiting to get revenge on the women who killed her father. Although the three have never interacted in Aymar’s halls, their fates become intertwined when four saints appear, claiming to have come to usher in a new age of abundance. But as the castle descends into hedonism, the three women doubt the saint’s intentions. However, they cannot even begin to fathom the horrors the residents of Aymar will soon face, especially when one finds herself at the center of it all.

A few words I have used to describe this book are: demented, disgusting, and downright disturbed. However, those are the highest praises as this story weaves an intricate web of nonsensical heretics that begs to be devoured. The unreliability of narration allows the reader to be disoriented as the characters lose their grip on reality. This is so effective because the plot is pure insanity, and I say that as a compliment. The world this takes place in is just close enough to our own to give an air of implausibility that plays on your expectations, only to sweep the rug out from under you when you least expect it. The characters are far from heroes in their own right, with murky motives that allow for significant internal growth despite the increasing threat to their lives. Any seasoned horror reader will devour this as it brings a unique and fresh take on the “final girl” trope.

My only critique is that I want more lore and more monsters because it feels like there was more written of the story that got edited out. Without giving a plot point away, there is an entity that one of the characters interacts with, outside of the Saints, that doesn’t feel fully fleshed out. There is so much potential and lead up with this subplot, but for me, it fell completely flat in its execution. There are also a few loose lore threads that come off as either being cut short or added in at the last second. Although it isn’t a huge detriment in this case, since the story has that discombobulated feeling, it is a little too messy for me. However, that is just my opinion and interpretation, so if you are a less structure is best type of person, you will love this.

All in all, this mind-bending medieval horror is a must-read. From the never-ending depravity to the complicated character dynamics, you will physically not be able to put this book down. Not to mention immediately re-reading it just to be sure you got everything. If you love disturbing acts of humanity and creature features, you are in the right place. Happy reading!

CW: Anxiety, alcohol, amputation, animal death, attempted murder, blood, bones, cannibalism, child death, death, decapitation, emesis, famine, fire, gore, hallucination, hostages, murder, needles, plague, poisoning, religion, starvation, torture and war.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for sending an eARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For more sapphic reviews, follow @the.lesbian.library on Instagram, StoryGraph, Substack, and YouTube.

The Starving Saints is a dark fantasy/medieval horror story told through 3 perspectives, the king's star knight, a miracle working former nun, and a servant girl. All three women have different strengths that allow them to survive in this bizarre world. Aymar Castle has been under siege for months and no one is allowed to leave, the inhabitants are slowly starving. Phosyne is tasked with making food out of nothing under the watchful eye of Ser Voyne. Trelia is in the background plotting against Ser Voyne in an act of revenge. However, the dynamics of the castle drastically shift when the Saints appear within the castle's walls. From there, the castle descends into a dream-like madness and the three women must figure out how to survive the madness and temptations.

I did really like the base story that was told here and the themes that Caitlin Starling explored. I do think the beginning started a little slow and in the end the whole book felt really drawn out. This book does feature cannibalism, which when depicted on page, I thought it was done well. However, with the synopsis, I really thought that this was going to be more fever dream than it actually was for me. The writing was good, but there were times when it was overly simplified in a way that didn't match the surroundings or previous paragraph. I did really enjoy the Saints throughout and found that to be much more interesting than how the 3 POVs interacted with each other and the very unfocused plot.

Overall, I still enjoyed and can see some readers really loving this. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the eARC.

This was so good! Atmospheric and absolutely engrossing. Did not want to put it down. Gothic horror at its best!

As simply as I can put it- this book is beautifully expressed yearning, wrapped in a filthy, idolatrous hedonistic fever dream.

To that end, the draw here is more “vibes” rather than plot, and my rating probably will not change much based on the ending. So far, I’m really digging it, the prose is sumptuous, the characters (a scrappy little thief girl, a lady knight, and a madwoman/miracle worker) are incredibly compelling- both on their own, and as they’re entangled with one another.

Speaking of ~entanglements ~ for a book with no on page sex, this is so horny. And so gay. And just full of an odd and toxic YEARNING, between all three main characters that I ate right up.

I think this one’s going to be a “love it or hate it” type read that’s going to resonate HARD with a select group of readers (likely the “no plot- just vibes” crowd) that being said- I think you should check it out if any of the following terms are appealing:
- eldritch gods
-monsters?
-medeival horror
-lady knights
-choking kink
-bees, for some reason
-cute little pet demons
-Faustian bargains