Taking place in a vaguely medieval setting, but a world that is not quite like our own. There is a distinct 'feel' to the setting of Aymar Castle (the main setting of the novel, a place that has been under siege by enemy soldiers for months).
The narrative splits between three distinct points of view:
- Phosyne (a cast out nun, obsessed with learning dark & esoteric knowledge, tasked with creating 'miracles' to help save the starving inhabitants of Aymar)
- Ser Voyne (a fiercely loyal knight, who is torn between obeying her king and helping save the people around her)
- Treila (a servant girl who has her own secrets, and is obsessed with a revenge plan that's been brewing within her for years)
The book has it's strange moments very early on (mainly in the Phosyne chapters), but once the group of "saints" arrives at the castle, the weird stuff gets REALLY weird. There's murder, there are otherworldly creatures everywhere, the world within the castle is transformed into something very very dark, etc. The parts with the 'feast' were really grotesque in certain places.
Since the narrative is divided between three characters, there is a sense of repetition at the latter parts of the book (a character escapes, needs to hide from the 'saints', has to figure out a plan, etc). The relationships between the three women also didn't fully click together either. The best developed one was really between Treila and Ser Voyne, since the two had a shared history, but the others weren't that interesting.
The ending also kind of suffers as well. The main villain (the 'Lady' of that strange group of visitors), got dealt with a little too quickly for someone who was built up to be so formidable. Things just ended so, so quickly and the ending was a little hollow. The buildup to the horror elements was done way better than the resolution. Still, I'd recommend this if you love medieval-themed horror (there's not enough of that in books).

I really loved the premise for this book, but something about it didn’t quite hit home for me. It was still an enjoyable read, but I felt very disconnected. I may try again if an audiobook is released.

this was made for me. like, this was specifically made for ME.

what did we have? stinky and messy women,a lady knight, a poly relationship between three women?? (or god i hope so), body horror, absolute madness, medieval horror, CANNABILISM.

caitlin starling has been on my list of authors to read for awhile now and i'm so mad at myself for not diving in sooner. the writing was beautiful and it felt like reading a dark fairytale.

my only complaint is that i wanted MORE. And also, this is probably just me, but i didn't really care Treila. She was feral and I enjoyed that but besides that?? boooo.

still - i need the physical copy of this BADLY.

This book was a wild ride to say the least. Medieval horror and body horror and the most convoluted sapphic relationships I've ever read. This book is about a castle that's been under siege for six months, with no sign of a relief force, and hope is running out as quickly as the food. We follow an ex-nun who can, sort of, work miracles; a knight/war hero/attack dog who's been too long off the battlefield; and a servant who's scraping together an escape from the castle. When the Constant Lady arrives with her saints in tow to throw a feast for the entire castle, things quickly deteriorate into the kind of fever dream you wake up from with a sore throat and a knot in your stomach.

The writing was absolutely gorgeous: lush, detailed, laying characters bare. There's quite a bit of horror, mostly related to the body, and plenty of cannibalism, but it doesn't go overboard. It's tasteful, not relished. And just the aesthetics in general: stone castle, bees and beehives, blood and honey, feasts and flayed skin and saints and creatures with open, hungry mouths. If you're at all into medieval illustrations, you'll love this setting.

I liked the way it was written and how I felt paranoid while reading. I think the book was good though. It had a good pacing and characters.

I received The Starving Saints as an ARC from the publisher Avon and Harper Voyager and the author Caitlin Starling.

Publication Date: 05/20/2025

TW: Cannibalism, Death, Drowning, Strangulation, Darkness

Aymar Castle is surrounded by their enemy, Etrebia. Aymar's food supply has been cutoff for months and they only have a couple weeks of supplies left before they run out. Ser Voyne is the King's right-hand woman who is tasked with keeping order in the castle, including keeping Phosyne focused and on task. Phosyne, a nun turned "mad woman" is tasked by the King with saving Aymar and creating a miracle to provide food for the castle from basically nothing. Treila, the daughter of a former Lord is hell bent for revenge on Ser Voyne.

The people of Aymar believe they have been saved when their Icons appear in the castle even though there is no sign of how they enter. The Saints are headed by The Constant Lady. No one questions the appearance of The Saints except for Ser Voyne, Phosyne, and Treila. Even when The Saints are able to provide feasts with tables full of food. These three woman fight to keep Aymar safe from what the population can't see. Is there something more sinister behind the driving force of The Saints? Give it a read and check it out.

I will say this was a tough read for me. Sadly, for me, I am a bit of a slow reader so it takes a little bit longer for things to kind of soak in when I am reading. This story was a little convoluted for me. I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just the style of writing was maybe a little beyond me and I couldn't enjoy it as much as I thought I was going to. I really like the premise of the story and what lies behind the good? Is it Evil? I also liked the ending, it gave me the feeling like the ending of Inception. I'm not spoiling it, but it's one of those things like how Inception ended, was it a dream or wasn't it?

My god, what did I just read...but seriously, this was incredible. It's my first read of Caitlin Starling's work and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I stayed up until midnight to finish it, which is not my usual habit. But like what in the world?? So we begin our story in the castle Aymar with a starving population and a former nun tasked with the impossible--creating food from nothing. And then the deity they all pray to suddenly appears with food and drink and she thinks she has something to do with it. It spirals quickly from there, but I loved every POV we were given and am eager to read more by this author. My true rating is 4.5 stars! Anyway, please, if you love horror books with a dark fantasy vibe, pick this up! Great book.

Oh goodness, okay this one was rather painfully interesting. rather like a rotting, gaping, wound in all the best possible ways. Creepy, culty, extremely powerful work about three toxically dependent women in a world where a goddess (?) (maybe?) has descended upon the world to give salvation(?) to a besieged castle. 5 stars. Tysm for the arc

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling has all the right elements to be a success for me—gothic atmosphere, medieval horror, and a claustrophobic castle setting that pulses with energy. The world-building is incredibly rich, and the characters are intriguing, each with secrets and motives that kept me invested throughout. You feel the weight of the siege, the desperation creeping through the walls, and the dread that seeps into every scene. The characters themselves are flawed and complex—each struggling with their own desires, secrets, and moral dilemmas, which made it easy to empathize with their struggles and root for them, even when their actions were questionable.

The story walks a fine line between grounded realism and surreal horror, delivering moments that are both unsettling and hauntingly whimsical. The juxtaposition of grounded scenes with almost dreamlike horrors enhances the surreal tone of the novel, giving it an unnerving quality that stays with you. However, I did find myself struggling with the flowery prose at times, which, paired with the multiple POVs, made it hard to follow what was happening. It’s not quite the supernatural sapphic horror I was expecting.

Despite the moments where I felt a bit lost, I still enjoyed the experience. The setting and world-building alone are captivating, and if you’re into atmospheric, character-driven horror, The Starving Saints offers a unique and unsettling story that’s worth diving into. Just be prepared for a disorienting ride at times.

I love the idea of medieval horror and how it was used in this universe. I was engaged with the world and how everything worked together to tell the story. The characters had that feel that I wanted and felt like they belonged in this world. I enjoyed the way Caitlin Starling wrote this and can’t wait for more.

A gory, twisted, sapphic, medieval fever dream of a novel. This was out of my normal genre selection and I'm so glad I branched out to read it; I was engrossed in this story from start to finish. I deeply enjoyed the closed setting, intensely flawed yet intriguing characters, and the rumination on religion and power throughout. My only qualm was that the confusion of reality the narrators were feeling sometimes extended to the reader and was not always resolved with clear answers for understanding. I may later discover I missed major clues, but it felt like some descriptions were too metaphorical for me or the characters to fully grasp. That being said, this is a deeply compelling book and I am so eager for more people to read it so I can dissect it even further.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon / Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for review!

“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.”

When I tell you this book truly has it all…
- A strange and stinky nun turned sorceress
- A lady knight that is unsure of where her loyalty should lie (she’s also really tall)
- An absolute menace of a girl that seeks revenge for the death of her father above all else
- The dynamics of messy, codependent women that want to kiss/kill each other
- The power exchanges. The YEARNING
- Cannibalism
- Religious icons as a threat
- Kneeling 😏🫡
- Bargaining with a hungry, unnamed malevolence beneath the castle
- A lot of bees

This book is a beautiful and disgusting fever dream and obsessed is an understatement. It’s impossible to guess what will happen next and I fear I will be thinking about it for a very long time. I cannot wait for this book to be out so I can get myself a physical copy. Thank you so much NetGalley the eARC!

The Starving Saints has been described as an intensely atmospheric fever dream of medieval horror, and man, did it live up to that! If you love weird girl, sapphic horror lit-fic, this will be the book for you! Think Ottessa Moshfegh’s
Lapvona, but without all of the fecal matter. It is bloody and sticky and bizarre, and for the longest time, you really aren’t sure what exactly is going on. I love a wild ride when I’m reading a book, and this definitely was one.

The narrators are an excommunicated nun (possible witch?), a Brienne of Tarth-type knight, and a girl playing the long game of revenge for her father’s death. They are all inside a castle that has been under siege for quite some time, and the food has run out. Phosyne (our nun-turned-magic woman) has managed to pull off one magical stunt, and everyone is expecting her to pull food out of thin air. After several failed attempts, it doesn’t matter because the Constant Lady and her Saints (Icons aka Heavenly beings??) show up out of nowhere with a bounty of refreshments. What could possibly go wrong? This book is a wild ride. It is very gory, has a lot of cannibalism, a lot of body horror, and a lot of creepy creatures. You will be grossed out, you will change your opinions about the main characters multiple times, and you will wonder if the ending is happy or not. This is my first book by Caitlin Starling, but I am looking forward to reading more!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyage for this advanced copy of The Starving Saints.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was hard for me! I really enjoyed the concept, but the writing style and prose was like trying to hold water in my hands. I had a hard time latching onto the story amidst all the language.

This was a masterclass in writing. I loved every second I was reading this novel. I can’t wait to dive more into what the author produces.

this book was gory and disgusting and beautiful and religious and also distinctly sapphic about it. a novel for the Harrowhark Nonagesimuses of the world.

If you're looking for a book that's drenched in debauchery and brimming with bacchanalian madness, let me introduce you to my latest obsession.

The Starving Saints has it all:
- A lady knight (who has managed to steal my heart, thanks).
- Mind control food.
- Scary bees.
- Cannibalism as a metaphor for... cannibalism.
- Three toxic women who are, you guessed it, toxically dependent on one another.
- Delicious yearning.
- Not so delicious (and I say this positively) depictions of meat.
- A weird, cult-like religion.

When I say that this novel is an exploration of the depths of human depravity, I mean it. It's incredibly visceral--the type of story that doesn't shy away from appealing to your five senses in the worst (best) possible way--and god, the execution of it was just fantastic.

Our three leads are compelling and awful in their own compelling and awful ways, too. I always worry that there might be a character that I hate when there are multiple perspectives in a story, but Ser Voyne, Phosyne, and Treila were all PERFECT. The web spreading between them was also a delight, and I would give anything to read more about their messed up lives and histories if given the opportunity to.

Overall, this was my perfect book and I'm patiently counting down the days until next May when I can get my hands on a physical copy of it. It's easily a must-read for anyone even remotely fascinated by the medieval horror genre, or for anyone who wants to see messy sapphics try to save a starving castle from itself (and possibly each other).

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own :)

An interesting read, kind of reminiscent of A Field in England. I don't know that it was really enjoyable though. It was just shy of something for me.

The Starving Saints has everything the self-proclaimed weird reader could possibly want—the disturbing imagery of Ottessa Moshfegh's Lapvona; the fever dream quality of Mona Awad's Bunny; and the soul-devouring villainy of Bram Stoker's Dracula. As you can imagine, I liked it very much.

We open on the inside of a castle under siege. We aren't privy to combat or violence just yet (and when we are, it won't be what you expect). Instead, we meet Phosyne, the King's madwoman tasked with performing miracles. Through this introduction, we learn that the castle's food supply is dwindling, and that the thousand trapped inhabitants are starting to lose patience with the ever-shrinking rations. But Phosyne has already done the impossible—she's purified the water and saved hundreds using the very knowledge that had her deemed a heretic. Now the King needs more. Left with the unfeasible task of producing food from nothing, Phosyne is further crippled with the knowledge that she is now to be watched by the war hero Ser Voyne in order to speed up her progress. This union creates conflict that neither one of them could have predicted—and unbeknownst to Voyne, the revenge-seeking servant Treila walks the castle halls, too. When something far more sinister breaches the castle's barricades, the three women are forced to react. As the threat grows and the stakes rise even higher, the castle's inhabitants are pushed to discern control from autonomy, purpose from circumstance, and service from protection.

I absolutely devoured this book. The atmosphere sucks you in, and the characters, with their secrets, make you want to learn more. The narrative poses interesting questions about faith, morality, and perseverance, and it makes you work for the answers. Grounded yet fantastical, there is no way to predict how this book will go. The things you understand to be solid fracture under your feet, only to piece themselves back together in a manner you couldn't possibly expect.

My one critique of this book comes in the form of a side-effect of the haziness. The author handled this dream-like atmosphere so consistently that, at times, things felt even more muddled to me as a reader than they would if I were a character in the book. Things and events were described in a way that I just couldn't manage to equate with my understanding of the world thus far, and then we were moving on without explanation. That being said, in doing this, the author's hand was so steady that I found myself doubting my own literacy before doubting the writing itself. I never found myself slugging through page after page of clumsy world-building, but some explanation or context might have made the book more digestible.

Again, to the author's credit, I have never read a book with the ability to devastate me so thoroughly with a CHAPTER OPENER OF ALL THINGS? In general, the way the author opened each chapter was just so enticing. The Starving Saints never got dull. I never wanted to put it down. I always struggled to remind myself that I was not a character in this book, and that I was not facing a similar fate.

The Starving Saints comes out May 20 of 2025! Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

“𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰’𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓭𝔂 𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮. 𝓣𝓸 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓮𝓱𝓸𝓵𝓭 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓯𝓯 𝓰𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓾𝓼𝓬𝓵𝓮𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴. 𝓣𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓷, 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓪𝓵𝓿𝓮𝓼. 𝓣𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓾𝓰𝓮𝓮𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓶𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓶𝓼, 𝓼𝓸𝓯𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓾𝓬𝓬𝓾𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝔂𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓲𝓭𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓪𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓪 𝓼𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭.”

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for a review.
The Starving Saints follows three POVs - Ser Vayne, the king’s knight, Phosyne - a former nun now dubbed a “madwoman,” and Trelia, a young girl torn between vengeance and escape.
The story takes place behind the castle walls during a siege and the populace is facing the threat of starvation. Potential rescue appears in the forms of four saints. The promise of rescue quickly descends into a horrific nightmare.
This story felt like a medieval horror fever dream. The writing was grotesque and beautiful. The elements of gothic horror are unlike anything I’ve come across before. Except for some slow pacing in places, I found this book engaging and alluring.