sapphics, gore and religious iconography set in a dirty medieval castle????? i think this book was made for me.

overall i adored this book. i wish i could give it five stars, i just feel like the prose was a bit confusing at times? there were certain moments where i had to go back a reread the last few pages because i wasn’t sure what was actually happening. BUT maybe that’s a me issue idk. i still highly recommend this book.

Great book! It had all the fears of growing up. Make a choice. Turn the page or close the book. Enter the darkness if you wish!

What is madness if everyone is mad? What is depravity if everyone is depraved? What is power if no one is in control? This book makes you think about all of this, and more, while making you come into direct contact with some of the worst conditions humans can endure while trapped in a finite space - and whether or not anyone even deserves to be saved.

In all honesty, you need to go into this book with an open mind and an empty stomach, and just allow yourself to be engrossed in it. I went into this book entirely blind and I personally think that was the best decision I could have made. The second you think you understand where this book is going you will be hit with another round of madness just around the corner making you realize you don’t understand anything at all. Enter of your own free will and enjoy the ride, because you’ll be taken on one whether you want to be or not.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this e-ARC.

4 stars--I really liked it. (5 stars for the cover--wow!)

This book starts out strong: a medieval horror/dark fantasy, with great characters, an interesting religious system, and some truly spooky monsters. I love the sense of claustrophobia and ever-tightening fear that gives way to utter madness and bloody hedonism. The "monsters" (fae? spirits of the air? elementals?) above and below ground are gorgeous and sinister, and overall this is a truly unique foundation.

The plot gets a bet shaky toward the middle/end, with characters seeming to (literally) flee from scene to scene with no motivation. Character choices are sometimes puzzling, and I'm not sure I understood all the knife symbolism.

Still, a fabulous novel that I'm glad I read.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

The atmosphere of this book was so unique, and I felt completely immersed in it! The stunning cover and interesting premise are what drew me to this.

The overall story/vibe sounds like something I would absolutely devour and love, but there was just something missing for me and the pacing was a little off. There was not much actual interaction or conversation between our three main characters, making their connections and relationships feel out of place.

3.25 stars

Thank you Harper Voyager via Netgalley for this ARC.

Gideon the Ninth meets Arthurian legend in this dizzying, debaucherous sapphic romp with a deliciously gruesome edge. The breakneck pace was totally addicting, as were the messy entanglements between the three flawed main characters. I love stories about female hunger—for food, yes, but also for power, vengeance, respect, camaraderie, and sex—and this book absolutely delivers. So fun and totally original!

Medieval? Horror? LGBTQ? Litfic? Cannibalism? Say less. This won’t be for everyone but it was definitely for me. Thanks for the ARC netgalley!

2 stars
Every fiber of my being wanted to like this book, but the concept isn’t executed well. The pacing just feels terrible and found myself not intrigued by the writing. It lacked a lot details for its surroundings. Often feeling like the characters were trapped in a big black box with a few objects.

On that note, characters didn’t feel fleshed out enough either. Making the ending fall short of any emotional value the book is supposed to have. At least the book stays true to the mentions of LGBTQ+.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC of The Starving Saints.

The Starving Saints is a delicious medieval fever dream that toys with grotesque expressions of power and erotic control. This is not a book with any sex scenes but it is very horny.

Listen, this is a book by sickos for sickos. There's frenzied starvation, there's jubilant cannibalism, there's hypnotically alluring nightmare entities from beyond the mortal plane. It's gay, it's desperate, the characters are toxic. Of course I loved it.

For those worried about the body horror, do not fear because this is more on the level of the Hannibal TV show than it is Hostel. It's gross, yep, pretty damn narsty, but it's... artfully presented? There's no sexual violence or torture. Everyone is having a bad time but in a sensually compelling way. Honestly, if you're a Hannibal enjoyer then you're the target audience.

We are thrown into this setting with zero context. No maps, no long prologue, no glossary. Why would a history lesson matter when the characters most basic need is no where in sight? Who cares *why* they are under siege when they only have a month of food left? The clock ticks down while they desperately work to create a miracle.

There are inferences of deeper history and world building, but the setting remains claustrophobically confined to the keep. We become just as trapped as the characters.

No spoilers but the cavern scenes had me hooting and hollering. Easily my favorite part. This is a weird pull, but the vibe reminded of the Markarth haunted house side quest in Skyrim. IYKYK.

I was enthralled for the first 65-70% but I will say it went on for too long in the back half. Characters retraced their footsteps too often and some of the character development moments aren't fluid. The interactions between the knight and the witch during this part of the book were too repetitive for me.

Towards the end there are attempts to explain some of the weirdness, or at least add more structure to it. This wasn't necessary. It actually took away some of its compelling claustrophobic fog of war. Still, I felt the conclusion was satisfying despite stumbling a bit to the finish line.

The Starving Saints is a story that thrives when it is deep in the weeds of sensation and emotion rather than logic. It is a moment to moment bodily experience rather than a puzzle to be picked apart.

Medieval horror with a side of cannibalism and some seriously unhinged vibes? Yes, please, my bread and butter. The Starving Saints delivers on that promise, but while it hooked me at first, it didn’t quite stick the landing for me.

Aymar Castle has been under siege for six months, and everyone’s starving. You can feel the desperation dripping off the page, when you know things are about as dire as debating mass layoffs of life (heh). Enter the Constant Lady and her Saints—mysterious, godlike figures who show up out of nowhere with feasts and miracles but no wagons or trunks or horses in sight. Appeared during a siege as if out of thin air. It’s creepy and intriguing, and I was all in for this dark fairy tale vibe.

There are three women at the heart of the story: Ser Voyne, the war hero (serious Brienne of Tarth vibes with her, I was constantly seeing Gwendolyn Christie in my head); Phosyne, the paranoid ex-nun-turned-sorceress (admittedly, I was only seeing Madam Mim, which made for some laughs); and Treila, the vengeful serving girl who used to be a noble girl before her father supposedly committed treason.

As the book went on, it started feeling like a fever dream that didn’t know where it was going. The magic and madness got so trippy that I was lost half the time, and not always in a good way.

By the end, I was left with mixed feelings. It’s bold and weird, and I respect that Starling went for it. But the pacing dragged in spots, and the payoff didn’t hit as hard as I’d hoped. It’s like I was starving for a big, satisfying bite, and instead I got a handful of crumbs. If you’re into dark, messy horror with a sapphic twist and don’t mind some (or maybe a lot of?) confusion, this might be your jam. For me, it was a creepy, uneven adventure that I liked but didn’t love.

This book is my new personality, it defines me, it is me. I can't even explain it. It's just so insane and intense and perfect and just WOW.

Food is growing thin, your castle is under siege, help isn’t coming, and time is running out. In times of great distress, how would you handle it? What would you sacrifice to save the people of your village?

Cult-esque with a taste of delirium mixed with a little delicious flesh. Fun for the entire family.

The story started slowly and ended slowly. The middle portion was enjoyable, but I felt like something was missing. I tend to love books where a single decision could lead an entire community to a life of sin or death. While the concept was intriguing, I’m not sure the execution met my expectations. Even though Medieval horror is something new to me, I was expecting something a little more different.

The main characters were compellingly toxic, which was a highlight of the narrative. Their intentions and motivations were often shrouded in mystery, creating an exciting challenge to decipher. This aspect added a dynamic layer to the story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

'The Starving Saints' was a good time with devious players. It's one I think all horror lovers will enjoy. It was a little slow for my tastes, but I'm glad that I decided to read this.

I was so excited to have the opportunity to read “The Starving Saints” as an ARC, as I’ve previously enjoyed Caitlin Starling’s work. I loved everything about this novel. The setting, the premise and the characters were intriguing and well-done. The complex relationships that existed between the characters and how they drove the narrative and decisions made were my favorite aspect of this work. Highly recommend!

"A few nights horrors for salvation."

If there's one thing love, it's books that make me feel like I'm riding the coat tails of a fever dream. This book is so well written and you're able to both descend into madness and claw your way tooth and nail out of it with the three FMCS. It's a slow start but once it picks up you truly can't put it down as things keep escalating.

I do wish that some parts of the plot were further explained, but there's so much going on that not everything gets space to take the stage. The mad woman's story line also gets a little muddy but she pulls through.

I was going to wait until closer to the launch date to do my review (I'll still post to my IG in the spring) but this was too good to not review now. This isn't my genre at all but I found that it transcended any biases I had. This was BRILLIANT! The writing was unlike anything else I had read and while it was a horror novel it didn't go over that unsaid line into just gore for no purpose. I ate this up (sorry) and highly highly HIGHLY recommend this.

dnf at 47%

i think this book is wrong time for me to get in to it? the story building is very slow, the characters are not very compelling to care for and i just had a hard time wanting to pick it up.

will probably attempt to read it again eventually/after publication. thank you for the arc though!

i love this novel and in this review i'll tell you exactly why:
- the characters are so compelling
- the worldbuilding is incredible
- the pacing is GENIUS. anyone who's familiar with my reviews know that i don't throw this compliment lightly; this novel deserves this one 100x.

two of the attention-killers that i hate and literally kill my mood to read further are 1) infodumping and 2) endless introspection by characters whose stories im not inclined to engage in just yet.

this novel doesn't commit these two at all, so no wonder i wanted to keep reading. my DNF'ed novels could use an investigative masterclass on how to do it like this author does lol

it's also very likely that it's because the characters are compelling that the pacing worked so well. it might also because i feel as if the author constantly asked herself: "does my reader need this piece of information right now?" and when the answer is no, she withholds it. she allows the readers to breathe and ask questions. she allows that pause, and encourages wonder. eventually the answers come in the best way possible: in the thick of plot movement. i think this is also how the horror elements landed so well.

phosyne:
i also like how it established Phosyne as this madwoman character, only for her to be one of the only remainining sane characters towards the middle of the novel. also witnessing her journey of understanding her own capabilities is so satisfying.

ser voyne:
the hottest character ever crafted. she low-key reminds me of vi from arcane. i have a type, obviously. loyal to a fault. strong exterior with a soft pliant heart. incredible warrior with kissable lips. seriously i cannot blame the women in this novel for wanting her so bad, me too, me too.

treila:
gosh, if the word feral had a body that would literally be treila. look the word up in the dictionary and there her picture will appear. that deep-seated grief and the consequent thirst for revenge is so compelling.

the themes explored here speak to my soul as well: fealty, power, the fragility of reality if not held up by a shared force ........chef's kiss

some content warnings: cannibalism, violence, gore, etc. it's horror though, so it's everything you expect horror to have; if you don't like the genre itself best stay away from it. and if you're interested, sink your teeth into this one. you'll be well-fed.

Massive thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

<b>ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.</b>

<i>4 ☆</i>

The beginning of a sapphic medieval knight book era and im so here for it.

The Starving Saints is about our three main characters trying to survive a kingdom dealing with a famine. A mad witch, a dutiful knight, and noble women now just trying to live. Enters, a cult of ‘Saints’, who bring with them gore and horror with the illusion of being their saviors.

Through themes of devotion and madness, the story was quite fun to read. To me, it fell more onto the vibes type of book rather than a serious (?) one- and that’s not bad at all!! It was really interesting to see how these characters fleshed out in all their good and bad sides tried to survive.

Caitlin Starling's forthcoming novel, The Starving Saints, slated for release on May 20, 2025, is a masterful blend of medieval horror and psychological intrigue. Set within the besieged walls of Aymar Castle, the narrative delves deep into themes of faith, power, and the human psyche under duress.

For six grueling months, Aymar Castle has withstood siege, pushing its inhabitants to the brink of starvation and despair. Just as hope wanes, mysterious visitors arrive, bringing with them an abundance of supplies and miraculous healings. However, their benevolence comes at a steep price, as the castle's denizens find themselves ensnared in a web of manipulation and control.

The story centers on three compelling women: Ser Voyne, a battle-hardened knight grappling with her sense of duty; Phosyne, a sorceress whose experiments teeter on the edge of madness; and Treila, a serving girl harboring a thirst for vengeance. As their paths intertwine, the castle descends into a maelstrom of violence, cannibalism, and unearthly phenomena.

Starling's prose is both vivid and unflinching, painting a visceral picture of a society unraveling under the weight of its own secrets and desires. The atmosphere is palpably oppressive, immersing readers in the claustrophobic confines of the castle and the escalating dread that permeates its halls.

4.5 stars rounded up. Thank you NetGalley for access to this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This was so so strange and dreamlike. I haven’t really read medieval horror before, but this was incredible.

My few issues first. I think the pacing was off in the middle parts of the book. Also, I wasn’t too keen on the relationship between Treila and Voyne, as we’re told that Treila met Voyne as a young girl and was attempting to gain the love of the older woman. I also wish there was a bit more world building outside of the castle. All we know is that the castle is under siege but not why or how.

Now onto everything I liked. This felt like a fever dream. The three main characters were fully fleshed out, and I loved their arcs. The Saints could’ve been fleshed out a bit more. I feel like we only truly got to meet two of them while the other two were more background characters. The descriptions were very graphic so for readers who don’t like gore, I do recommend staying away. I think Starling’s writing was lush without being overly flowery, extremely descriptive without relishing in the gore. Also, the imagery and aesthetics of this book remind me heavily of medieval religious iconography. This was compelling and unputdownable. Phosyne, my madwoman, my witch, I love you so much, and I can’t wait to have a physical copy of this in my hands.

Sapphics, if you loved the locked tomb series, you’ll love this.