I love the concept of queer women knights so much! The cover is amazing and the dark horror aspect was a lot of fun.

This story about three women stuck in a siege discusses what humans are capable of when pushed to the brink. It discusses graphically how human nature can be turned on its head and how sour things can become. The writing is lush and gripping. Almost from the moment you meet these characters you can feel what they are going through. I did think it dragged a little towards the end, and I do think the book could have been shorter but it was still very exciting. I am interested to read more from this author and highly recommend this story.

This is so exactly my niche! I love the atmosphere, the horror of everything, the writing style, the research that clearly went into this, and especially all the queer rep. I'm really hoping this leads to more of a trend of medieval sapphics and/or medieval horror!

Not going to mince words, this book fucked. me. up.

I wanted to read it all at once, but I'd get about 50 pages in before my ears would start buzzing and I'd be forced to put it down to stare at nothing for several minutes. Then I'd put it down and come back the next day. Rinse, repeat.

Sitting with the ending for a bit before calling it, but this is in the running for my book of the year. Be prepared for me to be shouty as hell about it for the next several months.

Man, the description hooked me so good, but the actual execution was a letdown.

The pacing was such a slog. It took so long for things to start happening, but when it finally did, I didn't care for it because the narrative was just getting repetitive. I started skimming quite a bit around the halfway mark, as nothing was keeping my interest. A couple other reviewers were saying this could have been more intriguing as a short story, and I find myself agreeing. This could have been more contained than it was.

The main characters don't have much depth to them. They are exactly in line as they are described in the overview, and they don't really change by the end other than becoming a throuple. The LGBTQ+ themes the marketing was promising wee really lacking, too. I don't know if Starling was going for queernormative worldbuilding, but it doesn't really feel queerness was an important aspect to the story, whatsoever. The side characters are blanker slates, and the villains, while interesting in concept, just didn't work for me. I just didn't care about anyone.

All in all, I'm sad this was a dull read for me, but I hope other readers get something out of it more than I did.

Caitlin Starling has given us a medieval, gothic tale of devotion, desperation, and depravity.

Our story is told through the eyes of three inhabitants of the castle: Phosyne-the “madwoman” who has a love of knowledge and alchemy; Treila-whose father was beheaded with Ser Voyne 5 years before; Ser Voyne-a loyal, devoted knight to the king. These three woman weaves together a story that haunts them the longer they must make impossible choices.

Starling starts our journey as a simple “we are starving, and will die if we don’t get food soon”. Without a defeat of the army surrounding their castle, they have no way to bring food in. They pray, they beg, they plead for relief. But none seems to come. That is until The Constant Lady arrived-along with The Loving Saint, The Warding Saint, and The Absolving Saint. They come to offer gifts of abundance for the poor starving peasants inside this closed-off castle.

From this point on, Caitlin shifts the narrative subtly-creating an instant unease, while simultaneously keeping us engaged in where this story is going. It becomes apparent that this is not a rescue story, or a happy one. The author flips the hero narrative on its head with a story of hedonism and gluttony-giving the Saints complete control over Aymar castle. The inhabitants become all consumed with pleasure and desire-creating a nightmare coated in sugary delight. It’s bestial, it’s bloody, and it’s all-consuming.

This is where are trip comes in. Caitlin gives us the only resistance in the castle through 3 women who don’t trust each other, and have different agendas. One longs to learn everything, one seeks revenge, one is locked in a battle of who to remain loyal to. But they all have one thing in common-they know they must resist the Saints, and their “gift”. They know the price for that pleasure is pain, and they will never come back from it. But what the author ultimately shows through these characters is everyone is starving. It just may not be for food.

This was a gripping story of the most macabre kind. And dare I say most delicious kind? If you’re a fan of religious horror, this one’s for you. 4.25 stars

This book is a haunting, visceral journey that is unlike anything I’ve read.

The Starving Saints is a bold, immersive blend of gothic horror and dark fantasy that pulls you in and refuses to let go. The atmosphere is rich and unsettling, the characters are deeply complex, and the story unfolds kind of like a bizarre fever dream. I was intrigued in the ways that this book is beautiful, brutal, and a little difficult to predict.

The author's writing is sharp, with moments that are equally as grotesque as they are poetic. If you're looking for something that will crawl under your skin and stay there, this book delivers. A mesmerizing descent into madness, faith, and survival that left me with more questions than answers.

I have always loved Caitlin Starling’s books because she is so successful and creating something eerie and interesting no matter what story she’s writing. In this case it’s medieval horror fantasy. The story does move very fast, and I will definitely reread this at some point because I’m sure there’s stuff that missed in the overall story because it does just throw you in without too much explanation. If you like dark fantasy or just horror that is a bit strange, this could be a good fit for you.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What on earth did I just read?! 5 stars hands down. It felt like a fever dream, I'm not too sure what was happening but I was along for the ride. I think I've found a new favorite niche with medieval horror?!

A love song to the dark, the gothic, the sapphic and strange, THE STARVING SAINTS is another banger from Caitlin Starling, an author with a particular talent for making the grotesque and the eerie quite beautiful and a joy to read. So thrilled to see more work from Starling in the world.

While I found the premise and themes (religious, medieval horror; cannibalism) enticing, this fell a bit flat for me. It took me a while to get through, and I found myself confused at times because I felt the storytelling was disjointed. This was a highly anticipated read, but just didn't really work for me, sadly.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC!

Starling has a way with creating unique and palpable atmosphere. This book absolutely seethes with creepiness.

A very creative book.

The story focuses on three characters in the castle of aymar, a nun, a knight and a servant , the castle is at war and phosyne has to perform a miracle to feed the entire castle , the story caught me from the first chapter , it is a very peculiar novel, with characters that I loved , This story is explosive, with a good pace, escalating towards a denouement that I would have liked to be more explosive, the end was what did not convince me at all but overall the experience was unique, its mix between medieval fantasy and canivalism is undoubtedly its strong point, I hope to read more of the author in the future.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

2.5 stars

Aymar Castle has been under seige for months, and its residents are hungry, desperate, and afraid. But then their salvation arrives - in the form of the saints they worship, bringing them gifts they so desperately need. But have they traded their troubles for an even worse fate?

This was an incredibly unique and well written horror - bone chilling (pun intended)! There's the mystery of the saints - of course - but also the unimaginable suffering brought on by war and starvation. What are we capable of when we are pushed to our limits? When we are so incredibly desperate?

Although I enjoyed this book, I found it quite hard to follow sometimes - I found myself losing the thread of the story on occasion. Perhaps too much was happening at once, or the book itself needed to be longer. The journeys of Voyne, Treila, and Phosyne felt rushed, and the transitions between them often a bit jarring, as I was left wanting more.

The story follows three women trapped in in the sieged Aymar castle as it becomes clear that the food will soon run out, until four apparent saints arrive who bring nightmares instead of miracles.

It's a very gruesome horror novel, but I couldn't put it down. I liked the mixing of the religious elements, the medieval elements, the fantasy fae elements, and the horror elements and how they all worked together.

This is such a cool book, from the sick cover to the really wonderful premise and the writing itself. Unfortunately I am realizing I am not a historical fiction fan. I also very much need to be in a specific mood for historical fiction horror, apparently. That being said, if you aren’t a weird mood reader like me, you will likely inhale this one and love it. I am excited for its release because I need it on my bookshelf to enjoy when the perfect mood strikes, as I know it will. These are the times I wish I was not a mood reader. But I know that if I save this for that mood, and have the physical book in hand with some snacks, it will be an amazing experience.

From what I sampled, I heavily recommend this book and am excited to add it to my shelf in the future! This book has some serious gore in it which is what I LOVE in horror. I also can’t get over how cool the cover is.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this eARC! I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily.

I would give this book a solid 3.5 which I’m rounding down. It was super engaging, I struggled to put it down at times. I also really liked the world it took place in, I liked their freaky religion and the premise was very captivating. Overall it kept me engaged the entire book and every time I put it down I couldn’t wait until I could sit back down to keep reading.

That being said, the characters in this book are absurdly horny for the situation they are in. Maybe it’s just me but I found it jarring when characters who are on their last legs, starving to death, are getting horny over being choked (in a threatening way). I also thought that at times the world got a little confusing and I struggled to understand what was happening a lot of the time, action scenes tended to move very fast and bend the rules of the books reality which made it a bit hard to follow.

Overall a fast paced, captivating, and thoroughly creepy book.

I unfortunately received this book in the middle of a reading slump. I didn't make it far I think 13%, what I did read I enjoyed just could get into it. No fault of the book just in a slump. Will be giving this book another try after it has came out.

Caitlin Starling's The Starving Saints is a haunting medieval horror novel that delves into the depths of human desperation and the seductive allure of salvation. Set within the besieged walls of Aymar Castle, the story follows three complex women—Ser Voyne, a war hero; Phosyne, a paranoid nun-turned-sorceress; and Treila, a vengeful serving girl—as they navigate a world unraveling into madness. When mysterious figures known as the Constant Lady and her Saints arrive, offering miraculous sustenance and healing, the castle's inhabitants are drawn into a web of devotion and dread. Starling masterfully crafts an atmosphere of claustrophobic tension, exploring themes of faith, power, and the human psyche under siege. While the novel's pacing may challenge some readers, its rich prose and unsettling narrative offer a unique and immersive experience. The Starving Saints is a compelling addition to the horror genre, leaving readers to ponder the true cost of deliverance.

I really enjoyed this. I loved the story, I liked the worlds and I also really enjoyed the characters. I was sucked in from the start and I had a hard time looking away. This is definitely worth the read.