The Starving Saints
Caitlin Starling
From the nationally bestselling author of The Luminous Dead and The Death of Jane Lawrence, a transfixing, intensely atmospheric fever dream of medieval horror. 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. The war hero Ser Voyne gives her allegiance to the Constant Lady. Phosyne, a disorganized, paranoid nun-turned-sorceress, races to unravel the mystery of these new visitors and exonerate her experiments as their source. And in the bowels of the castle, a serving girl, Treila, is torn between her thirst for a secret vengeance against Voyne and the desperate need to escape from the horrors that are unfolding within Aymar’s walls. As the castle descends into bacchanalian madness—forgetting the massed army beyond its walls in favor of hedonistic ecstasy—these three women are the only ones to still see their situation for what it is. But they are not immune from the temptations of the castle’s new masters… or each other; and their shifting alliances and entangled pasts bring violence to the surface. To save the castle, and themselves, will take a reimagining of who they are, and a reorganization of the very world itself.
Publication Year: 2025
A huge aspect of this book is cannibalism-- even the title implies it (and quite strongly). It is often a metaphor for all things all-consuming; I was wondering which metaphor you all connected it with more than the others.
2Your rating:
0Would it be wrong of me to say that one of the main reasons I originally knew I wanted to read this book was because of the cover? The medieval vibes, grotesque artwork, and of course the title really drew my interest, and I knew this would be something I would devour.
And boy did I devour this. Once this book was in my hands I didn’t put it down until I finished it (except for when I fell asleep but hey a girl still has to sleep) and it was everything the blurbs said it would be: a medieval sapphic horror fever dream. And I couldn’t put it down!
The beginning of the book begins a little murkily but with time it all becomes clear as we realize that the castle and its inhabitants are literally starving to death because they are under enemy siege that is effectively trapping them there. We meet Phosyne, who is basically an ex-communicated nun of a religious order who follows The Constant Lady, and she is trying to work miracles for the king. She did it once to fix their water supply but can she create a food supply for the starving people? The king tasks one of his finest knights and war heroes, Ser Voyne, to keep an eye on Phosyne and perhaps keep her paranoia and madness at bay. And unbeknowst to these women, a serving girl named Treila longs to be free, yet finds herself entangled in secrets of her own as she comes into contact with Phosyne and Ser Voyne.
Their world is flipped on its head when seemingly in answer to all of their petitions and prayers, the Constant Lady and three of her divine Saints appear within the castle walls with food aplenty and healing for the sick. Their only request in exchange for satiety? Devotion. Fealty. And a bite of their food.
What further unfolds is the fever dream of hunger, longing for freedom, the headiness of pent-up longings mixed with vengeance, and the visceral fear that comes with realizing that everything is not as perfect as it seems. When faced with a solution to your hunger that goes against your humanity, would you sate that hunger and lose a part of your soul? Or would you die with your humanity still intact?
If you want to be equally unsettled and yet drawn into this stomach turning world of medieval and religious madness, then you need to read this! I know I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.
0Dark, haunting, unsettling, this book will slowly work its way under your skin like a damp rot until nothing but dread remains. The best way to describe this book is a sapphic medieval horror fantasy, but if you were having a fever dream. I am a lover of horror, but this book is a different breed; there is nothing that Starling does not throw at us, and it makes for the most enticing concoction. The story follows three compelling characters: Phosyne, an experimental alchemist; Treila, a fallen noble out for revenge; and Ser Voyne, a loyal knight bound to her king. Aymar Castle is under siege, its people starving as war looms on the horizon. Phosyne is tasked with performing a miracle when three mysterious Saints and The Constant Lady appear, promising salvation in the form of food. But as the characters grapple with the promises of these mysterious figures, they must ask themselves: What is the price of salvation? And how much will they have to sacrifice to escape the horror surrounding them? My only complaint and reason for giving 4 stars rather than 5 is the first half of the book was slow, almost too slow. But I will say, when I finally reached the second half, everything fell into place. I am so happy that I stuck it out because this is one I will be talking about for ages. If you are a fan of the horror genre, please read this! I akin this to books like The Unworthy, Bunny, with a sprinkle of Tender is the Flesh. This is one novel I cannot stress enough to check the trigger warning and do your research if you are in any way squeamish. Thank you, Harper Voyager and Harper Collins, for the opportunity to read and review this arc. This is one that will forever haunt me in the best ways.
0
© 2024 Pagebound