The Starving Saints is a medieval siege horror novel about three women and what they’re willing to sacrifice when survival is the only thing left on the table (which, given the siege, is saying something😬).

I will preface this review by saying I was hooked from beginning to end and genuinely enjoyed it - but I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece. Think “compelling page-turner” more than “instant classic.”.

Phosyne, Treila, and Ser Voyne each fill their roles well, though their character growth is a bit thin. Each seems built around one dominant trait (insecurity, stubbornness, loyalty) and the story really commits to those bits. Only one of them changes in any meaningful way by the end.

Some side characters are introduced with the sense that they’ll play important roles, only to disappear for long stretches or return too late to have much impact. That made parts of the narrative feel underdeveloped and somewhat frustrating. By the end of the book there were side characters that I would have liked to know wether survived or not, but alas...

I appreciated the directness and lack of excess in the writing style, especially given the grim setting. However, it rarely left room for the reader to interpret events independently. Subtle hints were often quickly spelled out, which undercut some of the tension.

Overall, I did really enjoy the book and will probably reread it at some point in the far-off future. I cared about the characters and their fate, I just wish some of the side characters hadn’t been introduced only to be quietly escorted offstage. I don’t know that I would strongly recommend it, but for readers drawn to siege horror and stark, straightforward prose, it might be worth considering.