Sapphic Book Review: “The Starving Saints” by Caitlin Starling
ARC & Gifted Book Disclosure
I sometimes receive free books—advance reader copies (ARCs), PR review copies, or complimentary galleys from publishers, authors, or services like NetGalley. These gifts do not influence my opinions or ratings. All such books are clearly noted in the reviews. Honest feedback is always my priority.
Please read my full ARC & Gifted Book Disclosure Policy for more information.
Affiliate Disclosure
This post contains affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an affiliate, I am committed to providing you with valuable content while maintaining transparency about my affiliate partnerships. All affiliate links are accompanied by an asterisk "*".
Your support through these affiliate links helps sustain this website and allows me to continue sharing quality information and recommendations. Please rest assured that the products or services I promote through these links are ones I genuinely believe in.
Your trust and satisfaction are of utmost importance to me, and I will always strive to provide honest and unbiased reviews and recommendations. Please see my book blog's full Affiliate Policy for more details.
Thank you for your support! <3
Rating:⭐⭐⭐ - 2.5 out of 5 stars
Format: eBook on Kindle via Libby
[Review also available on GoodReads.]
What to Know About “The Starving Saints” by Caitlin Starling
The Quick & Dirty Reading Details
Supernatural Horror
Lesbian and Queer Protagonists
Flawed Characters
Gothic, Medieval-Like Setting
Isolation Trope
Fantasy World
Cannibalism
Sapphic Longing (and Lusting)
Matriarchal Worship
Religious Corruption
Incredible Writing
Slow, Dragging Pace
POTENTIAL TRIGGERS: Cannibalism, Misogyny, Gore, Off-Page Animal Death, Graphic Imagery, Violence, Dismemberment, Toxic Relationship Dynamics, Domestic Abuse, Mutilation
The marketing for this novel repeatedly relies on the terminology of “fever dream”, and for once, the description might be a bit of an understatement. There are parts of "The Starving Saints” that feel like a mirror room in a fun house, where everything is distorted, and feels, well, wrong, making it hard to hold onto reality. Or, like experiencing one of those bizarre cartoons from the 1990s for the first time that we millennial children had no business watching, e.g., “Ren & Stimpy”.
If the feeling of “What the fuck did I just read?” is your go-to vibe, then don’t let me stand in the way of a good time; run to the bookstore* or your local library and grab a copy of this lesbian horror novel immediately. However, if you like strong storylines and rewarding plots, stick around and explore my sapphic book review of “The Starving Saints” to find out why this may not be the right choice for your TBR.
The Plot of “The Starving Saints”
There aren’t many winners in war, and this novel showcases that fact with incredible intensity. The story is set in a medieval-like fantasy world where a kingdom is holding inside the castle walls as the enemy army sits in wait outside the gate. Unfortunately, they’re very quickly running out of food without any way to get food in or move people out without surrendering. The story follows three main characters – a knight, a sorcerer, and a laborer – as they try to survive.
What’s the “The Starving Saints” Spice Level?
Don’t pick up Starling’s medieval-vibing novel and expect much on-page spiciness. “The Starving Saints” relies more on intense sapphic longing and lustful thoughts over actions. What it lacks in explicit scenes, it makes up for in power dynamics and toxic behaviors, if that’s your thing.
Spice Level: Low
“The Starving Saints” Book Review
My Thoughts on Caitlin Starling’s Medieval Horror Fantasy Novel
Full disclosure: I'm one of those readers who often chooses a book by its cover, and "The Starving Saints” is a prime example. The whole vibe of the novel's cover is incredible, from coloring to imagery. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to the visual hype.
Ragtag Band of (Anti)Heroes
Along with a good cover, I love an anti-hero. This novel has three. There's something incredibly enticing about a female character that breaks patriarchal rules – being a bit tough, not very likable, not giving a shit…yes, give me more!
With three main characters all falling into the category, there was an incredible opportunity for the story to have them band together and move the plot forward through unity. However, there's a big difference between being harsh and unlikable and being straight out cruel. For instance, Ser Voyne, the knight, approaches Phosyne, the sorceress, with such disdain to the point that it's abusive.
“‘Give me one reason why I should not have you brought before my liege for nearly finishing Etrebia’s work,’ she says, low and even into Phosyne’s ear. There is none. None at all. Whether Etrebia retreats or remains in the morning, Voyne will be quit of this insipid creature.”
When considering Voyne's desperation for praise from the King and other men in positions of power over her, I'd argue that her behavior is actually misogynistic. Even though she's incredibly strong and powerful, she's giving full pick-me energy and hating on a woman with less standing and less power. Unfortunately, she never quite evolved to something more, which pushes her into villain territory over being an antihero. * "we were rooting for you, we were all rooting for you” *
That lack of evolution extends to all the protagonists, and as a reader, it made it hard to buy into the characters and stay interested in their journeys. Treila, the lady-turned-undercover-laborer is the only one with any type of practical progression. Yet, when she makes slight changes in behaviors, such as deciding not to kill Voyne or going back and helping the others after escaping, it never quite feels natural; instead, it appears like a leap forward, a forced alteration for the page and not true to the character's personality or a show of natural growth.
Do I Want to Eat Her or Eat Her?
Early in Caitlin Starling's novel, there are moments where meanness and abuse spawn sexual tension. This concept eventually progresses to cannibalistic-based eroticism, or at least the suggestion of it:
“Ser Voyne’s fist closes around her throat. Her thumb and forefinger press into the points of Phosyne’s jaw, and she gasps, head falling back against the wall. She’s supposed to be afraid, she knows that, but this whole mess is so confusing and turned on its head that Phosyne isn’t really surprised to realize she’s enjoying this. That her body sings when Ser Voyne squeezes a little tighter, and panic blooms in her chest. ‘That’s it,’ she gasps out. ‘You hate me. Remember?’”
Cannibalism has been a publishing trend in sapphic and lesbian horror the past few years, but it goes further than simply a mechanism to create fear, disgust, or, dare I say, horror. In sapphic literature, however, it serves as a metaphor for intense sapphic desire. Essentially, it's the horror version of U-hauling.
The scene above between Voyne and Phosyne is an incredible example of how Starling beautifully showcases cannibalism being used to explore sapphic desire and intense longing, the lines of feral urges crossing and interweaving. For me, this concept was one of the highlights of the book.
No Rest for the (Devotedly) Wicked
In "The Starving Saints", cannibalism also serves as a tool to highlight the dangers of blind servitude. Once the hedonistic supernatural beings arrive, people are so relieved at the possibility of being saved, or at least fed, that they completely worship and follow along with anything and everything that the group directs or asks of them. It's further amplified by their new reality of living for pure enjoyment, satisfaction, and bliss – a total contrast to the starvation and hopelessness of before.
“The Absolving Saint stands at the head of a table and slides a piece of sharp, shining glass beneath the skin of a man who lies naked beneath him. The saint flays him carefully, a beatific smile upon his silvered lips. The man sings.”
There aren't many outliers present, and those that are mainly stay quiet or try to blend in. The prioress, who previously led the matriarchal religion at the castle, does speak out, questioning the newly arrived Saints and their intentions; doing so results in her tongue getting cut out. Such an event beautifully calls out corruption in religious institutions – provide total, unquestioning devotion or pay the price.
While there's not any direct religious-based homophobia on page, I think the sentiment of religious corruption and hypocrisy will speak to the primary audiences of the book. As a lesbian who grew up in a small town based in the Bible Belt, it definitely caught my attention.
Top-Level Writing But Stuck in a State of Under
While character development struggled in "The Starving Saints'” the writing was top-notch. Every scene was incredibly vivid, with descriptions that went beyond the page and recreated both the visual action as well as the physical feeling. When Treila was journeying into the cave, I could feel the anxiety and panic of being stuck in such a tiny space:
“Foolish, foolish girl, to plunge ahead without any thought but rescue. Her breathing fills the narrow gap, and her spine presses into the rock above her. Her head thickens, her hands scrabble beneath her, she feels like she is falling. She feels like she is dying. She can’t even curl in on herself, and when she tries to retreat, her toes can’t find the way. It’s not as simple as crawling backward, it’s not like trying to climb out from beneath a table in a game of hide-and-seek, and the feeling of space behind her, when she finds it again, is terrifying. She can’t see where she is going, forward or back. It’s a single passageway, she has passed no turnings, and yet she is suddenly so confused. She is lost. She is closed in on all sides and simultaneously alone in an empty, vast space.”
Such quality writing really carries this novel and is the primary reason that I didn't DNF (did not finish), carrying on to the very end. However, on that same note, there are many scenes in the middle of the work that are too descriptive. They ended up dragging on and feeling repetitive, as if the author was just trying to reach a set word count.
Additionally, the vivid scene descriptions exist in stark contrast to the development of the characters and world, both of which are largely undeveloped throughout the novel.
Under-developed characters +
Under-developed World =
Underwhelmed reader
The Clock Stopped (and So Did My Interest)
The incompleteness of the characters and the world resulted in a very slow storyline. I spent the first three-quarters of the book waiting for it to start. The plot moved so slowly that it felt as if the clock stopped.
In defense of the author, the speed (or lack thereof) may have been an artistic choice to mimic the storyline itself; these characters and what's left of the kingdom are all stuck in place, waiting for movement from the outside, but it never comes. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me as a reader, and for that reason, I lost interest by the halfway point and really struggled through to the end.
There are elements of this story that would work for a variety of different readers (the level of lesbian and sapphic representation is 5-star!), but overall, I think the majority will find it challenging to really get into the novel and enjoy it from cover to cover.
Would I Recommend: No.
Would I Re-Read: No, but I'd love to see what the author comes up with in the future, as their writing is excellent.
Have you read it yet? I'd LOVE to know your thoughts! Drop me a line on Instagram, and lmk if you agree with my review or not. If it's the latter, I promise I won't take it personally! [That's a lie, I totally will. :) ]
Buy “The Starving Saints” by Caitlin Starling
[This is an affiliate link. If you make a purchase using the link, I earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Such support helps cover the operational costs of my book blog and allows me to continue my passion project. Thank you for your support!]
Thanks for sticking around to the end of my book review! If you're interested in reading this sapphic novel for yourself, you can grab a copy via my affiliate link on Bookshop.org*.
Bookshop.org: Buy “The Staving Saints” on Bookshop.org* to support independent bookstores.
Reading Aesthetic: “The Starving Saints”
Want even more “The Starving Saints”? As a zine and collage fanatic, I can’t help but create an artistic visual element for each of my book reviews. See the full post >> Reading Moodboard “The Starving Saints”.
Lesbian Book Quotes: "The Starving Saints” by Caitlin Starling
Follow For More Lesbian Book Reviews
Like what you see (or read)? Then come be my friend! I'd love to create a community of like-minded readers who love murder, mystery, and horror, especially with a sapphic or queer edge.
Follow my book blog:
🖤 Thanks -Tiff
More Sapphic Horror Reads
〰️
More Sapphic Horror Reads 〰️
