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x3melly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
zenzi2read's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book has a strong start. They give you just enough world building to get you started with this adventure. The first portion of the book is atmospheric and tense. Towards the middle, it starts to drag. There’s also not enough time spent on character development. There are only two characters in this lengthy book. I should know deeply by the end. There’s also an unnecessary romance. It reads more like Stockholm syndrome than a genuine feeling..
ethias's review against another edition
5.0
Wow that was quite the experience! I had some ideas of where it was going but was wrong on almost every count. I couldn’t put this one down, read it all in one day quite feverishly. I feel quite tired and relieved now that I’ve finished, this book was very good at making you feel tension and exhaustion and emotional pain along with the characters.
I’d say my only complaint is that I don’t see why Em’s motivations are any less ethical than mining for ore, if anything I’d say hers are more ethical if I’m being honest. Mining for ore just benefits the owners of the company and no one else, just makes them a profit. What’s more human than mourning and grief? Of wanting closure and to honor the dead? The sheer number of people who died is certainly a point of complaint, I just struggle to see the problem with her ultimate goal vs. the goals of mining ventures.
Overall a stunning read that was chilling and horrifying and gut wrenching, well done!
I’d say my only complaint is that I don’t see why Em’s motivations are any less ethical than mining for ore, if anything I’d say hers are more ethical if I’m being honest. Mining for ore just benefits the owners of the company and no one else, just makes them a profit. What’s more human than mourning and grief? Of wanting closure and to honor the dead? The sheer number of people who died is certainly a point of complaint, I just struggle to see the problem with her ultimate goal vs. the goals of mining ventures.
Overall a stunning read that was chilling and horrifying and gut wrenching, well done!
sandnort's review against another edition
2.0
This wasn't a fun experience. Not much actually happens other then the the Main character picking a fight with her boss over and over and over. I tried to feel for the MC but her paranoia is exhausting and I was over her emotional break downs by the halfway mark. I wish the climbing was a greater part of the book but it's skipped over for more fights between the two.
marlak91's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
lian_aa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
anactoroflife's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tishywishy's review against another edition
3.0
Luminous Dead has some really great qualities - it only has two central characters to follow (Gyre and her above ground handler, Em), giving you time to get to know each of them a bit more intimately than you would a regular novel. You're only experiencing Gyre's side of the exploration through the caves and the world building is really well done. Starling knows how to build suspense and I can't tell you how many times my anxiety spiked reading this novel.
The book could have also been 100 pages shorter and been a much better, tighter storyline. I get that Starling is trying to get us just as paranoid as Gyre, but I wanted to toss the book down around page 260. I eventually skimmed the rest of the book to finish it off. It was too disorienting after the hell sump and the build up (while great) was disappointing in its reveal.
The book could have also been 100 pages shorter and been a much better, tighter storyline. I get that Starling is trying to get us just as paranoid as Gyre, but I wanted to toss the book down around page 260. I eventually skimmed the rest of the book to finish it off. It was too disorienting after the hell sump and the build up (while great) was disappointing in its reveal.
stuffhanreads's review against another edition
2.0
Rating: 2 Stars
”That was the look of somebody resigned to being the monster they knew they were.”
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling follows our main character Gyre and her ‘handler’ Em. Now, I saw a review on this that had it at a solid 4 stars, so I thought what the hell, let’s see what that reviewer was thinking. And I have zero idea what they were thinking. While this book is obviously Sci-Fi, I fail to see where in this book it’s supposed to be classified as Horror. I didn’t find a single part of this book creepy. Sure it was tense in some parts but that doesn’t classify it as a Horror.
It took until around 80% for me to actually find anything worth mentioning while reading this book. The last 20% was intense, with a lot of variables at play. It seemed like the first 80% were boring, repeated lines. Especially between Em and Gyre. It became so repetitive that when the comms were off I felt a sense of relief that I didn’t have to deal with this monster of a character who manipulated Gyre and sent 27 other cavers to their deaths just to follow a whisper of her mother!
I wouldn’t recommend this unless you want to drag yourself through hell. It took me 4 days to read this. More than it would’ve taken if I’d actually found anything to enjoy. So many things felt under-utilised. The Tunneler for one. Like what was that? Why was it only mentioned lightly! That could’ve been a major plot point. The fungi and spores too! For all it’s worth I just feel underwhelmed and frustrated after finishing this.
”That was the look of somebody resigned to being the monster they knew they were.”
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling follows our main character Gyre and her ‘handler’ Em. Now, I saw a review on this that had it at a solid 4 stars, so I thought what the hell, let’s see what that reviewer was thinking. And I have zero idea what they were thinking. While this book is obviously Sci-Fi, I fail to see where in this book it’s supposed to be classified as Horror. I didn’t find a single part of this book creepy. Sure it was tense in some parts but that doesn’t classify it as a Horror.
It took until around 80% for me to actually find anything worth mentioning while reading this book. The last 20% was intense, with a lot of variables at play. It seemed like the first 80% were boring, repeated lines. Especially between Em and Gyre. It became so repetitive that when the comms were off I felt a sense of relief that I didn’t have to deal with this monster of a character who manipulated Gyre and sent 27 other cavers to their deaths just to follow a whisper of her mother!
I wouldn’t recommend this unless you want to drag yourself through hell. It took me 4 days to read this. More than it would’ve taken if I’d actually found anything to enjoy. So many things felt under-utilised. The Tunneler for one. Like what was that? Why was it only mentioned lightly! That could’ve been a major plot point. The fungi and spores too! For all it’s worth I just feel underwhelmed and frustrated after finishing this.
nittiotvaan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, and Death
Moderate: Body horror, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Medical trauma, Medical content, and Drug use