A review by siobhanward
The Luminous Dead, by Caitlin Starling
dark
tense
fast-paced
3.5
So this book definitely didn't end up like I thought it would. I grabbed it from a little free library thinking it would be a cool, creepy caving story, then picked it up and realized it was sci fi and was a little disappointed. However, it really did end up being a caving story more than anything else - the sci fi element only really exists to allow some technologies and creatures, but it honestly doesn't have a huge impact otherwise.
Starling built a great and creepy atmosphere, and the main plot was interesting but occasionally repetitive. I think that sticking your protagonist in a cave will do that though - there was just a lot of back and forth. It also felt a bit like there were side plots that never got resolved or never had any real impact. I think I get where Starling was going, but I don't know if some of the plot elements had that impact she intended.
Overall this was a fun and interesting read and I'm glad I picked it up. Starling definitely has a talent for building psychological fear and that was fun to read.
Starling built a great and creepy atmosphere, and the main plot was interesting but occasionally repetitive. I think that sticking your protagonist in a cave will do that though - there was just a lot of back and forth. It also felt a bit like there were side plots that never got resolved or never had any real impact. I think I get where Starling was going, but I don't know if some of the plot elements had that impact she intended.
Overall this was a fun and interesting read and I'm glad I picked it up. Starling definitely has a talent for building psychological fear and that was fun to read.