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caitcoy 's review for:
The Starving Saints
by Caitlin Starling
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As someone who has previously DNFed a book by this author and also quite enjoyed another one, I feel like I usually know what to expect from a book by Caitlin Starling, I'm just not always sure how I'm going to feel about it. And honestly, even after finishing The Starving Saints, I'm still not entirely sure how I feel.
This book is an absolute fever dream of a story, following three very messy, complicated people with their own (sometimes conflicting) desires and allegiances and walking that web with them was alternately intriguing and exhausting. Starling does a superb job of building the atmosphere of a medieval inspired setting and the claustrophobia of a siege, complete with a type of magic that feels otherworldly and alchemical. This is more fantastical than historical but it has a lot of the feel of a medieval setting, complete with a strong focus on fealty and hierarchy.
I liked how Starling delved into the bonds created and broken between characters and how that web of allegiances can shift and change who they are as people. I found all three characters to be deeply fascinating with all of their flaws and the way that the horror focused on how their desires and drives led them in and out of trouble. And I appreciated there wasn't really any easy answers, even by the end, though I could see that frustrating readers that want clear answers.
However what dragged down the experience of this book a bit for me is that it was bone deep exhausting at times. Because Starling builds that sense of dread and claustrophobia so well, I was very ready to be done well before the story was wrapped up. Outside of my own emotional experience, I think the ending is well written and about as satisfying as you can expect from Starling, who seems to go in for the wild, barely explained endings. But as much as I liked the thematic and character explorations, the drag of the dread makes me feel like I might have enjoyed it more had it been shorter and less indulgent.
If you like stories filled with violence, toxic desires and the push and pull of allegiances, you might check this one out. I'm not sure I can see myself rereading it but the cover is incredible and I liked the themes and characters enough that it'll probably stay on my shelves and in my brain.
This book is an absolute fever dream of a story, following three very messy, complicated people with their own (sometimes conflicting) desires and allegiances and walking that web with them was alternately intriguing and exhausting. Starling does a superb job of building the atmosphere of a medieval inspired setting and the claustrophobia of a siege, complete with a type of magic that feels otherworldly and alchemical. This is more fantastical than historical but it has a lot of the feel of a medieval setting, complete with a strong focus on fealty and hierarchy.
I liked how Starling delved into the bonds created and broken between characters and how that web of allegiances can shift and change who they are as people. I found all three characters to be deeply fascinating with all of their flaws and the way that the horror focused on how their desires and drives led them in and out of trouble. And I appreciated there wasn't really any easy answers, even by the end, though I could see that frustrating readers that want clear answers.
However what dragged down the experience of this book a bit for me is that it was bone deep exhausting at times. Because Starling builds that sense of dread and claustrophobia so well, I was very ready to be done well before the story was wrapped up. Outside of my own emotional experience, I think the ending is well written and about as satisfying as you can expect from Starling, who seems to go in for the wild, barely explained endings. But as much as I liked the thematic and character explorations, the drag of the dread makes me feel like I might have enjoyed it more had it been shorter and less indulgent.
If you like stories filled with violence, toxic desires and the push and pull of allegiances, you might check this one out. I'm not sure I can see myself rereading it but the cover is incredible and I liked the themes and characters enough that it'll probably stay on my shelves and in my brain.