A review by rhensie
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is an odd one for me to rate. For a lot of it, I was super intrigued, I love the spooky cave/underwater vibes a lot. But I had problems with the pacing (which seemed way too slow at times), the way the climbs were described (I didn’t have enough background information to always be able to understand/picture what was actually happening), and the resolution. I love the dynamic between Em and Gyre though: one think Starling does well is write unhinged women having unhinged relationships. I actually think I’d really enjoy learning more about their story post the events of this book.