A review by ariet
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I picked this book up as my book to work on throughout the week, but Caitlin Starling kept me glued to my kindle all night. 

Quick plot summary: Gyre, our protagonist, accepts a job caving big enough to let her escape her home planet. Things go downhill. 

I love the small cast style. While we see a few other characters in bits and pieces, The Luminous Dead really focuses in on our caver, Gyre, and her handler
and daughter obsessed with the loss of her parents in said cave
Em. While often a small cast can feel tedious, Caitlin uses it to her advantage to build the sense of isolation and tension. 

There's a fair amount of body horror, and those who are squicked by thoughts of claustrophobic spaces or being trapped should probably avoid this one, but if those aren't serious turn-offs, I'd definitely pick it up.

Other random things I love(spoilers):
wlw and a somewhat hopeful ending
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