Publishers Weekly: Fans of sapphic romance and gory cannibalistic horror will find unexpected common ground in this masterful medievalesque fantasy from Starling (Last to Leave the Room). Aymar Castle is under siege, leaving the people trapped inside mad with hunger and desperate for any source of salvation. Loyal knight Ser Voyne attempts to maintain order while the king’s alchemist Phosyne urgently searches for a way to create food and serving girl Treila tries to keep her head down while secretly simmering with rage at Ser Voyne. When the castle is unexpectedly visited by the Constant Lady and her attending saints, the feast they bring appears to be exactly the miracle the starving people prayed for. But the truth is much darker, and Ser Voyne and Phosyne soon find themselves fighting to prevent a bloodthirsty bacchanalia that would consume them all, while Treila contemplates fleeing. Starling expertly balances the plot’s contrasting aims, offering gruesome horror and sweeping fantasy worldbuilding in equal measure. The dextrously delineated human hierarchy in the castle and the creepy saints’ bee-based faith system undergird the increasingly shocking events of the plot. The pace is fast, the twists are unexpected, and the complex queer characters—each of whom narrate in wonderfully distinct voices—are easy to root for. This is a feast. (May)
Mar 202025