[Book Review] The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling is a totally captivating but nerve-wracking tale that is certainly not for those that fear tight spaces…

While reading this tale, I felt so horribly claustrophobic… But I couldn’t stop. I had to find out what happened next!

Let’s dive into my review!

My Thoughts on The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

This is another tale that you really just need to dive right into, so I will keep this short.

I got totally sucked into this story! I was so curious to learn why they were on this mission in the first place. As the story progressed, I ate up every little tidbit of information that we were given before the whole picture was finally made clear.

I loved learning about how the high-tech suit worked and I was amazed by the technology at every turn. This was one of my favorite elements of the story! It was just so interesting. The idea behind the feeding tube alone left me feeling quite astonished.

The two main characters were wonderful as individuals. I really enjoyed learning more about each of them along with their backstories. I felt quite protective of both of them from very early on, which doesn’t happen very often!

Their developing relationship was really interesting as well. I really enjoyed this, especially at the very beginning and ending. I thought that this added a really nice layer to the story. While it would probably be a totally different genre, I would love to see a novella or something for what happens next between these two (if anything) after this tale ends.

Yes, this book gets quite repetitive. But, readers… the repetition works. How often do you hear me say that?!

Would I have liked to see things edited to cut back to avoid this issue? Sure.

But thinking about the situation and how intense it was, when the main character had the same thoughts over and over and over again, it just made sense because it was so realistic.

There was such an intense sense of dread and terror throughout that made this such a creepy reading experience! I LOVED it.

As this was Caitlin Sterling’s first novel, I am just itching to see what she does next! I will definitely be preordering her next work just as soon as I hear about it!

My Favorite Passages from The Luminous Dead

Gyre’s skin prickled in a mix of frustration and unease that was becoming too familiar, like a pinch in a bad pair of boots, rubbing a blister into her flesh.

Now it was a bone-deep dread, a sickness in her stomach. It strengthened in waves, and the more she fought it, the stronger it grew. She felt it like a presence, like a tug at her center, like she was forgetting something she shouldn’t be.

The second to last thing she wanted to do was move, but the last thing that she wanted was to die, so she hauled herself up.

It was different, knowing it with certainty instead of assuming it. It cut deeper.

My Final Thoughts on The Luminous Dead

While I think the repetition worked, it still bothered me a bit. But I really enjoyed this tale! It was such an intense and interesting read that I got totally sucked into. It’s definitely a story-line that is going to stick with me for a long time to come. I just hope I don’t have to enter any caves any time soon…

This tale was so nerve-wracking! If you are a fan of combinations of sci-fi and horror, then I highly recommend this one to you!

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Thanks for reading!

Have you ever read a book set in an underground cave? Did it make you feel a bit claustrophobic? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!