A review by illegibility
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

My first read of the year and my first review on this site is really starting things off with a bang. This book is the slow-paced, high-stakes, atmospheric WLW speculative horror I've been craving, and I consumed it in an afternoon while waiting for my chickpeas to soak. I've been fascinated by caves and the secrets they hold since I watched the relevant Jacob Geller video. The idea of being trapped so near yet alienated from the sunlit world is such a rich vein (pun intended) for horror to explore, and this book executed that creeping dread incredibly well. Also, kudos to the author for being a fellow anthro student.
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