lilibetbombshell's Reviews (2.79k)

Once again I was bitten by the curse of the topic interesting me so much but the book being so boring I kept falling asleep. 

I don’t know whether I’m sad or glad I didn’t let myself sget wrapped up in all the hype for this book: sad because then I could’ve been on Team Hype but I’m kind of glad because I didn’t feel any pressure to love A Fate Forged in Fire once I started it. No pressure needed, because this book was so much fun I consumed it in an afternoon. 

I’m not the hugest “dragon book” girl. I never have been. I was seduced first by the stunning cover and the awesome title, and then I felt compelled to request and read it by thoughts of a rightful queen hidden among the people working as a blacksmith, fire magic, a Celtic-inspired world, strong political fantasy themes (one of my favorite subgenres), a religious war between monotheism and polytheism, and what was hopefully a true enemies-to-lovers romantasy subplot. 

Believe or not, I got all of that and more. The rightful queen is an awesome blacksmith and swordswoman who has a devoted and loving twin brother. She also has adopted parents and a little brother who mean the world to her. The political aspects of the plot are great, but the religious warfare aspects of the story start to get more terrifying the further into the story you go. The enemies-to-lovers romance? Let me assure you, these two are goals in those regards. 

This book is savage in more than one way and runs at an almost breakneck pace from the very start. The dialogue is sharp and well-written, the characters are very intriguing, and the action scenes all leave more than enough blood on the ground and smoke in the air. It’s just so well done and I can’t wait for the sequel. 5⭐️

I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Action-Adventure/Adult Fantasy/Fantasy/Romantasy/Political Fantasy/Spice Level 1

You’d think that a book that claims to be a history of axe murder would have more axe murder. 

Apparently not. 

I didn’t know I was settling in for chapter after chapter of dry and inconsistent storytelling about the history of the axe and how it was used in killing throughout the centuries. It’s not the subject matter of those chapters I object to, it’s the manner in which they were conveyed. At times McCarthy James is witty and even sounds like she’s geeking out a little, but then she’ll swing abruptly into a dense academic narrative that makes you feel like you need to pump the brakes and change gears yourself before you can continue reading. It’s not smooth and made for a less enjoyable read than this book could have been. 

Overall, I think I would’ve liked this book to just be more consistent overall: it couldn’t decide what it was or how it wanted to be told. 

I was pre-approved for a copy of this title as part of the SMP Early Readers Program via NetGalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. All reviews rated three stars or under will not appear in my social media. Thank you.

(Edited 05/20/2025: Previously I had pasted my review for Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder in this spot. This mistake has been rectified. My apologies.)

The Book of Matthew says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

I personally am very fond of the axiom, “Religion is the opiate of the masses”. And Doctor Taylor Swift told us the road is hard and we can get lost when we’re led by blind faith. 

I have a feeling The Starving Saints is a horror novel that will draw a lot of different analytic viewpoints over time as to what Caitlin Starling was trying to say or what the overall message was. As for my opinion? Well, I think it’s a parable for how the religious and conservative people in American society are horrifically exploited by the very people who are supposed to look out for their best interests and that their willful ignorance and blind faith only lulls them into a constant state of complacence that leave them ripe for devastation once the wolves come to town. No matter how the few people who want to save them and try their hardest to save them work it ultimately becomes a fruitless endeavor, because you cannot reach those who are deaf to your entreaties and lost in their own zealotry. 

The Starving Saints straddles a very fine line between cosmic horror and religious horror as its main subgenre. While the religious order inside the walls of Aymar Castle (and the kingdom it belongs to) undoubtedly all worship the same set of saints led by The Constant Lady, the saints who enter Aymar Castle are not the same saints even though they wear the guise of them. Are they saints, gods, demons, monsters, or something else altogether? Now that’s where the cosmic element comes into play. There’s also another creature, down in the earth, that’s not a saint or with the company of the creatures above. What is it? All we know is that it hides and shadows and loves a good contract. 

This book was everything I hoped it would be ever since I heard about it. It was one of my most-anticipated titles of the year and Starling didn’t disappoint. It was gory, unhinged, captivating, angry, and strangely sexy at times. I had a ton of fun. 5⭐️

I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Body Horror/Cosmic Horror/Feminist Horror/Historical Horror/Horror/LGBTQ Horror/Religious Horror/Sapphic