The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

First Line:

She’d never gone this deep.

Summary:

Gyre Price has lied her way into an expedition she may not survive.

Led by a one-woman crew that was supposed to be a team, Gyre navigates the depths of a cave. Except Em, the only one who knows she's down there, is in control. Literally. Em has no problem taking control of Gyre's suit and withholding information that could end Gyre's life.

The problem is they need each other.

My Review: NO SPOILERS

In the best way possible, this book was so hard to read.

Foremost, the cover art and description drew me into this book, and the story kept me. I was captivated from the very beginning, and although my morale barely survived, I’m so sad it’s over.

Gyre and Em were both PHENOMENAL characters. Both decidedly human in their flaws, in their stubbornness, in their grief. They are so alike and yet so different. The power dynamic was giving me whiplash, and that ending! It makes me both hopeful and extremely worried for their sanity.

The setting was amazing. As someone who hates small spaces, it had me holding my breath. What a messed-up place to be stuck in. The blend of realism mixed with technology and science fiction was perfect. It’s realistic enough to make your skin crawl.

Overall, loved it!

Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Favorite Quote(s):

Her instinctual lizard-brain screamed at her that she would drown if she did, even without the feeling of water on her skin, even with the way her helmet made her surroundings look like air.

That was the look of somebody resigned to being the monster they knew they were.

Now more than ever, she was Em’s creature, dragged back to some form of half sanity from the precipice of the Long Drop, packed back into the shape of a woman.

Page Count

414 Pages

Date Finished:

September 9th 2026

Book Genre:

Fiction, Horror, LGBTQIA+, Science Fiction, Dark, Mysterious, Tense, Medium-Paced