Luminous Dead

[alaterdate]

My second Caitlin Starling book, but the first I write a full review for is The Luminous Dead.

Gyre is hardly the first protagonist I found incredibly annoying, but not enough to drop the entire book because of. In fact I think her personality was perfect and needed for this book. Someone more levelheaded simply wouldn't have had the same interactions with Em. On that note, I enjoyed the "bad romance" aspect in this book, it's reminiscent of one of my favorite psychological thriller stories.

I didn't really get into this book until a little past the midway point. Until then I couldn't say anything noteworthy happened, just lots and lots of Gyre being annoying and paranoid. It wasn't until the threat was real in a way that wasn't just Gyre slipping for the fifth time that I had any interest in her fate at all. I didn't read this book for the caving, I read it for the monsters.

Gyre was paranoid and childish before Em even did anything dastardly. I didn't really fault Em for the deaths in the cave, but Gyre insisted Em was a straight up murderer, which I found annoying.
Despite Gyre having an annoying personality, she was a slightly competent caver (she fell two or three times needlessly, she really was just lucky like she said).
The ~bad romance~ which is half of what I read this book for was enjoyable. I can see Em taking care of Gyre for the rest of her life ((as I mentioned) it gave me Harada's The Dragging Sound vibes, which is one my favorite of Harada's comics).
Gyre was extremely paranoid and it could be over the top, but I recognize her paranoia as the sole device for the mystery and I did enjoy when Eli (a previous caver hired by Em) was revealed, but nothing came of it (unless she really did kill him dun dun dun!).

Props to Starling for making a two character story work, it wasn't bad. However, thinking of it now Jane Lawrence didn't have that many characters either... so maybe that's her schtick.