Not a (structured) Review
aka: I read a thing.
I realized after doing my wee writeup for Silver in the Wood, that I’d forgotten to mention I’d read The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling.
Gyre takes a high-risk spelunking job in hopes of getting off the backwater rock she calls home, ideally to find her mother. Em is a stubborn controller responsible for Gyre’s well-being underground. When Gyre realizes Em is her only support staff, and the job isn’t quite as posted, it’s a no-holds barred adventure. It’s a race against the clock as equipment malfunctions, supplies go missing, and the glowing, luminous dead remains of previous cavers rise to the surface like so many buried untruths. Add in a deadly underground predator, and it’s a thrill ride.
Seriously, folks, if you enjoyed the video game Portal and the movie Tremors, you’ll be all over this horror-thriller. Literally, the only thing it’s missing is the bacon (har har). Once I got into the story (as previously mentioned, I’ve been having some difficulty immersing myself in my reading), I couldn’t tear myself away.
I read the digital version of the book, which caused my one issue with the book. The map at the front was difficult to reference later in the story, so I read on the Kobo and referred to the map on my iPad. That’s a me-thing, though, and smarter readers who actually go get the dead-tree version of the book will find it very easy to flip back and forth.
Definitely a thumbs up. Definitely a recommend!
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