The Luminous Dead cover art

The Luminous Dead

A Novel

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The Luminous Dead

Written by: Caitlin Starling
Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
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About this listen

"This claustrophobic, horror-leaning tour de force is highly recommended for fans of Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation and Andy Weir’s The Martian." (Publishers Weekly)

A thrilling, atmospheric debut with the intensive drive of The Martian and Gravity and the creeping dread of Annihilation, in which a caver on a foreign planet finds herself on a terrifying psychological and emotional journey for survival.

When Gyre Price lied her way into this expedition, she thought she’d be mapping mineral deposits and that her biggest problems would be cave collapses and gear malfunctions. She also thought that the fat paycheck - enough to get her off-planet and on the trail of her mother - meant she’d get a skilled surface team, monitoring her suit and environment, keeping her safe. Keeping her sane.

Instead, she got Em.

Em sees nothing wrong with controlling Gyre’s body with drugs or withholding critical information to “ensure the smooth operation” of her expedition. Em knows all about Gyre’s falsified credentials and has no qualms using them as a leash - and a lash. And Em has secrets, too....

As Gyre descends, little inconsistencies - missing supplies, unexpected changes in the route, and worst of all, shifts in Em’s motivations - drive her out of her depths. Lost and disoriented, Gyre finds her sense of control giving way to paranoia and anger. On her own in this mysterious, deadly place, surrounded by darkness and the unknown, Gyre must overcome more than just the dangerous terrain and the Tunneler that calls underground its home if she wants to make it out alive - she must confront the ghosts in her own head.

But how come she can’t shake the feeling she’s being followed?

©2019 Caitlin Starling (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers
Horror Psychological Science Fiction Space Exploration Fiction Scary Solar System Space Exciting Expedition Interstellar Mars
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What listeners say about The Luminous Dead

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Solid 4 stars

Loved the eerie landscape and plot! However, the two main characters are either whining or being self centred nearly the entire time, which made it hard to really empathize with either of them.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

gripping tale of perseverance

I loved that we were thrown into the cave right from the beginning, no boring buildup just right into the action!
the best part is that it stayed that way throught!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Creepy tone, great idea, but some flaws

Overall a very cool novel but much of the logic behind the conflict between Em and Geyre was flawed to the point of being a distraction from the plot. I can't say more without spoiling anything, but in the end I'm glad I read this book.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

great voice acting

Great performance from the reader, however, the story felt like a soggy handshake. I understood where we were going but desperately wanted more.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I go back to this one often.. Way often

I picked up this book because it was in the wrong spot at the bookstore. I've read it 5 times in paperback, twice on kindle and twice on audiobook. The atmosphere is extraordinary.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great story and narrator

I didn’t what to expect from this audio book as I’d never read or listened to anything by the author. I was very pleasantly surprised by the story. Good writing and compelling characters and engaging dialogue along with just enough tension and atmosphere to keep you coming back.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Overall Great Listen

I had mixed feelings about some of this book, simply because the main character could be rather whiney. I get the purpose was to demonstrate the mental load on someone who faces almost certain death in the darkest depths of a misguided task, BUT at times it was a bit much, Aside from that it was a different tale that kept me engaged; I could visualize the atmosphere and fear and felt involved each step of the way. I would read this author again.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

had potential

I loved how the synopsis sounded, and I was all for a creepy time, but this one fell short for me which really sucked. Both characters were very selfish, both butted heads about their ideals. That to me was fine. Throwing in a statement about how "it sucked because they were totally my type" didn't feel like it truly belonged. At that point it started going downhill. I did like the trials the characters went as it pushed their limitations. The narrator did a great job was well, but that alone couldn't save the story.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

DNF(wasted a credit so you didn’t have too)

This book started off interesting. However, as I got an hour in I had to tap out. The dialogue was just too illogical for me. Listening to the protagonist go on a rant, after they lied on their resume was peak BS. The only horror in this book is the writing. I took a chance on this one, but I learnt a valuable lesson, go to good reads, read 2 of each review from 5 to 1 and make your decision off of that. You will be able to decide if the book is for you.

Another one was the narrator, she has a calming voice, a little too good at that. I was ready to pass out.

I am use to slow burns because of Stephen king, but I’m also use to good character building because of him. From reading other reviews of people that finished it and they spoke about the same scene where she lied. They say it only gets worse from there.

Definitely my fault from not researching. I hope this helps someone.

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