Milkteeth: A Dark, Seductive Tale of Hunger, Love and Transformation From Author Of The Starving Saints

by Caitlin Starling

Beatrice is a broodmother: a vampire responsible for nursing newly made fledglings through the first years of their unlife. She nests in an abandoned, isolated warren of office space beneath her patron's skyscraper, raising two fractious fledglings.

But when she decides to take on a third fledgling, Beatrice finds herself strained by her own ravenous hunger - her body is changing too, transforming her into something even more monstrous.

Desperate to master herself once more, Beatrice courts a mortal who might be able to unravel the secrets of her unnatural anatomy. But their connection threatens the secrecy of her vampiric coven and all that Beatrice holds dear to her unbeating heart.

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Fantasy, Queer, Gothic, Adult, Fiction

400 pages, ebook

Expected publication October 20, 2026

About the author

Caitlin Starling is the nationally bestselling author of The Death of Jane Lawrence, the Bram Stoker-nominated The Luminous Dead, and Last To Leave The Room. Her upcoming novels The Starving Saints and The Graceview Patient epitomize her love of genre-hopping horror; her bibliography spans besieged castles, alien caves, and haunted hospitals. Her short fiction has been published by GrimDark Magazine and Neon Hemlock, and her nonfiction has appeared in Nightmare, Uncanny, and Nightfire. Caitlin also works in narrative design, and has been paid to invent body parts. She’s always on the lookout for new ways to inflict insomnia.

Reviews

[Ricarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I guess I cancel my plans if becoming a vampire really is that stressful for everyone involved. You see, a simple bite is not enough to turn a mortal into an immortal being in Caitlin Starling's Milkteeth. Instead it's a long-winding process of feeding and being-fed-on that takes a sheer endless amount of blood. A new vampire is ever hungry but can't yet digest human blood or meat. If they do anyway they turn into brainless, violent creatures only driven by their hunger and not into the sophisticated beings of immortality and strength that are desired. It's the task of a broodmother to ensure the correct development of the young nurslings, to keep them safe and fed until they have matured. It's the whole life's purpose of the protagonist Beatrice. She spends her immortality in the dark and labyrinthine basement of an office building, always nursing one or two young vampires at a time. But things change when she decides to take on a third nursling, already half ghoulish by the time they meet for the first time. From that point on Beatrice is concerned about the nutrition of her blood and about how she can change her own body to give more. The depicted parallels between motherhood and vampirism were so intriguing to me and I think it quite the unique approach to a supernatural creature that is part of infinite other stories. There is also a very medical side to the plot. Before it's revealed that Beatrice is a vampire herself, we meet her as a normal young mother at a lactation group asking about physical and hormonal changes during the time of breastfeeding. She also kinda gets obsessed with the doctor who answers her questions and I was all ready for a bit of sapphic love, but this relationship really took turns I didn't expect. Apart from that it's more of a calm story. Yes, it's very bloody and violent, but Beatrice is such a steady character that her voice truly shaped the feeling of the story. Her mind is mostly focused on blood and on her nurslings and I can imagine how other readers would be bored by this, but it really made her character special for me. She was such a no-nonsense person. I really liked to read about her, even if her days were monotonous. I also simply love a protagonist who is unapologetically monstrous. She's killing people? Well, that's just what she does, deal with it. I must admit that I was a little confused near the end and I also must admit that I never read a Caitlin Starling book where I wasn't. Maybe it's just her thing. I can totally see why her books are never really that popular, but by now I know that I will always get something unusual with her books. I'm very excited to read more from her.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Johanna Van]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC for blurbing purposes; here's my blurb:

“In 2026, it may seem impossible for any writer to pen a truly unique vampire tale, but Caitlin Starling manages just that with Milkteeth. With its compelling plot, deft writing, and original premise, this novel will quickly seduce you, but be careful: it has teeth."

[Courtney « finally forced to lower my reading goal »]

New Caitlin Starling book on NetGalley??? Scooped that up SO FAST. Let's get weird!

[ᯓ★ emely ⋆˚✿˖° · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5 ⭐️

when i first started the book i was a little wary because aren’t all vampire stories kind of done to death at this point? but no. caitlin starling made such an interesting and intriguing take on the whole topic that i was instantly sucked into the story. this is truly unlike everything i’ve ever read before (and i’ve read my fair share of vampire stories ever since twilight haha). it had just the right amount of plot, gore, and body horror for me, and it felt really well balanced overall. i also loved the emotional beats throughout the story and the way you could somehow always connect to our narrator. the parallels between vampires and motherhood were also extremely well done and really thought-provoking. it was my first of her novels but definitely not the last, and the characters and story will stay with me for a while. my only critique is that the pacing felt a little off at times and the middle dragged a little.

[Emily Poche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Milkteeth by Caitlin Starling is a unique take on the vampire cannon, in which the main character serves as a broodmother, or a wet nurse for newly changed vampires. Sequestered to a dingy subterranean basement, Beatrice rears new vampires, feeding them her own blood. When a third vampire is added to her responsibility she finds herself struggling to keep up with the grueling need to produce of herself for others.

Caitlin Starling is nothing if not inventive. Her books usually find a way to twist the well known horror tropes in unique ways. I really enjoyed that the portrayal of vampirism was no-nonsense and completely divorced from the romantic, seductive portrayal that’s all too common. Her world is dingy, subterranean, and often makes references to filth and crusted, dried blood. It’s always nice to explore the topic in a way that subverts the common interpretation.

While not overly gory in my opinion there are nearly constant mentions of vampirism and blood drinking. It is not for someone who wasn’t a a completely sanitized vampire story, where consumption and violence are background elements. Beatrice feeds and consumes frequently and it is described in great detail.

The author makes a pretty obvious, but very elegant metaphor for breastfeeding and motherhood. I don’t think there’s actually any attempt to bury or disguise that the book has a lot of allegories for motherhood. There is a thanklessness to Beatrice’s efforts, an unceasing need that never rests. Manon, another vampire who is dominant in the area relies on Beatrice, depends on her abilities and willingness, but looks down on her and her contributions.

The thing that keeps Milkteeth from being something that I could recommend without reservation is that it is very, very slow. Beatrice is a wordy narrator, and the plot moves very slowly. There are many descriptions of her feeding her brood or contemplating her existence, and the plot action is very spaced out. This book creeps and crawls towards the climax, and this is not a book for the impatient. This is a slow, vampiric metaphor and reflection, not a thriller. At times I did feel as if the wheels of the book were spinning but that nothing was advancing.

In general I really enjoyed this book, but I can definitely caution readers who need constant plot action. I am giving this book a 3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4/5 stars where applicable.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

4.25 ⭐️
Caitlin Starling, I love your brain.
There was zero chance I was waiting to read this closer to the publish date in October.

I absolutely devoured this book (pun intended). I highly recommend this for those that love vampires, female rage, exploring themes of motherhood (both good and bad), and are down to read a lot of gore.
***Please check trigger warning if you are squeamish!

I always love when a book takes existing, long-standing lore for something like vampires and flips it on its head. I've truly never seen vampires done like this!

While yes, this is a gross, bloody book about vampires, at its core this is about what it means to be a woman, a mother, and to have a body that exists to sustain the lives of others (even if those lives aren't of your making). The balance between the love and resentment you can feel while caring for others that heavily depend on you is depicted so well, that even I, someone who is and never will be a mother, could deeply empathized with Beatrice. This book really digs down into the rawness and anger that is being a woman and is not apologetic about it in the slightest.

[Katie May · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t explain how this wasn’t that long and yet it still felt too long. The plot felt stretched a little thin and was kind of repetitive. This may have been more successful as a novella?

This is has a great concept and the theme is spot on; being a woman and a mother is a hard and thankless job. And it’s a cool twist that the wet nurse is feeding little vampires. But aside from that not really a lot happens. This is very character forward. Every interaction that happens is more reinforcement of those ideas. There’s very minimal world building and plot. The vampire part of the story does really shine and there’s some mild body horror to accompany it so I do feel it’s worth a read.

Thank you to Netgalley and SMP for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Elena Enns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

If you’re looking for new and interesting vampires, look no further. Gory and addicting, this new novel has some of weird twisty feelings from The Starving Saints while also being completely fresh and new. None of the characters are completely innocent, and are all compelling as they deal with the changes innate to their lives. 11/10, will be recommending to everyone.

[alyssa✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

time to read everything that caitlin starling has written 🫡

[Erin Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨✨Finally a truly unique new vampire story!! ✨✨

Milkteeth is such a unique take on vampires. As soon as I saw this was about a vampire broodmother, I was like SAY LESS!!!!!

I really enjoyed Beatrice’s character and it’s great how as a mother there is actually some things I can relate to in this story. There is some body horror in this one so just FYI if you’re squeamish. The world building left a lot unknown, but also at the same time it was done really well! This story has a lot to say about motherhood and how it’s perceived as well. Love that!

THE ENDING!!! 👩‍🍳 😘 So good!!! A new favorite read for me!

I LOVED The Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling when I read it last year (it became a new favorite for me) and I see that she has written some other books. I need to check those out also!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released October 20, 2026 .

[Netanella · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if vampires could breastfeed?

With a simple question such as this, Starling takes the reader down a strange and twisted path and creates a unique take on the vampire legend, even while referencing the classic “Dracula.” In “Milkteeth,” creating new vampires is not as simple as it used to be. Instead, it requires a years-long process of transformation, during which the infant vampire must re-learn skills and controls they may have had as a mortal, but now have lost. Skills such as impulse control, proper feeding techniques, and hunting. Eating flesh is forbidden, lest a fledgling vampire turn into a mindless ghoul that preys on the dead and not the living. Above all else, a newly turned vampire must be nursed by a broodmother, another vampire who is capable of transforming human blood in their body into a substance that the infant vampire can consume. Human blood is poisonous to fledglings, and broodmothers are both necessary and rare creatures.

Beatrice is such a vampire, with a lair under an office building and a brood of two fledglings. The story is told from Beatrice’s point of view, speaking to an unnamed vampire child who is not yet in the story. Hers is a strong personality, and in it the reader gets a deeper picture of the conflicting emotions brought on by motherhood, the pride and love of one’s child but also the resentment and anger at the imposition. Beatrice is responsible not only for the physical upbringing of the new vampires, but also their emotional progress as well. And when Beatrice agrees to accept a third charge, a “special needs” vampire who has eaten human flesh and may turn ghoulish, the stress upon her brood and nest soon begins to show cracks.

Beatrice soon begins to search for ways to improve her lactation in the mortal world. Her continued forays into the outside world, through a hidden exit away from the prying eyes of her Mistress vampire, will ultimately lead to even more complications, ones that are delicious and bloody, and also meaty.

Ultimately I really loved this book, although I can suppose that some readers will be turned off by the constant mothering and latching on and feeding of infants, vampires though they be. However, for this reader, an older mother who once felt the guilt of failed breast feeding, the tinge of resentment at the loss of her prior life, and the pride and joy in the achievements of two precious, and now grown children, I can say that I really latched on to this book. (Heheh.) Caitlin Starling has become one of my favorite authors of late, especially after the bloody glory that was “The Starving Saints.” This book seals the deal for me.

My thanks to the Powers That Be (NetGalley, Publisher, Author) for this awesome opportunity. Kudos to you all!

[Becky Spratford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading for review in a future issue of Booklist

Three Words That Describe This Book: Slow Burn, Storyteller Narration, Maternal Macabre

This is not your mother's vampire novel, actually maybe that is exactly what it is. Beatrice is a vampire brood mother whose job is to raise and feed new vampires. In this world-- and the world building is fairly strong here-- newly turned vampires cannot eat human blood yet. Otherwise it will turn them into monsters. Beatrice works for a rich female vampire and raises her specific vampire while other vampire's go through this patron to have Beatrice raise theirs.

The metaphor that Beatrice is like a human mother of a newborn, over tired, unthanked, spending all her energy making the sustenance her nurslings need, no one to turn to for help or advice.....all of it is not thinly veiled by Starling, it is right in your face on purpose because Beatrice -- early in the book-- goes to a human lactation evening support group. To ask for advice about nursing multiple babies. And there she meets a doctor who she works with.

The entire story is told to the reader as if Beatrice is talking to her newest nursling. It has an interview with the Vampire feel in how the story unfolds. There are times Beatrice foreshadows the story herself referring to the person she is telling it to who is asking questions who knows the answers.

This story has a slow burn. But when you get to the coma at the end....everything changes.

It was an original vampire story and not just because of the breasfeeding. There is medical/anatomy discussions here, new things to add to the vampire storytelling lore, and a fascinating world with interesting characters. Even some body horror.

This all starts off uneasy, but Beatrice slowly ropes the reader in, lulling them with the storytelling narration, like a bedtime story, slowly ratcheting up the unease to unsettling to discomfort to fear and finally terror. You will feel sympathy for Beatrice and be terrified of her.

For fans of Interview with the Vampire for sure. Also visceral and terrifying maternal horror written by women who understand what is monstrous and horrific about motherhood like Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton. Also fans of Hailey Piper would love this story.

[abigail • gloomykitty_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start this review with the dedication:

‘𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝—𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐭.’

So who is going to psychoanalyze me for always gravitating towards books that are just one long allegory on the world depending way too much on mothers/women and not giving them everything that they deserve? or will I just continue reading weird girl lit?

‘𝐀 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.’

One of the biggest feat of Caitlin Starling is the fact that she wrote a vampire book in 2026 that is completely new and fresh. In this world vampires cannot feed on human blood during their years-long transition or they run the risk of becoming unwanted monsters that do not fit in the world. Instead they have to feed on vampire blood, but most vampires cannot sustain to feed their ‘fledglings.’ And not only did they not feed on human blood during their transition, but they regressed into being almost like ‘babies’ they couldn’t really take care of themselves and didn’t remember much of anything. But Beatrice not only can sustain this, but she can feed multiple fledglings at once, as she is a broodmother. Vampires trust her with their sired and will come collect them when they can finally feed on humans. And here comes the never ending metaphors/allegories. Women for 100s of years now have been made to feel shameful if they could not breastfeed their children. As if formula is something that would somehow make kids grow up to be this unwanted, not normal, functional human being in society. It’s such a silly thing that society deemed to put shame onto. And before formula existed, and even when women could breastfeed, it was deemed ‘poor’ to breastfeed their own babies. Families would get wet nurses instead, and make these women form bonds, put way too much pressure on them and not give them nearly enough of the right resources to feed babies that were not their own.

‘𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬? 𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐝.’

Beatrice did the best she could in her situation. She never felt like she could truly love the fledglings, but she cared for them fiercely. She was not in charge of the situation in which fledglings came to her nor the environment that they had to live in together. I think that it was difficult for her to reconcile this intimacy that she formed while feeding with the fact that they would grow up and move on from her. They would go into the world and see how other people might live (people, who were their family, were much richer and could give them way more). The fledglings would always have that memory of being fed, taken care of, safe, but what else really?

‘𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚, 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.’

As much as this story was focused on feeding someone else’s ‘baby’ this story read to me as how difficult it is to be not only be a mother, but a woman. How in this world we are ignored, not heard and even when we complain loudly we get pushed to the side. Oh it’s just ‘anxiety’ ‘are you sure you’re not on your period?’ ‘did you drink enough water?’ Or worse yet, we just keep it to ourselves because we couldn’t dare let anyone know we failed. Beatrice always knew something felt wrong, but she didn’t want anyone to know. She didn’t want to admit that maybe she couldn’t do her job anymore, or she took too much on at once or even have anyone else know what she felt. She was afraid of someone and coming to pick her apart and make it her problem instead of helping. I think today women, and especially mothers, are afraid to ask for help because we think we won’t get it and even worse we will get criticized for failing.

‘“𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐭? 𝐓𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐨. 𝐓𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞. 𝐍𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐮𝐬.”’

We put way too much pressure on new mothers. If anything were to happen, society immediately says ‘well what did the mother do?’ If we see a new mother out enjoying herself, society asks ‘who is home with the baby?’ It’s always, always on the mother. And if you have someone who even just a ‘mother figure’ like Beatrice who is these fledglings’ broodmother they still look at her at fault if anything were to happen. Not to their sire who left them in this dirty, unknown environment. Women of the world are always placed as guardians of the new generation, but are never coveted as such treasures. Men truly have the power, but if anything were to happen why aren’t they blamed?

‘“𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝—𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞,”…𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐭, 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞: 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲, 𝐧𝐨, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝.’

Again, even when women/mothers are spread way too thin, tired, tied down by other people’s responsibility, and can’t even have time to themselves we look to them for the answers. After reading the author’s notes at the end of this book and her saying she thought of this idea from the history of wet nurses, truly nothing could make more sense. This was so well written, I couldn’t stop reading it. Caitlin Starling does speculative fiction like no one else. She knows how to write in such a way where you’re always on the cusp of ‘oh I know what this means’ or ‘I know where she is going with this’ and you never are right until all of the sudden you read one single line and it hits you like a rock. The prose was beautiful and weird, and one of my favorite ways of reading a story- it was a personal love letter, a personal retelling.

‘𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥, 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐩, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 . . . 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥.’

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin Press for this ARC, I’m so unbelievably happy to have received this book🖤

[andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

i was a little scared to pick up this one because i feel like all vampire books are somewhat repetitive, as it's a pretty popular trope - so how unique can a vampire book truly be? turns out, Caitlin Starling has ideas! good ideas! the book follows the idea of a broodmother - a vampire that's sort of a mother to the newly turned ones, because they aren't mature enough to be able to feed on human blood, so they have to consume vampire blood - Beatrice's. i think the idea of motherhood was wonderfully explored in this one, and i loved the juxtaposition of something that's supposed to be "pure" be tainted by gore and horror.

the writing style was really good; the author is definitely skilled at writing horror and gore scenes, especially the body-horror ones, which were chilling. we're inside Beatrice's mind as she's slowly losing it and i think that made for a very intriguing read. she's curious about the changes related to motherhood, in both humans and vampires, but she's also slowly getting closer to being more of a monster than a human. her relationships with her fledglings suffer as her relationship with the doctor moves along. the other vampires also get a whiff of what's going on with Beatrice, who, even though broodmothers are rare, is being looked down upon.

i think the book is more character-driven than plot-driven, and it gets a little slow towards the middle because of it, but it's definitely worth the read, in my opinion. i can see why people might not enjoy this one as much because of its pace.

overall, "milkteeth" is a thought-provoking read with a really unique plot. i'm definitely going to pick up the author's other novels, as i really enjoyed her writing style.

[Ariel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grabbed this on read now on netgalley, I was so excited by the premise it sounded amazing. Unfortunately this one did not work for me. This was my first time reading a book by Caitlin Starling after hearing so many good things about their other novels. This book follows a vampire who is almost like a “wet nurse” to freshly turned vampire’s. They drink from her until they are ready to start feeding on their own. I just did not enjoy this; the pacing was extremely slow and I never felt invested in the characters enough to care about them. I was bored to death for the last 50% of this book and would have DNF’d, but I was still curious enough to want to see how it ends. I can see why a lot of people will enjoy this book, as it has a lot of commentary on breastfeeding and motherhood, even some dracula references. I would still recommend this for people who enjoy slow, vampire character focused books.

[Nic]

After The Starving Saints and now this, Starling is becoming one of my faves

I'm very impressed that someone can still make the vampire genre feel this fresh

[Christine Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But what if breastfeeding vampires"

This horror novel follows a vampire brood mother who raises other vampires. When she bites off more than she can chew (literally) she mixes with human medicine and develops into a new vampire. A true brood mother

This was quite an entertaining concept! Finally delving into the breeding and child rearing for vampire mythology. I'm counting this as factual vampire lore.

The middle just got so repetitive I just couldn't bring myself to pick this up at one point. I wish there was more horror and gore honestly. Like there was scenes but I was excepting worse!

[zee’s books]

i have been in such a reading slump but i got approved for the arc! this is so exciting, and caitlin starling is one of my favourite authors ❤️

[Natalie Benkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75/5

this book was a big WOW. what a unique interpretation on vampirism, and one i certainly have never seen done before. it was so refreshing to see the gruesome and grisly viewpoint of the broodmother, the one who nurtures and feeds the young freshly turned vampires in their first couple years. it was so interesting how similarly it mirrored the emotional bond formed raising young from the womb and how the care of a mother (verging on the line of obsession in this case) can so deeply impact the development of the young in both the good and the bad. i loved the constant parallels being made in that regard, and how our fmc beatrice actually goes out of her way to turn to medical professionals to see how she can enhance her nurturing even knowing it was a massive risk. this book was told in what felt like an out loud storytelling/conversational format really doubling down on the infatuation beatrise had with her charges and the fine line between that and the intimacy of lovers. and especially so with the repetitive terms of endearment and obsessive love bombing, you really get the fixation at full force. not only that, but i loved the theme highlighting the lengths a woman/mother will go through to ensure their loved ones are cared for, including bodily mutilation and putting themselves in high risk/higher reward situations. it just so perfectly encapsulates womanhood.

most of the vampire books i’ve read in the past have felt so sexy and seductive, really riding on the fantastical side of things. in true horror fashion, we got the stripped down raw and gritty version, in what i could imagine would be how vampires would function in actuality. it gets you to stop thinking about the beautiful twilight-esque immortals and start seeing them as the blood and flesh devouring revenants that they are. really well done, i have high hopes this one will be a massive release later this year, especially coming out around halloween!

[Jess ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Milk Teeth was my first Caitlin Starling novel, but it absolutely will not be my last.

This book was weird, gross, fascinating, and I loved every minute of it.

The premise alone was fascinating - a vampire broodmother responsible for raising newly turned vampires - but the execution was what truly sold me.
Starling’s writing is immersive, unsettling, and impossible to look away from.

The pacing was perfectly balanced, steadily building tension while revealing increasingly disturbing truths.
What starts as a unique vampire story evolves into something much stranger, darker, and deeply compelling.
The body horror elements were unsettling in all the best ways, and I found myself completely invested in Beatrice’s unraveling journey.

If you enjoy horror that leans into
🕯️ the bizarre
🕯️ explores themes of motherhood
🕯️ leaves you feeling deliciously uncomfortable
Milk Teeth is one to add to your TBR.

Thank you to Caitlin Starling, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for early access to Milk Teeth. I’m grateful for the opportunity to read and share my thoughts.

#bookreview #arcread #readmorebooks #books

[sammie 🧸 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Caitlin Starling for the ARC!! I read this in one sitting, I was immersed from the very beginning. Obviously this is commentary on motherhood, but I found things regarding gender and class as well. The concept of vampire nursing was so fascinating, and I really enjoyed the character study of Beatrice as well. If you’re looking for an action packed and adventurous plot, I would keep moving. However, if you want a look into the sacrifices of motherhood and how it can turn someone monstrous if pushed far enough through the lens of vampirism, look no further! I rounded down from 4.5 for the pacing, but this was fantastic <3

[Anna Lupa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this on NetGalley on a whim and decided to branch out of my normal genres, and I am so glad that I did! however, I am also absolutely horrified, and I'm still processing what I just finished.
This was the sort of book that you can't put down, I finished it in about 2 hours! Horrific and graphic with so many twists and turns, I know I'm going to have nightmares tonight but it was absolutely worth it because the plot was so unique! I mean, most vampire books are very derivative and follow the same few lines, and I was very happy that this was different. Also, I totally saw the twist that was on the last page coming, and it was very well executed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an unbiased review! 4.75 stars.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second Caitlin Starling novel, and I enjoyed this one so much more than The Graceview Patient.

Milkteeth festers in a rotten, backrooms-like underworld that’s hidden just beneath the surface of our own. Beatrice is a brood mother, tasked with feeding newly turned vampires until they’re mature enough to leave the nest. Everyone in this story is teetering on the edge of losing control to their most primal needs while Beatrice tries her best to hold together a brood that she’s loosing control over.

Moody, eerie, and gory, this book just worked for me. Starling builds a creeping sense of dread that never lets up. It plays with themes of motherhood and selfhood that I thought perfectly aided the story. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a vampire story that feels genuinely different!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*
Hey so this was absolutely fucked up, and I loved it? Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

I’m not a horror person in the slightest, but the plot of this book drew me in from the synopsis. This is a book about motherhood in its most corrupted form. It’s vampires like I’ve never seen them before. I’ve never read or watched or even thought of anything like this, which made it all the better. The gore and body horror were certainly there but they led credence to the story instead of being there for the heck of it.

Beatrice may be a monster, but man did I feel for her at so many points in this story. She loves the fledglings despite her inability to admit it. She’s trying to do her best when she’s spread herself too thin, which is exactly what motherhood is at its core.

So yes, this was insane, but in a good way, and I ate it up (pun intended).

[Melissa Cochran · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC copy from St. Martin’s Publishing Group.

This book was very character centric. Beatrice is a vampiric wet nurse who slowly transitions into a monster as her taste and hunger for flesh increases. Her development from a soft spoken creature into a powerful being was intriguing. If you are looking for an action filled plot, this is not for you.

If you like a psychological look into the main character, definitely pick this up. Beatrice tells her story to her love from when she picks up a third fledgling. Who is her love? It remains a mystery and keeps you guessing until the very end.

[Chelsea Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caitlin Starling, you’ve done it again!! Five well-earned stars for Milkteeth.

Have you ever thought about breastfeeding vampires? Me neither, but now I can’t stop thinking about the complexity of Caitlin’s take on Vampirism. The difference between a mortal and an immortal and how they are reborn. The fine line between becoming a Ghoul or a Vampire.

Our story follows Beatrice retelling part of her life's story to an unknown character. The tale of her being the brood mother to Gorgeous and Fortunata, and soon to be Lu. Newborn vampires cannot drink mortal blood right away. It takes up to 3 years for them to become a full functioning Vampire, and it's Beatrice’s responsibility to care for and wean her nest. Each time her “children” feed from her, it takes her longer to recover, so she starts to seek out ways to be the best “mother” she can be. In Beatrice’s search for answers, she starts to realize how her body is changing in new and strange ways.

I cannot do this book justice with my own words. But it is so compelling!! I usually stay away from books that are heavy in the Mother/Child relationship, as someone who isn’t all that fond of kids, but this one hit different.

Thank you to NetGalley & SMP for the opportunity to read and review this ARC early! Milkteeth comes out on October 20th, 2026.

[Tyla &#x1f9da; &#x1f5e1;️ ☠️ &#x1fa78; &#x1f5a4; · Rating 3 out of 5]

Netgalley ARC 2.5 ⭐
This is my first book from Caitlin Starling. I went into the book completely blind & although I don’t feel like I’m the target audience for this type of read, I am glad I applied for this ARC. It was definitely interesting.
It was a completely unique take on vampires.
It was very character driven with limited plot. But it definitely hooks you, her writing is undeniably creative.
I loved the balance of horror & gore in this.
I’m very confused by the ending though, not sure who the narrative is aimed at? 🫣 and the read did feel quite repetitive at times. But this is why I love reading and trying new genres.

[Emily Mullibow]

more vampires pls

[ruhee]

I hurtled through this book at breakneck speed, hungering for the next chapter, the next bit of narration, the next storyline. I was so impressed by Starling's approach to vampirism. Vampires are a fundamental part of the cultural zeitgeist and we have seen so many iterations of their myth and legend that it is difficult to put a new spin on them. Yet, Starling's inventive approach was like nothing I've read before - and I am an avid vampire media consumer. The lore and history that Starling drew on for Milkteeth was so ingenious and I was so enthralled by it.

The writing was gritty yet grounded in reality. Starling did not shy away from gore and violence and it added to the overall messy, violent, and disgusting atmosphere. The narrative was a little circuitous and repetitive but to me that just added to the claustrophobia and otherwordly nature of the story. We were allowed full access to the protagonist - Beatrice's mind and it built on the consuming nature of her ailment. Beatrice also provided a strong front to examine ideas of monstrous motherhood and the inner conflicts of the mantle of being a wetnurse - be it for vampires or for humans. I was very drawn to this discussion around motherhood and how it linked to femininity, consumption, and hunger.

I was pleasantly surprised by how immersed I found myself in the atmosphere of this book. Starling depicted the true nastiness, rot and deterioration of a well-known fantastical figure.

This is a real weird girl, rot girl book and I would advise readers to consider trigger warnings before embarking on this truly horrific but satisfying journey.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

i don’t know what it is about Caitlin Starling’s works, but whatever type of horror she writes, i loveee. she finds ways to bring in psyche of people and takes it to the extreme. This book for me was of toxic motherly bonds, but also of the heavy weight society puts onto women (specifically mothers). (though a HUGE part of this is of nursing, which I have 0 experience of so cannot speak to it)

‘Milkteeth’ had a fascinating new take on vampires. a more brutal, less glorious version; where being turned isn’t all fun and games to be with the one who turned you. 3+ years of having to be carefully watched over to not ingest human blood (so you don’t turn into a ghoul), losing all memory, losing your faculties, essentially being born anew— then when you finally mature again and into a whole knew “person”, the vampire who turned you most of the time wants nothing to do with the new you. crazy!

(it almost felt like commentary on how easy we’ve seen characters in vampire media be turned and how the vampire still loves the new them— because this felt (sadly) realistic, that the obsession with a human disappears while they’re apart)

this book does has sapphic undertones, as it’s heavily implied, there’s not a technical romance/relationship in this book. it’s definitely focused on bodily horror (teeth, “feeding” from different areas of the body, medical terms/scene, etc). however, it’s written as if the narrator is penning a letter telling her lover of everything that happened, which is why i undoubtedly can label this as sapphic

i also felt there was further commentary on how our main character, the narrator, is a Broodmother. she is doing her best to care for newly turned vampires, but is curious how it’ll biologically affect her the more she takes on. Cue, where our story takes off as she seeks out a doctor. a Broodmother a very rare kind of vampire who is the one to primarily feed and take care of newly turned vampires, and she is treated HORRIBLY. like she is the backbone of their society in the sense of helping new vampires grow again…. where does that seem familiar? oh! real life! where woman are praised for their wombs and abilities to give birth, use their bodies to give life, yet are predominantly are treated like second hand citizens, controlled. the ending bit to this book was SUFFOCATING, crazy, and done so well

*ARC courtesy of netgalley*