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ollieez's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Stalking, Outing, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Outing, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Stalking, Animal death, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, and Death
the_reading_wren's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Writing a story about the power of stories is a brave thing for an author to take on, and Erin Morgenstern shows she’s a master storyteller in The Starless Sea.
I should have been prepared by reading The Night Circus, but I forgot how the author creates a world for the reader to fall in love with before breaking it apart… and resolving the story in the most beautiful and satisfying way. I enjoyed spending so much time at the beginning of the book getting to know the main character and the beginnings of the many threads that later weave into the narrative. Then the second half became an un-put-down-able roller-coater ride!
Morgenstern’s talent for world-building I think comes from the sensory descriptions - the texture of a jumper, the taste of a drink, the richness of a voice, the sense of a space and the smell of a perfume are all given importance. But things are rarely over-described, making it feel like the storytelling is working with the reader’s own imagination.
Overall I think the diversity of the cast of characters was well done, bar a few missed opportunities for trans/nonbinary and better disability representation. Something I particularly noticed was that the main character’s mother is given a significant voice in the narrative, which is unusual in stories like this, and I appreciated it.
I’m really glad I listened to the audiobook; the cast is brilliant, and having different voices read different sections helps follow the flicks between times, people, places and books within books.
I should have been prepared by reading The Night Circus, but I forgot how the author creates a world for the reader to fall in love with before breaking it apart… and resolving the story in the most beautiful and satisfying way. I enjoyed spending so much time at the beginning of the book getting to know the main character and the beginnings of the many threads that later weave into the narrative. Then the second half became an un-put-down-able roller-coater ride!
Morgenstern’s talent for world-building I think comes from the sensory descriptions - the texture of a jumper, the taste of a drink, the richness of a voice, the sense of a space and the smell of a perfume are all given importance. But things are rarely over-described, making it feel like the storytelling is working with the reader’s own imagination.
Overall I think the diversity of the cast of characters was well done, bar a few missed opportunities for trans/nonbinary and better disability representation. Something I particularly noticed was that the main character’s mother is given a significant voice in the narrative, which is unusual in stories like this, and I appreciated it.
I’m really glad I listened to the audiobook; the cast is brilliant, and having different voices read different sections helps follow the flicks between times, people, places and books within books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Homophobia, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Blood, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Torture, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Death, Murder, and Suicide
yourmaninmotion's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts
carolynnagain's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
epsyphus's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Loved the message of this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Homophobia
krn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Stalking, and Violence
ang_mendoza's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I was torn between whether or not to give this book 5 stars cause it's truly beautifully written, with all the appeal of the Night Circus but with far more charm and light-heartedness to break up the heavy tone.
Admittedly it's a somewhat challenging book to follow at times but I think that's on purpose. You're not meant to fully understand each part until it's brought together, particularly with the inconsistent chronology (that you may be familiar with from the Night Circus). Technically it's broken into 6 parts but in terms of tone and direction of the plot it has kind of 3 distinct parts that feel like somewhat separate narratives as Zachary moves from the surface, to the harbor, to the starless sea. </ spoiler>
I'll share a quote from the book that feels very self-aware, "Part spy movie, part fairy tale, part choose your own adventure. Epic branching story that doesn’t stick to a single genre or one set path and turns into different stories but it’s all the same story."
Admittedly it's a somewhat challenging book to follow at times but I think that's on purpose. You're not meant to fully understand each part until it's brought together, particularly with the inconsistent chronology (that you may be familiar with from the Night Circus). Technically it's broken into 6 parts but in terms of tone and direction of the plot it has kind of 3 distinct parts that feel like somewhat separate narratives
I'll share a quote from the book that feels very self-aware,
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Homophobia and Suicidal thoughts
corvicore's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
this book fixed all the problems i had with the night circus. there are some bits im confused about, but given that this is my first read through it means that this book has reread value which is great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Murder, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
bebidocrimes's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Morgenstern's writing style really just feels like home. I read somewhere she writes things to be impossible to put on screen and that decision elevates all her choices. Her environmental description are pristine and just wraps me up into the story. (I also think she would throw the most kickass parties.) The story and the message and the interweaving of it all is so masterful, this story will never really end. It will always be constantly running in my mind.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Gore
Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, and Torture
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