Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
So originally I didn't think I was going to like this book. It has this weird kind of pretentious storytelling that I usually find really off putting, but I kept with it and I'm really glad I did because I ended up really liking it. I still don't like how the pace of the book is constantly being interrupted by smaller stories, myths and legends and the like, but those stories were just SO GOOD that I couldn't be mad for long. This book gave me so many shivers it was crazy.
I think too that everything ended up working so well because it was just so achingly sincere. You can feel how much Morgenstern loves books and reading and stories with every sentence she writes and none of it is ironic or cynical or anything. It's a weird and strange book but I liked it and I'm glad I read it.
I think too that everything ended up working so well because it was just so achingly sincere. You can feel how much Morgenstern loves books and reading and stories with every sentence she writes and none of it is ironic or cynical or anything. It's a weird and strange book but I liked it and I'm glad I read it.
I found this difficult to review, it was good but also confusing but also how do you rate about a book about a book with not much of a plot?
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
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:
No
Rating: 4/5 Stars
-------
More reviews like this one can be found on my blog, CoffeeCocktailsandBooks
-------
Review
I'm not going to lie, the cover and synopsis did pique my interest in this story, but overall I was a bit hesitant to check this one out because I was not the biggest Night Circus fan. Friends, let me tell you why this book was an utter delight.
—>plot<—
It's been a while since a book was able to captivate me and suck me in as much as the Starless Sea did. I found myself so intrigued by the overall story and plot and was so excited to see how everything was going to develop and loop back together. This is definitely a book I will be revisiting in the future due to how dense the book was and how layered the story was. With all the connections and foreshadowing, I can't wait to reread this one and see how all the layers add to the overall story.
I really enjoyed how the characters were revealed and how the deeper connections were unveiled. I also liked how the core romance of this story was pretty subtle and the relationship was slowly weaved into the story without taking the focus away from the fantasy plot.
This is one of those books that was clearly written for book lovers and boy was that clear on every page.
Final Thoughts
I don't have much to say about this book, I really enjoyed this one and I had such a magical time listening to the audiobook. I was sick when I listened to it and was unable to sleep, and I just kept going back to the audiobook and finished it in just two sittings.
Fans of Every Heart a Doorway and The Ten Thousand Doors of January will love the magical portal fantasy. I also think Strange the Dreamer fans will love the lyrical, hypnotizing writing and captivating world!
-------
More reviews like this one can be found on my blog, CoffeeCocktailsandBooks
-------
Review
I'm not going to lie, the cover and synopsis did pique my interest in this story, but overall I was a bit hesitant to check this one out because I was not the biggest Night Circus fan. Friends, let me tell you why this book was an utter delight.
“A boy at the beginning of a story has no way of knowing that the story has begun.”
—>plot<—
It's been a while since a book was able to captivate me and suck me in as much as the Starless Sea did. I found myself so intrigued by the overall story and plot and was so excited to see how everything was going to develop and loop back together. This is definitely a book I will be revisiting in the future due to how dense the book was and how layered the story was. With all the connections and foreshadowing, I can't wait to reread this one and see how all the layers add to the overall story.
I really enjoyed how the characters were revealed and how the deeper connections were unveiled. I also liked how the core romance of this story was pretty subtle and the relationship was slowly weaved into the story without taking the focus away from the fantasy plot.
This is one of those books that was clearly written for book lovers and boy was that clear on every page.
“Having a physical reaction to a lack of book is not unusual.”
Final Thoughts
I don't have much to say about this book, I really enjoyed this one and I had such a magical time listening to the audiobook. I was sick when I listened to it and was unable to sleep, and I just kept going back to the audiobook and finished it in just two sittings.
Fans of Every Heart a Doorway and The Ten Thousand Doors of January will love the magical portal fantasy. I also think Strange the Dreamer fans will love the lyrical, hypnotizing writing and captivating world!
adventurous
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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:
Complicated
Stories upon stories within stories and ending up in a fairytale. There are clues that lead to a great many things and all are held under the Starless Sea.
Zachary is pulled into a world unlike his own as he finds a book at his University library one day with a story about himself. When he was young there was a door painted on a wall that he did not go through and that choice has led to Zachary finding this book. It is a collection, filled with stories of pirates, lovers, and himself all jumbled into the pages compiled by an unknown author. Determined to figure out the mystery of the book, Zachary begins a winding journey that takes him through masquerades, underground harbors, and places hidden from our world. All the while, he is tracked down by a woman who wants to keep the doors to the other realm closed and a man named Dorian who whispers stories in his ear as they go along together. There are those who create the books, those who protect them, and those who keep them in the harbors that act as libraries along the Starless Sea. Each have their own symbol that Zachary attempts to piece together as the clues of his own abilites and those within the books come to life. There is nothing like a classic adventure, one filled with swashbucklers and dazzling magic. This novel has that and more in the glittering gold expanse that is Zachary’s journey. I adored the characters, each who had their own flaws, motivations, and strengths to contribute to the challenges that came to them as they sailed the Starless Sea. There were times where I got a bit confused with the sequence of events, of the characters who interwove with each other, but it all came together in the end. I want to know more of this realm, I want another adventure for Zachary and Dorian. Oh, such young love, all throughout and not just with the main characters. It was all heartwarming and edge of your seat fascinating. Though some details of the imaginatory realms left me feeling a bit murky, a visual not coming to my mind, it was none the less interesting and captivating. I loved the use of stories and the small snips of video game trivia thrown throughout. It was a geeky literary dream with a lot of sparkles just for good measure.
Without a doubt, this novel was entertaining as it created a realm unlike any other that revolved around literature as clues. The story of Zachary and Dorian is just beginning here and I can only hope that it continues to be amazing throughout.
Zachary is pulled into a world unlike his own as he finds a book at his University library one day with a story about himself. When he was young there was a door painted on a wall that he did not go through and that choice has led to Zachary finding this book. It is a collection, filled with stories of pirates, lovers, and himself all jumbled into the pages compiled by an unknown author. Determined to figure out the mystery of the book, Zachary begins a winding journey that takes him through masquerades, underground harbors, and places hidden from our world. All the while, he is tracked down by a woman who wants to keep the doors to the other realm closed and a man named Dorian who whispers stories in his ear as they go along together. There are those who create the books, those who protect them, and those who keep them in the harbors that act as libraries along the Starless Sea. Each have their own symbol that Zachary attempts to piece together as the clues of his own abilites and those within the books come to life. There is nothing like a classic adventure, one filled with swashbucklers and dazzling magic. This novel has that and more in the glittering gold expanse that is Zachary’s journey. I adored the characters, each who had their own flaws, motivations, and strengths to contribute to the challenges that came to them as they sailed the Starless Sea. There were times where I got a bit confused with the sequence of events, of the characters who interwove with each other, but it all came together in the end. I want to know more of this realm, I want another adventure for Zachary and Dorian. Oh, such young love, all throughout and not just with the main characters. It was all heartwarming and edge of your seat fascinating. Though some details of the imaginatory realms left me feeling a bit murky, a visual not coming to my mind, it was none the less interesting and captivating. I loved the use of stories and the small snips of video game trivia thrown throughout. It was a geeky literary dream with a lot of sparkles just for good measure.
Without a doubt, this novel was entertaining as it created a realm unlike any other that revolved around literature as clues. The story of Zachary and Dorian is just beginning here and I can only hope that it continues to be amazing throughout.
I was slow to start, but once I fell into the story I devoured it. What an amazing read! Proper fairytale that is written so vividly and eloquently that it was a joy to read. The author is so playful with each sentence that big philosophical concepts never weigh down the plot and you kind of rush along for the ride with Zachary.
Neil Gaiman wishes he wrote like this. Magic and myths in modern times with out the desperately boring cynicism and ugliness of the modern world.
I’m writing a load of balls BUT UGGGHHHH
also
Neil Gaiman wishes he wrote like this. Magic and myths in modern times with out the desperately boring cynicism and ugliness of the modern world.
I’m writing a load of balls BUT UGGGHHHH
also
Erin Morgenstern never ceases to inspire my curiosity. This was my favorite work of fiction so far this year and maybe last year too. It's unexpected and clever. It's also meta and weird, but I loved that about it. It felt like she was pushing the bounds of what fiction can do in an experimental way.