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A review by asourceoffiction
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Starless Sea is a novel of grandeur; it is brimming with magic and fable. Morgenstern has an incredible ability to create a fantasy world hidden among reality, and the descriptions of this world throughout the book are absolutely stunning. The number of stories she tells while still focusing on one central idea threatened to be overwhelming at times, but they were also filled with so much wonder and beauty.
At first I found a lot of similarities to The Binding, with the idea of protecting a story being central to the plot. But while The Binding is about protecting or keeping individuals' memories or secrets, The Starless Sea goes to a much broader place where the importance of the story itself outweighs that of the characters. It's hard to elaborate without giving too much away, but the plot is really driven by inevitability.
In a book filled with fantastical characters, Zachary feels like the grounding force we need to draw together the whole plot - he is our conduit inside the story whose confusion and exploration mirrors our own. It makes it easier to digest when there are multiple stories layering on top of each other and it becomes hard to keep track. I chose to trust Zachary's path and it felt easier to keep hold of the narrative as a result.
I started to feel like the end was dragging a little, and I wouldn't say that I finished the book with all my confusion cleared up, but it's so worth reading for the sheer beauty and ambitious storytelling.
At first I found a lot of similarities to The Binding, with the idea of protecting a story being central to the plot. But while The Binding is about protecting or keeping individuals' memories or secrets, The Starless Sea goes to a much broader place where the importance of the story itself outweighs that of the characters. It's hard to elaborate without giving too much away, but the plot is really driven by inevitability.
In a book filled with fantastical characters, Zachary feels like the grounding force we need to draw together the whole plot - he is our conduit inside the story whose confusion and exploration mirrors our own. It makes it easier to digest when there are multiple stories layering on top of each other and it becomes hard to keep track. I chose to trust Zachary's path and it felt easier to keep hold of the narrative as a result.
I started to feel like the end was dragging a little, and I wouldn't say that I finished the book with all my confusion cleared up, but it's so worth reading for the sheer beauty and ambitious storytelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death