I really wanted to like this book. I loved The Night Circus, but this book I just couldn't get into. I'm not even really sure what the plot is. The writing is lovely, but the plot is very slow with a number of side stories that I'm sure connect together at some point. I wasn't interested enough to finish the book, so the pace may have picked up later on in the story.

This book had me from the start with a mysterious book, clues, and a secret library. A pure delight, a magic-soaked fairy tale that traverses through underground tunnels and discovery of secrets and love. I would recommend this book to readers who love mystery, magic, and discovering new worlds. It's amazing!

The Starless Sea
By Erin Morgenstern


Zachary Ezra Rawlins was a regular college student until one day he stumbles upon a mystifying book… featuring him as one of the main characters. Determined to discover how this could be, he quickly gets caught in between the plots of a secret organization, a subterranean library, and many, many stories.

Erin Morgenstern, previously known for her best selling work, The Night Circus, captures our imaginations once again in The Starless Sea. She seamlessly weaves short stories, poems, and myths throughout the novel, each one laying a seed that adds substance and richness to an already riveting plot. The reader is both engrossed in the plot while also awaiting the next fantastical interlude. The book combines romance, magic and mystery in a way that feels fresh, and Morgenstern transports you in a way that will have you hungry for more long after you’ve turned the final page, making it the perfect choice for any library collection.

Release date: November 5, 2019
Rating:
Review by: Thomas Beheler, Maker Associate, Arlington Public Libraries

This book is beautiful and extraordinary and unlike anything else I've ever read, aside from The Night Circus, of course. The author has a masterful way of creating such a magical ambiance that a plot is almost unnecessary. Just drop me in the middle of an Erin Morgenstern novel and let me float in it like a lazy river.

It's difficult and almost unfair to try and write a review of this book and judge it like any other novel. The Starless Sea is more of an immersive experience. The reader reads the book along side the protagonist, Zachary, occasionally separating from him to watch from afar as he interacts with the book and the adventure it catapults him into. The book-with-the-book is full of fairy tales, adventures, romance, and loss, all elements that invade Zachary's story, too.

If you're not reading Erin Morgenstern's novels, you are seriously cheating yourself.

For fans of / you may also like:
The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

arc received from the publisher

Another dreamy, mystical book from the pen of a master. The story was more complex than her previous book, which felt like a natural progression for the author and for the reader. There was a side character that was underused, but that is a minor complaint. Overall, I very much loved this story.

This is the perfect follow up to Morgenstern's 2011 beloved The Night Circus. Fans of her previous work and fans of reading, in general, will enjoy this book. I don't know how to begin to describe the plot, and honestly, I think that this is one of those stories that it is better to enter into with as little known about the plot as possible. I was fortunate enough to avoid reading any synopses before I dove in, and I am so glad for that experience. I will say that the book links a modern-day story with several shorter linked fairy tales/myths/legends that all tie together. These stories contain cherished and familiar tropes like castles with intimidating moats, pirates, star-crossed lovers, a looming king, and a striking setting.
This book requires patience. Clocking in at over 500 pages, I found myself sometimes getting a little exasperated with the story, but I realized that it was all worth it. Each word is meaningful and each description adds to the overall ambiance that this story invokes. The described imagery was ideal and the elements of magic and fantasy will be perfect for reading this book in the fall and winter, cozied up by a fire with a warm beverage. This is that book that readers search for when they search for the all-encompassing cold-weather cuddle-up read. It's daydreamy, otherworldly, and velvety and it is such a lovely reading experience.
This is a book meant to be read by readers. This was a wonderful reading experience, and the only negative thing I can say is that I have now read it and I can't un-read it, and read it again for the first time.

Terrible syntax, first of all. Second, I was unaware this was going to be obnoxiously meta. I hate stories within stories. This book was also obvious and convoluted, and an ode to awkward nerds. I hate awkward nerds. I couldn't deal with it after 50 pages. Such a letdown.

Erin Morgenstern has such a unique way of describing whimsical scenes with fantastic characters. I was enthralled from the start. The Starless Sea is a world i'm sure many people wish was real. The last time I wanted a place to be real this badly was when I first read Harry Potter. My only gripe is that I think the plot got away from itself toward the end of the story.

Beautiful epic story that anyone who loves books would enjoy. The world the author created was so fantastic I've not wanted to live in a book since HP and Hogwarts. The first I've read from this author, but definitely want to read her first book as well.

The Starless Sea
Breathtaking. Stories within stories with stories. A reflecting ball of possibilities. A multitude of 'onces' upon a time. A magical Russian Matryoshka doll filled with interlocking adventures. There is no simple way of describing Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea, her dazzling love letter to the art of storytelling. It is dazzling and unforgettable, filled with powerful narratives and eloquent observations on life, love, death, romance, sacrifice and so much more. A verbal feast! The flawless second novel by the author of the much celebrated The Night Circus.

There is not nuch that one can say without spoiling the adventure which awaits the reader. A young man searches for meaning and purpose in his life and in this novel. Characters fall in and out of love. Time plays games. Locked doors take you nowhere, others take you somewhere magical (or maybe not). There are secrets to keep and some that need sharing. There are lies to be told and truths that need telling. It is a difficult novel to explain, yet a joy to experience; most likely through repeat readings. The book needs a warning label: Do not assume anything. Nothing is at it appears, or maybe it is.

I read The Starless Sea courtesy of NetGalley and Doubleday Books, the book's publisher in exchange for an objective review. If it is not clear by now, I love this book and think it is a true masterpiece of fantasy fiction.

I was so excited to get my digital hands on this title. I was also a bit fearful because I had enjoyed The Night Circus (2011) so much and I had been waiting so long for another book from Erin Morgenstern. The only disappointment here is that I've finished the book. However, I will definitely be listening to it on audio the second that is available. What a wonderful mix of fairy tale, fantasy, romance, and dystopian angst. She also gives a shout-out to Lev Grossman fans.

The writing was so lush, I could wrap myself in it and fall asleep. The story is so entrancing, I read the book in 12 hours. A stunning second book from the Author of the The Night Circus

I don’t read a lot of fantasy. I lean more toward sci-fi, particularly the more literary iterations. Neil Gaiman is my exception. He writes stories that at first seem fanciful, but I can hear him read his own words in my head, both of us savoring each passage, with a tiny smile or barely perceptible frown coloring the words.
So, I’m not one for fantasy in general, but I found something of Gaiman in Morgenstern. Not the voice, but the tenor or shade, maybe the unadulterated joy about words and stories that they’re both able to convey. I was drawn in by Morgenstern’s Zachary, the grad student who feels guilty about reading books that strike him as “story-like”. And that phrase is precisely where Morgenstern hooked me. I’m a sucker for a good metafiction, and they just don’t write those like they used to. Or, the “meta” grew so all-encompassing that the concept imploded.
But, that’s a concept for serious critics, and I’m a happy dilettante. The Starless Sea presents Zachary, the guilty reader aided by helpful librarians (aren’t we all?), and Morgenstern had me. And if you’ve read this far through my meandering comments, then likely she’ll have you, too, you fanciful little reader, you.
Morgenstern follows the collapsing “meta” all the way down. Since I read an uncorrected proof, I can’t quote from the book, but trust me when I say that the author explores deep notions about storytelling in an accessible way that is full of all the fantastical stuff - love, adventure, loss, growth, rebirth. You know, the stuff of fairy tales, and real life.

I’m sorry. I wanted to love this book. The Night Circus is one of my favorites and I couldn’t wait for her next one. The premise is so cool but I just didn’t fall in love with any of the characters. There are a few parts where it just drags on for me. It was getting to be a chore reading about the layers and layers of what’s behind the doors. I wasn’t looking forward to getting back to it while reading and that isn’t good. I will go back to it at some point. I’m such a picky reader and maybe it was just not the time for it.

A mythical book world where every lover of books would want to go. The main story is interwoven with shorter tales, fables, and myths, which keeps the reader captivated and intrigued throughout the entire story. Each time a tale is told a new connection is made to the main storyline, and blending of these stories are seamless. This is a book that re-reading it would definitely lead to discoveries not seen the first time. For my book club that read The Night Circus, this will be one that we will be reading this coming semester.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me the ARC to this book!
Eight years ago I read the Night Circus! I was so excited when Erin Morgenstern wrote another book.
Zachary uncovers a series of clues--a bee, a key, and a sword--that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library, hidden far below the surface of the earth.
I won't give away any spoilers... but you will want to read this book!
Comes out in November!!

I loved this book! There's no way to explain it other than to say it's a beautiful, lyrical, magical, epic fantasy of a fairy tale. If you can get an advance copy, do it (#netgalley thank you!). Otherwise, get it when the publisher releases it. Put down anything else you're reading and savor this one. You're welcome!
Highly recommended

Can we first talk about how we finally have another book after the amazingness that was The Night Circus? I have been a fan or Morgenstern for a very long time now and waiting for a new book by her has been total agony. Anyway, onward to the book.

I think one of my favorite things about the way this book was written, was the way all the little stories were woven into the main one. I absolutely loved it and thought it just added so much more to this book. I loved the stories themselves, the writing was as beautiful and lush as her other work and definitely a must read.

When Zachary Ezra Rawlins finds a small book of fairy tales in his university library, he borrows it and begins to read tales of lost loves, pirates, maidens, fate and time. When one of the tales tells the story of a scene from his own childhood he sets out to uncover what the truth of this book and his life have in common. Beautiful written, this story kept me from cleaning the house and doing other necessary chores because I just wanted to see where it was going and what would happen to Zachary.

Hey there, bookworms and dragons! As soon as I heard Erin Morgenstern had written another novel, I knew I needed to find out if it might be possible for me to read it ASAP. I somehow managed to get approved for this one on NetGalley. I do not know how. I was honestly expecting them to say no but HERE WE ARE. *ahem* I only noted a couple trigger/content warnings (TW/CWs for short) while reading, but I’ll add those at the very end. 🙂 Let’s dive right on into this review thingy!

I’m not sure how to talk about the characters from this one, really. I feel like I got to know the characters just enough to care about them but not enough to actually know them. We didn’t really get much backstory at all for most of the characters. My favourite character of the novel is probably Kat, which even now I find odd because I know so very little about her. I think this is part of the book’s charm, but I do wish I could be able to actually tell you more things about the characters themselves.

The Starless Sea is set partially in various times of the real world and partially in a place that exists beneath the real world and is powered by the magic of stories. I was expecting the world building to be the star of the show and I was not disappointed. It’s lush and immersive and left nothing to be desired. I fell in love with it right away.

The story itself is complicated and loops all over the place, seemingly without direction. However, about half into the book, the puzzle pieces start fitting together to form a larger picture that my thoughts still return to days after finishing it. The end did leave a loose end or two though and not in a way that speaks of a sequel, though they are obviously intentional. I’m not sure how I feel about that.

In the end I really enjoyed reading The Starless Sea, though I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I did Erin Morgenstern’s first book. I will still definitely jump at the chance to read anything new from her though so there is that.

TW/CW:
• Hanging
• Multiple mentions of suicide