Beautiful prose and immersive world-building, just like The Night Circus. The plot lost some of its propulsion halfway through for me, but still an impressive novel.

Erin Morgenstern is a good writer. I enjoy her vivid sensory descriptions, because she never forgets to describe the way things smell and taste. She's great at creating a mood or aesthetic in which a story can bloom. However, this book drove me a little bit insane because it never seemed to commit to an actual plot. The characters felt very flat and spend most of their time either wandering around while deeply confused or wandering around while withholding useful information from those around them. The main love story occurs between two people who have spent no more than a couple waking hours together, and have never had a complete conversation. This is a beautiful 400+ page Pinterest moodboard, not a novel that progresses toward a meaningful conclusion. Morgenstern is clever enough to write a justification for the fragmented narrative into the finale of the book itself, which is nice, but does not actually improve the reading experience.

This was a hauntingly beautiful read and layered stories within stories in Erin Morgenstern’s style that we know and love from The Night Circus. Unfortunately, I found it easy to get lost in the layered stories a little bit too much and was frequently confused about what was happening or felt like I had skipped pages with major events, even though I hadn’t. This being said, there is no denying that Morgenstern is an absolutely amazing writer. I found I was highlighting almost entire pages of text for the beautiful writing. In many ways, this felt like reading a classic work of literature - you could feel it was great, but it took mental work to read. This book was worth the wait.

This book took me a while to read but even the worlds inside are smeared with gold, drowning in honey, or covered in snow and ice. This is the elaborate dream of any child who ever thought they belonged more inside the world of a book, maybe even spent time looking for the way in. Time and characters move in non linear ways, and there is a lot about how stories are created and live on. It all starts with a college student who comes across a book he remembers from childhood, or maybe that's the middle of the story. Anyone who loves early Catherynne Valente (Orphan Tales, Palimpsest) will be the perfect reader for this book.

Erin Morgenstern had me absolutely enthralled with Night Circus, so when I heard she had another book on the horizon I was the first on the list at my library. When I saw I could get an advanced copy from NetGalley I was all over that. From the first page this book had me, I loved every minute of it.

A gorgeous love letter to stories and storytelling. Magical, haunting, stunning. I couldn't put it down, but I also didn't want it to end. Highly recommended.

I wanted to like this book so much, as I really enjoyed Morgenstern's first book, "The Night Circus." "The Starless Sea" has the same lush, magical feel as "The Night Circus," and the premise is fascinating. I was hooked after the first few chapters. However, the more I read, the harder it was to stay interested. The plot felt rambling, like the author was making it up as she went along. I liked the interludes with fantastical tales, but the main storyline made little sense to me. I also thought the romance was forced; Zachary and Dorian have only met a few times before they decide they are meant to be. Overall, I was disappointed. I'm not sure if it just isn't the book for me or if I wasn't in the right mood to read it.

The Starless Sea is a book for people who love stories and the idea of storytelling. Writing something like 3 books in one, Morgenstern creates interwoven, entangled characters and stories that slowly unravel to reveal a glittering, satisfying tapestry.

This is my first book by Erin Morgenstern - I somehow missed ever reading The Night Circus - and it took me a bit to get fully immersed into The Starless Sea. The repeating motifs and the seemingly fragmented storylines were initially a little tedious, but I found them to be a slow burning magic, working and weaving underneath the surface to crest in a beautifully satisfying end.

It's a lovely book, but one you have to work a little bit for.

Lyrical writing, stories nestling within stories, questions of time and fate and narrative all tangling up. I both enjoyed reading this, and resented how hard it was to read-- I had to really think about each word and phrase or else get swept off with only a hazy understanding of what was happening. Like someone was reading me a bedtime story as a kid, and I was falling asleep but pretending I wasn't. Admirable in many ways, but I understand the mixed reception for the book.

An excellent fantasy read that celebrates books and the stories they tell. A lyrical writing style adds to the atmosphere of the novel, and encourages the reader to enter into the fantasy realm wholly.

This was hunting and magical. The way Erin write a story like she was trying to kill reader slowly, but in a beautiful sort of way. Erin is truly a witch (in a good way) she knows how to bend words, put a lyrical touch, and you can hear them like melody. I looooved it!

4.5 stars

This is a great new fantasy from Erin Morgenstern. Once again she takes everything we may know and take for granted and turns it upside down, making readers think differently about the world around them. A topsy-turvy trip, but definitely an enjoyable one, this book keeps readers guessing as they travel through a unique world full of honey, magical doors, and, best of all, cats and books.

Another great story by this author. I got confused at time with the multiple stories and had to reread a few chapters now and again. The author has a fantastic imagination and I look forward to more from her.

Once again, Erin Morgenstern creates a story infused with magic. An ordinary graduate student stumbles upon a mysterious library book that seems to contain a story about his life, leading him to an ancient society that safeguards stories and an underground starless sea. Morgenstern is a master at creating an atmosphere suffused with magic and creating a world with stories we would all like to read more of.

"Not all stories speak to listeners, but all listeners can find a story that does, somewhere, sometime."

The Starless Sea is one of those books that you’ll either love or put down early on. As a reader, I was honestly blown away by the detailed scenery and visual transitions written by the author. I always love reading books about books, and this takes the concept to a whole new level.

As a librarian, I immediately want to recreate that Harbor and live amongst its books and act as a Keeper to provide visitors with as much information as they require (I technically do already, but without the living in the library part). This was an amazing book for me and a thrill to experience.

This book is heavily detailed, with an intricate and fantastical plot. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book, and waiting for all the characters stories to come together. However, after that the book lost me a little. I found the immense amount of detail to be overwhelming and it made the book difficult to pick back up again. I have moved it to my DNF pile, and may try again in the future. Just like The Night Circus, I am sure this book will move readers and make them fall in love with this world. I, however, am not one of those readers 2.5-3 stars.

Edit: I went ahead and pulled this book off my DNF pile and this time listened to the audiobook. I loved that each "story" was read by a different narrator, that helped me keep each story straight in my head. Because of how heavily detailed this books is there is no way to piece together the outcome on your own by reading it once, this book requires many reads in order to grasp the full weight of the story.
I am still processing this book, but I did enjoy it more in audio form. I also think the second read through helped me process the story better.
Definitely give this book a shot, it has a lot to say.
Updated Rating: 3-4 stars.

I loved 99% of this book and would give it 4.6 stars if I could... What keeps me from 100% love and 5 stars? By the end, I just felt something lacking. Maybe this was on purpose, not sure. I didn't feel closure with any of the love stories. Some of the mythical elements still felt like they weren't explained as promised. I didn't understand why certain characters were even there? I just wanted a bit more. It still was one of my favorites of 2019 and would recommend it to most people although many of our patrons would not get this book at all which would keep me from recommending it for a book club or reader's advisory.

Beautifully written story that captivates your imagination and definitely makes the book hard to put down. I was a big fan of her first book, "The Night Circus" and this book did not disappoint.

This book is not for everyone but for me it was amazing. Full of magic and symbolism, it's an epic tale that has many twists and turns and doesn't wind up at all the way I thought it would. I do think it's a tad long but it's really an incredible story within a story within a story. There's a passage in the book that describes it far better than I could: 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. I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another astonishing, devastating book from Erin Morgenstern. It’s no surprise that it took her so long to publish another novel after The Night Circus. The Byzantine twists and turns in this story of stories are incredibly complex. But also somehow (mostly) easy to follow as a reader, as long as you’re patient and trust that she knows where she’s taking you.

I can’t really say much about the plot, both to avoid spoilers and because it’s hard to describe. Part fairy tale, part fantasy, part literary fiction. It defies category, and should appeal to a wide group of readers.

I’m definitely going to have book hangover for a few days. One of the best things I’ve read this year, for sure. I hope we don’t have to wait eight years for another.