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

Erin Morgenstern has delivered another wonderful, whimsical book that is about place and fate and the truth of stories. The main plot of The Starless Sea is interspersed with fairy tales and other short stories that at first seem totally unrelated, but ended up being a crucial part of the story. This is the kind of book that will continue to unfold and give up it’s mysteries on second, third, and tenth rereads. It is a beautiful ode to fairy tales, libraries, librarians, and those of us who love stories in all their forms. It is definitely different - and weirder - than The Night Circus. I can see how someone who doesn’t jive with weird, trippy, Alice-in-Wonderland logic books would not enjoy this. There are questions that go unanswered and answers that require a lot of searching, as is the way with universe-sized mysteries and places outside of time. However, I was entirely the right reader for this book and it made my little librarian heart sing.

Recommended for story lovers, librarians, booksellers, readers who loved The Night Circus’s insistence on a place being the main character, fans of Alice in Wonderland, and anyone open to a weird, slightly disorienting trip of a book.

This is absolutely worth the wait. I read The Night Circus and loved it so very, very much. I wasn't sure whether this would be able to live up to that, but it did. Erin has such a way with melancholy. I couldn't read a lot of this book at one time because it weighed me down with such melancholy, but there's also a joy, a delight in it as well. I came to love the Fortune Teller's Son and Dorian as if they were my closest friends. I will definitely be listening to this when it hits audio to visit the Starless Sea again. Thank you for the opportunity to read this early. I will be whole-heartedly suggesting it to my manager to purchase for inclusion in the adult fiction purchase this fall.

Erin Morgenstern's second novel was worth the wait. The magic is in every page and her descriptions of the worlds her characters wander between are lovely and pull you in. You care about everyone you encounter and their journeys; of which there are many. It's a delightful book even at its darkest moments.

Such beautiful writing, so many highlighted passages. There was a point where I wondered if this was going on too long, but that might have been my fault. Will need to read again (or better yet, listen on audio) now that I know where it's going in order to connect all the trails.

Beautifully written, complex, engaging. This is a story within a story within a story. Full of the fantastical, it leads the reader through several winding story paths that ultimately meet in a satisfying conclusion. Ten stars!

Reading The Starless Sea was like being immersed in a dream world, both beautiful and disorienting. I had to give myself up to the mysterious journey of the characters, never able to predict what would happen next.

I'm going to go ahead and ask for your forgiveness because there's no way I'm going to be able to put all the feelings I have about this book into words, but the basic thing is: if you like stories, read this book. Dive into it. Savor the words and the stories and the intricate way it is all tied together. I never read The Night Circus, but I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this on NetGalley and wow. 

Zachary Ezra Rawlins, as he will be called hundreds of times throughout the novel's 500+ pages, is a graduate student in Vermont who spends a lot of time in books. But one day in the library he discovers a book that doesn't have a record--which only piques his interest further. That night, Zachary dives into the book only to discover that in this book of stories..one of the stories is about him. He is the son of the fortune teller who didn't open the door, and he begins to investigate further and further on a journey that takes him to NYC and the NYPL and the past and the future and through time and past time and into stories and out of them again. Seriously, I can't even begin to explain the plot, but Zachary's story is interwoven with that of the book, Sweet Sorrows, as well as other books, including myths and fables and a ballad of two lovers lost thanks to time. There's big metaphors and symbolism and cult-y stuff and so many books and a sea of honey and SO MANY CATS and lots of funny cat moments and I wish I could live in the words of this book. The rhythm was...haunting? Inviting? Like a mesmerizing motion of words down my brain? Okay...I digress. Seriously, I don't know what else to say. This book TAKES You places, and I'm still not sure I got everything, but I feel like this is going to be one of those books people start societies in college to study intently and decipher all the allusions. 

Just...read it, okay? Plot aside, and wow that plot, the writing is simply sublime. I was entrenched by every character, even if I wasn't totally sold on the little romance for Zachary. But I digress. Read it. Sooo many cats.

This was amazing!!!!! Well worth the wait. The story totally engulfs you and brings you in to the world of its characters. The ending was perfect, and I will be waited for her next book no matter how long it takes!