From the Bookshelf of Challenge Corner…

The Starless Sea

Erin Morgenstern

Start date: November 1, 2019

Finish date: November 30, 2019

Discussion: Book of the Month

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What Members Thought

Jun 07, 2024 Jenn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, adult-fiction, do-you-believe-in-magic, 3-star-reads, read-in-2024, wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey

“We are all stardust and stories.”

I really loved The Night Circus so this was high on my to-read list for awhile. Finally, I said let's do it. But sadly, I was a little underwhelmed with this one.

This book is a giant love letter to readers. Based on that alone, I should have loved it. But the way the story was presented, everything was so disjointed, that I had a hard time really connecting to the main plot. I will say though that Morgensterns writing is very beautiful. It has this poetic g ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Jul 04, 2025 Priya rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: towers-priya, read-in-2025

I loved The Night Circus and the beautiful world the author created so I was looking forward to reading this book. However, this one didn't quite work because even at the end of 500 odd pages, I still don't quite understand what it was all about!

The writing and imagery were fabulous and I was fully prepared to be immersed in the story but unfortunately the threads just didn't connect to tell a cohesive narrative.

Zachary Ezra Rawlings, who is always referred to by his full name (for no good rea I loved The Night Circus and the beautiful world the author created so I was looking forward to reading this book. However, this one didn't quite work because even at the end of 500 odd pages, I still don't quite understand what it was all about!

The writing and imagery were fabulous and I was fully prepared to be immersed in the story but unfortunately the threads just didn't connect to tell a cohesive narrative.

Zachary Ezra Rawlings, who is always referred to by his full name (for no good reason), finds an anonymous book in the library which seems to contain his own story and a door he did not open in childhood. His curiosity leads him to seek out this door and the subterranean world it opens up for him is full of books and paintings and sculptures and stories and hints about the mysterious Starless Sea. He encounters a group of people called the Collector's club who seem to be trying to keep people out of this world and close all the doors leading into it. That's the whole book!

The fairytale like stories that are included at intervals were very interesting and some of them even blended into the main plot but for the most part I was lost in a sea of symbols, bees, keys and swords. I have no idea why all of these people were where they were and doing what they did! The romance between Zachary and Dorian,a man he meets in this underground world seems abrupt and I couldn't really relate to it either because it seems to suddenly come into focus in the middle of all the other inexplicable things that keep happening. The main issue was the repetitive nature of the story and how it kept going round and round with no obvious purpose.

The complex world building should ultimately lead to some understanding of its purpose at least in the lives of the protagonists and that didn't happen for me. Though I can see the links between the different parts of the book after finishing it, I still don't get the point of it all and that is very frustrating!

I really enjoy the magical realism genre and so was reluctant to give up on this book, hoping to be rewarded at the end but other than the fantastic writing which conjured up some remarkable visuals, this was a bit of a disappointing read. ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 31, 2020 Kayleigh {K-Books} rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own-physical, illumicrate, fantasy

The Starless Sea Review on K-Books

"But the story wanted an ending. Endings are what give stories meaning."

The Starless Sea is very different to my usual reads. Honestly, had it not been featured in one of the Illumicrate boxes I probably wouldn't have bought it as it's not something that grabbed me from the cover. Saying that, however, I am glad that I picked this one up as it's such an enjoyable and compelling tale.

The Starless Sea is, at its heart, an ode to anyone who loved books. It is a ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 13, 2020 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

The author of The Night Circus has struck again and surprised me again! I am not a lover of fantasy. But perhaps this is less fantasy and more magical realism, which is something i am just generally more able to connect to.

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a college student. And he loves to read. He finds a book in the university library that changes the trajectory of his life. This is a very nontraditional love story. And I loved it.

1 like · Like · see review

Nov 15, 2020 Melanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: gay-rep, queer-rep, owned

Rounding up from a 4.5

This book is so confusing, but I know I'd love it even more with a reread so I could catch all the foreshadowing and metaphors so expertly woven into every detail of this story.

This book is the kind of book you want to save a quote from every page. It is so lyrical and beautiful, and there is so much meaning packed into every part of it.

I absolutely loved the intricate world building throughout the book and the layers upon layers of story in the world's and books and times ...more

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May 05, 2020 Stefani Robinson marked it as to-read

I think I am going to put this on the shelf for a bit. Just not feeling it, I'll try again another time maybe. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 29, 2020 Marie (UK) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-reading-challenge

I loved the night circus but this was just not gripping me at all. The narrative was like a sea coming towards you leaving sprinkles in the sand but no real feel for what it had done. I only get to page 75 and it requires too much of something that i don't have to continue. I loved the night circus but this too fabulist with no backbone

So I came back to this as having returned the library copy unread My son bought me a copy for my birthday.
I have managed to get through it this time but I won't s ...more

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