From the Bookshelf of 2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge…

The Starless Sea

Erin Morgenstern

Start date: October 1, 2020

Finish date: October 31, 2020

Discussion: October 2025 Group Read

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October 2025 Group Read

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Dec 30, 2019 Barbara rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reads, fantasy, libraries

The Starless Sea is the much anticipated second novel from Erin Morgenstern. The story opens at a college in Vermont when Zachary Ezra Rawlins finds a mysterious book that seems to have been misshelved in the campus library. He looks inside and is immediately freaked out and entranced to find the first story features a boy who is undeniably him. This sets Zachary on a journey to New York the leads him for a search for “the Starless Sea”.

Once he begins his quest, things become increasingly confus The Starless Sea is the much anticipated second novel from Erin Morgenstern. The story opens at a college in Vermont when Zachary Ezra Rawlins finds a mysterious book that seems to have been misshelved in the campus library. He looks inside and is immediately freaked out and entranced to find the first story features a boy who is undeniably him. This sets Zachary on a journey to New York the leads him for a search for “the Starless Sea”.

Once he begins his quest, things become increasingly confusing. He moves from place to place, many of which are libraries, and places teeming with books. The symbols of bees, keys, and swords and owls are key, and the Owl King is feared. Once Zach enters a magical underworld, he encounters a number of characters who appear and disappear. Time is fluid. So are names. This was a very confusing element of the story which was not explained. Zachary can be shortened to Zach or even Z, but why was he suddenly Ezra. This name switching only occurs in the underworld. Name changes were the least confusing of many story elements. Much of the book is written like a long dream sequence, but one that goes on for page after page after page. There is some glorious language, but occasionally some awkward phrasing that seems out of place. A big positive is a main character who is gay and comes to realize his love for another man.

This is a 500-page (plus or minus) novel, but in order to keep track of goings on, requires reading in big chunks. Initially a book featuring libraries and a mysterious volume of unknown origin interested me. I am a reader who is a pushover for books about books, Libraries and bookstores, but this one was disappointing. Maybe it was because this theme wasn’t fully developed and seemed to only be a vehicle to get into the story. I had high expectations because The Night Circus so totally and unexpectedly captivating. I read the UK version of this novel, which is gorgeous with a huge bee on the multicolored cover of indigo, Prussian blue, deep rose, and highlights of gold. The outerpages of the closed book have the design of a key, bee, and sword, a beautiful detail.

3.5 stars.
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Feb 13, 2020 Ketutar Jensen rated it it was amazing

I just finished it. I'm ugly crying right now.

I love everything about this book. Even the ending, because... it never ends *_* It is a never-ending story. She managed to write a real never-ending story!

(Except this: "I don't jest about tea. I have Earl Grey and peppermint and some sort of immunityboosting thing with ginger".
Urgh. Earl grey is flavored. Pergamot isn't everyone's flavor. I bet you don't have milk either. So you have no tea. Tea IS a serious business. Herbal "tea" is not tea.)

This ...more

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