Clara's Reviews > The Starless Sea

This is such a cosy, curl up with your cat and a cup of cocoa kind of book.

I'll start by saying I'm one of those people who loved the Night Circus. Parts of it were so well written I had to put it down and walk away for a sec because I was so overwhelmed by how good it was. Safe to say, I was HYPED about the Starless Sea.

For me, it totally delivered. Zachary is a great main character for all of the bookworms who would have been too anxious to open a magic door as a kid but who now spend their adulthood secretly hoping another one will present itself. I LOVED the in-between, at-first seemingly unrelated but actually it turns out they all matter, fairytales. As so many people have already said, this is a love letter to storytelling in all its forms. I'm not a gamer but this book made me want to be. It also made me want choose-your-own adventure stories to come back into fashion (I'm looking at you, Goosebumps).

I'm already trying to work out how long I have to wait until it's socially acceptable to re-read it (maybe a good excuse to buy it in paperback when that comes out?).

I love magic. I love pirates. I love cats. I love bees. I love stories.

This won't be for everyone (no piece of art can be universally adored) but if you're a storyteller/storylover of any kind, this book will stay in your soul.