The Starless Sea
A Novel
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4.2 • 801 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of The Night Circus, a timeless love story set in a secret underground world—a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea.
Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood.
Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, 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. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians—it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction.
Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose—in both the mysterious book and in his own life.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Pirates, painters, owls, cats, fate, and time—all of these and more can be found in Erin Morgenstern’s dreamy fantasy. Toward the beginning of The Starless Sea, graduate student Zachary finds something strange in an old book: a story from his own childhood. That discovery leads him to a hidden world that holds every tale ever told, a land which is now in danger. As she did with her bestseller, The Night Circus, Morgenstern creates a magical setting that lives and breathes with suspense and emotion. Ultimately, Zachary’s quest is all about stories—how we tell them and how they shape our lives. We were reluctant to leave this exhilarating world for our own mundane reality.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Built from fables, myths, and fairy tales, Morgenstern's long-awaited second fantastical novel (following The Night Circus) delves into a vast subterranean library, the Harbor on the Starless Sea, a giant, maze-like, subterranean library where all languages are comprehensible to everyone, and time moves differently. Its wonders include moving statues, edible stories, and a sea made of honey. Narrative-obsessed grad student Zachary Rawlins happens upon an old, authorless collection in the campus library. Among the tales of an improbable land of books and their devotees is an anecdote from Zachary's own childhood, a time when he found a magical door but chose to walk away, disbelieving. Desperate to understand and longing for a second chance at adventure, Zachary investigates and finds a literary party thrown by a secret society. He goes through a painted door in Central Park and into the Harbor itself, now long past its heyday and mostly deserted. Aboveground, the secret society is trying to close as many doors as possible, hoping to keep the Starless Sea hidden. Aided by otherworldly Mirabel, whose motives and history are obscure, and alluring Dorian, a former society member who opposes the closing of the doors, Zachary works to understand how the Harbor fell into disrepair and what he can do to protect it. He also learns what it means to be not just a reader but a part of the story, and what happens after that story ends. This love letter to bibliophiles is dreamlike and uncanny, grounded in deeply felt emotion, and absolutely thrilling.
Customer Reviews
Classic
This story (stories) are reminiscent of the coming of age stories that young readers have classically loved (inkheart, Harry Potter), but for adults. We forget that adults, as well as children, lose and find, and lose and find ourselves through the choices we make; or don't. This heartwarming book of stories that come together, reminds you that sometimes you have to believe, and just take the risk. No matter how silly we seem.
Plotless, rambling, confusing.
The world building is strong, but that’s about all this book has going for it. The loose ends and plot holes aren’t really tied up, the characters are one dimensional and either don’t develop or develop so quickly it doesn’t make sense, and the pacing of the story makes for quite a frustrating read. The only thing that encouraged me to finish this book is that I paid money for it. Perfect for someone who wants to read an account of someone’s fantastical dream.
Spellbinding!
I totally love The Night Circus but it would be a tough decision if I had to choose which is better! The most unlinear but beautiful story I think I’ve ever read. I had to force myself not to read it all at one go because it’s so rich and nuanced. The kind of book you read once with a sense of wonder and magic. I’m sure rereading it will be wonderful but will never quite recapture it’s original brilliance.
Edit- just re-read this Sept 5, 2023 and it’s just as good the second time around. Don’t expect this to be similar to The Night Circus. Two very different books but both immensely enjoyable no matter how many times you read them