Review: The Starless Sea

Title: The Starless Sea
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Random House SA
Date Published: 5 November 2019
Goodreads Description: Far beneath the surface of the earth, upon the shores of the Starless Sea, there is a labyrinthine collection of tunnels and rooms filled with stories. The entryways that lead to this sanctuary are often hidden, sometimes on forest floors, sometimes in private homes, sometimes in plain sight. But those who seek will find. Their doors have been waiting for them.

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is searching for his door, though he does not know it. He follows a silent siren song, an inexplicable knowledge that he is meant for another place. When he discovers a mysterious book in the stacks of his campus library he begins to read, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, lost cities, and nameless acolytes. Suddenly a turn of the page brings Zachary to a story from his own childhood impossibly written in this book that is older than he is.

Amid twisting tunnels filled with books, gilded ballrooms, and wine-dark shores Zachary falls into an intoxicating world soaked in romance and mystery. But a battle is raging over the fate of this place and though there are those who would willingly sacrifice everything to protect it, there are just as many intent on its destruction. As Zachary, Mirabel, and Dorian venture deeper into the space and its histories and myths, searching for answers and each other, a timeless love story unspools, casting a spell of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a Starless Sea.

I was given a review copy of this by Penguin Random House SA. All opinions are my own.

Story

The story initially drew me to The Starless Sea. Who can say no to a story within a story, with underground libraries and nameless acolytes? I haven’t read the Night Circus before, so this was my first Morgenstern book, and I gotta say, it was a load of waffle.

Seriously, it just dragged on and on and on. I thought it would never end. The premise sounds amazing, it was just so long and boring. It took me an age to read and after that I was in a serious slump. There were some parts of the story I enjoyed, like how it all came together at the end. However it was still too much waffle for me.

Writing

I probably don’t have to say this again, but I’m really not a fan of lyrical writing. It doesn’t pull me into the story at all. The Starless Sea was just a tad slow-paced and fluffy for me.

Characters

I loved Mirabel, and I loved Katrina. We just don’t get enough of them. The romance between Zachary and Dorian was just too fast and Zachary was incredibly bland. I related to him on some levels, but it just felt like the story was happening to him and that he wasn’t actively participating in anything.

In conclusion, I think I’ll give The Night Circus a skip.

What are your thoughts on The Starless Sea? 

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