Is it an alternate reality? Is it the inside of a book? Is it the inside of a crazed mind? Is it magic? Is it aliens? It has some spots but of intrigue. Overall I guess I lack the imagination to appreciate the sporadic whimsy this book offers. View all 16 comments. View all 8 comments. And then there are stories that leave you with a million questions more, but each and every single one of them feels like a soft caress.
Like a tender kiss on your longing skin. Like a shiver running through your craving mind. You just want to experience what they will do to you.
You want to lose yourself in the story, dive deeper, be a part of it, touch it with your own fingertips Never let it go. And one day he meets a mysterious storyteller who draws him into a world of wonder and mystery. Into the world of the Starless Sea. I mean some sort of labyrinthine underground library that looks like an art museum and seems to go on forever?
Also there were cats everywhere which was such a nice touch because I love all sorts of cats. Allegra was pretty intriguing and I think she was one of those antagonists that fascinate you. Speaking of which: Dorian was such a wonderful and complex character as well. I just loved that boy! And the moment he got introduced into the story is definitely among my favourite bookish moments ever! It was mysterious, amazing, intriguing and shiver-inducing. I probably would have died.
XD He sounds like a man I could easily fall for and he was described so vividly that I could imagine myself listening to his stories while taking in his appearance and gestures. As does Zachary. This is one hell of a slow-burn and a very unconventional one at that. This tale is more intricate and multi-layered than you might expect.
You just have to read it, feel it, get immersed in it. All those stories within stories, mesmerizing dreams turning into grotesque nightmares, little pieces that merge into one story and questions that might not always be answered. Succumb to the temptation and allow the narrative to drown you in the depths of the Starless Sea.
If you give yourself to the story, I can guarantee the story will give you something back. S: view spoiler [That gorgeous painting of Zachary and Dorian, though!!! It sounded amazing and I found a fan art that managed to capture its essence. Like woah!! Full RTC once I figured out how to get all those feelings and thoughts into a single review. View all 25 comments. Jan 27, Merphy Napier rated it really liked it Shelves: fantasy , adult , four-stars. I have from time to time mentioned books that are artsy for the sake of moving along the story in a unique fashion and they are wonderful.
But, on the other side, there are books that are artsy for the sake of being artsy. Books where the weird and fantastic plot points feel forced in order to make the book seem edgy and trendy. This is, of course, in the eye of the beholder, so you may not feel the same about this as 3 stars Time for those who have read my reviews before to see a bit of deja vu. This is, of course, in the eye of the beholder, so you may not feel the same about this as I do from book to book.
For me, The Starless Sea rode a fine line between the two the whole way. At first, I really got into the fantasy world of this book. It was doing a wonderful job of building a magical connection between the real world and a world from books. It reminded me a bit of The Shadow of the Wind.
In fact, I am pretty sure they referenced that book early on. I say pretty sure because I am reading multiple books, so it could have been in one of those! I thought the writing style was wonderful and remained so throughout.
However, as the story progressed, I started to lose the continuity of the storyline because it felt like it was trying to hard to be "fantastic". There were about 5 separate storylines that jumped around and the events in each just got stranger and stranger.
Every so often there were a few moments that reoriented me to the actual progress, but the last half was mainly disorientation and some lack of interest. If it was not audio, I am not sure I would have finished. Some may love this book a great deal and enjoy getting lost in the artsy twists and turns of the multiple storylines.
But, if you have ever agreed with me before on books being artsy for the sake of being artsy, you may have the same experience I did.
View all 38 comments. Nov 24, darmera added it. No rating yet, because I am still processing. I liked it, but I also didn't? Better review is coming. Those of you who have gotten around to it- what do you think? View all 4 comments. I'm still debating whether I want to rate this 1 or 2 stars. I didn't hate it, but I didn't enjoy most of it. What frightens him the most is how the book features him in it, and Zach slowly becomes a part of the mystery surrounding the book he picked up, thrown into an enchanting world of mysteries and magical creatures, time and fate, and truths about his own self.
I honestly feel like there isn't much to say to describe what this book is about because it's really just that. My good friend Melissa told me to read this as if it were a video game, and I gotta say, I'm glad she did.
Video games, specifically the action kind, take time to build up, tension rises throughout the game, and the plot is plodding because you're unsure where it's gonna go. And I think that's how The Starless Sea felt.
If I had read this with the perspective of reading any other kind of book, I feel like I would have disliked it even more. I found myself both enjoying this but also feeling agitated as I kept going. It wasn't really so much at the book's slow pace and how long it felt, but at how underwhelming it was.
I was enjoying the first part of this. I wanted to read this as quickly as possible because of that, but then I realized how it would be better if I took my time reading it, reading a couple of pages here and there instead. I'd like to say it made the reading experience better, but I feel like it wouldn't have mattered in the end, and I would have probably felt the same way.
I thought taking it slow was a better approach because of how slow the book is and because I felt like I could have missed something important if I read quickly or skimmed. However, that is exactly what I found myself doing. I became impatient and bored, and it happened quicker than I thought it would. It took me more than a month for read this. Part of it was because I was taking it slow, another part of it was because I was dreading it and didn't want to read anymore.
The plot here is really how Zachary finds himself in this magical and mysterious world as he tries to uncover the truth about the book he found at the library, the mysterious Starless Sea, Dorian, himself, his mother, and many others. There are obstacles in his way, such as Time and Fate, a villain trying to change what destiny calls for, a ginger cat, secret passageways, and more. I do, though, think reading this and taking it with a different approach can give the impression that it doesn't have a plot, but then again, I read this as a video game, and video games take time.
With that being said, I have to say that many may find the plot non-existent or overall underwhelming because nothing else happens in this book.
There is really no conflict to make the story more entertaining, other than Zach trying to figure everything out, which was figuring out the way to the Starless Sea. But other than that? You don't know where you're going with The Starless Sea , and I think that's what makes the mystery of it all the better. Yet again, I won't deny that I became bored after pages or so. I complained about this already, but I grew annoyed every time Zach's chapters started with "Zachary Ezra Williams.
I can still hear myself reading it. The relationship between Dorian and Zach has got to be one of the most laughable and underdeveloped relationships I have ever read about.
The blurb fooled me into thinking Zach would find himself discovering the Starless Sea with Dorian, but I was completely wrong. Dorian started getting his chapters more towards the end, and when he was mentioned in the chapters with Zach, he was always disappearing. The tension, angst, and overall connection between the two were entirely non-existent.
It feels ridiculous, really. This man disappeared from Zach more than once for reasons I understand and the two never even connected, and I'm expected to feel they had some sort of relationship? When I read about Dorian in the blurb, I thought Dorian would be some associate or someone who accompanied Zach. Not to mention that when Zach and Dorian met, I thought of him as a much older person.
Also, adding on to that, the representation in general just felt And there was never even a hint that Dorian was gay? Or that he had feelings for Zach? Their relationship lacked in every aspect.
There was never a moment where the two could even find time to get to know each other. I feel like Dorian knew Zach much more, but that's because of where Dorian came from and who he is. On the other hand, Zach was never even doing anything other than trying to figure out what the fuck he was supposed to do with the book he found. The spark of something new and different but fully formed and fragile.
In need of protection. You want to be inside it, I can see it in your eyes. I used to seek out people like you, I am practiced at spotting the desire for it. You want to be in the story, not observing it from the outside. You want to be under its shell. The only way to do that is to break it.
But if it breaks, it is gone. I found myself not caring about Morgenstern's fictional stories, which were added to undertand the book Zach found better, but they were only getting longer and longer. My patience was only getting lower and lower. They describe The Starless Sea as a love story to storytelling, to literature. Zach is a video game lover who finds escapism in books. There's nothing better than reading books about books. However, the potential and excitement lacked.
Going into this with minor expectations is best, simply because there is nothing you can expect from other books that you will get here: Character development? There is no emotion in this book. I think one's enjoyment of this will depend on how it's interpreted. The best thing about this was definitely the writing. Erin Morgenstern writes beautifully.
Her imagery and prose are vivid, but it only took me a short while to start comparing it to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue , which I also didn't enjoy. It got to the point where it was too ridiculous for me to read because of the emotions I was expected to feel that I just didn't feel anything anymore. I'm upset I didn't enjoy this. I've heard so much about Erin, especially about The Night Circus , which I plan on reading at some point.
I had already heard mixed reviews about this, but considering I enjoyed the first pages or so, I expected to continue liking where the story was going. Perhaps you will like the ride to the Starless Sea more than I did, but for me, it just felt repetitive, bland, and underdeveloped. The path that leads to the end. Apr 22, Emily May marked it as lost-interest Shelves: arc , fantasy. View all 28 comments. Readers also enjoyed.
Magical Realism. Adult Fiction. About Erin Morgenstern. Erin Morgenstern. Erin Morgenstern is the author of The Night Circus, a number-one national best seller that has been sold around the world and translated into thirty-seven languages. She has a degree in theater from Smith College and lives in Massachusetts. Books by Erin Morgenstern.
Articles featuring this book. Audiobooks are an incredible way to experience stories—a great narrator can use their voice bring the narrative to life in a way that the Read more Trivia About The Starless Sea. Quotes from The Starless Sea. Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Adventures In Boo If yes then you are having a. Description: His first day of work arrived.
Upon arrival at the mansion deep in the mountains he was surprised by the size of the grounds and the palatial building itself… appropriate for the richest of the rich.
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. A bee, a key, and a sword emblazoned on the book lead Zachary to two people who will change the course of his life: Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired painter, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances.
These strangers guide Zachary through masquerade party dances and whispered back room stories to the headquarters of a secret society where doorknobs hang from ribbons, and finally through a door conjured from paint to the place he has always yearned for. Ilona Andrews. Paranormal Romance Kindle eBooks Amazon. Download eBook.
Kindle Editions Novel Series. Check this ebook now Pages Published Publisher. Read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets…. Reviews in epub, pdf and mobi formats. Downloading Ebooks and Textbooks.
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