lilacpalette's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
prissi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
schaubh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
neenor's review against another edition
4.0
Does it make sense if I say this is a warm story? It’s any book lover’s dream - an ode to books, to storytelling, to our imagination. Reading it made me feel warm and seen and celebrated. All of the characters were intricately created, and I loved how the stories ended up tying together in unexpected ways. There are only two reasons why this didn’t get five stars, and these are:
1. You had to read in between the lines a lot to understand the story. Whilst I understood most of it, some things (like the owl king) still have me confused, and I can’t tell if that’s because I didn’t understand or it was never explained. I don’t like it when I finish books and am left confused.
2. I read this book over a period of 20 days because I’ve been so busy, and at times I picked it up and really struggled to remember what I had read a day or two before. It was a great story, but some things just didn’t stick, which was a shame.
Despite these two minor issues, I really enjoyed reading The Starless Sea. We waited a long time to read another Morgenstern book, but it was definitely worth the wait. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
1. You had to read in between the lines a lot to understand the story. Whilst I understood most of it, some things (like the owl king) still have me confused, and I can’t tell if that’s because I didn’t understand or it was never explained. I don’t like it when I finish books and am left confused.
2. I read this book over a period of 20 days because I’ve been so busy, and at times I picked it up and really struggled to remember what I had read a day or two before. It was a great story, but some things just didn’t stick, which was a shame.
Despite these two minor issues, I really enjoyed reading The Starless Sea. We waited a long time to read another Morgenstern book, but it was definitely worth the wait. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
lazygal's review against another edition
5.0
Best read in one session: it's that immersive. The imagery here is incredible, but occasionally the world building fails (so many corridors, so many levels). At times this is like a series of short stories, only they've been cut up and intertwined and sometimes you're not sure whose story you're reading about and when you are. Granted, this was an ARC and perhaps in the finished version readers will get more of a clue about that! I did keep thinking about the movie version and how in many ways "The Russian Ark" felt like an appropriate template. As for the characters, they're almost beside the point. Given that this is about stories, and stories about stories, the occasional flatness doesn't matter.
eARC provided by publisher.
eARC provided by publisher.
tallyreads's review against another edition
5.0
It’s like a fever dream
But in the best way
With the best ending - but I’m infuriated there’s not more.
But in the best way
With the best ending - but I’m infuriated there’s not more.
misslezlee's review against another edition
5.0
The last week on planet Earth has been very surreal. What better way to spend forced time at home practicing social distancing than to immerse myself in the surreal world of the Starless Sea? Time here on planet Earth has begun to do the weird thing it does when daily routines are disturbed, nay shattered. This novel plays with time in a new way. There are elements of so many genres: fairy tales, love stories, choose your own adventures, mysteries, myths, legends and on and on. Lots of contemporary references keep it firmly in the present day, but it also occupies time and space in other realms, eras, and centuries.
At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy reading it, especially since I discovered I had less than a week to read it in - why doesn’t Overdrive notify you when your holds become available? Good job I had time on my hands to do some serious reading. It still took a long Sunday morning session, racing against the clock, to ensure I wasn’t left hanging. Digital loans disappear the very second they are due. See, this whole week has been surreal. I keep noticing bees and references to bees, discovering bees hidden away, even a video of a friend capturing his bees who had swarmed into a tree in his back yard! Surreal.
My very favorite place in the whole book was the inn. I’ll not say more, I don’t want to spoil the read for you.
At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy reading it, especially since I discovered I had less than a week to read it in - why doesn’t Overdrive notify you when your holds become available? Good job I had time on my hands to do some serious reading. It still took a long Sunday morning session, racing against the clock, to ensure I wasn’t left hanging. Digital loans disappear the very second they are due. See, this whole week has been surreal. I keep noticing bees and references to bees, discovering bees hidden away, even a video of a friend capturing his bees who had swarmed into a tree in his back yard! Surreal.
My very favorite place in the whole book was the inn. I’ll not say more, I don’t want to spoil the read for you.
darkduet's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
am i confused? yeah... yeah i am but damn this is a freaking good book.
playertwo0o's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
3.0
3/5 - 'we are all stardust and stories'
<i> There is a stag in the snow.
Blink and he will vanish.
Was he a stag at all or was he something else?
Was he a sentiment hanging unspoken or a path not taken or a closed door left unopened?
Or was he a deer, glimpsed amongst the trees and then gone, disturbing not a single branch in his departure?
The stag is a shot left untaken. An opportunity lost.
Stolen like a kiss.
In these new forgetful times with their changed ways sometimes the stag will pause a moment longer.
He waits though once he never waited, would never dream to wait or wait to dream.
He waits now.
For someone to take the shot. For someone to pierce his heart.
To know he is remembered </i>
I really wanted to love this book, it's all aspects that I love; ballrooms, secret libraries, masquerades, academic protaganists, but overall I found the book rather confusing and not very well put together. Don't get me wrong, if you entirely focused on the form and language of the book, it's so beautiful and well written but the skipping of timelines every short chapter left the characters (especially Zachary and Dorian) a bit underdeveloped and I felt really bad that I didn't really care that he died because I didn't get to know him well.
The book is extremely metaphorical, though at times a bit too much because I still am a bit confused as to what actually happened and what will happen to the harbour after the starless sea drowned out. The worldbuilding happens throughout the entire book, so you are always learning more meaning you cannot piece together the pieces of the clever clues the author laid out until the very end when you go 'ahhhhhhhh, that's what that means etc.'
There were pages after pages on what the harbour looked like, but it didn't explain the mechanics of it. Do the books reappear in the new harbour or do they disappear forever and bring the stories with it? What exactly is the owl king in the end? I couldn't distinct where the people were half the time because of all the time jumps; one page they were in the 'overworld' and the next in the harbour and the next in the starless sea. I would read an extract of sweet sorrows then forget where Zachary/Dorian/Mirabel is because so many people in so many different places.
<i> There is a stag in the snow.
Blink and he will vanish.
Was he a stag at all or was he something else?
Was he a sentiment hanging unspoken or a path not taken or a closed door left unopened?
Or was he a deer, glimpsed amongst the trees and then gone, disturbing not a single branch in his departure?
The stag is a shot left untaken. An opportunity lost.
Stolen like a kiss.
In these new forgetful times with their changed ways sometimes the stag will pause a moment longer.
He waits though once he never waited, would never dream to wait or wait to dream.
He waits now.
For someone to take the shot. For someone to pierce his heart.
To know he is remembered </i>
I really wanted to love this book, it's all aspects that I love; ballrooms, secret libraries, masquerades, academic protaganists, but overall I found the book rather confusing and not very well put together. Don't get me wrong, if you entirely focused on the form and language of the book, it's so beautiful and well written but the skipping of timelines every short chapter left the characters (especially Zachary and Dorian) a bit underdeveloped and I felt really bad that I didn't really care that he died because I didn't get to know him well.
The book is extremely metaphorical, though at times a bit too much because I still am a bit confused as to what actually happened and what will happen to the harbour after the starless sea drowned out. The worldbuilding happens throughout the entire book, so you are always learning more meaning you cannot piece together the pieces of the clever clues the author laid out until the very end when you go 'ahhhhhhhh, that's what that means etc.'
There were pages after pages on what the harbour looked like, but it didn't explain the mechanics of it. Do the books reappear in the new harbour or do they disappear forever and bring the stories with it? What exactly is the owl king in the end? I couldn't distinct where the people were half the time because of all the time jumps; one page they were in the 'overworld' and the next in the harbour and the next in the starless sea. I would read an extract of sweet sorrows then forget where Zachary/Dorian/Mirabel is because so many people in so many different places.