The Starless Sea…An Ode to Stories and Myths

An ode to both stories and myths, The Starless Sea was a stunningly descriptive and complex story about the main character’s struggle through time and a secret, underground information society.

The story mainly follows Zachary, a college student who missed his opportunity to find the Starless Sea…or did he? As Zachary becomes swept up in the stunning magic of a realm he deemed impossible, he follows the past through fantastical stories and unlocks the mysterious downfall of the world that he dreams of.

Unspoilery Review

This book was so complicated! It took me a while to get into this story, but once I did, I was fascinated. The plot that Erin Morgenstern weaves in this book was amazingly complex and magical. At first, I was unsure about the changing points of view and excerpts from the books, but I fell in love with all the different, whimsical pieces that became a part of one large story.

Although I did enjoy this book, I admit that it was very slow and confusing. Since I was half listening to the audiobook as well, I was able to zone out a little during the tedious parts, and I think that helped me get to the end. That being said, this book will not be for everyone, but it was beautifully written, and you will enjoy it if you’re prepared to go on the voyage that Morgenstern created for you.

Safe travels!

Spoilery Section!

Zachary was a fun character to follow, and I loved his obsession with stories and the starless sea. It was exciting to learn about this world below ground with him, and I enjoyed all the puzzles that he had to solve. He ended up being the key that ended the story, and I love how the story ended, was swallowed by honey, and a new one began. Now Zachary has Fate’s heart, and I’m going to pretend that they have a happily ever after- or maybe we’ll be lucky enough to hear more about their story soon.

I think my favorite story was Maribel and the Keeper. The connections and parallels between all their past lives and now were astonishing. I loved that it came full circle with them being the pirate and the lady, but also Fate and Time (the fable that we kept hearing 😂).

Another interesting part of the book was the excerpts from Simon and (not?) Eleanor’s story! I loved the explanations about how time worked, and trying to figure out what happened to them! I’m glad that Zachary found Simon lost in time, and I’m hoping that he finds Eleanor again in the next part of their story!

I also really enjoyed seeing from Kat’s point of view during the second part of the story! She is such an interesting character, and I love her curiosity and creativity. I have faith that she’ll be a big part of the next story, and I hope that she will find a home among the starless sea and the new pieces of the world.

Some of my favorite parts were:

• The amount of cats that just existed everywhere, and how well the author animated them and described their behaviors!
• The description of the Doll House World that was created over time by many people. I love this idea!
• The story of the man falling in love with the moon 🙃
• The mints that showed you stories

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think? Let me know! I’d love to discuss it!

Happy Reading!