I read Erin Morgenstern's debut novel, The Night Circus, years ago and absolutely loved it. There are several years between that book and The Starless Sea, so I didn't realize at first that it had been published or else I would have read it long ago. This book is pretty tame: it does have a little bit of blood and danger, one person is killed but it's not graphic, and there's mention of a fire.
Zachary Ezra Rawlins is finishing up his sixth year at college, he almost has his Master's Degree. He's a little bit of an introvert and doesn't have many people who he talks to on a regular basis. When he gets too stressed with researching video games, he retreats to the library and finds comfort in the books. One day, he finds a book that has no author, that cannot be found in the library catalogue, that catches his attention. When he begins to read, he finds a collection of short stories. To his astonishment, one of the stories is his. An event that happened when he was much younger, that happened when he was by himself and there was no one to witness what happened. So who wrote this book? The question starts him down a path that will change his life completely.
Let me start by saying that Erin Morgenstern is a beautiful author, her writing paints pictures but it isn't too wordy or flowery. I loved reading this book, just to hear her descriptions. The way this novel is laid out is very interesting. In between the chapters from Zachary's point of view, you get to read the short stories from the book that he found in the library. Pretty soon, you realize that Zachary's isn't the only story in the book that is true. By the middle of the story, you get to see how some of these stories are coming together into one giant, wonderful, knot of a story. I did think that it drug a little bit towards the end, and I was interested to see how she was going to wrap everything up. I was very pleased with the ending, it gives you just enough information to not feel like you are left without answers, but at the same time it is not all tied up in a nice little package with a bow, you get to imagine where the characters go from here.
The Starless Sea gets 4 out of 5 stars. It is a very fantastical book, so it may not be for everyone, but I loved the way the stories came together at the end. This is a very plot oriented novel, not spending a lot of time on character development, but the characters were very likeable and Zachary is still quite introspective. I will definitely be on the lookout for any more novels by Erin Morgenstern.
For more from the author, check out her website at https://erinmorgenstern.com/
Pairs well with a sidecar and a sleeping cat on your lap.
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