The Starless Sea

A puzzlebox of a book, full of meta-narratives and small folkloric tales that will delight readers. [Morgenstern] trusts her readers to follow along and speculate, wonder, and make leaps themselves as she dives into tales of pirates, book burnings, and men lost in time, giving the book a mythic quality that will stick with readers long after they put it down.

*Booklist

Erin Morgenstern’s done it again: she creates a magnificent, imaginative world around a story of love and magic. This love letter to bibliophiles is dreamlike and uncanny, grounded in deeply felt emotion, and absolutely thrilling.

Publishers Weekly

A high-wire feat of metatextual derring-do, Morgenstern weaves Zachary's adventure into a stunning array of linked fables, myths, and origin stories... exquisitely pleasurable.. a love letter to readers as much as an invitation: Come and see how much magic is left in the world. Fans of Neil Gaiman and V.E. Schwab, Kelly Link and Susanna Clarke will want to heed the call. An ambitious and bewitching gem of a book with mystery and passion inscribed on every page.

STARRED Kirkus Review

A magnificent quest, a sense of unfolding adventure and danger, gold-wrought fantasy, and endless provocation on what storytelling really means.

*Library Journal

A mystical adventure in an enchanted universe

Time

A magical mix of quests and fables, it's set in a secret world full of bees, keys, swords and secrets... beautifully written

Deborah Hughes, Heat

A timeless love story

That's Life Monthly

A lovely, lush voyage through vividly detailed worlds… an amazing literary adventure

Psychologies, *Book of the Month*

The Starless Sea rejects older stories: it makes its own... Rather than a traditional fantasy novel, this is an artificial myth in its own right... the novel's scope and ambition are undeniable

Natasha Pulley, Guardian

Erin Morgenstern’s fiction radiates with the excitement of someone discovering a magical world within the pages of a book. The Starless Sea…[is an] enchanting read… an ode to stories and storytelling itself, and the joy of reading

Martin Chilton, Independent

Enchanting...Myths and fairytales entwine with Zachary's quest to discover his life's purpose. Spellbinding.

Daily Mirror

Undeniably imaginative

i

The Starless Sea effortlessly constructs a fantasy that feels real, building a world filled with characters that you’ll know and care about… an enchanting, satisfying finish

Rhian Drinkwater, SFX

A book to get lost in…Morgenstern’s second novel boasts winding tunnels lined with packed bookshelves and cosy alcoves containing just enough light to read by… funny and…thought-provoking… [The Starless Sea] an intricate exploration of the stories we tell ourselves and others

Paloma Van Tol, Literary Review

[Mogenstern's] second novel is just as enchanting, a lovely, lush voyage through vividly detailed worlds where lost libraries, elegant ballrooms, subterranean seas and covert cities are all beautifully described... The writing is whimsically gorgeous. On every page there’s an image to savour...as Erin Morgenstern celebrates the wonders of imagination and the lure of stories in this spellbinding book. *****

Charlotte Heathcote, Sunday Express

Highly imaginative

Bookmunch

Beautifully written… [The Starless Sea] is mesmerising

Good Housekeeping

A unique, mind-boggling fantasy

Kate Saunders, The Times

The Starless Sea is quintessential Erin Morgenstern: breathtakingly beautiful, powerfully emotive, and a fantastic read. A booklover fantasy, Morgenstern’s follow up to the Night Circus does not disappoint. Set aside an entire day for this one, because you’ll pick it up and become very reluctant to put it back down

Lauren Banks, SCAN