The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Published by Harvill Secker.

This is the second book by Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus. The cover is very attractively presented to entice the reader into a world of books and magic.

We follow university student Zachary Ezra Rawlins on a dangerous quest into another world in search of The Starless Sea and many other things – like why his personal story is in an old book he found in the library…

The main story is interspersed with fable-like fragments, which the reader tries to link and decipher. Time moves back and forth, too, which can be somewhat confusing.

There are lots of puzzles involving books, swords, keys, owls, and bees; a bit of romance; some unusual characters; many references to books (Narnia, Harry Potter, The Shadow of the Wind – to name a few); and everywhere there are doorways leading to other times and places.

If you’re happy to go along for the ride, you’ll enjoy the descriptive writing and marvel at the extraordinary imagination of the young author.

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