The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
"Far beneath the surface of the earth, upon the shores of the Starless Sea, there is a labyrinthine collection of tunnels and rooms filled with stories. The entryways that lead to this sanctuary are often hidden, sometimes on forest floors, sometimes in private homes, sometimes in plain sight. But those who seek will find. Their doors have been waiting for them.
Zachary Ezra Rawlins is searching for his door, though he does not know it. He follows a silent siren song, an inexplicable knowledge that he is meant for another place. When he discovers a mysterious book in the stacks of his campus library he begins to read, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, lost cities, and nameless acolytes. Suddenly a turn of the page brings Zachary to a story from his own childhood impossibly written in this book that is older than he is.
A bee, a key, and a sword emblazoned on the book lead Zachary to two people who will change the course of his life: Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired painter, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances. These strangers guide Zachary through masquerade party dances and whispered back room stories to the headquarters of a secret society where doorknobs hang from ribbons, and finally through a door conjured from paint to the place he has always yearned for. Amid twisting tunnels filled with books, gilded ballrooms, and wine-dark shores Zachary falls into an intoxicating world soaked in romance and mystery. But a battle is raging over the fate of this place and though there are those who would willingly sacrifice everything to protect it, there are just as many intent on its destruction. As Zachary, Mirabel, and Dorian venture deeper into the space and its histories and myths, searching for answers and each other, a timeless love story unspools, casting a spell of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a Starless Sea."
This book was magical! I absolutely loved it! And I didn’t think I could love this book more than The Night Circus, but I totally did. There was such a beautiful diversity in the characters, there were queer characters! Cats! Short fairy tales and myths that are all connected in some way or another. This book felt like a love letter to booklovers. It braided storylines upon storylines and the result was really something beautiful. And I absolutely loved how the MC was gay, and there was a gay love storyline running through this book. But it didn't feel like it was being treated like it was different than any other love story. Like, he's gay, but it's not all of who he is. And I think there needs to be room for all kinds of queer characters and queer stories in books. But I really appreciated a queer character being treated with the same love and care as a straight character would.
“We are all stardust and stories.”
― Erin Morgenstern, The Starless Sea
Erin Morgenstern has such a beautiful style of writing. And the layers of metaphors which also seemed to be aware of themselves in this book was so intriguing to read. I finished this book and just sat back and beamed, I loved it so much.
I'm pretty sparing with my 5-star reviews. They're reserved for those select few books that resonate deep within my soul somewhere. If you want to read a book that will sweep you up in the magic of this world, and make you look around corners for doors to the Starless Sea, you should definitely read this one!
Genre: fantasy, contemporary, lgbtqia+
Representation: gay/queer
Content Warnings: fantasy violence, kidnapping, character death, mental illness