'Assuredly beautiful' Guardian The magical new novel from the bestselling author of The Night Circus. Are you lost or are you exploring? When Zachary Rawlins stumbles across a strange book hidden in his university library it leads him on a quest unlike any other. Its pages entrance him with their tales of lovelorn prisoners, lost cities and nameless acolytes, but they also contain something impossible: a recollection from his own childhood. Determined to solve the puzzle of the book, Zachary follows the clues he finds on ...
Read More
'Assuredly beautiful' Guardian The magical new novel from the bestselling author of The Night Circus. Are you lost or are you exploring? When Zachary Rawlins stumbles across a strange book hidden in his university library it leads him on a quest unlike any other. Its pages entrance him with their tales of lovelorn prisoners, lost cities and nameless acolytes, but they also contain something impossible: a recollection from his own childhood. Determined to solve the puzzle of the book, Zachary follows the clues he finds on the cover - a bee, a key and a sword. They guide him to a masquerade ball, to a dangerous secret club, and finally through a magical doorway created by the fierce and mysterious Mirabel. This door leads to a subterranean labyrinth filled with stories, hidden far beneath the surface of the earth. When the labyrinth is threatened, Zachary must race with Mirabel, and Dorian, a handsome barefoot man with shifting alliances, through its twisting tunnels and crowded ballrooms, searching for the end of his story. You are invited to join Zachary on the starless sea: the home of storytellers, story-lovers and those who will protect our stories at all costs. **Featured in the Guardian's Season's Reading**
Read Less
Add this copy of The Starless Sea: a Novel to cart. $2.08, fair condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Doubleday.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. Ex Library with stickers and markings May have heavy wear and markings. May not include digital download codes. Stock photo may be different from actual cover.
Add this copy of The Starless Sea: a Novel to cart. $2.98, fair condition, Sold by Seattle Goodwill rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Seattle, WA, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Doubleday Books.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. May have some shelf-wear due to normal use. Your purchase funds free job training and education in the greater Seattle area. Thank you for supporting Goodwill's nonprofit mission!
Add this copy of The Starless Sea: a Novel to cart. $2.99, good condition, Sold by Blue Vase Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Interlochen, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Doubleday.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
The item shows wear from consistent use but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover if applicable. Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs access code or other supplemental materials.
Add this copy of The Starless Sea: a Novel to cart. $2.99, good condition, Sold by Goodwill BookWorks rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austin, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Doubleday Books.
Add this copy of The Starless Sea: a Novel to cart. $3.00, fair condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Anchor.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. This copy has clearly been enjoyed-expect noticeable shelf wear and some minor creases to the cover. Binding is strong and all pages are legible. May contain previous library markings or stamps.
Add this copy of The Starless Sea: a Novel to cart. $3.08, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill Industries rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Eugene, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Doubleday Books.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. Purchasing this item from Goodwill provides vocational opportunities for individuals with barriers to employment. Reading Copy. May have damage to cover, notes, underlining, highlighting, but all text legible.
Add this copy of The Starless Sea: a Novel to cart. $3.17, fair condition, Sold by GW Spokane Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Spokane, WA, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Doubleday Books.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. Condition: ACCEPTABLE-Used book in acceptable condition. Cover may include stickers/heavy wear. Heavy wear on pages, heavy highlighting/writing on pages, staining, and moisture damage (rippling/warping). All orders ship via UPS Mail Innovations-MAY TAKE UP TO 10 BUSINESS DAYS from first scan to be delivered.
Add this copy of The Starless Sea: a Novel to cart. $3.18, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Doubleday Books.
Add this copy of The Starless Sea: a Novel to cart. $3.18, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Doubleday Books.
Add this copy of The Starless Sea: a Novel to cart. $3.98, good condition, Sold by Goodwill rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brooklyn Park, MN, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Vintage.
The story centers around an enormous, underground, labyrinthine library which apparently contains all the books, and the stories in the world. The starless sea (also underground - thus no stars) is mentioned periodically, but does not have a major role, so I don't know why the book name. Also, I can't tell if this book is a standalone or one of a series, and frankly, I don't much care - I had to force myself to finish it, gritting my teeth through to the end (if it wasn't part of a book club, I wouldn't have bothered)
The main character seems to be Zachary Ezra Rawlings (whose whole name is repeated ad infinitum), a 20-something grad student from VT who's gotten involved in games about which he knows nothing, but it takes over his life. Other rather main characters include Dorian (Zachary's putative lover); and Mirabel/Max/serving girl - whose actions appear to drive the action. More minor characters include Allegra (the villain). the Keeper/pirate, (one of whose roles seems to be gate keeper); Kat (Zachary's college friend); Madame Rawlings (Zachary's fortune telling mother); the lovers, Simon & Eleanor/Lenore/the girl (who insists neither are her name); the sun, the moon, the inn keeper; and the Kitchen (yeah, it's a character), and Winston Churchill may have a walk-on role. As noted, many of the characters have multiple names, and their backgrounds often don't have either a beginning or an end, (or both) which is frustrating. If it sounds confusing, it is.
Erin loves words, and she uses way too many of them - this book could be 100 pages shorter and still make about as much sense as it does now. The author has a thing about bees, owls, feathers, statuary, swords, hearts, stags, books, honey, and, especially, doors - the last feature prominently throughout. And the amount of time the characters spend wandering around the various sections of the library gets to be a drag (see 100 pages shorter, above). She has a taste for sadism (which I found off-putting); was influenced by Charles Dodgson; and she meanders through this book with disjointed bits of the story in separate chapters (if they can be called chapters - in some cases, vignettes would be more apt). She also committed the cardinal authorial sin, by using coincidence to get herself out of boxes she's written herself into.
She writes beautifully, no doubt: it is the most beautifully written stupid book I've ever read.
