The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Synopsis:

This is a fiction book about Zachary Ezra Rawlings, a graduate student in Vermont who discovers a mysterious book hidden in the library. While reading the book, Zachary reads a story from his own childhood. He discovers a series of clues including a bee, key, and sword that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library below the surface of the earth.

He also meets Mirabel, a protector, and Dorian. With the help of them, Zachary has to find his ways out of the tunnels and labyrinths and back to the surface and discovers what his purpose and story are.

Review:

I loved this book and loved all the vivid descriptions and loved how it was a book about books and also loved how it was a bit of a mystery.

“Far beneath the surface of the earth, hidden, from the sun and moon, up on the shores of the Starless Sea, there is a labyrinthine collection of tunnels and rooms filled with stories.”

“It is a sanctuary for storytellers and story keepers and story lovers.”

“Everywhere there are doors leading to new spaces and new stories and new secrets to be discovered and everywhere there are books.”

“Reading a novel, he supposes, is like playing a game where all the choices have been made for you ahead of time by someone who is much better at this particular game.”

“Not all stories speak to all listeners, but all listeners can find a story that does, somewhere, sometime, in one form or another.”