Archived: January 2023’s newsletter main feature:
Hello!
Welcome to the first content newsletter! I’m super happy to have you here at the start of our newsletter journey!
To begin, I thought I’d share one of the novels I read and enjoyed last year from my local library.
Let’s get to it, shall we?
Book Recommendation: A Starless Sea
I must admit that “A Starless Sea” by Erin Morgenstern isn’t my usual type. I tend to go for more fast-paced, action-adventures and light-hearted fantasies.
And yet, I am a sucker for stories that make me feel like I could drop into the magical world myself. I want to imagine wandering the halls of long lost libraries, or finding hidden fairie houses in the woods. There’s something so satisfying about exploration and discovery.
So if you feel the same way I do and are looking for a book that melds Lord of the Ring’s easy pacing and vivid descriptions, with Alice in Wonderland’s surreal mystique, then keep reading!
Synopsis
“A Starless Sea” is an adult contemporary fantasy.
When graduate student Zachary Ezra Rowlins discovers a mysterious book in his school’s library that seems to narrate his own life, he is driven to uncover its mysteries. It tells of the Starless Sea and its Harbor town, a magical world beneath the earth that is overflowing with books and stories of all kinds. Stories brought to life.
Zachary is guided into the wondrous world by the alluring Dorian and mysterious Mirabel, each with their own secret motivations. Yet, the more Zachary untangles the clues and conflicts of the Starless Sea, the more entangled he is with the fate of the magical world itself.
An Enrapturing World
“A Starless Sea” is not a story that grabs you and holds you on the edge of your seat.
“A Starless Sea” is a story that wraps you in the world and embeds you in the adventure.
This book hands you a cup of hot chocolate and a warm blanket as you sit back and enjoy the story unfold at your feet, until you find yourself matching the characters step for step and exploring the vast and unknown halls of the Harbor, swept along on their adventures. When you finally close the pages, you find yourself blinking at the sudden reality of the real world, which feels less vivid than the words of the book.
Bibliophilia
Truly, this novel is meant for people who love books. The pages are bursting with stories. After all, the Harbor of the Starless Sea is basically the world’s greatest library. In those halls, stories can come to life in books, art, and even taste and song. As an author who spends half my life in my own head, how could I not like it?
It’s an author’s dream!
You don’t have to be an author to enjoy it, either. There is a place for all book lovers in the Harbor.
I found myself wondering which Path I would take if I were to wander into the Harbor. (You’ll understand what this means if you read the book!) The story-within-a-story format makes it feel somehow real. I could imagine walking down the street and discovering a door of my own! As I said before, I always love a book that makes the wondrous feel real.
Slow Burn
This book is… rather slow to start. I admit, I almost put it down after the first few chapters. (But I’m glad I didn’t!) I was about halfway through before it really picked up and stole me away.
However, looking back, I can see why this was necessary.
The book includes many snippets of stories within the story. Excerpts that won’t be completed until later. Each new tale gives us another clue to the overall plot. The reader is able to make connections between separate events, and put the pieces together around the same time that Zachary does.
And yet, the twists and turns are just subtle enough that you can’t always predict the outcome. Theories that I had at the beginning were proven false. My ideas of what was to come changed as Zachary gained new information. While the build was slow, the story kept me guessing. It leaves the reader curious to uncover the next clue.
If you like Lord of the Rings and its similarly slow pacing, then you’ll enjoy “A Starless Sea.”
Final Thoughts
“A Starless Sea” might not be for everyone. But then, what book is? If you’re looking for an easy-paced contemporary fantasy with mysterious magic, a cute gay romance, and a wonder-filled world just hiding around the corner, check out “A Starless Sea” by Erin Morgenstern at your local library, or find it online at your favorite book site.
Send me a reply and tell me what you think of it!
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