The Starless Sea Audiobook By Erin Morgenstern cover art

The Starless Sea

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection of titles.
Yours as long as you’re a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for $8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Starless Sea

By: Erin Morgenstern
Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman, Dion Graham, Bahni Turpin, Allan Corduner, Fiona Hardingham, Jorjeana Marie
Try Standard free

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.23

Buy for $19.23

Brought to you by Penguin.

The magical new novel from the best-selling 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.

© Erin Morgenstern 2018 (P) Penguin Audio 2018

 Epic Fairy Tales Magical Realism Fantasy Fiction Magic Genre Fiction

Critic reviews

The Starless Sea rejects older stories: it makes its own... Rather than a traditional fantasy novel, this is an artificial myth in its own right... the novel's scope and ambition are undeniable (Natasha Pulley)
Erin Morgenstern’s fiction radiates with the excitement of someone discovering a magical world within the pages of a book. The Starless Sea…[is an] enchanting read… an ode to stories and storytelling itself, and the joy of reading (Martin Chilton)
A unique, mind-boggling fantasy (Kate Saunders)
A magical mix of quests and fables, it's set in a secret world full of bees, keys, swords and secrets... beautifully written (Deborah Hughes)
Enchanting...Myths and fairytales entwine with Zachary's quest to discover his life's purpose. Spellbinding.
[Mogenstern's] second novel is just as enchanting, a lovely, lush voyage through vividly detailed worlds where lost libraries, elegant ballrooms, subterranean seas and covert cities are all beautifully described... The writing is whimsically gorgeous. On every page there’s an image to savour...as Erin Morgenstern celebrates the wonders of imagination and the lure of stories in this spellbinding book. ***** (Charlotte Heathcote)
A book to get lost in…Morgenstern’s second novel boasts winding tunnels lined with packed bookshelves and cosy alcoves containing just enough light to read by… funny and…thought-provoking… [The Starless Sea] an intricate exploration of the stories we tell ourselves and others (Paloma Van Tol)
A mystical adventure in an enchanted universe
A lovely, lush voyage through vividly detailed worlds… an amazing literary adventure
Erin Morgenstern’s done it again: she creates a magnificent, imaginative world around a story of love and magic. This love letter to bibliophiles is dreamlike and uncanny, grounded in deeply felt emotion, and absolutely thrilling.
Interwoven Stories • Beautiful Writing • Wonderful Reading • Magical Storytelling • Dream-like Narrative

Highly rated for:

All stars
Most relevant
This book is convoluted, confusing, mysterious and phenomenally beautiful. I couldn’t stop listening/reading (I have the hard copy too so switched between the 2). Just an amazing magical life altering book

Poetry in prose

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I have different reasons for listening to books. One is to go to sleep. The narration was good at 70%. The story isn’t very exciting so it was easy to fall asleep. The writing is poetic and beautiful. The storyline is not very interesting and could be improved upon. I was left with a definite feeling of “what was the point?” Overall it served its purpose so I’m content, but I wouldn’t pick another book by the same author.

Great for sleeping

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book is stunning. It is beautiful, lyrical and so atmospheric. It pulls you in and doesn’t let go. It makes you believe in fairytales again.

A Love Letter to Storytelling

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Superb story of love, loss, mystery, fantasy and magic. wonderful. loved from start to finish and would love for it to have not ended 😉

Imagery

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Like The Night Circus, Erin once again paints and creates worlds with words, making it easy for readers to open the doors 😉 and step inside.

This novel is intricate, with several stories interwoven, developing throughout the book and progressively merging.
It is certainly one to read a second time.

Well done Erin. We hope you are working on your third book!

Into the world of the Starless Sea

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews