Author(s): Erin Morgenstern

General Fiction

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. THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP 5 BESTSELLER

MATILDA BOOKSHOP REVIEW

 When Zachary Rawlins finds a mysterious book in the library he is intrigued by how indistinguishable it is, marked only by three symbols; a sword, a key and a bee. When he begins reading he is enthralled by its fantastical tales. Things take a turn for the stranger when one of the stories appears to not be a story at all, but rather a memory of his very own from childhood. A precious memory, one kept unshared and held close. To unravel this puzzle Zachary embarks on his own magical quest to find the starless sea and unlock the secrets held deep within its depths. Just as she did with The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern has woven another wonderful fairy tale for grown ups. For those willing to suspend their disbelief, get ready to enter the most delightful dreamscape of a world. I was captivated! Emilie