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The Starless Sea
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman, full cast
- Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
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The Night Circus
- Written by: Erin Morgenstern
- Narrated by: Jim Dale
- Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 499
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 448
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 447
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway - a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors.
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3 out of 5 stars
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A tale of dreamy magic without a lot of logic
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Written by: Erin Morgenstern
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The Ten Thousand Doors of January
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In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place. Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure, and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world, and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely Magical
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France, 1714: In a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever - and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
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Breathtaking from start to finish
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Ninth House
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Galaxy "Alex" Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. In fact, by age 20, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most prestigious universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Invested in the characters.
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The Midnight Library
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When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change. The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently.
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5 out of 5 stars
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It will change your life perspective !
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,140
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In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child - not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring, like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power - the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating story, expertly read
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The Night Circus
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- Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 499
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 448
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 447
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway - a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors.
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3 out of 5 stars
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A tale of dreamy magic without a lot of logic
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The Ten Thousand Doors of January
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- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 412
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 357
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 354
In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place. Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure, and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world, and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely Magical
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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
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- Length: 17 hrs and 10 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,173
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,929
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,926
France, 1714: In a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever - and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Breathtaking from start to finish
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 183
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 154
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 154
Galaxy "Alex" Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. In fact, by age 20, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most prestigious universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Invested in the characters.
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The Midnight Library
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,846
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,467
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5 out of 5 stars
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It will change your life perspective !
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Circe
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,396
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,140
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In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child - not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring, like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power - the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating story, expertly read
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The Binding
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 117
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 99
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Story4 out of 5 stars 99
Young Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a strange letter arrives summoning him away from his family. He is to begin an apprenticeship as a bookbinder - a vocation that arouses fear, superstition, and prejudice among their small community, but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse. For as long as he can recall, Emmett has been drawn to books, even though they are strictly forbidden. Bookbinding is a sacred calling, Seredith informs her new apprentice, and he is a binder born.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Surprising
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A Darker Shade of Magic
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 375
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Kell is one of the last Travelers - magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes. As such, he can choose where he lands. There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, ruled by a mad King George. Then there's Red London, where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. There's White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. And once upon a time, there was Black London...but no one speaks of that now.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Very good book, hated the narration. Bought physical copy instead.
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The House in the Cerulean Sea
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 610
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 540
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 537
Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He's tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world. Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Narrator sounds like a bad computer generated voic
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The Dark Tide
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 3
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 3
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 3
Every year on St. Walpurga's Eve, Caldella's Witch Queen lures a boy back to her palace. An innocent life to be sacrificed on the full moon to keep the island city from sinking. Lina Kirk is convinced her brother is going to be taken this year. To save him, she enlists the help of Thomas Lin. But they draw the queen's attention, and Thomas is chosen as the sacrifice. When Lina offers herself to the queen in exchange for Thomas' freedom, the two girls await the full moon together. But Lina is not at all what Eva expected, and the queen is nothing like Lina envisioned.
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5 out of 5 stars
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loved it
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Written by: Alicia Jasinska
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Mister Impossible
- The Dreamer Trilogy, Book 2
- Written by: Maggie Stiefvater
- Narrated by: Will Patton
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 27
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
Something is happening to the source of the dreamers' power. It is blocked. Diminished. Weak. If it goes away entirely, what will happen to the dreamers and those who depend on them? Ronan Lynch isn't planning to wait and find out. Backed by his mentor, Bryde, he is ready to do what needs to be done to save the dreamers and the dreamed...even if it takes him far from his family and the boy he loves.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing!
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City of Time and Magic
- Found Things, Book 4
- Written by: Paula Brackston
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 45
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 40
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Story5 out of 5 stars 39
City of Time and Magic sees Xanthe face her greatest challenges yet. She must choose from three treasures that sing to her; a beautiful writing slope, a mourning brooch of heartbreaking detail, and a gorgeous gem-set hat pin. All call her, but the wrong one could take her on a mission other than that which she must address first, and the stakes could not be higher. Xanthe must follow the treasure that will take her to him if he is not to be lost forever.
Written by: Paula Brackston
Publisher's Summary
From the New York Times best-selling author of The Night Circus, a timeless love story set in a secret underground world - a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea.
Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood.
Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues - a bee, a key, and a sword - that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth.
What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians - it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction.
Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose - in both the mysterious book and in his own life.
Read by Dominic Hoffman, with a full cast:
Dominic Hoffman reading the Zachary Ezra Rawlins storyline
Dion Graham reading the Sweet Sorrows storyline
Bahni Turpin reading excerpts from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins
Fiona Hardingham reading The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor
Allan Corduner reading Fortunes and Fables
Jorjeana Marie reading Another place, another time
What the critics say
"Erin Morgenstern has magic to make...the author returns with a new fantastical fairy-tale for grown-ups.... Comparisons to the likes of Tolkien, Carroll, and C.S. Lewis abound. The Starless Sea poses big questions about stories - the ones we read, the ones we live, and the ones we tell ourselves. And at the heart of her work lies the themes that have provoked those comparisons: redemption, sacrifice, fate, time, reincarnation.... We’re willing to bet the embrace of this deeper, darker, more complex follow-up novel might be close to a sure thing. As Morgenstern posits, The Starless Sea is a door to another world - one just waiting for readers to open it." (Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly)
"Anyone who’s read Erin Morgenstern’s wildly successful fiction debut, The Night Circus, knows how meticulously she crafts her imaginary worlds...the reader [is] immersed in a multitude of stories, the threads of which gradually weave together to a haunting conclusion." (NPR)
"A high-wire feat of metatextual derring-do [and] a stunning array of linked fables, myths and origin stories.... It is exquisitely pleasurable to watch the gears of this epic fantasy turn once they're set in motion. As in The Night Circus, Morgenstern is at her best when she imagines worlds and rooms and parties in vivid detail.... This novel is a love letter to readers as much as an invitation: Come and see how much magic is left in the world. Fans of Neil Gaiman and V. E. Schwab, Kelly Link and Susanna Clarke will want to heed the call. An ambitious and bewitching gem of a book with mystery and passion inscribed on every page." (Kirkus Reviews starred review)
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What listeners say about The Starless Sea
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Blythe
- 2020-01-08
Surreal and dreamy fantasy
I'm really torn between giving this 4 and 5 stars, but eventually decided on 4 stars because I really don't think it's a book for everyone. But, the people who DO like this style will ADORE it. Like her first book, the settings are magical, and imaginative, and dreamily surreal a lot of the time. This novel drifts around a lot more than the Night Circus however, shifting between people and stories and even times and places, and it's quite difficult to figure out what's going on and how they all relate until you get significantly into the book. If that's a problem for you, this book probably is not for you. If you can enjoy dreamy descriptions of gorgeous fantastical settings and be patient to see how they tie together, then yes, grab this book today!
It reminded me strongly of The High House by James Stoddard, and also a bit of Caraval by Stephanie Garber (both of which I'd also recommend if you enjoyed this book). It's hard to even describe the plot without either getting too complicated or giving too much away, but suffice it to say that boy finds a mysterious book with a chapter in it that exactly describes something that happened to him as a child, and becomes obsessed with learning more, which leads him to a masked ball, a mysterious underground (literally) society of story lovers and librarian types, a world where it's hard to tell where the lines between a story and reality blur together, and ultimately of course our protagonist may be the only one who can save the world (or at least fate and time) but only if he can outwit the forces out to oppose this who want the world to never change and always stay the same.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Tim jones
- 2019-11-30
Becomes tedious I couldn’t finish it
It starts out good .. good premise but just becomes an endless slog around and around .. I actually was only 2 hours from finishing but just couldn’t do it .
4 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
- Mariah
- 2019-11-11
harsh s in narration
the narrator's s sound is so aggressive we would barely listen to the book
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Emma
- 2019-12-13
Brilliant
Brilliant story, and narration. Came here as a big fan of The Night Circus and was long awaiting the authors new book. Could not be more pleased. Excited for the next!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Celia
- 2022-05-22
At 1st listen, I didn't like it... second chances
1st time I listened I only got 1/2 way through feeling confused and frustrated with the story line.
a client of mine begged me to give this book a second shot and I am happy I did.
make sure your listing ears are on and attentive as the descriptive writting of this book can allow your brain to wonder and next thing you know, you've missed something.
it is a bit confusing but the imagination of this writter and the images she paints for you with her words are quite something else.
I am so pleased I have this book a second chance.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-04-28
Like a daydream
This book had me hooked from the start. It was beautiful and captivating. It made me want to believe in magic and world's within ours. It's the kind of story where things only make sense at the end. But if you can get through it all, it's a truly beautiful story. I feel as though this is going to be one of my very favorite books that I will return to whenever I need a pick me up. If anything it deserves a second listen just to better understand the story and catch any hidden secrets within it.
What a wonderful treat. This was a book I won't be forgetting for a very long time.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lizzy
- 2022-04-21
lovely but I don't know what happened
lots of interweaving storylines and stories within stories. beautifully written but I literally just finished it and couldn't tell you what happened
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-04-12
Absolutely marvellous
Loved the different narrators for the different stories. The book pulls you along to every new secret room, jumping timelines in ways that leave you wanting more. Fate and Time was the love story you didn’t know you wanted. 10/10, would recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Megan Jankauskas
- 2021-06-23
the classic story line with the most romantic path
I was nervous about more than one voice actors but it was majestic. the story line felt jumbled at first but when things came together I was hooked completely. I've listened to this a few times now and Its safe to say it's my favorite book of all time now.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2021-05-25
Loved it!
from narrating to story I was neck deep through it all. The stories in the story, piecing it all together was and adventure and the descriptive writing kept me wound into this wonderful world this book created.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Reisodi
- 2019-12-17
A Story in a Story About Stories
Before reading this, it is important to know that it is a very stylized piece of art. Not everyone who looks at it will understand it, and not everyone who understands it will like it. This being said, I found the experience to be mystifying and amazing. The author definitely captures a magical feeling of being "lost" within a story, wrapping several parts of the story in layered metaphors, and often times making the reader feel as lost as the characters themselves.
The Starless Sea is an experience of a story, and like many stories about literature, it plays with the idea of storytelling. This creative storytelling creates a polarizing experience. Near the end of the book is a very confusing sequence of events- told in a very unusual manner, and it is at this point where several readers became lost, and put down this adventure altogether.
I would recommend this book to readers who want a challenge, who want to experience a dark magical world, and to those who appreciate a more avant-garde literary experience.
This door isn't for everyone, but opening it will lead to one of your favorite, or maybe least favorite books.
111 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- KinDallas
- 2019-11-15
Loved Night Circus, but...
I'll start off with, I adore The Night Circus and was thrilled to see a new book by Morgenstern. The narration for Starless Sea is lovely, and we were off to a good start. However, by about halfway in, I was too disengaged in the story to want to finish. This is a pity, because I wanted this story so badly. The dialogue is stilted, and the stories within stories within stories, rather than nesting like dolls, bounced me around too much to really become invested. I so wish I enjoyed this, but I simply couldn't finish.
84 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Iniysa
- 2019-11-09
Timeless
This story is about stories in a library that's not a library, in a world underground with a honey sea and a starless night. It's about a boy who's now a man. It's about time yet it is timeless. Beginnings that are ends.
Don't delve into this book half hearted. Let it sink in and immerse you. It's complex and beautiful. I will perhaps re-read this in a year and it will be a new story with a familiar scent.
74 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Richard E.
- 2019-11-23
Just couldn't make it
It's always a bit of a challenge to parse reader reviews when there is such a dramatic rating disparity, i.e. The Starless Sea is best book God has ever written or it's a dumpster dive. And in this case it's neither. It's a good story that needs slash and burn editing. The story itself unfolds with a wonderfully fascinating premise only to fade somewhere around the halfway point into road weary tedium. Plot and character "wandering" in combination with the lack of a firm-handed editor just wore me out. Didn't really care what happened, why or what's coming next. Think through-line or lack thereof. It's a shame, because somewhere in here is a compelling tale. Not a huge spoiler to tell of the plot element of a magical (?) otherworldly subterranean library with an almost infinite number of spaces, doors and passages. It's as if the author was so intrigued with this limitless quantum structure that she wanted us to explore all of it with an ever diminishing sense of purpose or meaning.
127 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer
- 2019-11-09
Perfection
The Night Circus took my breath away. I have, ever since, simultaneously yearned for and feared a second offering from the author. Could they catch lightning in a bottle twice? What if Jim Dale played too big a part in the magic, and not getting him back lessened the experience? I shouldn’t have worried. Somehow, by some strange alchemy, this book has managed to be even better. It broke my heart. It mended it. Not over the same matters, but multiple times each. I’ve never read anything like this before. and now? I wish it hadn’t ended, but know that it had to.
34 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tobyizme
- 2019-11-09
To those who believe in magic,
The Starless Sea is a love story penned to those of us who have never chased the white rabbit to its hole, never unlocked our magic wardrobe, never received our letter to Hogwarts, and never stole a Tardis.
I have daydreamed a book to write such as this one and Erin Morgenstern conjured my dreams into her own penmanship.
This tale is not for everyone, yet- for those of you always checking the cupboards and under the stairs just incase magic would sweep you away- what feels personally mine and certainly hers and can now be yours also.
48 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Aly P
- 2019-11-06
Favorite book of 2019!
Wow wow wow! This book has been a long time coming and it did not disappoint! It was magical and whimsical and sad and beautiful and I absolutely loved it! The writing was so similar to The Night Circus and it just flowed around me. I got lost in the story and didn't want it to end. The characters were so well done, Zachary and Dorian, Mirabel and Allegra, and all the side characters. The little tales interspersed were great and really added to the overall feeling of the story.
I loved this and cannot recommend it enough! The audio was great, the different narrators in different parts made it pop and helped me tell when we were transitioning.
56 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Babe
- 2019-11-25
Almost there....and then...Not.
This is the first time I have left a review and I have listened to hundreds of books. The story has all of the elements and then...it turns in to a pedantic, dialoguing fever dream. It has a lot of great possibilities but never gets to a concrete story.
67 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Aaron Graff
- 2019-11-23
4 hours left..I just can’t keep going
I wanted to love this like the night circus but dang. It’s long, confusing, and sooooo slow! Deleted after the 12 hour-ish mark.
39 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Kelly
- 2019-11-17
hated the narrator
I loved The Night Circus and pre-ordered this sight unseen, but I wish I had waited until I heard a sample. I actually can't tell you how the story is because I couldn't get past the first chapter. The narrator does the dreaded Reading Voice, in which every word is a breathless jewel to be savored individually, with lots of extra commas thrown in to make sure you can never just lose yourself in the story. I'll get this one in print form and wish I could return the audio version.
52 people found this helpful
