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Cover of The Starless Sea by Erin MorgensternThe Starless Sea
Modern · Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

The Starless Sea

by Erin Morgenstern
2019 · 499 pages · Fiction
65.8Must-Read
Score Modern
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 12 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Hidden entryways, on forest floors, in private homes, sometimes in plain sight, lead to a sanctuary of stories. Those who seek will find them; their doors have been waiting. Erin Morgenstern's second novel is a labyrinthine love letter to stories and the people who seek them.

Why it's worth reading

From the author of The Night Circus, it's a lush, labyrinthine love letter to stories.

You'll love it if you liked

Cover of The Night Circus by Erin MorgensternThe Night Circus
The Night CircusErin Morgenstern
Cover of Piranesi by Susanna ClarkePiranesi
PiranesiSusanna Clarke
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The Ten Thousand Doors of JanuaryAlix E. Harrow

Good to know

It's more mood and puzzle than plot, with stories nested inside stories.

By the numbers

65.8Must-Read Score
  • Readers55 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller35 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Reads as

Epic

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

More by Erin Morgenstern

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The Night CircusErin Morgenstern

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 ranked

Quick answers

Is The Starless Sea worth reading?

Yes. From the author of The Night Circus, it's a lush, labyrinthine love letter to stories. It ranks #1,774 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.8 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Starless Sea about?

Hidden entryways, on forest floors, in private homes, sometimes in plain sight, lead to a sanctuary of stories. Those who seek will find them; their doors have been waiting. Erin Morgenstern's second novel is a labyrinthine love letter to stories and the people who seek them.

How long does it take to read The Starless Sea?

About 12 hours (499 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Starless Sea?

If you liked it, try The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke or The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow.