Title: Stardust
Author: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: Spike Books
Genre: Fantasy/Adult
Page Count: 235
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Cover Rating:
Inside flap:
In the sleepy English countryside, at the dawn of the Victorian Era, life moves at its leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall, so named for an imposing stone barrier that divides the village from an adjacent meadow. Armed sentries guard the sole gap in this wall, in order to keep the curious from wandering through. Only once every nine years do they relax their vigil, when a market fair unlike any other comes to the meadow.
Here in Wall, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to beautiful Victoria Forester. But Victoria is cold and distant--as distant, in fact, as the star she and Tristran see fall from the sky on a crip October evening. For the coveted prize of Victoria's hand, Tristran vows to retrieve the fallen star and deliver it to his beloved. It is an oath that sends the lovelorn swain over the ancient wall, and propels him into a world that is strange beyond imagining.
But Tristran is not the only one seeking the heavenly jewel. There are those for whom it promises youth and beauty, the key to the kingdom, and the rejuvenation of dark, dormant magics. And a lad compelled by love will have to keep his wits about him to succeed and survive in this secret place where fallen stars come in many guises--and where quests have a way of branching off in unexpected directions, even turning back upon themselves in space and time.
My expectations: High. I love books by Neil Gaiman.
I am happy to say I wasn't disappointed.
I am happy to say I wasn't disappointed.
About the book: Some books are plot-based, some books are character-driven, some books have a beautiful setting. But there are fewer books out there that are just, simply, a really good story that you want to hear over and over again. This happens to be one of them. Stardust is a well-written novel with a great set of characters, lots of adventure, and good amount of romance, too. It's rather fairy-tale-ish, with people romping about trying to find falling stars in a the English countryside for love and youth and power, but it's wonderfully told.
- Plot:
Great pacing, a good number of twists throughout, and the adventure just carries you along. The ending is excellent--it was one of my favorite parts of the book, tying things up well but into something not exactly perfect, either.
- Characters:
Tristran was sweet. He's young, he's innocent, and his motives are purely for love. He's nice to the people he meets, means well, and tries to do his best. How much sweeter can you get?
Yvaine was feisty, independent, and a great female character. I loved her spunk.
Tertius, Secundus, and Septimus, and their brothers (alive and dead) were excellent antagonists. Dark, evil, cunning; it was easy to rally on the side of the protagonist against them.
- Setting/Elements:
The world in Stardust would have to be one of the places I'd want to visit. It's magical, a blend of this world and the world of Faerie--but not the cold, sinister sort of setting a lot of Faerie books seem to present these days. It's a realistic mix of good and bad.
Other: Language, sex.
I wish my library had the movie, because I really want to see how they did it, but they don't. (Have any of you seen it? Is it good?)
I wish my library had the movie, because I really want to see how they did it, but they don't. (Have any of you seen it? Is it good?)
Do I recommend this book? Yes!
