Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Fantasy, Romance)

Deep in the forest of England lies a small town known as Wall. It lies squarely within a small forest, surrounded by jagged rocks, lakes, winding roads, and the wall. The wall divides the town of Wall from the land in the East – no one knows what’s beyond – with only the traveling market arriving once every nine years to cue the townsfolk in on the magical, mystical enchantment of the Eastern kingdom of Stormhold. It was here in one of these markets that Dunstan Thorn’s encounter with an enslaved shop faerie that would soon prompt the birth of our main character, Tristran Thorn. Fast forward seventeen years, Tristran is now almost a young man. Although painfully shy, he takes interest in another resident of Wall, Victoria Forester, who does not reciprocate those feelings back. Through endless romantic pursuits and grand gestures of adoration, Victoria presents Tristran with a deal: Bring her back the fallen star (that had just soared across the sky as they spoke in this portion of the book) and she’ll grant him anything he desires. Tristran takes her up on this offer, setting course Eastbound, beyond the wall. But Tristran is not alone in his quest to find the fallen star. There are others who yearn to get their hands on it for more sinister, greedy reasons. Stardust follows the story of Tristran Thorn learning what it takes to grow into manhood and that true love may not always be what it seems.

I think this is a great book for those looking to delve into the world of fantasy again. Neil Gaiman is an author who’s repeatedly popped up in blog posts and school reading assignments, but I never actually sat down and took the time to read his work for my own enjoyment. I adore books that can paint very vivid descriptions and build their worlds through small, significant details. The descriptions of the markets were something I noted as so fascinating to read (which can be found in the first chapter). Detail-oriented books truly are captivating; it takes a certain craft to be able to show your readers your world but not over explain or provide irrelevant, uninteresting detail. Gaiman does a fantastic job at striking this balance. There is also a consistent, cohesive world-building narrative that’s present within the themes of this book, in subtler fashions. One minor theme circulated around loyalty. The characters were inclined to honor codes and vows of Stormhold (e.g the Stormhold princes with their oaths to avenge one another if they were to die by someone else’s hand) which was not only built through direct dialogue, but also in the various plot twists and actions these characters take. It only further adds to the believability of the world. It’s easy to picture yourself living in Stormhold and learning about its quirks and secrets. It’s almost easy to picture yourself following these honor codes yourself. Stardust is not without its faults though. The romance may feel a bit cheesy in some aspects and the ending has sparked some debates, but I believe that this book should be viewed through numerous perspectives – the most noteworthy ones being through a world-building lens or a plot lens – in order to really embrace all the wonderful things Stardust has to offer. Neil Gaiman’s works are truly a phenomenon to be admired, and this book is no exception. I would highly recommend this to those in high-school who want an easy-to-follow narrative, but also the rich details that come with immersing yourself into a fantasy world.

Reviewed by Sara v. 11th Grade