Book Review of “Stardust” by Neil Gaiman (Spoiler Free)

Stardust was the first Neil Gaiman book I have ever read. I have been wanting to read it for a while, and I finally bought a copy a few weeks ago. I have heard good things about Neil Gaiman and Stardust, and it has been recommended to me because of my interest in writing fantasy. I also went into this book not having seen the movie before, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect besides knowing it was a fantasy.

I rated this book 4.5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

What I enjoyed about this book the most was the whimsical, magical, and romantic feel of it; it was like reading a story straight out of Grimm’s fairytales. I also loved Gaiman’s writing style throughout. I was instantly reminded of C.S Lewis, one of my favorite authors. I found myself mentally putting tabs on and re-reading certain lines and phrases that I just found beautifully written.

Something else that Gaiman did really well in this story was the alternating character points of view. It created tension and excellent deceleration. These are some of the things I struggle with as a writer, and I appreciate that I have another novel I can look to for these things.

I gave it 4.5 instead of 5 stars  because the climax and the antagonists fell a a little flat for me. I had anticipated more action a more intense relationship between the heroes and the villains, and I didn’t feel like it lived up to my expectation. However, considering the lighthearted nature of the whole novel, maybe I was expecting the wrong thing.

Stardust was the first book I read in 2018, and I think it was a good choice. I found it easy to immerse myself in Gaiman’s whimsical world of Faerie, and I was wanting more after I finished the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, or anyone who is looking for something light and entertaining.

(Image above from Bookbub.com)

~Natalie Lauren~

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