Stardust: Unicorns, Witches, and First Loves

Neil Gaiman books are always a delight. I only review one, maybe two a year. But they’re a treat that I always look forward to. Like a holiday sweet.

In 1856, the rural English village of Wall stood on the border between the normal world and Faerie, a world of magic and wonder. Though the worlds remain separate, an annual market brings the extraordinary to the lives of the ordinary villagers. Here, a young Dunstan Thorn is seduced by an enslaved fairy. Some time later, when Dunstan is happily married and settled, a baby appears in the village: Tristran, Dunstan’s son.

Years later, a star falls from the sky to Faerie. In a desperate bid to woe the woman of his dreams, a seventeen year old Tristran vows to find the star for her. However, the fallen star is no object, but a young woman. And he’s not the only one looking for her.

I love the premise of this story. Boy looks for a star, star is a girl, girl is being hunted by evil witches, shenanigans and adventure ensues. It’s a twisted fairy tale with sex and violence, accompanied with a delightful serving of dry, witty humor.

The setting is a simple but charming one. In the village of Wall, we have a simple period piece of 19th century England. Once we step into Faerie, however, anything can happen. Witches, flying ships, treacherous lords haunted by their dead brothers, you name it. It makes for a strange, fun, and charming adventure.

Unfortunately, while the setting and plot are fantastic, I found the characters to be a bit lacking. They’re not bad by any means, but they are forgettable. I couldn’t even remember their names until I looked at the book’s Wikipedia page for this article.

Tristran’s sole character trait is that he’s madly in love with a girl. Until the end of the book, when he decides that he’s in love with Yvaine (the star) because the first girl is already engaged to someone else. Not exactly a compelling character arc. Yvaine is a bit better. Her personality alone is enough to give her a leg up on our leading man. But her arc is about as flat as his is.

Most of the good plots and characters have nothing to do with our leading pair. Such as the Lord of Stormhold and his many sons. Or the Witch Queen, who makes for a memorable antagonist. Honestly, I’d have preferred a book about them over Tristran and the star.

The ending is… alright, I guess. It’s a classic fairy tale happily ever after with an extra twinge of melancholy. But again, it’s held back by the simplistic characters. I was never all that invested in Tristran or Yvaine to begin with, so I couldn’t muster much excitement when they became the Lord and Lady of Stormhold.

Overall, ‘Stardust‘ is a fine book. Not my favorite of Neil Gaiman’s work by any means. Still, it was a fun read brimming with the author’s signature wit and charm. Plus, it’s a fairly short read, so at least you can get through it pretty quickly. If you’ve got a free afternoon for some reading, this is a decent pick.