Tristran Thorn has an interesting background. His father was born in Wall, behind it’s wall. His mother was born in Faerie and has never been to Wall. The closest she came was to the Market that resides just outside of Wall every nine years. When Tristran was born, he was left by the wall with only his name. His father and his new wife took Tristran in and raised him. Tristran grows up in Wall not knowing of how he got there. On the brink of adulthood, he falls in love with the most beautiful girl in Wall and, in an attempt to win her love, he vows to go out into the world in search of the star they saw fall from the sky. Stardust is the story of Tristran’s journey through Faerie and back.

Stardust did not capture my imagination and heart the way that The Graveyard Book, Neverwhere, or even Coraline did. I liked Tristran’s character and what woman wouldn’t want a man to promise to go out and bring back a fallen star to her as proof of his love and worthiness? For whatever reason, something was missing for me with this novel. It had such imaginative people and places. I thought the sub-plot with the nasty sons of Lord Stormhold was interesting and I liked how that story and others were weaved into Tristran’s travels. It even contained the tree that Neil wrote for Tori Amos. It isn’t that I didn’t like the book. I just never got into it the way I had hoped. There isn’t one concrete thing I can point to that explains this. Perhaps it’s just that I don’t typically read four books by the same author in such quick succession or that I’m tired in general. All in all Stardust may not have been the strongest Neil Gaiman I have read this month, but it is as good if not better than much of what I have read this year. ( )

Tristan attempts to recover a fallen star for the girl he loves. The star turns out to be a girl herself, and together the two adventure across Faerie. This was a cute, quick story. Many of the fairy tale tropes were present – question of the hero’s birth, evil witches, magical items, etc. I particularly liked some of the quirky aspects of the characters which broke it out of the standard fairy tale at times. ( )

A delightful story reminiscenet of old fashioned fairy tales, where simple farm boys take off on epic journeys to save princesses and battle evil witches. Gaimin's prose is simply magical, and his storytelling second to none. A highly recommended read. ( )

What a magical, charming little novel! Great characters, and a great fantasy world.

I very much enjoyed this book! ( )

Tristran Thorn, a 17-year-old boy in the city village of Wall, promises the woman he loves to bring her the falling star they see one night. In return, she promises him anything he desires, though she is neither interested in him nor taking him seriously. From there begins the wonderful fairytale of Tristran's journey to retrieve the star. Though it's not particularly suspenseful or dramatic or funny, it is a delightful piece of fantasy storytelling, perfect for a rainy afternoon's escape. ( )