Petey's Fiction Review

Stardust

by Neil Gaiman

On the eve of the Victorian Era, in the quiet English countryside, there lies a little village called Wall, so named because of the guarded stone barricade that bars the villagers' access to a meadow—and the mystic world—that extends beyond it. Only once every nine years are the locals granted access to the meadow so that they can attend a fair that attracts merchants and patrons from both worlds.

Pursuing a quest to retrieve a fallen star to give to his One True Love, Victoria Forester, in exchange for his heart's desire, a lad comes of age. As he travels in the forbidden, mythical, mystical, magical land of Faerie, where not all things are what they seem, Tristran Thorn learns about love and friendship, trust and loyalty, and about treachery and betrayal.

Accompanied by the object of his quest for much of the journey, young Tristran finds, upon his return to Wall many months later, that the people he once left behind have changed in subtle ways, and that the changes within himself are no less remarkable. He soon realizes that the most significant journey of his life hasn't ended, it's only about to begin.

Neil Gaiman's beguiling tale Stardust is a child's fantasy for adults. Both charmed and charming, Stardust, in many ways, surpasses J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, especially if brevity counts for anything.

Gaiman, ranked among the world's premiere writers of fantasy fiction, was born in England. He now resides in the U.S.

Visit Neil's Web site at www.neilgaiman.com/

Review by Phil Hanson

Click on the title to order your copy of Stardust.

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