Stardust: Neil Gaiman

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The closest could perhaps be something like the Kingsman movies (which Matthew Vaughn also directed), but even those could just be labeled as success due to comic-book background. This is not portrayed as weird or predatory; the book implies a "boys will be boys" attitude about this super creepy invasion of a woman's space. However, like the question of who would win: Neil Gaiman or the Daleks - well, I'm just ambivalent about the whole thing, really. In Scottish folklore, faeries are often divided into the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, the Seelie being the faeries benevolently inclined towards humans and the Unseelie being the malevolent or mischievous faeries.

Thus the paperback publication was originally given three different covers which when placed side by side had one background image and a different primary image including a handsome man holding a woman in a passionate embrace, although this cover concept was never used. I have missed them- although Tristan had barely given his parents a second thought on his journeying’s- then we shall pay a visit to Victoria Forester.Challenged to retrieve a fallen star, Tristran Thorn leaves the sleepy English village of Wall and crosses into the land of Faerie and the realm of Stormhold. In the fantasy kingdom, he meets the star Yvaine and imprisons her with a magic rope, promising to release her after meeting Victoria. Tales are stories about humans and creatures in magic worlds, but no little girl think Cinderella or Snow White one day is going to die.

Meanwhile, the Lilim, a trio of ancient witches, learn of the fallen star and plan to eat its heart to regain their youth. And readers want that, old wine in new skins, making Stardust an average, not that surprising experience. Life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall—named after the imposing stone barrier which separates the town from a grassy meadow. There were several scenes and subplots that I thought begged for a more detailed description and some background: the little man who helps Tristran on his way, the flying ship, the man in the black silk top hat at the end (did I miss his significance somehow? It's a very very good book, and I love how Neil Gaiman tried (and succeeding at) creating a dark fairytale.Yet, Stardust never descends too far into being grim for the sake of grim, indeed it is in many ways one of the most truly lovely stories I have ever read.

Meanwhile, Septimus is forced to avenge Primus’s death by the rules of his family, so he goes after the witch-queen. Since I saw the movie before I read the book, I must preface my review with that fact since a comparison between the two was inevitable and, moreover, greatly influenced my opinion of the book. But no sooner had she fled into the woods than Tristran himself was given an ominous warning from a fellow traveler that the star was being stalked by a sinister force. In a boastful wager, Victoria promised her hand in marriage if Tristran would cross the wall and retrieve the fallen star for her, believing the feat impossible.In slavery, in misery, in poverty, in isolation, a person can escape into the brighter day of dreams, or the unknown future, or the magic of Faerie. screams the first Trekker, whipping out a Bat'leth, spittle flying from his mouth as fury transforms his features into something alien and cruel. But her cunning outweighed his own, for with a single bite from her viper she left Septimus dead and rotting, his schemes forever unfinished. This edition had a forward explaining that it was written as a fairy tale for adults that would have live in the 1920's, and it hit the mark so well.