Mallory’s Reviews > Stardust > Status Update

How were the terms of Una’s enslavement even created, that’s what I want to know.

Ew, Victoria, Robert Monday is old enough to be your father! Gross. But I’m happy this poor girl gets to be happy after all the guilt and worry.

I love the blurring of physically having someone’s heart and metaphorically.

Tristran IS an idiot, but he and Yvaine are still cute together. The ending is so bittersweet tho.

Insane to me how the Stormhold family traditionally kill each other willy nilly, but if someone else does it, suddenly they have to seek revenge?

What do you mean Captain Alberic and the hairy man are part of a fellowship with a vested interest in Tristran arriving to Wall?? What? Do we ever get clarification on that??

Why just summarize all the adventures Tristran and Yvaine get up to instead of showing them?

The witch-queen being the most obviously evil entity ever, and the star just being like “wow, she’s so nice :D”

Poor Primus. I am sad that he died. I think he would have made a good king.

Tristran didn’t wait at all to use that leaf. And it’s just like “make a fresh candle, you useless idiot.”

WHY DID THE UNICORN HAVE TO DIE??? I hate that part. It was such a good creature, it deserved better. :(

The tree is such a cute character! It’s too bad she can’t be turned back into a nymph, but she seems happy enough at least. I don’t for the life of me remember what the leaf ends up telling Tristran.

I love that Tristran is really starting to care for the star herself, and not just as prize for Victoria.

Aw, Primus seems like the nicest brother. He kinda deserves to be king, and he’s the oldest anyway.

Tristran SHOULD feel guilty and awkward. At least he’s being nice, but it’s still captivity. He’s forcing her to walk on her leg when she should rest it. Luckily the unicorn came along. I really don’t blame the star for running away.

Oooh, Primus is being so smart, getting Septimus to board the ship he’s not actually on.

I thought the witch-queen handled things quite well for how rude Ditchwater Sal is.

I totally forgot how great the little hairy man is. He’s so funny. (I suppose Charmed was his way of avoiding giving his name, since that can cause so much damage.) Is he a dwarf?

I forgot about Tristran’s direction magic too.

Ah, poor Brevis. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

You know, the star is totally justified in her anger. Tristran has no qualms just chaining this woman up.

Septimus’s beard is “still coming in”? How old is he supposed to be?? And how long-lived are the Stormhold family royalty if the dad has been ruling for multiple centuries?

The Lilim are like the mother, maiden, and crone, right? I like that they’re all kinda one being, even separate. What’s up with the mirror selves tho?

The last of the heart being somewhat sentient is… unsettling to say the least.

Great, our first impression of Tristran is that he’s a peeping tom. Charming.

I forgot what an idiot this boy is. He’s shy and awkward, but openly begs Victoria to kiss and marry him? And cannot pick up on the fact that she’s mocking him.

Dunstan you’re a terrible father. Your son is useless and you just usher him along into the unknown without any guidance.

DUNSTAN THAT FLOWER IS DAISY’S HOW DARE YOU

What a long-winded way to say the story begins in 1837.

So… did the black-hatted gentlemen kinda date-rape drug Dunstan? He seems to genuinely like Daisy, but then he’s suddenly all over the servant girl. How is she determined to be his heart’s desire, exactly?

Gosh, Dunstan, she’s sobbing about being a slave and all you can think about is boning her.

Poor Daisy! Girl doesn’t deserve this sidelining.

Much better than I remember so far. Very...fairytale-ish. Not sure how else to put, or how really to explain what I mean. There's a certain simplicity and narrative distance about it that works well for the story.