Spike, $6.99, ISBN 0-380-80455-7
Fantasy, 2000

I’m a part-time Sandman fan, but I wouldn’t go as far as to compare this book to The Princess Bride or The Neverending Story. Stardust is a decent read, but it’s also a short, rather substance-free story that I will be hard-pressed to recall in a few week’s time.

This is written in a fairy-tale style, telling the story of half-faerie Tristan Thorn’s quest to catch a falling star for the woman he loves. Tristan travels into the land of Faeries where he will learn more about himself.

Yes, this is a great read with amusing Faerie characters making up for bland Tristan. Lions, unicorns, witch-queens, and a adorable fellow named Bevis are among the many wonderful denizens of Faerie that shove colorless Tristan off the stage completely. A pity, when it’s supposed to be Tristan’s story I should be concerned about.

No matter. This is a nice, simple, yet charming read, a great way to travel vicariously into a faerieland that houses both great fun and dark secrets. But you know what? I have read a much better book like this, with a more interesting lead character that doesn’t end up getting buried under the wonderful supporting characters. That’s Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, and you can get that at a much cheaper price than this slim book. Mad Hatters and Cheshire Cats rule anytime!