“The finest of pleasures are always the unexpected ones.”
If you love sprinklings of magical realism and immersive storytelling, exploring Erin Morgenstern’s books is an unforgettable experience. From the enchanting spectacle of The Night Circus to her lesser-known gems, Morgenstern has a knack for conjuring worlds that feel both fantastical and intimately real. Whether you’re a newcomer wondering which Erin Morgenstern books to read first or a longtime reader looking for fresh perspectives, this list of the best Erin Morgenstern novels will lead you through which stories you need on your TBR pile. We’ve curated our list not just by popularity but by narrative depth and the ideal way to experience her signature blend of magic, romance, and mystery.
The Night Circus (2011)
Where else could we start a list of the best Erin Morgenstern books than with her global bestseller, The Night Circus? With its black-and-white striped canvas tents and its utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements, Le Cirque des Reves is open at night. But, behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway – a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood by their mercurial instructors. The circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.
Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love – a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker, and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and for the heart.
The Starless Sea (2019)
Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues – a bee, a key, and a sword – that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far beneath the Earth’s surface.
What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians – it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time. Together with Mirabel, a fierce pink-haired protector of this place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose – in both the mysterious book and in his own life.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
