Stardust

Stardust is a historical fantasy novel by British author Neil Gaiman. The novel was originally published in 1999, though an illustrated comic book miniseries preceded the prose text in 1997, along with a full-length illustrated edition in 1998. It won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature in 1999 and was nominated for the Locus Award. Stardust was adapted into a film in 2007 and a radio production in 2016. The novel uses traditional folkloric motifs to explore themes of love, transformation, constraint, and growing up.

This study guide uses the 2012 hardcover edition from William Morrow.

Plot Summary

Dunstan Thorn is a practical teenager living in the small English village of Wall, which sits alongside a long stone wall that separates the human world from Faerie. Every nine years, a market fair is held in the meadow between worlds. One year, Dunstan meets a young woman who is enslaved by a witch. He and the woman spend the night together and have a son, who the woman sends over the wall to live with Dunstan. Dunstan’s son, Tristran, grows up in Wall without knowing who his true mother is. As a teenager, he has a crush on a local girl named Victoria Forester. One day, he and Victoria see a falling star. Victoria promises to marry Tristran if he goes to collect the star for her. Tristran tells his father that he’s going to cross the wall to retrieve the fallen star, and Dunstan understands that his son is going home.

Meanwhile, the Lord of the kingdom of Stormhold is dying, and the three remaining of seven sons are vying for the crown: Primus, Tertius, and Septimus. To decide their fate, the Lord of Stormhold throws his royal topaz necklace out the window and tells them whoever retrieves it will rule. The necklace hits the star, a young woman named Yvaine, and causes her to fall to earth. Shortly after, Septimus kills Tertius with a poisoned bottle of wine. Tristran finds the star and is surprised to see that she’s not a lump of rock, but he remains true to his quest and chains them together so he can take her to Victoria. Elsewhere, three witches known as the Lilim have discovered the star’s existence. They plan to cut out her heart so they can use it to restore their youth. The eldest of the Lilim, the witch-queen, goes in pursuit of her.

When Tristran stops for provisions, Yvaine escapes. Tristran receives a message that Yvaine is in danger and tries to follow her. Along the way he meets Primus and rides with him until they arrive at an inn, which the witch-queen has spelled into being a trap for Yvaine. Yvaine has already arrived and is being cared for by the witch. Tristran realizes what’s happening, but he arrives too late to save Primus, as the witch cuts his throat. He uses a magic traveling candle to get himself and Yvaine to safety. They’re rescued by a passing lightning ship and spend the next few weeks as part of the crew. Meanwhile, Septimus is forced to avenge Primus’s death by the rules of his family, so he goes after the witch-queen. However, she kills him with a bite from a poison serpent.

Tristran and Yvaine slowly make their way to Wall. They cover more distance by traveling in a caravan with a witch and her caged bird, who is really the enslaved woman from the market and Tristran’s mother. The witch turns Tristran into a dormouse for the journey. She doesn’t realize Yvaine is there because the witch is under a curse that prevents her from perceiving the star. Once they reach the market, Tristran returns home and meets Victoria. She tells him that she never believed he would really cross the wall for her, but she will keep her promise.

Tristran realizes he loves Yvaine and tells Victoria to be with the person she loves too. While Yvaine waits for Tristran’s return, she meets the witch-queen at the market; the witch has grown old and powerless and is no longer a threat, and Yvaine feels sorry for her. The slave woman’s captivity comes to an end, and she reveals herself to be Tristran’s mother, Una, as well as the only daughter of Lord Stormhold; that makes Tristran the last living male heir. He agrees to take his place on the throne with Yvaine but wants to explore the world with her first. Una rules as regent until they return.