Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an eARC of City of Stardust.
What I loved: THE ATMOSPHERE. Wow the author was great at mixing whimsy and fantastical elements with dark elements. The writing descriptive but not too fluffy in my opinion. The main character, Violet, was likable and easy to root for. I also liked the mystery element to the story. There was so much about the world and magic that readers learned about along with Violet.
What I didn’t love: The story dragged a little for me. I was interested at the very beginning but after that I did lose some interest. It did begin to pick up in the middle for me, so I continued with the story. I also wish that the romance piece was a little more central to the story. I would definitely say there is a romantic subplot here (which is fine) but I wanted to understand a little more why these characters cared for each other so deeply. The development of their relationship was described in somewhat of a montage style. I’m not saying this was necessarily bad, just maybe not my preference.
Overall this is a solid 4 star read for me. I really enjoyed it!

A well-written dark fantasy debut. The world-building was a slow, unfolding reveal, which I actually liked in this book -- we learn along with Violet, who is searching for her mother and a key to another world in a desperate race against her own blood-debt death at the hands of the mysterious, monstrous Penelope. It was not predictable, by any stretch. Aleksander was a complicated anti-hero, which I liked: so was Caspian. No simple good/evil characters in this one. (Except Penelope.) Marianne was ... disappointing, for all her genius, and her story left untold. Maybe a second book?

There were some issues -- the story Violet's Uncle Ambrose tells her as a child is actually the story of the beginning of the Everly curse which "no one can remember." For a family that is so learned, it makes no sense that they can't connect the dots. And where does Violet's traveling money come from, when their home is such a shambles? There were many abrupt transitions, which I expect will be fixed in the final version. I enjoyed it, and look forward to what Summers writes next.
#acityofstardust #netgalley

I loved the concept of this book, it was very unique and interesting, which is what caught my attention. I enjoyed the addition of the stories and fairytales into the plot as well. The one thing I struggled with in this story is that I didn't really find myself invested in the characters. I felt as though we could have used more time getting to know them and understand them as individuals. I didn't feel emotionally invested in them enough to feel strongly about rooting for them. That being said, I *do* have high hopes for this author's future work. I enjoyed her writing and I believe, as with everyone, experience will only help to continue to improve it. As for a debut novel, I think she did a great job, and I will be on the lookout for her future books.

I was underwhelmed by this novel: it had elements of things that were incredibly exciting: a tense relationship between brothers, a generational curse, an enemies-to-lovers dynamic between rival apprentices. However, none of these fully lived up to their potential. I should have known when I saw the Alix Harrow comparisons that I was going to be put off by the elaborate prose that failed to compensate for shallow characters: I didn't find Violet to be a unique protagonist and this detracted from some of the more original and imaginative aspects of the novel. This same issue extended to the romance: it was disappointing to see characters and dynamics that felt cooke-cutter in the context of such an interesting world. The only relationship that felt especially meaningful to me was that between the Everly brothers, which was fraught and complicated and realistic.

This book was the perfect winter read. The City of Stardust is so whimsical, with lush, lyrical writing. I was immediately sucked into the world, and I loved Violet as a main character. This book incorporates many of my favorite tropes, which I'm sure didn't hurt. It had a bit of a darker tone than I was expecting, but I actually really loved that, as darkly whimsical is a big selling point for me!

I would definitely recommend this book to readers who like whimsical, exquisitely-written fantasy stories that are strong on vibes. This book is perfect for readers who love The Starless Sea, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, or even Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Where to start. I feel like I would have loved this more at a different time so I may come back to it again. City of Stardust is absolutely beautifully written. The prose is descriptive and visceral at times and I really enjoyed it despite it bogging me down. I felt like I was trudging through the world chasing Violet and Marianne. I feel like this book could have been longer and flushed out a lot more of the story and the world as it wasn’t well explained despite how beautifully written it was. The characters were deeply frustrating. The lack of communication from the uncles. The crypticness of the scholars. I was so frustrated chasing breadcrumbs just like Violet. All in all enjoyed this book but would have changed a bit if I could.

A young woman descends into a seductive magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods and monsters bent on revenge to break her family's curse in this spellbinding contemporary fantasy debut.

A gothic, high fantasy, dark academia book is basically all I want in life. This was solid, though I think my expectations going in were a little too high. Good but could have been better.

This was a really excellent book. I was hooked right from the first page. I loved the concept, the story, the characters. I have seen a lot of comments not being a fan of the third person writing, but honestly I felt it made the telling of this story. Also did you see the cover?! 😍✨

A girl armed with dreams and longing, fighting against a family curse, endless questions and a monster with a vendetta. There are stories within stories, a unique magic system and doorways to ethereal lands.
This was the perfect modern fairytale full of wonder, adventure, bleakness and... stardust.
I loved this book and I'm looking forward to my physical copies and reliving this tale via audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook Books for an eARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved the cover and aesthetic choices throughout. I am a bit biased as "unlocking" secrets and key motifs are something of an interest of mine but nevertheless, enjoyable. The edges on the Waterstones edition look STUNNING.

The story itself was whimsical, giving readers the chance to reach into a world of fantasy. The psychologist in me would've liked to have a bit more detail in some areas to flesh out some of the characters a bit (what are they thinking, why are they making the choices that they are, what in their past led them to this perception/decision). Some toxic elements to one of the main characters and they don't really get the opportunity to really redeem themselves before the end (at least not enough for me to forgive them/be happy with them).

"To become a God, one must present a gift to them, a sacrifice if you will".

I really enjoyed this one. Fast paced and dark academia adjacent but with enough at the edge of the real world and interaction with the people outside to keep it from being too claustrophobic. I appreciate that in the end the characters got to choose their own legacies instead of being so immersed in their pasts they fell into old patterns. Literally breaking generational curses.

If you love the vibes of Starling House and Divine Rivals, then The City of Stardust should be at the top of your TBR for 2024!
The characters are beautifully crafted and all give a sense of mystery. The FMC, Violet Everly, is strong-willed and willing to do whatever it takes to break the curse that hangs over her family.
Aleksander is a mystery and is working to become a scholar, all while working under Peneople, the same woman who is after the Everlys. He's tasked with befriending and finding out all he can about Violet and the whereabouts of her mother, Marianne. Will they fall together or fall apart? Can the curse be broken? And where in the worlds is Marianne Everly?
It's a story full of mystery, world building like no other, and plenty of obscure and divine magic.
This is the perfect debut novel to curl up and get lost with.

This book was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me. It had an interesting premise and lovely prose. However, the constant descriptions of … everything … were so detailed that it was hard to see the forest for the trees. This, plus the present tense third-person storytelling, left me feeling emotionally removed from the characters and the story as a whole. There were glimpses of a depth of feeling and connection, but they were few and fleeting. Supporting characters floated along the periphery, and relationships/interactions were not emotionally compelling. I would have loved more time and attention given to the uncles (their lives, relationships, and interactions with Violet), who were two of the most interesting characters for me. It even would’ve been nice to experience more of the relationship between Violet and Caspian.

The lack of emotional connection left me feeling annoyed by the MMC. He came off as weak and whiny, when I really wanted a strong counterpart for the FMC.

I’m left confused re: the villain - the truth of her origin story, why she needed Everly blood to be able to go through the door back to her home world (yes, there was a deal, and maybe I missed it, but I don’t know why the deal affected her ability to return home), and the truth of her relationship with Violet’s ancestor (a lot of versions were offered, but we were never told the true version of events).

The story was interesting enough to keep me going. The quality of writing was lovely. Those things are what earn this book 3 stars from me.

An e-ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.

Well, I’m glad that is over to be honest. I am very confused by this book. The cover is gorgeous and the description sounds really great but the book itself is a mess. Honestly, if someone asked me what this book is about, I’m not sure I could give an answer.

The world building is basically nonexistent. It’s so vague I don’t really understand it. We have scholars, keys, doors, other worlds but we never really get to know about any of it. Also, plot hole: if Penelope needs Everly blood to open the doorway, then what happened to all the Everly’s she’s taken from each generation?? Why does it have to be Marianne or Violet?

The characters were so blah. I really didn’t care about any of them. I kept forgetting who Aleksander was and he’s kind of a main character! And the romance felt very forced. Violet sees Aleksander a handful of times and all the sudden he’s all she can think about. He did her so dirty so many times and she just forgives him. Penelope is really the only interesting character in the book.

The writing itself felt very YA.
The book has some Invisible Life of Addie LaRue vibes but does not come near the level of writing or whimsy that Addie has.

This 330 page book feels like a 600 page book. It took me a long time to get through. And it did not have a satisfying ending. I was more interested in the last few paragraphs in the last chapter than most of the book. Where was this city of stardust? I wanted to explore it. Imagine it in my mind. I want to go on Marianne’s adventures in a faraway world. I’m left feeling disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ability to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2024 and it did not disappoint. There were such magic instilled in this story I was constantly feeling wowed. I felt as if I was reading "The Starless Sea" with the mechanics of the world. I think the plot kept me intrigued.

Thank you to Redhook books and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

Title: The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers

Publication Date- 01/30/24
Publisher- Redhook Books
Overall Rating- 3.75 stars rounded up to 4

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The City of Stardust is perfect for fans of magical realism, speculative fiction, romance and fantasy. Let’s start out with the things I loved about this novel. We are introduced to a world of magic, secrets, betrayal, long held curses and strong aspects of found family. We meet two characters who are on opposing sides of a long held family curse. One of the strong suits that I won’t attempt to do again here, is the synopsis does accurately reflect what you should expect from the story. I found myself drawn to the world and it’s magic. The worldbuilding is entertaining but for those who don’t like super complex worldbuilding, this is for you. The strongest elements in this are the aspects of found family, the first half of the novel’s magical and whimsical scenes and the romantic elements.

From here on out I will discuss the book in two sections, the first half and the second half. The reason this wasn’t a 5 star read for me is the first half and the second half felt like two separate books. The first half reminded me of a better version of The Night Circus mixed with V.E. Schwabs storytelling. It felt refreshing and like nothing I had ever read before. I felt like the scenes where magic was used I couldn’t look away, I was so drawn in.

Then the second half of the book happened and I felt more disconnected from the story and at times confused. The second half let’s go of the things I stated above and feels more like a war between gods and mortals which is fine. I typically enjoy those things but I think I wanted more from the first part and for it to continue in a similar style as the first half. I think it just felt like a separate book in the second half. It wasn’t bad by any means, and I loved the ending.

Overall solid story that combines magical realism, fantasy and speculative fiction.

I enjoyed this book. I thought it was pretty good. I loved the characters and I thought the plot was good!

Rating 4/ 5
Spice: 0

Tropes:
-magical mystery
-hidden worlds
-magic keys
-secret society
-family curse

A young girl is abandoned by her mother and raised in the safe seclusion of her house. She hides herself away in wardrobes and reads by candlelight, escaping to worlds she can only dream about. One day, her world changes and she leaves the safety of her home to try to find her mother and break a family curse. If she fails, the outcome may be deadly.

This story was absolutely magical. Although there was not much action until the end, the mystery kept me engaged throughout the book. I do not normally enjoy a lot of third-person storytelling, but this just worked for me. The atmosphere is simultaneously whimsical and dark. It is full of wonder and monsters. The characters range from naive and innocent to vengeful and murderous. The pace of this book was quite slow, which may not appeal to readers looking for a lot of action.

Favorite quote:

"adventure, it turns out, is a dangerously seductive word"

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook books for the eARC and the opportunity to review this book.

With a dramatically cinematic writing style, Georgia Summers presents a lush world that is dark and unforgiving, full of wolves, intrigue, and mystery. Through soft worldbuilding and immersive storytelling, it also successfully creates a beautiful atmospheric feeling reminiscent of The Night Circus, which I have been searching for, for quite a while.

There are several elements that contribute to making this an utterly fascinating read, one of which being the stark contrast between the experiences of our two main characters, Violet and Aleksander. The former being a story of strong familial bonds, love, isolation, protection, and sacrifice, while the latter is of punishment, survival, obedience, and yearning for love and acceptance.

While Violet’s character ended up falling a bit flat for me, it was Aleksander who kept me enraptured in the story. Not exactly lovable, and almost not even likable. But his experience in the story made me FEEL on such a deep level. He certainly is not your typical knight in shining armor – he’s self-serving, unwilling to go down the dark stairwells first (or at all), and when faced with a chance to ‘slay the monster’, he hesitates. He is wonderfully real and complex and delightfully human – and I was thrilled to have a critically flawed character front and center.

The conclusion left me with many questions unanswered, but I feel that is the best part of a story like this. It’s meant to stay with you and make you think long after you put it down. It leaves endless potential for the characters to continue their stories in whatever way they choose – maybe they’ll find their happy endings with each other or maybe they’ll go in completely different directions. Who’s to say? The questions left unanswered contribute to the wonderous nature of the story.

My main notes from this book are that I wish the story went a little deeper -- it would have been a compelling character study rather than a strictly plot-focused book. Next, even though I believe it is being marketed as an adult fantasy, it reads more like a YA book with more dark/gory/macabre elements. I would’ve loved to see the characters aged up a few years to really get a grasp on the adult feelings and themes.

Overall, this was an incredible debut book and I look forward to seeing what else Georgia Summers creates.

Great for fans of Erin Morgenstern and Alix E. Harrow.

I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape and Netgalley for the for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A magical, imaginative story that traverses worlds but remains grounded with memorable characters. I think the pacing in the beginning could be improved—too many pages are wasted before the real story begins, with not enough exposition/world building. Because of the lack of world building, a tad confusing but you figure it out by the end. Even so, I was enthralled and I’m definitely curious what Summers will write in the future. Future work can only improve!