The City of Stardust begins with a curse which would never be forgiven. While I loved this premise, I think I fell even more in love with it by the ending when you unravel the whys. The beginnings of a resentment, a revenge, without answers. You just wait until the other shoe drops - I think I gasped aloud. I loved how this book evolves and twists in front of your eyes. At times it's a book about the ways we live when we know our days our numbered. And then it almost changes into a story about a mystery against a ticking clock. Into a generational story about running from the ringing bell, from the mistakes and bargains of our past.

This book is by far one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Georgia Summers way with words really truly captured the world she built. I kept finding myself so immersed in the world and the story that I forgot what time was. It’s one of those “just one more chapter” books that keeps you up all night.

The book is written for book lovers who grew up reading fantastical tales of hidden doors and secret passages that have grown up wanting a more adult story on the same vein. It really scratched that nostalgic itch that I’ve wanted without having to dive into my childhood favorites.

Thank you to Holder & Soughton, Hodderscape and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summers' writing is so beautiful that the entire reading experience was enchanting. I felt like I was in a dream. The atmosphere is bewitching. I loved all the travel that Violet did, and the way it was written was almost like a love letter to travel, which I enjoyed, even though that wasn't the point of the story. It took me back to my years of exploring new places and the charming, dream-like state I often found myself in. The worlds that Summers creates are simply breathtaking.

The characters are 10/10. Great characters. I wish that we had gotten to know her uncles a little more other than these nebulous parental figures in Violet's life. That being said, I am nitpicking here. The rest of the characters were absolutely well developed.

My biggest complaint is that there seemed to be some minor plot holes and logical fallacies, but they weren't glaring, and the beautiful writing made up for it, in my opinion. I wanted to know who Violet's father was, as it's hinted that her bloodline on that side may have been important, but then it's never discussed again. It's the old thing about a gun in act one needs to go off by act three. Why put it in there if it's not important? There were a few other plot points that just didn't check out to me, but I don't want to spoil anything so they will go unmentioned.

Overall, this was a fantastic read. I recommend it if for no other reason than the writing. Definitely a 4.5 star read for me!

This one started slow - but by the end, I was captivated. Georgia Summers manages to do something new with urban fantasy, a difficult feat in an oversaturated market. She tells the story of Violet Everly, a young teen who has been stuck in her crumbling ancestral home with her two older brothers after her mother mysteriously disappeared. The appearance of a mysterious and formidable blond woman and her sullen but gorgeous teenage apprentice herald a big life change. It's all formulaic up to this point, but then Summer turns the corner into a cat-and-mouse chase with inventive warring families, urban hideouts, and the appearance of the mysterious astrals. Are they aliens? Angels? Demons? Or something else entirely? Is the titular city of stardust made of magic, advanced science, or is it the portal to another dimension of reality? Summers does a marvelous job of unraveling the world while being cagey about its origins. Really looking forward to the next book in the series!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was really excited for this book as it sounded really interesting, but I should have been more wary as it’s been compared to A Starless Sea, which honestly I didn’t love. I ended up not loving this either. The story lacked good characters and I thought the plot was confusing. I had a lot of questions about the world and characters motives that were never answered. The timeline jumps around a lot and I had a hard time following why she was going somewhere or doing something. The world is really interesting and I just wish I could have known more about it! In the end it was pretty average, but if you enjoyed the Starless Sea you might enjoy this!

The writing style is readable if a bit derivative, but I just couldn't get into this book, which to put it bluntly needed to be better edited than it was. (Which is on the publisher who bought it as much as the author, especially with a debut! It's an unfortunate pattern I've noticed with a lot of traditionally published genre titles lately--publishers find a manuscript which is half-decently written and on trend, but lacks even the commercially viable pacing you see with repackaged viral TikTok bestellers, and just slap a pretty cover on it while doing the bare minimum editorially... and this is exacerbated when it's originally a UK book being picked up by a US publisher who wouldn't be doing the primary editing on it anyway in that case, as in my experience there will often have been less editing done on a UK title to begin with.) That said, I do think the author has potential, so I'm leaving three stars and will give her next book a try even though I thought this one wasn't quite ready for prime time yet.

The Everlys are cursed. Thousands of years ago, they made a bargain that cost a soul from every generation. In the modern day, Violet Everly is the last of the line and she searches for her mother who vanished into the night when she was just a girl. When the bargain is called in, her uncles make a deal to buy more time; Violet will live another ten years if her mother can be found. Worlds away, a library in the depths of the magical city hides a secret bought with blood. As the curse’s deadline closes in, Violet searches for her mother and uncovers a far greater secret. After all, the worlds are closer than they appear, and all it takes is a key to bring everything crashing down.

Reading The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers was like sinking into molasses. There was sticky prose, overly dramatic writing, and a plot that was as slow as it was hard to follow. Skipping across different perspectives prevented me from getting attached to any of the characters and while the imagery was certainly vivid, it was of little substance. Riddled with plot holes and characters that lacked clear motivation, I couldn’t get invested in the characters despite spending chapters following their perspectives.

Part of my lack of emotional attachment started from the beginning. The audience was introduced to Violet (the technical main character) when she was a girl but twenty pages later, she was an adult with very different characteristics than her younger self. The relationship with the Everly family wasn't explored as much as it could have been, and while I loved the concept of a cursed family, it wasn’t played up enough to be a source of internal conflict. Additionally, the story was told in limited 3rd person present tense, which didn’t reflect the agelessness of the storyline because the narrative was told as if everything was happening at once.

As for worldbuilding, once again, I loved the concept but found the execution lacking. How the city existed, why there were librarians, and why the main villain was villainous were never explained. I got what the author was trying to do with a shifting narrative that jumped around between various characters but found that it lacked emotional depth. I couldn’t get attached to the characters because I was given no reason to care about them. Essentially, I wanted what this book could have been. I wanted the story of a cursed family and the girl who dared to challenge history. I wanted magical libraries with secrets, a fantasy that spanned cities, and complex family dynamics. If that kind of story is something you want too, I’d check out The Night Circus, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Ink Blood Sister Scribe and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

A debut novel by Georgia Summers, The City of Stardust is an engaging contemporary fantasy novel about a centuries-old curse on the Everly family. The book follows Violet Everly from her mother's disappearance (abandonment) through her attempts to break the family curse.

Her attempts at breaking the curse introduce her to a magical world kept hidden from her, where she meets with various gods and monsters as she searches for her mother and for a solution.

In all, this book was entertaining, but the end left me feeling let down. There were a lot of characters and plot points that weren't really wrapped up. For all the world building, I would have expected a more satisfying ending.

Thank you NetGalley for a free e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The City of Stardust" by Georgia Summers is a mesmerizing debut that weaves a tapestry of magic, mystery, and family legacy. Summers plunges readers into a world where the boundaries between the mundane and the magical blur, crafting a narrative that is as enchanting as it is compelling.

The novel revolves around Violet Everly, the last of her line, who is on a quest to break a centuries-old curse that has plagued her family. Her journey is fraught with danger, taking her into the heart of a magical underworld filled with power struggles, ancient gods, and vengeful monsters. The character of Violet is skillfully developed; she is a protagonist who is both vulnerable and determined, her personal struggles resonating throughout her quest.

Summers' world-building is a standout feature of the book. The magical realm she creates is richly detailed and vividly imagined, making it easy for readers to lose themselves in its depths. The use of stardust as a central motif adds a layer of wonder and mystique, enhancing the novel's fantastical elements.

However, the story's pacing can feel uneven at times, with some sections delving deeply into the lore and others rushing through key plot points. Additionally, the romance subplot between Violet and Aleksander, Penelope's enigmatic assistant, while intriguing, occasionally detracts from the primary narrative of Violet's quest.

Despite these minor critiques, "The City of Stardust" is a strong debut, showcasing Summers' talent for creating a captivating fantasy world. Her writing style is fluid and engaging, capable of transporting readers to the magical realms she conjures.

In conclusion, Georgia Summers' "The City of Stardust" is a must-read for fans of contemporary fantasy. It's a story of determination, legacy, and the lengths one will go to break free from the chains of the past. With its rich world-building and complex characters, this novel is a promising start to what could be a fascinating series.

DNF

On paper, City of Stardust had all the ingredients to be my new favorite book. I absolutely love fairytale-esque stories, dark academia themes, and anything compared to Addie Larue, so I thought this would be an exciting read. Unfortunately, this book did not work for me, and I found it to be very tedious. I couldn’t fully enagage with the writing style or story as I had hoped. Despite this, I think others will enjoy this novel, especially fans of contemporary fantasy settings and magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

The plot goes something along the lines of this: there’s a family called the Everlys. Every generation, someone named Penelope comes to collect the most powerful of the Everlys as a sacrifice. The person selected is drained of their blood for a specific purpose (you find out why later). Violet, our main character, has been selected as the sacrifice only because her mother, Marianne, was supposed to be.

But Marianne disappeared years ago to find an end to this family’s curse and hasn’t been seen since. Marianne’s two brothers, Ambrose and Gabriel, have been taking care of Violet but have been keeping this secret away from her, along with other magical things.

The brothers make a deal with Penelope: give us ten years (when Violet turns 22) to find Marianne or you can have Violet. Penelope accepts. As Violet’s 22nd birthday approaches, she and her uncles become more desperate in finding her mother.

What happens next is for you to find out.

Thoughts on the book:

Wow. Just wow.

I flew through this book so much faster than I anticipated. I love how the author wrote this book. It’s so whimsical and magical and beautiful and everything flows so nicely. I could see why some people wouldn’t like this book based on the writing though.

There are definitely a lot of questions I had throughout the book, and for some reason, I feel like the author made it this way. If you don’t like open ended books, you may not want to read this because lots of things aren’t answered at the end of the day.

Also I love how we get a little bit of folklore (maybe there’s a better word for this) to get some background on Penelope. Her story is interesting. I could have used more of her perspective, but it’s fine.

Overall, I would recommend this book! It was a great read.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

This adult fantasy romance book was so amazing! The world was very well built. And the setting was perfect. I absolutely loved the romance. I would recommend this book.

What an adventure!! From stars to stardust. Doors to curses, lovers to enemies, this book covers it all. The book follows the Everly family as they try to break a curse on their family. Do they do it? You must read to find out. The characters are vast and complex but extremely interesting. The flow of the book was good and it was very intriguing I could hardly put the book down I really wanted to find out what happened next.

WOW was this written so beautifully. I quite enjoyed this and it had me on the edge of seat, holding my breath in anticipation throughout the duration of this novel. To find out this was her debut was a great surprise and her storytelling has such a niche, profound touch i throughly enjoyed reading. I will certainly be keeping my eye out for her next story and will be waiting impatiently until i can get my hands on it.

Overall:
I didn't have a bad time reading this, but I was confused too often and I didn't find the characters super compelling, and also felt like there were several plot holes -- so it just ultimately wasn't my kind of book. I can see it being RIGHT up a lot of peoples' alley, but just not for me.

Would I go back in time and still read this book, knowing what I know now?
No. I wouldn't want to re-read this one ever. It was pleasant enough due to the writing style and the magical essence of the world, but I wouldn't want to read it again.

CHARACTERS:
I liked the main characters, for the most part. I didn't DISlike them, at any rate. Violet was fine. I think I could have really loved her, if she had been developed a little bit better. I don't feel like I got to know her well enough or see enough of her personality. Same with Aleksander. They just felt fairly superficial. I feel like I knew Caspian Verde better than either of them, honestly.

PLOT:
I like the concept of this plot. But the execution didn't really work super well for me. I am so confused as to why Violet was so necessary to Penelope, when she has taken an Everly from each generation, for a thousand years?? Why couldn't she have used one of them to get access to that door? Was it because Violet maybe potentially (we don't actually know) was fathered by an astral? But all of the Everlys after Ever Everly were apparently descended from Penelope herself so... ??? (Also: that tidbit was such a throwaway?!)

There were several places where it seemed like we were getting contradicting information, or just partial information -- things being glossed over very quickly that I felt like should have been explained or explored further, to make the plot more engaging.

Villains, heroes, gods, curses,and fairy tales. The world building and writing are exquisite in this adult fantasy novel. Violet must go on an adventure to save her life. She meets monsters and villains who want to be heroes. The curse that haunts her family and her life lead her on many paths including Prague, which the author describes in wonderful detail.
This book is for people who appreciate a standalone fantasy novel with interesting magical elements.
Thank you Redhook books and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
This book will be released January 30, 2024.

This book was beyond fantastic. I have seen several people compare this book to either (or both) The Night Circus and The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, but I have never read either so I cannot say whether or not I agree, but this book gave me SERIOUS and i mean SERIOUS The Golden Compass vibes which is probably the biggest compliment I could possibly bestow upon a book as that is my favorite book of all time.

Like The Golden Compass, this book is chock full of magic (MY FAVORITE!), stunning atmosphere, mystery, lyrical prose, flawed (but still likeable and even endearing) characters. I loved every single moment of this book. I had never heard of Georgia Summers prior to seeing this book on NetGalley, but just based on this book alone, she is already an auto-buy author for me.

I will give one heads up, though, that wasn't an issue for me (and in fact enhanced my enjoyment of this book), but this book IS "slow." It takes its time, but the payoff is there and is definitely worth it. Also, this might not be the best book for readers who ABSOLUTELY MUST know ALL of the hows and whys to a story because you sure aren't going to get that from this book. You WILL be left asking questions, but in my honest opinion, I wish more books did this because when I read a book that doesn't tie up everything nicely/doesn't answer every question, it has me CONSTANTLY thinking about the book, the possible meanings/metaphors/possibilities/motives, etc. The NOT knowing everything is EXACTLY what keeps me engaged with the story LOOOONNNNGGGGG after finishing the last page. I know that not everyone is like me, so that is just something that I wanted to mention.

I already want to do a re-read of this book and hopefully before the end of this year because I think I would appreciate it even more on second re-read and I just want to read it again because it was just so good and a fantastic escapist book for me.

I have zero critiques, no criticisms, the cover art is divine and reminds me SO MUCH of the new book cover edition of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride (GORGEOUS) and this has been one of the easiest 5 stars to give this year. I WILL be purchasing a hard copy version of this and will be recommending it to my book-reading friends, for sure.

Absolutely incredible book. Thank you SO MUCH for giving me the opportunity to review this lovely book. What a gem. Georgia Summers, you knocked it out of the park with this one!

Beautifully crafted with character that you want to hug, protect, and push out of their comfort zones. It was easy to fall for Violet and all of the Everlys. I have a massive soft spot for stories of good, yet flawed, people trying their hardest, and the Everly clan fits that mark perfectly. A slow burn romance and the mythology of gods and monsters all throughout make for an incredibly rich and rewarding world. I love a good debut, and this makes me excited to see what the author will create in the years ahead.

"She believes in curses like she believes in stories. For a curse is just another kind of story, dark and toothy and razor-edged."

The City of Stardust is a beautiful story full of wanderlust and an epic world to navigate.

Though… while the author’s writing was lovely and even poetic with her descriptions, I found her characters and overall plot a little mundane unfortunately. I really did enjoy the back stories of our main characters and how that shaped their adult lives and future decisions, but I wish there was more depth/interactions/conversations to continue those plotlines through to the end.