DNF @ 10%. It was a mistake trying to read this rather cerebral fantasy at night on an e-reader, but the concept was interesting enough that I'm keen to give it another go via a paperback, and at a time of day when I have all my wits about me.

This was a beautiful, but ultimately difficult and weird book to read. The emotions were vivid, I deeply felt Vitrine grief and rage, but also joy and fondness in the memory of old Azril and the new Azril. It is ultimately a love letter to the city of Azril, told through the eyes of a demon who found, nurtured, and loved it all the same in its best and worst moments. But I admit, my eyes did glazed over a lot and I often skim the paragraphs. It felt like I understand what was written, but at the same time, didn’t. A lot of narrative and maybe symbolism, but I admit everything flew over my head. The ending was also felt very rushed and weird, I had to reread several times to understand if what I was reading was correct and we are at the conclusion at the book. Not sure still if it was for me, but if you love the weird and poetic and beautiful, this one might be for you.

Okay, real talk — The City in Glass is not your average angel vs. demon showdown. It’s not fast-paced or action-packed in a typical way, but it is an experience. Imagine walking through a dream — where everything’s beautiful, kind of sad, and also quietly powerful. That’s what Nghi Vo gives you.

We follow Vitrine, a demon who’s seen her city — Azril — rise, burn, and try to rise again. She’s dramatic, grieving, kinda terrifying, and somehow totally relatable. Her weirdly poetic love-hate situation with an angel (yes, THE angel who helped destroy everything) is slow burn to the max. Like, centuries-long tension. But it’s not about smooches or steamy scenes — it’s about grief, memory, obsession, and rebuilding something from ruins with someone you should absolutely hate but… don’t.

The structure? Wild. Flashbacks, broken timelines, poetic writing — it doesn’t care about being neat. And honestly? That’s what makes it feel real. It’s messy like emotions are messy. The city feels alive — you feel the loss, the history, the vibe.

This won’t be for everyone. It’s not plot-heavy. But if you’re into rich vibes, emotional depth, and slow, strange, kinda devastating love stories? This book burns in the best way.
Totally recommend.

I don't know what I expected when I started reading this book, but it was totally different from what I was thinking and I could not stop reading it once I started. The writing in this book really blew me away. There was a lyrical quality to the prose and that kept me engaged throughout. The story itself was unique, the events of which occurring after angels destroy a demon's city, and the rebuilding that occurs after. Vitrine is devastated when her city is destroyed and even more devastated that one of the angels is left behind. Soon they become fascinated with each other and there is so much yearning between them as time goes on. The pacing is slow, but it works really well with how much time is passing by during this book. It's not a long book, and it goes by very quickly because of the excellent prose and being able to see the city change throughout. Overall, this was a great read and I am looking forward to read more from Vo in the future.

“No one loves a city like one born to it, and no one loves a city like an immigrant. No one loves a city like they do when they are young, and no one loves a city like they do when they are old. The people loved the city of Azril in more ways than could be counted. Vitrine loved her city like demons and cats may love things, with an eye towards ownership and the threat of small mayhem.”

Azril was a brilliant city until the angels destroyed it. Now it’s burning and broken. Vitrine, a demon with a flair for drama, once loved the city fiercely. Now she attempts to rebuild it, with the angel she cursed stuck by her side.

The characters in The City in Glass are not exactly likable (our main character is a demon, after all), but the star-crossed lovers trope adds emotional weight. The story is slow-paced, though fairly short. Themes of grief, trauma, and destruction are explored in a heartbreakingly beautiful way. I definitely plan on picking up more of Vo’s work in the near future.

4.5 stars
The City in Glass is a slow meandering look at grief, vengeance, love, and forgiveness. Nghi Vo’s writing is phenomenal! A bit of a mind bender as you follow the demon Vitrine who can become anything at anytime and her fight with the angels who destroys the city she loves. It took me a few tries to get into it but in the end I loved it.

This book was an interesting take on watching a city over time through a character’s eyes. First and foremost it felt like a love letter to the city alongside a love story between starcrossed angel and demon lovers. Overall, I found the book to be entertaining and enjoyed the writing style.

What a unique and stunning standalone! Perfect length and what a beautiful writing style! Stunning story I absolutely loved it!!

I wanted to love this so much. I even waited for the audiobook so I could push myself through it. I just can't seem to stay interested. I had to eventually DNF... I really tried though!

3.5 stars.

This book is all about the vibes. A demon, Vitrine, has her city destroyed by angels. Why? We never learn that. But Vitrine successfully curses one of the angels as they depart, and he becomes tied to her by the curse. He can't go home.

Azril, Vitrine's city, is described in loving detail. Vitrine has nurtured the city and its inhabitants and written their stories into the book that resides in the glass cabinet that is the heart of her. Alas, Azril has become a memory and only Vitrine can know how it truly was.

Vitrine spends the book clearing the rubble of her beloved city. She buries bones, shifts rock, clears fountains. The angel comes and goes but always returns, even if it takes decades.

A great deal of time passes, and the city begins to live again. The angel brings refugees to the ruined city and those refugees begin to create a new story of the city. Vitrine lives for the long game, so although she resents these newcomers at first, as they become part of the city she accepts them.

Meanwhile, the angel and Vitrine develop a relationship of sorts. It's abusive and resentful, but it grows.

I suppose this book is about healing and how difficult it is. It's about working through grief. It's about acceptance and love. It's written beautifully, as you would expect from this author. But although I could appreciate the beauty of the book, it never really got inside of me. I felt removed from Vitrine's pain and her pain was really the point of the book. That's why I'll rate it a 3.5.

A great fantasy story, gripping and intriguing. I loved the storytelling and the world building. Great story that I loved
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Nghi Vo is probably one of the most glorious, imaginative and original writers I’ve ever read. I adored the singing hills cycle books and this didn’t disappoint either. Her writing is so beautiful and there are moments throughout the story where she catches me off guard with something fresh and new to me, and as someone who reads a lot of fantasy that’s worth it’s weight in gold.
I devoured this book, but I can see how it might not be for everyone. Her stories always have an epic feel to them, almost as if you are reading a mythic classic. This story is no exception, it is sweeping and crosses whole generations and lifetimes of a city in just 200 pages. Our constants are Vitrine the demon, her beloved city and the nameless Angel who destroys it and is cursed to haunt it by her grief. I loved Vitrine and her constant love for her city and her reluctant love for the Angel who is brought so low by his love for her. If anything I wanted more of them, I wanted to know more of their respective worlds than was possible to cover in 200 pages. The worldbuilding is tight but leaves so much up to wonder about I would have liked more.
4.5 stars

This is very a "its not you, its me". This is the second book by Nghi Vo that I have just not vibed with. I need plot in my fantasy, and this was very much a vibey book with not too much plot.

"...but that was the way of loving most things. You couldn't portion love out in spoons or cups or slices. You could only let it grow and nurture it if you could, cut it down if you had to."

This novella is everything to me. It's about love for a city, for it's people, when you don't quite know how best to love but you do it anyway. It's loving an enemy, a monster, when you yourself are an enemy and a monster. It's building the city (yourself) back up again and again because you love so deeply you don't know where to put it. Vitrine, the demon who loved.

It was only a bit over 200 pages but it could have been a 1000 and I'd have loved it the same. A masterpiece, Nghi Vo cannot be stopped.

Thank you to NEtGalley and Tor for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

i have tried reading this book 4 times and every single time i ended up dropping it because it was putting me in a slump. i chose to dnf it, but i think it's more of a me-problem rather than the book itself. the writing was absolutely gorgeous, but i was simply not vibing with the story. if you like flowery writing, give this one a go, because nghi vo is an insanely-skilled writter.

The was such a unique story and I really enjoyed it. “The City in Glass” offers a richly atmospheric and introspective tale that delves into the bonds between beings and the places they cherish, resonating deeply with those who appreciate character-driven storytelling and poetic language.

I have really enjoyed Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle fantasy series that started with The Empress of Salt and Fortune, so opened The City in Glass with great anticipation. Though it is equally well written, I struggled to get through it.

Its lead is an immortal demon, Vitrine, who plays capriciously with the fortunes of humans in the city of Azril for many generations. Then an army of angels comes and destroys Azril.

Vitrine grieves in the broken towers over all those lost. An angel remains as well, cursed by her when the city fell and unable to rejoin his peers. Their interactions over time change both of them in unexpected ways.

such insane writing! the writing was beautiful and creates such an interesting world. it was a little rough for me to follow at first because you're just dropped into a world and it felt like I walked in at the end of things. romance was a little on the back burner and even though I enjoyed it, the pacing was a little slow and i felt like i had to push myself to keep going.

thank you to netgalley and tor publishing group for this gifted arc!

A Lyrical and Enchanting Tale of History and Memory

Nghi Vo once again proves her mastery of storytelling with The City in Glass, a tale woven with elegance, depth, and quiet power. The prose is as mesmerizing as ever, effortlessly blending history, myth, and personal reflection into something truly special.

The worldbuilding feels both intimate and vast, like stepping into a half-remembered dream, and the themes of truth, legacy, and the way stories shape reality are beautifully explored. It's a story that lingers, inviting you to sit with it long after the final page.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

3.5

This was an absolutely STUNNINGLY written book, the imagery was honestly second to none. However, did I understand fully what was happening? Nope!

This, at its core, is a love story to the feelings of grief. It follows a demon who is trying to rebuild a city that she grows to love after centuries of nurturing it from the ground up. As one day 3 angels descend from the sky, walk through its streets burning it, and everyone in it to ashes and bone.

I think this book was all vibes as I’m kind of uncertain what plot there was otherwise? But honestly, with how gorgeous the prose was I’m okay with vibes!

Will read another book by this author happily in a heartbeat!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC - sorry took me so long!