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!

I really liked Nghi Vo’s The City in Glass, but I can imagine that some people loathed it, for exactly the same reason: it’s more of a mood than a story. There’s a story, yes: angels destroy the city the demon Vitrine loves, and she curses one of them in retaliation. Cast out from his people, he watches her try to rebuild, and she slowly heals — and draws him closer to her, eventually — and learns to love the new shape of her city, of herself, and of him.

As you see, it’s possible to summarise a plot arc here, but most of it feels like a dream, glimpses of Vitrine’s life, a few moments of something that could go on forever without real beginning or end. If you’re looking for a beginning, an ending, and a journey in the middle… you’ll probably not be satisfied. It’s beautifully written and atmospheric, and there are moments of fraught emotion and of joy, but very little actually happens. It’s Vitrine’s daily meddling, Vitrine’s anger, Vitrine’s grief.

To be clear: I really, really enjoyed it, and read it really fast. But if you’re looking for a solid plot, for character development, in other words for a traditional story, it’s probably not entirely for you.

This book masterfully weaves a compelling narrative with rich character development, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. The author's attention to detail and emotional depth make for an immersive experience, while the pacing ensures a balance between introspection and action. With thought-provoking themes and a satisfying conclusion, this is a story that lingers long after the final page.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC.

Nghi Vo is a master at the fantasy novella; creating a world both familiar and strange, viewing humanity from the perspective of something beyond our realm, and using the course of human history as a backdrop for a romance between a devil and an angel. The romance feels on the same level as that in This Is How You Lose the Time War. Two people on opposite ends learn and take from each other, symbolically and literally; it's an emotional, visceral, and passionate relationship that builds to a deafening crescendo. Excellent stuff, I can't say no to anything Vo puts out.

The writing in The City in Glass was beautiful and I LOVED the world-building, but Vitrine did not do it for me. She’s malicious and vindictive—and a demon—and I generally really enjoy an unlikeable female main character, but it bothered me how much she took and took and took from another character.

I struggled with this pacing some. It’s not a lengthy book, but we cover a significant amount of time in it and in pretty large chunks, so sometimes I felt lost. Vitrine also spends time recollecting, so the bouncing back and forth AND speedy timeline just made for a challenge.

Overall, this is a 3.5 (rounded to 4)/5 for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Summary:

Virtine is an immortal demon. She has chosen the city of Azril as her own. She helped grow it into a thing of beauty, and she had many more plans for this wonderful city that was her heart.

Then, the angels came and burned the city down, burning her hopes, dreams, and vision with it. Yet not all hope is lost, as the city can be remade. It’ll take time, pain, blood, and many sacrifices, but it can be done.

My Review:

The City in Glass broke me.

Full stop. I mean it when I say that. The City in Glass made me feel every emotion in the spectrum and left me with a book hangover unlike any other. I couldn’t even think about touching another book for almost a week.

In truth, I don’t have words to accurately describe how The City in Glass made me feel. It was beautiful and heartbreaking in one carefully packaged bundle. If you asked me to show you a book about love, loss, and life, I’d hand you The City in Glass. If you asked me to show you a book that portrayed the different ways a person can love, I’d hand you The City in Glass. If you asked for a book about the differences in human nature, I’d hand you The City in Glass.

Frankly, I don’t understand how more people aren’t talking about this book. I know I’m late to read it, but I can tell you with complete certainty and honestly that it has left an indelible mark on my soul.

The City in Glass is a lyrical novella that breaks down many complex subjects, making them approachable and human. It addresses grief so beautifully that it makes my heart hurt. There’s a reason I always snatch up books by Nghi Vo, and this book proves it.

Highlights:
Romantic Fantasy
Angels & Demons
Love, Life, Death

Trigger Warnings:
Character Death
Death & Gore

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

I love this author, and this story was full of the great descriptions and character work that I have come to expect .

Rating 4.5/5

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

4 shining stars.

Nghi Vo's prose just keeps giving. This was so beautifully written. My only complaint is it was too short!

I would definitely pitch this as "a love-letter to a fictional city". The prose is beautiful, but used mostly to create atmosphere rather than push the plot (which is barely there as is). Lyrical writing, extensive imagery and little to no story - pretty sure there are fans of such things, I, however, can't find myself among them.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The City in Glass by Nghi Vo!

The City in Glass is a tour de force. Like all of Nghi Vo's wonderful books it's rich and atmospheric with a story that kept me engaged from the first to last page.

Short, but beautiful, The City in Glass is the demon Vitrine's city Azril. Devastated when the angels destroy it, she curses one of the angels with her grief and he becomes bound to her city as well.
Vitrine both feels her grief over her loss and beings to rebuild her city as the angel hovers around the edges he begins to become involved in her passion for what Azril and what it will become.
It's difficult to describe The City in Glass, as it moves slowly, over centuries, but it was a wonderful journey.

An exploration of processing grief and rage, both personal and societal, from the point of view of an immortal with the time to actually work through it all. Gorgeously builds up a city in broad brushstrokes and bittersweet specifics. At times it feels like reading a timelapse video of cultural evolution (in the best way), threaded through with savage, righteous anger against colonisers, control, and destruction

Thank you to Net Galley and Tor Publishing for an advanced copy of "The City in Glass" by Nghi Vo.

This book is a perfect blend of haunting prose and a unique storyline. It tells the story of a city razed by an angel through the lens of a demon that loved it.
The City in Glass is a story of loss, learning to love again, and rebuilding. The book held my attention cover to cover. I simply couldn't put it down. Through the eyes of Vitrine, I too fell in love with the city of Azril.

4.5 stars

I picked this book up and put it down so many times over the last year. For such a short book, I stretched it out for a very long time. The writing is beautiful and heartbreaking and incredibly loving. Every word appears to be meticulously placed and the story that is told feels endless. Vo’s writing as been hit or miss for me in the past but I savoured every page of this one.

Very poetic prose. It was lovely to read. I think this story is very unique, in the sense I’ve never read anything like this before! There’s a little bit of everything: angels, demons, a love story, important themes of grief and rebuilding. It’s also a slowburn and enemies-to-lovers which I think many readers would love!!

A character study unfolding over centuries - of a city as much as our protagonist of its patron demon. Lush and immersive prose as expected of Nghi Vo, who captures perfectly how all the different faces that a city can wear through time depend just as much on what it means to the individual.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for gifting me a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

Nghi Vo's incredibly lyrical and vivid writing conjures up such beautiful worlds, and I'm so grateful to have gotten a peek into another of her fantastic creations! I love stories about angels and demons in the broad imagining of such creatures, and this one did not disappoint. I was swept up in Vitrine's passion for her city, and her anger at its destruction. I loved reading about the passage of time and the changes that occur on the scale of immortal beings. The relationship aspect was definitely not traditionally romantic, but I found it captivating nonetheless. I loved Vitrine's love for her city, her cutting humor, the angel's angst, and Vo's beautiful writing that brought them all to life.

Just okay. I was really excited for this book, but I wish there was more worldbuilding. It seems to be set in such an interesting world but I really struggled to feel involved.