The City in Glass by Nghi Vo is a novel that combines lush world-building with poignant themes of loss and renewal. While I enjoyed many aspects of the book, it ultimately didn’t leave the lasting impression I expected. The story follows Vitrine, a demon who has poured everything into building the city of Azril, only to see it destroyed by angels. What follows is Vitrine's journey to rebuild not just the city, but herself, with the help of an angel bound to her by a curse.

World-Building: A Living, Breathing City

One of the book’s undeniable strengths is its world-building. Vo has created a world that feels incredibly alive, especially when it comes to the city of Azril. The city is described in such a way that it almost feels like a character in itself. The shimmering glass towers, the bustling streets, and the lingering sense of loss that permeates Azril's destruction all come to life through Vo’s vivid prose. There’s a real depth to the setting, which made me care deeply about the city and its downfall.

The world-building in The City in Glass is what kept me turning the pages, even when other aspects of the book didn’t engage me as much. The city is beautifully imagined, and Vo’s writing is immersive. The attention to detail made Azril feel real and tangible, a place I could see in my mind’s eye as I read. From its pristine glass towers to the ruins left behind, the city’s destruction is heartbreaking, and Vo does an excellent job of evoking that sense of loss.

Vitrine's Journey: A Bit Too Slow

However, where the book falters for me is in the pacing and character development. Vitrine is a character with great potential—strong, determined, and deeply affected by the destruction of her city. But I found it hard to fully connect with her. Her emotional journey felt somewhat distant. There were moments when I could sense her pain and longing to rebuild, but the emotional depth didn’t always land for me.

Vitrine’s grief over the loss of Azril and her dedication to rebuilding the city are central to the plot, but I felt that her internal struggles weren’t explored enough. She is a demon, yes, but her humanity is what drives her, and I wanted to see that aspect of her character more deeply. While we get glimpses of her vulnerability, it didn’t feel fully fleshed out, and I found myself wishing for more insight into her thoughts and feelings.

The Relationship Between Vitrine and the Angel

Another part of the book that I had mixed feelings about is the relationship between Vitrine and the angel who is bound to her. The dynamic between them starts off with tension, distrust, and antagonism, which makes sense given their circumstances. Over time, their relationship evolves into something more complex. While this arc has the potential to be compelling, it takes a bit too long to feel meaningful.

The development of their bond felt slow, and by the time it reached a more genuine emotional place, I had already struggled with the pacing of their relationship. I expected a deeper emotional payoff from their connection, but it didn’t come as strongly as I anticipated. There are moments of growth between them, but they didn’t resonate with me in the way I had hoped.

Themes of Loss, Grief, and Renewal

The novel’s exploration of loss and renewal is one of the book's core themes. Both the city and its inhabitants must rebuild after the destruction, and Vitrine’s journey reflects that. While I appreciated the theme of resilience, I felt that it wasn’t fully explored in the way it could have been. The book addresses grief and healing, but I wanted to see more emotional depth in the characters’ struggles. The process of renewal, whether it’s of the city or the characters, could have been more complex and profound.

There’s a sense of emotional distance throughout much of the book that kept me from fully engaging with its themes. The ideas are there, and they’re meaningful, but the exploration of them sometimes feels too surface-level. I found myself wishing for a deeper dive into Vitrine’s emotional struggles and a more thorough exploration of how she navigates grief and healing. Instead, I often felt as though the emotional arc didn’t quite match the intensity of the world-building and the plot.

Final Thoughts: A Good Read, But Not A Standout

In conclusion, The City in Glass is a book I enjoyed, but it didn’t fully live up to my expectations. The world-building is beautifully done, and the themes of loss and renewal have great potential. However, the pacing and character development left me feeling somewhat disconnected from the story. While the prose is rich and atmospheric, I couldn’t connect as deeply with the characters as I had hoped, and the emotional depth I was looking for didn’t always come through.

There’s much to appreciate in terms of world-building and writing style, but the character development and pacing kept it from being a standout for me. If you’re someone who enjoys slower-paced, atmospheric fantasy with rich world-building, The City in Glass may still appeal to you. For me, however, it fell a little short of the emotional impact I was hoping for.

3.75

A demon who loves the city she’s created and the angel who burns it to the ground fall in love amongst the ruins over centuries of history. Poetic, passionate, and poignant.

Vo proves once again her prose is a power to be reckoned with.

This is not a fast paced novella, we wander through the little histories of time and stories but it is beautiful and worth the time.

Nghi Vo's writing is always hypnotic and I will forever read everything she ever writes. But I wanted a little more from this, a bit more of an understanding of a love seeded in such trauma. This felt like layered versions of itself, unsure what story exactly it wanted to tell.

Nghi Vo is an author new to me this year! I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to read this book and be introduced to the wonder that is Nghi Vo. I'm so sad I've been sleeping on this author.

The author's writing is so atmospheric, emotional, and captivating. This is a love story between a demon and an angel, but also a demon and the beloved city it watches over. What an interesting premise this was to me! I was happily surprised to see the author explore the depth of loneliness and grief, especially in immortal and fantastical beings. I cant wait to read more of Nghi Vo's works in the upcoming months!

Thank you so much TorDotCom and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Nghi Vo is an extraordinary writer, and I found myself savoring every page of this book. The prose is nothing short of exquisite, drawing you in with its lyrical beauty and depth. I loved experiencing the story through Vitrine's unique, demonic perspective—her voice is as captivating as it is unsettling.

The city of Azril itself is a character in its own right, and watching its lifecycle unfold was both mesmerizing and thought-provoking. Vo has a remarkable ability to breathe life into her world, making it feel as alive and complex as the characters who inhabit it.

That said, I must admit that I was conflicted about the ending. On one hand, it felt like a natural conclusion, perfectly in tune with the story’s tone and themes. On the other, I found myself grappling with uncertainty—what exactly was happening? Was it a good thing? A bad thing? Should I feel sad or happy? Even now, as I reflect on it, my opinion continues to shift. Perhaps that’s a sign of its power: it will stay with me, unanswered and unresolved, lingering in my thoughts for a long time.

Ultimately, Nghi Vo’s storytelling is unforgettable, and while the ending left me questioning and unsettled, it’s one that will haunt me for a long time to come.

I don't know, Nghi Vo! Big thanks to TorDotCom for my copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Here's the deal: I love how Nghi Vo writes. I find it atmospheric, emotional, and captivating. That said, this one is not particularly a favorite of mine. The plot is thin and it's more about the demon Vitrine and the fall and rise and fall of a city under her watch. There are parts that were absolutely stunning to read and parts that were a slog. I enjoyed myself but I'm not running to recommend it to friends.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC!

I did enjoy this book, and the concept of it sounded amazing, however I'm not sure that it was executed how I would have liked. The writing was beautiful and stories that span over long timelines are stories that I actively seek. I think my issue and why I didn't enjoy this as much as I wanted was the lack of plot and character development. The book excelled in aesthetics but lacked the growth and substance I had hoped for. I also really wanted some angst in the romance and I just didn't feel it.

I am big fan of Nghi Vo's Singing Hill's Cycle and look forward to more installments in that series, as well as any future projects! If you enjoyed books like The Witch's Heart or even Circe, you might enjoy this!o

Such a beautiful, lyrical, and unique novella. I found the reading experience of this to be similar to This Is How You Lose the Time War,though I personally connected with the story/world/characters of this novella more. It's a slow, melancholy, and occasionally vague story that may not work for everyone (it's a weird little book, but I mean that affectionately). When I started, I wasn't sure how I felt about it and then after a few chapters I felt like a switch flipped and I was hooked.

It's a love story about a demon and an angel but first and foremost it's a love story about a demon and the city she cares for. The writing is evocative and I was impressed with how invested I became in this story with such a short page count. I loved the stories about the city of Azril and its people and I loved Vitrine and her complicated relationship with the angel who destroyed her beloved city. I also feel that this novella has one of the best depictions of immortal supernatural beings I've read in a while. I loved the contrast between the quick lives of the humans of Azril and the slow, centuries-long evolution of the relationship between Vitrine and the angel.

In the acknowledgements, Nghi Vo calls this her "pandemic book" and that is clear in the themes of this book. This is a story about isolation and grief amidst catastrophe and how to keep going when your world has been irrevocably changed. It's a story that really worked for me and I think it will also work for a lot of readers (particularly if they enjoy literary fantasy).

I read the authors note after I finished only to find the phrase, "have you ever wondered about f****** a library,' and even if I hadn't loved it the whole time, that would have sold me on this book.

This is a very different type of story to Vo's other novellas, however, I think the writing is still the same and brings the same feelings as the Singing Hills. It is a story of a town and its resident demon and the ravages of time that destroy and also rebuild. I liked the personification of the town through the relationship between the devil and the angel. It has the same feeling as Invisible Cities, but with a more accessible writing style.

Nghi Vo is an author that I don't hesitate to try whatever they come out with, and this absolutely did not let me down!

After angels raze the once-dazzling city of Azril to the ground, the demon Vitrine tries to rebuild her city as an exiled angel seeks her forgiveness.

The City in Glass by Nghi Vo is a beautiful gem of a novella—written with evocative, vivid prose that brings the city of Azril and its inhabitants to life.

It’s a richly imaginative and heartfelt story about immortality, grief, and forbidden love. The demons in this world are grounded and sentimental, and you can’t help but feel for Vitrine.

This is a sweeping tale that covers the course of centuries. Due to this nature, the pacing can be slow at times. It’s the true definition of a slowburn. However, if you’re in the mood for a quieter, more contemplative fantasy, this one will hit the spot.

Nghi Vo does not miss. This is probably going to be my favorite read of the year. I have not stopped talking about it to everyone that is near.
It's so achingly beautiful. Vitrine and Azril are everything to be currently.

DNF .... I tried and tried and tired. I just couldn't get into the groove of the writing on this one. I wanted so badly to like and finish this book and no matter how many times I started it I couldn't get past the first chapter. I'll probably give it another go next year but for now, this one goes in the DNF pile.

If Italo Calvino wrote Good Omens (but as lyrical and haunting as only Nghi Vo can do).

I think that sounds a little trite but honestly this book felt so <i>new</i>, so fresh and experimental and so, so rich and replete with love and magic and history both epic and intimate in scale, each time I picked it up to read a little more, it felt like taking little intoxicating sips of an ocean's worth of drink. Crystalline, inexorable, mesmerizing, a bewitching joy to read.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

dnf @ 16%


This was my most-anticipated novella of the year, & unfortunately it didn't work for me, which I'm v upset about. The prose is lush and precise and very well-done, but I just didn't find myself connecting the way I have with the last few works I've read from this author. (I suspect that may be in part because the previous books I've read from Vo were in 1st person, whereas this one is in 3rd person.)

Absolutely plan to read more from this author in the future, but this one sadly didn't click with me. :(

The City in Glass follows a Demon, Vitrine, and an unnamed Angel in a fallen city, Azril. Vitrine hopes to bring that city, the one she nurtured for ages, back to its height. 

This was a highly emotional book. It begins with the end of Azril, the demon’s city, and from there, it's a slow burn of growth. Dreamlike in its storytelling, the prose is beautiful and tells us of the people and places where rubble now rests. Nghi Vo is a master at drawing you in with her craft.

The plot and character development were a bit weak here. Plotwise, if you’re into more of a jumping, non-linear narrative that leaves some to the imagination, this is your book. Otherwise, you might be confused. In terms of character development, I was left with questions and overall wanted more acknowledgment of changes in the characters that led to the final pages. 

Thank you Tor Publishing and Net galley for the opportunity to read this arc!

I've got my full review up on halfextinguishedthoughts.com

Well! I don’t have much to say about this one. Reading The City in Glass felt like reading something new, something a little different, but something comprised mostly of style rather than substance. Nghi Vo’s incisive prose continues to shine here. You won’t be disappointed if you’ve enjoyed her other writing. Vitrine makes a fascinating protagonist. I loved the grand time scale over which the story takes places. Vitrine engages in tasks only a powerful immortal being could complete, spending months or years to complete a singlular task of manual labour. Seeing the city’s rebirth over hundreds of years and following families through generations humanizes both Vitrine and the city itself.

I have mixed feelings on stories which feature angels and demons yet don’t specifically define either within the context of the story. I would have loved to learn why angels sack Azril, or what the ongoing relationship between angels and demons at large it, or to whom (if anyone) they report, but I suppose I’ll accept that those details don’t matter for this story. Comments about Vitrine’s siblings (and an apperance by one) intrigued me but didn’t reveal much further. What I tried to keep in mind is that The City in Glass is ultimately a love story between one demon and one angel. An atypical love story (and not simply for the fact it’s between an angel and a demon) but a love story nonetheless. So that’s what the story focuses on – the relationship between those two alone.

The Bottom Line 💭: Another hit from Vo that feels more experimental than anything else I’ve yet read by her, The City in Glass is one to pick up if you prefer character and setting over plot and action.

This book was all atmosphere in a very unique way. I enjoyed my time with this book, but I didn’t absolutely love it as much as I wanted to. If you are a reader who is there for the vibes and atmosphere, this is definitely worth checking out.

another five star read from a nghi vo book nobody is surprised. i loved everything about this book, from the setting to the story and more

Nghi Vo writes such interesting stories, and this one was no different, with a demon and an angel fighting over the destruction of a city. However, I do always find the writing somewhat difficult to follow, and I think this is a me problem. I probably tend toward somewhat easier fantasy style writing, but I do always admire Vo's writing.