This book leaves me feeling very conflicted.

The premise is about the cursed Everly's and how once a generation, an Everly goes missing.

The set up to the story is great. The prologue draws you in and sets the scene of uncovering what has plagued the Everly's for generations.

This book reads like a movie. That's the best way that I can think to describe it. It's third person narration, but it's not from any set point of few. It skips around from all the characters' perspectives, so you know way more than the lead characters for most of the book. The majority of it is set from Violet Everly's perspective, as she's the one who is determined to find her mother and break their curse.

I often found myself not immersed in the book, because we would get the story moved along by another perspective while Violet was on her adventure, and we missed so much of her character's development because of it. The same goes for Aleksander, though some of his development is explained a bit more later on in the book. Penelope, our villain, appears as evil incarnate, though some of that changes over time and when you see her compared to others like her.

This story is wrought with extremely flawed characters, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there wasn't much chance for redemption for those flaws, as the story just moved along. The ending I was rather expecting, yet not everything was set in stone, so you get to draw your own conclusions to a few things. I both like and dislike that equally.

There were some very unique things about this world, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I just wish that we learned more. Also, I found myself forgetting that I wasn't reading a young adult book, because it felt like one the entire time.

I give this book more of a 3.75 but will round up to 4, as I know there will be so many who truly love this book. It's not entirely my cup of tea, but it's not bad by any means.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an early copy of this book. I will admit that initially I only requested this based on the cover, and then moved up its priority on my TBR due to special editions. Based on the synopsis though, I really did think that this was going to be something I would enjoy. However, I really didn't like this one all that much.

For starters, I am hopeful that this is just in the ARC copy, but the constant switching of POVs in a single chapter with not even a space in between to distinguish them from one another was super jarring.

My next complaint was that this book too way too long to get started. NOTHING happens in the first thirty percent of the book, and by the time Violet starts her adventure, I was already not invested. Also, FORTY-SIX important weeks take place off page and we just pick up nearly a year later and she's already deep into her quest and has made progress we don't get to see at all. I feel like the pacing really could have used some more work here.

Then there is the romance. This was just not it for me... Violet isn't even her own person. She's naive and sheltered and a bit pathetic. She doesn't even stand on her own as a character well. So to have a love interest that was also as equally uninspired and uninteresting, was annoying. I think that this could have been a friendship with two more well rounded characters working towards a common goal, and perhaps I would have bought into that storyline a bit more. There was no chemistry here and I feel like a romance was just added for the sake of it when it truly didn't add anything to the story whatsoever.

I think that's what was wrong with all of the characters here. Not a single character, not even Penelope, is developed or well rounded. They didn't feel evil. They didn't feel scared. They didn't feel real, or smart, or their actions didn't make sense for their storylines. It just needed a lot more motivation and details to make these characters stand out. Because truthfully, they are all just kind of bland and boring. You could switch out Caspian (if that was even his name, I honestly can't remember at this point and I JUST finished this book minutes ago) with Aleksander and it literally wouldn't have changed the story one bit. The uncles? Might as well have been one man. The scholars and even to include Marianne, THE MOTHER? All pointless side characters.

Also, maybe I am wrong here, but there is almost no world building to speak of. For a story that predominantly takes place in real life cities, I felt like that fantasy aspect should have been a lot more developed. It kind of just lacked details and descriptions and anything to make it feel REAL.

Based on the books rating, it does seem that I am in the minority here, so I sincerely hope that others pick this one up and love it. It just didn't really work for me.

Beautiful, unique world with writing that sucked me in immediately! Love a well executed modern fantasy.

Thank you Netgalley and Redhook Books for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First of all, the prose is beautiful, with descriptions that immerse you in the world and story. The premise of the story is so intriguing - magical doors, dark academia-esque vibes, and an interesting magic system. The ending was sweet, and I liked how it still left a hint of the mystery, allowing the characters to live on in your mind.

I do wish the magic system and the scholars backstory was more fleshed out, as I was left with more questions than answers on why they were so central to the story. The plot felt a bit discombobulated at times, leaving me a bit confused as to what timeline we were following and a bit disappointed that we didn’t follow Violet’s journey in more detail. I also did not care all that much about the characters by the end, and I wish that the characters were more built into the story. Also, I wanted more descriptions of what each character looked like (this might just be my personal preference), as that also helps me connect more with characters typically. The romance felt kinda rushed and forced, and I wished it was explored a bit further.

Overall, this is an amazing debut novel! I think a lot of the things that I made note of are not uncommon in debut novels, and I am excited to see what Georgia Summers writes next!

This book felt like a fever dream but in a good way. I absolutely enjoyed the plot and the magic. The thought of using keys to travel around worlds is really fun. The mystery of where Violet's mother went and what the curse on their family is really about had me engaged the entire time. The only reason why this wasn't five stars for me was that it was really confusing. I had to reread sections because I didn't quite grasp what was going on? There was a part where I thought Violet had a key but she actually didn't. I'm still confused about the resolution of where Violet's mother is... but all in all I had a good time in this world and with the characters. I can say without a doubt that this would do well with a film or limited series adaption.

I'm also confused how it isn't considered YA? It didn't read very adult to me.

Overall this is a 3.5 star read for me.

Our FMC, Violet Everly, has detailed and at times somewhat comical inner and outer monologue that has a way of making you route for her. But, her utter lack of any standout or original personality takes away from that making her nearly unlikable.

The world is whimsical and beautiful the way the author pens its tapestry to life.

The third person narrative was hard to grab on to. It put the story just out of reach making it hard to really get into fully. So immersion for me into this beautiful landscape of a fantasy was lacking. Something I found immensely disappointing as I wanted to fall into this and relish in the world building that is there in the prose.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes or love The Starless Sea as I get that kind of vibe from it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this E-ARC of, The City Of Stardust by author Georgia Summers. I will be rounding up to 4stars for goodreads purposes.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC.
See my video review of this book here: https://youtu.be/LDJEZ_yDo0Q?si=DjBMGzqk3FRl-jUH
4.5 out of 5 stars

On a rainy night, Marianne Everly vanished into thin air, leaving her brothers, Gabriel and Ambrose, to watch over her daughter, Violet. Gabriel leaves it to Ambrose to raise Violet while he travels the world looking for clues as to where Marianne might have gone, for once a generation, a starry god comes to claim blood for a debt owed by an Everly ancestor who eluded that debt. Penelope comes to visit Ambrose and reminds him of Marianne's debt and, now that she knows of Violet's existence, wants to take Violet in Marianne's place. Ambrose cannot bear it. Violet has become like a most beloved daughter to him. Penelope offers him this: find Marianne in 10 years' time, or she will come for Violet.

Meanwhile, a curly-haired somber boy dazzles Violet with reveurite - the metal of the gods, and he molds it into bird and galaxies. Penelope, seeing her assistant, Aleksander, so frivolous with showing off the reveurite, is angered, and they depart.

By the time Violet finds out about the curse/debt, she does not have a lot of time left. But Aleksander has come back, with stories of Fidelis, another world, and of reveurite and scholars from Fidelis, dazzling Violet once more. Violet believes she convinces Aleksander to take her to Fidelis once, just to see, but he leaves to get Penelope's key, and does not return.

Angry, betrayed, and believing she is alone, Violet begins her quest to either find her mother, or break the curse. She will find herself talking to gods chained in basements of abandoned buildings, guarding a door to yet another world, and more - all of them so different from what she expected. For they are not benevolent, altruistic beings. They are violent, selfish, and so devastatingly scary.

A phenomenal debut novel. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

Wonderfully original concept, fascinating world-building, compelling & complex characters, all wrapped in a well-written package. I couldn’t put it down!

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of a daughter searching for a long lost mother, doors to different worlds, and astral gods in disguise amongst us hooked me right away, but the execution left me wanting.

The author’s prose is elegant and whimsical, which made for an enchanting reading experience. And the pacing is just right. The story’s setting, however, is always changing to a different part of the world. Yet, it is limited to cafes, museums, back alleys and undergrounds. Though we are told much about Fidelis (the city of scholars) we spend hardly any time there and I didn’t feel enmeshed in the magic and mysticism like I should have.

The characters are varied but bland, with the exception of Penelope and the ever elusive Marianne who are both seeking other worlds. And I wonder why the story isn’t mainly from these complementary perspectives? A missed opportunity, perhaps.

Instead, we follow Violet who is Marianne’s daughter. She is traumatized by her mother’s disappearance, fascinated by the scholars of Fidelis, and somehow special although she never seems like it. She is naive and gullible, yet sharp when it is convenient for the plot, which makes her a frustrating character to root for.

And Aleksander, who is Penelope’s apprentice. He is desperate to be a scholar and is harboring feelings for Violet (and she for him), but finds every excuse to betray her trust. And as he is constantly kowtowing to Penelope, he becomes all too easy to dislike.

Somehow, there’s a romance growing between them that we’re supposed to take serisouly, but I couldn’t. The chemistry was forced between two characters completely wrong for each other.

Some reviewers found the ending abrupt, but not me. It was, however, anticipated. So there were no surprises, and if you prefer an easy out to a conflict, you’ll be satisfied.

Overall, this story has potential. I didn’t love it or hate it exactly. I admit I was entertained. I look forward to reading the author’s next work.

Final rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Violet Everly’s family is cursed. Ever since her mother left her and her uncles to break it, it’s all she’s ever been sure of. But too many years have passed — her mother has yet to return, and a pact and blood debt has to be paid. What will Violet discover as she meets someone greater than her sheltered world? Someone who exposes her to the dark secrets of a mysterious magical existence?

This novel has a unique magical world that is both dark and mysterious. The author does a great job of slowly exposing you to the fantastical through the eyes of Violet. She has lived most of her life in the dark just hearing the edges of conversations in her home. Violet’s naivety and cunning balance each other and really keep the reader turning pages to see what unfolds next. Her counter part, Alexander, adds a different perspective that also drives the story.

There is much that I’m still eager to know about this place that the author created. A few times the story thread fell flat, however for the most part, I really enjoyed this read. 4 stars.

Thank you Redhook Books/Orbit and NetGalley for sending a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I loved all the adventure feels of this book! I appreciated that all the characters were imperfect, had flaws, and didn’t always make the choices you might want them too. It made some of the twists and turns harder to predict and made the characters feel more like real people. From magic cities, doorways, secret societies, underground groups, epic scenery, and distinctive choices to grow and be better than those before you this book has it all!! It’s incredibly well written!

I was given this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

****There are spoilers in this review****

I really liked the premise of this story. Individuals that can travel between worlds, with a magic element. Yes, I'm in.

However, I felt like there were a lot of inconsistencies. Like if all she needed was Everly blood and she'd been taking the most powerful individual every generation for thousands of years how had Penelope not gotten home? Why not take her Uncle and allow Violet to continue on the Everly line? Why does the main character take blame for things like Yuri, when that was definitely not her fault?

Also, being a mother I can't imagine ever leaving my daughter to the fate I knew was coming to save my own skin. I would burn the world down for her.

The MC is too gullible and trusting falling for lies again and again. But questioning weird inconsistencies in her life. I just felt like there could've been more. More character development, more world exploration and development. Just more.

I give it 3.75 ⭐

If Rebecca Ross and Erin Morgenstern had a child and they wrote a debut portal romantasy with a dark edge, I think The City of Stardust would be the result.

I had coffee with a lit professor (who was also an author) once and he said, in his opinion, every story told was essentially just The Odyssey retold in an infinite number of ways. The City of Stardust definitely has that flavor: From character names to a protagonist that sets off on a long journey from home only to return and find it changed from what she once knew, this novel had me captivated from the start.

Georgia Summers has a lovely way with prose. The sentence structure is very reminiscent of Morgenstern, while the imagery feels closer to Ross. While the book definitely lacks the experience of both of those writers it doesn’t suffer overmuch for it. I loved the world building for how it felt both Gaiman-esque and for how it reminded me of my favorite novel, The Starless Sea. The plotting felt impeccable and the pacing was steady.

The whole cast of characters was great. An antagonist worth despising and understanding, protagonists you can both identify with and love, and a large supporting cast that feels distinct and contributes considerably to the entire story without feeling extraneous.

The underlying themes of parental neglect, abandonment, family, secrets, cages, debts, adventure, stories, and the pursuit of knowledge are all well-explored and layered in myriad ways throughout the book and it makes for an excellent tapestry when all is said and done. I loved how the book wrapped up too. Not too neat, not too messy. It was wonderful.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Dark Fantasy/Fantasy/Romantasy/LGBTQ Fantasy/Standalone/Urban Fantasy

Characters: 5/5
I loved Violet Everly and her inquisitive nature. I was rooting for her the entire book, as she was an extremely likable character. Aleksander is also such a complicated character. His actions, while easy to understand the motivation behind them, made me want better for Violet.

Penelope was one of the best villains I have read in a minute. She was ruthless and had a steadfast goal, and she did not let anyone get in her way. I also loved Yury’s interludes as his character had a terribly sad backstory.


Story/Plot: 4/5
I loved the mystery of this book, from page one I wanted more details about the world and the magic. It was hard to acquire morsels of the world as Violet’s questions in her early years are dodged constantly. I felt her frustration! Then as an adult she learns things, but we as the reader still do not. I thought the pacing was good, and I was given just enough to keep me wondering and engaged until the end.


Writing: 5/5
The writing was really easy to follow, while also having gorgeous prose. The different perspectives really added different things to the book and each character felt distinct. It was highly atmospheric and the world building was some of the most unique I have read in a while. Some things about it did read a little YA or maybe New Adult, but that did not detract from my enjoyment.


Final Verdict: 5/5
I loved this story and will absolutely read future books by Georgia Summers in the future!!


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Redhook for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers. The plot was intriguing and the writing was beautiful. The reason I am not giving five stars is that there was just something about it that wasn't quite complete. While the world-building was thorough and interesting, the events of the story didn't quite flow together. I always felt like there was something the author didn't fully convey that would have made the story feel more complete. However, I think that Summers has huge potential and I'm looking forward to future novels!

This book is a grown up fairy tale with overabundant and lush writing that reminds me of The Night Circus.Truly a magical read.

I felt that the romance was not quite as well done as I'd hoped, as I could not understand Violet's feelings. And I do wish we would have had more closure around her mother than we recieved.

But honestly none of these things make it a bad read, and this strong (and a bit dark) fantasy will draw in book lovers of all kinds. The writing itself is well crafted and will draw you right in.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for advanced access.

I really liked this book, it was a little choppy and disjointed at times but I feel like this was due to 1 an intentional decision to reflect Violets journey and 2 weird formating in the digital ARC

That being said I got over it and I really liked the book. I just have one complaint and I wanted to know for sure who violets father was, I assume Tamriel but
I feel like there could be a sequel about rebuilding the world's but it's also complete without it.

First of all, I just have to share that I love the cover! It made me dream.
Now, I gave this novel 3.75 stars (rounded to 4 thanks to the cover). The writing is beautiful, and some images are just mesmerizing. But, the style took me a little time to get used to it.
*
I love the world Georgia Summers created, and I liked getting immersed in it. The characters are complex, and I must say I loved the two uncles, Ambrose and Gabriel.
*
However: there are too many unanswered questions for me. And even the answered question were not straight away answered. I don't mind mystery here and there. I even love when I have to think to guess the reasons and some elements of the plot before the characters figure it out. Then at some point, I want to know if I got it right or wrong. But not having definite conclusion about what's going on is frustrating. Unfortunately, the feeling lasted until the end. I still want answers, although it doesn't look like there is a sequel. And even if there was, I still would have preferred to have more hints in this one.

Thank you, Georgia Summers, NetGalley, and Redhook Books for the e-ARC.

I loved this book! It’s dark and whimsical. The story is very well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

This was a delightful whimsical story. I am impressed by this debut. The writing makes you slowdown and savor the words. I found myself reading some sentences twice because they were that intriguing. Overall, a good read.