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

I greatly enjoyed the lore and world building that Summers built. Summers' writing was wonderfully descriptive and added to the fairytale quality of the world building. I would love to know more of the history that gets threaded through the entire work. That's where I think the book really shines.

As for the characters, I wish that they were a little more flushed out. I always felt that their depth and potential was just offscreen. I still enjoyed them but they needed just a bit more, a little more oomph. I would have loved to see Violet really dig into the world that she was searching for a little more. I think this is the reason that it took me a little bit to actually get into the overall plot.

Overall, I liked it and enjoyed the read.

There was so much about this book that I loved. The slow lore building and the feeling of intensity growing as the story went on. I really enjoyed the main character, she reminded me a little bit of who I think Maggie from Inkheart would be older. The book is broken up into 5 parts, and normally that's a lot, but it worked very well here. The entire ending was incredible. I loved the way that there were so many seemingly random POVs throughout.

While I loved a lot of this book, at times I felt it struggled with what it wanted to be. Did it want to be a lore heavy fantasy or a love story? I'm not saying it couldn't be both, but the love itself felt a little shallow at times when the world building was strongest, and the love felt the deepest when the world building was weak. I'm not sure if that makes sense and it really isn't bad, it's just something that I feel like was a bit of a struggle at times.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for the ARC. I was excited to read this book, based on the cover and the description. However, I think I got a different impression from the description compared to what the book is actually about. While the author has quite lovely prose, the parts I managed to read had nothing really happen in them, so it was kind of boring for me.

This plot had a lot of potential, but I just don’t think it was executed well. I feel like there was a lot of unnecessary details during the very slow beginning and then as soon as it started to pick up, all the high intensity scenes were just kind of rushed though and glazed over. (every conflict was resolved very easy and quickly.) This led to the plot getting really muddy and hard to follow.

The majority of the plot revolves around the FMCs mother and finding her but this never goes anywhere in the story and has nothing to do with the resolution. There were a lot of loose ends that just left me wanting way more than what we got.

This entire book was very meh and was just not for me.

Violet Everly happened to be born into a family that owed a debt. A debt from long ago. Violet's mother, Marianne, vanishes without a trace. The debt now falls on Violet to pay, unless she can find her mom and break the curse. Violet's brother's have sheltered her, in the hope that she wouldn't be found. When Penelope comes to collect her debt, Violet is thrown into a world of magical keys, scholars, new worlds, monsters, and the unknown.
I was drawn into this book by the cover art and the title. I thought it sounded very interesting! I did like the idea behind the plot. I loved the concept of the keys and the new worlds they could open up. I loved Violet and her journey to understanding her past and present. The storyline with her mom left me feeling sad and I was rooting for her the whole time. I also fell in love with her brothers, especially Ambrose, because he seemed to really do his best he could with the predicament he was given.
I thought the beginning of the story was well written. A bit slow, but it did pull me in and made me want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. I did feel like the end felt a bit rushed and that it was over much too quickly. I finished the book wanting more and asking a lot of questions.
I liked Aleksander. I could understand why he made the choices he made. It seemed he was going through a journey of self discovery as well. I thought their story, although rough at times, was sweet and made sense by the end.
The world building could of been better. I thought it started out strong, but as the story progressed I felt like I wanted more building of the worlds the keys could unlock.
Overall, I did enjoy this story and thought it was a nice read! There were some original ideas and I really did fall in love with Violet. The amount of growth she went through as a character was huge and I enjoyed reading about her journey!

I appreciate the beauty of this story and the prose found within, however, I was so sad about being disappointed by the overall product.

The story starts off so promising with luscious prose and aesthetics that I felt immediately enthralled by the fairytale-esque nature of the prologue. It is a love letter to stories and to those who read to seek adventure and the premise is stunning and promising. However, I quickly found that the story being told was not really the one I thought it'd be and was left wanting.

I love the idea of a quest to a lost city, scholars and blood-thirsty academia, fickle gods and monsters, and yet I was rather bored during most the the book. I was also confused because some of the plot holes were still not answered by 75% of the book and I'm still not sure I have answers to the crucial questions. I still don't quite understand the generational curse, nor do I still know what really happened to Marianne. This confusion added to the lack of overall understanding of the plot since finding answers to these questions is all our FMC, Violet, sets off to do. Maybe there were just too many POVs because it removed me from connecting with Violet. She wasn't as fleshed out as Alexsander and I found that to be unfortunate as she was the true hero of the story, the quest her purpose. There just wasn't enough tension or conflict/action driving the plot forward, with many of the chapters simply Violet going from one city to another, and this left the story feeling slightly hilted.

I was also not convinced by Violet and Aleksander's relationship and I believe this is because both of them on their own are flimsy, their motivations not fleshed out enough, and so when brought together, they don't hold true to themselves, and thus each other. I particularly didn't like Aleksander's character arc, I found him to be a weak "morally grey" character and though I wished to sympathize with him and his lack of choices, I only grew frustrated with how he was treating Violet. Violet, on the other hand, lacked dimension and honestly even a personality outside of her longing for adventure. When they were together, I did not know why they liked each other at all and so their development from a platonic relationship to that of a romantic one seemed to spring out of nowhere.

Still, there were some great passages of the aesthetic of this novel and I did appreciate the structure and ode to storytelling. Overall, this was a promising debut and I will be reading Summer's next novel.

Thank you to the Publishers and Net Galley for this free arc in turn for an honest review.

I was sure when I picked this book that I would enjoy it and I'm so glad I was right. The worldbuilding was amazing; it was dark and mysterious and the real reason I was pulled into the story. I’m not the biggest fan of stories being told in the third person but didn’t mind it in this case.

I felt like the pacing of the book could have been a bit quicker and I wasn’t thrilled about how long Violet was kept in the dark when we the reader’s knew the truth. I would have preferred to
learn when she did or vice versa. I enjoyed Alekander’s storyline and seeing him unlearn everything he’d been told his whole life. The romance aspect of this story isnt as prominent as I thought it would be so keep that in mind if you’re looking for something rooted heavily in romance!

Overall, this was a lovely read and I would definitely recommend it. I saw reviews comparing this to the His Dark Materials series and I totally agree; if that was something you enjoyed 100% read this!

Rating 2.5

I loved thw beginning, but at around forty percent it got boring and never really got any better from there. The chapters are short though, so it made it easier to get through the rest of the book.

This was an absolutely beautiful and imaginative fantasy novel. The plot was extremely unique, the characters intriguing and the prose expertly switched between delicate descriptors and gruesome depictions. While I highly enjoyed this novel, there were a few things I found lacking, and therefore impeded a 5 star rating. The first (and this may be an ARC issue) is that paragraphs will jump from POV to POV. Typically these would be divided by a paragraph separator or embellishment of some kind. I am hoping the author plans to add that in to the final copy. Additionally, this book was dripping in detail. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, I found that the details focused heavily on the areas I did not need over-explanation and lacked in the areas where I desired it.

What a book! This needs to be on everyone’s list of most anticipated Fantasy book releases of 2024. If you are a fan of Addie LaRue or Starling House, this book is for you. With alluring prose, Summers weaves a story of love, longing, loss, and adventure. There are fallen stars, missing mothers, secret realms with secret societies who control them, and bargains that shape the history of the world. For the first 20 years of her life, Violet Everly is hidden away while her uncles desperately try to find a way out of a millennia-long bargain with the Everly family. But when Aleksander, the assistant to the leader of a magical realm, shows up, everything Violet know is turned on it’s head and begins an adventure to save herself, her family, and the complicated relationship budding between her and Aleksander.

Thank you NetGalley, Redhook Books, and Orbit Books for sending me this ARC on behalf of Georgia Summers!

I was first intrigued by this book because it was advertised as being perfect for fans of Starless Sea and while I have not read that book, I am very familiar with Erin Morgenstern's writing and knew I'd enjoy Georgia Summers's City of Stardust!

The writing style is very reminiscent of Erin Morgenstern's and I absolutely enjoyed reading it! The details and descriptions were very beautiful and I highlighted a few lines because I felt they were beautiful:

"But she grew up on a feast of fairy tales and myths; there is always blood."

"What else is a curse but this? Love, stretched and warped beyond all meaning."

I really enjoyed how throughout the book there were different versions of the same legend, each one getting a bit more twisted as we got to a new section! It helped add to the mystery and intrigue of the lore of the Everly curse.

Overall I enjoyed this book!

In a world where secret doorways open paths to new magical worlds, past secrets, and harrowing truths, The City of Stardust ensnares readers with an adventurous, thrilling tale through dreamy, fairytale-like prose and a wintery faraway setting.

For generations, the Everly family has been plagued with a haunting curse, causing the brightest and most talented in their family to suddenly disappear. Growing up, Violet has seen the destruction and impact the curse has on her family, and she is determined to break the cycle no matter the cost.

Right away, this felt like falling into a fairytale, stepping through a wardrobe, and wandering into an enchanted and mysterious fantasy. With Summers’s beautiful, whimsical prose and alluring imagery, the pages of this novel seemed to drift to life—making the characters and their journeys feel much like the structure of the story, fading in one second and stepping into another doorway the next. It was such a fun, unique experience reminiscent of the vibes from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Starling House, and Narnia.

I loved the themes of gods and monsters, dreams and nightmares, and love and betrayal. It created such a storybook-like tale and felt so immersive.

If you’re looking for your next wintery fantasy escape, look no further and add this book to your lists.

3.75/5

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

*Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.*

3.5⭐ rounded up.

I wanted to love this book so much, but something just felt like it was missing. This was still a good book and I enjoyed reading it, but it just slightly missed the mark for me.

The characters are all written so well. I loved going on the journey with Violet to discover all the things that were kept from her and to find her mother. I also really loved her uncles and how willing they were to take care of and protect her, especially Ambrose.

Aleksander was a character I had a love/hate relationship with because it seemed like he couldn't decide whose side he was on. With his traumatic background, I do not blame him for anything. He was doing the best he could with the information he had.

Don't go into this thinking it is a romantic fantasy book because there is very little romance. This may be where the book fell short for me. I got the feeling it was meant to be a slow burn, but it was a slow burn with very little build-up and tension. This had the potential to be such a cute slow burn, but in my opinion, it needed more tension to be effective.

The plot of the book was interesting. The villain was so easy to hate, especially toward the end of the book. I think there were times when certain things were supposed to be shocking, but for the most part, the plot was predictable and not super unique.

I did still enjoy the book because of how well the characters were written. I also really wish that Fidelis was a place I could go see. This was a quick read, and I think it could be a 5-star for people who don't care for the romance in fantasy books.

The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers is a fast-paced fantasy novel that centers around a family curse, magic, fairytales, and monsters.

On the surface, The City of Stardust has everything I want in a fantasy novel–a strong female protagonist, magic, monsters, and a decent villain. However, in the end, I felt the novel was a letdown.

"Once upon a time, in a magical city on a distant shore, lived Ever Everly."

Violet Everly grew up in seclusion, kept secret from the world, with no explanation. At the age of 10, her mother leaves, and her uncles Ambrose and Gabriel take over her care. Slowly, Violet becomes aware of the family curse, and the reasons for her mother's departure.

While the family curse is ultimately explained, in my opinion, it still left a lot of gaping plot holes. Throughout the story, we find Violet following the trail left by her mother Marianne, and this is also a huge letdown. Although I suppose the door is open for a follow-up novel that tells Marianne's story.

For a novel with magic at its center, we see very little of the magic. The story focuses on the Everly curse and the search for the City of Stardust. The magic is almost an afterthought, which is too bad.

I wanted to love this book, everything from the cover (because let's be real I pick books mainly because of the cover) and of course the synonyms. I was really excited about City of Stardust but I was a little bit let down.
I had kind of a hard time connecting to the characters. And also the story didn’t keep me wanting to come back. It was rushed and kind of unfinished.

This sounded super promising to me and I'm super bummed I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. I feel like because the POVs were third person I never connected to any of the characters (I'm not even sure I liked any of them honestly) and it jumped around between all the characters (even minor ones) too much for me (probably the digital ARC I had didn't help because the spacing wasn't finalized and thus made it more confusing for me to figure out what character we were with then, but I digress). I also felt as if the story took a while to actually get to the quest of trying to break the curse - it was probably 25% in when that finally happened and by that point I wasn't too interested anymore.

The cover was super beautiful and I think this book will find an audience that loves it. If you're a fan of Erin Morgenstern or V. E. Schwab this will probably be more up your alley!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

This was a beautiful, beautiful book. The prose! The PROSE! I definitely knew I would love this book from the first page.

It's a tale of magic, mystery, and a family curse. Each sentence flows so well and weaves an enchanting story. As I was reading, I was reminded of Strange the Dreamer, one of my favorite books. To put it simply, this is one of the best debuts I've ever read, and I will read anything Georgia Summers writes next.

Who doesn’t love a good story about doors that lead to magical worlds, a family curse and endless mysteries?! This book provided all of this and more!

Violet Everly, was meant to stay a secret so she could have a normal life away from the family curse. But secrets don’t always stay secrets, do they? Her uncles hoping to buy time for Violet, make a deal. When things come to a head, and the family curse is revealed Violet is thrust into a world of magic, adventure and heartache; and she vows to find a way to break the curse or die trying.

The world building is beautiful and felt original. The was a potential romance dynamic I wish was explored a bit more but this wasn’t a story of romance so I get it! The book did tend to slow down in some parts. And there are some questions left unanswered and relationships left unexplored, but I enjoyed this one a lot!

The City of Stardust transports the reader to a wonderfully celestial world that is unlike any I’ve ever read before. This book has such a unique concept and Georgia Summers executes it so well.

Although the book may start slow for some, once it starts there is no stopping. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what could be next.

A wonderful celestial fantasy book that I would 1000% recommend to anyone.

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

DNF @ 11%

The prologue and premise was very intriguing but the whimsical writing style, character jumps, and all around vagueness without any help of an explanation lost me.
At chapter 6 I didn’t care anymore.

I’m sure the writing will work for others, it’s just not for me.