The City of Stardust is a dark fantasy set in a magical underworld full of curses, monsters, love and revenge.

City of Stardust, by Georgia Summers
The cover art caught me eye but it was the synopsis that made me click the request button!

I do love a spellbinding, curse ridden, family drama, and I absolutely love the name Violet!

This year-long mission to lift the family curse was less rushed than I anticipated but still managed to keep my attention. That said, I would have loved to have had more - more character depth (maybe a dash of spice in the tortured romance department) and more world building. There is a lot that could be mined from this author’s concept and storyline.

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for my advanced digital copy to read and review.

I love a standalone fantasy! They’re not daunting and I love how concise they are.

I liked this, but I can’t say it was a standout. The premise is right up my alley and I liked the writing- it was very pretty.

It did feel a bit disjointed though. There was a lot to keep track of and I feel like not everything came together but also came together too easily?

The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers is a spellbinding standalone portal fantasy and the author's debut.

The Everly family has been cursed for so long they are unsure why it started. The best and brightest in every generation disappears as punishment for a for a crime nobody remembers, and a purpose nobody understands.

I initially picked this book up because it was blurbed by Sangu Mandanna and was compared to other authors with dark worldbuilding whom I have enjoyed in the past. Also, this cover is phenomenal, and the naked hardcover is really pretty as well.

It does really feel like a dark fairy tale; that vibe came through very strongly to me. The author's prose is lush and lyrical, which is optimal for me for these kinds of stories. I appreciated the thorough plot line though I think the first half especially could have been tightened up a bit more in editing. It does lean a little more in the New Adult direction, as our main characters are in their early 20s.

The worldbuilding was really interesting to me, with magic doors and even more magical keys, oaths signed in blood, and gods who survive by eating human souls. There's a tinge of dark academia here, as one of the main factions are power-hungry scholars. I did greatly appreciate the casual queerness that was briefly mentioned early on in the book.

If you're a fan of dreamy books with lushly written prose, you should check this out!

CW: violence, violence towards children

fascinating and unique fantasy, loved the world building and the complexity of the characters. Also loved that it did not over explain itself to its readers

I was granted a pre-release copy of the city of stardust by Georgia Summers. Through net gallery. All opinions written here are my own. I did not receive compensation either monetarily or otherwise to write this review.
I just finished reading the city of stardust by Georgia Summers and I have to say it reminds me a lot of several books and series of books, namely The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe and, The Golden compass series. It only reminds me of these books in the ways that I love. Best bringing together fantasy with just enough of reality to make it just maybe believable why hell also being able to transport the reader to a whole other world. I really appreciate the author's use of descriptions in the scenery and in the character's emotions. In the beginning this book was a little bit hard to follow as I thought that there were holes that maybe the author should have filled in for the reader, but by the end I was glad of the way it came out. Thank you Georgia summer for letting us have just a little glimpse into this wonderful imaginary little world. I look forward to the privilege of reading your next book. Thank you very much

This was a dnf at 70 percent for me. I just did not connect with the characters or anything that was going on. I really wanted to love this story.

honestly this is sitting somewhere between a 3.5 stars and 3.75 stars for me. I really enjoyed the story and how whimsical and magical this was, while also having such a dark and sinister underlying quality to the world. It’s the embodiment of all “all that glitters is not gold.” our mc Violet Everly has been raised by her two uncles ever since her mother mysteriously disappeared as a child. No one knows where Marianne has gone or whether she’ll return, but there’s a confidence shared by all that she’s out there SOMEWHERE. We quickly learn that this family is unlike others, cursed to pay a debt each generation, owed to an ageless and powerful woman named Penelope, who shows no remorse for the devastation she’s wrought on their lives over the years. After a bargain is struck between one of her uncles and this woman, Violet is given ten years of freedom while her family searches for her mother to help break this curse, but she was left in the dark for most of this time, unaware of her magical potential and the looming deadline.

When she does discover it, she dives headfirst into the world, hellbent finding her mother and saving them both. She was such an interesting character to explore, curious and fearless in her endeavor. The premise of infinite worlds and god-like beings accessible by magical keys isn’t necessarily unique, but again the almost horror like elements added to their underbelly was so compelling. She makes allies along the way, Penelope’s apprentice Aleksander at the forefront of this, and with their help, she digs deep into the mysteries of the key holders and sheds light on some of their darkest secrets, ones that choose to willfully ignore to maintain that illusion of mystical splendor.

My biggest qualms were the timeline, which I struggled occasionally to wrap my head around, as well as the lack of real conclusion to the disappearance of Violet’s mother. I did enjoy the ending, but feel like this story feels just slightly unresolved leaving those questions hanging open. I don’t need everything answered, because I do appreciate the idea that these other worlds are unfathomable for mortals, but I think Violet herself deserved some closure for the years of abandonment she suffered through.

I really enjoyed this book. The story grabbed me immediately and kept me reading well into the night. I loved Violet and Aleksander. Their characters were great together. Overall, I loved the plot and characters and this was a magical read!

Unfortunately this story, plot, and characters just did not interest me. Will not be continuing with future books.

I wanted to love this book. The premise was great but the delivery did not work for me. I tried several times to get immersed in the story and it never fully hooked me.

[4.25/5] THE CITY OF STARDUST forges an ethereal story that rivals western fairytales of old. All Violet Everly knows is the grounds and interior of her family's aged home. Her mother disappeared years ago to avoid the family curse, so her uncles are all she has for company. Sequestered from the world, Violet turns to the comfort of academia and her imagination. But when Penelope comes calling with her assistant, Aleksander, to satisfy the Everly debt, she gives Violet ten years to find her mother. If she fails, Violet must take her place. As the clock ticks down, Violet sets off on her own and discovers a secret world of scholars, gods, and portals.

The writing in THE CITY OF STARDUST is absolutely perfect for the type of story told here. It has a dreamlike quality that doesn't sacrifice detail nor is it full of flowery prose. It tells things as they are yet witholds just enough to let the mystery of the story gently unfold. Despite the everpresent threat of time running out, Summers doesn't let that overpower the pacing or lore development. The progression of the plot and characterization are just right for the fairytale feeling Summers invokes.

THE CITY OF STARDUST is not the type of book that gives the reader privy to every thought and emotion experienced by the characters. Rather, it keeps its distance in a way the reminded me of reading a classic western fairytale. The reader generally understands what the character is going through, but there is a mysterious quality to it. It gives the sense that while you think you know what's going on, there's something just out of sight that you can't quite grasp. Typically this might frustrate me, but here it works perfectly.

Without knowing the author's intent, it really felt like her goal was to create a brand new fairytale. Personally, I think it worked. I didn't mind at all that reading about Violet's life felt like watching through a snow globe, clear yet simultaneously intangible and magical. I think this story quality also bleeds into the amount of detail provided about the world and lore.

While THE CITY OF STARDUST's celestial folklore whet my appetite, I still found myself hungry for more. I wanted to know more about the gods and the world beyond the portal. I wanted a clearer and more comprehensive ending. However, I think Summers held back on this to, again, keep in vogue with the fairytale vibe. It speaks to the uncertainty surrounding old stories where over time fact becomes legend which turns to myth so the details don't matter so much in the end. What matters instead is facing a hard thing even if the problem didn't originate with you.

Aside from the myth building, I loved flitting in and out of Violet's adventures around the world. The dark academia setting of the scholars' parties are so atmospheric. A few times I wondered how Violet knew how to do all this traveling, considering she grew up so isolated. But such is the nature of fairytales: the reader must accept things as they are. The low hum of the pull between Violet and Aleksander is everpresent, but in no way overbearing. However, most of the story focuses on Violet trying to find her mother or a way to break the curse. But a dash of pining amidst an important mission is always welcome. I would have loved to know more about Aleksander's history with Penelope, though.

While I have some wish list items for the author, I still loved this story. THE CITY OF STARDUST is perfect for those who treasure that bedtime story, but this time for adults. It pits cruel divinity against earthly determination and forgiveness. Most of all, it's about the search for family history and fighting for what you have.

The atmosphere and writing are amazing! The City of Stardust did remind me of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, but that's a big plus from me. My biggest issue was that it was hard to keep invested in the plot throughout the book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

Ugh i love freaky, weird fantasy books!! Inject this into my veins!! It’s not even all that weird, but the vibes were very immersive and just unique. It reminds me of Neil Gaiman books where you can kinda just lose yourself in the world. This is the first book I’ve read by this author so it’s a cool entry into their work!

I do a lot of reader's advisory for fantasy books and people are always looking for a great fantasy romance. I enjoyed this and will be recommending.

The City of Stardust is a very well written atmospheric fantasy adventure and the first book in a series by Georgia Summers. Released 30th Jan 2024 by Hachette on their Redhook imprint, it's 352 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.Paperback format due out in 1st quarter 2025 from the same publisher.

Told in alternating 3rd person PoV, the prose is the high point of the read. The main female protagonist is by turns extremely (annoyingly) naive and perpetually innocent which wears on the reader after a while. The book is light on world building as well, and it's not always clear when scenes/characters have shifted, yanking readers out of the story. There is also surprisingly little character depth or development, honestly.

It -reads- like a book of twice the page length, surprisingly, and the pacing is uneven, but the prose is elegantly wrought throughout. It's also bleak, bloody, and violent in places. Not a cozy read.

It's not derivative (at all), but fans of Laini Taylor and Leigh Bardugo will likely enjoy this one as well.

Three and a half stars (mostly for the odd/draggy pacing and superficial world building).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The City of Stardust is an intriguing premise. It has all the elements needed to be absolutely fantastic, but drowns itself in pacing issues and and an almost complete lack of character development.

The atmospheric and gorgeous writing drew me in to this story! I enjoyed the storyline and part mystery that was present here. Violet was a great well-rounded character. I enjoyed this book!

This book had so much potential and while I did love parts of it, it fell a bit flat for me. The world building is stunning, the plot is engaging, the main FMC showed promise but I wish I had seen a but more growth in her. I may give it another go when my mood suits it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
What if we victim blamed Maleficent and pretended to ask ourselves if that was deep? What if we took 300 pages for a man to realize he has no personality?

On my do not read list.

Pre-reading:
Lol I fully expect to hate this, but it’s a book box pick, so once more unto the breach!

Thick of it:
Immediately getting Ink Sister, 10000 Doors, Addie LaRue, Middlegame, and June Farrow. (Never didn’t get those books, and they are not my flavor of literature.)

I am never in the mood for an artsy fartsy fuck off mom book, so tread carefully. (I love going in blind to books, but it does really set me up for failure sometimes.)

Detritus sin

I'm bored.

God, I don't give a shit. I hate these kinds of books.

I gave it 5 chapters, 10%, would DNF.

I’m just picturing the yellow dog from the children’s book.

You had me til manbun.

Of course, the quirky girl drives a bug.

Do you know how hard it is to write summaries for books that purposely leave the audience in the dark?

I hate these magical generation books that are like mom promised to never have more kids but whoopsies, she had me. Take your fucking birth control. Tell your husband to wrap it. Get an abortion. Knock it off.

Here’s the thing, if you like this genre, you might be into this book. It’s not poorly written. The plot is moving. But I hate this genre.

There’s a special place in hell for people who hit kids.

I’m assuming girlypop wants to destroy the city and go home to the stars so they don’t have to have mortal bodies anymore. (Basically.)

Is this a Rapunzel retelling because she’s giving mother Gothel? (It’s more Sleeping Beauty.)

I better get an explanation for why they broke up. I will not accept maybe it was this or maybe it was that. We don’t really know, teehee. I want concrete fact, thank you. (SIGH. I feel like this exemplifies my problem with the genre. The authors are always like it’s open to interpretation! And Sam’s like I don’t want to interpret shit. Am I right or not?)

I guess phone calls and sending emails were out of the question. (You always have to suspend your disbelief in these novels about the use of technology.)

There’s a lot of plot happening off page and it’s annoying me.

If you tell me about something from the villain’s POV and then force me to hear about it again a few chapters later so that the protagonist can also know about it, I hate you.

Bitch, this is Monsters Inc. (Door/portal magic is inherently cool and yet we do nothing with it.)

Detritus sin again

Literally no point to that chapter. “I know shit. I'm not gonna tell you.” Repeat ad infinitum. I. Hate. This. Genre.

Okay, but there was nothing for him to even tell Penelope because you don’t know shit about fuck.

If she's not gonna fuck the demon, what’s even the point? (Samantha, horny jail.)

pauldron

Bitch, that’s Santa.

That gestational math is barely mathing.

I don’t like this romance. I don’t like them. I don’t like anyone in this book except maybe Caspian, and I don’t trust him.

It’s a YA so it’s a masquerade cliche.

Don’t know what’s going on. Don’t care to figure it out. (None of her globe-trotting plot even matters. It’s all filler to delay the inevitable.)

This book is really pretending that its shoestring plot is even somewhat coherent while refusing to speak plainly about anything.

There’s something vaguely Anastasia about this, but like it’s so bad.

It doesn’t exist…yet? Like does she have to make it? (I mean kinda?)

I don’t understand. This is not a romance. This man is textbook family annihilator.

Another fucking detritus sin

I feel like this book is going to ask me to reward this man for not being a villain. (Oh it most definitely is.)
Like Bestie, that’s bare minimum. Don’t be an asshole.
Or, if you’re gonna be an asshole, be a sexy asshole.

OK, but this fight already doesn’t make sense. We know she can stop time. Why doesn’t she just stop time and slit all their throats? Why has she let them live this long anyway?

This man is useless.

Is the author asking me to feel bad for this man because I hate him. He sucks. (Oh she is. Girlypop was like look male abuse rep! He’s a victim. Isn’t he soft and smooshy? We can fix him!)

I'm Gabe.

Time and place for horny!

Oh, I’m supposed to forgive him everything because he’s been abused? Bitch, please.

I probably should’ve mentioned this earlier, but I just keep getting Velaris vibes from the city, even though Fidelis I keep reading as fidelity.

Except I don’t care about any of these dead people so this gore means nothing to me. Do you know how easy it would’ve been to give him a side character bestie that made me actually give a shit about the scholars?

Everyone in this book needs a fucking tetanus shot.

Listen, it’s really just sounding like all of this was caused by a man because it’s not all men, but it is always a man.

Also, were we not supposed to know that the story was obviously about her ancestor and Penelope? Like were we supposed to be that stupid? I thought we knew that from the get-go.

Oh look, more vitally important plot happening off-page.

Bitch, we already knew!

What in the baptism was that?

Cool story, bro, throw the fucking sword anyway.

I’m sorry do you think you’re the only one with trauma?

I hate a whiny sad boy whose only redeeming quality is his girlfriend! Women are not therapists for broken men!

Time and place for horny, children. You don’t have condoms.

It just reads like you’re an abusive husband who won’t let his wife get a divorce.
And fuck the kids as long as you get to maintain your lifestyle.

It’s not that I don’t think there’s a book here, It’s just that it’s been mangled into this unreadable, incoherent garbage fire.

It’s very what if we victim blamed Maleficent?

I’m too much of a Capricorn. I’m like you made a deal, now you have to pay the price.
Oh cool, why not always be owned by a man when all you want is to escape from him?

But Sam, she murders babies! She’s a god. Your god drops houses on his worshipers, and y’all are still gung ho for his shit.

That’s it? They just die?

What if we victim blamed Maleficent and pretended it was deep?

300 goddamn pages for a man to learn he has no personality.

What do you mean ramshackle house? They literally have a trust fund.
They have fuck you, travel the world money.
Let’s not pretend they’re impoverished.

This wouldn’t be a book if men could just keep it in their pants.
No, you can’t fuck a literal star.
No, when she said she didn’t wanna have kids, she wasn’t kidding.

That sounds like a nod to Emily Wilde.

They don’t even find her fucking mom. Are you kidding?

After every helpful thing that man did for you, you’re still not gonna call Cassie your friend?

Oh, I’ve never been so relieved to be done.

Post-reading:
Here’s the thing, do I think this book has an audience? Absolutely. Am I that audience? Good fucking god, no.

I truly think this is the genre that I loathe the most. I think it is way too good at excusing people’s wrongdoings. I’m a Capricorn. I love accountability. It was set up to fail for me.

But I kinda dig the book’s premise. Here’s a smattering of warped fairytales. Which one is true, and does it even matter if both characters have become villains anyway? That’s juicy. There’s a book there.

But not this book. It’s incredible to me that you take that dramatic of an idea and choose to focus on the two most milquetoast characters in the world. Aleksander’s entire character arc is literally discovering that he doesn’t have a personality!

I think he’s a fundamental failure for this book. You can argue that it’s male domestic abuse rep, but honey, this is a fantasy. Everyone and their mama has trauma. He’s a shitty person. That makes him a shitty love interest. I never liked him. I never wanted him on page. Violet’s boring. I never understand these magical realism heroines who are content with taking I’m not gonna tell you as a stonewalled answer. Get on Google, go to a library, fucking try anything else! My curiosity is too rabid to ever relate to them. But she’s designed for the audience to project onto. You’re supposed to unravel the magical mystery alongside her.

Except we don’t because the book fails again in that department. It gets mind-numbingly repetitive slogging through the beginning because you’ll read something from the villain’s point of view and make your assumptions only to be forced to read about it again a few chapters later so that the main character can catch up to what the audience already knows. It’s so frustrating to read. Write it well enough for your audience to catch it and trust your audience to then catch it the first time around. So much vital plot happens off-page, and then the characters are forced to catch the audience up in one line of dialogue. But that’s the action that we actually wanted to see!

The side characters are so one-note they might as well not exist. Penelope’s compelling but lacks that charismatic zhush to carry a novel where everything else is lacking. She seems heavily inspired by Maleficent, but the novel’s solution comes off pretty victim blamingy-some man screwed you over but now you’re the villain for advocating yourself and gradually escalating in violence so that you’re heard, and the only way for you to win is to take another woman down. But psych, you’re actually permanently linked to your ex, and if he can’t have you, no one can. But like it’s fine because now our heroine can maybe go on a coffee date with her sniveling boyfriend that she’s forgiven for betraying her because he has mommy issues so he gets to escape culpability. Like it’s just…icky.

It's pretty plotholey too. We establish early on that Penelope can stop time to murder people but she conveniently forgets about these powers when fighting Violet. Violet knows how to swordfight despite being…Violet. We drop Yury’s plotline like a hot potato. We never find out who Violet’s father is.

And this book should be sexier! I know, I know, it’s a YA. Put down your pitchforks. But it’s literally about gods of the stars in a forbidden romance. It’s about a deal with a devil. If you’re not going the horror route, you have to make it sexy to provide that tension. You’re already including a sex scene and heavy petting. But because the romance is so lackluster, those scenes are jarring and alienating. They never feel earned. They’re just kind of shoehorned in to advance the romantic subplot that really doesn’t belong in this book, or at least not with the characters involved.

At the end of the day, you’ve got to give me a solid plot, snappy dialogue, or furiously likable characters to get me invested in a book. This story doesn’t have any of that.

And yet, I can see why other people would like it. It is very similar in flavor to other magical realism books that have done very well with the greater Goodreads audience that I cannot fucking stand. If you like Addie LaRue, or June Farrow, or Middlegame there’s a good chance that you’ll like this book. If you’ve read the 10,000 Doors of January, you’ve already read a better version of this book. But if you’re like me and fervently hate this genre, you are going to have the worst time with this. I can’t wait to find the book that changes my mind about this genre, but it won’t be this one.

Who should read this:
People who love the mom mysteriously abandons the family trope
Magical realism girlies
Addie LaRue girlies
Adrienne Young girlies

Do I want to reread this:
No.

Similar books:
* The 10,000 Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow-this is the same book but more lyrically written, magical realism, family drama
* The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young-this is the same book but with time travel, magical realism, family drama
* The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang-this is the same book but there's no doors, magical realism, family drama
* Middlegame by Seanan McGuire-this is the same book but it’s superpowers instead of magic, magical realism, family drama
* The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab-historical, magical realism, deal with a demon
* The Book of Love by Kelly Link-magical realism, family drama, ensemble cast, deal with a demon
* Starling House by Alix E. Harrow-this is the same book but now it’s a YA gothic romance, Alice retelling
* Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko-if this book was punishing to read dark academia, magical realism
* Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs-magical realism, ensemble cast, family drama