Thank you to Redhook and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

The City of Stardust is a magically haunting debut novel, reminiscent of Grimm fairy tales. I have seen that other reviewers considered the novel to be quite slow, but I personally was hooked from the very beginning of the novel and never wanted to put it down. The City of Stardust opens with a mysterious woman smelling of vanilla seemingly snatching children from their unsuspecting parents. Reading how distraught the parents were, I was immediately shook by the possible intentions of such a woman and what she did with the children she referred to as, “little dreamers.” Readers then come to know of the Everly family, who seem not only beholden to this woman, called Penelope, but also to a family curse, which has taken a member of their family for generations.

“She believes in curses like she believes in stories. For a curse is just another kind of story, dak and toothy and razor-edged. It’s the unspoken tale singing its way through her family history: once a generation, an Everly walks into the dark, compelled by the shadow beside them.”

Violet Everly, the youngest member of the family, finds herself next in line to fulfill the ancient curse, as her mother, Marianne, skipped town years ago to circumvent being taken herself. To save herself, Violet leaves the comfort of the only home she’s ever known to hunt for her mother and for the secrets of which Marianne holds the key. Along the way, she is both assisted and thwarted by the conflicted assistant of Penelope, the handsome Aleksander, who has goals of his own.

In any other novel, I feel like the back and forth nature of Aleksander and Violet’s relationship would have annoyed me. But in The City of Stardust, the author manages to make their doomed attraction to one another feel both captivating and inescapable. I enjoyed experiencing the two navigating their complex feelings for one another and discovering the implications that their bond has for their survival. However, other readers may definitely find their inability to stay away from one another, even in the face of such catastrophic consequences, irritating. 

“He says, ‘I—I couldn't. I didn’t—’ He swallows. ‘How could I let you go?’ He says it like a confession, like its something to feel guilty for. She looks at him helplessly. ‘Then what do you want from me, Aleksander?’”

I also couldn’t help but to feel that though their relationship was complex, Violet and Aleksander themselves were more on the one-dimensional side. Aleksander was definitely more fleshed out than Violet, who seemed to become flatter as the novel progressed. Instead of having dreams of her own, Violet’s sole purposes for existing seemed to be solving the mystery of the curse and her mother’s disappearance. While her preoccupation with escaping the curse is understandable, as Violet wants to live, other characters are more archetype than actual complex characters. For example Violet's uncles, the biggest side characters, do not not exist much outside of their relationship with Violet or seem to have lives of their own. 

I found The City of Stardust to be so mysterious and interesting. The prose of the novel is lovely, but it doesn’t feel over-the-top or flowery. Without being too purple or nonsensical, The City of Stardust creates such a magical atmosphere with its descriptions. And even after reading the entire book, I still feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of the world-building and its endless possibilities. Though the novel was on the darker side, with themes such as torture, kidnapping, murder, disfigurement/maiming, child abuse, and more, it never felt overbearingly dark, still managing to keep its enchanting feel, with help from Violet’s constant sense of wonderment. 

“It helps to think of it that way. After all, a quest is a kind of adventure, isn’t it? And a quest always ends in the finding: the grail, the sword, the key. The woman who vanished into thin air over a decade ago, leaving a target on her daughter’s back.”

Though I really enjoyed the story and found it to be quite unique, I must say that I think the narrative could have used a bit more fine-tuning. Parts of the novel did not have as big of an emotional payoff as they should have due to the order in which things were revealed. I also think that parts of The City of Stardust didn’t make a whole lot of sense. If the Everly family curse just required an Everly, why did [spoiler] Penelope wait for Violet to grow up and not just take her uncles when her mother disappeared? Yes, supposedly Violet fit Penelope's requirements more than them, but for someone who was so desperately struggling without the payment of the curse, why wait? This was further demonstrated  later on by how little Violet was necessary to the breaking of the Everly curse at the end of the actual novel, which made Violet's struggle all seem a smidge pointless. [/spoiler] 

And though I found the world-building and magical systems to be very unique, they were kept very vague. The talent of certain individuals to manipulate a magical material, known as reveurite is the reason for “magic,” but we are never shown exactly how this talent is turned into skill or honed or anything. Likewise, though Aleksander, and Violet to a lesser extent, so desperately want to be scholars, I never quite came to understand exactly what was so great about being one. Finally, I was also not entirely satisfied with the ending of the novel. Though it fits with the mysterious nature of the novel and everything surrounding Violet’s mother, I couldn’t help but to wish for more closure. 

Ultimately, I think City of Stardust is a bewitching debut novel, showing a ton of promise for the new author. I really enjoyed the unique world-building and the magical atmosphere that pervaded the book, along with its lovely prose. Though I think some things could have been improved upon, such as character development and the execution of the story, I would welcome the ability to return to this world again. I would love to know more details about everything, such as Violet’s mother, the magical system, the astrals, the secret society of scholars, and everything else. I'd recommend this novel for fans of Alix E. Harrow.

It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel with how well written The City of Stardust is. Summers weaves a tale of hidden worlds and mysterious magic that was hard to put down. The prose is beautifully written that enhances the atmosphere of the novel. I really enjoyed how the beginnings of each part was done, and how there were various perspectives of characters throughout the novel. Even though some of them did not specifically say which character was being followed, it became obvious which character was being followed as the story unfolded. I thought that this showed how dynamic and well written each character is. They all have their flaws, but they are human and each have a piece to the puzzle that needs to be told. However, the romance between Violet and Aleksander caught me a bit off guard at the end because it did not seem as though there was much resolution to the lies and mistrust between them. The plot, albeit inconsistent in pacing at times, is lush and easy to get sucked into. Summers creates a truly spectacular debut novel with The City of Stardust!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was shockingly surface-level? Violet was an avenue for the plot rather than an actual character, with the vast majority of her growth and struggles and development happening off page during time jumps. Aleksander at least had some depth to him, but he is technically the secondary character to Violet’s protagonist.

The descriptions and scenery were lovely and really lended the story a refined and flowery air. I understand why the book is comp’d to Addie LaRue (between the writing and also the lack of agency in the protagonist).

The biggest missed opportunities were: there’s no attempt made to explain how the reveurite works / what the Scholars do / why they’re so powerful, instead there are some corruptions hinted at but not explained or dismantled; and Violet and Aleksander’s entire relationship hinges on conversations and a connection that doesn’t actually take place on the page, instead skipped over as “they talk for hours every week for months” which is not remotely the same as selling your audience on their connection or chemistry.

And the only secondary/minor characters with any depth are… Penelope. And that’s it. Everyone else could honestly have just not been there and nothing would have been different.

I have high hopes for Summers’ future, but this debut was only okay.

The City of Stardust begins with a curse which would never be forgiven. While I loved this premise, I think I fell even more in love with it by the ending when you unravel the whys. The beginnings of a resentment, a revenge, without answers. You just wait until the other shoe drops - I think I gasped aloud. I loved how this book evolves and twists in front of your eyes. At times it's a book about the ways we live when we know our days our numbered. And then it almost changes into a story about a mystery against a ticking clock. Into a generational story about running from the ringing bell, from the mistakes and bargains of our past.

This book is by far one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Georgia Summers way with words really truly captured the world she built. I kept finding myself so immersed in the world and the story that I forgot what time was. It’s one of those “just one more chapter” books that keeps you up all night.

The book is written for book lovers who grew up reading fantastical tales of hidden doors and secret passages that have grown up wanting a more adult story on the same vein. It really scratched that nostalgic itch that I’ve wanted without having to dive into my childhood favorites.

Thank you to Holder & Soughton, Hodderscape and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summers' writing is so beautiful that the entire reading experience was enchanting. I felt like I was in a dream. The atmosphere is bewitching. I loved all the travel that Violet did, and the way it was written was almost like a love letter to travel, which I enjoyed, even though that wasn't the point of the story. It took me back to my years of exploring new places and the charming, dream-like state I often found myself in. The worlds that Summers creates are simply breathtaking.

The characters are 10/10. Great characters. I wish that we had gotten to know her uncles a little more other than these nebulous parental figures in Violet's life. That being said, I am nitpicking here. The rest of the characters were absolutely well developed.

My biggest complaint is that there seemed to be some minor plot holes and logical fallacies, but they weren't glaring, and the beautiful writing made up for it, in my opinion. I wanted to know who Violet's father was, as it's hinted that her bloodline on that side may have been important, but then it's never discussed again. It's the old thing about a gun in act one needs to go off by act three. Why put it in there if it's not important? There were a few other plot points that just didn't check out to me, but I don't want to spoil anything so they will go unmentioned.

Overall, this was a fantastic read. I recommend it if for no other reason than the writing. Definitely a 4.5 star read for me!

This one started slow - but by the end, I was captivated. Georgia Summers manages to do something new with urban fantasy, a difficult feat in an oversaturated market. She tells the story of Violet Everly, a young teen who has been stuck in her crumbling ancestral home with her two older brothers after her mother mysteriously disappeared. The appearance of a mysterious and formidable blond woman and her sullen but gorgeous teenage apprentice herald a big life change. It's all formulaic up to this point, but then Summer turns the corner into a cat-and-mouse chase with inventive warring families, urban hideouts, and the appearance of the mysterious astrals. Are they aliens? Angels? Demons? Or something else entirely? Is the titular city of stardust made of magic, advanced science, or is it the portal to another dimension of reality? Summers does a marvelous job of unraveling the world while being cagey about its origins. Really looking forward to the next book in the series!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was really excited for this book as it sounded really interesting, but I should have been more wary as it’s been compared to A Starless Sea, which honestly I didn’t love. I ended up not loving this either. The story lacked good characters and I thought the plot was confusing. I had a lot of questions about the world and characters motives that were never answered. The timeline jumps around a lot and I had a hard time following why she was going somewhere or doing something. The world is really interesting and I just wish I could have known more about it! In the end it was pretty average, but if you enjoyed the Starless Sea you might enjoy this!

The writing style is readable if a bit derivative, but I just couldn't get into this book, which to put it bluntly needed to be better edited than it was. (Which is on the publisher who bought it as much as the author, especially with a debut! It's an unfortunate pattern I've noticed with a lot of traditionally published genre titles lately--publishers find a manuscript which is half-decently written and on trend, but lacks even the commercially viable pacing you see with repackaged viral TikTok bestellers, and just slap a pretty cover on it while doing the bare minimum editorially... and this is exacerbated when it's originally a UK book being picked up by a US publisher who wouldn't be doing the primary editing on it anyway in that case, as in my experience there will often have been less editing done on a UK title to begin with.) That said, I do think the author has potential, so I'm leaving three stars and will give her next book a try even though I thought this one wasn't quite ready for prime time yet.

The Everlys are cursed. Thousands of years ago, they made a bargain that cost a soul from every generation. In the modern day, Violet Everly is the last of the line and she searches for her mother who vanished into the night when she was just a girl. When the bargain is called in, her uncles make a deal to buy more time; Violet will live another ten years if her mother can be found. Worlds away, a library in the depths of the magical city hides a secret bought with blood. As the curse’s deadline closes in, Violet searches for her mother and uncovers a far greater secret. After all, the worlds are closer than they appear, and all it takes is a key to bring everything crashing down.

Reading The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers was like sinking into molasses. There was sticky prose, overly dramatic writing, and a plot that was as slow as it was hard to follow. Skipping across different perspectives prevented me from getting attached to any of the characters and while the imagery was certainly vivid, it was of little substance. Riddled with plot holes and characters that lacked clear motivation, I couldn’t get invested in the characters despite spending chapters following their perspectives.

Part of my lack of emotional attachment started from the beginning. The audience was introduced to Violet (the technical main character) when she was a girl but twenty pages later, she was an adult with very different characteristics than her younger self. The relationship with the Everly family wasn't explored as much as it could have been, and while I loved the concept of a cursed family, it wasn’t played up enough to be a source of internal conflict. Additionally, the story was told in limited 3rd person present tense, which didn’t reflect the agelessness of the storyline because the narrative was told as if everything was happening at once.

As for worldbuilding, once again, I loved the concept but found the execution lacking. How the city existed, why there were librarians, and why the main villain was villainous were never explained. I got what the author was trying to do with a shifting narrative that jumped around between various characters but found that it lacked emotional depth. I couldn’t get attached to the characters because I was given no reason to care about them. Essentially, I wanted what this book could have been. I wanted the story of a cursed family and the girl who dared to challenge history. I wanted magical libraries with secrets, a fantasy that spanned cities, and complex family dynamics. If that kind of story is something you want too, I’d check out The Night Circus, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Ink Blood Sister Scribe and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

A debut novel by Georgia Summers, The City of Stardust is an engaging contemporary fantasy novel about a centuries-old curse on the Everly family. The book follows Violet Everly from her mother's disappearance (abandonment) through her attempts to break the family curse.

Her attempts at breaking the curse introduce her to a magical world kept hidden from her, where she meets with various gods and monsters as she searches for her mother and for a solution.

In all, this book was entertaining, but the end left me feeling let down. There were a lot of characters and plot points that weren't really wrapped up. For all the world building, I would have expected a more satisfying ending.

Thank you NetGalley for a free e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The City of Stardust" by Georgia Summers is a mesmerizing debut that weaves a tapestry of magic, mystery, and family legacy. Summers plunges readers into a world where the boundaries between the mundane and the magical blur, crafting a narrative that is as enchanting as it is compelling.

The novel revolves around Violet Everly, the last of her line, who is on a quest to break a centuries-old curse that has plagued her family. Her journey is fraught with danger, taking her into the heart of a magical underworld filled with power struggles, ancient gods, and vengeful monsters. The character of Violet is skillfully developed; she is a protagonist who is both vulnerable and determined, her personal struggles resonating throughout her quest.

Summers' world-building is a standout feature of the book. The magical realm she creates is richly detailed and vividly imagined, making it easy for readers to lose themselves in its depths. The use of stardust as a central motif adds a layer of wonder and mystique, enhancing the novel's fantastical elements.

However, the story's pacing can feel uneven at times, with some sections delving deeply into the lore and others rushing through key plot points. Additionally, the romance subplot between Violet and Aleksander, Penelope's enigmatic assistant, while intriguing, occasionally detracts from the primary narrative of Violet's quest.

Despite these minor critiques, "The City of Stardust" is a strong debut, showcasing Summers' talent for creating a captivating fantasy world. Her writing style is fluid and engaging, capable of transporting readers to the magical realms she conjures.

In conclusion, Georgia Summers' "The City of Stardust" is a must-read for fans of contemporary fantasy. It's a story of determination, legacy, and the lengths one will go to break free from the chains of the past. With its rich world-building and complex characters, this novel is a promising start to what could be a fascinating series.

DNF

On paper, City of Stardust had all the ingredients to be my new favorite book. I absolutely love fairytale-esque stories, dark academia themes, and anything compared to Addie Larue, so I thought this would be an exciting read. Unfortunately, this book did not work for me, and I found it to be very tedious. I couldn’t fully enagage with the writing style or story as I had hoped. Despite this, I think others will enjoy this novel, especially fans of contemporary fantasy settings and magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

The plot goes something along the lines of this: there’s a family called the Everlys. Every generation, someone named Penelope comes to collect the most powerful of the Everlys as a sacrifice. The person selected is drained of their blood for a specific purpose (you find out why later). Violet, our main character, has been selected as the sacrifice only because her mother, Marianne, was supposed to be.

But Marianne disappeared years ago to find an end to this family’s curse and hasn’t been seen since. Marianne’s two brothers, Ambrose and Gabriel, have been taking care of Violet but have been keeping this secret away from her, along with other magical things.

The brothers make a deal with Penelope: give us ten years (when Violet turns 22) to find Marianne or you can have Violet. Penelope accepts. As Violet’s 22nd birthday approaches, she and her uncles become more desperate in finding her mother.

What happens next is for you to find out.

Thoughts on the book:

Wow. Just wow.

I flew through this book so much faster than I anticipated. I love how the author wrote this book. It’s so whimsical and magical and beautiful and everything flows so nicely. I could see why some people wouldn’t like this book based on the writing though.

There are definitely a lot of questions I had throughout the book, and for some reason, I feel like the author made it this way. If you don’t like open ended books, you may not want to read this because lots of things aren’t answered at the end of the day.

Also I love how we get a little bit of folklore (maybe there’s a better word for this) to get some background on Penelope. Her story is interesting. I could have used more of her perspective, but it’s fine.

Overall, I would recommend this book! It was a great read.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

This adult fantasy romance book was so amazing! The world was very well built. And the setting was perfect. I absolutely loved the romance. I would recommend this book.

What an adventure!! From stars to stardust. Doors to curses, lovers to enemies, this book covers it all. The book follows the Everly family as they try to break a curse on their family. Do they do it? You must read to find out. The characters are vast and complex but extremely interesting. The flow of the book was good and it was very intriguing I could hardly put the book down I really wanted to find out what happened next.

WOW was this written so beautifully. I quite enjoyed this and it had me on the edge of seat, holding my breath in anticipation throughout the duration of this novel. To find out this was her debut was a great surprise and her storytelling has such a niche, profound touch i throughly enjoyed reading. I will certainly be keeping my eye out for her next story and will be waiting impatiently until i can get my hands on it.

Overall:
I didn't have a bad time reading this, but I was confused too often and I didn't find the characters super compelling, and also felt like there were several plot holes -- so it just ultimately wasn't my kind of book. I can see it being RIGHT up a lot of peoples' alley, but just not for me.

Would I go back in time and still read this book, knowing what I know now?
No. I wouldn't want to re-read this one ever. It was pleasant enough due to the writing style and the magical essence of the world, but I wouldn't want to read it again.

CHARACTERS:
I liked the main characters, for the most part. I didn't DISlike them, at any rate. Violet was fine. I think I could have really loved her, if she had been developed a little bit better. I don't feel like I got to know her well enough or see enough of her personality. Same with Aleksander. They just felt fairly superficial. I feel like I knew Caspian Verde better than either of them, honestly.

PLOT:
I like the concept of this plot. But the execution didn't really work super well for me. I am so confused as to why Violet was so necessary to Penelope, when she has taken an Everly from each generation, for a thousand years?? Why couldn't she have used one of them to get access to that door? Was it because Violet maybe potentially (we don't actually know) was fathered by an astral? But all of the Everlys after Ever Everly were apparently descended from Penelope herself so... ??? (Also: that tidbit was such a throwaway?!)

There were several places where it seemed like we were getting contradicting information, or just partial information -- things being glossed over very quickly that I felt like should have been explained or explored further, to make the plot more engaging.

Villains, heroes, gods, curses,and fairy tales. The world building and writing are exquisite in this adult fantasy novel. Violet must go on an adventure to save her life. She meets monsters and villains who want to be heroes. The curse that haunts her family and her life lead her on many paths including Prague, which the author describes in wonderful detail.
This book is for people who appreciate a standalone fantasy novel with interesting magical elements.
Thank you Redhook books and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
This book will be released January 30, 2024.