I noticed that this book is categorized as adult fiction. However, right from the start, I found the dialogue to be cringeworthy. It felt quite immature. The first instance of this occurs on the very first page when Gabriel solemnly states, "We need to talk, little brother." And due to that dialogue, the interactions didn't feel authentic to me. I'm uncertain if it's due to the book's brevity or if there were no other creative means to reveal that Gabriel is Ambrose's brother. The initial interactions between Gabriel and Ambrose resembled awkward performances, almost like poorly executed acting. I half-expected one of them to use the term "bro" at some point. I attempted to read a few more chapters, but I struggled to engage with the story.

Thank you for letting me have an ARC I really enjoyed the story telling and the different point of views in this one. Can’t wait for publication day
Magical worlds and old curses always draws me in. Romance and brooding will keep me going. I really think this could be a series furthering diving into different worlds and the magic.

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASES FOR JANUARY!!!!!!!!! I was so exited and honored to receive both physical and E-Arcs for this book. This book was so amazing and I can not wait to see what the spectacular Georgia Summers comes up with next.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The plot was unique and held my attention. The descriptions were beautifully written. I liked how the characters had depth and we were given the opportunity to understand their actions and sympathize with them, even Penelope (the villain in the story). I wanted to like Alexsander as a love interest but then it was too hard for me to get past everything he did to fully embrace him. There were also times where the pacing seemed off and I was left a bit confused. I don’t know if the confusion was just me or what, but the way things pieced together wasn’t always as seamless as it could have been for the reader. I was left slightly unsatisfied by the ending because things weren’t tied up with Violet’s mother. All in all, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others!

This book is, without a doubt, one of the most beautifully written books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The saga of the Everly family kept me reading past my bedtime repeatedly. The ongoing theme of family, and debts to be paid was gripping, and the mixture of gods, monsters, and normal, everyday people (who were the actual heroes) was spot on. Highly recommended!!

The writing, the descriptions and the depth of the writing was beautifully done. But the plot fell flat for me. I found myself bored and just waiting for it to be over with

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

I absolutely loved this book.the writing and the world building were spectacular. I have never read anything like it I'll be honest. I was engrossed in the story and wanted to find out what happened next. However, that's is exactly why I'm giving it a 4 star instead of 5 star. I feel that the book needed some polishing. Some things were left unclear to me and I wish I have the understanding of what actually has happened. I feel the ending was a bit rushed and all wrapped up after such a big revelation I expected it to be a bit more.This was it just fell a bit anticlimactic for me which I was actually really sad about.All in all magnificent book and I definitely recommend!! thank you again for the arc I truly enjoyed it.

“The end of the world looks a lot like the beginning of another.”

“The City of Stardust” by Georgia Summers, a fantasy book about Violet Everly. Violet, child of a cursed family, is left to fight for her freedom from Penelope. Penelope has cursed the Everly’s to give their most powerful child to Penelope, but when Marianne (Violet mother) disappears she makes an ultimatum to the family, they have 10 years to find her, or Violet is the one she’ll claim. Violet, not shrinking from fate goes on an adventure to find her mother.

I loved loved loved this book so much. It was written so well in every aspect. The characters are fantastic; I loved Violet, Aleksander, and Violet’s brothers. The plot was good, and I wasn’t bored for even a second. The slow burn romantic tension, though chaste, is good. It reminded me of “The Invisible life of Addie LaRue” but with magic school vibes. I gave the book 5 out of 5.

-Magic
-Kidnapping
-Slow Burn
-Multiple Worlds
-Abuse
-Abandonment
-Enemies to Lovers

I was going back and forth between a three and a four stars for this... The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards three, but part of that I can see being personal rather than a reflection on the quality of the book.

I'm sure this is going to be a hit when it finds the right audience, but I could see some not loving this. If you like those slow, atmospheric types of novels, I think you will love this story. If you're looking for something fast-paced with fully-developed characters and clear answers at the end, I think this should be a pass for you.

The world is expansive and interesting, and that is truly the highlight of the story. I kept wanting to learn more and explore all of it. The writing is so beautifully descriptive that it makes the environment come to life. The concept I also found very unique, and it felt fully developed.

The plot is probably where my enjoyment fizzled a little. There's always a lot going on, but at times it felt like it dragged, and it took until part 3 to hook me to the point where I couldn't put it down. Once it hit that point, I was all in. If you're okay with slower-paced stories, books that make you take your time when reading, then this will work for you.

There was something I found lacking in the characters as well. You aren't just in Violet's head, so you end up knowing more than she does, which ends up being frustrating and makes her feel a little underdeveloped. I also think the romance was rushed at the end. I liked them individually and together, but something was missing, and the ending didn't feel as earned as I wanted it to be.

For a debut, this is incredible, and I would be very interested to see what this author does next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

The City of Stardust is about the Everly family and a curse that has been passed down for centuries. Every generation an Everly is taken because of a curse that no one understands nor can stop. Marianne is an Everly, and one day she leaves her daughter Violet behind as she sets out to break the curse before it takes her. When she doesn't return Violet sets out to do what her mother has failed at before she is taken in her place. As she enters into a seductive magical underworld full of power hungry scholars and monsters bent on revenge, she has no idea the evil she is about to face while crossing worlds to find a key that could save them all.
Such a beautiful story full of dark and interesting characters, worlds of magic, and monsters that will do the unimaginable to get what they want. One of my favorite reads this year.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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.