City of Stardust is a great dark fantasy which gives off all the best Night Circus and V.E. Schwab feels. The writing is so lush and flowed so smoothly, making it a pleasure to read. The world building was done so creatively, and the magical world that was richly built brought in all the dark elements of the book. Gods, magical doors to other worlds, a centuries old curse are a few of the fantastical elements of the book, along with quite a few darker elements. Some of the darker elements are definitely not for the faint of heart.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters are all written so well, from the lovable uncle Ambrose, the determined main character Violet, to the vicious and cruel Penelope. The pleasure in reading their stories unfold and intertwine was what really made me enjoy this book.

If you love a good dark fantasy with multiple magical elements, a hint of dark academia, other worlds, gods and monsters, this book is definitely for you.

Thank you to the publisher, Redhook Books, and NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Everly family is cursed. Once a generation, an Everly is chosen and dies an early death to appease a goddess from another world.
Violet Everly is the chosen one this generation. Her mother has been gone for years trying to find a way out of the curse and her uncles have been tasked with her care and with buying her a little time.
But Violet wants to find a way out and be able to live life on her terms. She sets out around the world looking for a way to end the curse once and for all. She is helped (or is she) by Aleksander who is the apprentice to the very goddess that Violet is trying to escape.
This book is beautifully written with such amazing prose and Violet is the perfect heroine. There is a lot of details to unpack in this book and I'm thinking a reread might be in my future just to make sure that I have understood it all.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this book. The concepts are insanely cool and the author's writing style is very interesting, but beyond that, it felt like a lot of potential that was left to the wayside. The entire story feels like just a bunch of things that happen to someone, instead of a series of challenges that directly affect the FMC and push her past some kind of boundary. The logic of this story is so broken in most places that, if it weren't for the author basically going "she's necessary to this event because I said so" then the FMC's presence wouldn't have made a difference for half this story in the first place.

The story revolves around Violet Everly and the curse that haunts her family. They're given ten years to find her missing mother, who left to apparently find a way to break this curse. Eventually, the task falls to Violet, who is suddenly savvy enough to travel the world on her own despite having been homeschooled and has never left the small town she's spent her entire life in. Not a big deal, but just the beginning of my issues here.

The logic in this book is my biggest complaint. Most of the major plot points, and even several smaller ones, feel like they got thrown in despite or without any prior context or consideration for what it would mean for characters, further plot, external or internal consequences, just .. anything, really. Everything felt very surface level plot without any deeper meaning or explanation, like the book was written and then someone went through and cut out almost all of the deeper context that would explain why things happened the way they did or why people made certain choices. There were a few major plot points that, had they felt like they had been genuine to the story and not just included to add drama, would have had serious emotional impact. But instead, it felt forced, and left me asking, "wait why did that just happen? if xyz just happened then how does abc even work???" multiple times.

One of the things that disappointed me the most was the magic system. it could've been so cool.
**SPOILERS** but beyond "this is a special material and only special people can manipulate it" there was almost no other explanation, or other use of it, period. violet is described as having this insane talent that should make her crazy powerful, but at the end of the day, she uses it once for something very small, and that's it. that's literally it. the whole build up of all of her talent and she does not even touch it. why??? **END SPOILERS**

This book is described as romance, but there was almost no romance other than a very sudden dedication between Violet and Aleksander that felt like it came out of nowhere. In the same way Violet's travels are skipped over, so too was the romance. The scenes where they were supposed to be falling in love were just "they spent hours together talking" with almost no real dialogue or even really what they talked about besides "he told her some stuff about where he came from" and that was pretty much it. The romance felt like it was just there so that Violet and Aleksander were willing to die for each other by the end of the book, instead of them genuinely caring about each other and being in love. It was all the dedication with none of the romance. You'd die for your dog the same way those two would die for each other.

the ending was a let down, in all honesty it made violet's entire journey feel completely pointless and like she didn't even need to be involved in the first place. There were also multiple POVs, which i usually love, but they would switch in the middle of chapters without any prior warning whatsoever, you'd just be reading from violet's pov and the next paragraph is somewhere else entirely, and from aleksander's pov.

One last note, there's a very dark event that happens towards the end of the book that, to me, just felt like it was thrown in to try to escalate the situation, and not because it made sense for the story. Fuel for the fire instead of what actually fit, so it felt gratuitous. iykyk.

Overall, there's a ton of potential in this book, but I wish someone had gone over the logic with a fine toothed comb before calling it a day. A lot of things happened without any further context and it felt like they were added for momentary drama before moving on and glazing over it entirely. Characters were brought in, only to be disappeared and suddenly no longer in the story at all as soon as the convenience of their threat ended. It's like they never existed. I ended up questioning more than half the events of the story and felt very passive about the rest of it. I know several others really liked it so maybe this just wasn't for me, but I couldn't get past all of the glaring flaws in the logic.

I loved the concept in this book of traveling to different worlds through some secret doors and the aspect that it had monsters and gods in a contemporary setting. The hold idea and plot of the book was interesting. The world in it self was the most interesting part. The characters well that is another story.


The only character that I like was Aleksander he was the one with the most growth. Yes he did betrayed Violet but it was because he was looking for approval of the only person he thought care for him he did not know better he was gaslighted all his life. I feel bad for all the abuse was put through. But in the end he changed and saw things with different eyes. Violent in the other hand was just so weak for the role of the MFC. She only had one job to used the blade and what did she do? She dropped it 🙄… And what about thr mom it was not really explained what happened with her she just disappeared.


I felt that Violet and Aleksander were forced into each other there was no real chemistry between them. Much part of their interactions were told instead of shown. Which seems a predominant trait of this book. I wished that I could have been part of all what Violet did when she went on a mission to look for her mother but I was only part of it for the last month. I was not a fan of all the time jumping in this book and I dislike the third person pov.

What I dislike most in a book is when children are used as collateral in a story and this was the case in this book children were the main victims in this story. I feel the Penelope had such an easy end she deserved more for all the evil acts and people and specifically children she killed. I didn’t like the open ending.

I'm a bit torn because while there was a lot to love about this book, there were also a lot of things that I didn't like or didn't work for me. I read another reviewer somewhere say that this book suffered from keeping the reader at a distance and, as I kept reading, I really felt that more and more keenly, especially at the end. In a way, the book reads like a classic fairytale. I feel like the prose is very, very beautiful, though there was a bit of repetition at times (easily dismissed for a debut novel, imo). The two main POVs are Violet and Aleksander, but there are also other POVs scattered around. While this does a great job of bringing the world into more light, it has the unfortunate side effect of making Violet and, to a smaller degree, Aleksander feel harder to relate to as characters. Especially when it concerns those characters and their relationships to one another. Violet and Aleksander have a romantic relationship that felt both repetitive and not fleshed out enough. There wasn't quite enough there for me to believe that, after everything, Violet would forgive him and Aleksander would brush aside his own issues and loyalties for her.

Violet's journey, too, felt like it was viewed from a distance. As such, it didn't feel narratively satisfying when the ending came around. It just felt as if all those things that she and the reader had been anticipating and working towards were nothing. I wanted more of Violet's journey and her POV; I wanted her to be just a bit more fleshed out of a character. Instead, a lot of her felt like a projection. In some ways, that worked because everyone is constantly comparing her to her mother. However, it never really felt like she entirely broke free of that shadow or that she had enough substance to stand alone as her own person in the first place.

That being said, I do think this is a very creative and interesting world. Again, the writing is really, really stunning. I know that what didn't work for me will most definitely work for other people. I just wanted a little less outsider POV and a bit more focus on the main characters in play.

Pick a door. Any door. In most cases, you'll wander through and find another room. A living room, a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom, or perhaps, if you're lucky enough, you'll find a Door to another world. Though, those kinds of doors are only in available in books. Right?

The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers is about a family curse. Every generation, an Everly must be sacrificed. And now, thanks to her mother running away, its almost Violet Everly's time to die. So she goes looking for her mother in a quest to end the Everly curse. Its a journey thats grounded in one world but the possibility of other worlds is there. The Doors haunt this book. There are so many books that Doors haunt and after finishing this book, I can say, that you need to read this one.

Georgia Summers leads us on a journey. I'm trying to not spoil too much of that journey. Its a detailed journey full of wonder and horror and fairy tales and monsters and people are so flawed and so beautiful. The journey takes us to unexpected places and it ends up...well...that would be telling.

A book is a door. We all know that. It can take you on a journey to other worlds. So yes, Doors in our world are real. We call them books. I highly recommend you check out Georgia Summer's Door next year. The City of Stardust is a wonderful book that shouldn't be missed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for providing a early digital copy of this book for review. The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers comes out on January 30th, 2024.

A wonderful darker magical realism & fantasy, what appears to be an adult standalone with an ending that allows for Summers to continue with more stories if she would like, this story was un-put-down-able and addictive and just so good. The pacing was wonderful and I absolutely loved the worldbuilding, magical world, and the way that this felt like a darker adult version of a story inspired by The Ten Thousand Doors of January.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This book is The Starless Sea meets Olivie Blake.

From the first chapter you notice how beautifully this book is written. It feels like poetry and music. The elegant descriptions of the world lended a whimsical and enchanting air throughout the book. The main character was refreshing as a strong and stubborn female who doesn’t need anyone to save her. The story has a bit of magic, a bit of alchemy, and a whole lot of family secrets.

My main issue with this book and the reason I gave it the rating I did is that it felt like so much was left unexplained. I feel like we were only given the very surface of the plot and many things were just alluded to but never fully meted out. The ending felt a little rushed especially with all the build up to get there. I feel like part of that is because this is currently a stand alone story so there’s only so much you can put in one book but the world felt like it had so much more to offer that didn’t get explored.

Overall I enjoyed the writing immensely but I felt the story was missing that big explanation moment that really lets you in on the secret.

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maybe it’s just me, but there’s nothing better than a well-written and thoughtfully crafted fantasy book. The City of Stardust had me hooked from the very first page and I could not put it down.

The Everly family is cursed. Once a generation, an Everly disappears and Violet Everly is determined to put a stop to it. With the clock ticking, Violet embarks on an adventure across multiple worlds to find the truth about her family. But who can she trust? Her uncles have been keeping secrets from her; her mother is missing and on a secret mission no one is talking about; and Aleksander, a boy she’s thought about for years, is working for her family’s worst nightmare. As she works to break the curse on her family, Violet discovers that there’s more to the truth, to her family, and to love than she ever could have imagined.

The entire time reading this book, I could not fathom that this was a debut. The prose was so lyrical and enchanting! Just really hauntingly beautiful over all. There were times I had to pause and reread some lines because I could not get enough. It reminded me so much of Laini Taylor and Rebecca Ross, two of my very favorite fantasy authors. The characters were well-rounded and the story was as magical as the worlds the author crafted.

I honestly cannot wait to read what Georgia Summers writes next! I highly recommend preordering, requesting from your local library, or picking up a copy when it comes out next year!

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books/Orbit for the ARC!

really enjoyed the story building and the plot. I think the story all in all was a solid 4/5 for me but it was frustrating how many obstacles Violet had to keep running into that got me. At some points the story seemed very rushed and then some points it was way too descriptive. A solid debut title though for sure and I hope that she writes more books as I really enjoyed the story and world building as a whole.

The cover of this one really drew me in.

I enjoyed this story more than I was anticipating just based on the synopsis. I would describe it as similar to The Starless Sea or even a little bit of Daughter of Smoke and Bone. A bit of a love letter to Narnia.

The author combines a few elements that I happen to enjoy. Portal fantasy, otherworldly beings, a kind of secret society, an old story, a girl on an adventure.

The romantic subplot with the side character was a little meh, I almost would have preferred that it wasn't explored at all.

Ultimately, I rated City of Stardust a 4 based on my own enjoyment. I could see other readers not liking it as much based on the mythology not being very fleshed out and the ending not being as climactic as it could have been.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the ARC of The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers in exchange for an honest review. I only joined NetGalley in summer, and this was the first book I requested - while I didn't get a copy the first time around, I thank Redhook for granting my wish in October.

The City of Stardust is atmospheric - both mystical and gothic. The style/setting are evocative of Alix Harrow and Erin Morgenstern - which is great company to be in. Summers has a beautiful style, and her words and descriptions are rich and evocative. I read the whole book within two sittings (stayed up until midnight last night to finish it).

That being said, I did feel like something was missing - and I'm still not sure if the story itself made sense, I think, more than anything, I was just confused when I finished it. This makes it a bit hard for me to give a really detailed review or explanation of the plot. Maybe part of the problem was that the explanation of the Everly curse itself is so vague that I couldn't figure out where the story started (I'm really confused on how Marianne was able to work and live in Fidelis if she is the sacrifice of her generation? Also, why her? Why not just take one of her brothers who can use keys? And if Marianne is so brilliant why is in-the-dark Violet more comprehending of this entire saga?). I'll also note that the description talks about a travel through worlds and portals, but about 95% of the story is on Earth or related to Earth, not a larger collection of realms.

Add to the confusion that our time with Violet and Aleksander just feels so surface level given the high intensity of the search and the dangers of Penelope - at no point did I really care about any of the characters, even when they were in danger. If anything, I felt like the characters weren't really committed to their own growth or to each other - like what we learn about Marianne and her journey was really frustrating and, at times, totally useless - The Ten Thousand Doors of January is an example of how a missing parent can better spur the momentum of a story.

I do think Summers has talent, and I think I would try whatever her next book is, but this one just didn't work for me.

Excellent book. I wish it had a little more resolution and clarity in the end but it was a refreshingly new magical concept. I loved all the characters and their uniqueness.

Thank you netgalley for this advance copy of The City of Stardust. Unfortunately this one was not for me. The descriptions were too long and the plot too slow. I finally dnf’d the book because I couldn’t make myself pick it up again. Wanted this one to be more fast paced.

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Violet Everly. Raised by her uncles, Violet is also a dreamer who finds solace in fairy tales. When a strange woman named Penelope comes to the house, her uncles are forced to reveal the Everly family curse to Violet. It’s the curse that claimed her mother and which will doom them all. Yet Violet isn’t going down without a fight. With the help of a mysterious boy named Aleksander, Violet tries to retrace her mother’s search for answers before her time runs out.

The City of Stardust is a luscious, beautiful story. Georgia Summers’ writing reminds me of Erin Morgenstern. It is transportive, magical, and so imaginative. Violet and Aleksander remind me of Celia and Marco from The Night Circus- two rivals who could easily have been true friends in another life if they weren’t held apart by circumstance. Violet is a compelling and fierce heroine who is determined to retrace her mother’s steps. Aleksander is beholden to the mysterious and vicious Penelope, who is trapped by the magic of a story long forgotten. Even as Penelope makes villainous choices, she has the air of a doomed Persephone who will do anything to accomplish her goals. I was intrigued by her story and found the ending very satisfying.

In this stunning debut, keys and curses have a great and terrible power. Summers deftly weaves together a gorgeous tale of dreamers, magic that comes with a price, and the power of stories. Once you start reading, you’ll want to cancel all your plans and stay in the magic of this world. If you love beautiful writing, imaginative world-building, and Erin Morgenstern then you will love The City of Stardust. I’m looking forward to what Georgia Summers writes next!

Thank you to Georgia Summers, Redhook Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

From the first lines of The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers my attention was arrested, gripped in the hands of an evocative, sometimes unsettling fantasy that’s also beautifully written.

Violet Everly has grown up in the shadow of her mother’s abandonment, left in a home that feels all too much like a prison under the watchful guard of her two uncles.

She eventually learns that there is an Everly curse & either she or her mother are the next targets.

In this world, friends can become betrayers, betrayers can become friends, morally gray characters can do favors for unidentified reasons, stars can walk among humans, & family secrets can both keep people safe & at risk.

My favorite thing about this book is just the writing style, which is striking & thoughtfully wielded for maximum impact. The book balances emotion & action, keeping me invested & engaging me on all levels.

Be advised this book contains kidnapping & murder with some particularly disturbing elements.

On the whole it’s a compelling fantasy with some romantic elements—though it’s not a romance—& I’m really looking forward to the author’s next release! I get all the heart eyes for great fantasy books.

5⭐️. Out 01/30.

[ID: Jess’s white hand holds the ebook in front of a forest of trees & a waterfall in the background.]

2.5 stars. I wanted to love this book. Interesting premise but execution fell flat. It just felt like something was missing. The writing is decent but world and character development was lacking. I probably would have dnf’ed had this not been an arc. Thank you to netgalley.

First off, thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alright, let's dive into "The City of Stardust." So, here's the deal – I'm giving it a solid two stars. It's got a unique story and a magic system that is very unique. However it didn't quite stand out to me. I was really pushing through to finish the story. It took me a long time to finish.

Commendations are extended to the author for the imaginative world-building and the introduction of a unique magical paradigm. The incorporation of stardust as a thematic element provides the narrative with an ethereal quality, contributing to the establishment of a fantastical atmosphere that sets it apart within the genre.

However, despite these commendable elements, the execution of the story leaves room for improvement. The anticipated narrative depth fails to materialize, resulting in a somewhat lackluster reading experience. The plot, although conceptually intriguing, suffers from a deficiency in execution, hindering the ability to sustain reader interest.

*I added this review to my goodreads

This dark fantasy introduces some literally bloodthirsty characters, but it never satisfactorily answers what makes them that way. There are multiple worlds that can be accessed with a special series of stardust-made keys, but only the select can use them. There are many dreamers, some who become scholars of the world, but the price to become one is murder. Mistress of the scholars is Penelope, who is so much more than she appears to be. Her assistant is Aleksander, who unquestionably follows her instructions--at least at the beginning. That's mostly because he has been directed to spy on Violet Everly and find out from her where her mother Marianne has gone. Violet would like to know the answer to that as well, and spends most of the book trying to find out. Violet and Aleksander dance around each other, never really sure what to make of the other. There are stories of the past that give clues, but there is a lot of blood and betrayal before anything is answered. And a lot of questions are never answered. There is the Everly family curse that is dangled in front of the reader, and it turns out to be love that has curdled over the years. This book has a lot of promise, but unfortunately for me, it did not deliver. I give it 3 and 1/2 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 49%

I'm so sad about this one and so torn. The writing in this book is beautiful and very whimsical. Her descriptions are lovely and I can easily picture these wonderful landscapes she's describing. But all of that comes at the detriment to the development of both the storyline and the characters.

Both the storyline and the characters are all very interesting and have a lot of potential, but they're bogged down by the shear amount of descriptions and lack luster interactions.

I think that a lot of readers will really enjoy this one, but it just wasn't for me.