This book was magical and so fun to read! I loved this book and was a great YA fantasy! Thank you to netgalley!

This was a beautiful otherworldly tale of a girl who is of remarkable talent or power hidden away from someone who wishes to use her for their own agenda. The familial ties and relationships are incredibly dynamic and the magic system is like no other I’ve read before.

The City of Stardust is a book I really really wanted to love. I’ve been asking for more fantasy standalones because it’s nice to not always commit to another series with every new (to me) author. Sadly, this is another example where I think making it at least two books would’ve benefited the story more.

The book was divided into several parts and there was obviously a mystery from the start, but the first part felt too meandering to immediately get me invested. I liked the intros to the various POVs, which felt like a good selection of characters to tell this kind of story. Some of them featured more than others and I liked having some that we only saw here and there or maybe even only once.

The second part of the story hooked me more and by the third, I really needed to know what would happen to this world and its characters. The story felt like it had a more solid direction at this point, which made me feel much more invested.

The world Summers created was fascinating and beautiful. She gave enough detail to not distract from the story but to still allow me to imagine something amazing. The possibilities felt endless with the setup for her story and there were several things that I didn’t predict at all, which was really fun. I do think it would’ve been nice though to see a little more into the darkness of the scholars that was promised in the blurb. Just a little more emphasis there. I also found Aleksander’s ignorance in regard to his mentor surprising and that there wasn’t more uproar about the scholars’ habits.

My biggest criticism is that once again I felt the characters and their relationships were underdeveloped. To the point that I thought Violet might try something with a completely different person (my personal fave). The distance we felt to Penelope made sense because of who she was but I really wanted more from Violet and Aleksander. Their feelings took me by surprise because I didn’t think there was nearly enough development for that on page, which made the impact of her mixed feelings and trust feel off to me at times.

I did really enjoy the development of Violet’s feelings toward her mother though. This could’ve easily been a very predictable part of the overall story but instead took a much different direction.

Full of mysterious keys and doorways, peculiar secrets, dashed hopes, and unbreakable longing, I can see why this book might dazzle readers. While it didn’t land on my own favorites list, I’m still glad I finished it because I would’ve always wondered about Violet’s fate. The resolution felt fitting and while the prologue was once again too cheesy for me personally, I know a lot of people like that kind of closure at the end of a book.

I thought this book's concept was so interesting, and I liked the author's writing style, but I did end up quitting the book around 30% in, as I could not get into the story. I hope to continue some other time, though! :)

I ended up reading the finished copy of this book because I waited so long to read and review. I really had a great time reading this. It was whimsical and fun but also had some darker tones to the story. It was much more of a mystery focused story than I was expecting but I think that helped the suspense and pacing of the story. It was character focused and I think they were well developed. I easily connected with our main character and was swept up in her story.

I love the idea of a portal fantasy. And this book started out well with an intriguing prologue and quickly pulled me in and set the scene for the fascinating world and mystery-filled storyline that emerged. But ultimately, this storyline seemed somewhat disjointed and suffered from pacing issues and dragged out a little bit too long.

This novel has incredibly beautiful writing that keeps you immersed in the novel and constantly intrigued. However this novel can get confusing at times due to the lack of proper world building. The characters also felt flat due to the lack of character development. It was hard to feel much sympathy for the characters or feel connected to them since they were very two dimensional.

This book was magical! The whole thing from the beginning to end was ensnaring. The writing, the storytelling, the characters were complex and endearing. The only reason I give this book a lower rating was because after having finished it, I felt that not much happened the whole book until the very end. If your one that can just enjoy the journey of a fantasy book, I’d market more to that group. But for me, I needed a little more adventure. However, I really just enjoyed it immensely. The whole world building and plot was fantastical and so magical. What a world to live in, one with doors to the ends of the world.

I felt like this started of strong, but just didn't follow through as well as I'd hoped.
Violet Everly is the last in the line of the cursed Everlys. Her mother disappears, presumably to find a way to break the curse, but no one knows for sure as she she hasn't been heard from in years, so violet's uncles have been raising and protecting her. Violet discovers the existence of this curse rather abruptly, as it lands on her doorstep in the form of Penelope, who has come to claim her. She allows her uncles to keep her for ten more years, though it is never really explained why that is allowed, as Penelope happily destroys children at other points. Is Violet's blood stronger later?
Overall, a fun adventure, in a new sort of world.

I was so excited for this book, but ultimately was slightly disappointed. I didn't feel anything for the characters or their romance, and I felt that the plot was overall lacking. Sadly, this book wasn't as enthralling as it sounded. Still an enjoyable read.

The cover of this is beautiful! I struggled a little with the story itself, though. With so many POV's the story began feeling convoluted. It felt lackluster up until the last quarter of the book. The way the timeline was told was confusing, it was hard to tell what was happening when. Overall, a decent read.

In this world, there are these rare magical keys that can take you anywhere. As long as you have been to a place before, you can use that key to return in an instance. Tucked away in this world is a door to another land. One woman leaves her young daughter behind in search of the key that will open that door and help her break her family's curse. Now a young adult herself, Violet Everly is on a mission to find her mother and finish what she started.

I like this writing style, it reminds me of Erin Morgenstern; descriptive and a bit whimsical. Because of that, I think the pacing felt slow at times. There were highs and lows -- sometimes I was really into it and other times I was losing interest. It felt a lot was going on but also nothing really happened.
The romance was expected and yet I was disappointed when it happened.
With all that being said, it was still a really enjoyable reading experience with some of my favorite themes (magical words and hidden doorways).

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this for an honest review. The prologue intrigued me, but then it turned slow and confusing.

It may be me and not the book, as I don’t read a ton of fantasy. I skimmed some goodreads reviews to see if I should stick with it, but was put off by the trigger content warnings, which may be a spoiler, and were the final point for me to decide I could quit this.

Fantasy. Romance and intrigue. I loved it. I was hooked from the beginning in this enchanting romanticy. I went on all those adventures along with Violet. This book had me absolutely spellbound til the end!! The world building in this book was absolutely phenomenal. This was a 5 star read for me.
I just reviewed The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

A good read but not what I was expecting. It held my attention.
Well written. A fantasy for sure. I think it's for a much younger audience than me. Though I did enjoy it too. Just not as much as I had hoped.

Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC.

Overall a compelling fantasy story that lends something different to the genre.

The characters, while entertaining and easily relatable, lacked depth and character development. They left me wanting more from them.

The story also struggled with pacing throughout. In the beginning in pulled me in and started quick, then it slowed way down for a while, before picking back up, and repeating the cycle.

Overall this is a great fantasy that will pull you in from the start. Interesting premise. Gives you something different.

Thank you Orbit and Redhook for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Receiving an advanced gifted book copy does not impact or influence my review in any way

If you love Night Circus, you're in for a treat with The City of Stardust. This book is all about vibes and aesthetics, immersing you in a world that feels both magical and mysterious. The story starts off strong, introducing intriguing characters, a mysterious family curse, and a really cool magic system. However, around the 30-40% mark, the pace slows down considerably, becoming more about the ambiance than the plot. I found myself wanting a bit more action and resolution as the tension built up without many discoveries.

That said, the author's writing is absolutely stunning. Much like Erin Morgenstern, Georgia Summers writes an atmospheric prose that transports you to another dimension. I found out in an interview that Summers was heavily inspired by The Night Circus, and that she always wanted to create the same feelings she felt in her readers. Well, she mega succeeded!

I actually did enjoy how The City of Stardust had more plot elements and characters that kept me engaged. The interspersed chapters, which felt like an alternate narrator was telling a fairytale from another world, added an extra layer of enchantment to the story. Ugh, I just loved it and got lost in it. But just like The Night Circus, I felt like it took me forever to read The City of Stardust (lol). Probably because both books don’t have fast-paced plots. However, you HAVE to admire the amount of work and intention it takes to craft a story like this where you can feel the atmosphere and magic. It’s so rare! I never thought I’d see it after Morgenstern’s story, but here comes Summers and I’m just so impressed.

Overall, my rating for The City of Stardust matches my rating for The Night Circus. If you're someone who enjoys atmospheric books with magical aesthetics, this is a must-read. Like The Night Circus, it’s not a fast-paced thriller but rather a slow burn that immerses you in its beautiful prose and strong writing. Georgia Summers has a wonderfully creative mind, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

The prologue and first 15% of the book drew me in and had me intrigued. The premise, setting, and even characters had me excited to see where we were going to go, but then the story quickly fell flat for me. I found the characters unlikable for the most part and while Violet had some interesting traits, ultimately she was forgettable. I also found it hard to engage with the writing because I felt forced at times.

I think this book will be enjoyable and a top read for a lot of people, it just fell a bit flat for me based on the description and even the prologue.

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook for the e-arc!
A beautiful and dark dream indeed! The world and writing in this book read so enchantingly; it has a very whimsical and flowing quality that builds up this magical world. I think the writing is absolutely phenomenal, especially for such a fantasy-focused novel. And while Violet wasn't my favorite main character, I think the wonder and determination she brings really add to the enjoyment of the story.

Actual Rating 2.5

There is a curse that haunts the Everly family, one that steals someone from their family once per generation. Violet knows little of it except that her mother has been gone for years, attempting to break the curse. Her uncles dance around the truth, trying to shelter her until one night, they are confronted – they have 10 years to find Violet’s mother, or Violet will be claimed instead. To find answers, she ventures into a world of magic, scholars, and gods, not knowing who to trust or where to unlock the answers she needs.

This work read like a literary New Adult fantasy, which I found interesting. The first half of the book, I was convinced that this was going to be absolutely wonderful. But the pacing is uneven leading to a large part of the middle portion feeling never ending, and then the simplicity of the conclusion leaving me wondering why we took such a long journey just to get there.

One thing that I disliked was no matter how much time we spent with Violet, I never really felt her come to life as a person. She could have been such a strong character, but it seemed like she got lost in the twisted plot, flashbacks, and literary prose that were included. The remaining characters didn’t add much to the story. Aleksander was at least decently written, and he and Penelope helped to keep the story alive.

Despite these negatives, I quite liked the author’s writing. It was strong, and despite some qualms I had with the technicalities of the execution, it was easy to become lost in the prose (in a good way). I’ll certainly be interested in reading more from this author. If you’re looking for a literary New Adult fantasy, then you might like this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Redhook Books for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.