The City of Stardust is a fantasy debut for author Georgia Summers and with such a striking name and intriguing premise, it promises to be a solid read. However, while Summers has a knack for detail, it seems she loses herself within it, turning the prose… well, purple.
The story is written in present tense, with a conversational, dreamlike quality that is comparable to Strange the Dreamer or The Starless Sea, which are equally disappointing in how the authors choose to focus more on their own use of language rather than the narrative. That isn’t to say this book doesn’t have potential. I managed to make it through several chapters before I set it down. Rather, its potential is lost in an endless sea of unnecessary detail, poorly rendered dialogue, coerced character relationships, and a POV character who reads no different than every other female character who dreams of journey and bookkeeping. In the few chapters I read, I gauged no more than surface-level details for the slew of characters introduced and established no real connection to any of them.
Unfortunately, due to the overly elaborate details and liquid prose, I failed to parse themes, or even, truth be told, much of the world itself. I cannot say if this is high-fantasy or portal fantasy, or if it is a blend between other genres. Neither can I attest to the character development, as the majority of the characters remained shockingly the same through nine years of growth, with the singular exception of Aleksander. On the flip side, it is a debut. As such, I am hopeful with a bit more guidance, Summers will flourish in creating captivating narratives that both invite her beautifully rendered descriptions and curate a story that is visible beyond them. Until then, this will remain a DNF.
As always, thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

For millennia, the Everlys have forged talent better than any other. The brightest among the scholars of The City of Stardust. But being the best also comes with a steep price. Every generation of Everly is taken, killed, and drained of their blood and magic to satiate a woman, Penelope. Penelope is a woman of wonder. She never ages, and of course, she never forgets a debt. Deals are deals after all.

Violet has always heard the call of adventure singing its song to her. Ten years prior, Violet Everly's mother Marianne left to break the curse covering her family and has yet to return. Now Violet must find her mother, or break the curse herself, because if she doesn't then she will be the one on the "chopping block".

Deep in the adventuring, Violet finds herself in a magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, and fickle gods and goddesses that will stop at nothing to get their revenge.

"Once a generation, an Everly walks into the dark, compelled by the shadow beside them."

Violet is a character who you want to be friends with. While not level-headed, she is strong. Making things happen for herself (despite the danger) while everyone around her cowers in fear. As with any character and character development, her flaws are what makes her that much more likable. Sometimes she is reserved not knowing what to do. But oftentimes, she throws caution to the wind, wanting to accomplish her task by any means necessary. Violet is naive to a fault, especially when it comes to her mother (but who could blame the girl).

The City of Stardust is not a romance-heavy novel— although there are some aspects of romance. Some may think that it would be considered a slow burn, but truly the romance is almost non-existent. Aside from some longing, there is one point where they kiss, but in retrospect, it feels like a blunt end to the romance. They kiss and the romance drops away.

Now not all fantasy novels need to have romance within the pages. Many don't. But, the way Aleksander and Violet's romance happens, it feels like an afterthought. Something to add just because the author can.

Honestly, although it is classified as an adult epic fantasy, The City of Stardust gives very much YA. There are no aspects of the novel that I would consider to be adult. Beyond the main character being freshly twenty.

"Because adventure, it turns out, is a dangerously seductive word. It reaches underneath Violet's ribcage and pulls, like a cosmic string attuned to a compass point elsewhere."

The running thread of Marianne makes her a ghost throughout the story. And, that thread, while alluded to in the end isn't tucked away at by the closing of the story. Not mentioning how or why (because that would be considered a spoiler). But, you are left wanting to know more about Marianne. Why did she leave? What she was doing? And all of the experiences that she went through.

While, I understand that this isn't Marianne's story, per se, it's Violet's. You can't satisfy that need by the end because she is such a big part of the plot. And that need gets me wondering that maybe there should be a story about Marianne. The start of the curse and how she found out. What she is trying to do on her "adventure" of trying to break it, etc.

The City of Stardust if you couldn't figure is magical realism. The overall plot and prose of the story make it incredibly engaging. As you're reading, you will want to prolong the story, due to the magical nature of the tale. You will enjoy The City of Stardust. Looking for magic in the mundane world you encapsulate.

"Stubborn like an Everly, brave like an Everly, doomed like an Everly"

Magical realism is one of those subgenres that can be all or nothing. The City of Stardust in particular is heart-pattering, thought-provoking, and an all-around good time. It is everything that you would want a story to be. Experiencing the world in your real life. To put it in perspective. It was like diving in the crystal blue waters of a lagoon in Sweden. Once you hit the water you feel the cool chill against your skin the sun hitting it just right. Everything is perfect in that moment.

So why not five stars? Why rate it at a 4? Ultimately it felt like something was missing. The puzzle pieces were all there but some are from a puzzle you did last week, never finding all the pieces when breaking it apart and putting it back in the box.

The way The City of Stardust wrapped, it is safe to say that there won't be another book. Despite this, it desperately needs to be a duology. Or at the very least 3 bonus epilogues the way A Curse for True Love has.

The City of Stardust is a book you have to experience. Perfect for fans of Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow or The Starless Sea by (the queen) Erin Morgenstern.

It is due to be released on January 30, 2024. Listen to it on Libro.fm or pick up a physical copy. Either way, add it to your TBR!

Don’t judge a book by its cover, but how could you not in this case? Family dysfunction, magical doors, gods, and monsters jointly make for a great fantasy. Outside of the disjointed plot distribution, this is a promising debut.

I’ve seen some comparisons to The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue and The Night Circus, but those only work in the sense of the writing. The comparisons don’t do Stardust’s plot justice; La Rue and Night Circus have more vibes than decisive plots. Violet Everly’s mother left her at a young age with her uncles. When a mysterious woman shows up and claims Violet’s life, she is determined to find her mother and break the curse this strange woman has placed on her family.
I’m surprised this is a debut because of how well-written this is. It takes on an ethereal quality while still being set in the real world. It seamlessly flows from actual places to Fidelis, the land of scholars and gods. The writing style is reminiscent of my favorite authors, including VE Schwab, Laini Taylor, and Adrienne Young.

While the overarching plot was interesting, the story presented oddly. As the reader, I knew more information than Violet did. While most of the book follows her journey, there are flashbacks to explain the Everly curse. These reveals came way too early in the story. Knowing Violet’s end made the book lag around the 50% mark. If we had the history explained as Violet discovers it, the twists would’ve been more impactful and meaningful in the story.

Violet was on the verge of having a personality. I got only glimpses of her character: curious, hard-working, and determined. But her character arc was too tangled in the plot to be strong. I wish I had gotten to know her better; she had the making of a great MC. The other POV, Aleksander, was far more intriguing, even though I didn’t like him. His arc was more thorough as he tried to break through the trauma and lies inflicted on him.

I should have seen the romance coming, but I’m too platonic of a person to catch on. Violet and Aleksander’s romance completely blindsided me, mainly because Aleksander was toxic and Violet was too naive. There is a slew of lies and betrayals between them that they seem to skip over in the end. What is the point of conflict if it doesn’t add tension? I also think Violet’s weak arc played a role in this. It’s hard to root for a couple if, in the end, I still don’t understand half of the pair.

I’m interested to see where this author goes. Despite my gripes, it was a lovely reading experience and a unique world. It’s hard finding stand-out fantasy worlds, but Summers managed just that. If you like any of the previously mentioned authors and crave a book both brutal and magical in equal measure, City of Stardust might satisfy your needs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

What a stunning, beautifully written story. Filled with magic, angst, betrayal. Every's bear a curse through hundreds of years. The book winds around the family and how Marianne left her 10 year old daughter Violet to find the cure. With one of the Uncle's raising her, the other is presumably looking for Marianne. It's a compelling story I couldn't put down. With a melancholy ending, there were a few glaring omission of answers of what happened to them, and left me hanging. It still is 5 stars in spite of that. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

**mild spoilers**

I am not quite sure how I felt about The City of Stardust.

On one hand, for a debut it was beautifully imagined and the author writes in a very engaging way.
The first half of the book was engrossing and the story was very imaginative.

On the other…I found it hard to follow. Whether is was a quirk of the ARC or will appear in the final product, I’m not sure, but the constant jumping between POVs, even within the same paragraph, made the story almost unreadable.
Also, the characters are only fleshed out in a very surface manner. So many questions left unanswered make it almost impossible to connect with any of them.

The same applies to the plot. There are gaping holes, ones critical to understanding what is happening, that are never addressed:
Why was Penelope banished?
What is so important about the “god metal” that an entire city lives and breathes it?
What is the scholars’ actual purpose, and why are they so tied to Penelope?
Where is her actual home world? Who lives there? WHAT is she? A God?
Why are all those other Gods banished here?
What is the reason for the curse that is the crux of the entire plot (the author tells a variety of different “versions” of the origin, but never lets us know what the truth is).
Why is so much blood necessary?
If this has been going on for centuries, surely there was another in Violet’s family line that could have sufficed.
And the list goes on and on and on.

Particularly, the last 1/4 of the book is so rushed and so confusing that I was just shaking my head.

The book might have actually benefited from being a duology.

With a heavy edit, better formatting, many answered questions, and some character backstory, this could be an excellent book. But it definitely needs some work before it gets there.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me this this e-arc! This book started out really strong but at about the halfway point began to fall flat for me. I love romance, it doesn’t have to be the focus of the story but if it’s gonna be included, I want it to be done well, and unfortunately the male mmc was just not someone I could root for. He was just too weak and wishy-washy for way too long, and I understand WHY he is this way, but it just doesn’t appeal to me. Violet, the fmc, was a lot better and she made me stick to the story through to the end.

“The Everlys go into the dark with death beside them—and they do not return. She will not return.”


The Everlys have been cursed, taken by punishment for a crime no one remembers, by a woman named Penelope, who never ages..

Violet Everly is only a child when her mother, Marianne disappears through the night, without a trace determined to break the curse. But she never returns and the Everlys must pay their debt so when Penelope returns she offers an ultimatum: Violet has ten years to find her mother or she’ll take her place.

Will Violet find a way to break the curse before her time runs out?

“Your faithless ancestor betrayed me. Your mother escaped me. But you—I will have you,”


“The City of Stardust” is a beautiful world of magic, stardust, and monsters with unexpected twist!


⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed the first half of the story and the magical world of “The City of Stardust”!
There was so many unexpected twist and heart-stopping moments that I loved.

I did have a difficult time with the pace of the storyline and had a hard time connecting with the characters. But the ending was what got me and had me wondering and questioning…


Thank you so much to NetGalley, author Georgia Summers, and Redhook Books for the amazing opportunity to read “The City of Stardust” in exchange for an honest review!

What a delight this book was! The world is captivating and the writing lived up to the premise. The whole thing had the feel of a fairytale twisted and turned on its head which spoke to me very much. I absolutely loved it and would love wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a fresh take on adult fantasy that plays with and subverts your expectations.

Let’s call it 4.5 stars rounded up, only because I felt like the pacing faltered a bit in the home stretch, and the climax was just… a little off? I liked that so often the characters defy their roles and standard tropes, but the drag leading up to the climax was out of sync with the pacing of the rest of the book for me and I wanted… I don’t know… a bit of a fuller understanding of what led to it I suppose. I liked that not every thread gets tied up and not every character has their thinking and motivations and explained on the whole in this book, but just right there I wanted a bit more.

Also a slight caveat, there are quite a few abrupt perspective shifts in the narrative. I thought it added to the tone but I think some folks will be put off and confused by it.

Also the actual formatting in the ebook has a couple unwanted line breaks in it. Maybe have someone take another pass at it.

This book was full of magic, and a lot of fun. I found the creativity and the mystery to be enthralling. I felt the influence of the Starless Sea, Night Circus, Ten Thousand Doors of January, and Strange the Dreamer throughout the book in different ways, so if those are books you've read and liked, I really recommend picking this one up. My only wishes were that we were able to spend more time exploring and learning about certain locations, and I felt like the romance didn't have as much chemistry as I usually enjoy. However, the magic, the wonder, and the sense of mystery and endless possibility were strong on every page.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"She leans over his bed and whispers, "I hear you singing, little dreamer. And I come to answer the call."

This book is so beautiful, dark, tragic and magical. Right from the prologue, I was completely hooked on this writing style and world. I can't believe this is a debut book!

"Violet Everly is twelve years old, and dreaming of other worlds."

Our MFC is Violet, and she lives a secluded life in her ancestral home. Raised by her uncles after her mother abandons her as a child to hunt for an end to the curse that plagues the Everly family. Violet hides in books, takes refuge in stories of other worlds. Until one day, other worlds come knocking.

"In a long dead world, amidst the pindrop silence of books no one will ever read and doorways no one will ever pass through, along passageways furred with dust and alleyways untravelled for thousands of years - something stirs."

We are whisked along on a world wide (and further) adventure as Violet tries to stop the Everly curse that is nipping at her heels. She is given ten years to find her mother, or the curse takes her as payment for a long ago debt her family created. Along the way she makes friends, and enemies too. One of which is our MMC, Aleksander.

Aleksander was such an intriguing character, with so many faces and competing interests. I was endless fascinated by his character development. We see him go through sooooo much, and many times I was not sure what to think of him.

"Aleksander gives her a small smile, and for a second, she catches the flicker of the young man who once spoke of stardust and dreams."

This book is not romance heavy, or centered, so if you're looking for a great fantasy book with a touch of romance (no spice), this is a great pick.

Easily one of the best books I've read this year. Often my mouth was hanging open at a reveal.

If you loved The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Shades of Magic, Strange the Dreamer, or The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: you should check out this book.

Thank you to Orbit/ Redhook Books for my arc!

There's a book that i read along time ago and something about it has haunted me ever since and I had been searching for a book that's similar or at very least evokes that same feeling.

City of Stardust is that book, the writing is so beautiful i found myself wishing for a physical copy so i can highlight every word. I love that this story ends up being dual perspectives and you get to see the other side of the story and a world that seems fantastic and magical but always be careful what you wish for.

I love that the main takeaway is adventure and generational curses doesn't have to follow you everywhere you go. sometimes you just need to get a little "stabby" without getting too much away :)

I highly recommend this City of Stardust and am super excited it comes out 4 days after my birthday!

Readers are always in search of their next adventure, and our heroine Violet Everly is such a wonderful protagonist because it is so easy to see yourself in her. Violet sees the world through the eyes of her books and maps, locked away in her house at the insistence of her uncles after her mother vanishes one night. While looking for her mother Violet comes to learn of the Everly curse, how one person will be taken from each generation by the mysterious Penelope to Fidelus, the city of Scholars that exists in another world parallel to ours. But everything is not as it seems in Fidelus and as Violet learns more about her mother’s past she comes to learn her time is running out before Penelope comes for her too.

This book gave me major Phillip Pullman vibes. I had read his trilogy as a kid and it took me right back to that adventure, two kids traveling through worlds looking for freedom. The descriptions make you long for every place they visit.

The pacing is a bit slow at points; in fact Violet doesnt even begin her journey until nearly halfway through the story. There were some conflicting scenes too where one pov would just end and the next pov would begin without any sort of bridge (although this might have been the formatting of the ebook and there will be a page break or symbol in the actual book). The romance was on the backburner but there, and it was refreshing to have a herione who was more interested in solving her mystery than entangling herself with the man she was attracted to.

Overall the story was beautifully done and the ending left me satisfied if not entirely happy (as I was expecting Violet and her mother to have a grand reunion). I would reccomend this to fantasy lovers everywhere as something new and fresh.

From the description, I expected this book to be more of a cozy portal fantasy like The Starless Sea. It is definitely not that. "The City of Stardust" is more of a quest book--our main character, Violet, spends the majority of the book searching for her absent mother--and while it does have glittering parties and doorways to other worlds, it's a whole lot darker than I expected. Honestly this was a downer, with all the magic having terrible, bloody costs and the book giving a heavy overall vibe. This is a story with more darkness than stars.

Content note: I was not prepared for the many, many child deaths in this book. Other cw's include gore, torture, and some body horror.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Violet Everly is the last child born into a family with a centuries old curse, a blood debt left to fill. Abandoned as a young child by her mother, Marianne, she grows up under the watchful eyes of her two uncles although one of them is almost never around. Soon she discovers the reason he is usually gone is because he searches for Marianne. Violet finds out magic is real and that gods now walk among mortals in a magical city called Fidelis. Her mother has been gone all this time because she hunts for a walk to break the curse and discover another world that the gods came from.
Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook books for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book reminded me a lot of The Starless Sea, such dreamy elaborate descriptions and places filled with keys and hidden worlds. Unfortunately I also feel like this book didn’t live up to its full potential. So much was spent talking about and describing Fidelis and the potential new world and we never really got a chance to see or experience either of them. I feel like Violet was a good main character and it was easy for relate to her and follow her on her journey. This book could have easily been stretched into a duology where we the readers got to spend more time in this world that has been clearly lovingly crafted. The resolution to the ending of the curse was satisfactory and the ending of the book in general was ultimately fine. I liked this book but didn’t love it. I just don’t feel that it lived up to its full potential and while I enjoyed it and the writing I was ultimately left disappointed. I’m giving this book 3.5 stars and will post about it on my social media closer to the actual release date.

Thank you so much to Orbit and Netgalley for the chance to read The City of Stardust as an arc! I’m giving this title a 3/5 stars. Let me start off by saying that I was SO excited about this book and its potential- the concept seemed so intriguing, but unfortunately, was not quite the experience I was hoping it would be. The first 25% of the book was done really well, but around the 30% mark, the pacing started to feel a little off. I felt like this continued throughout the duration of the book. Overall, I think the idea of this story was super interesting, but did not play out the way I was expecting! I wish certain plot points had been a little more fleshed out, but I still enjoyed the storyline and am glad for the opportunity to have given this a go. The City of Stardust releases this January, so be sure to check it out!

The City of Stardust has our MC Violet searching for her mother and a way to break her family's curse. When she was a child, Violet's mother left her with her two uncles, who I loved, and disappeared. They kept Violet a secret and hidden away with no explanation to her as to why.
When Violet becomes an adult, she discovers the truth about her family's curse. Every generation, one of their family members is taken by an Astral, Penelope, and never heard from again. This generation was supposed to be Violet's mother, so in turn Penelope decides to take Violet in her place. After her mother disappears, her uncle makes a deal with Penelope and gives her 10 years before she is taken, in hopes of finding a way to break the curse or get Violet somewhere safe.
Violet embarks on a journey to find her mother, befriending people along the way including Penelope's assistant Aleksander for a sprinkle of romance.
Will Violet run out of time before finding a way to break the curse or find her mother?
I really enjoyed the world building in this book. So many different places and worlds that were behind different doors. I wish it was a bit more descriptive and organized with the different places, sometimes it was hard to keep up.
The characters were very well written and I was cheering for Violet and her friends and family the whole time. Overall a fun and enjoyable read for any lover of Fantasy and adventure and an awesome job for a debut author!!
Thank you Netgalley and Redhook for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

From the first quarter of the book, and my overall impression was less than stellar. Here's a breakdown of my thoughts:

The most disappointing aspect was its world-building. It felt flat, leaving with a vague and unsatisfying sense of the setting. Similarly, the characters were disappointingly plain and dull. There was a glaring lack of information about their histories or personal backgrounds, making it impossible to connect or relate to them.

The writing style in the book felt choppy and transitions between scenes and perspectives were often abrupt and disorienting, leaving me struggling to follow the plot. In some instances, the point of view shifted so frequently that it changed even between paragraphs. This erratic storytelling approach was a major drawback and made it challenging to become invested in the narrative.

Despite the issues with world-building and character development, the writing showed promise, especially considering it's a debut novel. At times, the prose was enchanting and lyrical. It was one of the few redeeming qualities of the book.

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

"The City of Stardust" is a stunning debut novel, weaving a spellbinding tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat, turning pages late into the night.

As Violet navigates this seductive magical underworld, readers are treated to a rich tapestry of world-building that is both immersive and imaginative. The intricacies of the Everly family curse and the allure of the city of stardust add layers of depth and intrigue to the plot. The characters are vividly portrayed, and the complex relationships that develop, particularly Violet's interactions with the enigmatic Aleksander, add depth to the story. The tension between trust and suspicion keeps you engaged throughout, making every twist and turn in the narrative all the more riveting.

City of Stardust is a darkly whimsical adult fantasy that was so hard to put down! The narrative includes magical scholars, astral gods, family curses, and a sprinkling of romance, all bolstered by Georgia Summers’ beautiful writing style.

Following the life of Violet Everly and her cursed family, the story begins when her mother mysteriously leaves in the middle of the night and unfolds as Violet matures into adulthood and decides to look for her. In doing so, she uncovers secrets relating to her family and the being they are bound to by blood. A handsome scholar’s assistant is—of course—there to help her at every turn, but he isn’t exactly who Violet thinks he is.

I loved so many things about this book, but I’m holding back from rating it 5 stars because I felt that the pacing was just slightly off. The story took a little while to really take off, and there were several flashbacks placed at odd intervals. That being said, the world Summers has created a robust modern fantasy world that feels both magical and dangerous. And like I said, it was hard for me to put this book down! I definitely would recommend this to any fantasy lover.

*Thanks so much to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this darkly whimsical portal fantasy that follows a main character through a world of magical scholars on a quest to uncover the truth of her family curse.