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.

Magically delicious!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, & Redhook for the eARC copy!

I will say at 30% of the way through this book I was ready to give it a 3 star because it just didn't move and I was losing patience for the moment things got interesting. I kept reading because I was thrilled by the world building and the description of the book just had so much promise. SO GLAD I DID because things got interesting.

If you are thinking this is going to be your average magical world story, then think again. As with Naomi Novik's, Scholomance series, this book has a unique take on the magical world and how it influences the world around it. I loved the journey Violet must undertake with little more than breadcrumbs to lead her path and an unfolding mystery that I honestly didn't see coming. Not to mention the building relationship between Violet and Alaksander; a character I was both equally annoyed with and rooting for all at the same time.
I want to gush here and tell you all about this story, but I will leave you with this if you were that child who read tales about rabbit holes and wardrobes that lead to fantastical worlds with marvelously flawed characters with family issues...then, this is your tale , JUST READ IT!!!! So freaking good!

NO REGRETS!!!! 4 STARS

The words on the page were strung together nicely, but I wanted to read the story between the lines more than what was in front of me. Also more gruesome than I was expecting.

I knew this book had the potential to be dark when it opened with children being snatched with only the lingering scent of vanilla left behind in the air… I just never realized how dark it was going to get.

The City of Stardust reads like a wistful blend of dark academia, fantasy, and grim fairytales. Gods that used to walk among mortals, keys to other worlds, and a young girl with a curse and an assistant that would do anything for his mistress and his own end goals even if that means betrayal.

Violet, our aforementioned cursed girl, is a dreamer. She lives in seclusion with her Uncle Ambrose with the occasional visit from her other Uncle, Gabriel. Her mother, Marianne, left when she was young and has not returned—but, she remains hopeful. At the age of 12, a blonde woman named Penelope and her assistant Aleksander, a young boy only a year or so older than Violet, arrives at her house and makes a deal with Ambrose. Ten years for Marianne to come back or Violet will take her place.

When time begins to run out, Violet takes her fate into her own hands to find her mother and break the curse before Penelope can take her.

In a journey that crosses the world with an incredible cast of characters and a mystery that unravels like a slow burn, City of Stardust had me hooked from the first pages. The villain with a history that spans centuries, the origins of the curse, a family full of secrets, a boy who needs to find his courage, and a girl with all the odds stacked against her. I absolutely loved this book and all the magic it carried.

Thank you Orbit Books for the arc and the chance to read early.

The City of Stardust is for fans of The Starless Sea and The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and maybe also The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

It’s magical and ethereal and romantic and adventurous. It’s the kind of book where you feel like you’re on an adventure with the character rather than just reading about their adventure from afar. I loved it. An absolute standout of the year.

Things you will find in this book:
—Mysterious doors to other worlds.
—A god-metal that has magical properties.
—An ancient bloodline with a centuries-old curse.
—Betrayal and questionable loyalties.
—Familial relationships worth dying for.
—An unsuspecting romance.
—Cozy coffee shop meetings.
—An adventure to find a missing person before time runs out.
Hope and forgiveness and love.

Beautiful writing and dreamy pacing that, at least to me, never grew to become more than the sum of its parts. I could see people who like Erin Morgenstern absolutely loving this. It hinted at so many things I love but I never felt the plot or characters or even the more horrific elements grab hold. That dreamy feeling seemed to drift over the characters as well as the world they lived in. I was craving at least a few more grounded moments.

The City of Stardust stands out for the unique take on a family curse and inter dimensional travel. Violet, the last daughter of a cursed family, has a deadline hanging over her life - either she finds her mother or she becomes the next to suffer the fate of her family.
The writing is lovely; everything about this book is smooth and immersive, giving it a perfect dreamlike feeling. I’m not sure if it’s the author’s first book, but she’s definitely someone I’ll be keeping an eye on for more books. I enjoyed the premise, the main characters Violet, Aleksander and even Penelope. The settings and descriptions were also excellent. Overall, The City of Stardust stands out from other fantasy books I’ve read recently.
I took a star off for a few reasons. One, I think some of the supporting characters fell a little flat and parts of their stories were confusing. Caspian, for example, seems interesting and yet he’s not really given much of a story. Why exactly wasn’t he a scholar? How was being an apprentice to Penelope his only in when his family was apparently so important?
Two, I felt a few things were unsatisfying. One of the side characters goes through a transformation (trying to avoid spoilers) and then…there’s not really any follow up. A couple of plot points just didn’t feel resolved to me.
Third, despite the missing resolution or deeper explanation of several parts of the story, the end dragged a little bit. Things felt a tad slow and anticlimactic at the end.
However, it’s still a book I’d recommend. Georgia Summers is a stand out storyteller and The City of Stardust felt like something new compared to many fantasy books I’ve read recently.

I really wanted to love this book but I found it to be all over the place. I can feel the essence of Addie LaRue but I just could not love it the way I wanted to. Throughout the book I felt like there was a lot of filler and it was hard to find the important parts to remember.

4 stars

Beautifully Written.
Well developed characters that you’ll both love and hate.
Simply magical.
Just the type of fantasy I needed to lose myself in for a while.

"Do you not hear the star sing, little dreamer?"
The Everly family is cursed. Once a generation an Everly must walk away into the dark, compelled by the shadow beside them. Violet Everly is determined to break this curse after being doomed to be the curse's victim after her mother seemingly flees reality itself. While trying to break the curse Violet discovers a whole new world, Fidelis, seemingly filled with magic. But Fidelis has its own dark secrets, that the very Stars attempt to hide.

Overall I really enjoyed The City of Stardust. It was filled with a good cast of characters, though I do wish some of their backstories were a little more fleshed out. The story starts a bit slow and can be a tad convoluted at times. The story does seem to jump around a bit and sometimes it can be hard to tell how much time has passed, if any. I did really enjoy the writing style of Georgia Summers. It has an almost ethereal and whimsical feeling to it, that would make any fantasy/book lover feel right at home. Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review

beautifully written, with amazing descriptions, but a bit slow at first. If you can get past the slow bits, the story will be super enjoyable.