Why do I try to read stuff "like" The Starless Sea? Nothing else comes close for me. I don't think this is a bad book, but it is unfortunately not for me. Writing is good but I'm not invested.

A curse can be many things. A wish left out to spoil in the sun, putrid and soft, leaving behind only calcified desire and oxidized envy. Or a poisoned chalice, a mistake tattooed across an entire family tree, with every generation promising never to sip until they do. Sometimes, it's a deal and bad luck conspiring like old grifters closing on an easy mark. For the Everlys, it begins with stardust."

One of the first quotes I noted in the City of Stardust applies and sets the stage for what will be an epic tale. It is a tale of a young lady whose mother leaves her to live with her two uncles, waiting for her to return.

"She believes in curses like she believes in stories. For a curse is just another kind of story, dark, toothy, and razor-edged. It's the unspoken tale singing its way through her family history; once a generation walks into the dark, compelled by the shadows, our poor Violet has shadows stalking her every move as she tries to unravel the family curse that plagues her. She was given time by the mysterious Penelope, ten years and a day. That seems like a long time, but when you're trying to solve a puzzle and have not been given the truth most of your life, it can fly by quickly.

"The cost to travel through the door is always sacrifice. And there is no one but herself to give it."

Doors and keys are featured throughout this tale of multiple worlds, lost mothers, family curses, and finally being free. The City of Stardust is a unique debut novel that kept me guessing until the very last page how Violet would save the Everlys and how it would all play out between her and Aleksander. I read this as part of the Fairyloot read-along, and it also counts towards a Netgalley arc I did not get to before publication.

Although I had a hard time understanding this book at times I really enjoyed the overall story. It was sometimes I struggle to keep up because the story is told in 3rd person omniscient so we heard what each character is doing and feeling. I will say I did enjoy the point of view and how I could see what each person was doing and how the pieces connect. I like the gods and the magic and how they easily fit within the story. The door ways and keys and how you can travel between worlds is something unique in fantasy that I haven't seen before. Violet is a great FMC and her brother Ambrose is a perfect example of what a big brother should be. I hope there will be a second book and I can get the love story between Violet and Aleksander.

US pub date: 1/30/24
Genre: fantasy
Quick summary: The Everlys are cursed, and unless Violet can find her mother Marianne, the curse will take her too.

I've been reading more fantasy lately, and the premise here sounded so good! I liked the mysteriousness of the curse and how Summers introduced the Everly family and our MC Violet. Aleksander was an interesting foil to Violet, and I liked that I never quite knew what he was up to. My main qualm with the book was its length - the ending felt too drawn out and didn't really keep my interest. I think tightening up the ending would have pushed this from a 3.5 to a strong 4. That being said, this is a debut, and I would be interested in trying Summers' next book!

Thank you to Redhook for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time with this one. I enjoyed the story but I found the multiple point of view to be confusing. I found the characters hard to connect with. I found the story had potential with its fantasy elements but it was not my cup of tea. I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys young adult fantasy novels who enjoys scattered multiple point of views.

I received this ARC via NetGalley and Redhook books in exchange for an honest review.

This was truly a very well written book and the cover is absolutely stunning! The cover is truly one of the prettiest I've seen in a while and is what initially drew me to this title. I feel like it captures the story and is very indicative of the genre. I enjoyed the plot and found it overall interesting, although it took me a bit to warm up to it. This is a great read for a fantasy enthusiast and someone who enjoys books written in 3rd person (which isn't my personal preference). Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this beautiful work!

Unfortunately, I had to currently DNF this book at around the 18% mark. I think this book would be perfect for someone looking for a mildly dark fantasy with a naive FMC who is desperate to learn more about her heritage, to the point of trusting anyone who gives her any information at all. This book felt very much in vibe and tone to The Book Eaters, and the section of Ink Blood Sister Scribe which focuses on learning/discovering the world they live in - which unfortunately I also did not enjoy.

I would be willing to come back to this book to read further, as the concept and everything has intrigued me - I just personally could not at this point be invested in the feelings of the FMC. I understand she was sheltered, leading to her naivety, but I did not feel any connection (romantic or otherwise) between Violet and Aleksander - nor did I feel any tension with the internal conflicts building up around them.

Thank you Redhook Books for the opportunity to read this book.

City of Stardust - Georgia Summers 4.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review this book. These are my honest opinions.
First, a breakdown of my rating system:
5 stars - phenomenal book; I’ll recommend this one to everyone, I want to live in this world, and I will read this one over and over!
4 stars - great book. I enjoyed the story and the characters, but I probably won’t reread it.
3 stars - good story and characters. I can’t see myself coming back to this one, but it was an entertaining read
2 stars - hard to finish. The story was not for me, and I had to make myself keep reading.
1 star - DNF. Absolutely could not finish.
I love a good fantasy story. New worlds, magic, traveling from world to world - the more the better. City of Stardust has all of the characteristics and features of a spectacular fantasy novel. And yet… I still feel it could have been better. Violet is a character whose fate and path has been predetermined for her in many ways. Her mother has left, and her uncles have been raising her while also trying to solve a pressing problem. If they cannot find her mother, Violet will more than likely die - taken in the place of her mother, paying a price for a bargain she did not make. This story is full of intrigue, mystery, longing, love, beauty, and pain. It is beautifully written and draws you into its depths quickly and fully. But I still feel a bit lost at the end. I feel that something has been left out. I walk away wanting just a bit more. Don’t get me wrong, this book is wonderful. I am so happy I read it. I just don’t think I would read it again. Regardless of that, it is a journey well worth taking.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The vibes were so immaculate for this that I forgave the lack of much happening. To get the bad stuff out of the way, Violet kind of spends the book meandering around and isn’t the one who actually breaks the curse.

I did like her dynamic with Aleksander and her uncles. I appreciated some choices with how the story ended, and overall thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers
Huge thanks for the eARC of The City of Stardust. I truly loved the premise of this book and the potential it had. It really ended up falling flat for me with how choppy the story was. At one point we would jump from location/time with no notification it was even coming and feeling like I needed a lot of the in between information. The writing is beautiful but the story just wasn’t there for me. If you are a fan of Divine Rivals you may love this book. I struggled with the choppy parts of that story as well.

I think this book had so much potential, it just didn’t hit the mark for me. I dnf around 47% that doesn’t mean don’t give it a try! There was just a little too much fluff, when the plot was amazing and should speak for itself!

This is a debut novel about a generational curse, a search for the truth, and magic sprinkled with a little bit of romance. The story revolves around portal magic and a young girl’s quest to avoid being turned over to a powerful woman against her will. Our main character has grown up without her mother, because her mother went on an adventure that she never returned from. Violet doesn’t know if her mom is alive or dead, but knows that her mother was running from the family curse in which the strongest member is sacrificed to Penelope, now that her mother is nowhere to be found, Violet learns, that she must take her mother’s place. The story takes her on a journey through a whole other world with gods, monsters, and Penelope’s assistant. She has 10 years to find her mother or break the curse. A fun adventure with some wonderful world building however, the world could’ve been fleshed out more, but that may be due to this being a debut. I would definitely recommend and thank you NetGalley for providing me with the e-book.

2.5 stars*

I enjoyed the beginning of this story. I loved the atmosphere - an old victorian house? Say no more! I think this book had a lot of potential, however it fell flat for me. Violet as a main character was not my favorite & the characters felt one dimensional.

I liked the concept of the magic system. However, I was confused exactly how it worked. There wasn’t enough world building for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This took me a *long* time to read because it dragged quite a bit in the middle and took a really long time for me to become interested in the characters. Something about the main character made her difficult to like or empathize with. It also feels very similar to Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea (which I love), revolving around keys and doors and glittering parties, although this one is much darker and has a more sinister atmosphere.

I contemplated putting it aside several times, but then I finally hit my stride with it and ended up really liking it.

The premise is interesting and becomes more so as the story slowly unfolds. The characters take a while to warm up to but they do acquire layers as the story progresses. They start the story quite sheltered and naive, and it takes them a while to break out of that.

The writing was beautiful and while it occasionally crossed the line into overdone, it added to the mystery and atmosphere of the story. It became quite dark and sinsiter by the end, and I found myself wishing I could look away several times.

I'm not sure I would read it again, but I'm glad I read it.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook for providing an early copy for review.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I had high hopes for this book. It was really good I read it in a couple days but the ending fell flat for me. I really liked Violet and Aleksander and their relationship. There was a lot of mystery that was really fun to unravel. It was just unfortunate that the ending didn’t live up to all the foundation that was built in the story. I really thought I’d love this book but it’s getting a 3 star because of the ending.

A really good premise, but the execution was a bit lacking. I really liked the idea of portal magic and learning about your history. I also thought that the idea of trying to track someone down and learning how to live with curses was a great premise. But I just didn't feel connected to the characters, thought the plot was a little lacking, and there wasn't nearly enough "fantasy" elements for this to be a qualified fantasy novel. I think that there is a lot of potential in Summers' work but it just didn't live up to my expectations.

This book mesmerized me, it is beautifully written, captures the imagination, and holds onto your mind until the very last page.

Let's just say I loved this book, the mystery, the secrets, the magic, absolutely everything I love about reading is in this book and just when I thouht it couldn't get better it did.

Violet is that rare character that is strong and still vunerable, that can take care of herself but isn't afraid to ask for help, or make a bargain here and there she may or may not regret.

If you're looking for a book where people can be monsters and monsters can be exactly what you expect them to be this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for providing a copy of this e-book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thouhts and opinions are my own.

Have you ever read a book based on the cover? Because honestly that was the biggest sell about this book. It’s gorgeous! 🤩

Short Synopsis:
One Everly from each generation disappears and is taken by Penelope. No one understands why. When Violet gets old enough, she searches to find her missing mother, but learns of magic and hidden worlds.

My Thoughts:
At its core, this is a book about magic, family secrets and secret worlds. I loved the premise of this book. It was dark, mysterious and completely. If you’re a fan of V.E. Schwab, I think this is a book you’ll inhale.

Read if You Like:
🔑 Curses
🔑 Mystery
🔑 Magical Travel and Doors
🔑 Standalone fantasy
🔑 Family secrets

What I loved about this book: It felt like a fairy tale. The prose, the premise.... it was like a modern tale mixed with stories within stories. Violet is clever but inexperienced, which brings in our cast of others on the outskirts of the fantastic.

Now for what didn't work for me, though they may have for others: The narrative did not get very much into our protagonist's head, not in a way that made me feel close to her. There is a section at the beginning of her search for answers that is simply telling a few things. In fact, many of the parts where I'd have preferred to see the scene play out but it didn't. The emotional weight suffered for that, I think. This style of writing is not my cup of tea, though I did enjoy the book overall.

The ending feels quite open, which I loved. It left me with the feeling that the characters' lives were going to be just as rich as what we'd seen so far, if not moreso. Overall, this was a wonderful read.

I thoroughly enjoyed City of Stardust! The writiteas gorgeous and I loved the world that Summers created. This was one of those books that I didn't want to end and found myself reading slowly toward the end, despite wanting to know what was going to happen.