A strong premise but a flat delivery. I wanted to love The City of Stardust but many of the characters did not appeal to me and at times the story dragged. I liked it still and will read Georgia Summers again but I had hopes that weren't met with this debut novel.

The City of Stardust by Amélie Wen Zhao is a mesmerizing fantasy novel that takes readers on an unforgettable journey. Set in a world where magic and reality collide, the story follows Azura, a young woman with a hidden power, as she fights to reclaim her rightful place in a kingdom teetering on the edge of chaos.
Zhao’s writing is captivating, with lush descriptions and a richly imagined world that immerses readers from the first page. The characters are complex and well-developed, particularly Azura, whose courage and determination drive the narrative.
The City of Stardust explores themes of identity, power, and resilience, while maintaining a fast-paced and enthralling plot. The book masterfully balances moments of intense action with heartfelt emotions, making it a compelling read for fans of both fantasy and adventure.
Overall, Amélie Wen Zhao has crafted a spellbinding tale that resonates long after the final page. The City of Stardust is a must-read for anyone seeking a gripping and imaginative escape.

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

I was impressed by how well-written it was for being the author's debut work, and I was thoroughly engaged with the whimsical world and all the all-encompassing magic it contained. We have myths, other-worlds, and a cursed-family that might end or save it all. My only issue is that the pacing was erratic, and some details were quite convenient. But I will for sure read more books from this author in the future.

This book would be suited for those who love the writing style of The Night Circus and Starless Sea. I loved the premise of this book with a family owing a debt that they can't remember to an eternal being.

Following Violet as she struggles against the revelation that her future has been made forfeit by the disappearance of her mother I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded.

The fantastical elements of this story were really well executed and I was interested to see how the story concluded and the motivation behind the centuries old debt.

I would have liked to have seen more backstory for some of the characters on the periphery of the story, but enjoyed the book immensely.

I will definitely read more from this author.

2.5⭐ | Beautifully Written, But Misses the Mark

The City of Stardust had all the ingredients for an atmospheric fantasy with its lyrical writing, intriguing premise, and a mystical, magical world—but unfortunately, it fell short in its execution. While there were moments of brilliance, I ultimately didn’t finish the book (DNF) because it struggled to hold my interest.

The story follows Violet Everly, a young woman at the center of a family curse involving the mysterious and ageless Penelope. Violet’s journey to break the curse is filled with promise, as the premise of family secrets, dangerous bargains, and a looming antagonist had great potential. But for all its intriguing ideas, the narrative lacked cohesion and depth.

The writing itself is undeniably beautiful, with a poetic quality that gives the story an ethereal tone. However, this often came at the expense of clarity and pacing. The world-building, while creative, felt incomplete—filled with terms and concepts that were never fully explained, leaving me feeling adrift in a sea of half-formed ideas.

Violet’s character had potential, but she wasn’t compelling enough to carry the weight of the story. Her naïveté and impulsiveness might have been forgivable if there had been significant growth, but her development felt flat. Aleksander, the brooding and enigmatic assistant to Penelope, showed glimmers of promise but lacked the depth to make their interactions impactful. Their relationship, while not fully romantic, felt underdeveloped and didn’t inspire much investment.

Penelope, the antagonist, was one of the highlights of the book. Her presence carried an intensity and menace that the story desperately needed, but she alone couldn’t save the plot.

The pacing was inconsistent, with the first half moving quickly before dragging into repetition and disjointed scenes. The frequent perspective shifts between too many characters disrupted the flow and made it difficult to stay engaged.

Ultimately, The City of Stardust felt like it had all the right pieces but couldn’t put them together in a satisfying way. If you value beautiful prose over character and plot development, this might work better for you.

Highlights:
📚 Stunning cover art
📚 Poetic writing with a dreamlike quality
📚A strong, eerie antagonist in Penelope

Challenges:

✨Incomplete world-building
✨Flat character development
✨Pacing issues and disjointed narrative

I wanted to love this book, but it just didn’t live up to its potential. While I appreciate the effort and vision, this one wasn’t for me.

The City of Stardust is a magical, dreamy fantasy about family, curses, and self-discovery. It follows Violet Everly, the last of her family line, as she tries to break a curse that causes the most gifted family member to vanish each generation. Her journey takes her deep into a mysterious magical underworld full of gods, monsters, and hidden dangers. The writing is both poetic and vivid and created a dreamy, almost fairy tale like feel in my mind. The world building is creative and extremely immersive but I did feel that the story took time to develop and felt a little slow in places.

The City of Stardust" surprised me more than I expected. It has a dark, fairy-tale vibe that pulls you in, especially with the mystery surrounding the Everly family’s curse. Violet’s search to break the cycle had me hooked, and while the plot occasionally felt a bit scattered, I enjoyed the emotional depth. The writing is beautiful, and I loved how it explored themes of love and sacrifice. In the end, I really loved this book and I'll be reading other works by this author.

The City of Stardust is a beautifully written debut novel from an exciting new talent. A magical mystery that is perfect for fans of Laini Taylor and V. E. Schwab.

The prose in this book was so pretty I’m sure Georgia Summers switched out ink for crushed flower petals and honey. Her writing was evocative and rich without being overly descriptive.

I enjoyed the mystery, but some connections were glossed over in favour of keeping the pacing at the right tempo. This is more of an observation than a complaint as I thought the pacing of the story was exactly where it should have been throughout.

The world building was enough to support the plot, but I would have given anything to explore the hidden city of Fidelis in more detail. I was fascinated by the setting and would love Summers to revisit it in her work at some point in the future.

I had some minor niggles about character motivations and the structure of the story at times, which kept this from being a five star read. On the whole though I had a really lovely time getting lost in this tale.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this,an interesting story and good characters

1.5 ⭐️

Let's start with what I liked. The author certainly knows how to write a bloodbath. the death scenes and their aftermath were definitely strong emotional points.

I liked the premise of keys to a hidden world with gods and magic. Unfortunately, I spent most of the book very confused. The magic usage is minimal, and I'm still not entirely sure how they did it other than the keys are a special metal.

It felt a little like nothing was happening, and we made essentially no progress in the where is marianne mystery. It made the story difficult to connect with because despite its high stakes, not much happens thanks to the time limit aspect on the curse. Which might I add is not really a curse on the everlys when you think about it.

Sadly, I just don't think this book was for me. It reminded me of the starless sea that I also struggled with. This genre of slow fantasies with scholars just doesn't seem to work for me.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Cover:
The design is STUNNING it literally feeds my book dragon soul! I have both the standard edition and the Fairyloot edition and they are both gorgeous.

Writing:
Multiple POV, almost elegant writing style. Almost reminds me of how Erin Morgenstern writes. I didn't really feel like the narrative flowed well for me and I felt like the story and characters were not at the forefront.

Plot:
I feel like I was chasing something that was more magical and less mystery-filled. The pacing wasn't exactly there for me and the story suffered because of it.

Characters:
Had Violet been more memorable and compelling she would be JUST what a reader is looking for, a dreamer, searching for an adventure away form the every day mundane normalcy. I didn't really feel like the characters were that developed and I love a side character arc and I didn't feel like I got that here.

Romance:
Although underdeveloped, I rooted for them! This was the aspect that I did enjoy. Friendship, hard times and betrayal - but they come full circle. This is the type of Friends-to-Lovers that I seek.

Audio & Narration:
The book is narrated and paced well, it was clear and suited the story, but the emotion wasn't there.

sad to say this didn't do anything for me, despite the lofty, erin morgenstern esq ambitions. i simply didn't care

In a Nutshell: A dark portal fantasy with a magical but dangerous underworld. Amazing potential, average execution. The first half was still okay but the second half went haywire.

Plot Preview:
All young Violet Everly knows is that her mother Marianne left when she was two, and her maternal uncles Ambrose and Gabriel have taken care of her ever since. Only fourteen years later does she learn the truth. The Everly family has been cursed since centuries, and in every generation, the best and brightest Everly is taken away by a woman named Penelope, about whom no one knows anything except that she doesn’t seem to age. Marianne left on a personal mission to break the curse, but hasn’t been heard of since. Violet is the last of the Everly line. So she will be the last to suffer, unless she can break the curse herself. Thus begins her quest that takes her across the globe, encountering many new people and facts. Along the way, she must deal with Penelope’s assistant Aleksander, though she isn’t sure if he can be trusted.
The story comes to us from the third-person perspectives of several characters.

Bookish Yays:
🔑 Penelope – one fascinating character who almost single-handedly holds the plot on her shoulders. Rare for an antagonist to steal the thunder so convincingly! Violet’s uncle Ambrose came a close second in the best characters list, but he doesn’t get the page space he deserves.
🔑 The writing is quite lyrical. Though this isn't strictly a yay for me because I prefer plot over prose, it still has its charm, especially when nothing much in the book is working better. I appreciate that the lyrical prose didn’t turn into purple prose any time.
🔑 The cover – stunning!

Bookish Mixed Bags:
🔐 Aleksander and the other characters, most of whom appear when convenient and disappear when convenient, and some even die when convenient. Hardly any character sounds sensible, and hardly any character arc reaches its full potential. This is especially disappointing because some of those characters, especially the unworldly ones, had fabulous potential.
🔐 The idea of the portal fantasy with its use of doors and keys is quite good but the actual penning of the thoughts needed much work. This concept was much better handled in books such as Alix E. Harrow’s ‘The Ten Thousand Doors of January’ and the Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett.
🔐 The connection between Violet and Aleksander is never at the forefront and doesn’t turn into a typical “romance”, which I appreciate. However, their chemistry is almost zero. I couldn’t figure out how the two came together when there was no proper foundation to their relationship.
🔐 The worldbuilding is somewhat half-baked. We get plenty of fancy names but hardly any visuals. What use is a fantasy world if we cannot picture it properly in our mind?
🔐 The story is character-oriented, so we get third-person perspectives from many characters. TOO MANY CHARACTERS! The frequent character hopping gives us information from all sides, but also makes the flow jumpy.

Bookish Nays:
🚪 Violet didn’t appeal much to me. I get that she was quite young and hence impulsive and headstrong. However, her success at travelling the world and discovering various clues on the first attempt almost every time feels too unconvincing, especially considering how she lived a sheltered life even until her late teens. Moreover, her character doesn’t show much growth over the course of the book. It would have been nice to see some deeper failures on her journey leading to maturity.
🚪 Officially, this is a dark fantasy, and it does get very dark. However, the flattish character development and the impulsive nature of the protagonist generates YA/NA feels. (And as you might know, I am not a fan of YA/NA writing.)
🚪 The ending is utterly disappointing! There are blatant hints almost throughout the book about what the key factor at the climax might be, but I hoped that the execution would be more satisfying. What a lacklustre resolution of the major conflict!
🚪 There are too many important things left unexplained. But the most annoying is Marianne’s track. After all that buildup about Violet’s mom and her long solo quest to break the curse, the book doesn’t offer any closure about her fate. So annoying!
🚪 There are some gruesome scenes, which might be okay for some readers but not my cup of tea. I never enjoy cannibalistic depictions.
🚪 As the book was character-oriented, I was prepared for the slower pace in the first half, but the second half was just tedious and repetitive.
🚪 I hate it when I know more than characters because my impatience then gets the better of me and I keep waiting for them to catch up to ‘current events.’ The reader awareness is a result of the ubiquitous third person perspective from a whole load of characters instead of sticking to a core 2-3 viewpoints. Everyone except the reader has just limited information. It should be the other way around – sheesh!

All in all, this debut fantasy novel had some positives, but the overall execution was a dampener. Many readers keep comparing this (not in a good way) with ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’, but I’ve not read it yet, so no idea and no comparison.

To be fair, I did like the first half to a great extent. If the entire book had matched that level, I might have even given this a rating between 3.5 and 4. But the slow second half and the hazy finale just messed everything up.

If you value good writing over a good plot or character building or world building in a dark fantasy setting , this might work better with you.

2 stars.

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Hodderscape for providing the DRC of “The City of Stardust” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.

'Violet Everly was a child when her mother, Marianne, left on a stormy night, determined to break the curse. When Marianne never returns, Penelope issues an Violet has ten years to find her mother, or she will take Marianne's place.'

They say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but that is what initially drew me in, the gorgeous cover artwork for this book. Followed up by an interesting plot idea, I was sold on giving this book a go.

The main character, Violet, is a young naïve girl who has been literally kept sheltered by her uncles whilst they use their ten years up trying to find her mother. I have seen other readers have issues with just how naïve Violet is but honestly, people don't just snap out of naivety it takes time to learn from experiences etc. Not to mention she is young, and young people are dumb (common sense wise), that is why you 'grow up' or 'mature' because it takes years to learn how adults think and behave. So, I do not have an issue with that aspect of the character as we aren't with her for an extended amount of time. That said, maybe a small amount of learning from the experience she has had in the book we have read would have helped.

But I think she was written as a love letter to us readers, to what we grew up doing reading our books; wishing we were going through that door to that secret world, falling in love with worlds we have never seen, finding that mysterious clue that leads to an amazing adventure.

Honestly, the most interesting characters to me were the uncles and I would have loved for them to be fleshed out just a little bit more. The first part of the book could have been about their hunt for their sister or how it was trying to keep Violet safe, or even flashbacks.

For me, the plot was a little lacking and the pacing slightly off, the first half was a whizz through but then the second half slowed down. I did enjoy the Penelope POV and I appreciate the gore from a villain but I definitely felt that ths could have been a YA book rather than being classed as an adult book.

I think some people will enjoy this book but for me it fell a little flat unfortunately.

This book is exactly what it says on the tin - dark, magical, and seductive.

Violet is - through no fault of her own, swept into the dark world of magic, dark scholars, and gods who wish her no good. Can Violet break the curse on her family.

This is a very dark book, it’s bloody, difficult, and emotional. I really enjoyed this - the world holding was very good and I was able to imagine my surroundings quite easily. Excellent book with excellently written.

My thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s hard to write this as sadly it was a DNF - for now anyway. I was vaguely interested in the brothers and their family history along with the mystery, however I just wasn’t gripped by the story enough to continue. I love the title and the cover though!

The City of Stardust follows the Everly family and the curse that is ruling their lives, historically assigned to their family. When Marianne Everly vanishes, it is left to her daughter to pay the debt of sacrificing herself to the menacing, immortal Penelope – until Violet also vanishes to try and break the curse. And I’m keeping that vague because the curse isn’t explained for a long while in the book so just nod and agree with me here.

Violet is an idiot, which is my main issue with this book. If she met a lion, she would put her head in it’s mouth, she doesn’t listen, she is naïve, reckless and impulsive and she rejects people who want to help her at the sacrifice of themselves. Her story isn’t a particularly convincing one either, she’s first incredibly protected (so therefore unprepared for the world), and the next she’s literally travelling across the world, with no real direction, with the clock ticking down on her curse. However throw in a cute boy who also identifies as a walking red flag, and even with a limited window of time at her disposal, she is drawn to him, giving her phone number, going for walks and having deep chats with someone literally associated with the person she is running from, all while shunning her family. I’m sorry, I don’t understand it.

Yes Aleksander is a victim in his own way, but suffering doesn’t excuse making others suffer or enabling it to happen, I’m tired of this narrative of tortured boys doing bad things. Likewise when you experience his POV, you also experience how selfish he can be, knowing right and wrong but choosing to betray people for his personal gain, or ignorantly/naively missing the truth or his role in the destruction around him. Yes he changes and his life is all very tragic but that’s just it, he changes, he doesn’t develop, he just changes, there isn’t some character arc for him and he gets let off way too lightly. But then Violet doesn’t grow by the end of the book either so I suppose they’re well matched. You’d mind less but there isn’t any particular chemistry, they’re flat on the page.

When you can’t stand the protagonist and her toxic, broken cute boy, you’re left with little motivation to care what happens in the story, although I did want her uncle to at least survive after he was so unappreciated. I will say the world building was vague but potentially interesting (although not original), with keys opening doors to other locations (like Monsters Inc but without the fun of an abominable snowman wielding snow cones). Penelope, the villain in this story, is also the most interesting part of this story – there is a real menace to her on the page. However a story about curses and magic and stepping into worlds, a book with Stardust in the title, it just didn’t follow through with the expectation it created, the stardust did not sparkle for me, and plot-holes just don’t make sense (you need an Everly family member and you ignore 2 stood in front of you??)

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review of „City of Stardust“ by Georgia Summers – 2 Stars

When I picked up City of Stardust by Georgia Summers, I was drawn in by the intriguing premise. The blurb promised a story steeped in mystery and suspense, with a cursed family, an ageless antagonist, and a ticking clock that demanded a desperate race against time. Unfortunately, what I found was a far cry from the suspenseful and fast-paced adventure I had hoped for.

City of Stardust ♦ Georgia Summers
Opinion
The plot centers around Violet Everly, who is thrust into a dangerous quest to find her mother and break the centuries-old curse that has plagued her family. The setup has all the ingredients for a compelling narrative—fickle gods, monstrous beings, and a seductive magical underworld. However, the execution leaves much to be desired.

One of the major issues I had with City of Stardust is its pacing. For a book that hinges on the urgency of breaking a curse before Violet is claimed as the next victim, the plot moves at a frustratingly slow pace. There are entire sections that feel like filler, contributing little to the progression of the story or the development of the characters. Instead of building tension, these segments bog down the narrative, making it difficult to stay engaged. What should have been a suspenseful journey filled with twists and turns often felt like a tedious slog through unnecessary details.

The world-building, while imaginative, often felt disjointed. The magical underworld that Violet descends into is described in lush, vivid detail, but these descriptions sometimes overwhelm the story itself. Rather than adding to the atmosphere, they often feel like distractions, pulling attention away from the central plot. This, combined with the slow pacing, makes it hard to maintain interest as Violet’s journey unfolds.

Character development is another area where the book falters. Violet, as the protagonist, is somewhat relatable, but she never truly comes into her own. Her motivations are clear, but her actions often feel repetitive and uninspired. The dynamic between Violet and Aleksander, who is described as untrustworthy yet alluring, had the potential to be one of the book’s strengths. Unfortunately, their relationship lacks the depth and complexity needed to make it truly compelling. Their interactions, much like the plot, suffer from the same slow pacing and lack of urgency.

Moreover, the antagonist, Penelope, who is supposed to be the driving force behind the Everly family’s curse, feels underutilized. Her presence is more of a looming shadow than an active threat, which further diminishes the sense of danger that the book desperately needs. Instead of being a powerful and terrifying figure, Penelope comes across as distant and abstract, which weakens the overall impact of the story.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Georgia Summers‚ City of Stardust is a book that promises much but delivers little. The concept is intriguing, and the potential for a gripping, suspenseful tale is there, but the execution falls flat. With its slow pacing, overabundance of filler, and underdeveloped characters, it’s hard to stay invested in Violet’s quest. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, suspense-filled fantasy, this might not be the book for you.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was completely enthralled with Georgia Summers' darkly enthralling tale, The City of Stardust. I couldn't help but get a hardcover copy of Violet Everly's journey through a dangerous and enthralling magical realm to add to my collection because it was such an engaging story. I can't help but think of The Starless Sea and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue when reading this novel because of its exquisite blending of magic, mystery, and romance. I was captivated by Summers' beautiful writing and the complex world-building right away on the first page. This novel is a must-read if you enjoy gloomy fairy tales with a tempting twist.

This book had really high potential, but I was ultimately let down. I didn't correct with the characters and felt there were too many plot holes and parts left unexplained. It lacked character development. It just wasn't for me.