4.5 stars

Published 25th January 2024.

I think we might be looking at the next huge fantasy book that is going to be talked about for years to come!

With comparisons to The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, I knew this would be a truly special and magical read, but I did not expect to be blown away by it as much as I was.

Firstly, the fact that this is a debut is astonishing. The craft that Georgia Summers shows here isn't present in many established writers who I regularly read from - it is a phenomenal standard that other authors should be aspiring to. Alongside her world building and character development, Summers' writing had such a cinematic quality that I could totally see this story being adapted (and equally adored) for the big screen.

In Violet, we have the best kind of main character that everyone can relate to. I mean, who can say they never dreamt of adventure and magical worlds when they were younger? To see her growth throughout the novel was an absolute joy and her strength and commitment to her quest is something to be admired. In her adversary - Penelope - we have a VERY Mrs Coulter (His Dark Materials)-esque villain who stoops to the lowest of lows to get what she wants (Actually there's low, and then there's Penelope's definition of low!!)

Just the most astonishingly enchanting and magical book that I hope gets all the praise it deserves.

I found this to be a fascinating read although for me not quite perfect as I truly struggled to actually like the characters. To say Violet has been imprisoned is too strong a word for it but certainly carefully sheltered at home following her mother deciding to leave without a trace. Her two uncles have sheltered her but they have kept secrets from her that are as terrible as they are terrifying. Violet is little more than a pawn it seems but she’s determined to find why her mother left her and just what it was she searched for.
As I mentioned I just didn’t feel empathy for the characters which truly is a shame. I feel I should have more sympathy and yet if blunt I only thought her youngest uncle showed any true feelings of love. Ah love that word conjures up a myriad of possibilities and yes there is a character here who is significant in Violets journey but even then it’s not an obvious and straightforward romance. There is a resolution and a hope for a better future for these protagonists and if you have ever wondered what it would be like to be divine then this story certainly is a cautionary tale.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

"Do you really believe the curse isn't real? That the divine never touches you? That the wheeling cosmos is but an abstract of chemicals? Do you not hear the stars sing, little dreamer?"

The City of Stardust. Oh, the promise this book holds.

Once a generation, an Everly walks into the dark, compelled by the shadow beside them and they do not return. Terrified at the idea of her days being numbered, Violet Everly is doing everything she could to break her family curse and escape death. But with so little knowledge of the world, as her two uncles are so keen to keep her hidden in hope of safety, and her mother's disappearance with absolutely zero clue; she ought to seek help from people she barely knows.

The prose are hauntingly beautiful. Yet so many parts of the book lead the readers blindly from one door to the next, it's getting to the point where it feels frustrating, especially the switch from one point of view to the next is not shown clearly. Unanswered questions left in the wake.

I feel like this could be written in two books, because there are so many things to explore and the pacing feels rushed. I would love to know more about her uncles, Gabriel and Ambrose. What convinced Ambrose to give Violet permission is getting a job, what kind of job Gabriel does when he leaves home. And most of all, I want to learn more about Penelope. Her feelings, her life before. And the astrals.

I love Violet's character, she is strong. I find her fascination towards fairy tales and desire for adventure endearing. Overall it's still a gorgeous book with impressive writing despite its minor flaws.

I loved this so much, I wanted to get my hands on a physical copy and immediately scribble my thoughts all over the pages.

This one is people who thought books like Strange the Dreamer, Addie and The Starless Sea spoke directly to their soul.

I loved every minute of this, my only criticism is that I would have liked a little bit more.

Brimming with Starless Sea vibes, I adored and subsequently DEVOURED The City of Stardust like a starved Astral. This world was so beautifully wrought. I need more of this world!

LOVED THIS! It was such a wonderfully written story, I loved both of the main characters and I definitely would love to see more in this universe as it sounds so incredible.

I kept panicking towards the end that it wasn't going to wrap up enough but it was a needless fear as it ended perfectly I cannot fault it whatsoever.

I look forwards to seeing what Georgia Summers writes next!

3.75 stars
I think you will adore this book if you enjoy Erin Morgenstern, Stephanie Garber, Laini Taylor and M.A. Kuzniar.
Georgia Summers has created a beautifully whimsical world filled with secret societies, other worlds, magic keys, gods and curses.

The Everly’s are cursed- every generation, one of them is taken as punishment for a crime no one remembers, for a purpose no one understands. Up until Violet’s mother, Marianne. Instead, Marianne runs away, leaving her young daughter to be raised by her brothers as she searches for a way to break the curse, never to be seen by her family again.
‘City of Stardust’ is Violet’s story, a girl who was raised on stories and mysteries in an isolated rundown manor until her uncles were unable to shield her from the world of scholars and magic. She sets off on a quest, determined to retrace her mother’s steps and finally break the Everly curse before it is too late.

<I>‘She grew up on a feast of fairy tales and myths; there is always blood.
and she is so very tired of curses.’</I>

Summers has created a really rich and beautiful world, filled with whimsical prose and engaging characters. Unfortunately, I felt she has tried a bit too hard to write the story from too many sides, meaning many characters storylines are started before being abruptly dropped and left unfinished. The romance in this felt a bit forced and by the end it all felt a bit wishy washy- even though this was probably the detached fairy tale vibes the author was going for it felt a bit frustrating so have all this side stories started. I did however enjoy how the same tale was told from different perspectives throughout this book, showing how a story can change depending on who is telling it. I also loved the Everly brothers and would love to see a book following them, as I think their stories would be great.
I really didn’t enjoy the child kidnapping and sacrificing- I understood the impact the author was possibly trying to make, but I personally felt this was enforced heavily, considering the rest of the story had such a distanced and hazy quality to it, with it still being unclear on whether the ‘villain’ of the story was justified in their actions- it just really didn't sit right with me.

From the very beginning, the author skillfully immerses readers in a richly detailed magical realm, where Violet's quest to break the curse unfolds against a backdrop of intrigue and mystery. The stakes are high, and Violet's journey becomes a race against time, her every step fraught with uncertainty and magic. Personally, I loved Violet Everly and Aleksander, Penelope's quiet assistant, who adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story! Their chemistry and just their interactions were so well done that I felt like their characters were excellently fleshed out, an element which authors often struggle to implement adeptly and thus also becomes an element which standalone novels struggle to uphold, but in this case I felt that Georgia Summers mastered it.

The pacing of the story is well-executed, albeit perhaps a little slow in the beginning, but it never got to a point where I found myself getting bored or overloaded with information dumping. Summers' lyrical and beautiful story-telling is captivating and she has managed to find the perfect balance in her world-building, which I feel really adds to the strength of this exquisite standalone. Not to mention, the desire to delve into the universe crafted by the author is strong!! I just wanted to dive into Violet's world because there is such a lush and vivid world-building which brought to life the magical tapestry of the realms where Violet must venture.

Overall, I absolutely adored this and I can't wait to get my physical copy once it's published!!! Seamlessly amalgamating elements of fantasy, familial dynamics, and magic, this book blew me away with its spellbinding narrative, exploring the lengths one is willing to traverse to break free from the chains of an ancestral curse. This debut is poised to resonate with aficionados of the fantastical and those captivated by narratives of resilience, family, and the enduring potency of hope. Like me, this book will leave you anxiously awaiting the forthcoming future works of this promising author.

Imagine my shock when I realized this is a stand-alone! I need more of it, please!

I am speechless. This book was incredible! The writing is exquisite, the characters are well crafted, the plot is fantastic. I really don't know what else to say, except that I hope you preordered this book already!

I do feel like it was too short, and it gets confusing at times because two paragraphs describe what's going on at the same time but in different places or with different characters, but there's no separator between them to indicate that (maybe this has to do with the ARC's formatting). Either way, it's one of the best books I've read and the prose is, in my opinion, comparable to Rebecca Ross's Letters of Enchantment duology.

I enjoyed this book, and I think there is a lot of opportunity for this author to develop.
As a fan of both Laini Taylor and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the writing style felt very comforting and familiar to me. It's a lyrical style which some readers might not vibe with, although fortunately City of Stardust is backed up with more of a plot than some of the ethereal books it's being compared to.
It did take me a little while to feel immersed in the narrative, particularly in terms of world-building, and I think expanded character development could have really filled out this book into something great.
Rounding up to 4 stars from 3.5 as I would love to see more from this author.

I was excited to read The City of Stardust as the idea of a new fantasy tale sounded like a great start to my January reading list. The story focuses on Violet Everly whose family have been cursed - once a generation a family member is taken by a mysterious woman, never to return. Can Violet break the curse and find her missing mother?

Although The City of Stardust is quite a short read for a fantasy story, I actually found it really hard to get into and felt like I had to force my way through to the end which wasn’t ideal. Part of this is the fact that I don’t think as a reader you really truly get to know, or empathise with Violet as the main character. She very much is a person that things just happen to, and she changes motives and trusts people who have betrayed her so often that it was really hard to sympathise with her. The story also jumps perspectives and timelines quite often which led me to become very confused with what was happening.

The plot itself is very jumbled and I must admit I had no idea what was going on at various points. I didn’t understand why Penelope had given an arbitrary deadline to find Violet’s mother, or Violet would be taken, I also didn’t understand why she couldn’t have just taken Violet’s uncles, as they had the same bloodline. I really didn’t understand what Penelope wanted with Violet anyway, it was portrayed as a world ending event they were trying to fight, but then at the beginning of the book they say she’s taken one person from each generation so I was confused as to why this particular year was so special.

Violet and Aleksander are the love interests in the book, but I didn’t really feel any chemistry for them being together. Aleksander does some terrible things so I didn’t really understand why they got on well at all. There’s a lot of side characters introduced but other than Yury, I didn’t really feel like we got to properly know any of them and when they are briefly described by their appearances in the epilogue, I realised that I couldn’t actually recall who any of them were. The magic system and the idea of the keys and the scholars and the magic metal also made very little sense – they all just seemed jammed together for the sake of it.

Overall, The City of Stardust was not the fantasy epic I had hoped it to be, with confusing plotlines, jumbled backstory and characters I didn’t feel like I got to know. Thank you to NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton – Hodderscape for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book had a fantastic plot foundation, and the two main characters had amazing potential. I think the story would have really benefited from being spread across 2/3 books, rather than one, to really give the characters the detail of development they deserved.

I initially found it hard to get into the story because of the third person, present tense format. Within a few chapters it was easier to read and absorb, but not quite as comfortable as I would have liked.

However despite this, I thought overall it was a great book, and I especially loved the epilogue!

1.5

i would rather walk on burning coals barefoot than read another page of this book ever again.
this book had a promising start and many potentials but sadly none of them were executed well, i could literally not tell you how the magic system in this book works. there were many plot holes and i didn't like how the pov would constantly change in the middle of the chapter, it would just confuse the hell out of me on who we were following and throw me of. i couldn't for the life of me feel connected to any of the characters, violet is utterly dumb and aleksander is such a pathetic loser im sorry but i wont be giving him any sort of sympathy that man was so manipulative and then tried to justify his actions by bringing up his past. his and violet's relationship was so random.. it had no chemistry and felt so forced and made no sense whatsoever, considering they barely know each other, i hate HATED how violet took him back even tho he betrayed her, i literally could not tell you how many times this man had betrayed her and she'd always welcome him back with open arms.. she was merely naive and too trusting. now im not really sure why the author decided to add their romance but it literally didnt change a thing imo. i was extremely disappointed, was definitely NOT having the best time reading this book and i was on my knees and hands begging for it to be over and to put me out of my misery. also the plot doesn't develop until the last 15% ish of the the book but even then i felt lost and had many questions.

overall this book wasn't for me and i wont really be recommending it to anyone honestly
thank you netgalley for providing me with this arc.

A curse, a lost city and adventure. This book was a pleasure to read very well written and atmospheric. It had a similar vain to The Starless sea so if you loved that book you will love this one.

Thank you for allowing me to read this NetGalley and the publisher.

3.5 stars
Thank you Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for the e-arc of this book. This book started off strong with an interesting premise. Our main character Violet Everly must find her mother who disappeared 9 years ago to break the family curse. The details have been kept from Violet and in her search for her mother she discovers the origins of the debt owed that she will have to pay in her mother's sted if Marianne can't be found within the year.

I really like the writing style of Georgia Summers and got the feels of the Night Circus and at times Philip Pullman from his Dark Materials. However, it felt in the middle section to get slightly lost in terms of plot and the use of side characters. In parts they felt well developed but in others like they existed purely to move the plot along.

Perhaps the story could have benefited from more editing to work on the flow of the narrative to achieve better emotional pay off. There were elements that lent themselves to pulling at the heart strings but didn't get the time to be really felt.

In terms of characters, Violet could have been developed more with the relationship with her uncles, especially Ambrose and the doomed attraction to Aleksander. Aleksander was done exceptionally well and definitely crossed over the morally grey line. His journey was richer to follow despite not being the main antagonist. Penelope was an exquisite villain and took the story to some dark places. I enjoyed her progression to the final scenes.

There are some trigger warnings to take note of with themes of torture, kidnapping, murder, disfigurement/maiming and child abuse.

To conclude, the world building was the highlight for me, the plot although not 100 percent achieved was good and the majority of the characters had good dimension. Some further fleshing out would have made a huge difference. I could almost imagine this as a duology if the search for Violet's mother was given more detail for the first book and linked into Marianne's story. Then the second book could have really delve into the City of Stardust and who Penelope really is.

The cover of this book is what grabbed me straight away and then the premise had me intrigued. Georgia Summers writing is lyrical and beautifully descriptive. She has created a world that one can envisage easily. The added fairy tales between the main story were a nice touch too. Unfortunately for me I didn't connect with the main characters as much as I had hoped and I wanted to have more action. The story was moving at a very slow pace and I often found my attention wondering.

This will probably be a knock out book for some people, particularly if you are a fan of Paris by Starlight by Robert Dinsdale. On this occasion is just wasn't meant to be for me.

Okay so eh as y'all can see, I am not a fan of this book. A lot of things put me off and it got so bad I had to take a break from this or I would've ended up in a reading slump🥲

I am so so sad because I was so excited for this book! The synopsis sounded SO good and interesting and the cover is so pretty😍 But the story, the characters, the writing.. all of it didn't work for me.. I really tried to love it, I really did but no, I'm glad it's over.

The story itself, it was a great concept, one that peaked my interest. I was expecting a lot of world building as there were a lot of different 'worlds' you could enter through 'keys' but I felt like it was barely explained. Like others also have said I had a problem with the whole curse and Violet's journey through it. We as readers knew a lot more than the main character which was very annoying to me because 1. It was hard to follow because I kept thinking why doesn't she know that? And 2. the plottwists were barely plottwists because you already knew they were coming...
I also couldn't keep up with all the different aspects and tbh if you'd ask me what happened in this book I couldn't even explain it lol. The world, the rules, the magic, it was so complex which made it very hard to understand everything that was going on.

Then the characters.. unlikable, especially the main characters Violet and Aleksander. I felt like they both didn't get any development and Violet was just too naive and forgiving. Their chemistry was off so I also hated the romance part in this book. There were some side characters I did like though, Ambrose, Gabriel, Caspian.. but they got barely any dialogue.

The writing? I'm in the minority on this but this writing style is not for me. When I first started reading, something felt off for me and it wasn't until I started reading reviews I knew why. People were comparing this writing style to the night circus, another book I absolutely despise. I HATE this kind of writing which caused a snowball effect of me not understanding some stuff and hating all the dialogue and the way the story flowed. It was just overly descriptive but not descriptive enough in other aspects..
I also have to note that I really didn't like the switching POV's mid chapter without a proper indication. Like, you could be reading about Violet going on about her day and the next sentence will say something like " 'I'm not sure if I should do this' Aleksander thought", y'all know how much I love multiple POV's but this one wasn't executed very well in my opinion.

So yeah this was definitely not my cup of tea although the prose sounded amazing and definitely up my alley! I do think (and know because of the reviews) that a lot of people would like and even love this book so take my review with a pinch of salt. If you like descriptive writing this book will suit you!

The City of Stardust
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“Books have always been her escape. When she couldn’t leave the house, when no one would answer her questions, when she felt so very alone in the world. They have given her a way out before - maybe they can do it again”
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Writing a review for this book is really difficult, on the other hand even the book itself is very complex, layered and full of questions but with enigmatic and universal answers that make you think a lot! If you love these types of books then it’s definitely for you! If you loved Addie LaRue, The Starless Sea or Strange The Dreamer then you might like it!! I personally loved it!
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Violet’s mother disappears one stormy night, never to be seen again. Unbeknownst to the child, her mother is leaving to try and break their family curse. Violet is left in the care of her uncles who do their best to hide her from the world, because if Penelope ever finds her, she’ll take her. When Violet can no longer be hidden from the world she must set out on adventure to break the curse herself and discover where her mother has vanished to. To do so, she must descend into a seductive magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods and monsters bent on revenge. She must also contend with Penelope’s quiet assistant, Aleksander, who she knows cannot be trusted but his charm can’t but attract her.
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I don’t say anything else because in my opinion this is the kind of book that you have to start completely blind !! The reading experience will be amazing!!
I loved the characters so much! Violet was characterised very well in her being young and stubborn! Aleksander is a boy with a tormented past and often makes difficult and questionable choices. Penelope instead is the villain of the story but while reading we can understand and get to know her better!
Speaking of writing I really have no words because as a debut novel it is divinely written! A dreamlike writing!!
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Thanks to netgalley hodderscape/Hodder and Stoughton and Georgia Summers for providing me with this e-ARC!!
The city of stardust comes out everywhere on January 25th !!

The City of Stardust is full of mystery, betrayal, magic and adventure. I had to read it for the cursed family plot alone. It’s beautifully written throughout with gorgeous settings and pure vibes. For this reason I would compare it to The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue or The Starless Sea. The book is in 3rd person and this meant I didn’t connect to the characters as much as I would have liked, it just wasn’t as immersive and I feel this was why. But I do think it was a beautiful piece of fiction. Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

The City of Stardust is a story of magic, of curses and adventures. We follow the tale in the footsteps of Violet Everly, whose family is the victim of a long standing curse. One member per each generation of the Everly household must be taken to pay the debt that is owed. After Violet’s mother disappears when searching for a way to end the curse, it falls to her to pay instead.

The world building crafted by the uber talented Georgia is beautifully constructed and the mystery unfolds as the protagonist travels both our world and others that Co-exist alongside it. I loved delving into the wonders of the world Violet and her companions occupied and felt that it was reminiscent of those crafted by Philip Pullman in the His Dark Materials series. The intrigue of what would happen next kept me reading despite the lag in pacing in some areas.

In some ways I feel as though this book really caters to those who grew up reading the likes of Pullman, and series like The Chronicles of Narnia (I was SO hoping that the wardrobe in Violet’s house was going to lead somewhere!) because of the wonder and enchantment of the new world we are introduced to and also the lens by which Georgia explores cities we might already be familiar with.