Violet Everly's family is cursed, and the curse is coming for her. Her mother left to break the curse when she was young, and hasn't been seen since. Violet's uncles have done their best to keep her existence a secret, but word has gotten out that Marianne Everly had a daughter, and Violet's life is about to change.

The premise of City of Stardust is intriguing - multiple worlds, gods from the stars, and a blurring between legends and reality. Summers' prose is well suited to this style of narrative. Her writing is detailed and lyrical, and the writer spares no detail regarding setting. The result is an immersive, fairy-tale-esque narrative that will suit readers who are happy to spend time steeping in the setting and vibes of a narrative.

The pacing of this book didn't work for me. The beginning is slow, while Summers spends time setting the scene and introducing a varied cast of characters. The pacing picks up towards the middle of the second act, however it drops again before the climax, where most readers would expect rising action.

The romance sub-plot didn't quite work for me, as we are told about, instead of shown, most of the main character and her love-interests initial time together. I find it difficult to become invested in a relationship when I haven't seen it develop. As a result, I never understood why these two characters were interested in each other.

The POV switches between several characters and sometimes goes from close third-person POV to a more omniscient style. These narratorial choices work well for the style of the work, adding to that sense of being told a fairy tale. The omniscient style also allows the writer to dip in and out of secondary characters without having to spend too much time grounding the reader in the POV change.

Overall, Summers' strong prose and atmospheric writing were the highlight of this book for me, and fans of more vibes-over-plot novels who still want a bit of plot, might find something special here.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the ARC.

Violet's mum left when she was young, and her uncles took care of her. She doesn't know why or where her mum has gone. So she lives in a life of books and fairytales until one day someone comes knocking. Penelope is very keen on getting to know Violet, and her assistant Aleksander is about to show Violet that her fairytales may not be that far fetched. When years later she meets Aleksander again, she needs more details about this magical world her uncles don't want to talk about and maybe this could help her find her mum. As we follow Violet trying to find her way through the magic and the lies to find some answers, we also follow Aleksander and his life as Penelope's assistant and let's just say Aleksander might not know everything about his mistress.

I liked the story itself just fine even though I would have wished for a bit more magic and the start was a bit too slow paced for my taste.

*Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for access to this ebook against an honest review.*

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I liked this book but I didn't love it. The writing is beautiful. It just didn't hit the mark for me in regards to character development and story. I wanted so much more from it. I did love the concept of the gods and monsters. The whimsical settings and the back story but again was left wanting more.

I have no doubt other will love it more than I did so definitely worth the read. Just didn't blow me personally away.

A City of Stardust! Oooh, how magical a name is that? I was kindly given the opportunity to read this fantasy debut by Georgia Summers!

The Everlys bear a curse woven through generations. Marianne Everly, who slipped through the hands of the mysterious Penelope, vanishes, leaving her daughter Violet to unravel the threads of magic, secrets, and betrayal. Bound by fate, Violet plunges into an unknown world, determined to break the ancient curse that shadows her family and threatens to take her life. Surrounding my mystique and secrets, Violet must answer two burning questions: Where is Marianne Everly? How can she free her family from the binds of their curse?

Going into it, I was really excited because this book was giving me all the good vibes: a promise of magic and mystique, adventure, a curse, betrayal?? Aaaallllllll of the good stuff. And it did deliver! I think the world was really well built, with an interesting system of subtle magic and scholars. Summers writing is gorgeous, with beautiful ethereal descriptions. She managed to create suspense and intrigue really well, and I got hooked on the book early! I will say that because of the writing style, I found the focus was so intense on the descriptions that I didn’t really become attached to any of the characters, which was disappointing :(

I think this was a promising debut and the story opens a doorway (wink wink) to a world of adventures that could take place in it. Should Summers ever decide to write any future stories in the world, I would definitely read it!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys beautiful writing, a subtle magic system and quests with potentially fatal consequences 👀

3.75/5⭐️

A massive thank you to @hodderscape and @netgalley for allowing me to read this eARC in return for a fair and honest review 🤍

A City of Stardust will be expected to be published in the UK on 25/01/24.

What a fun little book this was, a standalone fantasy story with an almost fairy-tale like plot line with its mixture of magical realism, curses, magic and stardust!

I enjoyed my time reading this book and found the world interesting although confusing at times, I feel as though this book could have been longer to explore the very interesting world and magic system the author was building. I feel like a lot was left unsaid or up for my own interpretation.

However, the interesting plot kept me reading and I'm glad I stuck with this one.

Reminded me of The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow which I enjoyed.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an early copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

THE CITY OF STARDUST is an ethereal fantasy about crossing worlds and a curse that must be unravelled.

There is a whimsical, ethereal, haunting feel to this book. I spent a lot of time trying to decide if it was the writing style (and the third person, present tense narration) or Kitty Parker's way of reading it. Either way, I really liked it. It was a bit like floating on clouds, watching this story that was not quite in our world unfurl.

Violet is the main narrator but Aleksander and Penelope also narrate. I really enjoyed getting to see what Penelope was up to, see the lengths she'd go to and just how chillingly impersonal she was. The third person really came into its own here, allowing for a distant POV in Penelope's chapters so her thoughts didn't come through. Instead, the focus was all on her actions, letting that coldness really come through. Without her motivations (at least in the opening acts before Violet uncovers them), it comes across as very chilling because it's hard to understand the rationale behind these actions.

I enjoyed the exploration of the absent mother-child relationship, Violet's yearning but also frustration. It is a journey of acceptance and letting go, even while not really being able to because of that gap left by abandonment at a young age. I liked the way it ended up, the way Marianne breaks some of the (limiting, patriarchal) expectations of motherhood we have this society.

It is a very strong debut and I look forward to more books by the author.

{AD|GIFTED} [4.5 stars] I savoured this story over several nights as the prose was exquisite. The author is an incredibly talented wordsmith and had shades of Laini Taylor (which is a huge compliment as she wrote my favourite duology). There is not a single careless or misplaced word in the entire book.

The plot itself is a race against time for Violet Everly to rescue herself from becoming the next sacrifice of a woman bent on revenge. Violet travels the globe in a desperate bid to change her fate by finding an elusive key to a magical world. This is a story about stories, about their power and magic, about memory and perception. The beauty lies in the sheer possibilities offered by an unknowable story.

Violet's romance with Aleksander felt authentic and heartbreaking. They both experienced life-changing events yet found themselves drawn to each other. Their relationships with the people around them were particularly fascinating. Violet's yearning for her missing mother threw into relief the familial love shared by Violet and her uncles. Contrasted with this loving family, Aleksander's complicated relationship with the abusive Penelope, a mother-figure and saviour-like woman, was twisted yet understandable.

This is a standalone novel but I hope the author revisits this world as the potential is unlimited. I would love to read about Caspian's adventures as he was an engaging character with plenty of personality. Comparisons to Alix E. Harrow are valid for the portal fantasy element, whilst the writing style was reminiscent of Laini Taylor and Erin Morgenstern. It also shared a lot of the vibes of The Starless Sea. Overall, I was completely immersed in the rich world-building, the exquisite prose, and the engaging premise.

A truly intriguing magic system set in a dark yet whimsical world.

I absolutely adored some of the comparisons I’ve seen for this book so I had really high hopes. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite reach my expectations.

It was an enjoyable and intriguing read. I liked the mystery and seeing how it all came together, and the magic system was really interesting and original. However, some of the fantasy elements felt out of place to me - the gods and goddesses and their world seemed to come out of nowhere and felt quite a stark contrast to the more urban fantasy start of the novel.

The two main characters felt real to me, even if they weren’t always likeable, and I did appreciate the nuances of their personalities and histories.

Overall, I enjoyed the world and magic system of The City of Stardust, I just felt that some aspects of it were slightly out of place in the story.

I was highly impressed by the story itself and the fairytale style of wording that was used to craft together this story.

The City of Stardust is an intricate world that lies away from our own world, separate and known but only a select few. We watch Violet Emerly grow up and suffer at the hands of fate and with a deep despair that follows her. Something unrelated to any of her own actions, an ancient curse which she seeks to free herself from.

It is a wonderful tale of a dreamer who has a strange relationship with her family, has been hidden away from the world for reasons that had been kept from her and as she starts to dip her toes into the wider world, discovers more about herself and her familial line, dating back so many generations, she is left with nothing but terrible choices before her.

I won’t spoil anything so I’ll try to be as vague as possible but the story starts slowly, almost a bit too slowly for me but it does pick up speed in a graceful way, building tension and despair well as the story unfolds. There is one character who I am still annoyed at even after the book has ended. There is a romance that blossoms with Violet and a male character which could almost be enemies to lovers except, I don’t think she ever really had any negative feelings towards him despite *things that happen*. That character was beginning to make me angry by their choices and actions, although, from their POV I can understand why they did what they did but there is a scene towards the end that had me in tears, grateful for what they decide and say.

That ending also had me in tears! Partly from relief, and in a strange way, from the romance of it. You should probably check out the trigger warnings because as much as it starts off free of violence, despite the psychological terror inflicted, there are some violent scenes further into the story that are gory and will cause some distress. Overall, I felt like this was a wonderful story and I really enjoyed it.

The City of Stardust is out on 25/01/2024
#TheCityOfStardust #NetGalley

The City of Stardust was a beautiful story that was hard to put down, eventually. I had a bit of a rough start but I find that is often the case with fantasy novels. Georgia Summers is great at describing a world and creating the perfect atmosphere. Maybe sometimes it got in the way of more conversations but I didn't seem to mind most of the time.

The story is very interesting and elaborate, but the multiple POVs per chapter weren't really my thing. I enjoy multiple POVs but I prefer it per chapter. Still, this didn't get in the way of me thoroughly enjoying this book.

I also liked the characters in this story. Voilet and Aleksander were definitely a joy to follow, and even occasional other characters were a blast. I do, however, feel like the whole story around the mother feels unfinished. I'm not sure if the idea is to write a second book around this, but it felt like something was missing here in the end.

All in all a wonderful book that I would definitely recommend!

I have some complicated thoughts on this book so I will start with the good. The premise for this book was so intriguing to me and I was really excited to read it. I found the magic system and world lore incredibly interesting. In particular, the way different versions of the same story were passed down made the world feel incredibly real— just as in real life the truth is always blurred. And those myths were beautifully written and kept me hooked throughout the book. Everything surrounding the stars themselves was deeply engrossing to me.

However, there were bits of this book I struggled with little. The main one being Violet. By the end of the book I felt like I still didn’t really know Violet, despite large chunks of it following her story. I also struggled with her naivety (to avoid spoilers: she probably should have seen the writing on the wall far earlier than she did). At one point we’re told that she’s furious but it’s just one sentence and then none of her behaviour changes to match her emotions— it’s like she was never angry! I also struggled in places with the multiple POVs. Sometimes it seemed to really work and the short snippets in each POV increased tension but in other places it pulled me out of the story and left me feeling detached.

Overall, whilst I may have a couple of issues with this book, I did enjoy it and I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next.

The City of Stardust is Georgia Summers' first book and follows the story of Violet Everly.

The Everly family is cursed. Every generation, a woman named Penelope comes to take away the most valuable and deserving member of the family. When Violet's mother disappears into thin air, this fate befalls Violet. The girl will not only find herself involved in a rather dark adventure but will also have to find a way to save herself and break the curse.

This novel is a love hymn to stories, to tales. It has a poetic, lyrical, almost dreamlike style that goes well with a slow and calm narrative.
Georgia Summers takes her time but unfortunately this slowness often coincides with repetitive situations and a certain stagnation. In fact, I occasionally felt this aspect tending to get bored, but the story is still very intriguing and I appreciated its development.

Furthermore, following the story from two different POVs not only allows us to better understand the characters Violet and Alexander, but also looks at the story from different angles, grasping its different nuances.

I liked it but in short it has its flaws and I am convinced that it will appeal to those who have already appreciated vibes like this in books like Addie LaRue and The Sea Without Stars, or in books that have the same theme of the "door to other worlds" like The Ten Thousand Doors of January" or The Golden Compass.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC

I absolutely loved reading this book.

The writing was gripping and set an incredible overall tone and pace. There's an almost lyrical undertone to the prose that created a mystical atmosphere to the setting.

Part of this novel gave me the same feeling as the part of the Harry Potter novels where they are looking for horcruxes but instead of a trio, imagine it's just Hermione as the chosen one and she's gone looking on her own. An intelligent heroine with a steadfast determination to complete her goal, whom still possesses a somewhat childlike (said with affection) desire to trust despite history telling a different story.

It's ultimately a story about family, self-discovery, and trust.

What I loved most about this book is that it's complex without being complicated. The magic system is not overly complicated meaning the reader does not get bogged down in the details and pulled out of the story to try make sense of what they are reading. It's blended quite seamlessly into the writing and truly helps set the dark academia tone of secrecy and impending danger.

Rated 4.5 but rounded up to 5

Thank you to the author, publishers Hodderscape and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review.

Violet Everly’s family is cursed. Her mother disappeared on the trail of a cure and now the time of the curse is coming due. Can Violet succeed where her ancestors failed and finally end the generations long sacrifice to a vengeful god.

I really wanted to love this book and I’m sad that I didn’t. The concept really appealed to me, but the delivery of the world and characters just didn’t deliver. Parts of the plot seemed to leap forward leaving me flicking back virtual pages trying to figure out if I’d missed a section of narrative that explained a linking moment between then and now.

This sense of disconnection from the plot probably didn’t help me feel for the characters. There was just something missing that meant I never really cared about Violet or Aleksander. There were just too many questions left unanswered, but left in a way that it felt the author hadn’t thought about them rather than it feeling like a mystery intentionally left a mystery.

I received an audioarc and e-arc through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I found the narration boring.
I wasn't a fan of the writing style, and I almost fell asleep listening to the book.
The narrator Kitty Parker has a nice voice, but there was just something about her narration that didn't capture me. There was no emotion to her voice, it felt like listening to AI generated voice.
I often use internet Explorer when I need to read PDF files or read other things like articles and other webpages. And listening to this book, was exactly like listening to that narrator voice I use for school. So this was absolutely boring to me. There was no life, no atmosphere or mood as to say. Maybe it's just the writing? But this was just so absolutely boring to listen to.

As for the story, I just couldn't get into it at all. I didn't care for any of the characters either.
I really think it was just the writing style that wasn't for me.
I think I need to re-read this again for another time just to really be sure how I feel. Because I'm ambivalent at the moment.

Fans of The Starless Sea and The Ten Thousand Doors of January will LOVE THIS BOOK! A perfect balance of beautiful and lyrical writing, an over-arching plot that spans centuries, mythology, adventure, and complicated human relationships.

I really enjoyed the character Penelope. I love a female villain and Penelope is the queen of female villains! I was intrigued by her 'relationship' with Alexsander and how complicated, layered, and toxic it was. I kind of wish that was addressed a bit more.

Seeing how the fantasy world and the mundane blend into one another was exhilarating and I completely identified with Violet and her desire for adventure!

This book had such beautiful prose, full of gorgeous magical whimsy that was truly captivating but unfortunately the plot and characters were seriously lacking. This book had such potential to be something incredible but I felt absolutely nothing for any of the characters, which was really disappointing because the descriptions of this world were so stunning.

I don’t think this book will be one I remember well over time but I will keep an eye out for this authors future work because she really does write beautifully and hopefully we can see some more memorable characters written by her in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stougton for the free eARC of "The City of Stardust" by Georgia Summers.
I am so glad I tried the ARC before I was tempted to pre-order an actual book.
This is a Young Agult Fantasy, despite the marketing that says it is Adult Fantasy.
I did not realised thus until the 10% mark.
At the begining the female lead is a clever child, but then we fast forward to her beeing a teen, moaning about the fact she is "to special" to work in a café, and experiencing a insta-love immediately after.
No, thank you very much. I don't have the patience for the YA subgenre.
I am sure this book will find its own audience, but that audience does not include myself.
I wish the author the best of luck in her writing, she is not to be blamed for the misleading marketing.

Me está costando encontrar últimamente novelas de fantasía que no tengan un fuerte componente romántico y aunque The City of Stardust lo tiene más atenuado que otras, también está presente.


La novela sigue los pasos de Violet, la última descendiente de la familia Everly, criada por sus tíos ya que su madre desapareció siendo ella niña para intentar romper la maldición que pesa sobre la familia, ya que un miembro de cada generación desaparece por razones que no quedan muy claras. Violet, criada entre misterios, se empeñará en descubrir dónde está su madre y también cuáles son las causas de su futura perdición.

Georgia Summers utiliza de una manera muy inteligente la figura maternal ausente como un constante acicate para la curiosidad e incluso el instinto de supervivencia de Violet, pero descubre bastante pronto cuál es el juego de Penélope, la causa de todas sus desdichas. Que su supuesta salvación dependa de una persona que prácticamente no aparece en todo el libro mientras que su “torturadora” sí que se mantiene cerca, es una dualidad muy interesante y bien estudiada. Los típicos plazos de un año y un día que solemos relacionar con los pactos feéricos también están presentes en el libro, junto con un grupo de estudiosos que solo ansían conseguir más poder y que tendrán un papel decisivo en el devenir de la novela.

Ahora bien, existen otros problemas durante la lectura. El ritmo desfallece en variadas ocasiones y parece que se estiran algunos capítulos innecesariamente. La definición de los personajes tampoco es el punto fuerte de la novela, porque aparte de Violet y Penelope, los demás quedan bastante difusos, incluso el interés romántico del que hacía mención en el primer párrafo, que es que casi ni me acuerdo de cómo se llamaba (Aleksander, pero he hecho trampa y he ido a consultarlo).

The City of Stardust es un libro que puede recordar algo a una fantasía de hace unas décadas, pero con una pátina de modernidad que si bien no lo convierte en una lectura imprescindible, sí que lo hace entretenido.

I’ve been after a new standalone fantasy novel to obsess over, and this sounded right up my street. Power-hungry scholars, ancient gods and underworld monsters? Sign. Me. Up.

Beautiful cover aside, The City of Stardust didn’t disappoint in terms of high fantasy with a big magic presence. For centuries, generations of Everlys have seen a member of their family disappear, taken as ‘punishment’ for a centuries-old crime that nobody seems to remember. Ten years ago, Violet Everly’s mother left their world, determined to break this terrible curse. And, now, Violet follows in her footsteps to find her mother… or be taken in her place. Thus begins Violet’s descent into a magical underworld, switching between worlds that teem with scholars, monsters, gods and curses. There’s Penelope, the tormentor, and her assistant, Aleksander, who Violet instantly feels drawn too.

I felt this was a surprisingly strong debut from Summers. The world-building is rich and evocative, the story dark, and there’s a winning amount of magic and lore – I feel like, recently, the fantasies I’ve picked up lack the magic?! And, it’s an ode to book lovers, with some really stunning passages at the start, since Violet is a bookworm and fiction-adventurer herself. However, while I found the concept and overall plot fascinating, the novel loses focus at the midway point for me. The reveals are for us, not the characters, which is a bit stressful, and the pacing is really off for me. I kept thinking I was at the grand finale at the 70% mark, then 75%, then 80%, which meant the ending felt anti-climatic and surely drawn-out. I wish Violet had more character development and that any development she did get were maintained throughout the story.