2.5⭐️

The writing in this book is beautiful and very whimsical, however the descriptions come at the detriment of the storyline. There was a lot of potential here and I loved the concept of the book, however it just fell slightly flat for me especially as so many threads of the story were either abandoned or barely explained leaving a lot that did not make sense by the end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an e-ARC of this book to review.

I liked violets character and her longing for adventure , I found myself empathising with her situation. Really liked the world behind the doors and I would definitely like more books about this universe .

I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. There’s modern themes mixed into a fantasy world which is hit or miss for me, but this one’s a hit. The characters are multifaceted and relatable. Great read.

📖 The City of Stardust
🖊️ Georgia Summers
🌟 4/5

“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?”

✨ 𝗙𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲
✨ 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲
✨ 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘀
✨ 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
✨ 𝗔 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆

Violet is the chosen one of her generation to pay a terminal debt for the multigenerational curse that plagues her family, the Everly’s. Violet has to venture into the world to find her mother, discover the truth, and break the curse.

City of Stardust reminds me of The Atlas Six although they are both very different, thematically they feel similar. Power hungry scholars, knowledge is power, and secrets and betrayals in every chapter.

Honestly, I was enthralled and enraptured by this book. Georgia Summers’ writing is so beautiful and powerful, it easily cast a spell over me. I would read the same descriptive passages again and again to marvel over the stunningly elevated prose.

Even though I struggled with the world building and the macabre magic system, the prose held me aloft throughout. What I didn’t understand I simply didn’t care about because I was enjoying the writing so much.

The characterisations are excellent. I loved how Summers didn’t just create a good and a bad character but a whole array of characters that make both great and terrible choices and are forced to live with the consequences; or die trying to escape them.

From what I can gather, this is a debut novel, and Georgia Summers is a talent to watch.

- 𝒦𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑒𝒾𝑔𝒽 𝓍

For centuries, one Everly in every generation disappears, taken by a mysterious woman called Penelope. When Marianne Everly leaves, determined to break the curse, the immediate danger falls on her daughter, Violet. Raised in secret by her uncles, Violet craves travel and adventure. As she grows older, the stakes get higher and she cannot hide anymore. She embarks on a journey to find her mother and discover more about the curse...

The City of Stardust is an exciting fantasy position. The narrative has an atmosphere of a fairytale, and it is filled with the love of books and stories. In the world created by the author, magic and other dimensions exist, and you can travel between them using special keys. It felt like Summers created an intricate world with myths, legends, gods and monsters, revealing only fragments and keeping parts of it to be explored later. I enjoyed that the narrative gives space to the side characters, like Violet’s uncles, making them as vivid as the main heroine. To be honest, I think I found the story of Aleksander even more compelling than Violet’s. As a child, he was taken from the orphanage by Penelope and raised to be her assistant. Now, he is grateful and loyal, but his faith is swayed as he learns about her true nature...

To sum up, I enjoyed this novel and will reach for more books from this author in the future.

The City of Stardust is a wonderful story that feels like magic unfolding, with beautiful prose, a fantastical setting, and interesting characters.

I kept seeing it being compared to The Invisible Life of Addie Larue and The Starless Sea. However, it reminded me of a combination of His Dark Materials, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Locke and Key.

I am very excited to read more by this author in the future.

I loved the writing and the way Georgia Summers writes sentences and approaches scene-setting. In the beginning, I felt it would be a 5* read but I soon changed my opinion. The main mystery is a good one even if the explanation feels somewhat lackluster (though it's possible I was expecting too much). The issue I have is with the romance part of the story which bogs things down. It's subjective and I'm positive dark romantasy fans will be thrilled.

Violet's family is subject to a curse and it's now Violet who needs to be wary.

She meets Penelope and Aleksander and her Uncle's seem to know them already - and Violet is about to find out about family secrets and a world she didn't know existed!

It was a slow start but absolutely loved the writing, it totally drew you in.

You can expect:

~ Enemies to lovers
~ Scholars
~ Other worlds
~ Otherly beings
~ Betrayals
~ A small romance

All in all it was a magical world which I throughly enjoyed!

'Who is he without Violet Everly?'

That ending - is that the end? Is this a standalone? If yes then this is genius! Although I'd love more Caspian!

In 'The City of Stardust,' each Everly generation grapples with a sacrificial destiny. Violet, amidst the search for her vanished mother, encounters a mysterious boy who leads her into an unexpected realm of magic and stardust. The narrative unfolds seamlessly, exposing the layers of a familial curse that Violet must decipher to break its hold. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, awarding it 4 stars for its impeccable writing and sustained intrigue. The intermittent presence of the enigmatic boy adds a captivating dimension to the story. The incorporation of diverse perspectives, including that of the antagonist, enriches the narrative. 'The City of Stardust' stands as a brilliantly crafted standalone, leaving readers both fulfilled and yearning for more from this enchanting world. 🌠

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this E-Arc.

This standalone story is a true fairytale and is told like one. As a reader you feel like you are being pushed forward in someone else's dream, relentlessly.
I have finished this book in two days because I could not stop listening. In the end though, I was still left with questions. They were the good kind of questions, not the ones where you think the author could have tied everything up better. No, the ones where you wonder what has happened and what might still be happening, and what the meaning is in all this.
This debut book has been compared to Addie LaRue and other stories, but to me it has way more Daughter of Smoke and Bone meets Neil Gaiman vibes.
I liked the characters, but they are not this book's strongest suit. It's more their place in this wondrous world that makes them intriguing.

4,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @hodderbooks @hodderbooks for both the eARC and the ALC.

#CityOfStardust #netgalley #bookstagram

I really enjoyed this book, it was well written and a great fantasy read. The book did start off a little slow but it was to be expected with it being a new book and world building but it didn’t take long for me to be drew me In once the story was set and it got going.
The world building was fantastic and I felt the book had a good plot.
This book has so many tropes that I love such as enemies to lovers, hidden worlds, magic system and more!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

<b>City of Stardust</b> is one of the best written books I have read in a while. The prose is absolutely stunning, which worked really well to enhance the beauty of the setting. It’s a writing that demands attention and forces you to slow down to savour everything.

The plot was very interesting and fully captured my attention, to the point I was just going to read a chapter before sleeping and when I noticed the time, it was Monday 5.30 am and I haven’t slept a bit.

While I did love the book, it took me a bit to warm up to the way the story was being told. We see everything unfold through different characters perspectives, but the story is always told in the 3rd person. This made City of Stardust a bit less immersive that what I tend to prefer and made me feel I knew more about what the characters were seeing than feeling. This is more relevant for Violet’s POV than Aleksander, which despite being less lengthy, it is somewhat more fleshed out.

I have seen this book being compared a lot with <b>The Invisilble Life of Addie Larue</b>, and while I understand the comparison, I have found it much more reminiscent of <b>His Dark Materials</b>. If you enjoyed either one of them, do not hesitate to pick City of Stardust in January 2024.

<i>I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape and Netgalley for the for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review</i>.

I was very skeptical about the "Starless Sea meets Addie LaRue" blurb but IT DELIVERED!!
This book is the perfect magical standalone for the holiday season it has:
❤️‍🔥 A cursed family
🚪 Keys that open doors to other places
☕️ A cosy coffee shop
🌌 Celestial gods

"Once a generation, an Everly walks into the dark, compelled by the shadow beside them."

Our main character Violet's family is cursed. Every generation one person in their family is doomed to be stolen away to another world. Violet only knows her mothet abondoned her when she was little. Little does she know she was running and soon it is her time to take her place.
In a race against time Violet learns that the fairytales her mother left for her might be true, and that Fidelis: home of scholars and myths, and cradle to other worlds is within reach if only she finds a key.

While this book started as an eady cosy fantasy read full of scholarschip and curiousity, you soon discover the vengeful gods and the lengths they go for their immortality.

"But she grew up on a feast of fairytales and myths; there is always blood. And she is so very tired of curses."

This is a stunning debut from the writing to the world the author created. I highly recommend you pick it up!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up!

The City of Stardust is one of those beautiful stories that even though it's not entirely your thing, you can't help but feel immersed and appreciate its beauty.

It's written in that way storytellers narrate fairytales, in an achingly slow but determined pace. It's truly for fans of Laini Taylor and Stephanie Garber.

Violet Everly is a lovely heroine to follow. From young and naïve to grasping the reins of her own life and forging ahead into the unknown to break her family's curse. The feeling of abandonment and being an outsider of her own life and family's secrets are two themes that circle around Violet's character, and I feel like it was done very beautifully and artistically. I did think that we could have avoided the whole 'my family didn't tell me everything and I got mad so I left' thing; they could have talked and made a plan that allowed them to split instead.

Aleksander is a wonderfully flawed love interest and character. He wasn't unkind, yet he didn't make the right choices most of the time, and I loved how relatable and realistic his character development was. He's an orphan, of unknown origins, who has never experienced love and care. An abused child who grew up to please his Mistress. How can we not root for his happiness?

This isn't a lighthearted book. Content warnings for child abuse and murder as well as parent abandonment are as big as they can get. But the brutality reflects our world, as well, now more than ever perhaps.

I wouldn't say that the plot was unpredictable, but the ending was refreshing! I really loved the ending! The worldbuilding was lush and wondrous, beautiful and fantastical in all its glory. The prose was fairytale-like and carefully constructed--with meaning and magic.

A wonderful adult standalone fantasy with relatable characters in a wondrous and magical world.

Incredible world building I felt so immersed in this book. I could not put it down and was sad I do not live in this magical world. I love a cursed family trope. Would absolutely recommend this book if you are after a great dark adult fantasy book!

A family curse, a secretive group of scholars with magical keys, otherworldly places, a missing mother who seems to hold all the answers...these made for a highly intriguing read. The author does a splendid job of creating a world where real places and otherworldly ones seamlessly coexist. The story is elegantly and beautifully written, the author did a very good job. The pacing though is slow and I thought that there were still a few questions that were left unanswered by the end. The characters have there imperfections and different motivations which I definitely liked seeing. Overall, this was a beautifully written debut novel and I’m excited to see what the author writes next. I give this 3.5 stars.

*ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest opinion*

Omg! This book was so beautifuly written, the world(s) creation was so phenomenal, I could not stop reading, This is this kind of fantasy book that has every trope I love.

So if you love:

- enemies to lovers
- unique and complex magic system
- gods amoung humans
- mysteries
- breaking a curse
- hidden worlds

City of Stardust will be defenetly for you!

This book was a bit slow to get going I will admit, but once i did I adored it. It gave real 'His Dark Materials' and 'Inkheart' vibes and the world buidling, once i was able to wrap my head around it, was sumptuous and rich.

A really impressive debut novel. This book has a great mix of light and dark themes and balances the real-world storylines and fantasy elements well.

I do find that book seems to have themes and tropes that are popular inserted for the sake of it.

However, I had a great time reading this book and would 100% read a book by this author again!

Thanks: Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting book, however it felt a little "same-y" - a magic door has been done a lot and as I read, it felt the same as I'd read before. Saying that, the vibe of the book is brilliant, and the world building was good. The characters felt a little too 2d to me, and didnt rise off the page.
It was a good read, just a little flat for my liking.