A thoroughly enjoyable tale of magic, mystery, and the fragility of memory. 4 out of 5 stars.

I found this book a little slow to get going, with a lot of teasing, but it all paid off in the end. After it gets going this book just doesn't stop and drags you down path after path trying to find the truth long since buried in the past.

A cursed family who have no idea why or what to do about it are desperately trying to find a way to break this curse that has been on them for hundreds of years. Violet was a fantastic main character, unwilling to just accept her fate and determined to do whatever possible to stop it. She was a fun person to follow around the world as she picked up clue after clue, going from a very sheltered young lady to one determined to succeed no matter what. Every single character was well developed and often frustratingly human, with fear and desire clouding judgement and making you want to shake sense into them.

The aspect of this book I enjoyed the most was the way it played with truth and memory and the reasons for the curse. Which story is correct? Which version is the real one? Does it even matter in the end? A truly fascinating look at the myths and stories we surround ourselves with and the paths these can lead us down.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape and Netgalley for the arc of The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The City of Stardust is described as an adult fantasy that will attract lovers of The Ten Thousand Doors of January, The Starless Sea and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. There is no question that this debut weaves elements of all of these including the prose, the atmosphere and most definitely the plot.

Unfortunately for me, it felt like a jigsaw picture created from the pieces of other jigsaws but, despite this I still tried to love this book. One of the reasons for this we’re the protagonists in the story, in particular Violet. I like Violet, she’s detectó the point of obstinate, she’s naive but insightful and clever, she doesn’t suffer fools and defo holds a grudge - I loved how human she feels. I really felt for Aleksander, his life has been hard, his turn of the cards rarely turns out well but, despite this there is something endearing about him, and Penelope is a great villain.

There is an element of mystery and discovery to the story but, it is soon uncovered as you progress through the story, unveiled across many characters and perspectives, I was hoping for a little more intrigue.

There’s a lot to love about this book, the world building - dark academia crossed with monstrous actions, multiple worlds across dimensions and travel but, I was sad not to explore more…although there are a plethora of opportunities for more books from this world.

The ending itself is strong and fast, shockingly so but, against the pacing of the book it felt unsettling.

Overall, I would say that The City of Stardust is one of those books you can read slowly, it holds beautifully written prose, a deftly handled romance that doesn’t overpower the plot and I’d be interested to see what Georgia Summers brings next.

The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers is a magical tale, expanding worlds, family curses, and memory. I was immediately intrigued by the premise of the book, and I'm grateful to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an e-arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Violet was an interesting character, and I was constantly rooting for her - even when she was making silly decisions. I can't tell you the amount of times that I screamed down at my screen for her to stop being so naïve, she kept making the same mistakes over and over again! She was too trusting - I suppose it's not the worst quality someone could have and you can't fault her for wanting to see the good in people. I also think that Summers did a good job at showing why Violet was inclined to make these decisions (like how she was left in the dark for so long, she clung to the first person who gave her a way to find answers). So, it felt authentic and realistic and I like how Violet grew throughout the story.

I really loved the whole concept of keys, hidden worlds, and secret societies. It was incredibly intriguing and I loved learning more about it all, I think the world-building was very good. I do think some parts of it could've been better and had more depth to them, but for the most part, I think Summers did a very good job at building up this world.

Aleksander is a character whom I have more complicated feelings toward. I think he was an incredibly interesting character with so much depth to him, yet sometimes it felt like Summers dropped the ball with him. I'm not sure exactly how to put it into words - but he sometimes felt like an accessory to the story when he very much was central to it.

I did not really like the romance. I initially did, but as the book went on I felt a sheer lack of chemistry between them. I also felt that after all that they had been through together, it didn't really seem like they should end up in a romantic relationship? However, and I don't want to spoil it, things did end on more of an ambiguous note that I was pleased with. I thought Violet had a lot more chemistry with Caspian and was not-so-secretly hoping for a romance to spark between them!

The ending wrapped this book up well, but I feel like it could've been better. It's one of those weird endings where it felt slow to get there, and then all of a sudden all this stuff has ended, there's some sort of time jump, and now the book is over. I have pondered if perhaps this book would have worked better as a duology, but with how some aspects of this book were slow I worry that stretching this into two books would've been too slow.

Overall though, I did quite like this and I think this was a brilliant debut novel from Summers. I am interested to see what she writes next.

Reads like a love letter to book lovers.

The city of stardust is a magical whimsical tale perferct for anyone looking for an escapism read. I loved everything about this. The world building. The aesthetics. The characters. Literally everything. Im actually mind blown by how much I enjoyed this, it is such a perfect reading gem perfect for winter, when you can curl up next to the Christmas tree, near the fire with this cozy tale.

The stakes are high but it somehow doesn't take away from the comfort this book brings.

The Everly family is cursed, one from each generation is taken away, never seen again. Violet's mother left, determined to find a way to break the curse and stop herself and her daughter becoming the next victims.

The City of Stardust is a mix of fairytale, hidden worlds & secret societies. The story feels both whimsical & dark; Violet desperately traversing the world, looking for any clue to the location of her mother, a way to break the curse and for a hint of other worlds. In doing so, Violet gradually gains entry into the world of the scholars- it feels both magical & wondrous, clandestine & sinister.

I enjoyed a lot of the book - the writing was the perfect level of dark whimsy, I felt I could imagine the different places well. Violet was a decent main character, developing from a sheltered dreamy girl to an adventurous, tougher adult. The more interesting character, however, is Aleksander - Penelope's abused assistant who develops a complicated relationship with Violet. His struggles with undertaking the tasks set by Penelope, the woman who rescued and educated him, along with his increasing awareness of who she really is, are much more compelling.

Although this was a fairly quick read, there was something slightly off with the pacing - it seemed the ending was nearing and then it would continue. I'd have also liked a little more of Violet's year learning how to follow clues and getting into the scholar's world rather than timeskipping ahead to her being competent at it.

I don't know if there's another book planned, but there's certainly enough dangling threads left to allow it and I'd be interested in exploring more of the world.

[ARC provided by NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review The City of Stardust.]

Rating: 5/5

Overflowing with magic and secrets, The City of Stardust is a stunning standalone fantasy that will enchant you until the very last page. Georgie Summers has written an absolutely beautiful book. Stories like these that completely sweep you off your feet don’t come along often and I’m so happy to have been able to read an early copy. If you love fantasy wrapped in mystery with characters that will pull on every heartstring then this is a book you have to check out.

Perfect for fans of Alix E. Harrow, Erin Morgenstern and Ava Reid, The City of Stardust takes the reader on a twisting journey led by Violet Everly, a young woman who will do whatever it takes to break an age-old curse that has haunted her family for generations, a curse that takes away the brightest and most talented Everly’s. When Violet’s mother vanishes into the night searching for a way to break the curse, a bargain is made and Violet is left with ten years to either find her mother or be taken in her place by their eternal tormentor, Penelope, a woman who never forgets a debt.

As her deadline draws near, Violet embarks on a journey to the edges of the world in search of her mother and the key to the city of stardust where their family’s story began. As secrets unravel and new information comes to light, Violet must learn everything she can about this new, seductive underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods and cities lost to time. It’s a turbulent adventure wrought with highs and lows but nothing will stop Violet from doing everything that she can to keep her family safe.

Violet is a brilliant FMC who is very much a product of her upbringing. Having spent a lot of her childhood in isolation, she has a very naïve understanding of how the world works making her a frustrating narrator at times. As a reader, it can be easy to tut and roll your eyes when a character does something that you don’t agree with but the author does a tremendous job of reminding us of why Violet is the way that she is. It would also be easy to think that Violet is too trusting, too hopeful and too ambitious in this dark world, but personally I can’t imagine her any other way. Her hopeful nature drives the story forward, and even when that becomes difficult, her tenacity and bravery will take your breath away.

There are so many amazing elements to this story. Violet is such a rich and vibrant character but I could also spend a long time explaining my love for the incredibly complex Alexsander – assistant to Penelope and a character that dealt with his own extremely complicated circumstances. I could also go on about the beautiful prose that pulls you into this magical world where anything seems possible if you have the right key, or the strong bonds of family that are as fragile as they are unwavering. To put it plainly, there’s simply no end to the beauty contained within The City of Stardust, and I think that this makes it all the more magical.

This is a story for the dreamers, for people who will always strive for the best outcome even when all hope is lost. This is for anyone who believes in the magic of adventure, and who understands that the idea of good vs. evil is much more complex than it may seem. I’ve no doubt that I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time and will absolutely be keeping an eye out for future stories from this author.

I really enjoyed the general Gothic atmosphere of The City of Stardust and the author's poetic style. Violet's adventure around Europe and following the footsteps of her mother is both engaging and mysterious.
I personally didn't fully fell for the characters but loved the bittersweet ending of this modern fairytale.

Let me start by saying that I’m fairly certain this book will be popular when it comes out. First of all, the cover is gorgeous. Secondly, I wasn’t won over—and I’ll explain why—but I can see other readers being enchanted by it : it’s got magical vibes, decent pacing overall and I know many readers will enjoy it.

Why such a low rating, then?

short answer: pretty shell, too bad it’s empty I guess????

long answer:

✔ The world-building gave me this distinct impression of déjà vu : think secret world, scholars, knowledge, “Are fairytales real?”, a cursed family, etc. Books aren’t written in a void so this isn't a bad thing per se and :
1) these concepts are interesting enough;
2) Georgia Summers does twist them a bit
… but I liked the ideas more than the execution : by the end it all fell a bit flat tbh? My main issue with the world-building lies elsewhere, though : we travel a lot but there’s no sense of space, so it's like walking in a dream world where places have real names but that's about it. If I'm feeling generous I'll say that this particular ‘dreamlike’ feeling was fashioned on purpose, but do I really believe that? No.

✔ The writing is alright for a debut, but I do think it veers a bit too much on the dramatic side for my liking, at the end of chapters/POV especially—I won’t lie, I rolled my eyes pretty often. The abrupt changes of POV would also have benefited from more polishing.

✔ The romance in this book made no sense whatsoever : there is *no* reason the main character should trust her so-called love interest, the story actually makes it obvious that she SHOULDN’T, and yet she does? Repeatedly? My god. It doesn’t help that their interactions lack chemistry. So, yeah. I didn't hate the love interest and I actually understood the logic behind *his* decisions but their relationship made no sense to me (sorry).

✔ The City of Stardust puts the emphasis on family, which is something I usually appreciate in my books. Sadly I could never get invested in the relationships portrayed, and that would be because of the one-note secondary characters : I didn’t care about any of them (sorry, again).

✔ My main grip with the book however lies in the fact that so many threads were abandoned/barely explained and by the end of the book, there are still SO. MANY. things that don’t make any kind of sense. I can’t mention most of them without spoiling the story, so I won’t, but I’ll mention these : the main character’s quest (half-abandoned), the villain’s motivations (the reasons given aren’t nearly enough to explain the entirety of their actions), the ending (both too long and too rushed: you’ll get what I mean, trust me), the fate of one of the secondary characters (who knows really). So many threads were treated as an afterthought and in the end it all feels so…pointless. I might change my mind if a sequel is published someday, but as a standalone? No.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

cw : kidnapping and murder of children, abandonment

Violet Everly's family is cursed, a member of each generation is to be stolen away and taken to another world.

Georgia Summers' writing is absolutely delicious. I was literally transported into another world reading this book. The third but present tense that it is written in is so beautiful and unique compared to other books I've read. The characters are enjoyable and either lovable or hateable and that's what makes a book so great, to be able to feel something towards a character because it makes them more real.

Also, the cover? STUNNING!!

City of Stardust by @ge_summers is a standalone fantasy book, and has without a doubt become my most anticipated read of 2024!

In this book we follow Violet Everly as she discovers and attempts to fight a curse placed on her family line by a terrifying and mysterious woman named Penelope. She travels across the world, uncovering dark secrets and unveiling things many would remain hidden..

I utterly utterly adored this book, the worldbuilding, the pacing, the characters, the romance were all impeccably written and kept me hooked throughout. Everything about this book was so good, the uniqueness of the plot and how it unfolded; with more nuance and detail being revealed over time - without overloading the timeline or dropping a ton of lore on the reader.
I absolutely inhaled this book; reading the first ⅔rds in about two hours and the final ⅓rd over a few days (real life delays 💔) - the fastest ive read anything since the reading slump The Virgin Suicides put me into lol.
Would 100% reccomend to anyone trying to get into fantasy as its fabulously written and is a beautiful segue into the genre 🥰

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodderscape for this ARC! Unfortunately while the premise sounded so intriguing this book didn’t grab me at all. I read the first quarter, but felt that the world building and the characters all fell flat for me, and the plot isn’t grabbing me either. I’ve seen loads of great reviews so maybe just personal taste, but unfortunately I’ll not be finishing. Perhaps I’ll give it another go in the future!

Where is Marianne Everly? Marianne disappeared from the family home one night, just walked out and indeed literally vanished. Who wants to know? Well, her brothers for a start, Ambrose and Gabriel. Gabriel is searching for her in cities all over the world, while Ambrose remains at home with Violet, the daughter his sister abandoned when she vanished. The person who really wants to know however is a mysterious magical and dangerous figure known as Penelope. Children all around the world are abducted whenever she appears, leaving behind nothing more than a scent of vanilla.
Her business with the Everlys and her concern for the disappearance of Marianne however is of another matter altogether. There is a curse lying over the Everlys that has lasted generations, the reasons behind it lost in myth and fairytale, but it results nonetheless in Penelope claiming one of the Everly family every generation. She wants Marianne, but if the brothers don't manage to find her the child Violet will do instead. Penelope makes a deal, giving them ten years to find Marianne, otherwise she will come for Violet. The Everlys however are not without some magic tricks and skills of their own and are well known is certain esoteric circles. Indeed Violet may have powers or potential she is unaware of, or maybe needs to be wary of.

Despite her better judgement, having seen him acting as Penelope's personal assistant, Violet comes to trust Aleksander, who reveals to her the existence of the city of Fidelis, a magical city in another world. It's a place of scholars who are able to use keys made from a magical 'god-metal' called reveurite to transport themselves 'elsewhere' - that place being our world - in order to bring in resources. But scholars are also interested in studying the key - literally - to entrances to many other secret worlds. Can Violet really trust Aleksander when he turns up at a coffee shop where she is working nine years later? The ten years are almost up and Violet hasn't yet found any clue to where her mother might have gone.

A City of Stardust tends towards YA romantic fantasy. There's nothing wrong with that other than it lacks any kind of originality and instead just runs with the conventional tropes and metaphors for growing up that I've read before in the likes of The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow and Liani Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. There's the uncertain parentage - Violet not quite an orphan but her mother is missing and her father is a mystery to everyone - something usually kept in reserve for a big surprise reveal later. There are keys to mystical worlds and a young handsome boy who befriends her and promises to open up secrets of a would she knows little about.

There has to be some kind of adherence to genre principles of course, but you would hope The City of Stardust can find a character of its own. And indeed once we get past the predictably and familiarity of the set up, there are some new ideas and a darker direction followed, if nothing too surprising. As long as you don't question too deeply how Violet spends a year travelling the world looking for her mother on presumably no income other than tips while working in a coffee shop, and how she manages to keep out of the clutches of those looking for her, despite having a mobile phone. They might have magic powers but presumably not access to phone records. Compared to how the real world issues are skimmed over, the bit about magical cities, legends and curses is slightly more credible.

What is good about The City of Stardust is that at least it isn't bloated fantasy, or extended out into a trilogy (although it seems to me that some of the questions and mysteries I mentioned earlier remain not fully answered). It works to some basic principles and it makes best use of them. Georgia Summers' writing is clear in its descriptions and good in dialogue and exchanges, and she can turn on the fireworks when needed. One scene below a church in Prague is simply explosive, and evidently that builds towards the conclusion, so author has a firm grip of the material and the dynamic she aims to achieve. The heroic/romantic tone takes over from the dark fantasy however, which considerably lessened the final impact for me, but I would expect that the target audience for this might like it that way more than I did.

I loved the magic of the story, not too fluffy either like some can be. It was a nice side of dark, and with a growing love story, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters were fantastic, I enjoyed Violet's journey and never knowing how it was going to end. A perfect read for these autumnal days and evenings.
Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Unusual fantasy novel - reasonably good.

I’m a bit in two minds about this book in which Violet, kept closeted by her uncles from a young age and seeking adventure, embarks on a worldwide search for her missing mother. Along the way, she discovers that other worlds exist with inhabitants, some likeable, others not so much. The plot takes a while to get going and the writing is often interesting as are the characters. However it didn’t really engage me or fascinate me enough. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.5 (rounded to a 5)

It took me a while to find the words I need to praise this book. I was so captured by the writing from page 1 that I struggled to put this book down, especially when Violet's adventure finally begins.
This book was bloody, full of betrayals and a vast world that had me grasping for answers just like Violet.
I love the fact that we get the perspective of everyone in this story, especially Penelope. It takes a certain skill to create a villain and make the reader feel bad for them, to an extent.

I short this book was: Wonderful. Magical. Beautiful.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC for my honest review*

First of all many thanks to the publisher for letting me review such a brilliant read .

I've not read a good sifi for along time when I saw this brilliant book was coming up for review I had to find out the hype was all about , as it been compered to so many amazing books , was it worth it TOTALLY !! it's now one of my favourite books I've read this year .

I loved the feeling this book gave me ,magical and also very gripping ,it had my head spinning but in such a great way, the twists in the story had me totally gobsmacked everytime . I always thought I knew what was coming how wrong in was !! .

The charaters I loved everyone one of them they all brought something to the story even side charaters ,as for the main charater Violet Everly totally gritty and badass she totally blown me away . Thankyou Georgia !! Great charater buliding .

Georgia writing is pure gold ,I loved how she made you think you had everything in the palm of my hand and then took it away all at the same time amazing .and it flowed wonderfully.

I'm highly recommend you read this book .

I'm giving this totally phenomenal book 5 bright stars 📚

Thank you to the publisher, Georgia Summers and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I'm so happy I was given a chance to read this book. It was totally different then my recent fantasy reads. The writing was phenonenal. I've got completly lost in this incredible world - full of mysteries, magic and hidden doors.
Violet and Aleksander felt so real to me.
This is the kind of story you definitely won't forget.

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Hidden worlds
Unique magic system
Quest to break the curse
Gods among humans
Mystery and intrigue

Thank you, NetGalley for an ARC of The City of Stardust!

It took me awhile to go through this book and not because it was a tough read; quite the opposite. I fell in love with the world and the writing from the first couple of chapters, and I didn't want it to end. So, instead of my usual approach of devouring a book I love, I really took my time and enjoyed every second I spent with the characters.

The City of Stardust is one of my favourite books of this year and I'm looking forward to getting a printed copy of it just so I can reread it. First, the writing style is so clean and easy, it's a pleasure to read. This, mixed with the interesting world Georgia Summers has built, turns into a story that grabs your imagination straight away and doesn't let go until the very end. Maybe even afterwards, because it's been a few days since I finished and I still can't stop thinking of this book.

Can't recommend it enough and am so excited to read everything else that comes out of Georgia Summers' mind!

This was a really obscure story and one I really enjoyed! Violet’s family is cursed and they’re trying to delay the inevitable and give her the opportunity to live before the curse comes for her. They’re a family riddled with secrets and Violet has pieced together some of it, the mysterious doorways, the hidden curse, and the other world that her uncles deny knowledge of but she was never going to uncover the full truth whilst trapped within the house and as the clock ticks down, Violet’s determined to try and save herself. There was plenty of intrigue in this book, and we’re kept on our toes about the different characters involved and who is and isn’t on Violet’s side. There’s betrayal aplenty, from closer to home than Violet expected as well, but there’s also help to be found in unlikely places. It’s safe to say there’s whole heaps of danger, and a trail of violence, but I was thoroughly hooked on this story and finding out whether the curse could be broken and if so, how. We’re taken on plenty of twists and turns, and there were definitely things I didn’t see coming that make it difficult to stop reading. I’d call this a gothic fantasy or possibly dark academia but whatever it is, it’s not one to miss!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I absolutely loved this book.the writing and the world building were spectacular. I have never read anything like it I'll be honest. I was engrossed in the story and wanted to find out what happened next. However, that's is exactly why I'm giving it a 4 star instead of 5 star. I feel that the book needed some polishing. Some things were left unclear to me and I wish I have the understanding of what actually has happened. I feel the ending was a bit rushed and all wrapped up after such a big revelation I expected it to be a bit more.This was it just fell a bit anticlimactic for me which I was actually really sad about.All in all magnificent book and I definitely recommend!! thank you again for the arc I truly enjoyed it.