As soon as I began reading The City of Stardust, I knew it was something different and also rather special.
There is a fairy tale, lyrical quality to the writing, that plants you firmly in other-worldly territory where nothing is quite as it seems.
Everything is at once familiar; like the Everly's family home, the coffeeshop where Violet works, and references to Paris, Vienna and Prague, yet also downright strange - there are Gods, monsters and magic.
At the heart of the story, a brave, but vulnerable girl just wants to know what happened to her mother. But of course, this is epic fantasy at its best, so you can expect puzzles, riddles, maps and keys to other worlds, along with vengeful enemies and perilous quests,
The characters are well drawn, real and memorable, I loved Violet's brothers - Gabriel and Ambrose, and Penelope is the perfection of evil. The growing affection between Violet and Aleksander is sweet and complex, whilst never veering into predictability.
This is a book to read and savour, to soak up the atmospheric worldbuilding whilst being taken on an a rollicking, bloodthirsty adventure with a formidable heroine at its core.

4.5⭐️

Wow I loved this way more than I was expecting to! I truly felt immersed in this dark, mysterious world.
I really enjoyed the character development throughout this book, of both Violet and Aleksander.
If you’re a fan of dark academia vibes and enemies to lovers kind of vibes with a bit of mystery thrown in, I think you would really enjoy this!
It reminded me of the series Locke & Key, it had that same magical world feel. If you enjoyed that series I think you would adore this book!
I think the world building was fantastic and easy to comprehend.

The only downside in my opinion is I felt the ending was a little rushed. It does however leave it open for another book?? If more books were to follow in the same world, I will definitely be reading them!

Huge thank you to Net Galley for sending me the arc🖤

3.5⭐️ an enjoyable read, good worldbuilding and strong characters, a good mystery. I found the jumps between character arcs a little hard to follow, but maybe due to arc and character headings may be in the final version.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Hodderscape for this ARC*

I don't know what to say about this story. I didn't dislike it but I can't say I loved it either. Some elements were wonderfull - the atmosphere, the writing, some characters, the plot too. But somehow, I didn't connect as much as I wanted. Violet is one of the reason. She has some really good traits, she is clever, obstinate... and hold on to gruges way too much. i didn't like how she reacted to some revelations, how her uncles were treated after that. For all her cleverness in following trails for her quest, and her distrust in the people she encounters, she is awfully blind to one character (a character I like quite a lot), which doesn't make sense to me, especially after the uncles' bit. Somehow Violet felt more like a teenager in some moment, and not a young, clever adult. Nevertheless, she made me feel something, which is already great !
I like Aleksander, his struggles and the way his changes.
Penelope did a great character too, sometimes sympathetic, mostly horrifying in her behaviour.
Piecing bits together is quite easy since there isn't much mystery in the story, given the different point of views and how informations are given all along. It didn't bother me, even though I think a touch more mystery could have done some good. In the same idea, more travels between worlds could have been wonderfull, even though I understand that it isn't the focus of this story and that it would have change the tone quite a bit.
I like the ending, even though I feel like the idea of the end of a story and the beginning of an other wasn't as good as it could.
Despite all those points that weren't on point for me, I enjoyed my read. The romance is on the background, which is nice (a few more showing scene rather telling scene could have been good though). The writing supports the story in a good way, point of views were well managed and I found something reminiscent of The starless sea like I hoped, even if it is not as enchanting for me.
If another story in the same universe is published one day, I will definitly read it !

3.5 stars
Unique story set in half-contemporary, half-magical world; there are star-gods, and a hidden city with lots of mystery. There is adventure, intrigue and a hint of romance.


I can't make up my mind about how much I enjoyed this book, because there were aspects I really liked, and there were aspects I really didn't enjoy too.

The world-building and the writing itself is quite magical. I was surprised this was a debut, and I hope we see Summers develop more in her subsequent books. She created a really otherworldly setting with Fidelis, a parallel universe or 'world' besides our own, where star-gods (called astrals) are revered and where scholars reside. Aleksander lives in Fidelis as an aspiring scholar, and is the loyal assistant to Penelope, the woman who we find out very early on is the one chasing down our main character, Violet, throughout the book.

As I said, the language used in the book and the descriptions are beautiful and atmospheric. But I found the mechanics of the world a bit 2D - by that I mean that when you look closely, there are lots of unexplained things that the reader is just supposed to skim over. E.g.: 'Why are all the scholars following Penelope?' It's never really explained what she offers them to continue working for her.
'What are the scholars actually working towards?' I might have missed it myself in the book, but I can't think of the city's actual shared purpose - it just exists. The bones of the world-building were all there, and though the author builds a wonderful picture, I found it lacked a little depth for me.

I liked Violet just about enough to tolerate her as a main character, but found her a bit forgettable. Aleksander was much more interesting, and the author seemed to think so too - just compare the amount of times his angular features and curly black hair is described as opposed to Violet's appearance (what colour hair did she have again? brown?). He gets a lovely character arc and he was definitely the highlight of the book for me. I found the rest of the characters less exciting by far.

The storytelling itself was really enjoyable and enticing. There is a 'twist' of sorts, although I am generous in calling it that, because the reader knows about it at about 50% of the book, which makes it less impactful when it's revealed to some of the characters later on. The pacing was okay and it dragged towards the end a bit, which meant I felt like I was reading because I had to not because I couldn't stop. Hence my rating. There is also a bit of romance with a slice of betrayal, which was executed fairly well (although I wish there was a bit more betrayal and a bit less insta-love) and kept things interesting.

I enjoyed it but I didn't love it. It did give me The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue vibes (even though I actually DNF'd that book at 20% so I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not...)

I received the ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Rating 3.75

Seeing this book pitched as similar to ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’ and ‘Daughter of Smoke and Bone’ (literally two of my favourite books in the world), I feel like this book was either going to go one of two ways: I was either going to adore it with my whole soul or it was not going to compare to my two all time favs.

Unfortunately whilst I really loved the plot and the twists I really struggled to get attached to the characters and kind of felt unbothered by the events at the end. I definitely feel like many people will love this book but personally I think it’s a ‘it’s not you it’s me’

I read an eARC of this so thank you to Net Galley, the author and the publisher.

This was a delightful read, charming yet dark, whimsical yet constant sense of menace.

We follow the Everley family who are under a horrible curse. Violet’s mother disappeared one night in a bid to break the curse and now it falls to Violet to pay the price. We follow Violet as she tries desperately to break the curse to avoid paying a horrendous cost that was decided for her.

Violet is curious and determined, an excellent main character. She’s very brave in the face of a looming horror. We have a malicious and frightening villain. Who seems initially fairly benign but we soon learn that’s not the case.

The book has an interesting magic system linked to a fantastical metal and allowing instant travel. There are moments in this book that are quite horrifying and there is significant violence and cruelty.

The plot was fantastic and the writing was beautiful. I loved this author’s style and the pace was excellent. My only criticism is I wasn’t a fan of the romance. I felt there was too much harm in that relationship. Otherwise though this was a wonderful read.

“We see the shadow behind you. We see the shadow ahead. From nothing, to nothing”

Thank you to Netgalley and Hopperscape for this e-arc!!

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Positives
- magical worlds
- complex characters
- themes of belonging, family, pain and secrecy

Do I see myself in Violet? Yes! She’s a bookworm, who dreams of other worlds, and saw herself becoming a historian studying the arcane. The journey that Violet goes through is really inspiring, and I loved reading her development as a character!

If anyone is looking for a new dark haired male character with a tragic backstory, Aleksander is the one for you. He’s beautifully complex, with plenty of depth and intrigue. Together, Violet and Aleksander were tragically close, and were two very compelling characters.

This book is so beautifully written! Everything was so tangible, from the places to the emotions. The crafting of this world was perfect, with its whimsical magic and god-metal. On top of this, the mystery plot was so engaging and had me guessing what would happen next!

An incredibly divine and elegant standalone book, The City of Stardust publishes in 25th Jan 2024.

I recently finished off a bunch of books either just before I went on holiday or while I was away, so I'm only now getting round to actually posting reviews. Sometimes it's a good thing to put a book to one side after you read it, to see what really sticks with you, but unfortunately for The City of Stardust that delay has mostly left me trying to remember it at all. Not a good sign.

The basic premise of the book is that our protagonist is part of a family who suffer under a curse, where one from each generation is taken away and she's the only candidate to be the next in line. As a result, she (Violet) is left somewhat vulnerable when, on heading out into the real world to work for a living, a handsome stranger takes an interest in her. He is, of course, both a boy she'd met as a child who'd revealed the existence of magic and also the minion of the ageless power that exacts the family curse - Violet is given a limited time to find her mother and set things straight, leading to her travels around the world. This is one of those classic 'things below the surface' type of fantasy novels, with secret societies and nothing being quite what it seems.

All in all, it's not a bad book but it suffers from some very uneven pacing and also too strong a focus on the main characters. In comparison, the supporting cast are fairly two-dimensional and that just shows even more how invested the author is in the main (romantic) relationship between Violet and Aleksander.

In some ways, this story could have been better served as the backbone of a duology or trilogy, where it wouldn't have felt quite so rushed and time could have been taken to explore some of the other characters rather than just making them exist for the purpose of driving the plot onwards. It's also not marketed as YA but Violet in particular feels very young and that sensation doesn't go away even as she gains more experience of the world.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review*

This book was SO good that I couldn't believe how it must be only a debut. It was amazing, it was one of those books you want to read them again for the first time. Fast paste, awesome characters and a wonderful world-building. I was immersed in the first page. Loved it.

If you like an urban fantasy story with a twist, of secrets and keys, of blood and sacrifice, then this is a must-read for you.

This book follows the struggles of a young woman, abandoned into the care of her Uncles by her Mother, who begins to search for a way to save her life and end a curse of their family that leaves the brightest in a generation to the clutches of a mysterious woman called Penelope.

Violet has to learn her way through the world, who to trust and who to flee from. It is a story of love, loss, heartbreak and betrayal. But at the heart of it, it is about a young woman finding out who she is, and how she wants to live her life, if she can live it.

A wonderful story, with a rich setting and engaging characters. A must-read.

The Everly family has been cursed for centuries. Every generation, the mysterious Penelope takes the most talented and brightest Everly, and they are never seen again.

Marianne doesn’t want to accept her fate, so she runs. But this means that Penelope wants her daughter, Violet.

A deal gives Violet and her uncles 10 years to find Marianne. The City of Stardust follows Violet as she sets out to find her mother while time runs out. Along the way she meets friends, enemies and people she is not sure she can trust, explores new worlds, and learns more of her fate if she doesn’t succeed in time.

Let me get this straight first, this book is beautifully written, and it’s amazing how this is a debut. The pacing could have used some work though, and that is a shame.

I had the feeling we were nearing endgame multiple times while we still had 40, 30 or 15% to go. This gave the book such a slow pace it didn’t feel like ‘only’ 350 pages. It also made the ending of this book highly dissapointing.

The world and magic system is very interesting and well thought out, no one character is truly good or evil and the belief system in this book makes you want to learn more every time it comes into play.

If you love scavenger hunts in books and don’t mind a slow pace, this book is for sure one you should pick up. If not, like me, you might want to skip this one.

I think this book has a potential.. but some of the things don’t sit right with me.
Violet Everly lives with her uncle, Ambrosse and Gabriel who always travel and come back only on occasions. Her mom left her in the care of her uncle for travellong the world. But little did she know that Everly’s family has been cursed until Penelope come to her house with Aleksander then she starts questioning her life. Why her mom left her? Why she can’t go outside like normal people?
The story intrigue me, but like i said after i finished it, i’m questioning the book itself. Like, how come her mom left her without telling her anything? She said she left to find a way to break the curse, but nothing in the story tell us where or how to break the curse. And in one of the scene, it tell us that her mom left just because she can’t find the answer for the curse, i was like : how come a mom can be so selfish? Another thing is that it doesn’t explain why it need to have Marianne’s blood or Violet’s. The curse took so many Everlys before, but the curse still stands. And i feel like some of the characters don’t have a significant roles. Like you don’t care whether they’re there or not.
In the end, i’d say that this book did not meet my expectation. Thanks NetGalley & Hodder for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

The author's writing style is absolutely enchanting - the comparisons to The Starless Sea are merited. Unfortunately, the lyrical style doesn't really suit the story. The plot might have worked if written as a fast-paced romantasy, but in a whimsical and drawn-out style it was simply confusing.

Violet Everly is cursed. Her mother was cursed too, but she left when Violet was a child and ran far away to where the curse couldn’t reach her. Raised by her uncles, Violet knows nothing of this. Their plan is to find her mother and make her face the curse before Violet has to, at the same time hoping that their runaway sister might have found a way to break it. But Marianne Everly is nowhere to be found: not in this world or any others that they can search.

The initial premise of this book was hugely intriguing, although it did get a bit convoluted nearer the end. As Violet learns more about the history of the curse, it just opened up more and more questions for me. Many of these questions remain unanswered, although I do like the philosophic approach that Violet takes towards this at the end of the book. She achieves what she set out to do, even if it wasn’t in quite the way she expected and even if she doesn’t fully understand the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of it all.

I enjoyed learning about the magical world of Fidelis alongside Violet and found it interesting that most of this knowledge is gained without ever having stepped foot on Fidelis soil. Because of this the geography of the world itself is fuzzy. Instead Violet’s, and the reader’s, understanding of Fidelis is built around its people and its politics. She certainly meets some interesting people on her journey. Unfortunately many of these people get a frustratingly small amount of page time. For example, we never really find out how Ambrose makes his living and the small glimpses into Caspian’s life only left me wanting more. In contrast the characters of Violet and Aleksander have been crafted with painstaking detail, including the clear trauma that lives in each of them.

Overall this book made for an easy read; it kept me absorbed whilst reading, but didn’t require too much brain power to follow the thread of events.

4.5 stars

The City of Stardust was an enchanting story, filled with magic, fairy tales and doors leading to other wolds. The beautiful, lyrical writing style will captivate you from the start and you'll be swept away in this adventure. Follow Violet in her journey and discover places beyond this world.

“What else is a curse but this? Love, stretched and warped beyond all meaning.”

Between curses and ancient gods, The City of Stardust will enrapture you until the very end.

**I received a pre-release copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review**

The Everly family is cursed, and every generation their best, brightest, and most talents is taken by the mysterious woman Penelope. A woman who never ages, never forgets, and never forgives a debt. When Violets mother vanishes, the curse falls on her, unless she can break it first.

There is always that worry when you hear of a book with a really interesting premise, from an author that you don't know. Will they be able to live up to this idea, this potential?

The City of Stardust didn't disappoint. I absolutely loved this book.

There was beautiful imagery, and magical scenery, all tempered with a dark evil undercurrent. Characters had internal conflicts of interest; weighing up their ambition, their moral values, and their self-preservation. Which all made the world so much more believable.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more works written by this author.

A really great and intriguing read. I loved the characters and the story. Will look out for more from this author.

I honestly have no idea what to say about The City of Stardust . It's the first time in a while that I've been left so stunned by a book. I knew this would be a book that I would like, but I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The worldbuilding in this was one of the most unique that I have read recently. It's a dark world, full of intrigue and mystery. And the way Georgia Summers writes about this world feels very immersive, almost as though you are there with Violet as she goes on a dangerous journey to find her mother and break a devastating curse. Summers' writing is really what made this book for me; it flowed perfectly and the pacing was impeccable.

At its heart, The City of Stardust is a story about family and about love; and Violet's determined journey to find her mother and break a devastating curse. Her character growth throughout the book is incredible and she is, by far, my favourite character in the book. I also quite like Aleksander and how we get to see him struggle with grasping with what he has been told through his whole life (with it all being a lie). Summers did a damn good job at showing this and that's another amazing thing about this book.

The City of Stardust ends in a way that feels like the closure of an important journey, and at the same time, it leaves you wanting more. I don't know if there will be another book set in this world, but if there is, I will definitely be reading it.

I really wanted to like this one after the first couple of pages but sadly, the last part of the book put me off a little bit. I enjoyed the initial mystery and intrigue, the first meeting of the two protagonists and the concept of the reveurite/star-metal, but it lacked some serious worldbuilding to really pull me in. Overall, this book could have used some more pages to cement its' world and magic, to shed some more light on the different characters and their motives. The whole conflict was resolved rather abruptly and in a way that felt somewhat unsatisfying. The prose was great though! 'Whimsical' is the most fitting word for the lyrical writing style and I enjoyed it greatly!