This book was absolutely incredible, the best fantasy book i have read this year... I can't believe this is a debut work!
The world building was excellent, the locations and worlds really felt lived in and real.
The writing is lyrical and atmospheric, and while whimsical it doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of the story.
Violet is a phenomenal protagonist, determined to break her family curse not just for herself, and Penelope was such an excellent antagonist, dark and menacing in the most polite way.

Fantastic read, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman or Erin Morgenstern.

The moment I started the book it confused me. The first couple of chapters made me reread almost every line as I
Had a hard time following what was happening. After reading the first 10 chapters I could not put it down - it was like watching a movie just in book words.

I enjoyed the writing style that made the whole book even more interesting and my heart was beating so fast in the last few chapters even though I didn't find the book to be predictable I kind of guessed how it will end with Ever.

Although the ending was good, a wanted a bit more. Which I guess is a good thing about the book - that it is keeping you hooked until the last pages.

This one was a bummer. Started off really well, very reminiscent of Erin Morgenstern books but in the end it just felt really choppy and underwhelming. The world building was incredibly confusing and the characters felt pretty flat which just made the reading experience unenjoyable after a certain point.

Violet’s family is cursed, one member in each generation doomed to be stolen away to another world.
In trying to find a way out of this fate, Violet discovers Fidelis: home of the scholars; of myth and wonder. The cradle to other worlds. Unlocked by keys owned by the scholars.
What lengths will violet undergo to discover the truth, as we readers know, adventure and danger and msyery are addictive and seductive. How many of us have waited for that hidden world. that secret in the wardbrobe, and Violet finds it. The story pulls us in as a reader the same way Violet is pulled into the world. Its suspenseful, mysterious intriguing and magical. Its a slow build but it packs a punch a later on and I love all the characters and their interactions and stories.

The City of Stardust is an ethereal and deeply atmospheric book full of mystery and magic.

Violet Everly lives a life of solitude with her uncle in their decaying family home after her mother's disappearance. The Everly family is cursed so that every generation, one of them is taken by a woman named Penelope.

Similarly to The Invisible Life of Addie Larue or The Starless Sea, The City of Stardust is told in the most beautiful prose. It is a compelling read with flawed and loveable characters as well as fantastic world building.

I highly recommend this book! If you enjoyed the books I mentioned above, you are bound to be swept away by this deeply enchanting debut!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the book, it is full of mystery, magic and adventure. I was drawn in from the start however there was some choppy pacing in the story and made it hard to follow sometimes and parts were rushed in order to get to a new plot point.

Nevertheless this was a really enjoyable read and look forward to seeing if this world will be expanded. I recommend this book to anyone who loves books fantasy which has magical doors and interesting characters.

A rich story with lush, evocative writing that reminded me of The Starless Sea and The Ten Thousand Doors of January.

We follow our heroine Violet as she's suddenly flung into an unknown world full of rogue scholars, magical doors and magical keys and evil, soul-sucking gods. Kept in the dark about her own heritage and potential by her guardians in an attempt to protect her from the family curse, she's completely unpreprared for what happens when the curse comes calling for her (because of course it does). We follow her trying to navigate this unkown world, desperately trying to find her mother, who left her when she was a child in an attempt to break the curse, meeting friends and foes - and some who may be both - on the way.

I loved the evocative writing, and like many people I'm a sucker for stories about keys, magical doors and libraries, and I flew through the first half of the book. Unfortunately, then plot became a little choppy in the second half, and the ending fell rather flat for me. However, it is still an impressive debut, and I will be looking for future titles by the author.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here expressed are my own.

The City of Stardust is just as enchanting as your favorite fairytale. Romantic and adventurous, it took me by the hand and led me through worlds I’ve only ever dreamed of. Simply dazzling!

• "It can be a terrible thing, to love so deeply."

With the enchantment of a fairy tale, the story reveals gods, monsters, brokenpromises, and stars; where beauty and cruelty intertwine, unveiling a exquisitely crafted world. Because it takes talent and reveurite for galaxies to be born in the hands of a dreamer.
What a marvelous gift in so few pages!

Ever Everly was an extraordinarily clever man, yet the epitome of foolishness. Marianne ran so fast chasing a dream, that nothing could ever catch her. Ambrose and Gabriel were not the chosen sacrifices, but they chose to sacrifice everything... for Violet: the young girl burdened by an immense debt.

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

The Everly curse turned out to be as real as the very metal of the gods and as deadly as the star that, generation after generation, sentenced them one by one.
So, why is it so tempting to be one of them?
Perhaps, it is due to the fierceness with which they protect each other; or maybe, because I too would have loved to be a prodigious disciple in Fidelis, always dreaming of adventures in lost worlds just a magical door away, visiting forgotten cafes on uncharted corners of the planet. But mainly because, even in these moments while you read my ramblings, my thoughts linger on Caspian and his third option.
Penelope and Aleksander will have to understand it.

• "To be nothing is to be remade, after all."

My only complaint would be that at times it felt like there were too many pages postponing the grand finale, but even then, the plot never wavered.

☆☆☆☆☆
Undoubtedly, one of my favorite reads of the year.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. It was a wonderful experience.

First, I would like to thank the author & NetGalley for the eARC opportunity. Like always, this review is voluntary & honest

A beautiful written story filled with mystery, intrigue, and rich descriptions with fantastical world building.

I loved the unique magic system.
And the unique enemies to lovers plot.

The characters were fantastic, with lots of twists and plots in the storyline.

They only bit that displeased me was, I would have liked more information on what happened to marianne.

Romance
Betrayal
Heartache
Curses
Enemies to lovers
Magic
Murder
Lost family

Once a generation, an Everly walks into the dark, compelled by the shadow beside them.
Stubborn like an Everly, brave like an Everly, doomed like an Everly.

Blown away. This was fantastic - I was immediately sucked in by the prose and plot, and genuinely found myself unable to put it down. It's been a week and I still find myself thinking about the characters. What a magical adventure - cannot recommend The City of Stardust enough! I'm looking forward to more from this author in the future!

Love, betrayal, hate, revenge, curses... This book takes you on a journey through a whole new world that is mysterious and magical. The writing was absolutely fantastic.
The world that was slowly getting built around us while we learn about the characters and their dynamics. The family in this book takes center stage for many different reasons and I loved the relationships between them. It felt like a breath of fresh air because not everything is as it seems and not everyone is who you think they will be. This book also left me feeling I had traveled all over without actually going anywhere at all.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

When I say that "The City of Stardust" is a page-turner, I mean that I stayed up until two o'clock in the morning to finish the book. Summers writes with such a gripping, vivid voice, and her descriptions are so, so beautiful. I loved Violet's journey to find her mother, and Penelope was such a wonderfully evil character. I was a little thrown by the occasional time jump/pacing of the story (at times, it felt a little too fast) but overall, I'd definitely recommend this book! An exceptional fantasy standalone.

I enjoyed this book. The character development and world building is interesting. The story is an unusual take on fairytales and destiny. One more rooted in the mundane than in the world of Faerie. It isn't a 5* for me because there's something which doesn't quite add up, and left me with a niggling feeling that something wasn't quite right. But it is a book which I am likely to read again and if the author chooses to write more along the same lines I will check it out.

This book is amazing! I couldn't put it down and I was thinking about it all the time. I didn't expect to like it so much so am incredibly glad it was sent to me. So grateful.

I am already recommending this book to everyone and it'll definitely be a reread.

This book is something else! And, I don't know how to review it without sharing spoilers, but I will try.

The story mostly follows Violet Everly, the youngest of Everly's, as she tries to understand and break their family curse. But we also get to see other characters doing their own things. All those ends later on start to connect to one place. But it can be quite confusing at times to understand why certain things are happening or what's the significance of some characters.

Reading the book, I felt like nothing happened, but at the same time, there was a lot of going on, and quite a bit of time passed. But it's written in the third person, so that creates the illusion of slowness.

At first, I was not sure how I felt about the book. Then suddenly I realised, I can't get myself away from the story. The mood of the book is mysterious, there is a lot of bad things happening. This is not a sweet story about stardust and heart crossed lovers. Actually, there is barely a hint of romance, and that's towards the end of the book. It's dark, and it's bloody, and it's survival at any cost.

This book reminded me strongly of "Nettle and Bone" and "The Night Circus" books. In all the best ways, of course.

However, I must say that I felt cheated on experiences. Because there are few time jumps through the story, certain events were mentioned as something that happened but not shown. I understand that it wasn't crucial for the storyline to be described in detail. Yet, I felt like I had missed part of the story. On the other hand, if author would have had described everything , this would be one massive book.

Also (spoiler, maybe), I wanted more of a closure with Marianne's storyline. Everything about her was from other people perspectives, what they thought of her. Yet, what of all that was actually true? 🤔

If you love that mystery, feeling of uncertainty, and questioning everything , this book might be just for you. It's the story of creatures of different worlds, a magic that isn't exactly magic and risk of trusting anyone.

A wonderfully created new world full of mystery and magic. The characters are well crafted and likeable (or hated where appropriate) and the story keeps you intrigued from start to finish.

I loved this book! It’s such an interesting premise- had me hooked from the first chapter and couldn’t put it down. Thank you net galley

Sad to not have enjoyed this one. Ultimately i found the characters and worldbuilding very two dimensional, the storytelling patchy and the writing style selfconscious. That said, I would typically have stopped reading and something kept me with it to the end. SO maybe it was better than the review implies?

Marianne Everly walks away from her family to seek a way to break a curse, but it's her daughter Violet who pays the price. Hidden away by her uncles as child, Violet eventually comes to the attention of Penelope, who is determined to make the family pay. Violet needs to find Marianne and to understand the history of the mysterious hidden city to secure her own future.

I loved this, it's very clever, it draws you in to the story and it's not at all as whimsical as it sounds like it might be - there's a pretty dark heart to it all. The world building is superb, and it leaves you wanting more, there are definitely characters I'd love to see again.