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.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for allowing me to read this beautiful ARC. All opinions are my own.

In this debut novel by Georgia Summers we follow the story of Violet and Aleksander through intrigue, exploration of new worlds/cities, potential love and adventure as well as some near death twists on the side.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt the storyline and concept was unique and the world building was fun. I enjoyed seeing the story unfold from multiple POVs. There were a lot of twists and turns which kept my attention throughout. There were a couple of parts which left me with questions but in the end these questions didn’t make the story any less. The ending was nicely rounded up and without giving the readers too many details it allowed us to make our own assumptions of what lives the characters went on to lead.
I look forward to reading more stories by this author, it’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel as it is written so well and the world building is so spot on!

I give this book a 4.5 stars

Exceptional. This book falls somewhere in-between The Night Circus and The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, yet completely original. I love this book.

This is the kind of book you really should just open up and read without thinking too much about it. Half of the magic is the mystery.

The City of Stardust is beautiful, lyrical, atmospheric, and gorgeous. The characters are real, and flawed. The magic is compelling and interesting. I loved every second.

This book will not be for everyone. Much in the same way that The Night Circus and Addie Larue aren’t for everyone. It is slower. It leaves you asking questions. It undoubtedly would benefit from a second read through; but it is stunning. This is what stories are made of, and I cannot wait to own a physical copy of it. Even as I was reading it, I wanted to hold the book in my hand and see ink on paper.

Nearly my 50th read of the year, but my first 5 star. I guarantee I will be back to read it again and again.

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

Even though I found the pacing to be a little off at certain times and a slow beginning, once the plot picked up I was completely enthralled. The story of the Everly family who are cursed with one member who is talented disappearing over the years and Violet the little girl who’s lived with her uncle after her mother disappears who then grows up to go on an adventure to break the curse.

I loved the unique magic system and the mystery that was to be solved, violet is a wonderful character whose love of books talked to the reader in me. As well as its dynamic cast of characters especially the villain Penelope and a fantastic world building that is just so vivid and rich in descriptions.I throughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who loves an intriguing fantasy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy. The premise of this book sounded great but overall I feel underwhelmed by this book. It is simply too short to do justice to the extensive lore and history of the world and I found myself just wanting more from it than it was able to give. The ending as well left too many open threads for me to find to satisfying. I would recommend this for those that like hidden magical city fantasies on the shorter side.

3.5. I think this a really solid book. I wouldn't say it changed my life but there were aspects of it that I enjoyed. I will be sure to keep an eye out for whatever this author writes next.

I'm afraid this book isn't for me. It is an intriguing premise, but I'm having trouble following the story. The pacing is erratic, which makes connecting with the characters tough. However, thanks to Netgalley and Hodder for providing the ARC.

YES`. YES, YES.
This book gave Daughter Of Smoke and Bone and A Gathering of Shadows vibes and honestly. I couldn't put it down and read the entirety of the book in less than 24 hours. The City of Stardust is a nod to book lovers, it's for every reader who spent and continues to spend their lives imagining books as portals to other worlds. This is a book I know I'll come back to and reread time and time again.

It's utterly enthralling... its a book filled with curses, magical doors and blood. I fell in love with this tale from the first page, and our main character and her adventurous nature and determination is something that had me cheering her on every step of the way.

The City of Stardust is phenomenal. What a book. I was intrigued from the blurb, but the novel itself blew every expectation out of the water. The writing, the plot, and the characters were expertly crafted, and I found myself struggling to put the book down. Violet Everly was such a strong heroine, and her and Aleksander made my heart soar. I truly, truly hope this book blows up and gets its moment in the limelight, as it really deserves it. I think it ticks every fantasy and romantasy lover’s boxes, as well as providing some thriller elements, and some downright scary horror-fuelled descriptions.

It was on track to score a perfect five stars from me, but the very ending let it down slightly. I personally feel the vagueness of the conclusion was to the detriment of the story and the characters , and some unanswered questions feel incredibly unsatisfying. I’m happy to round it up for the sake of stars, but an accurate rating would be 4.75 stars.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Goodreads app decided to close as I was almost finished writing the review, so I’m having to write this again!

Firstly, I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this upcoming book.

Starting off strong, I was intrigued by the premise of the book: a family curse that has run through many generations, and one determined little girl on a journey to break it. The plot was brilliant; there were times where I laughed and there were times where I was angry too! At one point I was gobsmacked as I came to a realisation of who I thought Violet’s Father was (I didn’t actually find out).

The character development was incredible. I liked and disliked so many characters through their personalities and actions. Violet was by far my favourite, and as the main character I believe that’s supposed to be the way. Her determination, courage and love for her family warmed me to her from the beginning. I love the odd family dynamic as she lives with her uncles, each teaching her different things she used throughout her life. Aleksander on the other hand was a manipulative, sly man. I liked him in the beginning when they first met, until I found out his relationship with Penelope. He did somewhat redeem himself towards the end of the book by confiding in Violet. I really appreciate the ending and his decision not to go with her, allowing both of them to find themselves and what they want to do alone. I was happy for their fling; the kiss halfway through the book and the sex scene towards the end. I’m happy they weren’t forced together; their relationship wasn’t rushed and it didn’t affect their decisions to choose their own paths.

The world building was phenomenal - the descriptions of Fidelis and the doors to other worlds - even the cities Violet visited around the world. I felt as though I was in the alleyways or the scholar’s tower. My favourite was towards the ending of the book when Aleksander and Violet were exploring Fidelis.

This book left me feeling several emotions. I was happy, giggly, frustrated and annoyed! I even had a breakthrough moment when I thought I knew who Violet’s father could be (didn’t get to know in the end). I’m hoping there’s another book in the making - I’d love to know more about Marianne and her journey and decisions and why she made that overall decision. Or possibly a sequel detailing where everyone is now; Violet, Aleksander, Ambrose and Gabriel.

To be expected, there were a few grammatical errors (this book has not yet been released!!!). I found one on page 295 “… now that they’re it all started.” There was another but I forgot to note it!! But it didn’t take away from the story at all, if anything it was quite funny.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading more of Georgia Summers work!

A fantasy fairy tale of a family cursed. Love is a dangerous game. Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

The Everly family is cursed - every generation a member of the family is sacrificed to Penelope for reasons no one knows. As Violet Everly’s mother has vanished the debt now falls to her. This now becomes a race to find out what happened to her mother before Penelope’s deadline arrives and she’s just another Everly taken..
I enjoyed the premise of the book but found the pacing was a little off in places - this could’ve been fleshed out more and made a duology but as a stand-alone it felt quite slow in places then other parts rushed through. Would recommend it for fantasy readers who enjoy the likes of Laini Taylor or Kristin Cashore

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

The Everly family is cursed. Each generation is bound to lose a member who will be taken away by a strange woman named Penelope. When Violet’s mother disappears, the curse falls on her, unless she manages to find a way to break it.

This is an enticing story, full of magic, adventure, and darkness. I fell into the story right away, drawn by its lyrical writing and intrigued from the beginning by its premises, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.

However, I found the pacing to be a little off at times. Despite being intrigued right away, I thought the story’s beginning rather slow. Afterward, when the plot picked up, I sometimes found it difficult to keep up with it because some parts felt rushed. We sometimes changed scenes without fully understanding what had transpired or that the character had made a particular decision.

I enjoyed the characters, and I especially liked getting Penelope’s pov. I only wish we got to know the characters better. I often felt like I didn’t know them very well, and as a result, I didn’t feel particularly connected to them. I also wished Violet and Aleksander had a few more scenes together.

Nevertheless, this was a great read. I enjoyed the intricacy of the plot and characters, and I loved getting lost in the magical worlds of the story.

To sum up, I think the pacing could be improved and the characters more developed. Aside from that, this is a really engaging story that feels made for book lovers! I’d especially recommend it to fans of Erin Morgenstern and Laini Taylor.

I would definitely read more works by this author!

I loved the premise of this book, but upon reading it didn't grip me like I wanted it too.
I found it difficult to connect with the characters.
The world building and writing was great. I would pick up books from this author again.

Whilst I love a good fantasy series, there's something nice about settling down to a standalone and having the story wrapped up in one book. That being said, when a detailed plot with history and complex relationships is condensed into just 350-ish words, it can leave me feeling a bit underwhelmed.

Unfortunately, this is one of those that should have been a duology at least. Either that or a couple of hundred more pages.

The premise is great - a cursed family, a missing mother who is presumably off in search of a way to defeat the curse, a daughter left to pick up the pieces that goes on her own quest... but with the addition of romance, betrayal and a history of gods and other worlds - it's a lot to cram into one book.

I enjoyed it but it lacked depth. I would have loved to have learn more about what Ambrose and Gabriel were doing whilst Violet is off trying to find her mother, perhaps more about the Gods and who they are, why they are.