This one had me gripped from early on. The world-building was beautifully done and I was so invested in Violet and her story. I really loved this one and am pleased I got the Fairyloot edition.

I really enjoyed this audiobook, not only was the story itself immersive and original the narrator’s voice really added to the whole experience.

I struggled with THE CITY OF STARDUST.
It’s not that the story isn’t interesting, but I just didn’t get the sense of magic and wonder that I was hoping I would, based on the blurb.
In that sense, I think this was a ‘just-not-for-me’ issue. I’m sure other readers will be hooked, because I can’t actually point to anything I actively disliked, it just didn't grab me.
I do think an actual flaw might be that the book doesn’t seem to know what age category it’s in. The writing and characters at times felt rather simplistic, and very YA, and at other times the story and its themes felt more solidly Adult. A little jarring, but not something that would bother me, I think, if I'd been more immersed on the whole.

I thought the narrator was good but that she was the wrong choice for this book. She has an interesting voice but did not seem all that engaged with the story.

In terms of how much I engaged with and enjoyed this one, it was 2 stars, but it was written well and decently paced, and I recognise that this type of linear YA fantasy is just not my bag. So three stars.

I think from the hype I was expecting more but frankly while this was well polished, it was also flat. There was nothing new here and no real sense of wonder. There are a lot of YA daughter seeking mother novels on the market lately and this was a fairly off the peg imitation. In fact, if you remember the 1980s kids TV show T-bag, it was like that if someone had extracted the whimsy and sense of fun. Beautifully written but really not for me.

This was a fantastic debut.

The City of Stardust is such a unique idea, with discreet elements of horror mixed with fantasy, which works really well. It reminded me of Pan’s Labyrinth in some ways, with the journey and the mythical creatures involved, but with the addition of dark academia which I love – the perfect combo.

Characters were well-rounded and interesting, although Violet was a little dull at times, which is a shame as she’s the main character, but the others made up for this. The story itself had a good pace and I devoured it in two days whilst painting my bathroom!

The narrator was good and kept me engaged and intrigued; the story itself had a good pace and I devoured it in two days whilst painting my bathroom!

I did struggle to visualise some of the creatures, and would have liked a little more descriptive language here; I also had a few unanswered questions. That said, overall it’s a magical and unique story but I plan to read the book as well as no doubt it’ll be a different experience.

I will preface this review saying that, if you are a fan of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, you should most definitely give The City of Stardust a try because in it you might find a similar, albeit still different, book. Summers Georgia crafted a setting full of magical mystery and gothic whimsy that our main character Violet must learn to navigate if she wants to break the curse of her family and escape fate. It has a lush beautiful prose that will immerse most readers into this world of fantasy and wonder.

Unfortunately, it did not work for me. It is not by any means the book’s fault, however I am the type of reader who does not enjoy being confused while reading a book, and that is exactly how I was for nearly the first half of the book. I remember I read the synopsis when I was around the 20% mark because I was that confused and needed help wherever I could take it. Eventually, as the story progresses, things start to click in place but it was not enough to save the book for me.

Thank you very much to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me an Audio-ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Hodder & Stoughton for this eARC, which was given in exchange for an honest review.

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Actual rating: 3.5 rating

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Violet Everly is a child when her mother Marianne vanishes in the night, and her uncles make a deal with a mysterious Penelope to give them ten years to find her. Violet is in her twenties when she learns the truth – her family is cursed, and every generation of the Everly family has had to sacrifice a member to Penelope as a tithe for an unknown crime. Either Marianne is found, or Violet will be the next Everly taken. Feeling lost and betrayed on all sides, Violet decides to embark on a solo quest to find her mother, and hopefully break the Everly curse.

The City of Stardust starts off strong. The prologue is solid and the writing throughout is beautiful if a bit purple prose-y at points. I enjoyed the first few chapters which deal more with Violet’s uncles and Violet’s first meeting with Penelope and her assistant Aleksander. I also liked the section when she reunites with Aleksander as a young adult working in a coffee shop. There was enough mystery happening at these points to keep me invested, with jumps to other POVs such as Aleksander and Penelope feeding the reader snippets of information that Violet was not privy to.

Unfortunately, it was after this point that the book started to lose me. Violet’s year-long quest to find her mother is almost entirely skipped over, and if it wasn’t for the fact that narrative time had clearly passed (which we learn through various instances of info-dumping), I almost wouldn’t have known any different. Violet lacks the character growth that such a journey surely would have instilled in her, even at the end of the novel. And despite this time skip, the narrative toward the end is still rushed, not giving enough time for the reader to buy into the healing and deepening of Violet and Aleksander’s relationship after so many instances of betrayal. They were not given ample time to breathe. I would have much rather their romance be hinted at or scrapped altogether in favour of devoting more time to healing their friendship on the page.

The world-building was also underdeveloped. The magic system was interesting to read about, but after finishing the novel I don’t feel like I have any complete understanding of how it works. I did enjoy the snippets we got from Aleksander about the city of Fidelis and the scholars: I sincerely wish we got a bit more of that, as it would have added so much depth to the story.

Overall, this felt like a novel with a ton of potential. The writing style was good, the narrator for the audiobook was good and the premise is fantastic. I feel, ultimately, that The City of Stardust was a novel taken out of the oven a little too early. It could have done with more time to cook.

'The City of Stardust', after a promising premise, lost me through wordy prose and empty characters.

I haven't read such a great story in a while. It was so whimsical, beautiful and brutal all at once.

I fell in love with the writing style first, then with Aleksander, with Violet's uncles and with the voice of the narrator (Kitty Parker).

Somehow, I was at home in that story. Although they never stuck in one place for too long (this is a portal fantasy after all) the characters were all too familiar and I really didn't want to leave them behind.

The ending, the willingness of sacrifice, caused all sorts of emotions - fear, racing heart, worry, ... - and I'm satisfied with how it turned out. There is a little bit of an open ending but the conflict of the book itself is resolved and all what's left to do for us is wonder.

A wonderful standalone, first reading highlight of the year, cozy and terrifying at the same time, calming and emotional. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Hodderescape for providing me the arc.

Thank you NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape and for providing access to both the digital and audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh Georgia Summers, why did you do this to me...

When I first started the audiobook, I had to stop and immediately ask for access for the ebook as well. Not because the narration was lacking in any shape or form - in fact, it fit the dreamy and yet dark atmosphere of the book perfectly - but the descriptions and overall writing style hit me in the face with their beauty, and I wanted to make sure I treasured every word.

I adored everything about the beginning of the book. I went to visit a friend and during my stay there I kept bringing it up, shouting high praises, recommending it from the bottom of my heart, and comparing it to other books I considered masterpieces. It reminded me so much of Sorcery of Thorns, in the best way possible, while still having it's own incredibly distinct identity. The mysteries of the book kept me hooked, and the pages kept going, leaving me in complete and utter awe at the depth of the writing style. I liked Violet, I got incredibly attached to Aleksander, and really really enjoyed Penelope - that's a scary but well-crafted villain, that you never took for granted. Her dark moment always hit hard, which is something I am incredibly grateful for.

The problems came in the second half of the book. Suddenly my enthusiasm started to fade, and despite reaching the climax of the story, every page felt longer than the last. At first, I wasn't sure - until I realised that the weakest point of the story for me ended up being the two main leads. I'll start with Violet. She's a decent protagonist, yes, but she rarely feels like she played a 'key' (pun unintended) role in her own story. Her mother, absent throughout 99% of the book, always stole the show and proved to be a much more active participant during her time. Violet isn't even the reason why the curse ended. Nor has she accomplished much in her life outside of the curse, despite her so-called talent. Aleksander, however, was the biggest disappointment. He had such great potential to become the newest sweetheart of our beloved book community. He had it all - attractive beyong words, with a tragic past, a love for reading and learning, great ambition and desire to explore as much as possible. And yet... he ended up switching sides more often than I switch my socks. Not because of how cunning he was, but because of his clouded feelings and lacking willpower. He is a victim of Penelope's abuse and manipulation, yes, objectively it makes sense. But I really wish he fumbled the bag less and played the game at least a little, rather than looked like a kicked puppy in every single one of his scenes in the 2nd half of the book. His relationship with Violet also had the potential to become a heartbreaking epic, but instead it left me bored and disappointed.

Overall, there was a lot to love about the book, and a lot to mourn. It started with all the right ingredients, but sadly faded into a shadow of what it was shaping up to be. However, I am too intrigued by Georgia Summer's gorgeous writing, and will probably pick up her next release as well. She's definitely someone to look out for.

This is definitely going to be one of my top fantasy reads for 2024! This is a high-stakes adventure mixed with coming-of-age, somewhat reminiscent of Mistborn. The magic system is exquisitely nuanced, yet remains absolutely accessible and understandable.

The narrator is so extremely talented; I love the emotion that she adds to the story. There's this so very special touch that an audiobook has, that is so immensely invaluable to the value of the story. She brings Violet and Aleksander to life, and makes the wonderfully realised world of Elandriel and all the cities so very real. Listening to this book was falling in love with Summers' magical prose and her multiple worlds; I adored this gorgeous story.

Sadly got to 54% of the audio book & finally decided was not for me.
The characters were not really brought to life, the events referenced were not described in the story. It felt as if we were just following a young girl trying to find her mother. Each chapter brought you back to the same place. Tried hard to keep going, but not enough character & events descriptions & was too long for this simple story line.

This was a really interesting story with a feisty, tenacious main character. She is so curious and this curiosity is what sends her on her journey which starts with her wanting to find her mother and eventually becomes her learning to be true to herself and finding her own path in life.

The narration was good and gave that atmospheric vibe of the book though I do wish there was more differentiation between characters in the voices to make it easier to keep up with the story.

I loved the writing style, it was beautiful and created an atmospheric story though it make it hard to completely feel immersed in the story as it being in third person, it created distance from the characters so I didn’t truly feel compelled by them and want to root for them.

There was some issues in pacing and at times the story felt slow and then lots happened all at once. And I do wish there was more world building. Though my main issue is the ending felt weak and I was left wondering why we went through the whole story and everything that happened.

I did like how there are keys to open other worlds and pulled at my booknerd heart. Where we all want to be able to find a hidden door to a magical world like the ones we read about. And this did keep me reading and wanting to explore.

The City of Stardust is a story that, in many ways, can be described as similar to a number of other books in the market. The most obvious comparison is of course Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea which was released in 2019 and has a fairly similar tone of mystery and intrigue. The City of Stardust, however, does not feel like just a copycat novel - it has everything that makes books like The Starless Sea feel enchanting and mysterious but draws on its own inspirations and creates a world all of its own.
The framework of the story, the countdown to Violet's fate being changed is certainly one that keeps the pace of the story moving. I think often stories of this kind can feel a little stagnant but in this case, the action moves on at a good pace and there is judicious use of time skips to keep things feeling focussed.
I thought Violet herself was a wonderful protagonist - I liked the way in which she managed to feel like a character who had some naivete after the way she was kept in the dark but she didn't feel *stupid* which so often that particular kind of character can feel. I really enjoyed being in her perspective throughout the story and seeing her arc.
I'd highly recommend the audiobook for this story as I felt the narrator really brought out the intrigue, mystery and complexity of the characters and the world.
If you're looking for a book to fill a particular spot on your shelves then look no further!
I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley - all opinions are my own.

I struggled to get into the audiobook of this book. I feel it might be better for me to read this as a book. There was a lot of world building and relationships that I struggled to get straight in my head as an audiobook. The narrator was great, no reflection on her, just the way my brain works! I felt very disconnected from the characters and just didn’t really like them!

I am actually a bit sad to leave this review, the reason being this book ended up being a big flop.

The story line made you want so much more and not a lot of world building and background wasn't fleshed out.

This book an amazing stand alone if the author fleshed out more.

3.5 stars, I enjoyed this as I read it but I don't think it is a book that will stay with me for long. The characters were interesting but I wasn't really convinced by the romance.

City of Stardust by Georgia Summers is an enchanting journey into a world brimming with magic, stardust, and mysteries. The author's debut captivates with a tale of the Everlys, haunted by a forgotten crime and an enigmatic tormentor, Penelope, who defies time. Violet Everly, the last in her line, embarks on a compelling quest to break the curse before she becomes its victim. Summers weaves a spellbinding narrative filled with power-hungry scholars, capricious gods, and vengeful monsters. The hunt for Violet's missing mother unfolds in a seductive magical underworld, where trust is elusive. The chemistry between Violet and the enigmatic Aleksander adds layers of intrigue. As time ticks away, the story takes readers on a mesmerizing journey to unlock the secrets of the city of stardust. A five-star read that combines suspense, magic, and a dash of romance, leaving you eagerly anticipating more from this talented debut author.

Writing
The writing in this book was beautiful, I loved the sentence structure and it leant well to creating an atmospheric story. There was however quite a lot of telling rather than showing which made me feel distanced from the plot.

Characters
This is where the story for me fell short, I didn’t feel like any of the characters had a unique voice and even though it was third person, at times I would forget who’s POV I was in - feel like the characters were quite surface level and not memorable because of this

Plot
I feel like the whimsical writing was the main plan for this story and while the prologue sucked me in , I didn’t find myself captivated as I went through the story. Most of the magic system was quite ambiguous as a device to build intrigue but for me it just meant I was less invested in how the story would go.

Romance
Again because the characters were quite surface level, I didn’t really root for the romance at all , it had great potential to be an angsty plot line but it fell quite flat for me

Narration
The narrator for this had a nice very “listenable” voice however I feel they lacked emotions throughout the story - this may have impacted my feelings towards the story.

I believe this is a debut novel so what I will say is that the writing was good enough to make me what to read from Georgia Summers again but I just needed a bit more depth with the characters than we got with this.

I'm not sure what to think about this book, but I think overall I enjoyed it. Therefore, I am going to struggle to write a review for this!
I spent a lot of the book feeling a bit lost about what was happening. I'm not sure if this is because I read it in an audiobook format. Often throughout the book the POV would change in the middle of a chapter without warning. Perhaps the POV changes are more obvious in the physical book, but in the audiobook, you would only realise it had changed when the character you are now following does something differently to the previous one. I don't believe this is a downfall of the narrator as they did use a different voice when each character was speaking, but may be more of a problem with the editing of the audiobook itself.
I also felt like the plot was a bit all over the place. I liked the concept of the story, but too much happened for one book, and it felt like it should have been a series instead (as far as I'm aware, this is a standalone). I enjoyed the adventure aspect of the book, and learning a little bit about the world, but I think I wanted more world-building at the same time.
I liked the characters, Violet Everly was an interesting perspective to read from. I also enjoyed Alexander's point of view but also wished we could get a bit more of his backstory. Some elements of the story were predictable, particularly around these two characters but also the secret underlying the whole story was obvious to me.
Overall I think I enjoyed it, but it was lacking in quite a few areas.