I’ll admit, I didn’t even read the blurb for this book before I started it, I just knew Nghi Vo was the author. Her full-length novellas are always interesting, and a little different, and THE CITY IN GLASS is no exception. I definitely found it a little strange and a little difficult to parse out my feelings, but it’s such an intriguing read, and the kind of gorgeous world-building that is so enjoyable to read from Vo. A demon and her city, the angel that destroyed it but can’t leave. The narrative is so compelling, a brutal kind of destruction, creation, growth, and love all in just over 200 pages. It’s the kind of book that may take a few chapters to grab you, but once it does it’s near impossible to put down.

I don’t talk about prose a lot in book reviews, but it’s definitely a highlight of this book. Vo uses her writing to create a world that’s part fantasy, part historical, and part speculative, both evocative of something familiar and not. I would be so interested to read about the inspirations for this book because there’s so many familiar elements of folklore and storytelling but it’s also just a little bit different from a lot of things that I’ve read in the past. It’s a linear story but also, not a traditional hero’s journey (even if the storyline somewhat functions that way). In some ways, it feels like the story behind the story you usually read about, which just makes it even more interesting after reading.

Like I said, this is different from what I normally read but I’m very glad that I read it. The writing and narrative are so compelling and Vitrine is just so interesting altogether. I was already pretty committed to reading everything Vo publishes, but this just makes me even more interested to see what she’ll continue to write in her standalone works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Nghi Vo is one of my favorite writers and "The City in Glass" is her newest offering and we follow a demon and an angel amidst the ruination and rebirth of a city. It is gorgeously written and just so lyrical. I also think this may take place in the same universe as her "Singing Hills Cycle" because there are passing references to a cleric with a talking bird. It was a bit of a slow start for me but once I was in, I was IN. This is different from Vo's other standalone novel, "Siren Queen", in that this is a very fluid story in which we're following the demon's feeling surrounding this city. I would say the heart and emotion of the novel really comes from the city itself and how it affects everyone else in the story.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this.

The demon Vitrine loved the city of Azril until it was destroyed by angels. Her fury wounded one of the destroyers; no longer pure enough for his kindred, he is cursed to stay on Earth, wandering the ruins that were once Azril in pain and confusion.

I have a theory that some novellas are constructed like short stories and some are constructed like novels. <i>The City in Glass</i> is a novel that feels like a short story. The narrative arc is simple--the plot is essentially a love triangle, where Vitrine loves her city and the angel loves Vitrine--and the ending strikes with the force of a well-built short story. The complexities are in the streets and people of Azril itself: the tales that the angels cut off and the new tales that accumulate as different people arrive and begin to rebuild.

<i>The City in Glass</i> is in the same continuity as Vo's Singing Hills novellas. There's a passing reference to mastodons, and another to a cleric with a talking shrike. The angels and demons clearly draw on Christian mythology, but Christian mythology isn't privileged here above other mythologies: you won't find the attention to the hierarchies of Heaven and Hell that prevails in other stories about angels falling in love. Vitrine comes from a far-flung family of demons, each with its own talents and obsessions; they seem to be powers arising (super)naturally from the earth itself, rather than exiled angels. The angels, meanwhile, are terrifyingly destructive and terrifyingly good. We never learn why Azril was destroyed, or whether the angels serve a God. The focus is instead on grief, rebuilding, and the inevitability of change. Even immortality is not altogether constant.

This was just as amazing as Nghi Vo's previous works. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantastical worlds and fantastical characters. This was a beautiful story.

such a fun and well written story with a narrative and structure that i loved!!

the way the story is told was definitely the highlight for me, it was so engaging and i loved how much we learnt about vitrine and the angel. this falls more into the lyrical prose/vibes category than focusing on different people, and instead we follow vitrine and the grief that she feels - it’s so poignant and beautiful to see her feel so much for the city she created and loved so deeply

seeing the many generations of people was so touching, you see how grief flows and ebbs and vitrine felt so real, although her decisions as a demon could be considered questionable, she feels so deeply which just made me fall in love with her city

the unconventional enemies to lovers (angel x demon) was slowburn heaven, she curses him for being a part of her city’s destruction, and he cannot return to his home, and instead must accept vitrine and grows to lover her. i loved the ending, it wraps up their story together so beautifully and made the multi-generation focus on love and life so poignant

The City in Glass is a lyrical and moving tale. I read it straight through and could not put it down. I loved how Nghi Vo created a story about what it would be like for an ethereal being (demons, angels, ghosts etc) watching/influencing the rise and fall of a city. The writing is beautifully vivid and descriptive. The creative details make the triumphs and challenges of the city feel so tangible. The relationship between the demon and the angel was compelling as it unfolded.

The City in Glass almost has the feeling of an old fairy tale: where the ending feels heartbreaking, inevitable, and satisfying. Nghi Vo is an auto-buy author for me and I can’t wait to read what she writes next! Readers who enjoy beautiful prose, compelling characters, and epic tales will love The City in Glass.

Thank you to Nghi Vo, Tordotcom, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

This was someting else! Creative, interesting, different and beautiful!

If you like slow paced and world building - and fascinating charcters, this is defently for you.

An intense slow-paced story about grief interlaced with fantasy/biblical elements to give humanity limitless possibilities and exploration of emotions. Nghi Vo's unique depth of writing is given full attention in the longer format of a novel.

This novel brilliantly explores themes of memory, transformation, and the powerful forces of redemption and desire. Vitrine is an immortal demon who has shaped the city of Azril for generations. Her influence on the city and its people has caused joy, passion, and chaos. Then the angels come, and the city falls and leaves her with nothing but her book of names of those she has lost. One angel is bound to the city they burned by a curse cast by Vitrine. He then becomes a part of her story, and all the humans come and go through generations and the transformations of Azril.

The writing is beautiful and masterfully portrays destruction and rebirth. It also examines the emotional ties, conflicts of purpose, and the internal struggle for redemption. The pacing and rhythm were slower. The character's journey through the ruins of the past and exploring the city's history created a layered story. The book is a testament to the power of memory and those who have touched our lives.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Publishing

Vitrine is a demon and a secret patron of the city Azril. She spends centuries shaping it to her liking until one day, the angels destroy it. How does she move forward from here, and what will she do with the angel that keeps showing up?

I absolutely loved this novella! I enjoyed several of Vo's books but I found this stepped it up a level, especially in terms of writing. I might have to buy a physical copy once it's released just so I can annotate it. It's fairly slow and focused more on character (and the city) than a big plot but I still found that it was such a page turner that I read it in two sittings.

Thank you for this ARC!

I really loved the premise of The City in Glass and Vo's prose was as lyrical and beautiful as always. I did find parts of the story very slow moving.

I think this book was really a good one, but I personally never really got fully connected to the characters and just ended up thinking bout how pretty the prose was instead of what was actually going on in the books, which ended up with me spending most of the time confused as to what was metaphor and what was actually meant to be happening. Still think that it was an overall enjoyable read though, and I thought that idea behind the demons was pretty interesting, even though I think that there could have been more behind them- as it is the names feel a bit more arbitrary and didn't really have any commentary behind them, which was something that I went in hoping for a lot.

I think I missed the memo on what others are raving about with this book. It was an okay story with so-so characters. It was interesting enough to have me keep reading and finish the book, but I can't say that it was engrossing.

The City In Glass by Nghi Vo
3/5

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

This was a story so deeply entrenched in its own beauty that it failed to capture me beyond surface level appreciation. I am genuinely impressed by Vo's beautiful writing but there was just so much of it without anything actually happening plot-wise that I couldn't help but find myself skimming through and looking for the next story beat. I can't think of a better summary than "all vibes no plot", especially considering that the main hook of the blurb didn't come into play until the very last pages! I've seen comparisons to "This Is How You Lose The Time War" which I understand, but the relationship in this felt much barer and the pacing far slower, both of which worked against it for me.

The writing style and abstract time jumps all contributed to a feeling of disconnect with the subject matter. I appreciated Vitrine's love of her city but we only got a brief introduction to her time within it, and while her memories were nice, they were so separated from our situation that I wasn't wholly engaged with them. The Angel was a sympathetic character in some ways and I was most intrigued by his potential character arc, so the choice of ending was bittersweet for me.

I can see how many people love this book, but I needed a firmer plot structure to hold onto and without it I was a bit disappointed.

"Because it was written at the beginning of their world that they could not die, every demon knew the trick of bringing themselves back from death. They might sight the far flags of death's pavilions, but they knew they were not welcome."

A demon and an angel in a city that was destroyed and rebuilt over generations. This story reads like a fable, following the perspective of the demon of Azril, the city she loves. The prose is lush and abstract, and our window into the story is through the eyes of an ageless creature, for whom years pass like days and the lifespans of humans are only brief interludes. I really enjoy this sort of vibes-based storytelling, but readers should be aware that this isn't action-packed.

A love letter to sprawling cities in which mischievous demons and destructive Angels sit within its ruins. Unfortunately the desire for poetry stands in the way of a coherent plot.

Vo is an elegant writer who has mastered the art of purple prose. However, I found this book to be a little bit too much vibes and not enough plot to keep my interest. The tale of the city is told through the memories of Vitrine over centuries but does little to situate the reader in the story.

Lacking footholds, it's a rare miss for me with Vo but I won't be recommending this read.

A demon nurtures her beloved city only to see it razed to cinders by angels. She curses one of them and binds him with her grief and anger. Together, they set about rebuilding the city.

The angel and demon do not exhibit humanness - they are definitely ”other”.
It was fascinating to see how they behaved and exhibited emotions such as love, fear, loss etc.
the writing is incredibly flowery - syrup thick in its purple prose. It takes effort to read. And is mostly vibes, little plot. Whilst I consider the relationship between the demon and angel to be “viciously romantic”, this is NOT a romance. That ending was rough and my shipper heart suffered but it felt right for the beings they are.

https://youtube.com/@chanelchapters

Favorite Quote: The city in the south would go the way of limestone, crumbling into the desert until nothing was left but an archaeological layer of dark gray ash and sorrow.

Story Synopsis: Vitrine is a demon - ancient and powerful - who loves her city of Azril more than anything. Over the centuries, she walked among Azril’s people, accepting their offerings, matchmaking, and raising the city like a mother raises a child.

When the angels come, Azril is destroyed in front of Vitrine’s eyes.

Vitrine diligently kept a book of names in a safe place of all the humans she loved over the years. After the destruction of Azril, the book is all she has left… the book and a wingless angel whom she cursed to never leave the city he destroyed.

As Vitrine mourns her city and begins to rebuild, she finds herself locked in both love and hatred with the angel. Together, they shape a new Azril and help its inhabitants with new challenges and new humans to love. When war approaches Azril’s borders again, Vitrine and the angel must determine how their interactions will shape their lives and those residing in Azril.

Why does this book beguile? I was super excited to read this book because it’s not every day you find a standalone fantasy novel - especially one that’s short! The City in Glass is beautifully written: descriptive and immersive. I enjoyed how the main character was a demon who lived for centuries and each of the humans she interacted with was a blip on her radar of living. Vo does an excellent job of building the tension between Vitrine (the demon) and the angel counterpart to create a will-they-won’t-they/enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies situation, and you don’t know where anything will fall. The City in Glass by Nghi Vo is a different and short fantasy novel that all high fantasy readers will enjoy.

Title: The City in Glass by Nghi Vo
Genre: Sci-Fi Fantasy
Pub Date: October 1, 2024

"𝐁𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲"

Otherworldly Beings
Standalone Fantasy
Enemies to Lovers
Lyrical Prose
Multigenerational Story

Another reviewer likened reading The City in Glass to reading a very, very long prologue and I couldn't agree more. The writing is beautiful, less like a story and more like reading a poem. This story is one of love, devotion and destruction.
Essentially, an angel is tasked with destroying a city beloved by a demon, so the demon curses the angel and he's unable to return home. The demon spends many generations trying to rebuild what once was, the angel at her side.

⭐️ 3.5/5

Thank you so much, NetGalley and @tordotcompub for the digital review copy

This was such a unique and vibey book! While the prose was beautiful it wasn’t quite my style but that didn’t take away from it being a great book that I think many people will fall in love with. The characters were so interesting and the setting was unique as well. I don’t think I have read anything quite like it and that is a good thing. Will be adding to our library 100%.