Thank you to Net Galley and Tor Publishing for an advanced copy of "The City in Glass" by Nghi Vo.

This book is a perfect blend of haunting prose and a unique storyline. It tells the story of a city razed by an angel through the lens of a demon that loved it.
The City in Glass is a story of loss, learning to love again, and rebuilding. The book held my attention cover to cover. I simply couldn't put it down. Through the eyes of Vitrine, I too fell in love with the city of Azril.

4.5 stars

I picked this book up and put it down so many times over the last year. For such a short book, I stretched it out for a very long time. The writing is beautiful and heartbreaking and incredibly loving. Every word appears to be meticulously placed and the story that is told feels endless. Vo’s writing as been hit or miss for me in the past but I savoured every page of this one.

Very poetic prose. It was lovely to read. I think this story is very unique, in the sense I’ve never read anything like this before! There’s a little bit of everything: angels, demons, a love story, important themes of grief and rebuilding. It’s also a slowburn and enemies-to-lovers which I think many readers would love!!

A character study unfolding over centuries - of a city as much as our protagonist of its patron demon. Lush and immersive prose as expected of Nghi Vo, who captures perfectly how all the different faces that a city can wear through time depend just as much on what it means to the individual.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for gifting me a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

Nghi Vo's incredibly lyrical and vivid writing conjures up such beautiful worlds, and I'm so grateful to have gotten a peek into another of her fantastic creations! I love stories about angels and demons in the broad imagining of such creatures, and this one did not disappoint. I was swept up in Vitrine's passion for her city, and her anger at its destruction. I loved reading about the passage of time and the changes that occur on the scale of immortal beings. The relationship aspect was definitely not traditionally romantic, but I found it captivating nonetheless. I loved Vitrine's love for her city, her cutting humor, the angel's angst, and Vo's beautiful writing that brought them all to life.

Just okay. I was really excited for this book, but I wish there was more worldbuilding. It seems to be set in such an interesting world but I really struggled to feel involved.

Nghi Vo has quickly become one of those handful of authors whose work I will buy without even reading a synopsis about the plot and whose new books I will usually read as soon as I purchase (See also: Seanan McGuire, ‘Nathan Burgoine, Silvia Moreno-Garcia), even if I’m a bit slow when it comes to posting the reviews.

The City in Glass, Vo’s latest novel, is a stunning portrait of responding to grief, recovering from trauma, and finding common ground. The demon Vitrine has been the largely unseen patron of the city of Azril for hundreds of years. Very few of the citizenry know her as more than a legend, and the few that do know she’s real tread a careful path with her. She has loved the city since she first arrived from another continent and has guided it to its current glory. And then a group of angels arrive, declare the city sinful, and destroy it. The angels begin to depart to their higher realm once their “work” is done, but Vitrine manages to curse one of them who then must be left behind. This all happens in the first chapter of the book and is the impetus for the rest of the action, so I’m not really spoiling anything. This first chapter is a master class in how to set a reader up, going from joyful immersion in a new setting to the complete destruction of that setting in a few short pages. Again, since I hadn’t read the front cover flap synopsis, I had no idea what was coming, and I was as devastated as Vitrine.

Vitrine, being immortal, does not have to move on from the ruins of her beloved city to find life and sustenance elsewhere. And so she begins the slow process of watching the land heal and foster new life – and thus, eventually after hundreds of years, a new settlement for her to watch over. We watch Vitrine move through various stages of grief for the loss of not just so many loved ones (both human and animal) but for the mementos and landmarks of the city’s long history. (I cannot help, in retrospect, compare Vitrine’s reactions to what I’ve watched friends in North Carolina go through thanks to last fall’s hurricane, or what I imagine the people of Los Angeles will be going through as they strive to move on from the current fires of winter 2025.) Vitrine cycles through sadness, anger, depression, and excitement for what develops – but Vo makes it clear that these emotions are not compartmentalized or managed on a straight timeline. They overlap, they recur. Setbacks for the city inspire setbacks in Vitrine’s mental and emotional state.

And the presence of the angel she cursed, the being she holds partly responsible (not fully, because the blame lies with the angel’s cohort as well, but they are beyond Vitrine’s reach), does not help her recovery and in fact hinders it for quite some time. Thanks to her curse, the angel is tied to the land that once held Azril and thus is tied to Vitrine. He also goes through a cycle of defiance (that he did anything wrong), regret (at what’s he’s done), and hope (that he can be part of healing the damage to Vitrine’s heart). It is never easy to heal from trauma when the cause of your trauma is still present and a part of your life, and Vo explores that emotional territory beautifully and without attempting to provide any kind of easy “one size fits all” answer to how to navigate the situation.

I also loved the time-lapse “development of a civilization from small settlement to world power” aspect of the book. Vo takes the new city through the stages of agriculture-based to commerce-based and gives it threats domestic, foreign, human, and natural (including a plague). This could have been a much longer, much more detailed novel about the city’s history alone, but viewing the highlights (and low points) of that history through the eyes of an immortal felt more appropriate. This story really is Vitrine’s, and so much can change in the relative blink of an immortal’s eyes.

I cannot recommend The City in Glass highly enough, especially to readers who enjoy deep character studies accompanied by intriguing worldbuilding.



I received an electronic advance reading copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The City in Glass was published in October 2024, so this review is a bit late.

This is a haunting and atmospheric story of a Devil and the city she has adopted. I love Nghi Vo's style of writing, and the way that she spins the tale of a devil mourning something that is lost to her, showing the ways that grief can hold us stagnant and drag others into that stasis, is beautiful and slow and lovely to read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

Vitrine is a demon with a city. Until that city is burned to ground by angels. Vitrine must grieve and eventually rebuild her city, while dealing with the presence of the angel she cursed.

It's a book about grieving and rebuilding. It's beautiful and strange, but I really enjoyed it.

Nghi Vo's world comes to life in the City in Glass, a story about a demon who loves her city and the city's slow reconstruction after its razed to the ground by demons. The world-building is clearly thought through, but still veiled or somewhat ambiguous to the reader. I LOVED Vitrine and her care for her city, but I admit I didn't care about the angel all that much. I grew to care about him somewhat over the course of the story, but I think knowing MORE about the angel's seemingly compulsory obedience or even their beliefs would've helped me connect with it more.

4.5 stars

The City in Glass is a short book, only 216 pages, but it took me awhile to read.

In tone, I found it very similar to This is How You Lose the Time War. It's poetic, has a dream-like quality to the writing, can be abstract, is surreal at times and has an unconventional love story at its core.

At first I didn't know how I felt about the reading experience. It's not a page turner, the characters weren't that likable and for a short book, the story takes place over hundreds of years, so it was hard to be invested in the plot or characters.

But the gorgeous language and the deep themes slowly immersed me in the story. At its heart, The City in Glass is about rising up after tragedy and rebuilding, knowing that though things will never be as they were before, it doesn’t mean you can’t rebuild and shape the future into something beautiful.

Nghi Vo swept me away with her prose, and I will remember the message of this story for a long time. Highly recommended.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.

This book is unlike any other book I've read before. Nghi Vo is a new author to me and a wonderful storyteller.

The City of Glass is written in a beautiful poetic way with fantastic world building. Admittedly, the pacing was quite slow but if you are looking for a story that will take you on a journey, then this book is for you.

Perfect for those who enjoy:
- Angels
- Demons
- Enemies to Lovers
- Slow Burn

Thank you @netgalley and Tor Publishing group for a copy of the e-arc to review.

It’s always a delight to read something written in Nghi Vo’s beautiful prose and when I saw that she announced a new fantasy novella, it went straight to my list of most anticipated books. This is a story about a demon named Vitrine who loves a city and how she spends hundreds of years rebuilding it when the angels decide to destroy it. It’s a story about grief, but also about hope. A story about the behavioural cycles of the human race, how we build and destroy at will, about how a city can go from complete destruction to rising from the ashes. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking, and hopeful all at once. I spent weeks reading it because I wanted to savor it slowly, and I think doing so paid off because I loved it. I see myself re-reading it in the future, falling in love with the city of Azril, its streets and its people all over again.

THE CITY IN GLASS by @nghivowriting is something I would describe as a cozy, contemplative read. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @tordotcompub for the audio-ARC.

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Vitrine has been shaping the lives of the citizens of Azril for generations as it's demon overlord until one day an angel comes and strikes the city down leaving Vitrine devastated and lonely. She curses the angel to stay in the city and walk among the rubble. Can the two find a way to rebuild Azril in a new image?

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I love everything Vo writes because gorgeous prose and thoughtful plotting are always present. That being said, this was probably not one of my favorites of theirs. It is slow-paced but very purposeful. There is not as much action as there is philosophy. There is a heavy romance-laden theme. If all these things sound good to you, you should give this one a try! It came out in October so is on shelves now!

The City in Glass by Nghi Vo is a novel that combines lush world-building with poignant themes of loss and renewal. While I enjoyed many aspects of the book, it ultimately didn’t leave the lasting impression I expected. The story follows Vitrine, a demon who has poured everything into building the city of Azril, only to see it destroyed by angels. What follows is Vitrine's journey to rebuild not just the city, but herself, with the help of an angel bound to her by a curse.

World-Building: A Living, Breathing City

One of the book’s undeniable strengths is its world-building. Vo has created a world that feels incredibly alive, especially when it comes to the city of Azril. The city is described in such a way that it almost feels like a character in itself. The shimmering glass towers, the bustling streets, and the lingering sense of loss that permeates Azril's destruction all come to life through Vo’s vivid prose. There’s a real depth to the setting, which made me care deeply about the city and its downfall.

The world-building in The City in Glass is what kept me turning the pages, even when other aspects of the book didn’t engage me as much. The city is beautifully imagined, and Vo’s writing is immersive. The attention to detail made Azril feel real and tangible, a place I could see in my mind’s eye as I read. From its pristine glass towers to the ruins left behind, the city’s destruction is heartbreaking, and Vo does an excellent job of evoking that sense of loss.

Vitrine's Journey: A Bit Too Slow

However, where the book falters for me is in the pacing and character development. Vitrine is a character with great potential—strong, determined, and deeply affected by the destruction of her city. But I found it hard to fully connect with her. Her emotional journey felt somewhat distant. There were moments when I could sense her pain and longing to rebuild, but the emotional depth didn’t always land for me.

Vitrine’s grief over the loss of Azril and her dedication to rebuilding the city are central to the plot, but I felt that her internal struggles weren’t explored enough. She is a demon, yes, but her humanity is what drives her, and I wanted to see that aspect of her character more deeply. While we get glimpses of her vulnerability, it didn’t feel fully fleshed out, and I found myself wishing for more insight into her thoughts and feelings.

The Relationship Between Vitrine and the Angel

Another part of the book that I had mixed feelings about is the relationship between Vitrine and the angel who is bound to her. The dynamic between them starts off with tension, distrust, and antagonism, which makes sense given their circumstances. Over time, their relationship evolves into something more complex. While this arc has the potential to be compelling, it takes a bit too long to feel meaningful.

The development of their bond felt slow, and by the time it reached a more genuine emotional place, I had already struggled with the pacing of their relationship. I expected a deeper emotional payoff from their connection, but it didn’t come as strongly as I anticipated. There are moments of growth between them, but they didn’t resonate with me in the way I had hoped.

Themes of Loss, Grief, and Renewal

The novel’s exploration of loss and renewal is one of the book's core themes. Both the city and its inhabitants must rebuild after the destruction, and Vitrine’s journey reflects that. While I appreciated the theme of resilience, I felt that it wasn’t fully explored in the way it could have been. The book addresses grief and healing, but I wanted to see more emotional depth in the characters’ struggles. The process of renewal, whether it’s of the city or the characters, could have been more complex and profound.

There’s a sense of emotional distance throughout much of the book that kept me from fully engaging with its themes. The ideas are there, and they’re meaningful, but the exploration of them sometimes feels too surface-level. I found myself wishing for a deeper dive into Vitrine’s emotional struggles and a more thorough exploration of how she navigates grief and healing. Instead, I often felt as though the emotional arc didn’t quite match the intensity of the world-building and the plot.

Final Thoughts: A Good Read, But Not A Standout

In conclusion, The City in Glass is a book I enjoyed, but it didn’t fully live up to my expectations. The world-building is beautifully done, and the themes of loss and renewal have great potential. However, the pacing and character development left me feeling somewhat disconnected from the story. While the prose is rich and atmospheric, I couldn’t connect as deeply with the characters as I had hoped, and the emotional depth I was looking for didn’t always come through.

There’s much to appreciate in terms of world-building and writing style, but the character development and pacing kept it from being a standout for me. If you’re someone who enjoys slower-paced, atmospheric fantasy with rich world-building, The City in Glass may still appeal to you. For me, however, it fell a little short of the emotional impact I was hoping for.

3.75

A demon who loves the city she’s created and the angel who burns it to the ground fall in love amongst the ruins over centuries of history. Poetic, passionate, and poignant.

Vo proves once again her prose is a power to be reckoned with.

This is not a fast paced novella, we wander through the little histories of time and stories but it is beautiful and worth the time.

Nghi Vo's writing is always hypnotic and I will forever read everything she ever writes. But I wanted a little more from this, a bit more of an understanding of a love seeded in such trauma. This felt like layered versions of itself, unsure what story exactly it wanted to tell.

Nghi Vo is an author new to me this year! I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to read this book and be introduced to the wonder that is Nghi Vo. I'm so sad I've been sleeping on this author.

The author's writing is so atmospheric, emotional, and captivating. This is a love story between a demon and an angel, but also a demon and the beloved city it watches over. What an interesting premise this was to me! I was happily surprised to see the author explore the depth of loneliness and grief, especially in immortal and fantastical beings. I cant wait to read more of Nghi Vo's works in the upcoming months!

Thank you so much TorDotCom and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Nghi Vo is an extraordinary writer, and I found myself savoring every page of this book. The prose is nothing short of exquisite, drawing you in with its lyrical beauty and depth. I loved experiencing the story through Vitrine's unique, demonic perspective—her voice is as captivating as it is unsettling.

The city of Azril itself is a character in its own right, and watching its lifecycle unfold was both mesmerizing and thought-provoking. Vo has a remarkable ability to breathe life into her world, making it feel as alive and complex as the characters who inhabit it.

That said, I must admit that I was conflicted about the ending. On one hand, it felt like a natural conclusion, perfectly in tune with the story’s tone and themes. On the other, I found myself grappling with uncertainty—what exactly was happening? Was it a good thing? A bad thing? Should I feel sad or happy? Even now, as I reflect on it, my opinion continues to shift. Perhaps that’s a sign of its power: it will stay with me, unanswered and unresolved, lingering in my thoughts for a long time.

Ultimately, Nghi Vo’s storytelling is unforgettable, and while the ending left me questioning and unsettled, it’s one that will haunt me for a long time to come.