Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy to review!

I can tell that this is an amazing book, but not for me. I loved the idea and characters, but found it hard to connect with the writing.

Big thanks to Tor and NetGalley for an early e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!

I am normally not an all vibes no plot kinda gal…but if the vibes are authored by Nghi Vo: sign me up. Because the plot here is nigh on nonexistent. But pitching this to people as: “an angel and a demon argue for 200 pages and it’s beautiful” makes me feel insane. The prose is vicious and heartbreaking and (I know this is over the top, but:) took my breath away in places. I think if you like purple prose, this is the purplest, and if you like a fierce immortal being with sharpened claws and a raw wound where a heart used to be: read this.

My e-book is chock full of highlighted quotes and I can’t wait to grab a physical copy come October in order to mark it up in real life technicolor.

What I would not give for this book to have been in first person.

I loved the pace of this, I was also blessedly gifted the auto arc of this story, and the narrator has such a soothing and fitting voice. The setting was so vivid, and the characters felt alive. Also, Nghi Vo has some of the most stunning lyrical writing. I really enjoyed this and I am eager to get my hands on a finished copy to annotate everything I wrote down.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

What a weird but wonderful read about a demon and an angel transcending time but not place. I had so many questions about world building and past and future, but reading this book was a wondrous experience, partly like a feverdream. Would I read more from this universe? Absolutely. Did parts of the cruelty and violence shock me? Yes. Did I like the ending? Yes and no. I was amazed, confused, thrilled. A really interesting reading experience!

4 stars

𝚂𝙿𝙾𝙸𝙻𝙴𝚁-𝙵𝚁𝙴𝙴 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆
𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙄𝙏𝙔 𝙄𝙉 𝙂𝙇𝘼𝙎𝙎 𝙗𝙮 𝙉𝙜𝙝𝙞 𝙑𝙤

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 NetGalley & Tor Publishing Group 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺! 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

Told in beautifully evocative prose, this is a unique 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 about a morally ambiguous immortal demon, Vitrine, the city she loves, and the Angel who helped destroy it. With words alone Vo constructs the city of Azril & dissects Vitrine’s layers vividly!

Vitrine exerts her influence on every part of Azril’s history over centuries — no facet is too big or small. But even as she manipulates it all with whispers to suit her whims (𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭), she finds significance in the individual lives of the people. She writes their names & stories in a book, held in a glass case inside her — which is not only beautifully symbolic but emblematic of her emotional capacity.

Those mortal life stories are told by way of Vitrine’s grief-induced reminiscences after Azril is leveled by the Angels. Vo immerses the reader in the city with these smaller glimpses & stitches them together to form its history much as Vitrine does by recording & cherishing them.

The Angel is kept mysterious & rather flat, but he contrasted so well with Vitrine — the angry, indignant demon with claws & the stoic, composed angel who weathers her cruelty out of guilt, then desire. He felt more like a side character in Vitrine’s love story, perhaps intentionally.

Peppered with the macabre & spanned to lend authenticity to how time passes for immortal beings (and how immortal beings pass their time), this is an 𝙪𝙣𝙪𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 with an unusual outcome— I’ve never read a more twisted ending, it’s totally unpredictable.

I ate this story up, but I don’t think it’s for everyone. It’s slow-paced & detail-heavy but it’s a short read. It certainly stands out! 𝙄’𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙚 𝙍𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨.

My first time reading a novel by this author and what a truly exquisite one it was at that. A uniquely structured book with such lyrical prose I know I will want to re read in the future. Whilst the ending was bittersweet, it was right for the story. Simply beautiful.

The City in Glass is the story of an Angel, a Demon, and the city that connects them.

I was instantly hooked after the first chapter, and I couldn't wait to see where the rest of the story went. Nghi Vo is a beautiful writer, and the prose here does not disappoint. There are many beautiful turns of phrase that I highlighted, and I do love a story with morally ambiguous angels.

We follow the story of the demon Vitrine's pet city, as it is destroyed and she tries to build it up again. It's also the story of her relationship with an angel, as they are tied together through decades of time.

For me this was ultimately slightly underwhelming. Though the writing was beautiful, I felt we were kept at a distance from our characters. The constant switching of time periods was sometimes hard to follow. I also wished that we learned more about the angel, and the motivations of all the angels in the story.

3.5 stars for the beautiful writing and imagery. I would imagine that fans of lush atmospheres will love this short novel!

Initially I gave this book 4 stars, but after more thought I've bumped it up to 5. Technically it's probably more along the lines of 4.5, but alas, there are no half stars, and 4 just seems to low. This is such a strange little book and I can already tell you that it's not going to resonate with everyone. And while I'm not 100% sure it resonated with me completely, I certainly enjoyed it well enough. In fact, I think after a few years I would like to revisit it, read it nice and slow and savor every word, because Vo without a doubt can write. Vitrine was a fascinating character, and the idea of the novel as a whole was utterly unique. Sure, the idea of an angel and a demon falling in love has been done before, but I would argue that while this is a love story, it's the love story told from the point of view of a demon, and thus it's not really what you would think of as a conventional love story. There's so much to unpack here despite being a very short book and I think to really scratch more than just the surface I will have to read it over again, at a much slower pace, so for this review I will just say this; I enjoyed this book, especially looking back on it. I think it will appeal to fans of Addie Larue, not exactly because of plot, but more because of feeling. I'll certainly be recommending this book to people and doing my best to hand sell it, and I'll probably even write a shelf talker for it. It's so unique, and so much more than just a romance or a fantasy, but it's also just so hard to describe. Vo has done a beautiful job here, and I would love to see this made into a little series like her Traveling Scribe series, but if this is all we get I understand.

“I love you so, I love you best”

I am finding it very difficult to write a review for this book. The City in Glass is a work for art. It feels like grief, pain, and love in 250 pages.

The story follows a demon, Vitrine, who has fallen in love with a city, which she nurtured and built. The city and all of its people are destroyed by angels who come down from heaven. Vitrine is devastated but vows to rebuild her beloved city. During the hundreds of years it takes Vitrine to rebuild her love, one of the angels continues to come back to the city to see Vitrine. Vitrine desperately wants to be left alone to mourn her city and people but the angel cannot leave her.

This novella is non-linear but the central story focuses primarily on Vitrine’s love for her city and the humans there. Vitrine loves the humans of her city so greatly and the way she dreamily floats in and out of their lives is beautiful. Also, the description of how and where she writes the names of people in the city, WOW - I am crying just thinking about it! Other than the love between Vitrine and the city, there is a romance between Vitrine and the angel. Over centuries, the two develop a stunning, deep relationship ( I mean think the most intense enemies to lovers ever). My favorite thing about this book was seeing this human city from the eyes of these immortal beings who both end up loving it so much. They watch a city completely fall, rebuild, and then experience typical human conflicts (plague, war, etc.)

This book is similar to the vibes and structure of Piranesi, purposely vague, but lyrical, beautiful, and painful. This will likely be one of the most deeply moving books I read all year.

This is a very unique story and I quite enjoyed it. Its definitely not going to be for everyone, but the premise of a city being raised to greatness by a demon, only to be destroyed by angels and the process said demon goes through to rebuild her city is very interesting. it can be a little existential at times, but not in a way that is too difficult to understand. while the story is short, there is some incredible world building going on (literally and figuratively). the relationship between demon and angel is so fascinating, i wish there had been more exploration of it. or maybe i'm just a sucker for forbidden romance.

The City in Glass was a hauntingly weird and beautiful piece of literature that will stick with me for a long time. As usual, Nghi Vo's writing is immediately immersive, drawing you into a new world with ease and dousing you with storied past. I loved the feeling of discovering the city of Azril both at it's end and beginning with the opening chapter. This set the tone perfectly for the ephemeral storytelling to come, which easily moved from close study of just a few days to introspections on decades. The absolutely inhuman dealing of time worked perfectly for a story about a demon and an angel, and the city they destroyed and saved. In a similar sense of duality, Vo allows Vitrine's - the demon - amorality to shine in the novel. Vitrine loves her city for the good and the bad and the quotidian that happens there. She intervenes as she wants or does not want to. Terrible and great things happen over the course of centuries, each presented of its own merit and without moral judgement. Juxtaposed against the angel's occasional sense of justice, this practice was particularly gripping.

I love this strange little book. I probably need to read it at least once more. But definitely a new favorite.

CITY IN GLASS is spellbinding. The city of Azril lives in the loving memory and fierce hope of the demon Vitrine, whose hatred for, and bond with, one of its destroyers may just be the fire to forge it anew.

There are plenty of fantasy stories now that focus on a city as a whole as a character. In Daniel Abraham’s Age of Ash, the city is practically sentient and the city is also the central theme in Adiran Tchaikovsky’s The City of Last Chances. In The City in Glass, Nghi Vo takes a different tack. The city at the centre of this book Azrim, is the love child of a demon named Vitrine.
The City in Glass opens with the complete destruction of the city of Azrim by a host of angels. No reason is given but it is likely because the city itself was nurtured and grown by a demon. Following the destruction and in a fit of rage, Vitrine manages to infect one of the angels with a piece of herself, condemning him to stay with her, much to her disgust. The rest of the book then is Vitrine reflecting on the city as it was and the characters who inhabited it, and the slow rebuilding of a new city where the old one stood. Through it all is the up and down relationship of the demon and the angel.
The central relationship of the angel and the demon would invite comparison’s with Good Omens but that comparison is fairly shallow. If for no other reason than Vitrine and the angel are far from classical conceptions of these beings. What is true is that the book charts their enemies to… not enemies relationship over hundreds of years as the city is slowly brought back to life. But the way the relationship develops and resolves is startling and worth the journey.
The City in Glass is an elegaic book often beautiful if melancholy book. It is suffused with sadness of what had come before and was lost. But it also infused with hope. That what was destroyed can be rebuilt, that while human lives are short they can be impactful, and that there are many different ways to love and be loved.

The demon Vitrine has spent 300 years guiding and nurturing the city of Azril, making it beautiful and joyful - only for angels to come and destroy it. In her grief and anger, she curses one of the angels, and a sliver of her embeds itself in his heart. Unable to be free of her, the angel and Vitrine begin a dark and fragile relationship spanning hundreds of years, as Vitrine rebuilds Azril. The angel, in love with Vitrine, moves in and out of the city, doing her bidding in creating it anew.

This was beautiful. A unique exploration of grief and memory, trauma and learning to live with pain, as well as the things that can grow out of it. There’s a lot of deep reflection on loss and the ways we struggle to hold those feelings. Vo is a brilliant writer, as always; she does something daring and interesting with each of her works. Also a bonus in this one is a very brief mention of a confused cleric and their companion, a talking shrike, which made this fan of the Singing Hills Cyle smile.

I just finished this book, and I think it's one of the best things I've ever read. The vibes of The Night Circus and This Is How You Lost The Time War, but it's a demon grieving the loss of her city as she begins to rebuild it, and the angel that destroyed it that she cursed to haunt it forever. I had a ache in my chest the entire time I was reading it because I loved it so much.
The lush descriptions of the city, it's people, shops, agriculture, arts and more, were so beautiful and bittersweet, as they were mostly in the demon's memory after, and I both wanted to continue reading to experience more, and also wanted to sit in it and really revel in the prose.
This is a devastating love story that spans centuries, and I cannot express how much everyone should read this book.

The City in Glass is a story of a demon and the city she has built.

I wanted to absolutely fall in love with this book but I found the writing, although very beautiful, hard to connect with and the constant jumps in time were very jarring. The plot was also very slow and at times non-existent.

With that said, I did enjoy the idea of a demon and angel stuck together and creating a new city together and how this was quite dark.

This is a really beautiful, almost allegorical tale of a demon, an angel, and a city. Vitrine built the city of Azril up from nothing, and it is her pride and joy. The narrative weaves through time to give snapshots of the powerful families, scholars, and artists she brings up within its walls. When the city is razed by a group of angels who have no reason but their heavenly orders, Vitrine is devastated. The curse she hurls tethers one of the angels to the earth, an unintended consequence for both of them. Vitrine’s grief is long, visceral, and consuming. But eventually it is time to see what will grow from the ashes.
The City in Glass is a story about grief, anger, love, hate, and loss so complete you feel that you will never find yourself again.

Although the vibes were immaculate, I'm someone who really needs a plot to be invested - there sadly wasn't much of one. I still enjoyed the prose, so that's where my review comes from.

This was a beautiful book and captivating. It's going to be one of my top books of this year - not doubts about it. The ending was very well put together and the story flowed beautifully. I think this story may not hit for some people but overall I cannot see why this won't do amazing in stores!!

What a beautifully written story! I really enjoyed Vo's prose and imagery. This is the quiet history of the city of Azril and the demon that loves it over centuries of time. Vitrine and her angel have a brutal relationship but there is something so powerful in how their hatred of each other's species turns into love for each other over the course of time as they begin to see each other as more than just a demon and an angel. I particularly enjoyed the moments where Vitrine recalls humans from generations past longing for versions of Azril that will never be again.

While the trope of an angel and a demon falling in love is nothing new, I really appreciated Vo's take on it. THE CITY IN GLASS is a quick read but it is not lacking depth or character development. This isn't a flashy, action-filled book, but it will encourage readers to think about what the history of a place means in the bigger picture of life.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Tordotcom in exchange for an honest review.