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Stadt der Sterne
Seit Jahrhunderten lastet ein Fluch auf der Familie Ihre schönsten und klügsten Kinder werden von der mysteriösen Penelope mitgenommen, als Sühne für ein Verbrechen, an das sich niemand mehr erinnern kann. Violet Everly war zehn, als ihre Mutter Marianne verschwand. Nicht einmal Penelope kann sie aufspüren, und so stellt sie Violet ein Sie hat zehn Jahre Zeit, um Marianne zu finden. Schafft sie es nicht, holt sich Penelope stattdessen Violet. Ihre Suche führt Violet durch ganz Europa – und in eine andere, geheime, magische Welt voller Götter und Monster. Sie ist das Zuhause von Penelopes Assistenten Aleksandr, von dem Violet sich geradezu magisch angezogen fühlt. Doch kann sie ihm wirklich trauen? In ihrem Wettlauf gegen die Zeit bleibt Violet keine andere Wahl …
Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2024
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About the author
Georgia Summers
5 books434 followersGeorgia Summers is half-British, half-Trinidadian, and spent most of her life living across the world, including Russia, Colombia, and the US. When she’s not doing bookish things, she’s planning her next great adventure. She currently lives in London, but she dreams of one day living in a haunted château with a ghost that cleans.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,790 reviews
January 15, 2024
Publication Date: 25th Jan 2024
2.5 Stars
One Liner: Worthy premise, flat execution
For centuries, the Everlys have been paying a debt to Penelope for something no one remembers. She is ageless and ruthless, making her almost invincible and impossible to take on. Years ago, Marianne Everly vanished to find a way to break the curse, and Penelope wants either Marianne or her daughter Violet as the repayment.
Violet has been sheltered by her uncles in an attempt to keep her safe. By hiding the truth from her, they might have put Violet at a greater risk. With very little time left on their side, Violet has to either find her mother or break the curse and be free of Penelope.
But will the woman let her go? Of course, there’s Aleksander, Penelope’s assistant, someone Violet cannot help but be drawn to. Will he be her friend or betray her?
The story comes in the third-person POV of multiple characters (Ambrose Everly, Violet Everly, Aleksander, and Penelope) plus an omnipresent third-person.
My Thoughts:
I requested the book for the cover and the premise (since it was supposed to be an adult fantasy). Well, let’s say the results are mixed. Also, the book might work better as New Adult Fantasy (which explains why I couldn’t like it much).
The book has potential. No two ways about it. Despite the lack of structure and insufficient world-building, the writing has a sense of ethereal quality, which will work for some readers. Didn’t make an impact on me, but I can see the talent in there.
The major issue is with the main character, Violet. The plot is too big for her fragile shoulders. It’s more than okay to have a naïve lead who makes mistakes. But for her to continue being the same doesn’t help.
The side characters are like sheets of paper fluttering in the wind- so random and not rooted enough to assert themselves.
Penelope is pure evil, or so it seems. She manages to stand out and carries the book as much as possible.
The romance between Violet and Aleksander is expected. However, I couldn’t care less about the track. Never mind that Violet needs helluva growing up to do. Aleksander shows great promise with some grey shades and a tragic past, though the arc is not fully developed.
The concept of keys to the world is intriguing. The cover is perfect for the setting. Yeah, many aspects of world-building are unexplained. I think I have a vague idea (think being the operative term). It is easy to go with the flow since there isn’t much I can otherwise do.
The ARC copy doesn’t have proper formatting. There are no indicators for scene breaks. Countless times, I had to reread a paragraph to understand there had been a POV and scene change from the previous one. When the narrative jumps at random between characters, not having clear markers is a recipe for disaster.
Moreover, the present tense doesn’t help the narrative as the story weaves between the random past and the present. It gets exhausting to fit the event into the timeline, like trying to fit the puzzle pieces.
There’s an epilogue of sorts, but let’s say I did not like it much either. There is no explanation for how Violet’s growth. We have to accept it since the characters say so (and this happens throughout the book).
The pacing is inconsistent, too. The first half progresses quickly, but after that, the story goes on and on. The climax is so simple that it made me wonder if we needed all this.
To summarize, The City of Stardust has great potential but ends up as a lukewarm read with half-baked characters. It needs more development to hit the right notes. I really wanted to like this one, but it’s not to be. Do check out other reviews before you decide.
Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton (Hodderscape), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #TheCityOfStardust
**
I had three fantasy books for Jan and two of them tanked. Should I risk the third or postpone it to next month?
2.5 Stars
One Liner: Worthy premise, flat execution
For centuries, the Everlys have been paying a debt to Penelope for something no one remembers. She is ageless and ruthless, making her almost invincible and impossible to take on. Years ago, Marianne Everly vanished to find a way to break the curse, and Penelope wants either Marianne or her daughter Violet as the repayment.
Violet has been sheltered by her uncles in an attempt to keep her safe. By hiding the truth from her, they might have put Violet at a greater risk. With very little time left on their side, Violet has to either find her mother or break the curse and be free of Penelope.
But will the woman let her go? Of course, there’s Aleksander, Penelope’s assistant, someone Violet cannot help but be drawn to. Will he be her friend or betray her?
The story comes in the third-person POV of multiple characters (Ambrose Everly, Violet Everly, Aleksander, and Penelope) plus an omnipresent third-person.
My Thoughts:
I requested the book for the cover and the premise (since it was supposed to be an adult fantasy). Well, let’s say the results are mixed. Also, the book might work better as New Adult Fantasy (which explains why I couldn’t like it much).
The book has potential. No two ways about it. Despite the lack of structure and insufficient world-building, the writing has a sense of ethereal quality, which will work for some readers. Didn’t make an impact on me, but I can see the talent in there.
The major issue is with the main character, Violet. The plot is too big for her fragile shoulders. It’s more than okay to have a naïve lead who makes mistakes. But for her to continue being the same doesn’t help.
The side characters are like sheets of paper fluttering in the wind- so random and not rooted enough to assert themselves.
Penelope is pure evil, or so it seems. She manages to stand out and carries the book as much as possible.
The romance between Violet and Aleksander is expected. However, I couldn’t care less about the track. Never mind that Violet needs helluva growing up to do. Aleksander shows great promise with some grey shades and a tragic past, though the arc is not fully developed.
The concept of keys to the world is intriguing. The cover is perfect for the setting. Yeah, many aspects of world-building are unexplained. I think I have a vague idea (think being the operative term). It is easy to go with the flow since there isn’t much I can otherwise do.
The ARC copy doesn’t have proper formatting. There are no indicators for scene breaks. Countless times, I had to reread a paragraph to understand there had been a POV and scene change from the previous one. When the narrative jumps at random between characters, not having clear markers is a recipe for disaster.
Moreover, the present tense doesn’t help the narrative as the story weaves between the random past and the present. It gets exhausting to fit the event into the timeline, like trying to fit the puzzle pieces.
There’s an epilogue of sorts, but let’s say I did not like it much either. There is no explanation for how Violet’s growth. We have to accept it since the characters say so (and this happens throughout the book).
The pacing is inconsistent, too. The first half progresses quickly, but after that, the story goes on and on. The climax is so simple that it made me wonder if we needed all this.
To summarize, The City of Stardust has great potential but ends up as a lukewarm read with half-baked characters. It needs more development to hit the right notes. I really wanted to like this one, but it’s not to be. Do check out other reviews before you decide.
Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton (Hodderscape), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #TheCityOfStardust
**
I had three fantasy books for Jan and two of them tanked. Should I risk the third or postpone it to next month?
October 16, 2024
In a Nutshell: A dark portal fantasy with a magical but dangerous underworld. Amazing potential, average execution. The first half was still okay but the second half went haywire.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Bookish Yays:
🔑 Penelope – one fascinating character who almost single-handedly holds the plot on her shoulders. Rare for an antagonist to steal the thunder so convincingly! Violet’s uncle Ambrose came a close second in the best characters list, but he doesn’t get the page space he deserves.
🔑 The writing is quite lyrical. Though this isn't strictly a yay for me because I prefer plot over prose, it still has its charm, especially when nothing much in the book is working better. I appreciate that the lyrical prose didn’t turn into purple prose any time.
🔑 The cover – stunning!
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🔐 Aleksander and the other characters, most of whom appear when convenient and disappear when convenient, and some even die when convenient. Hardly any character sounds sensible, and hardly any character arc reaches its full potential. This is especially disappointing because some of those characters, especially the unworldly ones, had fabulous potential.
🔐 The idea of the portal fantasy with its use of doors and keys is quite good but the actual penning of the thoughts needed much work. This concept was much better handled in books such as Alix E. Harrow’s ‘The Ten Thousand Doors of January’ and the Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett.
🔐 The connection between Violet and Aleksander is never at the forefront and doesn’t turn into a typical “romance”, which I appreciate. However, their chemistry is almost zero. I couldn’t figure out how the two came together when there was no proper foundation to their relationship.
🔐 The worldbuilding is somewhat half-baked. We get plenty of fancy names but hardly any visuals. What use is a fantasy world if we cannot picture it properly in our mind?
🔐 The story is character-oriented, so we get third-person perspectives from many characters. TOO MANY CHARACTERS! The frequent character hopping gives us information from all sides, but also makes the flow jumpy.
Bookish Nays:
🚪 Violet didn’t appeal much to me. I get that she was quite young and hence impulsive and headstrong. However, her success at travelling the world and discovering various clues on the first attempt almost every time feels too unconvincing, especially considering how she lived a sheltered life even until her late teens. Moreover, her character doesn’t show much growth over the course of the book. It would have been nice to see some deeper failures on her journey leading to maturity.
🚪 Officially, this is a dark fantasy, and it does get very dark. However, the flattish character development and the impulsive nature of the protagonist generates YA/NA feels. (And as you might know, I am not a fan of YA/NA writing.)
🚪 The ending is utterly disappointing! There are blatant hints almost throughout the book about what the key factor at the climax might be, but I hoped that the execution would be more satisfying. What a lacklustre resolution of the major conflict!
🚪 There are too many important things left unexplained. But the most annoying is Marianne’s track. After all that buildup about Violet’s mom and her long solo quest to break the curse, the book doesn’t offer any closure about her fate. So annoying!
🚪 There are some gruesome scenes, which might be okay for some readers but not my cup of tea. I never enjoy cannibalistic depictions.
🚪 As the book was character-oriented, I was prepared for the slower pace in the first half, but the second half was just tedious and repetitive.
🚪 I hate it when I know more than characters because my impatience then gets the better of me and I keep waiting for them to catch up to ‘current events.’ The reader awareness is a result of the ubiquitous third person perspective from a whole load of characters instead of sticking to a core 2-3 viewpoints. Everyone except the reader has just limited information. It should be the other way around – sheesh!
All in all, this debut fantasy novel had some positives, but the overall execution was a dampener. Many readers keep comparing this (not in a good way) with ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’, but I’ve not read it yet, so no idea and no comparison.
To be fair, I did like the first half to a great extent. If the entire book had matched that level, I might have even given this a rating between 3.5 and 4. But the slow second half and the hazy finale just messed everything up.
If you value good writing over a good plot or character building or world building in a dark fantasy setting , this might work better with you.
2 stars.
My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Hodderscape for providing the DRC of “The City of Stardust” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
All young Violet Everly knows is that her mother Marianne left when she was two, and her maternal uncles Ambrose and Gabriel have taken care of her ever since. Only fourteen years later does she learn the truth. The Everly family has been cursed since centuries, and in every generation, the best and brightest Everly is taken away by a woman named Penelope, about whom no one knows anything except that she doesn’t seem to age. Marianne left on a personal mission to break the curse, but hasn’t been heard of since. Violet is the last of the Everly line. So she will be the last to suffer, unless she can break the curse herself. Thus begins her quest that takes her across the globe, encountering many new people and facts. Along the way, she must deal with Penelope’s assistant Aleksander, though she isn’t sure if he can be trusted.
The story comes to us from the third-person perspectives of several characters.
Bookish Yays:
🔑 Penelope – one fascinating character who almost single-handedly holds the plot on her shoulders. Rare for an antagonist to steal the thunder so convincingly! Violet’s uncle Ambrose came a close second in the best characters list, but he doesn’t get the page space he deserves.
🔑 The writing is quite lyrical. Though this isn't strictly a yay for me because I prefer plot over prose, it still has its charm, especially when nothing much in the book is working better. I appreciate that the lyrical prose didn’t turn into purple prose any time.
🔑 The cover – stunning!
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🔐 Aleksander and the other characters, most of whom appear when convenient and disappear when convenient, and some even die when convenient. Hardly any character sounds sensible, and hardly any character arc reaches its full potential. This is especially disappointing because some of those characters, especially the unworldly ones, had fabulous potential.
🔐 The idea of the portal fantasy with its use of doors and keys is quite good but the actual penning of the thoughts needed much work. This concept was much better handled in books such as Alix E. Harrow’s ‘The Ten Thousand Doors of January’ and the Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett.
🔐 The connection between Violet and Aleksander is never at the forefront and doesn’t turn into a typical “romance”, which I appreciate. However, their chemistry is almost zero. I couldn’t figure out how the two came together when there was no proper foundation to their relationship.
🔐 The worldbuilding is somewhat half-baked. We get plenty of fancy names but hardly any visuals. What use is a fantasy world if we cannot picture it properly in our mind?
🔐 The story is character-oriented, so we get third-person perspectives from many characters. TOO MANY CHARACTERS! The frequent character hopping gives us information from all sides, but also makes the flow jumpy.
Bookish Nays:
🚪 Violet didn’t appeal much to me. I get that she was quite young and hence impulsive and headstrong. However, her success at travelling the world and discovering various clues on the first attempt almost every time feels too unconvincing, especially considering how she lived a sheltered life even until her late teens. Moreover, her character doesn’t show much growth over the course of the book. It would have been nice to see some deeper failures on her journey leading to maturity.
🚪 Officially, this is a dark fantasy, and it does get very dark. However, the flattish character development and the impulsive nature of the protagonist generates YA/NA feels. (And as you might know, I am not a fan of YA/NA writing.)
🚪 The ending is utterly disappointing! There are blatant hints almost throughout the book about what the key factor at the climax might be, but I hoped that the execution would be more satisfying. What a lacklustre resolution of the major conflict!
🚪 There are too many important things left unexplained. But the most annoying is Marianne’s track. After all that buildup about Violet’s mom and her long solo quest to break the curse, the book doesn’t offer any closure about her fate. So annoying!
🚪 There are some gruesome scenes, which might be okay for some readers but not my cup of tea. I never enjoy cannibalistic depictions.
🚪 As the book was character-oriented, I was prepared for the slower pace in the first half, but the second half was just tedious and repetitive.
🚪 I hate it when I know more than characters because my impatience then gets the better of me and I keep waiting for them to catch up to ‘current events.’ The reader awareness is a result of the ubiquitous third person perspective from a whole load of characters instead of sticking to a core 2-3 viewpoints. Everyone except the reader has just limited information. It should be the other way around – sheesh!
All in all, this debut fantasy novel had some positives, but the overall execution was a dampener. Many readers keep comparing this (not in a good way) with ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’, but I’ve not read it yet, so no idea and no comparison.
To be fair, I did like the first half to a great extent. If the entire book had matched that level, I might have even given this a rating between 3.5 and 4. But the slow second half and the hazy finale just messed everything up.
If you value good writing over a good plot or character building or world building in a dark fantasy setting , this might work better with you.
2 stars.
My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Hodderscape for providing the DRC of “The City of Stardust” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
January 10, 2024
Blog | Instagram
Publication date: 25 Jan 2024! (Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!)
Rating: 3 stars
Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I may not find this design utterly captivating, but I am impressed by how it captures the essence and genre of the story. In particular, the illustrations beautifully depict significant aspects of the world-building and the mythical atmosphere of the tale.
Writing: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
A smooth, picturesque writing style weaves together multiple points of view to create an atmospheric story and unique world. However, I struggled to completely immerse myself in the third-person narrative, as this put the events of the story and characters at a distance.
"heavy dreams make for heavy burdens"
Storyline: 🌟🌟🌟
An intriguing prologue quickly pulled me in and set the scene for the fascinating world and mystery-filled storyline that emerged. Sadly, this storyline seemed somewhat disjointed and suffered from pacing issues (especially towards the end!), so I found it difficult to remain fully invested in it.
Main character(s): 🌟🌟🌟
With her inquisitive personality, Violet Everly is an ode to all book lovers who dream of a great adventure beyond the normalcy of life. Her internal and external struggles are also well-detailed, so it was easy to root for her, but her character lacks a compelling personality to make her more memorable.
"adventure, it turns out, is a dangerously seductive word."
Secondary characters: 🌟🌟🌟
Despite having a relatively small cast of secondary characters, most lacked characterisation and were unmemorable. That said, Penelope and Aleksander really stood out to me as they are brilliantly used to create tension and drive the storyline.
Romance: 🌟🌟
This aspect of the story initially seemed interesting as the characters formed a cute friendship that shattered under the weight of their responsibilities and betrayal. While this did not stop their growing attraction, their relationship seemed underdeveloped following this, and I struggled to root for them.
Narration & Audio: 🌟🌟🌟
Kitty Parker gives a formal narration that suits the story and its mystical atmosphere. However, the lack of emotions and vocal variety made it hard for me to find the audiobook engaging.
In essence, ‘The City of Stardust’ is a beautifully written debut that constantly impressed me but failed to keep me invested throughout. I am reminded of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, and I would recommend that as a similar read, though I enjoyed this book a lot more.
Publication date: 25 Jan 2024! (Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!)
Rating: 3 stars
Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I may not find this design utterly captivating, but I am impressed by how it captures the essence and genre of the story. In particular, the illustrations beautifully depict significant aspects of the world-building and the mythical atmosphere of the tale.
Writing: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
A smooth, picturesque writing style weaves together multiple points of view to create an atmospheric story and unique world. However, I struggled to completely immerse myself in the third-person narrative, as this put the events of the story and characters at a distance.
"heavy dreams make for heavy burdens"
Storyline: 🌟🌟🌟
An intriguing prologue quickly pulled me in and set the scene for the fascinating world and mystery-filled storyline that emerged. Sadly, this storyline seemed somewhat disjointed and suffered from pacing issues (especially towards the end!), so I found it difficult to remain fully invested in it.
Main character(s): 🌟🌟🌟
With her inquisitive personality, Violet Everly is an ode to all book lovers who dream of a great adventure beyond the normalcy of life. Her internal and external struggles are also well-detailed, so it was easy to root for her, but her character lacks a compelling personality to make her more memorable.
"adventure, it turns out, is a dangerously seductive word."
Secondary characters: 🌟🌟🌟
Despite having a relatively small cast of secondary characters, most lacked characterisation and were unmemorable. That said, Penelope and Aleksander really stood out to me as they are brilliantly used to create tension and drive the storyline.
Romance: 🌟🌟
This aspect of the story initially seemed interesting as the characters formed a cute friendship that shattered under the weight of their responsibilities and betrayal. While this did not stop their growing attraction, their relationship seemed underdeveloped following this, and I struggled to root for them.
Narration & Audio: 🌟🌟🌟
Kitty Parker gives a formal narration that suits the story and its mystical atmosphere. However, the lack of emotions and vocal variety made it hard for me to find the audiobook engaging.
In essence, ‘The City of Stardust’ is a beautifully written debut that constantly impressed me but failed to keep me invested throughout. I am reminded of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, and I would recommend that as a similar read, though I enjoyed this book a lot more.
January 25, 2024
Out now in UK!
City of Stardust is one of the best written books I have read in a while. The prose is absolutely stunning, which worked really well to enhance the beauty of the setting. It’s a writing that demands attention and forces you to slow down to savour everything.
The plot was very interesting and fully captured my attention, to the point I was just going to read a chapter before sleeping and when I noticed the time, it was Monday 5.30 am and I haven’t slept a bit.
While I did love the book, it took me a bit to warm up to the way the story was being told. We see everything unfold through different characters perspectives, but the story is always told in the 3rd person. This made City of Stardust a bit less immersive that what I tend to prefer and made me feel I knew more about what the characters were seeing than feeling. This is more relevant for Violet’s POV than Aleksander, which despite being less lengthy, it is somewhat more fleshed out.
I have seen this book being compared a lot with The Invisilble Life of Addie Larue, and while I understand the comparison, I have found it much more reminiscent of His Dark Materials. If you enjoyed either one of them, do not hesitate to pick City of Stardust in January 2024.
I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape and Netgalley for the for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
City of Stardust is one of the best written books I have read in a while. The prose is absolutely stunning, which worked really well to enhance the beauty of the setting. It’s a writing that demands attention and forces you to slow down to savour everything.
The plot was very interesting and fully captured my attention, to the point I was just going to read a chapter before sleeping and when I noticed the time, it was Monday 5.30 am and I haven’t slept a bit.
While I did love the book, it took me a bit to warm up to the way the story was being told. We see everything unfold through different characters perspectives, but the story is always told in the 3rd person. This made City of Stardust a bit less immersive that what I tend to prefer and made me feel I knew more about what the characters were seeing than feeling. This is more relevant for Violet’s POV than Aleksander, which despite being less lengthy, it is somewhat more fleshed out.
I have seen this book being compared a lot with The Invisilble Life of Addie Larue, and while I understand the comparison, I have found it much more reminiscent of His Dark Materials. If you enjoyed either one of them, do not hesitate to pick City of Stardust in January 2024.
I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape and Netgalley for the for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 16, 2024
this is magical and whimsical with a naive but lovable fmc and is just the perfect embodiment of ya fantasy
January 14, 2024
Despite an awesome prologue and a plot thread that has you itching to reach the conclusion, it's hard not to notice the characters' lack of urgency and a story that is mostly told through conversations.
Full review to come on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/hollyheartsbooks
Full review to come on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/hollyheartsbooks
March 30, 2024
The City of Stardust has spades of beautiful, whimsical writing but lacks character development and world-building.
A hundred-years-old curse has forced the Everly family to give up one of their most talented from each generation. When Violet Everly was a child, her mother, Marianne, set out to break the curse, leaving Violet in the care of her uncles.
The family’s tormentor, Penelope, allows Violet’s uncles ten years to find Marianne, or she will take Violet in her place. When their time is nearly up, it’s a mad dash to find Marianne and finally put an end to it all.
This fantasy novel has a contemporary setting and multiple POVs.
While this book started strong, it eventually lost my interest. The prose is enchanting, but the characterizations and world-building were underdeveloped. Ambrose and Penelope had the most substance to them.
I like books with a bit of a romance/love story, but this one fell flat. Both parties were fairly bland.
The ending made it worth the read, so this is getting a solid three stars.
Thank you to Orbit/Redhook for providing me with a finished copy to review.
https://booksandwheels.com
A hundred-years-old curse has forced the Everly family to give up one of their most talented from each generation. When Violet Everly was a child, her mother, Marianne, set out to break the curse, leaving Violet in the care of her uncles.
The family’s tormentor, Penelope, allows Violet’s uncles ten years to find Marianne, or she will take Violet in her place. When their time is nearly up, it’s a mad dash to find Marianne and finally put an end to it all.
This fantasy novel has a contemporary setting and multiple POVs.
While this book started strong, it eventually lost my interest. The prose is enchanting, but the characterizations and world-building were underdeveloped. Ambrose and Penelope had the most substance to them.
I like books with a bit of a romance/love story, but this one fell flat. Both parties were fairly bland.
The ending made it worth the read, so this is getting a solid three stars.
Thank you to Orbit/Redhook for providing me with a finished copy to review.
https://booksandwheels.com
October 23, 2023
girlies I can confirm that the Laini Taylor and Alix Harrow comps are valid
January 6, 2024
CRYING WAILING SCREAMING
the writing style, the plot, THE CHARACTERS, THE MOTIVATIONS, THE IMPLICATIONS
i genuinely can’t handle this lol i feel like crying my eyes out this was utter perfection
the writing style, the plot, THE CHARACTERS, THE MOTIVATIONS, THE IMPLICATIONS
i genuinely can’t handle this lol i feel like crying my eyes out this was utter perfection
February 14, 2024
I can see why this was recommended for fans of The Starless Sea. As someone who ADORED that book, I thought this has a lot of similar vibes though it's got a lot more plot and clarity around the world-building. So this might appeal to people who weren't quite fans of Starless Sea for those reasons. I found this to be a dark, yet enchanting story of magic doors and keys, blood oaths, soul-eating goddesses, secret knowledge, and sacrifice. It swept me away and then delivered a conclusion I found to be very satisfying. I don't know if this will appeal to everyone, but I loved it.
It follows Violet Everly- a girl born into a cursed family, left behind by her mother while her secretive uncles raised her, inheriting a dark burden she is unprepared for. But she is determined to either find her mother or break the curse, and that will draw her into a darkly magical world filled with those who care only for power.
Heads up that this includes a number of references to violence towards children, some of it semi-graphic in nature.
A delight to read and I can see why someone referred to it as "Gaiman-esque". I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
It follows Violet Everly- a girl born into a cursed family, left behind by her mother while her secretive uncles raised her, inheriting a dark burden she is unprepared for. But she is determined to either find her mother or break the curse, and that will draw her into a darkly magical world filled with those who care only for power.
Heads up that this includes a number of references to violence towards children, some of it semi-graphic in nature.
A delight to read and I can see why someone referred to it as "Gaiman-esque". I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
Read
June 26, 2023A story as darkly wondrous as midnight. Summers brilliantly takes our yearning to open doors to magical new worlds, and twists it into a seductively vicious dream of darkness, blood, and winged horrors. When monsters must be satiated, there is no escaping the choices between love and betrayal; survival and sacrifice. Enthralling to the last page.
February 11, 2024
7.14 on CAWPILE
January 24, 2024
Whoever said that this reminds them of The Night Circus was right. But not in a good way. The same as I can't recall an ounce of The Night Curcus story, the whole plot of this book flew out of my mind the minute my eyes left each page. And it's a shame, as the writer definitely has talent and a unique style. Also, there was a potential for a good story hiding behind tons of unnecessarily long descriptions. It promised a lot and delivered nothing. I would rank this one as a perfect example of style over substance, because I swear to god, if you threatened me with a gun and demanded a summary of this book, I would be dead. It was so dull and convoluted (just for the sake of being convoluted), that I seriously can't tell you what it was about.
Violet is a totally undistinguished, default-crossover-YA-character I have seen in dozens of similar books only last year. She has zero personality and the only thing driving her is a search for her lost mother. I have no idea what the girl looks like and what are the traits of her character. No idea what the love interest sees in her too - Alexander's affections seems to be generated purely by the narrative imperative. In the end the romance here is just like the plot - boring and makes me feel nothing.
I had some hopes for the magic system, but I feel that we are deliberately told so little about it, to take lack of structure for mysterious magic. After reading the whole book, I still don't know how the magic in this world works, and therefore I was not invested in the plot.
Probably the best part of the whole thing was Penelope, as she was terrifying. Some of her scenes were too gory for me, but she was the only character that made me feed things (namely: chills). Also, I liked the concept of the gods here, described as eerie, not-so-godly creatures. It reminded me of Asian legends of deities that descended to Earth. Generally, I have a feeling that the author read Ayashi No Ceres more than once.
The audiobook version was perfectly fine though, although because the POVs switch so rapidly and without a warning, it was often hard to catch up with who was the narrator. But that's the book fault, not the audiobook's.
Violet is a totally undistinguished, default-crossover-YA-character I have seen in dozens of similar books only last year. She has zero personality and the only thing driving her is a search for her lost mother. I have no idea what the girl looks like and what are the traits of her character. No idea what the love interest sees in her too - Alexander's affections seems to be generated purely by the narrative imperative. In the end the romance here is just like the plot - boring and makes me feel nothing.
I had some hopes for the magic system, but I feel that we are deliberately told so little about it, to take lack of structure for mysterious magic. After reading the whole book, I still don't know how the magic in this world works, and therefore I was not invested in the plot.
Probably the best part of the whole thing was Penelope, as she was terrifying. Some of her scenes were too gory for me, but she was the only character that made me feed things (namely: chills). Also, I liked the concept of the gods here, described as eerie, not-so-godly creatures. It reminded me of Asian legends of deities that descended to Earth. Generally, I have a feeling that the author read Ayashi No Ceres more than once.
The audiobook version was perfectly fine though, although because the POVs switch so rapidly and without a warning, it was often hard to catch up with who was the narrator. But that's the book fault, not the audiobook's.
March 7, 2024
mommy issues but like, sparkly
July 25, 2025
"A curse can be many things. A wish left out to spoil in the sun, putrid and soft, leaving behind only calcified desire and oxidized envy. Or a poison chalice, a mistake tattooed across an entire family tree... For the Everlys, it begins with stardust."
3⭐️
On paper, this book has all the ingredients for a perfect read for me: adult fantasy with beautiful, lush prose, a whimsical atmosphere and a tortured romantic subplot, a potentially sentient old house and portal fantasy shenanigans. For all these reasons, this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024.
Unfortunately, I fear this book did not eat in the way I had so desperately hoped it would.
The Premise:
This is an adult standalone portal fantasy following the plight of Violet Everly, who has a year to break the curse that has haunted her family for generations. It-
…
The Problem:
Ah yes, we have unfortunately already stumbled upon the fatal flaw that ruined this book for me a bit. Go on, ask me to tell you more about the plot. After reading 350 pages, shouldn’t I be able to give you more details about the world-building, the development? In theory yes, but I must admit, and I cannot emphasize this enough if you put a gun to my head right now and asked you to explain a single thing about the plot outside of what I have above, I would be dead.
The plot was nonsensically hard to follow and the world-building was so underdeveloped that I found myself dragging quite early in the book, despite being so excited to enjoy this book. At the end of the day, this book had a solid premise that could have been really special and unique, but it fell flat and was executed so poorly that I could barely enjoy the beautiful writing.
The Positives:
⭐️ The Vibes: 10/10. Darkly whimsical, lush, atmospheric. I want all my books to be able to achieve this vibes check.
⭐️ The Prose: SO lovely and rich and immersive. If you love writers like Alix Harrow, I think you will also adore this author’s writing- it’s the reason I gave the book a 3-star rating even when the plot itself failed to plot.
⭐️ The Romance: This book also had a lovely little romantic subplot featuring a tortured academic who’s been pining for years, which was one of the only parts of the plot I was actually able to follow and genuinely enjoy.
TL;DR:
This was a beautifully written but poorly executed story that I so wish had been given more time to develop. If you’re all an all-vibes, no plot kind of girly, I think you will still adore this book. If you’re really in the mood for dark whimsy, you should also give it a go. But if you want to know what the FUCK is going on, stay far away.
3⭐️
On paper, this book has all the ingredients for a perfect read for me: adult fantasy with beautiful, lush prose, a whimsical atmosphere and a tortured romantic subplot, a potentially sentient old house and portal fantasy shenanigans. For all these reasons, this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024.
Unfortunately, I fear this book did not eat in the way I had so desperately hoped it would.
The Premise:
This is an adult standalone portal fantasy following the plight of Violet Everly, who has a year to break the curse that has haunted her family for generations. It-
…
The Problem:
Ah yes, we have unfortunately already stumbled upon the fatal flaw that ruined this book for me a bit. Go on, ask me to tell you more about the plot. After reading 350 pages, shouldn’t I be able to give you more details about the world-building, the development? In theory yes, but I must admit, and I cannot emphasize this enough if you put a gun to my head right now and asked you to explain a single thing about the plot outside of what I have above, I would be dead.
The plot was nonsensically hard to follow and the world-building was so underdeveloped that I found myself dragging quite early in the book, despite being so excited to enjoy this book. At the end of the day, this book had a solid premise that could have been really special and unique, but it fell flat and was executed so poorly that I could barely enjoy the beautiful writing.
The Positives:
⭐️ The Vibes: 10/10. Darkly whimsical, lush, atmospheric. I want all my books to be able to achieve this vibes check.
⭐️ The Prose: SO lovely and rich and immersive. If you love writers like Alix Harrow, I think you will also adore this author’s writing- it’s the reason I gave the book a 3-star rating even when the plot itself failed to plot.
⭐️ The Romance: This book also had a lovely little romantic subplot featuring a tortured academic who’s been pining for years, which was one of the only parts of the plot I was actually able to follow and genuinely enjoy.
TL;DR:
This was a beautifully written but poorly executed story that I so wish had been given more time to develop. If you’re all an all-vibes, no plot kind of girly, I think you will still adore this book. If you’re really in the mood for dark whimsy, you should also give it a go. But if you want to know what the FUCK is going on, stay far away.
June 24, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.25
Once a generation, an Everly walks into the dark, compelled by the shadow beside them.
Stubborn like an Everly, brave like an Everly, doomed like an Everly.
Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for providing the arc in exchange for a review!
Violet’s family is cursed, one member in each generation doomed to be stolen away to another world.
In trying to find a way out of this fate, Violet discovers Fidelis: home of the scholars; of myth and wonder. The cradle to other worlds. Unlocked by keys owned by the scholars.
With her mother missing, and secrets wrapped up in mysterious, this enthralling, magical, lyrical stand-alone is rich in descriptions, emotions, and yearning.
In her desperation, what lengths will Violet go to uncover the truth of the curse? Of the astrals who are trapped in their world? Of the sweet boy who keeps appearing everywhere she goes, who seems so lost and alone?
Because adventure, it turns out, is a dangerously seductive word. It reaches underneath Violet's ribcage and pulls, like a cosmic string attuned to a compass point elsewhere.
This is such an ode to book lovers. Those of us who spent our childhoods (and heck, our adult lives) wishing for that hidden door, that secret cupboard, that mysterious passageway that leads… somewhere. To adventure. To something greater.
Books have always been her escape. When she couldn't leave the house, when no one would answer her questions, when she felt so very alone in the world. They have given her a way out before - maybe they can do it again.
I would recommend this to fans of A Darker Shade of Magic, Ink Blood Sister Scribe, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone.
Bookstagram
Once a generation, an Everly walks into the dark, compelled by the shadow beside them.
Stubborn like an Everly, brave like an Everly, doomed like an Everly.
Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for providing the arc in exchange for a review!
Violet’s family is cursed, one member in each generation doomed to be stolen away to another world.
In trying to find a way out of this fate, Violet discovers Fidelis: home of the scholars; of myth and wonder. The cradle to other worlds. Unlocked by keys owned by the scholars.
With her mother missing, and secrets wrapped up in mysterious, this enthralling, magical, lyrical stand-alone is rich in descriptions, emotions, and yearning.
In her desperation, what lengths will Violet go to uncover the truth of the curse? Of the astrals who are trapped in their world? Of the sweet boy who keeps appearing everywhere she goes, who seems so lost and alone?
Because adventure, it turns out, is a dangerously seductive word. It reaches underneath Violet's ribcage and pulls, like a cosmic string attuned to a compass point elsewhere.
This is such an ode to book lovers. Those of us who spent our childhoods (and heck, our adult lives) wishing for that hidden door, that secret cupboard, that mysterious passageway that leads… somewhere. To adventure. To something greater.
Books have always been her escape. When she couldn't leave the house, when no one would answer her questions, when she felt so very alone in the world. They have given her a way out before - maybe they can do it again.
I would recommend this to fans of A Darker Shade of Magic, Ink Blood Sister Scribe, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone.
Bookstagram
February 4, 2024
I admit, I was drawn in by the cover.
Violet Everly’s family is cursed. A curse was put on the family thousands of years ago. Each generation the family has to hand over the most promising Everly to Penelope, an ageless woman. The ‘sacrificed’ Everly would then become a scholar in Penelope’s world. No one knows what the Everly family did thousands of years ago to be cursed, but everyone in the family knows that there has to be a sacrifice once every generation. Marianne, Violet’s mother, was supposed to be the last generation’s sacrifice, but she vanished when Violet was ten. Penelope gave Violet's uncles ten years to find Marianne, or she would come to collect Violet. Now Violet needs to find her mother or break the curse to free the Everlys, otherwise she'd be sacrificed to Penelope. That is my take on what this book is about.
I did not like the book. I was confused by the flowery language that packs a lot of words into a sentence which eventually doesn’t tell me anything. Further confusion was created by the omniscient narrator switching between different POVs from one paragraph to the next. All that is interspersed with fairy tale interludes. Set in present tense, so that distinguishing between what timeline (present or past) and which character I was following was confusing. It just didn’t work for me.
World-building is essential in fantasy novels, yet within all that flowery language I couldn’t find an explanation for how the magic system works, what kind of curse was put on the Everly’s and why, and quite frankly, by about 60% of the book, I didn’t really care anymore. I still finished the book but only to see what explanation there might be for the curse. I still don’t know.
I hope that the finished book was less of a mess than the ARC I read.
Violet Everly’s family is cursed. A curse was put on the family thousands of years ago. Each generation the family has to hand over the most promising Everly to Penelope, an ageless woman. The ‘sacrificed’ Everly would then become a scholar in Penelope’s world. No one knows what the Everly family did thousands of years ago to be cursed, but everyone in the family knows that there has to be a sacrifice once every generation. Marianne, Violet’s mother, was supposed to be the last generation’s sacrifice, but she vanished when Violet was ten. Penelope gave Violet's uncles ten years to find Marianne, or she would come to collect Violet. Now Violet needs to find her mother or break the curse to free the Everlys, otherwise she'd be sacrificed to Penelope. That is my take on what this book is about.
I did not like the book. I was confused by the flowery language that packs a lot of words into a sentence which eventually doesn’t tell me anything. Further confusion was created by the omniscient narrator switching between different POVs from one paragraph to the next. All that is interspersed with fairy tale interludes. Set in present tense, so that distinguishing between what timeline (present or past) and which character I was following was confusing. It just didn’t work for me.
World-building is essential in fantasy novels, yet within all that flowery language I couldn’t find an explanation for how the magic system works, what kind of curse was put on the Everly’s and why, and quite frankly, by about 60% of the book, I didn’t really care anymore. I still finished the book but only to see what explanation there might be for the curse. I still don’t know.
I hope that the finished book was less of a mess than the ARC I read.
January 22, 2024
The City of Stardust
by Georgia Summers
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: January 30, 2024
Redhook Books
Ages: 14+
Violet's mother left her with her uncles when she was young to search for a way to break the curse that had haunted the Everly family for centuries, but Violet's mother never returned and Penelope gives Violet's uncles a deal; find Violet's mother in ten years, or Violet will be the sacrifice.
As a teenager, Violet's uncles, who have been searching since she was left in their care, continue but now include Violet whom they had left in the dark. But Violet takes the search upon herself since it is her life at stake.
This is one of those books that the blurb sounded so good; magical underworld, montsers, and curses. We fantasy nuts can't help but be drawn in. If only the writing had been as good. Even though the genres are listed as Sci-Fi/Fantasy, it read more as if it was intended for YA instead of adults.
There's not a lot of depth in this book, the characters and settings are flat, along with the dialogue. And with the plot, the characters just didn't seem to care even though a girl's life was at stake. She believed Aleksander even though he had proved how untrustworthy he was, showed how little she cared about herself. One couldn't even blame that she was 'madly in love' with him. That never came across as anything more than a crush.
There's nothing extremely violent, sexual, or 'offending' in the book that the YA audience can't see on TV or read in books specifically aimed at them, so readers fourteen and older can read this.
I wish I'd DNFed it!
1 Star
by Georgia Summers
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: January 30, 2024
Redhook Books
Ages: 14+
Violet's mother left her with her uncles when she was young to search for a way to break the curse that had haunted the Everly family for centuries, but Violet's mother never returned and Penelope gives Violet's uncles a deal; find Violet's mother in ten years, or Violet will be the sacrifice.
As a teenager, Violet's uncles, who have been searching since she was left in their care, continue but now include Violet whom they had left in the dark. But Violet takes the search upon herself since it is her life at stake.
This is one of those books that the blurb sounded so good; magical underworld, montsers, and curses. We fantasy nuts can't help but be drawn in. If only the writing had been as good. Even though the genres are listed as Sci-Fi/Fantasy, it read more as if it was intended for YA instead of adults.
There's not a lot of depth in this book, the characters and settings are flat, along with the dialogue. And with the plot, the characters just didn't seem to care even though a girl's life was at stake. She believed Aleksander even though he had proved how untrustworthy he was, showed how little she cared about herself. One couldn't even blame that she was 'madly in love' with him. That never came across as anything more than a crush.
There's nothing extremely violent, sexual, or 'offending' in the book that the YA audience can't see on TV or read in books specifically aimed at them, so readers fourteen and older can read this.
I wish I'd DNFed it!
1 Star
March 8, 2024
I really did enjoy this story, I just wanted there to be more. It needed to be longer, maybe even broken down into 2 books. I needed there to be more details. Especially the ending. It felt so rushed to me. But again, I did really enjoy this story and I think it was a great idea for the book. Just wanted more of it.
December 13, 2023
So addie larue coded <3
February 22, 2024
“A curse can be many things. A wish left out to spoil in the sun, putrid and soft, leaving behind only calcified desire and oxidised envy. Or a poisoned chalice, a mistake tattooed across an entire family tree, with every generation promising, vowing to never sip until they do.”
The City of Stardust is the story of Violet Everly, a young woman trying to find her mother, who left a decade ago to try to discover a way to break their family’s curse. The clock is ticking and unless Violet finds her mother in time, she’ll have to pay the blood debt to a powerful creature with her own life. In her quest, she discovers a world of magical portals, scholars, secrets and fallen gods. She also meets Aleksander, the second point of the view of this story and the assistant of the dangerous woman to whom the Everly’s debt is owed.
This book began with an intriguing prologue: children disappearing without a trace and a woman leaving her life—and her daughter—behind. Add the beautiful prose to the mix, and it had all the ingredients for a promising story. Unfortunately, the whimsical setting gave way to a plot and characters that I lost interest in as the book progressed. I was more interested in Violet’s uncles than her and I personally think that Aleksander’s point of view didn’t add anything to the plot. I have to say that I kind of liked the ending, especially considering this is a standalone book.
Overall, I just was underwhelmed by this story, but I loved the author’s writing so much that I’ll probably check out whatever she writes next.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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December 13, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This book had such beautiful prose, full of gorgeous magical whimsy that was truly captivating but unfortunately the plot and characters were seriously lacking. This book had such potential to be something incredible but I felt absolutely nothing for any of the characters, which was really disappointing because the descriptions of this world were so stunning.
I don’t think this book will be one I remember well over time but I will keep an eye out for this authors future work because she really does write beautifully and hopefully we can see some more memorable characters written by her in the future.
This book had such beautiful prose, full of gorgeous magical whimsy that was truly captivating but unfortunately the plot and characters were seriously lacking. This book had such potential to be something incredible but I felt absolutely nothing for any of the characters, which was really disappointing because the descriptions of this world were so stunning.
I don’t think this book will be one I remember well over time but I will keep an eye out for this authors future work because she really does write beautifully and hopefully we can see some more memorable characters written by her in the future.
August 3, 2025
Summers opens The City of Stardust with a prologue that intrigues when children go missing around the world: a baby from his pram, a child of two from Vienna, a boy with grey eyes from Prague. All vanishing away with a woman carrying a strong vanilla scent. At the same time, Marianne is walking into a thunderstorm, leaving behind her little daughter, hoping to find answers for a curse clouding over her family, the Everlys, for years. She takes a worn key from around her neck, turns it in the air—and vanishes. This is also where Summers first impresses with the beautiful writing. Describing a curse like a star falling across the sky, something poetically tragic.
Everything about this single paragraph lured me into the story, purely through the writing. The way Summers takes an aspect that drives this fantasy and asks you to imagine it in ways that grounds its impact is remarkable. Here, curse isn’t just a prophecy playing out or magic gone wrong. A curse is described through its opposite, as a wish that has degraded over time. Or a wish that one realises too late is an invitation to tragedy, forced to watch it rot itself and everything around.
A curse is then imagined as a “poisoned chalice”—a mistake—whose consequences the family is well aware of, yet a mistake they ultimately make, sooner or later. Here, the inevitability of a generational curse carries the horror of inescapable mistakes that are bound to be repeated. Finally, Summers personifies two sides of the same coin that hold the potential to destruct. After all, a deal gone wrong is basically bad luck playing out with your consent. And bad luck itself is a deal you’ve made with fortune—a deal that doesn’t serve you well. This combination is bound to birth a curse.
Consider reading this review on my blog.
Violet, left behind by her mother and under the care of her uncles, has grown up isolated and ignorant about the curse hanging over her family like a sword by a thread. Ten years ago, a mysterious woman named Penelope had visited, warning her uncles to find their sister Marianne in the next ten years or Violet will have to bear the consequences of the Everlys’ curse. Also accompanying the woman was a child named Aleksander—a lonely boy stolen by the woman and brought into her care. He has grown immersed in a magical scholar society that he craves to belong to but never seems to be enough, despite being Penelope’s loyal assistant.
Adjacent to this magical world is a lost city where celestial gods once lived among scholars and artisans. The door to this city remains closed ever since a tragic love story unravelled, and to open it, sacrifices must be made. It’s easy to understand The City of Stardust is a plot-heavy book. But at the core of it, it’s driven by two young characters who are lost yet ambitious to find themselves, find their purpose, and find why others have decided so much for them.
Violet is forced to stay in isolation because her uncles care about her safety, never sharing their own progress or problems as they attempt to search for answers while the clock is ticking on Penelope’s warning. She wants to help, she wants to figure out why her mother left and never came back, and she wants to enter the magical world too. Aleksander is less explosive in his actions, but ambitious about making a place for himself among the scholars. He understands the life given to him by Penelope—which is impossible to forget when she consistently reminds him of where he has come from—and is determined to walk the linear path of serving her purpose in order to achieve his own.
Violet’s curiosity and Aleksander’s obedience often clash as the former runs away in search of clues surrounding her mother’s abandonment and the latter follows her as an informant to Penelope. But deep down, both are longing for more than they’re seeking.
Growing up confined, Violet seeks adventure. Having read books in the vast library of her ancestral home, she searches for freedom in the pages. She accepts that adventure is a “dangerously seductive word” for her: it reaches underneath Violet’s ribcage and pulls, like a cosmic string attuned to a compass point elsewhere. She’s waiting for something, longing for a place other than the house, and that drives her on this search to end the curse.
Aleksander, being under Penelope since childhood, has no dreams of his own. Her longing for the lost city forces him to not crave anything of this world—only look for the gods that once were. His journey forces him to realise he would forever remain “a shadow of all the things he’s not”. And that drives him to realise his feelings for Violet, unravelling a romance that suffers through powerlessness—leaving you both hopeful and hopeless as a reader.
The City of Stardust has a fairytale-esque unfolding. It sets up a plot, a world, and a lore, but majorly orbits everything around the two main characters and takes pride in its prose. So while it reads like a potential trilogy stacked into a single book, you’ll understand it isn’t. Because it builds the world for the characters, lets the plot support the characters, and even pushes the lore to serve the characters. This does mean the story can feel incomplete, like it could’ve explored each of its threads more. But at the end, this book reminded me of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi—one of my absolute favourites—because it gives exactly what it sets out to, and not what a reader would expect.
This debut is strong because it doesn’t force itself to dive into aspects that would throw it off its purpose. Told through a narrative style of non-linear, short vignettes, this story made me believe in the power of prose. Despite the vastness of concepts like a lost city, an adjacent magical world, a generational curse, the lore of a tragic love story, and antagonists with immense influence, The City of Stardust chose to be solely about Violet and Aleksander. And for that, I enjoyed reading it.
A curse can be many things. A wish left out to spoil in the sun, putrid and soft, leaving behind only calcified desire and oxidised envy. Or a poisoned chalice, a mistake tattooed across an entire family tree, with every generation promising, vowing to never sip until they do. Sometimes, it’s a deal and bad luck conspiring like old grifters closing in on an easy mark.
Everything about this single paragraph lured me into the story, purely through the writing. The way Summers takes an aspect that drives this fantasy and asks you to imagine it in ways that grounds its impact is remarkable. Here, curse isn’t just a prophecy playing out or magic gone wrong. A curse is described through its opposite, as a wish that has degraded over time. Or a wish that one realises too late is an invitation to tragedy, forced to watch it rot itself and everything around.
A curse is then imagined as a “poisoned chalice”—a mistake—whose consequences the family is well aware of, yet a mistake they ultimately make, sooner or later. Here, the inevitability of a generational curse carries the horror of inescapable mistakes that are bound to be repeated. Finally, Summers personifies two sides of the same coin that hold the potential to destruct. After all, a deal gone wrong is basically bad luck playing out with your consent. And bad luck itself is a deal you’ve made with fortune—a deal that doesn’t serve you well. This combination is bound to birth a curse.
Consider reading this review on my blog.
Violet, left behind by her mother and under the care of her uncles, has grown up isolated and ignorant about the curse hanging over her family like a sword by a thread. Ten years ago, a mysterious woman named Penelope had visited, warning her uncles to find their sister Marianne in the next ten years or Violet will have to bear the consequences of the Everlys’ curse. Also accompanying the woman was a child named Aleksander—a lonely boy stolen by the woman and brought into her care. He has grown immersed in a magical scholar society that he craves to belong to but never seems to be enough, despite being Penelope’s loyal assistant.
Adjacent to this magical world is a lost city where celestial gods once lived among scholars and artisans. The door to this city remains closed ever since a tragic love story unravelled, and to open it, sacrifices must be made. It’s easy to understand The City of Stardust is a plot-heavy book. But at the core of it, it’s driven by two young characters who are lost yet ambitious to find themselves, find their purpose, and find why others have decided so much for them.
Violet is forced to stay in isolation because her uncles care about her safety, never sharing their own progress or problems as they attempt to search for answers while the clock is ticking on Penelope’s warning. She wants to help, she wants to figure out why her mother left and never came back, and she wants to enter the magical world too. Aleksander is less explosive in his actions, but ambitious about making a place for himself among the scholars. He understands the life given to him by Penelope—which is impossible to forget when she consistently reminds him of where he has come from—and is determined to walk the linear path of serving her purpose in order to achieve his own.
Violet’s curiosity and Aleksander’s obedience often clash as the former runs away in search of clues surrounding her mother’s abandonment and the latter follows her as an informant to Penelope. But deep down, both are longing for more than they’re seeking.
Growing up confined, Violet seeks adventure. Having read books in the vast library of her ancestral home, she searches for freedom in the pages. She accepts that adventure is a “dangerously seductive word” for her: it reaches underneath Violet’s ribcage and pulls, like a cosmic string attuned to a compass point elsewhere. She’s waiting for something, longing for a place other than the house, and that drives her on this search to end the curse.
Aleksander, being under Penelope since childhood, has no dreams of his own. Her longing for the lost city forces him to not crave anything of this world—only look for the gods that once were. His journey forces him to realise he would forever remain “a shadow of all the things he’s not”. And that drives him to realise his feelings for Violet, unravelling a romance that suffers through powerlessness—leaving you both hopeful and hopeless as a reader.
The City of Stardust has a fairytale-esque unfolding. It sets up a plot, a world, and a lore, but majorly orbits everything around the two main characters and takes pride in its prose. So while it reads like a potential trilogy stacked into a single book, you’ll understand it isn’t. Because it builds the world for the characters, lets the plot support the characters, and even pushes the lore to serve the characters. This does mean the story can feel incomplete, like it could’ve explored each of its threads more. But at the end, this book reminded me of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi—one of my absolute favourites—because it gives exactly what it sets out to, and not what a reader would expect.
This debut is strong because it doesn’t force itself to dive into aspects that would throw it off its purpose. Told through a narrative style of non-linear, short vignettes, this story made me believe in the power of prose. Despite the vastness of concepts like a lost city, an adjacent magical world, a generational curse, the lore of a tragic love story, and antagonists with immense influence, The City of Stardust chose to be solely about Violet and Aleksander. And for that, I enjoyed reading it.
May 16, 2024
Violet Everly has had two women hanging. over her young life..
Marianne her Mother who left her when she was young and has never returned
Penelope...a threatening figure who has a debt to claim and may not be a woman ..
Then there's Aleksander...chosen by Penelope but seemingly a friend to Violet.
I certainly got drawn into this world/these worlds and wouldn't mind returning to it...for a prequel.
Particularly regarding Violets Mother.
Marianne her Mother who left her when she was young and has never returned
Penelope...a threatening figure who has a debt to claim and may not be a woman ..
Then there's Aleksander...chosen by Penelope but seemingly a friend to Violet.
I certainly got drawn into this world/these worlds and wouldn't mind returning to it...for a prequel.
Particularly regarding Violets Mother.
December 13, 2023
The Everlys are cursed. Thousands of years ago, they made a bargain that cost a soul from every generation. In the modern day, Violet Everly is the last of the line and she searches for her mother who vanished into the night when she was just a girl. When the bargain is called in, her uncles make a deal to buy more time; Violet will live another ten years if her mother can be found. Worlds away, a library in the depths of the magical city hides a secret bought with blood. As the curse’s deadline closes in, Violet searches for her mother and uncovers a far greater secret. After all, the worlds are closer than they appear, and all it takes is a key to bring everything crashing down.
Reading The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers was like sinking into molasses. There was sticky prose, overly dramatic writing, and a plot that was as slow as it was hard to follow. Skipping across different perspectives prevented me from getting attached to any of the characters and while the imagery was certainly vivid, it was of little substance. Riddled with plot holes and characters that lacked clear motivation, I couldn’t get invested in the characters despite spending chapters following their perspectives.
Part of my lack of emotional attachment started from the beginning. The audience was introduced to Violet (the technical main character) when she was a girl but twenty pages later, she was an adult with very different characteristics than her younger self. The relationship with the Everly family wasn't explored as much as it could have been, and while I loved the concept of a cursed family, it wasn’t played up enough to be a source of internal conflict. Additionally, the story was told in limited 3rd person present tense, which didn’t reflect the agelessness of the storyline because the narrative was told as if everything was happening at once.
As for worldbuilding, once again, I loved the concept but found the execution lacking. How the city existed, why there were librarians, and why the main villain was villainous were never explained. I got what the author was trying to do with a shifting narrative that jumped around between various characters but found that it lacked emotional depth. I couldn’t get attached to the characters because I was given no reason to care about them. Essentially, I wanted what this book could have been. I wanted the story of a cursed family and the girl who dared to challenge history. I wanted magical libraries with secrets, a fantasy that spanned cities, and complex family dynamics. If that kind of story is something you want too, I’d check out The Night Circus, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Ink Blood Sister Scribe and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
An e-ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.
Reading The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers was like sinking into molasses. There was sticky prose, overly dramatic writing, and a plot that was as slow as it was hard to follow. Skipping across different perspectives prevented me from getting attached to any of the characters and while the imagery was certainly vivid, it was of little substance. Riddled with plot holes and characters that lacked clear motivation, I couldn’t get invested in the characters despite spending chapters following their perspectives.
Part of my lack of emotional attachment started from the beginning. The audience was introduced to Violet (the technical main character) when she was a girl but twenty pages later, she was an adult with very different characteristics than her younger self. The relationship with the Everly family wasn't explored as much as it could have been, and while I loved the concept of a cursed family, it wasn’t played up enough to be a source of internal conflict. Additionally, the story was told in limited 3rd person present tense, which didn’t reflect the agelessness of the storyline because the narrative was told as if everything was happening at once.
As for worldbuilding, once again, I loved the concept but found the execution lacking. How the city existed, why there were librarians, and why the main villain was villainous were never explained. I got what the author was trying to do with a shifting narrative that jumped around between various characters but found that it lacked emotional depth. I couldn’t get attached to the characters because I was given no reason to care about them. Essentially, I wanted what this book could have been. I wanted the story of a cursed family and the girl who dared to challenge history. I wanted magical libraries with secrets, a fantasy that spanned cities, and complex family dynamics. If that kind of story is something you want too, I’d check out The Night Circus, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Ink Blood Sister Scribe and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
An e-ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.
February 5, 2024
"It's the unspoken tale singing its way through her family history: once a generation, an Everly walks into the dark, compelled by the shadow beside them."
This book is glittering lost cities and stars personified and monsters hungering in the dark. It offers hidden doors and magical keys and goddesses who wear flames draped over their shoulders like a cloak. Do you like crumbling manors and family curses? Well, those can be found in The City of Stardust too. All that and so much more in the worlds spun from Georgia Summers' imagination.
Such an impressive debut. I look forward to reading whatever novel Georgia Summers publishes next.
--
I'm so eager to read this dark fantasy in which a woman must "descend into a seductive magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods and monsters." Pre-ordered this because I NEED more magic, stardust, and monsters in my life. January 30th can't get here soon enough!
This book is glittering lost cities and stars personified and monsters hungering in the dark. It offers hidden doors and magical keys and goddesses who wear flames draped over their shoulders like a cloak. Do you like crumbling manors and family curses? Well, those can be found in The City of Stardust too. All that and so much more in the worlds spun from Georgia Summers' imagination.
Such an impressive debut. I look forward to reading whatever novel Georgia Summers publishes next.
--
I'm so eager to read this dark fantasy in which a woman must "descend into a seductive magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods and monsters." Pre-ordered this because I NEED more magic, stardust, and monsters in my life. January 30th can't get here soon enough!
April 21, 2024
This book has a lot of potential to be one of the most whimsical books with the most unique worldbuilding, but the execution is just not it. The author has created such an amazing world with little to no substance. If you were to ask me to describe how Fedelis is like, I really couldn't explain it except that it's beautiful and is covered in snow and has a sky full of stars. That's it.
The plot is what drew me into the book. I love reading books about curses and magic and a world beyond ours. And for most of its part, it did deliver. We were first introduced to our protagonist, Violet, who was kept in the dark about her family secret. When she finally learned about the family curse and the disappearance of her mom, she embarked on an adventure to uncover the truth, find her mom and break the curse. And I enjoyed going on this journey with her to unveil her family secret and why was her family cursed.
The prose in this book is also beautifully written. There are so many great lines in the book and the way the author writes feels very whimsical and magical. But it's giving nothing. Most of the descriptions feels enchanting, but if you take a look closer, you realised there isn't any substance.
But I was disappointed with the ending of the book. I felt it was a little rushed. Things got resolved too quickly. I just feel like the author could benefit from adding a little more substance, and more emotion because once everything was resolved, I was like that's it?
I also don't know how to feel about Violet's character. Personally, I feel like she's too naive to have the weight of the world on her shoulders. And she kept making the same mistake of trusting the wrong person. I like that she's not like your usual fantasy protagonist who's badass and good at fighting, but at the same time, I just think that she's way too naive.
And speaking of trusting the wrong person, I don't think I can ever forgive Aleksander for what he did to Violet. And proceed to blame her for it! He consented to helping her and when he got punished, he blamed and resented her. Bffr. Sure there are chemistry between the two of them, but no way in hell I'll be condoning this relationship. They gotta work on themselves.
I do enjoy reading this book and as a debut novel, it's pretty great. I just hope that there's more in terms of worldbuilding.
The plot is what drew me into the book. I love reading books about curses and magic and a world beyond ours. And for most of its part, it did deliver. We were first introduced to our protagonist, Violet, who was kept in the dark about her family secret. When she finally learned about the family curse and the disappearance of her mom, she embarked on an adventure to uncover the truth, find her mom and break the curse. And I enjoyed going on this journey with her to unveil her family secret and why was her family cursed.
The prose in this book is also beautifully written. There are so many great lines in the book and the way the author writes feels very whimsical and magical. But it's giving nothing. Most of the descriptions feels enchanting, but if you take a look closer, you realised there isn't any substance.
But I was disappointed with the ending of the book. I felt it was a little rushed. Things got resolved too quickly. I just feel like the author could benefit from adding a little more substance, and more emotion because once everything was resolved, I was like that's it?
I also don't know how to feel about Violet's character. Personally, I feel like she's too naive to have the weight of the world on her shoulders. And she kept making the same mistake of trusting the wrong person. I like that she's not like your usual fantasy protagonist who's badass and good at fighting, but at the same time, I just think that she's way too naive.
And speaking of trusting the wrong person, I don't think I can ever forgive Aleksander for what he did to Violet. And proceed to blame her for it! He consented to helping her and when he got punished, he blamed and resented her. Bffr. Sure there are chemistry between the two of them, but no way in hell I'll be condoning this relationship. They gotta work on themselves.
I do enjoy reading this book and as a debut novel, it's pretty great. I just hope that there's more in terms of worldbuilding.
January 8, 2024
Okay so eh as y'all can see, I am not a fan of this book. A lot of things put me off and it got so bad I had to take a break from this or I would've ended up in a reading slump🥲
I am so so sad because I was so excited for this book! The synopsis sounded SO good and interesting and the cover is so pretty😍 But the story, the characters, the writing.. all of it didn't work for me.. I really tried to love it, I really did but no, I'm glad it's over.
The story itself, it was a great concept, one that peaked my interest. I was expecting a lot of world building as there were a lot of different 'worlds' you could enter through 'keys' but I felt like it was barely explained. Like others also have said I had a problem with the whole curse and Violet's journey through it. We as readers knew a lot more than the main character which was very annoying to me because 1. It was hard to follow because I kept thinking why doesn't she know that? And 2. the plottwists were barely plottwists because you already knew they were coming...
I also couldn't keep up with all the different aspects and tbh if you'd ask me what happened in this book I couldn't even explain it lol. The world, the rules, the magic, it was so complex which made it very hard to understand everything that was going on.
Then the characters.. unlikable, especially the main characters Violet and Aleksander. I felt like they both didn't get any development and Violet was just too naive and forgiving. Their chemistry was off so I also hated the romance part in this book. There were some side characters I did like though, Ambrose, Gabriel, Caspian.. but they got barely any dialogue.
The writing? I'm in the minority on this but this writing style is not for me. When I first started reading, something felt off for me and it wasn't until I started reading reviews I knew why. People were comparing this writing style to the night circus, another book I absolutely despise. I HATE this kind of writing which caused a snowball effect of me not understanding some stuff and hating all the dialogue and the way the story flowed. It was just overly descriptive but not descriptive enough in other aspects..
I also have to note that I really didn't like the switching POV's mid chapter without a proper indication. Like, you could be reading about Violet going on about her day and the next sentence will say something like " 'I'm not sure if I should do this' Aleksander thought", y'all know how much I love multiple POV's but this one wasn't executed very well in my opinion.
So yeah this was definitely not my cup of tea although the prose sounded amazing and definitely up my alley! I do think (and know because of the reviews) that a lot of people would like and even love this book so take my review with a pinch of salt. If you like descriptive writing this book will suit you!
I am so so sad because I was so excited for this book! The synopsis sounded SO good and interesting and the cover is so pretty😍 But the story, the characters, the writing.. all of it didn't work for me.. I really tried to love it, I really did but no, I'm glad it's over.
The story itself, it was a great concept, one that peaked my interest. I was expecting a lot of world building as there were a lot of different 'worlds' you could enter through 'keys' but I felt like it was barely explained. Like others also have said I had a problem with the whole curse and Violet's journey through it. We as readers knew a lot more than the main character which was very annoying to me because 1. It was hard to follow because I kept thinking why doesn't she know that? And 2. the plottwists were barely plottwists because you already knew they were coming...
I also couldn't keep up with all the different aspects and tbh if you'd ask me what happened in this book I couldn't even explain it lol. The world, the rules, the magic, it was so complex which made it very hard to understand everything that was going on.
Then the characters.. unlikable, especially the main characters Violet and Aleksander. I felt like they both didn't get any development and Violet was just too naive and forgiving. Their chemistry was off so I also hated the romance part in this book. There were some side characters I did like though, Ambrose, Gabriel, Caspian.. but they got barely any dialogue.
The writing? I'm in the minority on this but this writing style is not for me. When I first started reading, something felt off for me and it wasn't until I started reading reviews I knew why. People were comparing this writing style to the night circus, another book I absolutely despise. I HATE this kind of writing which caused a snowball effect of me not understanding some stuff and hating all the dialogue and the way the story flowed. It was just overly descriptive but not descriptive enough in other aspects..
I also have to note that I really didn't like the switching POV's mid chapter without a proper indication. Like, you could be reading about Violet going on about her day and the next sentence will say something like " 'I'm not sure if I should do this' Aleksander thought", y'all know how much I love multiple POV's but this one wasn't executed very well in my opinion.
So yeah this was definitely not my cup of tea although the prose sounded amazing and definitely up my alley! I do think (and know because of the reviews) that a lot of people would like and even love this book so take my review with a pinch of salt. If you like descriptive writing this book will suit you!
November 21, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
DNF at 49%
I'm so sad about this one and so torn. The writing in this book is beautiful and very whimsical. Her descriptions are lovely and I can easily picture these wonderful landscapes she's describing. But all of that comes at the detriment to the development of both the storyline and the characters.
Both the storyline and the characters are all very interesting and have a lot of potential, but they're bogged down by the shear amount of descriptions and lack luster interactions.
I think that a lot of readers will really enjoy this one, but it just wasn't for me.
DNF at 49%
I'm so sad about this one and so torn. The writing in this book is beautiful and very whimsical. Her descriptions are lovely and I can easily picture these wonderful landscapes she's describing. But all of that comes at the detriment to the development of both the storyline and the characters.
Both the storyline and the characters are all very interesting and have a lot of potential, but they're bogged down by the shear amount of descriptions and lack luster interactions.
I think that a lot of readers will really enjoy this one, but it just wasn't for me.
January 31, 2024
3.75⭐
A dark and sorrowful story that might not appeal to everyone, but one I greatly enjoyed. It partially read like a grown-up fairy tale. One review I saw suggested a similarity with His Dark Materials series and I do think they have a similar vibe, although I wasn't a big fan of that series.
Violet Everly has been kept in ignorance her whole life, closed off from both the real world and the magical one. She is left with books and their stories, dreaming of one day embarking on some grand adventure. Then she meets Aleksandr, who shows her there is a whole different world out there to explore. Before she can even think of discovering it, she is told the truth and that she only has one year left to find her mother, or else she will pay the price of the family curse in her stead. Unbeknownst to her, Aleksandr is an assistant to Penelope. The very woman who is owed an Everly sacrifice. He has his own goal of one day becoming a scholar, a goal for which he might do anything.
I think the strongest point of this book for me was its atmosphere. There is quite a bit of tension as time is slowly ticking out. There is also a dread of what kind of fate awaits Violet if she fails. The setting is dark and sorrowful. Especially when it comes to the magical society. There is this feeling of potential for greatness that has been lost and corrupted in the chase for power. This atmosphere is in big part created by the beautiful prose and the narration's commentary.
The character work is also excellent. Violet is a strong heroine, fighting for her life and facing her fate rather than running away. Aleksandr is a lost soul, groomed by Penelope his whole life and only knowing one desire. Now his loyalties become divided as he starts feeling there might be something more to desire. The romance storyline is not really as pronounced as one might expect, yet it is also an integral part of the story. Penelope, as the villain, has a properly terrifying presence, which just grows as we learn more about her. Her backstory makes her more than just an evil villain.
There were primarily two things I didn't enjoy as much. First, I think keeping Violet in ignorance for so long, especially since we readers already knew the truth, just made the beginning too slow and tedious. Second, when Violet finally embarks on her one-year search, the narrative tells us what she did, but not really why or how she accomplished it. Throughout the entire search, we are only privy to a few key moments.
Lastly, I should mention the audiobook version. It had some volume issues in the beginning and sometimes the narrator failed to make proper pauses, but ultimately there was nothing that would have prevented me from enjoying the book. These issues might also actually be fixed before release. Otherwise, I enjoyed the narration. Kitty Parker's voice was a great fit for helping to build the right kind of atmosphere.
All in all, I definitely enjoyed this book. I felt that it was something different and original. I will look for something with this kind of vibe in the future and I hope the author will write more great stories like this one.
I received an ARC and ALC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A dark and sorrowful story that might not appeal to everyone, but one I greatly enjoyed. It partially read like a grown-up fairy tale. One review I saw suggested a similarity with His Dark Materials series and I do think they have a similar vibe, although I wasn't a big fan of that series.
Violet Everly has been kept in ignorance her whole life, closed off from both the real world and the magical one. She is left with books and their stories, dreaming of one day embarking on some grand adventure. Then she meets Aleksandr, who shows her there is a whole different world out there to explore. Before she can even think of discovering it, she is told the truth and that she only has one year left to find her mother, or else she will pay the price of the family curse in her stead. Unbeknownst to her, Aleksandr is an assistant to Penelope. The very woman who is owed an Everly sacrifice. He has his own goal of one day becoming a scholar, a goal for which he might do anything.
I think the strongest point of this book for me was its atmosphere. There is quite a bit of tension as time is slowly ticking out. There is also a dread of what kind of fate awaits Violet if she fails. The setting is dark and sorrowful. Especially when it comes to the magical society. There is this feeling of potential for greatness that has been lost and corrupted in the chase for power. This atmosphere is in big part created by the beautiful prose and the narration's commentary.
The character work is also excellent. Violet is a strong heroine, fighting for her life and facing her fate rather than running away. Aleksandr is a lost soul, groomed by Penelope his whole life and only knowing one desire. Now his loyalties become divided as he starts feeling there might be something more to desire. The romance storyline is not really as pronounced as one might expect, yet it is also an integral part of the story. Penelope, as the villain, has a properly terrifying presence, which just grows as we learn more about her. Her backstory makes her more than just an evil villain.
There were primarily two things I didn't enjoy as much. First, I think keeping Violet in ignorance for so long, especially since we readers already knew the truth, just made the beginning too slow and tedious. Second, when Violet finally embarks on her one-year search, the narrative tells us what she did, but not really why or how she accomplished it. Throughout the entire search, we are only privy to a few key moments.
Lastly, I should mention the audiobook version. It had some volume issues in the beginning and sometimes the narrator failed to make proper pauses, but ultimately there was nothing that would have prevented me from enjoying the book. These issues might also actually be fixed before release. Otherwise, I enjoyed the narration. Kitty Parker's voice was a great fit for helping to build the right kind of atmosphere.
All in all, I definitely enjoyed this book. I felt that it was something different and original. I will look for something with this kind of vibe in the future and I hope the author will write more great stories like this one.
I received an ARC and ALC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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