I received an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book took my breath away. The writing is stunning, the characters complex, the plot interesting. There is angst, betrayal, magic and a smattering of romance. What's not to like?!

I understand other reviews saying it was too descriptive, but for me it was so immersive I just couldn't stop listening. If you don't like the more dark, descriptive, beautiful type of fantasy (you will know what I mean if this is you!) this might not be the book for you, but I LOVED it!

The audiobook experience was so good - the narration was 10/10 for me, it suited the vibes of the book and the characters perfectly. I will honestly be thinking about this book for weeks to come and I will be picking up a physical copy so I can also have the experience of reading it in book format.

I think this book would suit fans of strange the dreamer, uprooted, the night circus and the bear and the nightingale.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so beautifully written, and the narrator was perfect for the story (it makes such a nice change to hear contemporary fantasy read in an English accent).

I really enjoyed that it was mostly written in present tense as it helped me get really immersed in the story as it unfolded. Although the pace was a little slow at first, it was a nice introduction into a brand new series and I'm excited to see where the story goes next!

Georgia Summers is definitely one to watch!

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.

Me está costando encontrar últimamente novelas de fantasía que no tengan un fuerte componente romántico y aunque The City of Stardust lo tiene más atenuado que otras, también está presente.


La novela sigue los pasos de Violet, la última descendiente de la familia Everly, criada por sus tíos ya que su madre desapareció siendo ella niña para intentar romper la maldición que pesa sobre la familia, ya que un miembro de cada generación desaparece por razones que no quedan muy claras. Violet, criada entre misterios, se empeñará en descubrir dónde está su madre y también cuáles son las causas de su futura perdición.

Georgia Summers utiliza de una manera muy inteligente la figura maternal ausente como un constante acicate para la curiosidad e incluso el instinto de supervivencia de Violet, pero descubre bastante pronto cuál es el juego de Penélope, la causa de todas sus desdichas. Que su supuesta salvación dependa de una persona que prácticamente no aparece en todo el libro mientras que su “torturadora” sí que se mantiene cerca, es una dualidad muy interesante y bien estudiada. Los típicos plazos de un año y un día que solemos relacionar con los pactos feéricos también están presentes en el libro, junto con un grupo de estudiosos que solo ansían conseguir más poder y que tendrán un papel decisivo en el devenir de la novela.

La narradora del audiolibro es Kitty Parker y realiza una muy buena labor sobre todo en la creación de ambientes decadentes con sus tonos velados y sugerentes. Su labor se ha visto sin duda favorecida por el uso elegante de la prosa del que hace gala Georgia Summers, que para ofrecernos su primera novela parece más veterana en estas lides.

Ahora bien, existen otros problemas durante la lectura. El ritmo desfallece en variadas ocasiones y parece que se estiran algunos capítulos innecesariamente. La definición de los personajes tampoco es el punto fuerte de la novela, porque aparte de Violet y Penelope, los demás quedan bastante difusos, incluso el interés romántico del que hacía mención en el primer párrafo, que es que casi ni me acuerdo de cómo se llamaba (Aleksander, pero he hecho trampa y he ido a consultarlo).

The City of Stardust es un libro que puede recordar algo a una fantasía de hace unas décadas, pero con una pátina de modernidad que si bien no lo convierte en una lectura imprescindible, sí que lo hace entretenido.

Beautifully written story that transports you into a fairytale, while still staying grounded in the characters and not losing that sense of connection. I was hooked from the start and felt all the emotions- no spoilers, but I genuinely wanted to beat this villain up. The writing was just so delectable at times (especially with the first Ever Everly story); I can see myself annotating quite a bit on a reread. But I think my favorite aspect was how there’s multiple different versions of the Everly Astreade story told. Not only did it add to the fairytale vibes, but it's also reminiscent of how in real life the stories we tell ourselves change based on not only who is telling it but when it's being told and who it's being told to.
For me, the weakest part was the romance. I was rooting for it in the beginning, but found my feelings lukewarm at best by the end. I think things were going well with the tension building but when they actually got together it felt rushed and not yet earned. Maybe I'm just still upset with some of the things that happened idk (I will include spoilery reasons at the end of this review). There is a hint at a possible love triangle so I'm crossing my fingers that we'll explore that possibility more in the next book. (I don't think a next book is announced yet, but the ending leads me to believe that there can/ will be one).
Overall, it was an addictive read that I struggled to put down and I'd highly recommend it to fans of Alix E. Harrow.
My spoilery Alexander rant: [ It's really hard to root for him when I knew he was playing her. And I don't feel like he groveled NEARLY enough. And when he said, “YOU take too much from ME” to Violet?!?! Alexander is the worst FR. Because of Alexander’s duplicity I’m a Caspian fan, she’s not giving him enough credit, he’s been so good to her so far. Even though I think Caspian's grandma is gonna turn out to be a villain so he might too, I want more Caspian! (and with the last chapter I think there will be in the next book). ]
Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The City of Stardust is an epic fantasy story, where a family fights to break the curse that has plagued them for generations. The story is vast, and I never knew where it was heading, which I liked. The characters were distinct and the darkness of the elite 'scholars' was horrific but not unnecessarily so,
I wonder if some readers will find the pace too slow, as the story, while beginning with the dramatic abduction of children, unravels itself slowly. I loved the journey the story took me on and it was worth staying with.
I really enjoyed the combination of a very real world with a fantastic one, complete with divine beings and spanning multiple worlds. I also thought the narrator did a brilliant job.
I really enjoyed this and think that the Georgia Summers has created something enormous and fantastic.

'The City of Stardust' is a dark fantasy by new author Georgia Summers. The story revolves around Violet Everly, a young woman who has been brought up by her uncles after her mother mysteriously went off 'on an adventure'. On reaching adulthood Violet discovers her family is cursed and one person from every generation is given over to Penelope, a beautiful immortal. Her mother left in the hopes of ending the curse, but has never returned, and now Violet is next in line for sacrifice. She sets off on a quest around the world to try to find her mother and break the curse herself, helped - or possibly hindered - by Penelope's assistant, the handsome and troubled Alexander.

I read a lot of this type of fantasy adventure novel and would rate it as middling within a genre that is full of great books. Violet is a sympathetic protagonist but I never really loved her or any of the other characters. The plot was reasonably engaging but a bit disjointed and with some holes and frustrating loose ends. I found the relationship between Violet and Alexander hard to believe in. I felt the descriptions were somewhat lacking because I never really visualised the places or felt transported to them in the way that some authors can make me feel.

It's on the dark side for my taste, verging on horror. There's more blood and gore than I personally prefer, although I do tend to the squeamish so probably most readers won't mind that. But more than that, there's an underlying grimness that defeats the escapism and wonder that I look for in a fantasy novel. It's described by the blurb as 'filled with magic and stardust'. But whilst the narrative does involve those things, it's not an enchanting, transporting read. The best fantasy can give you that tingle of magical enjoyment whilst also exploring darker themes, but I don't feel the balance was right here. The magic is generally of a prosaic kind - metal working and scholarly academia.

The audiobook narration is clear and well paced. However it was often hard to distinguish what must have been section breaks (like a * or similar) in the text. That was a problem because the story jumps a lot between different viewpoint characters, places and times and it could be extremely confusing when it did that without enough of a gap to help the listener realise. A longer gap would have helped with that.

Having said all this, I don't think it is a 'bad' book as such, and I would recommend it to readers who enjoy darker fantasy and have enough time to read the more average offerings in the genre as well as the very best.

City of Stardust
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Third person from multiple POV
Sometimes it was hard to follow whose POV it was focusing on at times
(I do have a preference of either 1st person single or multiple POV or third person with single POV)

With many twists and turns, it kept me intrigued throughout. The world building was compelling, and I enjoyed finding more and more out, especially from different POV.

I enjoyed the characters, some more than others.

The book did remind me of Atlas Six in the way it is presented. It had similar secret academia vibes.

The audio narration was good and very clear.


Thank you Netgallery for this arc.

DNF the audiobook as I could not warm up to the narrator. she had a very weird voice. I will give this book a go in print however as I am interested in the story.

I like the story - but sadly DNF due to the narrator. She could do character voices, but the basic narration was so very monosyllabic, I caught myself tuning out more than once. Sorry!

DNf @30%

I'm sorry but this was BORING and I have too many (more exciting) books I want to read to sit around and wait for this to pick up. Such a shame though because the idea for this story is amazing!!

I just genuinely don't feel anything for the characters at all. Plus where's the tension? The stakes? We're meant to be dealing with a "magical underworld" but everything is so lacklustre in my opinion, nothing is being developed? I think the writing is okay, just lacking in substance.

I do see how others would enjoy this though, it's giving Erin Morgenstern's type of whimsical vibes and I hope it finds the right audience because sadly, that isn't me.

-Sarah

I had the pleasure of doing immersion reading (ebook and audiobook) of an ARC of The City of Stardust; I was taken from the very first moment. First things first - the audiobook narrator (Kitty Parker) has done a fantastic job - the tone of voice, the pacing, the accent … It all contributes in creating an incredibly immersive experience.
Being a debut, I went into this book quite blind but I could see pretty much immediately why people are referencing some of Erin Morgenstern and V.E Schwab works when talking about this title. Georgia Summers has created a world I saw, touched and smelled with every chapter. The atmosphere and the writing style have definitely been the things that captivated me the most, but this is not meant to take anything away from the characters: I will avoid any spoilers but all of them are relatable, and most importantly they “do make sense” and make understandable choices - aside from Violet (our protagonist) everyone is so “humanly gray”... so much I did not really have anyone to root for, not because I didn’t care, but because I would most likely be happy with any ending.
One additional element I want to mention that (for me) sets this book apart from many others is Georgia’s style. At times it is almost purple, yet remains very readable. She’s able to evoke incredible images and atmosphere in her reader’s mind without compromising the pace of the story - it is still a page turner. Do yourself a favor and embark on adventure … Just do not forget to light a vanilla candle and prepare a cup of coffee to keep you company along the way.

I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. There’s modern themes mixed into a fantasy world which is hit or miss for me, but this one’s a hit. The characters are multifaceted and relatable. The narrator’s voice is soothing and she tells the story well.

3.5 rounded down.

Firstly, may I say that the cover for this is absolutely stunning and I'm sure this book will find its readers. - this is going to hit a sweet spot for a lot of people.

This story is both dark and whimsical. I don't know how it ends up being both but it somehow does. However, while the prose was lovely this story didn't quite offer the plot, worldbuilding or characters for me to love it wholeheartedly.

Comparisons to The Starless Sea and Ten Thousand Doors of January seem on the mark. Personally, I did not feel the Addie La Rue comparisons.

The goal of the scholars is not well explained for me, why they are following a pretty nasty character.

The prologue made me wish for a different book to follow rather than setting the tone for what was to come.

As mentioned before the prose itself was really quite lovely, however , ultimately, I felt too distanced from the characters and couldn't quite fully invest myself in the story.

The vibes of the story are immaculate but as a reader I need more than that. I rounded down because I don't think the story will stay with me.

I would be really interested to read what this author does next as I see a lot of promise there but this one wasn't quite the novel I had hoped for.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an absolutely fantastic tale all about familial curses, doors to other worlds and betrayal among friends and family! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job bringing these worlds to life. Perfect for fans of The Starless Sea and Ten Thousand Doors of January!

Violet's family is subject to a curse and it's now Violet who needs to be wary.

She meets Penelope and Aleksander and her Uncle's seem to know them already - and Violet is about to find out about family secrets and a world she didn't know existed!

It was a slow start but absolutely loved the writing, it totally drew you in.

You can expect:

~ Enemies to lovers
~ Scholars
~ Other worlds
~ Otherly beings
~ Betrayals
~ A small romance

All in all it was a magical world which I throughly enjoyed!

'Who is he without Violet Everly?'

That ending - is that the end? Is this a standalone? If yes then this is genius! Although I'd love more Caspian!

For me, fantasy is always better as an audiobook.
It transports me to that other world as I'm walking back and forth to work.
This one was very enjoyable.
Violet was someone who I was backing all the way..
Some good twists to the story, and the odd unexpected happening.
It's definitely worth your time.

This standalone story is a true fairytale and is told like one. As a reader you feel like you are being pushed forward in someone else's dream, relentlessly.
I have finished this book in two days because I could not stop listening. In the end though, I was still left with questions. They were the good kind of questions, not the ones where you think the author could have tied everything up better. No, the ones where you wonder what has happened and what might still be happening, and what the meaning is in all this.
This debut book has been compared to Addie LaRue and other stories, but to me it has way more Daughter of Smoke and Bone meets Neil Gaiman vibes.
The audiobook narration puzzled me at first, because I had the feeling it was too matter-of-factly and with too little emotions. After a while though I realized it was completely fitting for the story, and added to this slightly detached fairytale vibe.
I liked the characters, but they are not this book's strongest suit. It's more their place in this wondrous world that makes them intriguing.

4,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @hodderbooks @hodderbooks for both the eARC and the ALC.

#CityOfStardust #netgalley #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.