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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Stars that have basically made themselves into gods who could walk the earth, one in particular having cursed an entire bloodline due to the debt she believed she was owed from an ancestor who lived over 1,000 years ago is where this tale begins. Our FMC, Violet, is trying to stop herself from being taken and used for her blood by a bloodthirsty, old, aggressive star who takes children from their beds so they can be sacrificed to her later on. I really empathized with Violet's struggle against time, especially since she was basically on her own when it came to saving herself. The one person she thought she could confide in, snitched on her at every opportunity, and everyone else she came across hated her mother (who had left her behind as a small child and ran from the fate she's now left Violet to), so they wouldn't offer her much help either. While the story itself is exciting, the two MCs are both so broken, both physically and mentally by the end. If you enjoy a kind of twisty fantasy, with a snippet of romance, and a lot of betrayal, then definitely give The City of Stardust a read.
Stars that have basically made themselves into gods who could walk the earth, one in particular having cursed an entire bloodline due to the debt she believed she was owed from an ancestor who lived over 1,000 years ago is where this tale begins. Our FMC, Violet, is trying to stop herself from being taken and used for her blood by a bloodthirsty, old, aggressive star who takes children from their beds so they can be sacrificed to her later on. I really empathized with Violet's struggle against time, especially since she was basically on her own when it came to saving herself. The one person she thought she could confide in, snitched on her at every opportunity, and everyone else she came across hated her mother (who had left her behind as a small child and ran from the fate she's now left Violet to), so they wouldn't offer her much help either. While the story itself is exciting, the two MCs are both so broken, both physically and mentally by the end. If you enjoy a kind of twisty fantasy, with a snippet of romance, and a lot of betrayal, then definitely give The City of Stardust a read.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Beautifully written prose, no doubt about that. Even the violence is beautiful and glitters and matches the feel the cover and title brings.
But there are so many gaps in the storytelling. It leaves out too much to let you get to know characters, so it reads like a pretty but superficial tale. This is a story that could have been stretched out into a longer novel or even duology to give these characters and their stories more justice.
I'm okay with the omission of information for a good reveal and even jumping around in storytelling. But there is so much potential for depth that isn't touched.
The world and fantasy type has so much potential, it's a shame to get in a cliffs note version.
But there are so many gaps in the storytelling. It leaves out too much to let you get to know characters, so it reads like a pretty but superficial tale. This is a story that could have been stretched out into a longer novel or even duology to give these characters and their stories more justice.
I'm okay with the omission of information for a good reveal and even jumping around in storytelling. But there is so much potential for depth that isn't touched.
The world and fantasy type has so much potential, it's a shame to get in a cliffs note version.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this until the last 25% or so - it fizzled out.