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callistag1's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death and Gaslighting
Minor: Genocide
maresuju's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Vomit
kestrel_of_the_pages's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A gothic globe-trotting urban fantasy with elements of horror and mystery.
Parts somehow both whimsical and horrifying? Think Pan's Labyrinth vibes, but also completely different. The whole book is a vibe, moody and dark and pushing for answers. Violet struggles, realistically so, after spending a life sheltered and safe. She bumbles stubbornly through her deceptions, navigating secret society, unknown magic, and a family curse on the brink of fruition. This tale is saturated with betrayal, haunted with Violet's childhood memories, but also so full of hope and determination. The world is just a key-turn away. The romance is pretty good too, right person wrong time with a dash of enemies to lovers. I can't really say more without spoilers!
I listened to this via Libro.fm and immediately looked up what other books this narrator has done- this was the first. I'm so excited to hear what projects Kitty Parker does next, her different intonations for each character were SO GOOD. Sexy evil for the big bad, brooding and cautious as Aleksander, challenging and strong willed as Violet, and the poor exasperated and exhausted brothers.
Parts somehow both whimsical and horrifying? Think Pan's Labyrinth vibes, but also completely different. The whole book is a vibe, moody and dark and pushing for answers. Violet struggles, realistically so, after spending a life sheltered and safe. She bumbles stubbornly through her deceptions, navigating secret society, unknown magic, and a family curse on the brink of fruition. This tale is saturated with betrayal, haunted with Violet's childhood memories, but also so full of hope and determination. The world is just a key-turn away. The romance is pretty good too, right person wrong time with a dash of enemies to lovers. I can't really say more without spoilers!
I listened to this via Libro.fm and immediately looked up what other books this narrator has done- this was the first. I'm so excited to hear what projects Kitty Parker does next, her different intonations for each character were SO GOOD. Sexy evil for the big bad, brooding and cautious as Aleksander, challenging and strong willed as Violet, and the poor exasperated and exhausted brothers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
mirificmoxie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death, Torture, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Abandonment
cassimiranda's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I received an eARC of this book for review from Redhook Books via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
This isn't for me. Summers writes an interesting and complex world using beautiful prose. Unfortunately, that world ends up feeling like a sparsely populated open world video game - pretty at the surface level but no real depth or life. The real disappointment for me was the distanced writing style which offered no chance to connect with really understand the characters. There was also the repeated tendency to summarize large chunks of time in breezy paragraphs that give the reader no real sense of character development. I saw it compared to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Practical Magic, and I agree. If you like either those two books, give this one a chance.
This isn't for me. Summers writes an interesting and complex world using beautiful prose. Unfortunately, that world ends up feeling like a sparsely populated open world video game - pretty at the surface level but no real depth or life. The real disappointment for me was the distanced writing style which offered no chance to connect with really understand the characters. There was also the repeated tendency to summarize large chunks of time in breezy paragraphs that give the reader no real sense of character development. I saw it compared to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Practical Magic, and I agree. If you like either those two books, give this one a chance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Gaslighting
lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
WTF did I just read?
I was really expecting something totally different but was pleasantly surprised by this book.
The writing is so beautiful, lush, sensual and the atmosphere it creates reminded me immensely of The Starless Sea (which might be my favorite book of all times, so I was pretty biased once I noticed the similarities). They have some plot points, themes and imagery in common, but it's mostly the vibes I'm talking about. Mainly, the no plot just vibes attitude.
I did enjoy the plot, it felt like a dark fairy tale, and it went darker places than I expected. There were pacing issues, though, and a lot of conveniences and weird character decisions. Speaking of the characters, since the focus is mostly on the vibes and the fairy tale story structure, the characters were not as flashed out as I usually like. Especially Violet, the protagonist, felt one dimensional. Secondary characters like Penelope and Aleksander were way more memorable than Violet, and their motivations were more nuanced and intriguing.
But again, the way the atmosphere and the vibes were making me feel... I was longing for this feeling since I've read The Starless Sea for the first time. And it's really hard to find, so I'm just happy to have experienced it again with this book. And despite it not being a perfect book, I loved it with all my heart.
I was really expecting something totally different but was pleasantly surprised by this book.
The writing is so beautiful, lush, sensual and the atmosphere it creates reminded me immensely of The Starless Sea (which might be my favorite book of all times, so I was pretty biased once I noticed the similarities). They have some plot points, themes and imagery in common, but it's mostly the vibes I'm talking about. Mainly, the no plot just vibes attitude.
I did enjoy the plot, it felt like a dark fairy tale, and it went darker places than I expected. There were pacing issues, though, and a lot of conveniences and weird character decisions. Speaking of the characters, since the focus is mostly on the vibes and the fairy tale story structure, the characters were not as flashed out as I usually like. Especially Violet, the protagonist, felt one dimensional. Secondary characters like Penelope and Aleksander were way more memorable than Violet, and their motivations were more nuanced and intriguing.
But again, the way the atmosphere and the vibes were making me feel... I was longing for this feeling since I've read The Starless Sea for the first time. And it's really hard to find, so I'm just happy to have experienced it again with this book. And despite it not being a perfect book, I loved it with all my heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content
snowwhitehatesapples's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Also on Snow White Hates Apples.
I’ve been incredibly excited to read this standalone fantasy since many of the Hodder & Stoughton titles I read have been utter delights. Sadly, this streak is now broken by The City of Stardust .
Although it has a very intriguing premise and a fascinating magic system where special keys can open doors to anywhere in any world, the execution is lacking. For a standalone, too many aspects of the world-building are left unexplained. Sure, I got the gist of how the world works but it could’ve been more lush, more alive. There were moments when the imagery did this, only to retreat and let the too-detailed actions or conversations of the characters take centre stage instead.
Moreover, it really doesn’t help that there’s a strong lack of urgency despite the literal deadline. The first part of the book is set during the time Violet was kept in the dark regarding the Everly curse — which is practically her entire childhood and a part of her young adulthood. Truthfully, I don’t see the necessity of this first part because much of the information could’ve been interwoven elsewhere.
The second part is where the pace picks up, but it isn’t ideal either because there are only three months left before the deadline and that’s a big difference from the first part’s meandering 10 years. Even worse? As the story progresses, the pacing gets clumsier and the plot convenience gets more and more obvious. Violet wastes a lot of precious time doing unnecessary things like being with a boy she clearly shouldn’t be falling for. Like, hello? For someone who wants to break the curse, the legit deadline for when you get disappeared like the other Everly’s doesn’t seem much of a priority for you??
Staying interested in the story whenever the focus was on Violet was a struggle, largely because she’s no more than a plot device. I love that she’s a bibliophile and I found her inner and outer struggles well expanded. However, she’s just so dull, so painfully naive and fragile despite receiving the all-powerful Main Character Buff that I irrevocably felt that Penelope and Aleksander hard carried the book. Both of them created much-needed tension and moved the plot forward whereas Violet’s simply being led by the plot.
Furthermore, the romance between Violet and Aleksander felt too tryhard at convincing that it isn’t underdeveloped, particularly when shown through Violet’s perspective. It was also difficult to root for them because their characterisations weren’t strong… In fact, all of the characters suffer from weak characterisation at varying extents. The many side characters weren’t even memorable and it was hard to keep track of them.
Other than that, while I normally appreciate things coming to a full circle, the last two parts of the book make everything that came before it feel convoluted. I liked all the different iterations of the fable between the astral and the mortal. I liked the thin line between gods and monsters as well. But, all that isn’t enough to make up for everything else.
All in all, The City of Stardust has so much promise that it’s such a shame that it fell short.
I’ve been incredibly excited to read this standalone fantasy since many of the Hodder & Stoughton titles I read have been utter delights. Sadly, this streak is now broken by The City of Stardust .
Although it has a very intriguing premise and a fascinating magic system where special keys can open doors to anywhere in any world, the execution is lacking. For a standalone, too many aspects of the world-building are left unexplained. Sure, I got the gist of how the world works but it could’ve been more lush, more alive. There were moments when the imagery did this, only to retreat and let the too-detailed actions or conversations of the characters take centre stage instead.
Moreover, it really doesn’t help that there’s a strong lack of urgency despite the literal deadline. The first part of the book is set during the time Violet was kept in the dark regarding the Everly curse — which is practically her entire childhood and a part of her young adulthood. Truthfully, I don’t see the necessity of this first part because much of the information could’ve been interwoven elsewhere.
The second part is where the pace picks up, but it isn’t ideal either because there are only three months left before the deadline and that’s a big difference from the first part’s meandering 10 years. Even worse? As the story progresses, the pacing gets clumsier and the plot convenience gets more and more obvious. Violet wastes a lot of precious time doing unnecessary things like being with a boy she clearly shouldn’t be falling for. Like, hello? For someone who wants to break the curse, the legit deadline for when you get disappeared like the other Everly’s doesn’t seem much of a priority for you??
Staying interested in the story whenever the focus was on Violet was a struggle, largely because she’s no more than a plot device. I love that she’s a bibliophile and I found her inner and outer struggles well expanded. However, she’s just so dull, so painfully naive and fragile despite receiving the all-powerful Main Character Buff that I irrevocably felt that Penelope and Aleksander hard carried the book. Both of them created much-needed tension and moved the plot forward whereas Violet’s simply being led by the plot.
Furthermore, the romance between Violet and Aleksander felt too tryhard at convincing that it isn’t underdeveloped, particularly when shown through Violet’s perspective. It was also difficult to root for them because their characterisations weren’t strong… In fact, all of the characters suffer from weak characterisation at varying extents. The many side characters weren’t even memorable and it was hard to keep track of them.
Other than that, while I normally appreciate things coming to a full circle, the last two parts of the book make everything that came before it feel convoluted. I liked all the different iterations of the fable between the astral and the mortal. I liked the thin line between gods and monsters as well. But, all that isn’t enough to make up for everything else.
All in all, The City of Stardust has so much promise that it’s such a shame that it fell short.
Thank you so much Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers is available at all good bookstores.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, and Gaslighting
miss_vonnegut's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
You know, I'm not sure exactly how to rate this. On one hand, I flew through it and finished it in just a couple of days. On the other hand, it's really dark (definitely check the content warnings) and I'm not sure if it was homophobic or if the queer representation was done very poorly. I'll give a bit more detail on that here, trying to keep it as spoiler-free as possible: One of the characters is found kissing someone of the same gender and feels shame, and bad things happen to the other person shortly after. I had hoped that the character would get the chance to unlearn that lesson later in the book, to feel pride, or at least be told there's nothing to be ashamed of, but that never happens. Plus, the character ends up with someone who's not the same gender as them. And when they're kissing that new person, they actually mention wanting without shame. Now, they could be bi/pan/etc, but the fact that it was never touched on makes it feel homophobic to me. Or at least really poorly done.
Thank you to Hachette for the ARC!
Thank you to Hachette for the ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Homophobia