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A review by kryptidnerd
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
For a boom filled with rocky time skips, plot holes and poor main character decisions this book really saved itself in the back half.
Violet in the first quarter of the book was very unlikable and bratty for really no reason other than plot. Then when she showed growth that growth got taken away by a boy who she barely knew and knew betrayed her, but it seemed like that knowledge went out the window and wasn’t brought up again. Also she was said to have hoards of talent, but it was never showcased. Aleksander was your basic dark hair broody mysterious man from other fantasy books, but done just well enough that the basicness could be overlooked. The fact that you know they will get together in the book is the only chemistry they share otherwise there is really no defining moment or relationship building that makes you want to like them as a couple.
Outside of the main characters, Summers does paint some gorgeous imagery with her worlds and has a way with making them dark when the magical veil is lifted. Her magic and gifts really do come with a price. The way she embraces dark fairytale imagery kept me going through this book. The descriptions of sacrifice and violence while not too graphic did paint a harrowing imagery. This alone secured the 3 star rating for me.
Plot wise there was a lot that was left to be desired. The missing mother was never really resolved and left open ended almost like there was going to be more to the story. It felt like a lot of plot points were introduce to propel the story without any resolution or quick fixes. The only one that felt compelling to be and I liked being open ended was the tale that was told to give premise to the curse. Stories change over time and that was a great use of that device.
I am genuinely curious as to what Georgia Summers has to offer in her writing future and see how she grows as a story teller. This book might not have been for me but it was a nice quick read for me.
Violet in the first quarter of the book was very unlikable and bratty for really no reason other than plot. Then when she showed growth that growth got taken away by a boy who she barely knew and knew betrayed her, but it seemed like that knowledge went out the window and wasn’t brought up again. Also she was said to have hoards of talent, but it was never showcased. Aleksander was your basic dark hair broody mysterious man from other fantasy books, but done just well enough that the basicness could be overlooked. The fact that you know they will get together in the book is the only chemistry they share otherwise there is really no defining moment or relationship building that makes you want to like them as a couple.
Outside of the main characters, Summers does paint some gorgeous imagery with her worlds and has a way with making them dark when the magical veil is lifted. Her magic and gifts really do come with a price. The way she embraces dark fairytale imagery kept me going through this book. The descriptions of sacrifice and violence while not too graphic did paint a harrowing imagery. This alone secured the 3 star rating for me.
Plot wise there was a lot that was left to be desired. The missing mother was never really resolved and left open ended almost like there was going to be more to the story. It felt like a lot of plot points were introduce to propel the story without any resolution or quick fixes. The only one that felt compelling to be and I liked being open ended was the tale that was told to give premise to the curse. Stories change over time and that was a great use of that device.
I am genuinely curious as to what Georgia Summers has to offer in her writing future and see how she grows as a story teller. This book might not have been for me but it was a nice quick read for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture and Violence