A review by brookesinfinitebooks
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 The City of Stardust is a tense, thrilling adventure perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern and Alix E. Harrow. When Violet Everly learns the truth about a family curse and a mysterious woman named Penelope, she's thrown into a lush, dark world of scholars, doorways to other worlds, and fickle gods. A world that has been kept secret from her all her life, and that her mother disappeared into ten years ago. Violet will search the world to break her family curse alongside allies she's never quite sure she can trust.

I was enthralled by this dark fantasy centered around bargains and sacrifice. Violet was a compelling character who did not let naivete make her stupid; rather she spends every moment learning more to reach her goals. The astrals were a horrifying concept of divinity that I could not get enough of - but beware content warnings for gore, child death and harm, and cannibalism/vampirism. The brutality of this novel was pitched just right for the stakes Violet is up against; it was a truly harrowing experience as she tries to free herself and her family.

Summers' writing soared in its ability to show the complex relationships Violet builds. Love, betrayal, and trust all are subject to questioning. Violet's feelings about her absent mother and the very present Aleksander were nuanced, the frequent conflicts they created propelling the story forward.

An incredible debut. I cannot wait to see more for Georgia Summers.

Thanks to Redhook for providing an eARC via NetGalley. 
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