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A review by justalilbitbookish
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers
3.0
2.5⭐ | Beautifully Written, But Misses the Mark
The City of Stardust had all the ingredients for an atmospheric fantasy with its lyrical writing, intriguing premise, and a mystical, magical world—but unfortunately, it fell short in its execution. While there were moments of brilliance, I ultimately didn’t finish the book (DNF) because it struggled to hold my interest.
The story follows Violet Everly, a young woman at the center of a family curse involving the mysterious and ageless Penelope. Violet’s journey to break the curse is filled with promise, as the premise of family secrets, dangerous bargains, and a looming antagonist had great potential. But for all its intriguing ideas, the narrative lacked cohesion and depth.
The writing itself is undeniably beautiful, with a poetic quality that gives the story an ethereal tone. However, this often came at the expense of clarity and pacing. The world-building, while creative, felt incomplete—filled with terms and concepts that were never fully explained, leaving me feeling adrift in a sea of half-formed ideas.
Violet’s character had potential, but she wasn’t compelling enough to carry the weight of the story. Her naïveté and impulsiveness might have been forgivable if there had been significant growth, but her development felt flat. Aleksander, the brooding and enigmatic assistant to Penelope, showed glimmers of promise but lacked the depth to make their interactions impactful. Their relationship, while not fully romantic, felt underdeveloped and didn’t inspire much investment.
Penelope, the antagonist, was one of the highlights of the book. Her presence carried an intensity and menace that the story desperately needed, but she alone couldn’t save the plot.
The pacing was inconsistent, with the first half moving quickly before dragging into repetition and disjointed scenes. The frequent perspective shifts between too many characters disrupted the flow and made it difficult to stay engaged.
Ultimately, The City of Stardust felt like it had all the right pieces but couldn’t put them together in a satisfying way. If you value beautiful prose over character and plot development, this might work better for you.
Highlights:
The City of Stardust had all the ingredients for an atmospheric fantasy with its lyrical writing, intriguing premise, and a mystical, magical world—but unfortunately, it fell short in its execution. While there were moments of brilliance, I ultimately didn’t finish the book (DNF) because it struggled to hold my interest.
The story follows Violet Everly, a young woman at the center of a family curse involving the mysterious and ageless Penelope. Violet’s journey to break the curse is filled with promise, as the premise of family secrets, dangerous bargains, and a looming antagonist had great potential. But for all its intriguing ideas, the narrative lacked cohesion and depth.
The writing itself is undeniably beautiful, with a poetic quality that gives the story an ethereal tone. However, this often came at the expense of clarity and pacing. The world-building, while creative, felt incomplete—filled with terms and concepts that were never fully explained, leaving me feeling adrift in a sea of half-formed ideas.
Violet’s character had potential, but she wasn’t compelling enough to carry the weight of the story. Her naïveté and impulsiveness might have been forgivable if there had been significant growth, but her development felt flat. Aleksander, the brooding and enigmatic assistant to Penelope, showed glimmers of promise but lacked the depth to make their interactions impactful. Their relationship, while not fully romantic, felt underdeveloped and didn’t inspire much investment.
Penelope, the antagonist, was one of the highlights of the book. Her presence carried an intensity and menace that the story desperately needed, but she alone couldn’t save the plot.
The pacing was inconsistent, with the first half moving quickly before dragging into repetition and disjointed scenes. The frequent perspective shifts between too many characters disrupted the flow and made it difficult to stay engaged.
Ultimately, The City of Stardust felt like it had all the right pieces but couldn’t put them together in a satisfying way. If you value beautiful prose over character and plot development, this might work better for you.
Highlights: