Journey to the Stars: ‘The City of Stardust’ Book Review

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Embark on a celestial journey beyond your wildest dreams as we delve into the enchanting world of ‘The City of Stardust.’ Georgia Summers’ spellbinding contemporary fantasy debut, is sure to pull readers into a seductive magical underworld where fickle gods, monsters, and a family curse intertwine.

The story follows a woman named Violet Everly, whose life takes a dark turn as she uncovers the secrets of her family’s ties to this world. With echoes of The Night Circus and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, this novel plunges into the heart of a seductively vicious dream where scholars are hungry for power, and magic has a price.

If you’ve ever yearned to explore the vast expanse of the cosmos, filled with mysteries and wonders, this book is your ticket to the stars. Join us as we navigate through the pages of this captivating novel, revealing its hidden treasures and cosmic secrets.

Are you ready to journey to the stars and beyond? Buckle up as we take off on this extraordinary literary adventure!

The Magical ‘City of Stardust’

There is a relentless curse that has plagued the Everly family across generations. Their fate is inextricably tied to the enigmatic Penelope, an ageless and unforgiving woman with an insatiable thirst for balance and retribution. As nightfall shrouds the Everly household, leaving Violet’s mother mysteriously vanishing, the ominous curse passes its chilling baton to Violet. However, there’s hope for redemption if she can shatter the curse’s grip. Violet must plunge into a beguiling and mystical underworld to unlock her family’s salvation.

Diving into a World of Magic

For millennia, the Everlys have forged talent better than any other. The brightest among the scholars of The City of Stardust. But being the best also comes with a steep price. Every generation of Everly is taken, killed, and drained of their blood and magic to satiate a woman, Penelope. Penelope is a woman of wonder. She never ages, and of course, she never forgets a debt. Deals are deals after all.

Violet has always heard the call of adventure singing its song to her. Ten years prior, Violet Everly’s mother Marianne left to break the curse covering her family and has yet to return. Now Violet must find her mother, or break the curse herself, because if she doesn’t then she will be the one on the “chopping block”.

Deep in the adventuring, Violet finds herself in a magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, and fickle gods and goddesses that will stop at nothing to get their revenge.

“Once a generation, an Everly walks into the dark, compelled by the shadow beside them.”

Violet is a character who you want to be friends with. While not level-headed, she is strong. Making things happen for herself (despite the danger) while everyone around her cowers in fear. As with any character and character development, her flaws are what makes her that much more likable. Sometimes she is reserved not knowing what to do. But oftentimes, she throws caution to the wind, wanting to accomplish her task by any means necessary. Violet is naive to a fault, especially when it comes to her mother (but who could blame the girl).

The City of Stardust is not a romance-heavy novel— although there are some aspects of romance. Some may think that it would be considered a slow burn, but truly the romance is almost non-existent. Aside from some longing, there is one point where they kiss, but in retrospect, it feels like a blunt end to the romance. They kiss and the romance drops away.

Now not all fantasy novels need to have romance within the pages. Many don’t. But, the way Aleksander and Violet’s romance happens, it feels like an afterthought. Something to add just because the author can.

Honestly, although it is classified as an adult epic fantasy, The City of Stardust gives very much YA. There are no aspects of the novel that I would consider to be adult. Beyond the main character being freshly twenty.

“Because adventure, it turns out, is a dangerously seductive word. It reaches underneath Violet’s ribcage and pulls, like a cosmic string attuned to a compass point elsewhere.”

The running thread of Marianne makes her a ghost throughout the story. And, that thread, while alluded to in the end isn’t tucked away at by the closing of the story. Not mentioning how or why (because that would be considered a spoiler). But, you are left wanting to know more about Marianne. Why did she leave? What she was doing? And all of the experiences that she went through.

While, I understand that this isn’t Marianne’s story, per se, it’s Violet’s. You can’t satisfy that need by the end because she is such a big part of the plot. And that need gets me wondering that maybe there should be a story about Marianne. The start of the curse and how she found out. What she is trying to do on her “adventure” of trying to break it, etc.

The City of Stardust if you couldn’t figure is magical realism. The overall plot and prose of the story make it incredibly engaging. As you’re reading, you will want to prolong the story, due to the magical nature of the tale. You will enjoy The City of Stardust. Looking for magic in the mundane world you encapsulate.

“Stubborn like an Everly, brave like an Everly, doomed like an Everly”

Magical realism is one of those subgenres that can be all or nothing. The City of Stardust in particular is heart-pattering, thought-provoking, and an all-around good time. It is everything that you would want a story to be. Experiencing the world in your real life. To put it in perspective. It was like diving in the crystal blue waters of a lagoon in Sweden. Once you hit the water you feel the cool chill against your skin the sun hitting it just right. Everything is perfect in that moment.

So why not five stars? Why rate it at a 4? Ultimately it felt like something was missing. The puzzle pieces were all there but some are from a puzzle you did last week, never finding all the pieces when breaking it apart and putting it back in the box.

The way The City of Stardust wrapped, it is safe to say that there won’t be another book. Despite this, it desperately needs to be a duology. Or at the very least 3 bonus epilogues reminiscent of A Curse for True Love.

The City of Stardust is a book you have to experience. Perfect for fans of Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow or The Starless Sea by (the queen) Erin Morgenstern.

It is due to be released on January 30, 2024. Listen to it on Libro.fm or pick up a physical copy. Either way, add it to your TBR!

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