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gillothen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Gripping fantasy, very dark. The central figures struggle with abandonment as well as physical threats and you are not at all sure how it will work out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
katewutz's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I expected this to be right up my alley, and it kind of was. Somewhere around the last third, though, I lost interest.
Things I liked:
Tarot cards that weren’t tarot cards
Violet’s uncles
Fancy parties where no one can be trusted
Cute cafes with pretty boys who stop by every week
Mrs Coulter-esque lady who steals kids
Things that didn’t work for me:
Ooof, Aleksander most of the time. Boy is too broken to root for him and Violet.
The myriad cities blended together into one, which was maybe the point
Sorry, the point was to open the door? But no doors opened? What were the doors TO again?
If all Penelope needed was an Everly soul, why didn’t she get that from the hundreds of Everlys she killed? Why did it have to be Violet?
Overall, though, it felt like an inventive and solid debut.
Things I liked:
Tarot cards that weren’t tarot cards
Violet’s uncles
Fancy parties where no one can be trusted
Cute cafes with pretty boys who stop by every week
Mrs Coulter-esque lady who steals kids
Things that didn’t work for me:
The myriad cities blended together into one, which was maybe the point
Sorry, the point was to open the door? But no doors opened? What were the doors TO again?
If all Penelope needed was an Everly soul, why didn’t she get that from the hundreds of Everlys she killed? Why did it have to be Violet?
Overall, though, it felt like an inventive and solid debut.
books_tea_and_fantasy's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 ⭐️
Characters: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Writing: 6
Plot: 5
Intrigue: 3
Logic: 5
Enjoyment: 4
❌ DNF at 28% (p. 96)
Characters: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Writing: 6
Plot: 5
Intrigue: 3
Logic: 5
Enjoyment: 4
❌ DNF at 28% (p. 96)
megareads42's review against another edition
3.0
Just fine. Another fantasy miss for me, and I don't think I'll be continuing the series. The plot sounded intriguing but the way the story developed just felt slow and cumbersome. Things that seemed urgent at first, like finding Marianne, just fell by the wayside. I also didn't enjoy the character's interactions and the descriptions of the magic. Didn't feel very magical or exciting, and I just couldn't understand what exactly the main characters were fighting for.
ebauer10's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
gerdasalusoo's review
2.0
I don't even know what to think of this book. The world in this was really intriguing, but to make up this kind of a world I feel like the book should have been way longer and both the world and characters more fleshed out. The ending was totally rushed compared to the rest of the book. It had a lot of potential but overall fell flat to me. Violet and Aleksander were somewhat interesting but had no chemistry whatsoever in my opinion and the side characters besides Penelope were unfortunately very forgettable. It wasn't a bad book per se, it had a lot of potential but the execution could've been a lot better. Too many things remained unexplained in the end and I don't mean the tiny details.
shmadsie's review against another edition
3.0
This had so much potential and the fairy tale vibe was right there but it didn't quite manage to hold on to it. I appreciated that the be all end all wasn't getting Violet into a relationship but I wish there'd been a lot more closure on her mom. That little peek was not nearly enough to justify her being so close to the story and yet always running parallel along it rather than impacting it. I also wish I knew more about what Gabriel was actually up to rather than vague hand-waving about looking for his sister, and to get a tease of attachments he'd cultivated at the end felt more mean than anything.
minyardvines's review against another edition
4.0
First and foremost, thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
The City of Stardust transports the reader to a wonderfully celestial world that is unlike any I’ve ever read before. This book has such a unique concept and Georgia Summers executes it so well.
Although the book may start slow for some, once it starts there is no stopping. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what could be next.
A wonderful celestial fantasy book that I would 1000% recommend to anyone.
3.75⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️
The City of Stardust transports the reader to a wonderfully celestial world that is unlike any I’ve ever read before. This book has such a unique concept and Georgia Summers executes it so well.
Although the book may start slow for some, once it starts there is no stopping. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what could be next.
A wonderful celestial fantasy book that I would 1000% recommend to anyone.
3.75⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️
sianhopper's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0