The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers

Thank you to Hodderscape and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Power-hungry scholars, ancient gods and underworld monsters? Sign. Me. Up. If you’re into fantasy and dark academia, then this new standalone fantasy novel is probably for you. It’s author Georgia Summers’ debut and it definitely doesn’t disappoint – I’m looking forward to seeing her career develop.

Beautiful cover aside, The City of Stardust is packed with high fantasy with a big magic presence. For centuries, generations of Everlys have seen a member of their family disappear, taken as ‘punishment’ for a centuries-old crime that nobody seems to remember. Ten years ago, Violet Everly’s mother left their world, determined to break this terrible curse. And, now, Violet follows in her footsteps to find her mother… or be taken in her place. Thus begins Violet’s descent into a magical underworld, switching between worlds that teem with scholars, monsters, gods and curses. There’s Penelope, the tormentor, and her assistant, Aleksander, who Violet instantly feels drawn too.

I felt this was a surprisingly strong debut from Summers. The world-building is rich and evocative, the story dark, and there’s a winning amount of magic and lore – I feel like, recently, the fantasies I’ve picked up lack the magic?! And, it’s an ode to book lovers, with some really stunning passages at the start, since Violet is a bookworm and fiction-adventurer herself.

However, while I found the concept and overall plot fascinating, the novel loses focus at the midway point for me. The reveals are for us, not the characters, which is a bit stressful, and the pacing is really off for me. I kept thinking I was at the grand finale at the 70% mark, then 75%, then 80%, which meant the ending felt anti-climatic and surely drawn-out. I wish Violet had more character development and that any development she did get were maintained throughout the story.