Once upon a time, there was a girl named Violet Everly. Raised by her uncles, Violet is also a dreamer who finds solace in fairy tales. When a strange woman named Penelope comes to the house, her uncles are forced to reveal the Everly family curse to Violet. It’s the curse that claimed her mother and which will doom them all. Yet Violet isn’t going down without a fight. With the help of a mysterious boy named Aleksander, Violet tries to retrace her mother’s search for answers before her time runs out. 

The City of Stardust is a luscious, beautiful story. Georgia Summers’ writing reminds me of Erin Morgenstern. It is transportive, magical, and so imaginative. Violet and Aleksander remind me of Celia and Marco from The Night Circus- two rivals who could easily have been true friends in another life if they weren’t held apart by circumstance. Violet is a compelling and fierce heroine who is determined to retrace her mother’s steps. Aleksander is beholden to the mysterious and vicious Penelope, who is trapped by the magic of a story long forgotten. Even as Penelope makes villainous choices, she has the air of a doomed Persephone who will do anything to accomplish her goals. I was intrigued by her story and found the ending very satisfying. 

In this stunning debut, keys and curses have a great and terrible power. Summers deftly weaves together a gorgeous tale of dreamers, magic that comes with a price, and the power of stories. Once you start reading, you’ll want to cancel all your plans and stay in the magic of this world. If you love beautiful writing, imaginative world-building, and Erin Morgenstern then you will love The City of Stardust. I’m looking forward to what Georgia Summers writes next! 

Thank you to Georgia Summers, Redhook Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.