Alexis:
Hello! I’m a little behind on book reviews, but I’m excited to talk about one of my recent reads, The City of Stardust.
The City of Stardust follows Violet Everly. Violet’s whole life is her uncles, who keep her tucked away in the Everly house, and wondering what happened to her mother—who left to break the Everly family curse years ago. When Violet’s mother never returns, Penelope, her family’s ageless tormentor who never forgets a debt, issues an ultimatum: Violet has ten years to find her mother, or she will take her place. Violet is the last of the Everly line, the last to suffer. Unless she can break it first.
I really loved this book! It gets all the stars (or stardust) from me.
The writing is so atmospheric, lyrical, and ethereal. This is a dreamy, almost dark fairytale-like story, and on a prose level, it’s gorgeous to read!
It has so many elements that I love—it’s a portal fantasy with magical doors and magical keys. There’s a curse and angry gods. There’s a secretive, snooty group of scholars. There are mysteries that you uncover alongside the main character.
I was so surprised to see that this book only has 3.46 stars on Goodreads.
It is worth mentioning that this is a slower-paced story, and it does take about 50 pages before the worldbuilding becomes revealed and for the plot to pick up. If you like the books/comps listed below or if we have similar tastes in books, then I recommend it!
Ink Blood Sister Scribe
The Ten Thousand Door of January
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Inkheart
The Starless Sea (I personally haven’t read this one, but I heard it’s similar!)
VERDICT: 5⭐
takes two to book review 