The City of Stardust is a very well written atmospheric fantasy adventure and the first book in a series by Georgia Summers. Released 30th Jan 2024 by Hachette on their Redhook imprint, it's 352 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.Paperback format due out in 1st quarter 2025 from the same publisher.
Told in alternate 3rd person PoV, the prose is the high point of the read. The main female protagonist is by turns extremely (annoyingly) naive and perpetually innocent which wears on the reader after a while. The book is light on world building as well, and it's not always clear when scenes/characters have shifted, yanking readers out of the story. There is also surprisingly little character depth or development, honestly.
It -reads- like a book of twice the page length, surprisingly, and the pacing is uneven, but the prose is elegantly wrought throughout. It's also bleak, bloody, and violent in places. Not a cozy read.
It's not derivative (at all), but fans of Laini Taylor and Leigh Bardugo will likely enjoy this one as well.
Three and a half stars (mostly for the odd/draggy pacing and superficial world building).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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