If Rebecca Ross and Erin Morgenstern had a child and they wrote a debut portal romantasy with a dark edge, I think The City of Stardust would be the result. 

I had coffee with a lit professor (who was also an author) once and he said, in his opinion, every story told was essentially just The Odyssey retold in an infinite number of ways. The City of Stardust definitely has that flavor: From character names to a protagonist that sets off on a long journey from home only to return and find it changed from what she once knew, this novel had me captivated from the start. 

Georgia Summers has a lovely way with prose. The sentence structure is very reminiscent of Morgenstern, while the imagery feels closer to Ross. While the book definitely lacks the experience of both of those writers it doesn’t suffer overmuch for it. I loved the world building for how it felt both Gaiman-esque and for how it reminded me of my favorite novel, The Starless Sea. The plotting felt impeccable and the pacing was steady. 

The whole cast of characters was great. An antagonist worth despising and understanding, protagonists you can both identify with and love, and a large supporting cast that feels distinct and contributes considerably to the entire story without feeling extraneous. 

The underlying themes of parental neglect, abandonment, family, secrets, cages, debts, adventure, stories, and the pursuit of knowledge are all well-explored and layered in myriad ways throughout the book and it makes for an excellent tapestry when all is said and done. I loved how the book wrapped up too. Not too neat, not too messy. It was wonderful. 

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.