Lovely photo by @crescentfiction!
Hey fairies,
I hope you are all excited for Day 2 of the January Adult Book readalong of The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers. Yesterday we left off with Penelope finding out that Marianne is searching for The City of Stardust!
Today we are reading from chapter 11 to the end of chapter 21. Let’s jump back into the story!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers from Chapter 11 to the end of Chapter 21. Please only read on if you have finished this section!
!SPOILERS!
Violet is going to meet the other scholars but she doesn’t know who they are. I wonder if Penelope would approve of this.
Wait, it’s a party with all the scholars. Andthey all have some form of a key, either as a tattoo or an object, as a method of identification.
What does Adelia want to talk to Violet about? I’m also curious what Ambrose wants to talk to Penelope about.
Does Adelia really know Marianne well I wonder? Wait no her mother was a scholar and studied in Fidelis!
Why would it be too late to ask her uncles anything at all? Unless Adelia is threatening them.
It is so interesting to know that Marianne was very gifted and apparently threw it all away, I wonder for what?
Will her uncles tell her the truth I doubt it.
They told her the truth and Penelope needs the blood of an Everly either Marianne or Violet soon. This is so stressful.
Aleksander to the rescue by saying will take her to Fidelis to find her mum! Even if it is for his own benefit of potentially becoming a scholar.
He is going to steal her key so he can bring Violet there! My heart is racing I hope he can pull it off!
The people have forgotten the City of Stardust and Marianne has stolen all the research about it! I wonder what happened to it.
Where is Aleksander why did he not come for her?
Penelope is an awful woman! Why would she kill Matt? Violet would have to go with her within a year!
Not all the Everly’s arguing and then leaving. Violet is on her own now and hopefully will figure out where her mum is!
Penelope is locked out of her home world which I assume to be the City of Stardust. I wonder if the Everlys locked it away so their punishment is their blood?
Part 2 starts with an old story which is potentially a story of Penelope and her lover who was an Everly? The city that was built must have been the City of Stardust. I have so many theories.
I love that Violet went out on her own to find Marianne without anyone’s help but she only has 6 weeks left.
Where is Aleksander??
She has snuck into a scholar party and found someone who can read her cards in terms of her present and future! I love this element.
The first card tell her that she is lost and looking for some guidance. The lover’s card shows that she might be betrayed by Aleksander. But then she finally gets the card of Astriade, who we know is Penelope from her talk with Tamriel – she is basically the Goddess of Destruction.
He refers to her as a curse?? Maybe the Everlys aren’t the curse.
Not Caspian being a good guy in a way and helping Violet.
Yulan selling the map was not helpful at all and why is she telling Violet not to return? Are they all scared of Penelope?
Who is helping Violet maybe Aleksander?
Penelope is murdering people again, as a warning.
Marianne seems to have been a once-in-a-generation talent, I wonder if Violet could do that?
To discover the old city would be amazing but I want to know why it was cut off.
If this man won’t help her, why ask her here? All these scholars annoy me as they are so fake to each other.
Aleksander is back!
The way that they talked for hours made me so happy. But she still doesn’t know much. Like what happened to him when he got caught.
I wish she would tell him about the curse properly.
The story is picking up pace, especially with the deadline that Violet has! I am excited to see her hopefully travel to Fidelis.
How are you enjoying Violet as an adult?
Do you trust Aleksander?
Where do you think Marianne is?
I am excited to read more with you all tomorrow, fairies!
Love,
Emily
So happy to tag along this communal reading.
It is a bit reminiscent of His Dark Materials, for now, and may be Locke and Key, but it is very well written. Can’t wait to Knowles more !
I’m enjoy adult Violet, she is the one making the decision and take action of her life. I wish she talk to their uncles because they were try to protect her, even though not very well.
I don’t trust Alexander, first for the card (a lover is going to betray Violet) and second Alexander and Penelope relation was very toxic, she was using the fact that he has no family by manipolating him to want to enter the scholar so he would belong somewhere. I believe she is still doing so. I also think that he is the orphan baby from Prague.
I don’t know where Marianne is, since nobody seems to know I’m starting to thing she is not in this wold!
I agree I wish Violet spoke to her uncles!
definitely picking up the pace – it was hard to stop today!
1/ I love violet as an adult!
2/ I don’t trust aleksander and I don’t think violet will again for a while – deep down he’s a good egg though
3/ I think marianne has been continuing her search around the world because it seems like violet just missed her but I have a feeling she might die just before violet is able to find her
Aleksander just isn’t doing anything to make me think he is trustworthy!
We definitely got more information in this section and the book got more enjoyable for me!
I like Violet as an adult, it was cool that she decided to go on an adventure and find out as much information as possible. Despite that I’m still sad that she is not talking to her uncles, they could potentially help her and share even more information about the world she knows so little of.
I want to trust Aleksander, I do, but right now he has given no reason for that. I liked how he talked with Violet for hours after they met, but he had his own agenda before and who’s to say that he is still not working for Penelope… But I hope he will be the ally Violet needs soon.
I have no idea where Marianne is. It seems like she is also travelling all over the world and trying to get information, the map and perhaps other objects as well. I still find it so sketchy that she just left Violet and then has never shown up. I’m more than sure that she must know about the curse and that Penelope will take Violet if she doesn’t show up herself.
I don’t trust Aleksander. I feel like she’s trusting him too easily, but maybe it’s because she doesn’t really know Penelope yet? But yea, something is going on.
I’m enjoying Violet as an adult. I want her to experience adventure, though. And I’m still mad at her mom
How are you enjoying Violet as an adult?
– I like Violet – I’m glad she isn’t giving up and that’s she travelling and seeing the world. I do hope if she finds her mother alive then she has a good reason for staying away.
Do you trust Aleksander?
– I don’t trust him but I do like him 😂. I also feel a bit sorry for him he was kidnapped as a child and brought up terribly by Penelope. I think he will betray Violet but make things up by the end.
Where do you think Marianne is?
– I think Marianne is at the missing world that everyone is looking for and that’s why no one can find her. I think that is where she went from the beginning of the book.
Hopefully she has already found the missing world!
Okay Penelope is definitely giving me villain vibes, she didn’t need to kill Matt.
I really like adult Violet, especially she’s now out in the world!
Not sure whether to trust Aleksander, I want to but something is making me hesitate. I don’t think he’d betray her again (to be fair we don’t know what happened when he tried to steal the key), but he definitely needs to prove himself.
Honestly Marianne could be dead. She’s become this mythical character almost, that or she’s completed her task or ascended to a higher being. Feels like there needs to be something.
I’m really enjoying the writing, the weaving of different POVs as well as the passage of time. It’s quite a beautiful book!
It is a beautiful book to read!
As much as I want to trust Aleksander, I don’t. The fact that we didn’t learn exactly what happened with him, leads me to think that he is hiding something. Especially since he had been plotting to deceive Violet when he was fetching the key. I don’t trust him. But I like him so I want to trust him. But I don’t.
I can’t wait to read more! I’m really loving this so far!
I am so glad you are enjoying it!
This section was definitely jam packed with new discoveries!
That party was wild and I wasn’t sure how I was feeling towards Caspian but he might be a good ally for her down the road….but I could also see him leading her along with help just to betray her in the hopes of becoming a scholar (kinda like someone else we know). And poor Matt 😢 I totally understood how Violet just ups and runs away to try to do this on her own after that incident. While she is an adult, everything is so new to her and she has far too many shocking things happen to her for her to be super rational and listen to her uncles.
I am still not trusting Aleksander, I think he is too set on becoming a scholar to be trustworthy. If he got information he could use to become one, I feel like he would take advantage of that. I am curious about what they learn before they get their tattoos. Perhaps he is blind to all of the bad in the scholars and as he becomes aware he will take a stand against it 🤞🏼
1. How are you enjoying Violet as an adult?
I am quite enjoying her, but still miss a bit of depth in her character
2. Do you trust Aleksander?
Yes and no. I trust he somehow cares about Violet, but as of now I think he cares more about becoming a scholar still and will do whatever to get to that goal at the expanse of Violet. I do hope he’ll become an ally and will chose Violet over being a scholar in the end tho
3. Where do you think Marianne is?
No clue, but I do believe she is somewhere stuck or lost. She might’ve found another world, just not the one she was looking for. I wouldn’t be surprised if Violet would be the first to set foot in the original world.
I agree, Aleksander seems to want to be a scholar more than anything else.
1) How are you enjoying Violet as an adult?
She’s interesting! I would have been TERRIFIED to leave if I was her. She’d barely left her house and is now navigating international airports? My social anxiety could never.
2) Do you trust Aleksander?
I trust him more than Penelope. I need to find out more about what’s happened to him over the past year before I fully decide if I can.
3) Where do you think Marianne is?
Hiding in plain sight? But also, maybe dead or in another world with no way back
This section was much more interesting, it feels like we’re finally getting into the story proper. I love that we’re getting to see a grown-up Violet trying to find her mother on her own, I just wish we’d have gotten more scenes with her travelling around the world , instead of a one year time-skip.
Aleksander I def don’t trust, or better said, I don’t trust his connection with Penelope. It’s clear she’s forcing him to use Violet to find Marianne, but I’m not sure yet how much of that is Penelope’s influence and how much is Aleksander’s own ambitions and his desire to fit among the scholars.
Where is Marianne? Everywhere and nowhere I suppose. We know Violet is on her trail through various cities in the world, and that Marianne is searching for the city of Stardust and that she left the Everly estate with a reveurite key. My best guess right now is that she’s still flitting through worlds, searching for that city.
How are you enjoying Violet as an adult? I’m enjoying seeing more of her. I hope she finds Marianne
Do you trust Aleksander? I do trust him, he seems nice so far
Where do you think Marianne is? I’m guessing in the city of stardust since she stole the information about it
1) I definitely enjoy adult Violet more than child Violet, but I don’t understand her motivations. Even before she had a deadline, she was looking for her mother. But why? Every time she talks about her, it seems like she grows more and more resentful of her. It doesn’t seem like she really wants to find her. But it doesn’t seem like she’s only looking for her for the sake of saving her own skin from Penelope either. I just think her motivations aren’t properly explained and seem conflicting, and because this motivation is a defining character trait, it carries across to her becoming a confusing character. Maybe we’ll learn more soon. I also am not a fan of this “cutting off everyone I know and going at it alone” act from her lately. Cutting off her uncles? Not trusting anyone? It’s a poor character trait and I hope we’ll see this change soon.
2) I trust that he *wants* to do right by Violet, but not that he will, if that makes sense. I think Penelope knows exactly how to manipulate him and sink her claws in to get him to do her bidding. So while she’s out of the picture and leaving them alone, he’ll be the perfect companion. If she shows up, he’ll turn on her. Not because he wants to, but because Penelope will force him to.
3) I think she either found the City of Stardust or she died searching. Or maybe she’s traveling through other worlds, now that she’s unlocked the means to do so.
Also- is anyone else getting a midi-chlorians vibes from Violet’s birth? No one knows or has met her father. She looks identical to Marianne. I think maybe in her research or discoveries, Marianne might have created her own daughter. Maybe from the magical mineral? And that could mean Violet would be an insanely powerful scholar. Just a theory.
I hope we meet Violets dad!
I am finding Violet a little bit impulsive but I also can’t blame her because they have lied to her her whole life so she really needs to find her own answers to things.
I don’t trust Aleksander right now. It seems suspect that he’s back all of a sudden. What are his goals?
I wonder if she’s actually found the way to the other world but is hiding it from everyone else.
How are you enjoying Violet as an adult?
I think that Violet is definitely headstrong and very naive to the situation that she in (which isn’t all her fault) If her uncles/mum were open with her, would she openly share information with Aleksander?
Do you trust Aleksander?
No, I think he is playing a game with her. I think that he is for himself and as h wants to be a scholar, setting up Violet to find her mum might be the key for him to do that.
Where do you think Marianne is?
I think that she isn’t in Fidelis but she is in one of the other worlds that she has unlocked with the key in order to break the family curse.
So far I have really been enjoying this book, the story and characters are very interesting. I’m looking forward to reading what happens next.
Hmm very curious what Penelope is what with the shadows and her ability to control everyone through fear. Do all the scholars know her deal? She seems a bit powered down for a god so if she is the woman from the story, maybe she needs to get back to the city of stardust to regain her full power.
I think Violet is being a little harsh on her uncles. Yes she should be upset they hid everything from her, but it was in an attempt to protect her. And she might only be alive a little while longer; does she really want to leave their relationship like that?
I empathize with Aleksander; having to work for Penelope and still being denied the opportunity to become a scholar. But now Violet knows why he came to the coffee shop. Sure it seems like he has genuine feelings for her, but he’s been under Penelope’s abuse most of his life so I wouldn’t trust him with any important info.
I feel like some of the scholars know what and who she is!
I feel like time flies in this book, Violet was an infant at the begining and now she is travelling the world.
And something that bothers me is where does she find the money and resources to travel the world? Yes, she worked in a cafe and lived at her uncles but money ends up easily while traveling. And she seems to go wherever at a hint notice.
How are you enjoying Violet as an adult?
I didn’t fully catch when we transitioned to her being an adult but I can see where her character has grown.
Do you trust Aleksander?
NOPE. I don’t trust him at all. He betrayed us once.
Where do you think Marianne is?
I think she is in Fidelis.
I’m glad you also don’t trust him!
I am glad that Violet is taking things into her own hands. Is it the best idea? No. But at least she’s not just letting her uncles push her around. I really don’t trust Aleksander. I think Violet was starting to grow on him, but then he got caught stealing the key. Since Penelope didn’t kill him, he must be up to something for her. I’m not really sure where Marianne could be. Maybe she made it to Elandriel? She could maybe have attempted to get to Elandriel and got stuck between worlds?