Since the World Is Ending

by Indyana Schneider

‘This delicate requiem to musicians and their music – how it is born in their veins, why it bleeds from their skin – is larger than the small span of time it embodies, much like a symphony itself. And the utter poetry of the writing! I found myself gasping at a phrase, transported just the way the right series of notes would move me’, Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author

'A lush, gorgeous novel that will completely immerse you in Vienna, seduce you with music and philiosophy and art, and then capture your heart', Eleanor Shearer, author of River Sing Me Home

'Musical, hypnotically lyrical, rhythmic and sensory', Laura Dockrill, author of I Love You I Love You I Love  You

‘Joyful, sensuous and erudite, Since the World is Ending is sharply observed and gloriously intelligent. A delight.’ Jessica Moor, author of Keeper

Can we really get over an all-consuming love? 
What kind of love should define our lives? 

Maya is living her dream in Vienna. First violinist with the prestigious Habsburg Philharmonic, her days are filled with music, her nights with wild parties and passionate, no-strings-attached sex with her colleague, star cellist Lucia Rizzo. 

But when Josh - the ex-love of Maya's life - unexpectedly shows up at her door, the perfect world she's built begins to unravel. 

Set over a blisteringly hot weekend in a city where ghosts lurk in every alleyway, Since the World is Ending explores the sacrifices we make and the risks we take when we pour life into our art. 

A novel about music, consequence, desire and the importance of love and art in a world on fire by a daring and uniquely compelling young novelist. 

Genres: Ebooks, Audiobook, Contemporary

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 17, 2025

Reviews

[Kobe]

wow!! was taken slightly by surprise by how much i enjoyed this book. so compellingly written with some beautiful descriptions and so much emotion. 4 stars

[jocelyn • coolgalreading]

a solid 3.5 -- more messy bisexuals pls

[Sarah Cupitt]

Really grateful for getting to read the advanced copy of this <3

A visceral translation for what I can only describe as the architecture of feeling.

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have never been seduced by a book before, and I devoured its entirety within a day because of its inherent pace and the urgent pull of its prose.

‘Since The World Is Ending’ inhabits a sustained emotional chord that manages to articulate the unspoken language of the heart with an absolutely brilliant clarity and force.

This is a book that demands attention, insisting on being felt as much as it is read.

Maya’s night and day create a rhythm that frequently mimics a musical score, employing cadence and dissonance to amplify the emotional stakes of her life pulled between old memories and a new life in Vienna, stuck between music, consequence, and desire.

The core of this story lies in its ability to connect with the reader on a plane of relatable emotion, entirely avoiding the traditional narrative need for shared lived experiences.

Whilst the narrative explores the Maya’s perspectives on relationships and life’s broader contours, the emotional architecture remains the foundational focus. It is in these moments of intense, shared vulnerability that I felt an intimacy rarely found in contemporary fiction.

The author constructs a language suspended in a fascinating triangulation between English, Deutsch, and the expressive idiom of music and prose operating with startling poetic precision.

The function of the prose is translation, not necessarily in the literal sense, but in the difficult and delicate work of transforming raw feeling into concrete syntax. It addresses those confusing, undescriptive emotions and intellectual notions that become stuck between languages.

A core motif running through the text is the relationship between Maya and her connection to music, particularly the violin, which provides the underlying pulse for the entire book, suggesting that all communication (whilst potentially flawed in judgment) finds itself in rhythm and tone.

I immensely enjoyed being invited to appreciate the spaces between the sentences, the unspoken moments of cultural and emotional translation, in the constraint and the breath, a meditation on love, loss, and belonging.

Ending on a poetic front, I’m quite content that I emerged from finishing this book with a collection of paper cuts, some sort of physical evidence of the desperate speed with which I turned the pages.

Maya's story shows a simple, complicated truth that some loves never truly leave us.

For me, ‘Since The World Is Ending’ offered a new means for understanding the intertwined dynamics of emotion, music, rhythm, and the indelible marks left by past loves.

But just like music itself, everyone hears something different. For you? It might offer something entirely different, which is exactly why you should read it.

[Ellie]

3.5*

i'm disappointed by this as i was excited by the premise, but it didn't live up to its promise of a hot, dramatic weekend in Vienna.

there were great snippets, but the author skimmed over too many themes and memories in pursuit of style to really grab me emotionally or ground the story in place.

where i did feel the heat was in Maya's relationship with Lucia which i enjoyed!

but it always comes back to the quality of writing for me and again, this frustratingly misses its potential, with a lot of 'telling' and repetition that means it lacks the depth and beauty that belongs in a novel about music, memories, sex and love.

[Darc]

Really enjoyed how music was constantly referred to, as a way to make sense of feelings - made me think - imagine understanding something so much that it becomes your natural instinct.

[Kerry]

4.5 stars. I found this impossible to put down once I had started it, it is so intense and brings you into the obsessive world of professional musicians with such force that I couldn't look away, not even for a beat.
The enveloping heat and sensory-overload beauty of Vienna claw at you constantly. I read it during a UK heatwave, which only added to the atmosphere. As I sweated it out in the garden, I could smell the roses and hear the tour guide Maestros giving their spiel. I saw the rich architecture.
This is a book about approaching your thirties and not having everything sorted the way you always thought you would. You're still a mess, and you're running out of things to blame, except yourself. Who are you? What should you focus on for the next thirty years? Are you making the right decisions?
I read a proof and there were parts of the book where the page and word placing had been used creatively, as you sometimes see in poetry. I really hope that makes it into the finished edition because it complements they lyrical style of writing perfectly.
A scorching read.

[Sophia Beem]

This takes place in Vienna, which is very important to my heart. I enjoyed the bisexual love triangle of course, but it dragged somewhat for me and I wasn't super engaged by the character development or the plot generally. "Since the World Is Ending" is an awesome title, though and every time it appeared in the book I was like wow that's good.

[Lucy Skeet]

She’s done it again!!!!

[Malina]

The second-hand devastation of Maya’s love life almost put me on the hospital

I don’t think that I’m strong enough for a real heartbreak

[Sophie Giles]

I didn’t love this, sadly. It’s about a young violinist in Vienna who gets a surprise visit from her ex-bf for the weekend and must decide if he fits into her life of music, ambition, and new love interests.

There is a lot about classical/orchestral/instrumental music in this, which was a bit inaccessible for me but might suit someone into that genre.

Some nice moments but overall I couldn’t get invested in the characters or the melodrama.

[Samantha Tan]

DNF

[Lynn Lipinski]

Coming of age, love triangle story beautifully wrought with themes of music and musicianship. Highly recommend.

[Jake]

3.5.*
Fun premise and enjoyed feeling like I was spending a weekend in Vienna in the middle of a heatwave, but a little predictable from the start

[Lucy]

90% of this book is clunkily written smalltalk between characters

[hana watanabe]

my first ever tear over a book - reminded me so much

[Eleanor Shearer]

This book is beautiful in every sense. A consideration of love in all its forms (lost and otherwise), set over a single weekend in Vienna, this is a must-read if you love:

(1) Transporting, precise and lose-yourself-in-it descriptions of music and what it means to be a musician and an artist. This was a window into another world in the best way, and I've never read anyone so skilled at turning the sensation of listening to music into prose that evokes the same feelings when you read it on the page.

(2) Incredible chemistry. The emotional and physical pull between the characters is palpable and so, so sexy!

(3) Vivid portraits of interesting places. This book brings Vienna to life so vividly, not just its present but its complicated past - with a sprinkling of observations about culture and language that are fascinating to read!

But also a must-read for anyone who has been, is, or will be in that strange period of your late twenties where life feels both fixed and unfixed at the same time. The emotional core of this book, for me, is about how you navigate those choices. I read this at a point in my life where so much was in flux following a bereavement, and it touched me to my core to think about slowing down and taking time, as the protagonist Maya learns to do over the course of this book.

TL;DR: this is a wonderful novel and you should sink into it and let it capture you body and soul.

[Mariella]

Had a good time reading this novel!

Having just read Heart the Lover by Lily King before this, I did end up getting the plots muddled in my head a little bit since they both deal with main characters living new lives when an old friend/lover comes back to open up doors what were supposedly closed.

That said, I think I preferred Since the World is Ending more because of the theme of music throughout (as a big music lover), it being set somewhere completely unknown to me personally but feeling so embedded there while reading. I also liked how the majority of the plot felt unpredictable/cliché and left me guessing or wanting to read on.

A few things I really enjoyed were; the fact it was set across one weekend (which I only realised when I turned the page to ‘SATURDAY’), the narrator talking to her violin, her memory drawer, her breaking the fourth wall (and being almost lazy towards the end of the book where she gives you options to chose a metaphor or when she questions herself aloud to the reader), and of course the Joni Mitchell references toward the end!!

[Rebecca Larsen]

Really - why can't we give half stars here, because this was a 4.5 read for me.

Set against the backdrop of classical Vienna, and not heavily plot driven, we follow Maya as she navigates new and past loves. When her ex turns up unexpectedly, she must reconcile the life she dreams of against the promises that may come with compromise. What gives her life breath? Who makes her feel alive? What is she willing to lose?

I loved the references to music - and there is a Spotify playlist that goes along with the novel (perfection!). I loved the images of Vienna. I loved the cast of supporting characters. At moments this novel was raw and heartbreaking, but you won't regret one minute of your reading time.

[Lola Collins]

Since the World Is Ending is a beautifully written, introspective novel about love, ambition, and the cost of perfection. Set in Vienna, it follows Maya, a violinist whose carefully ordered life unravels when an old lover returns. Indyana Schneider brings authenticity to the world of classical music, capturing both its beauty and emotional weight. The prose is lyrical and the atmosphere richly drawn. While the story moves slowly, it offers deep insight into relationships, identity, and sacrifice. A thoughtful, meditative read for anyone who enjoys character-driven literary fiction with a strong artistic core.

[faria]

This book completely pulls you in, I adored the way it was written. I felt like I was completely transported to Vienna. I was already drawn into the book because of the mentioning of Vienna and the orchestra but the story itself made me not want to put this down.

Music is so important to life and those who create it understand more than most how it can transform and ground you. Not only did I adore the ode to music and musicians but the story itself about pursuing what feels like your purpose in life and the consequences of this made for such a compelling read.

[Louise]

Review copy via NetGalley.

The way that Schneider uses the flow of words on the page to capture music, or a sensation or thought is very effective. I enjoyed the overall plot and appreciated the main character's passion for music. I love how Vienna came to life on the page.

If I have one gripe, I would say that Josh is maybe a touch underwritten and I didn't quite believe the chemistry between him and Maya. The scenes with Lucia worked very well, however.

[Jess Brooker]

Set over a weekend in Vienna, this was such a beautifully written story about music, love, art, lust and emotions. Maya is living her dream as a first violinist in Vienna, has started seeing a fellow musician Lucia in her orchestra, when her ex Josh suddenly visits her in Vienna. This is a novel for musicians - music runs through every theme of the book, and is even present in the rhythm of the words on the page. The emotions run so deep, and are articulated so well.

[b]

Wowowowowowow

Beautifully written
I love all the references to music art and culture that I didn’t understand
Lots of violin imagery which I appreciate I realise what I love about reading is reading something the author is passionate about and learning so much more (except maybe names of dead musicians aren’t a must haha)

Argh actually heart wrenching and lowkeyyyy reflective whoops because who wouldn’t want your ex to track you down from London to Vienna 🤯

[Elizabeth Barnard]

Indyana Schneider really has something amazing - I loved her first book and loved this even more. A really sexy, emotional, dramatic book filled with beautiful writing and a true deference for love as a theme, and what it feels to love/lust after someone, and how so much of that is just noticing them. Every page was a delight, and I loved the sense of place and writing about music too. -0.5 stars for an ever so slightly rushed/unsatisfying ending - but perhaps that’s the point!

[Kathy Peacock]

This book is truly exquisite. I devoured it. Pacey, passionate, profound. Deeply sensual and sensory. I’ve never seen music written about like this. I loved the characters, the tension, the literary surprises - and how Vienna itself is evoked so potently. The perfect, thought provoking and painfully romantic summer read.

[Maddie Reynolds]

quick and easy read, yummy premise - Vienna romance, musicians, summer ~~
but reads more like something that should have been a nonficish personal essay collection; the better moments are all those that more explicitly discuss the author's love/passion/musings on music, or describe the beauty of Vienna or love. ending was a bit blah

[Tayla Squires]

Was excited to read this one as I loved 28 questions. It took me longer to get through, though, and I wasn’t necessarily aching to pick it up until the last little bit - then I was emotional and could relate to the pain both characters were in a lot. Very classical music based and those metaphors or descriptions went over my head but may land for others.

[Khristee Rich]

I loved this book! I don't read fiction that often but I heard the author speak at London Writers Salon and I was intrigued. The writing was so good! I loved how she made use of all of the senses so that you could touch, smell, see, hear, and experience all the emotions. It was a great page turner. I didn't want it to end.

[Roxana]

I loved that this book took me to my favorite city in the world, Vienna, and I also loved the parts about music, about Maya’s memory drawer, about art and how it shapes us, yet the plot kind of lacked depth and I found the book not that engaging after the first 100 pages. This book let me thinking what was it about… a mixture of emotions, how these shape us and influence our art… about friendship, love, mixed feelings, brokenness… lets say it takes you into the world of prefessional musicians…

[Eleanor Harper]

this novel was so poetic; and such a beautiful tribute to music and people. although, i think this book was most impactful in it’s less poetic moments. i think the simplicity of some of the writing really captures how we always seem to be least able to express our feelings to the people who make us feel the most deeply. can’t lie, the first half is pretty slow; but it builds to beyond 5 stars.