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The Summer War
In this poignant, heartfelt novella from the New York Times bestselling author of Spinning Silver and the Scholomance Trilogy, a young witch who has inadvertently cursed her brother to live a life without love must find a way to undo her spell.
Celia discovered her talent for magic on the day her beloved oldest brother Argent left home. Furious at him for abandoning her in a war-torn land, she lashed out, not realizing her childish, angry words would suddenly become imbued with the power of prophecy, dooming him to a life without love.
While Argent wanders the world, forced to seek only fame and glory instead of the love and belonging he truly desires, Celia attempts to undo the curse she placed on him. Yet even as she grows from a girl to a woman, she cannot find the solution—until she learns the truth about the centuries-old war between her own people and the summerlings, the immortal beings who hold a relentless grudge against their mortal neighbors.
Now, with the aid of her unwanted middle brother, Celia may be able to both undo her eldest brother's curse and heal the lands so long torn apart by the Summer War.
Celia discovered her talent for magic on the day her beloved oldest brother Argent left home. Furious at him for abandoning her in a war-torn land, she lashed out, not realizing her childish, angry words would suddenly become imbued with the power of prophecy, dooming him to a life without love.
While Argent wanders the world, forced to seek only fame and glory instead of the love and belonging he truly desires, Celia attempts to undo the curse she placed on him. Yet even as she grows from a girl to a woman, she cannot find the solution—until she learns the truth about the centuries-old war between her own people and the summerlings, the immortal beings who hold a relentless grudge against their mortal neighbors.
Now, with the aid of her unwanted middle brother, Celia may be able to both undo her eldest brother's curse and heal the lands so long torn apart by the Summer War.
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2025
516 people are currently reading
32776 people want to read
About the author
Naomi Novik
70 books36k followersAn avid reader of fantasy literature since age six, when she first made her way through The Lord of the Rings, Naomi Novik is also a history buff with a particular interest in the Napoleonic era and a fondness for the work of Patrick O’Brian and Jane Austen. She studied English literature at Brown University, and did graduate work in computer science at Columbia University before leaving to participate in the design and development of the computer game Neverwinter Nights: Shadow of Undrentide. Over the course of a brief winter sojourn spent working on the game in Edmonton, Canada (accompanied by a truly alarming coat that now lives brooding in the depths of her closet), she realized she preferred writing to programming, and on returning to New York, decided to try her hand at novels.
Naomi lives in New York City with her husband and six computers. Her website is at naominovik.com
Naomi lives in New York City with her husband and six computers. Her website is at naominovik.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,369 reviews
September 12, 2025
Ever accidentally cursed your sibling and doomed them to a life without love, that time when you were 12 years old and got your first period? No? Well then, give yourself a pat on the back. You’re already doing better than Celia, surprise sorceress and inadvertent destroyer of her brother Argent’s romantic prospects.
As someone who ate up both Spinning Silver and the Scholomance trilogy (A Deadly Education, et al.), I wasn’t surprised that The Summer War hit my sweet spot. It reminded me of a combination of both worlds in some ways, with the fairytale-like whimsy of Spinning Silver complete with seasonal weather that shapes the world, and a fae-like character reminiscent of the King of the Staryk. But at the same time, it carries the subtle, scathing political bite of the Scholomance trilogy.
That’s what I love about Novik. She’s versatile, adaptable and can switch up or blend narrative styles like a literary chameleon, but she also sneaks in critiques of capitalism, privilege and oppression. Whether it’s tied up with a neat little bow in a dark academia series or folkloric fantasy standalone tale, it never feels preachy. So if you’re reading Novik just for fun, vibes and escapism, you’ll find it.
But pay closer attention, and you’ll see she’s also making a statement about the fragile egos of leaders who need war to cling to their “thrones”, the lies and propaganda that keep the powerful in power, as well as the futility and senselessness of war itself. If you keep informed of current events around the world, you'll understand why these subtle underlying themes hit so hard and tore my heart out.
Additionally, what genuinely surprised me was that in under 200 pages, I was up in all my feelings for the characters. For FMC Celia, but even more so for Roric, the middle brother destined to be everyone’s spare part instead of his own person, for Argent, the cursed eldest, and even for Veris, the dad. My heart ached, broke and also healed. It was quite the journey.
Finally, for me, the novella length was satisfying and I didn’t feel like I needed or wanted more. By the end, I was emotionally wrecked and fulfilled all at once and the story left me all squishy. That said… I wouldn’t be bummed if Novik ever wrote a standalone set in the same world with the same characters.
Buddy reading this with my sis Ivana made it even better because we were so emotionally in sync over everything. She had some incisive thoughts, so be sure to check out her review.
If you appreciate any of Novik’s past works, then I’m gonna say there is a good chance you’ll love this too and in that case you should read this.
Thank you so much to NetGalley & Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for the ARC.
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
Me: (Reading a witchy book)
Absolutely no one:
Me: All I really want is to live in a forest hut, get a crow familiar, a talking cat, and rain down curses on my enemies is that too much to ask for
Delighted to read this with bsf Ivana 🧙♀️
As someone who ate up both Spinning Silver and the Scholomance trilogy (A Deadly Education, et al.), I wasn’t surprised that The Summer War hit my sweet spot. It reminded me of a combination of both worlds in some ways, with the fairytale-like whimsy of Spinning Silver complete with seasonal weather that shapes the world, and a fae-like character reminiscent of the King of the Staryk. But at the same time, it carries the subtle, scathing political bite of the Scholomance trilogy.
That’s what I love about Novik. She’s versatile, adaptable and can switch up or blend narrative styles like a literary chameleon, but she also sneaks in critiques of capitalism, privilege and oppression. Whether it’s tied up with a neat little bow in a dark academia series or folkloric fantasy standalone tale, it never feels preachy. So if you’re reading Novik just for fun, vibes and escapism, you’ll find it.
But pay closer attention, and you’ll see she’s also making a statement about the fragile egos of leaders who need war to cling to their “thrones”, the lies and propaganda that keep the powerful in power, as well as the futility and senselessness of war itself. If you keep informed of current events around the world, you'll understand why these subtle underlying themes hit so hard and tore my heart out.
Additionally, what genuinely surprised me was that in under 200 pages, I was up in all my feelings for the characters. For FMC Celia, but even more so for Roric, the middle brother destined to be everyone’s spare part instead of his own person, for Argent, the cursed eldest, and even for Veris, the dad. My heart ached, broke and also healed. It was quite the journey.
Finally, for me, the novella length was satisfying and I didn’t feel like I needed or wanted more. By the end, I was emotionally wrecked and fulfilled all at once and the story left me all squishy. That said… I wouldn’t be bummed if Novik ever wrote a standalone set in the same world with the same characters.
Buddy reading this with my sis Ivana made it even better because we were so emotionally in sync over everything. She had some incisive thoughts, so be sure to check out her review.
If you appreciate any of Novik’s past works, then I’m gonna say there is a good chance you’ll love this too and in that case you should read this.
Thank you so much to NetGalley & Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for the ARC.
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
Me: (Reading a witchy book)
Absolutely no one:
Me: All I really want is to live in a forest hut, get a crow familiar, a talking cat, and rain down curses on my enemies is that too much to ask for
Delighted to read this with bsf Ivana 🧙♀️
August 11, 2025
I remember the first time I read “Spinning Silver” as a short story in an anthology, it was meant to retell Rumpelstiltskin but felt so underdeveloped and unfinished I immediately understood why Naomi Novik decided to rewrite it as a full novel. This gives off the same vibes.
But the difference is that “The Summer War” is a novella and more developed and self-contained than short-story “Spinning Silver” was. So, whilst I’m convinced that “The Summer War” can (and should) be made into a full novel, it’s not a hard yes or a necessity. There’s one good reason why it should be longer, and one good reason why it doesn’t need to be longer.
Let’s elaborate on the contra first: It doesn’t need to be longer because its plot is compact and standalone. It can work as a prequel to a full novel telling Celia’s story well into adulthood, since this novella covers a small chunk of her youth and there’s still potential past the events of “The Summer War.” If Naomi Novik wished so, she can easily continue Celia’s story with a new, full-length novel (or even another novella) without needing to alter or rewrite this one.
And, of course, she can also just leave “The Summer War” as is, it already reads like a fairy tale without being one.
Now, for the argument in favour of lengthening “The Summer War,” I would say that it wouldn't need much more added, maybe 50 pages or so, and for specific reasons, not for the entire plot. Of course, rewriting the entire plot to add more like with “Spinning Silver” is possible, but the former was much rougher and, as I said, more of a rough diamond, whereas this one isn’t a rough diamond but a diamond already faceted. It does have less-than-perfect facets, but it doesn’t easily lend itself to a full rewrite. To me, there’s four things in the plot that would need padding up and rewriting in a longer novel.
Beware of spoilers ahead.
THE ROUGH-ROUND-THE-EDGE FACETS OF THE DIAMOND
a. Unrealistic representation of a pubescent girl’s mentality.
When “The Summer War” starts, Celia is twelve and hasn’t had her first period yet. She’s such a sheltered and naïve noblewoman, so dreamy and sighing so much about songs that she reminded me of Sansa Stark from ASOIAF (I suspect Novik read the series), but this appropriate mentality for a young girl doesn’t last but a few paragraphs, because suddenly Celia starts thinking, making guesses, picking up on subtext and innuendo, and scheming and feeling like someone older.
Practically like an adult woman, if I’m honest. She makes observations a 12-year-old wouldn’t be able to, not one that was raised like her. She sees things she shouldn’t be able to given her age and vantage position. For example, she guesses her adored brother is gay from vague snippets of conversation between him and their father; she can run a huge castle like a trained housekeeper with no education for that; she can guess her wily father’s tactics and schemes at a glance, and so on. She’s too omniscient and too knowledgeable for her age! No way she could be twelve or fifteen (her age by the end of the story); she wasn’t prepared for anything she can do, not even for the use of her magic. And no, that she has inherited magic with her period doesn’t explain why she is so omniscient and competent.
This is one of the most unrealistic young girl POVs I’ve read. I don’t think Novik quite struck the balance between the inexperience and innocence of a pubescent girl growing into a woman. She wrote a full-grown woman in the body of a pre-menstruating girl. And the fact that the “curse” on Celia’s brother came about because Celia was too young and hurt and threw a tantrum is grating in view of the incongruity with her sudden maturity and older-woman smarts.
This is the most important thing Novik would have to fix in a longer novel.
b. Instalove
Argent and Prince Elythion should’ve known each other more before falling for each other, full stop. That Elythion fell for Argent basically overnight during the duels between his knights and Celia’s brother is ridiculous in and by itself, but the fact that Prince Elythion is a human-hating Fae bent on revenge against humans for the death of his sister makes the instalove far more ludicrous.
It’s laughably quick that love blossoms between these two. There’s no reason at all for that. Elythion’s faerie tool can’t simply override his century-old enmity and stand to attention at the first hot human he sees, let’s be serious!
I’d have added a backstory to this, have these two meet before and create some sort of connection before they fall in love with each other. Argent has been three years or so wandering in the Summer Lands, time enough for the faerie prince to investigate, meet the unusual knight, have interactions, kick him in the shins, anything! Something that creates a connection to justify the love that comes later. That would also create interesting conflicts for Argent given his curse.
This is definitely the second most important thing that would need rewriting for a full novel.
c. Cartoonish mentality of the Fae
Credit where credit is due: Naomi Novik does know how to give the Fae a truly otherworldly mindset, and not merely write them as super hot and super magical humans like others do. But, there’s a downside to this talent of hers: It doesn’t work well in short form, because that makes the faerie folk look cartoonish.
And the Summerlings are cartoonishly simple in their mindset and worldviews in “The Summer War.” They are like a caricature of Sansa’s love for “true” knights and knightly deeds of heroism, almost like a parody of Don Quixote. They kill each other for the “honour” of being challenged to a knightly duel. They kill themselves over the “dishonour” of not being loved back. They believe songs and stories are true and value them over anything, even life itself, etc.
They really are like a parody of the Medieval romans de chevalerie, offensively so when you’re knowledgeable and appreciative of them.
I am aware that this probably has to do with the POV being Celia, and she’s a prejudiced narrator although not an unreliable one. I remember that the Staryk in “Spinning Silver” did also come off as caricaturesque in the short story version, but once in the full novel he was given layers and a personality and he was a good character. Therefore, I’m inclined to think that it’s the constraints of space and word-count that have forced Novik to simplify—oversimplify even—the Summerlings to the point they don’t read realistic.
Elythion is like the Staryk’s tropical weather twin, I’m convinced that in a full novel he’d get a personality and would be a better character, too. And, in all fairness, everyone but Celia and her father read a tad one-dimensional here; both her brothers would also use some more characterisation, especially Argent.
d. The wrong Evil Bastard
I believe King Sherdan shouldn’t have been revealed as the story’s original baddie, the reveal about what he had truly done to Elythion’s sister was out of the blue and unnecessary, in my opinion. It would’ve been best to keep Elythion as the baddie-by-accident, wrongfully but sincerely believing he was avenging a cruel slight to his beloved sister only to find out he had been mistaken, a terrible error that cost thousands of lives on both sides, a sin he would have to reckon with and live with for the rest of his immortal life. What better way to have a heart in conflict with itself than that?
Instead, we are told that the Royal Family are the bad eggs, from the old king of one hundred years ago to the current king and his heir. That’s getting Elythion off the hook too easily, too conveniently, and never letting him pay the consequences of his deeds just because he needs to be kissing Celia’s brother.
I protest this shifting of the blame for the Summer War. Sherdan could’ve stayed to blame without being made into a convenient scapegoaty jerk that abused the faerie princess, and thus gave the Summerlings a valid casus belli, and Elythion should’ve stayed to blame for being a prideful hothead too willing to sacrifice lives. The war should’ve had complex motives and two sides to it, as all wars have, as it appeared to in the beginning, without oversimplifying it and blaming it all on Sherdan and his descendants, and absolving Elythion too quickly of the blood of faerie and humans on his hands.
The ending was definitely unbelievable to me, personally.
THE SHINY FACETS OF THE DIAMOND
Of course, you can’t mention a gemstone without also mentioning its beauty, and “The Summer War” does have good plot points that shine through the rough edges, too, or I wouldn’t have liked it as I did.
a. The family dynamics
If you’ll forgive me for bringing ASOIAF up again for a comparison, the protagonist family in this story are like what the Lannisters would have been if they weren’t . . . well, the Lannisters.
Think about it this way: Tywin Lannister is a wily tactician and politician with flexible morals (as is Grand Duke Veris), his oldest son Jaime is the greatest knight in the realm and a superb warrior (as is Argent), his daughter Cersei is a beautiful girl destined to be queen (as is Celia), and his youngest son Tyrion is physically ugly and deformed but very smart when not neglected (as is Roric). The tragedy of the Lannisters is that they’re utterly dysfunctional because they have an abusive and unscrupulous father that sees them as his pawns rather than as his children, and that’s why Jaime and Cersei and Tyrion are all fucked up in different ways.
Not so the family of Veris the Fox. They’re the functional (ish) version of the Lannisters. Celia adores her brother, learns to care for her other brother, and admires her father; and her brothers reciprocate. And her father, even though he’s dout and a tough nut, does love his children too, making mistakes and learning all the way. They’re not perfect, they screw up, but they make an effort to work as a family unit, and succeed at it.
Perhaps the best dynamic within this family is the siblings dynamic. Which brings me to the next positive aspect.
b. Brothers and sister relationships
If you’re expecting romance to be the centrepiece, forget it. The relationship to root for here is the one between Argent and Celia, and Celia and Roric.
The plot premise of “The Summer War” is that Celia curses her brother in a rage at believing he’s abandoning her when he decides to leave home due to painful personal reasons. Argent and she must patch up their relationship because of that, and it’s a hard and long process that we don’t see the full extent of because of the length of this story. The budding brother/sister tag team duo of her and Roric gets more onpage time, and is more developed than the one with Argent, and in my opinion should’ve been the highlight more than the one with the other brother.
Both connections run the full spectrum of sibling dynamics, good and bad. I personally liked the resolution to the curse, because it goes full circle and is clever whilst not excessively complicated, and you can see it coming. Another reason why Elythion feels like an uninvited guest at a family party. I’d much have preferred to see more of the three siblings figuring out how to fix the mess.
c. Fairy tale atmosphere
There are stories that read like fairy tales without being fairy tales, and this is one of them. It doesn’t intend to retell any known fairy tale, and I don’t believe Novik had any specific fairy tale in mind, so it’s only the vibe of this type of Fantasy books. It’s the style, the setting, the characters, the elements, the atmosphere that mimics fairy tales without using them directly.
And, because it’s me and it couldn’t be otherwise, this wouldn’t be first or the last time I’ve detected fairy tale plots & elements in books that weren’t meant to be retellings at all, and if by some miracle Naomi Novik came and asked me what fairy tale “The Summer War” would be if it were a retelling, I can easily pinpoint the exact fairy tale it's reminiscent of. Best and more enjoyable if you were to guess it on your own, though.
This gets 3.5 stars from me.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
But the difference is that “The Summer War” is a novella and more developed and self-contained than short-story “Spinning Silver” was. So, whilst I’m convinced that “The Summer War” can (and should) be made into a full novel, it’s not a hard yes or a necessity. There’s one good reason why it should be longer, and one good reason why it doesn’t need to be longer.
Let’s elaborate on the contra first: It doesn’t need to be longer because its plot is compact and standalone. It can work as a prequel to a full novel telling Celia’s story well into adulthood, since this novella covers a small chunk of her youth and there’s still potential past the events of “The Summer War.” If Naomi Novik wished so, she can easily continue Celia’s story with a new, full-length novel (or even another novella) without needing to alter or rewrite this one.
And, of course, she can also just leave “The Summer War” as is, it already reads like a fairy tale without being one.
Now, for the argument in favour of lengthening “The Summer War,” I would say that it wouldn't need much more added, maybe 50 pages or so, and for specific reasons, not for the entire plot. Of course, rewriting the entire plot to add more like with “Spinning Silver” is possible, but the former was much rougher and, as I said, more of a rough diamond, whereas this one isn’t a rough diamond but a diamond already faceted. It does have less-than-perfect facets, but it doesn’t easily lend itself to a full rewrite. To me, there’s four things in the plot that would need padding up and rewriting in a longer novel.
Beware of spoilers ahead.
THE ROUGH-ROUND-THE-EDGE FACETS OF THE DIAMOND
a. Unrealistic representation of a pubescent girl’s mentality.
When “The Summer War” starts, Celia is twelve and hasn’t had her first period yet. She’s such a sheltered and naïve noblewoman, so dreamy and sighing so much about songs that she reminded me of Sansa Stark from ASOIAF (I suspect Novik read the series), but this appropriate mentality for a young girl doesn’t last but a few paragraphs, because suddenly Celia starts thinking, making guesses, picking up on subtext and innuendo, and scheming and feeling like someone older.
Practically like an adult woman, if I’m honest. She makes observations a 12-year-old wouldn’t be able to, not one that was raised like her. She sees things she shouldn’t be able to given her age and vantage position. For example, she guesses her adored brother is gay from vague snippets of conversation between him and their father; she can run a huge castle like a trained housekeeper with no education for that; she can guess her wily father’s tactics and schemes at a glance, and so on. She’s too omniscient and too knowledgeable for her age! No way she could be twelve or fifteen (her age by the end of the story); she wasn’t prepared for anything she can do, not even for the use of her magic. And no, that she has inherited magic with her period doesn’t explain why she is so omniscient and competent.
This is one of the most unrealistic young girl POVs I’ve read. I don’t think Novik quite struck the balance between the inexperience and innocence of a pubescent girl growing into a woman. She wrote a full-grown woman in the body of a pre-menstruating girl. And the fact that the “curse” on Celia’s brother came about because Celia was too young and hurt and threw a tantrum is grating in view of the incongruity with her sudden maturity and older-woman smarts.
This is the most important thing Novik would have to fix in a longer novel.
b. Instalove
Argent and Prince Elythion should’ve known each other more before falling for each other, full stop. That Elythion fell for Argent basically overnight during the duels between his knights and Celia’s brother is ridiculous in and by itself, but the fact that Prince Elythion is a human-hating Fae bent on revenge against humans for the death of his sister makes the instalove far more ludicrous.
It’s laughably quick that love blossoms between these two. There’s no reason at all for that. Elythion’s faerie tool can’t simply override his century-old enmity and stand to attention at the first hot human he sees, let’s be serious!
I’d have added a backstory to this, have these two meet before and create some sort of connection before they fall in love with each other. Argent has been three years or so wandering in the Summer Lands, time enough for the faerie prince to investigate, meet the unusual knight, have interactions, kick him in the shins, anything! Something that creates a connection to justify the love that comes later. That would also create interesting conflicts for Argent given his curse.
This is definitely the second most important thing that would need rewriting for a full novel.
c. Cartoonish mentality of the Fae
Credit where credit is due: Naomi Novik does know how to give the Fae a truly otherworldly mindset, and not merely write them as super hot and super magical humans like others do. But, there’s a downside to this talent of hers: It doesn’t work well in short form, because that makes the faerie folk look cartoonish.
And the Summerlings are cartoonishly simple in their mindset and worldviews in “The Summer War.” They are like a caricature of Sansa’s love for “true” knights and knightly deeds of heroism, almost like a parody of Don Quixote. They kill each other for the “honour” of being challenged to a knightly duel. They kill themselves over the “dishonour” of not being loved back. They believe songs and stories are true and value them over anything, even life itself, etc.
They really are like a parody of the Medieval romans de chevalerie, offensively so when you’re knowledgeable and appreciative of them.
I am aware that this probably has to do with the POV being Celia, and she’s a prejudiced narrator although not an unreliable one. I remember that the Staryk in “Spinning Silver” did also come off as caricaturesque in the short story version, but once in the full novel he was given layers and a personality and he was a good character. Therefore, I’m inclined to think that it’s the constraints of space and word-count that have forced Novik to simplify—oversimplify even—the Summerlings to the point they don’t read realistic.
Elythion is like the Staryk’s tropical weather twin, I’m convinced that in a full novel he’d get a personality and would be a better character, too. And, in all fairness, everyone but Celia and her father read a tad one-dimensional here; both her brothers would also use some more characterisation, especially Argent.
d. The wrong Evil Bastard
I believe King Sherdan shouldn’t have been revealed as the story’s original baddie, the reveal about what he had truly done to Elythion’s sister was out of the blue and unnecessary, in my opinion. It would’ve been best to keep Elythion as the baddie-by-accident, wrongfully but sincerely believing he was avenging a cruel slight to his beloved sister only to find out he had been mistaken, a terrible error that cost thousands of lives on both sides, a sin he would have to reckon with and live with for the rest of his immortal life. What better way to have a heart in conflict with itself than that?
Instead, we are told that the Royal Family are the bad eggs, from the old king of one hundred years ago to the current king and his heir. That’s getting Elythion off the hook too easily, too conveniently, and never letting him pay the consequences of his deeds just because he needs to be kissing Celia’s brother.
I protest this shifting of the blame for the Summer War. Sherdan could’ve stayed to blame without being made into a convenient scapegoaty jerk that abused the faerie princess, and thus gave the Summerlings a valid casus belli, and Elythion should’ve stayed to blame for being a prideful hothead too willing to sacrifice lives. The war should’ve had complex motives and two sides to it, as all wars have, as it appeared to in the beginning, without oversimplifying it and blaming it all on Sherdan and his descendants, and absolving Elythion too quickly of the blood of faerie and humans on his hands.
The ending was definitely unbelievable to me, personally.
THE SHINY FACETS OF THE DIAMOND
Of course, you can’t mention a gemstone without also mentioning its beauty, and “The Summer War” does have good plot points that shine through the rough edges, too, or I wouldn’t have liked it as I did.
a. The family dynamics
If you’ll forgive me for bringing ASOIAF up again for a comparison, the protagonist family in this story are like what the Lannisters would have been if they weren’t . . . well, the Lannisters.
Think about it this way: Tywin Lannister is a wily tactician and politician with flexible morals (as is Grand Duke Veris), his oldest son Jaime is the greatest knight in the realm and a superb warrior (as is Argent), his daughter Cersei is a beautiful girl destined to be queen (as is Celia), and his youngest son Tyrion is physically ugly and deformed but very smart when not neglected (as is Roric). The tragedy of the Lannisters is that they’re utterly dysfunctional because they have an abusive and unscrupulous father that sees them as his pawns rather than as his children, and that’s why Jaime and Cersei and Tyrion are all fucked up in different ways.
Not so the family of Veris the Fox. They’re the functional (ish) version of the Lannisters. Celia adores her brother, learns to care for her other brother, and admires her father; and her brothers reciprocate. And her father, even though he’s dout and a tough nut, does love his children too, making mistakes and learning all the way. They’re not perfect, they screw up, but they make an effort to work as a family unit, and succeed at it.
Perhaps the best dynamic within this family is the siblings dynamic. Which brings me to the next positive aspect.
b. Brothers and sister relationships
If you’re expecting romance to be the centrepiece, forget it. The relationship to root for here is the one between Argent and Celia, and Celia and Roric.
The plot premise of “The Summer War” is that Celia curses her brother in a rage at believing he’s abandoning her when he decides to leave home due to painful personal reasons. Argent and she must patch up their relationship because of that, and it’s a hard and long process that we don’t see the full extent of because of the length of this story. The budding brother/sister tag team duo of her and Roric gets more onpage time, and is more developed than the one with Argent, and in my opinion should’ve been the highlight more than the one with the other brother.
Both connections run the full spectrum of sibling dynamics, good and bad. I personally liked the resolution to the curse, because it goes full circle and is clever whilst not excessively complicated, and you can see it coming. Another reason why Elythion feels like an uninvited guest at a family party. I’d much have preferred to see more of the three siblings figuring out how to fix the mess.
c. Fairy tale atmosphere
There are stories that read like fairy tales without being fairy tales, and this is one of them. It doesn’t intend to retell any known fairy tale, and I don’t believe Novik had any specific fairy tale in mind, so it’s only the vibe of this type of Fantasy books. It’s the style, the setting, the characters, the elements, the atmosphere that mimics fairy tales without using them directly.
And, because it’s me and it couldn’t be otherwise, this wouldn’t be first or the last time I’ve detected fairy tale plots & elements in books that weren’t meant to be retellings at all, and if by some miracle Naomi Novik came and asked me what fairy tale “The Summer War” would be if it were a retelling, I can easily pinpoint the exact fairy tale it's reminiscent of. Best and more enjoyable if you were to guess it on your own, though.
This gets 3.5 stars from me.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 4, 2025
Celia took one step and then another back from the edge. She had promised to care, and she would keep her promise. She’d care about Roric, and she’d care about the people of Prosper, and she’d even care about the summerlings, and give them a chance to write new stories of their own.
A beautiful premise of love, acceptance and care given and returned, The Summer War is the enchanting tale of Celia who wants nothing more than care returned when given, who curses her brother in hate to never have love when she sees he doesn't care for her, and does everything she can including ending a hopeless war to remove this curse.
The novella combines Naomi Novik's multi-dimensional characters always trying to act for the best, and layers of magic where stories, promises and honour have power with her compelling writing. The plot is faerie-tale paced, wherein decades of war and tactics are summarized in a few pages, but every emotion in the inevitable stand described in detail.
The characters and their choices form the core of the story, each tactical decision made by characters to change the way things had been for decades. Celia's character growth was steady, slowly working towards more care in her life, and the redemption arcs towards the end added depth to the story. I would have liked a bit more depth to the magic system and details of the Summer Lands, but the novella as it stands fits in the faerie tale genre.
A light read with a nice concept, the story has some Spinning Silver vibes with summer woods instead of winter snows and especially the weight given to intent and choices behind vows - recommended for Naomi Novik fans and anyone looking to try her writing with a relatively short read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Random House publishing group for providing an ARC, the review is entirely honest.
🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2🌟
[One star for the premise; One star for the characters; 3/4 star for the plot and themes; 3/4 star for the world-building; One star for the writing - 4 1/2 stars in total.]
A beautiful premise of love, acceptance and care given and returned, The Summer War is the enchanting tale of Celia who wants nothing more than care returned when given, who curses her brother in hate to never have love when she sees he doesn't care for her, and does everything she can including ending a hopeless war to remove this curse.
The novella combines Naomi Novik's multi-dimensional characters always trying to act for the best, and layers of magic where stories, promises and honour have power with her compelling writing. The plot is faerie-tale paced, wherein decades of war and tactics are summarized in a few pages, but every emotion in the inevitable stand described in detail.
The characters and their choices form the core of the story, each tactical decision made by characters to change the way things had been for decades. Celia's character growth was steady, slowly working towards more care in her life, and the redemption arcs towards the end added depth to the story. I would have liked a bit more depth to the magic system and details of the Summer Lands, but the novella as it stands fits in the faerie tale genre.
A light read with a nice concept, the story has some Spinning Silver vibes with summer woods instead of winter snows and especially the weight given to intent and choices behind vows - recommended for Naomi Novik fans and anyone looking to try her writing with a relatively short read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Random House publishing group for providing an ARC, the review is entirely honest.
🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2🌟
[One star for the premise; One star for the characters; 3/4 star for the plot and themes; 3/4 star for the world-building; One star for the writing - 4 1/2 stars in total.]
August 16, 2025
Maybe I am cursed to only ever love the Scholomance by this author and feel indifferent about all her other works. I didn't hate The Summer War and in the end it even came to be a solid tale, but for the longest time I didn't know what this story wanted to be. You could see me reading this with a frown on my face at all times.
Speaking of curses: the whole story begins when 12-year-old Celia accidentally curses her brother to never find love again. She unexpectedly turns out to be a sorceress, which also makes her an appropriate wife for the crown prince of the kingdom apparently. She is supposed to marry him when she's older and in the meantime she wants to break her brother's curse. She has to find him first though, because he was too gay for their father's household and he left home to become a famous knight. He's known across the mortal kingdom as well as in the realm of the summerlings (read as: fae) – two countries that have a long history of war with each other. The concept of the summer war was intriguing for it spanned over a hundred years but only ever took place in the summer season. Celia's father was majorly responsible for ending the war some 20 years ago and that part was written out as a story within a story, which was rather unusual for a novella. It was good that the backstory was provided, but it also created a weird pacing for the entire story. The first half was structured in such a messy way that it was truly not enjoyable to read; first introducing the characters, then adding a backstory that takes place before these characters were even born and then skipping ahead for three more years. But my biggest problem was how inconsistent literally everything in this first half was. A fact is mentioned or a situation is explained and 10 pages later it's all entirely different already. Here are some examples to illustrate what I mean:
- Celia's brother Roric is unimportant to the family and nobody cares about him (it's literally written out like that) but then he suddenly leads the household without problem.
- The summer war is over, but maybe not actually.
- Celia is supposed to marry at age 12, then at age 18, at age 16 and finally age 15 is old enough.
- And first she is supposed to marry a duke and then the crown prince and then that also doesn't happen as planned.
I know that these examples are partly connected to the deceiving nature of some of the characters, but it really felt like everything I read was exchanged for something else a few pages later. Maybe it was only so noticeable to me because the book was so short, though. It did get better in the second half. At first I was scared because dramatic vows were spoken and I was sure that they'd be thrown out of the window in no time, but the story fortunately took a different route. The second half takes place in the summer lands where multiple very stubborn people try to deal with an oath that no one really wants to keep anymore. It was basically about getting out of a faerie bargain and it kinda read like a silly medieval tale. I enjoyed that part of the story a lot and the ending was great too. I don't know why there needed to be a scene with a 15-year-old at a faerie orgy, but ok. I must also say that the sibling relationship was not very credible to me. There wasn't a lot of character work in general and it was incredibly hard to actually care. And maybe that's also how I would summarize this novella: there is a good story somewhere in here, but it was really hard to actually care.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Speaking of curses: the whole story begins when 12-year-old Celia accidentally curses her brother to never find love again. She unexpectedly turns out to be a sorceress, which also makes her an appropriate wife for the crown prince of the kingdom apparently. She is supposed to marry him when she's older and in the meantime she wants to break her brother's curse. She has to find him first though, because he was too gay for their father's household and he left home to become a famous knight. He's known across the mortal kingdom as well as in the realm of the summerlings (read as: fae) – two countries that have a long history of war with each other. The concept of the summer war was intriguing for it spanned over a hundred years but only ever took place in the summer season. Celia's father was majorly responsible for ending the war some 20 years ago and that part was written out as a story within a story, which was rather unusual for a novella. It was good that the backstory was provided, but it also created a weird pacing for the entire story. The first half was structured in such a messy way that it was truly not enjoyable to read; first introducing the characters, then adding a backstory that takes place before these characters were even born and then skipping ahead for three more years. But my biggest problem was how inconsistent literally everything in this first half was. A fact is mentioned or a situation is explained and 10 pages later it's all entirely different already. Here are some examples to illustrate what I mean:
- Celia's brother Roric is unimportant to the family and nobody cares about him (it's literally written out like that) but then he suddenly leads the household without problem.
- The summer war is over, but maybe not actually.
- Celia is supposed to marry at age 12, then at age 18, at age 16 and finally age 15 is old enough.
- And first she is supposed to marry a duke and then the crown prince and then that also doesn't happen as planned.
I know that these examples are partly connected to the deceiving nature of some of the characters, but it really felt like everything I read was exchanged for something else a few pages later. Maybe it was only so noticeable to me because the book was so short, though. It did get better in the second half. At first I was scared because dramatic vows were spoken and I was sure that they'd be thrown out of the window in no time, but the story fortunately took a different route. The second half takes place in the summer lands where multiple very stubborn people try to deal with an oath that no one really wants to keep anymore. It was basically about getting out of a faerie bargain and it kinda read like a silly medieval tale. I enjoyed that part of the story a lot and the ending was great too. I don't know why there needed to be a scene with a 15-year-old at a faerie orgy, but ok. I must also say that the sibling relationship was not very credible to me. There wasn't a lot of character work in general and it was incredibly hard to actually care. And maybe that's also how I would summarize this novella: there is a good story somewhere in here, but it was really hard to actually care.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2025
This novella is just the right size and really packs a powerful punch, with quite a few lessons to learn. Make a mistake, try your hardest to fix it. Sibling loyalty turns into sibling love and loyalty. Celia learns a few hard lessons, but it pays off. Naomi, as always, writes fabulously.
November 13, 2025
I would like to thank Edelweiss and Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Fairytale whimsy with a bit of discourse on the ramifications of war, alongside the very resonating consequence to PMS rage. If you've never cursed anyone in a heated moment and then had to make amends later for what you'd said during the pre-uterine howl to the moon, then good for you! But I remembered my younger self when Celia's hormone-fuelled intentionality kicked things off in The Summer War, and tbh I could really use some of that energy right now! Reclining on witchy business is more my flex these days lol!
The narrative flowed in mesmerizing, quick-moving, compelling lines, where romantic tragedy, Norman siege tactics, an almost Mad Hatter-esque quality to the summerling's hospitality, and Circe-adjacent Celia's regret evoked the likes of a Waterhouse painting come to life.
I received the worldbuilding through osmosis, the sibling love unmade me, the queer rep made every sentence a sob and a sigh, and though I could have read a thousand pages more (I'm manifesting), the length and breadth of this novella served all the vivid, enchanting complexity my imagination needed to lock The Summer War down as a new favourite.
This Story made me ache in a million different ways. Celia's insightful observations shone a light so bright that it pared her brothers, her father, and the Summer Prince down to the heart of their individual truths, and I appreciated the candour. Veris may have had machinations in place, but Celia's bravery, compassion, and her astute mind earned her the crown.
The ending set my soul on fire. Rereading that final paragraph still has me choking up, almost a week later. I'd never wanted an HEA more in my entire life, and Novik delivered a supremely moving and gorgeous one that, even now, continues to inspire daydreams about the swoony romance that sealed the peace between the Summer Lands and Celia's Queendom.
and is how I imagined Celia and Argent as they walked together through the living hall, to the verdant love awaiting the Knight of the Woven Blade at the Summer Palace.
~
~
~
🍃🌿It's witchy season, and i'm beyond excited to read new Novik with my super babe Esta who makes every adventure together a magical one!🌿🍃
Fairytale whimsy with a bit of discourse on the ramifications of war, alongside the very resonating consequence to PMS rage. If you've never cursed anyone in a heated moment and then had to make amends later for what you'd said during the pre-uterine howl to the moon, then good for you! But I remembered my younger self when Celia's hormone-fuelled intentionality kicked things off in The Summer War, and tbh I could really use some of that energy right now! Reclining on witchy business is more my flex these days lol!
The narrative flowed in mesmerizing, quick-moving, compelling lines, where romantic tragedy, Norman siege tactics, an almost Mad Hatter-esque quality to the summerling's hospitality, and Circe-adjacent Celia's regret evoked the likes of a Waterhouse painting come to life.
I received the worldbuilding through osmosis, the sibling love unmade me, the queer rep made every sentence a sob and a sigh, and though I could have read a thousand pages more (I'm manifesting), the length and breadth of this novella served all the vivid, enchanting complexity my imagination needed to lock The Summer War down as a new favourite.
This Story made me ache in a million different ways. Celia's insightful observations shone a light so bright that it pared her brothers, her father, and the Summer Prince down to the heart of their individual truths, and I appreciated the candour. Veris may have had machinations in place, but Celia's bravery, compassion, and her astute mind earned her the crown.
The ending set my soul on fire. Rereading that final paragraph still has me choking up, almost a week later. I'd never wanted an HEA more in my entire life, and Novik delivered a supremely moving and gorgeous one that, even now, continues to inspire daydreams about the swoony romance that sealed the peace between the Summer Lands and Celia's Queendom.
The painting below is:
La belle dame sans merci exhibited 1902
Frank Bernard Dicksee (1853–1928)
and is how I imagined Celia and Argent as they walked together through the living hall, to the verdant love awaiting the Knight of the Woven Blade at the Summer Palace.
~
~
~
🍃🌿It's witchy season, and i'm beyond excited to read new Novik with my super babe Esta who makes every adventure together a magical one!🌿🍃
June 13, 2025
3.5
This reads like a fairy tale. It's a very short story about three siblings and two kingdoms. It has a bit of a Holly Black feeling to it.
It's a good novella, probably my favorite from Naomi Novik.
Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC.
This reads like a fairy tale. It's a very short story about three siblings and two kingdoms. It has a bit of a Holly Black feeling to it.
It's a good novella, probably my favorite from Naomi Novik.
Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC.
July 10, 2025
I finished this 8 days ago and I'm still thinking about it. Novik always seems to write books that sneakily leave an impact on me and live rent free in my brain for ages.
-------------------
This was perfection.
If you love the fairytales in Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries or Holly Black's catalog, this title is worth your time. It's clear from every inch of this that Novik deeply loves fairytales and The Summer War is a new gem to add to the existing canon.
Whether it be the evocative imagery conjured -like the Summer Lands and the Green Bridge slowly becoming more visible and concrete through the mists as summer draws near- or if it be in the clever subversion of popular storylines, the entire story is so full of heart and excellent writing craft.
It's also worth noting how complex and nuanced and messy and layered and lovely the familial relationships are in this-- particularly between siblings. I think romances are usually at the center of stories, and it's a shame, but that makes this novella feel fresher and more unique for how few and far between they get to shine in the spotlight.
I loved every second of this; I even braved carsickness for this story!! I was truly transported (ba dum tss) while I was reading this and only sad that it had to end.
Thank you to Del Rey for providing me with an ARC of this, you guys are so spot on. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
-------------------
This was perfection.
If you love the fairytales in Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries or Holly Black's catalog, this title is worth your time. It's clear from every inch of this that Novik deeply loves fairytales and The Summer War is a new gem to add to the existing canon.
Whether it be the evocative imagery conjured -like the Summer Lands and the Green Bridge slowly becoming more visible and concrete through the mists as summer draws near- or if it be in the clever subversion of popular storylines, the entire story is so full of heart and excellent writing craft.
It's also worth noting how complex and nuanced and messy and layered and lovely the familial relationships are in this-- particularly between siblings. I think romances are usually at the center of stories, and it's a shame, but that makes this novella feel fresher and more unique for how few and far between they get to shine in the spotlight.
I loved every second of this; I even braved carsickness for this story!! I was truly transported (ba dum tss) while I was reading this and only sad that it had to end.
Thank you to Del Rey for providing me with an ARC of this, you guys are so spot on. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 5, 2025
So why isn't this book in the LGBT genre? The same problem all over again Goodreads.... not everybody wants to read about what is against God! Aside this with the exception of narration which is good, the plot and the characters are very superficial. I cannot believe that this author also wrote Spinning Silver and Uprooted!
September 8, 2025
Naomi Novik has a new novella out (new tongue twister just dropped). I looove the cover and was determined to love this book.
This is a pretty sweet cozy fantasy read. I really enjoyed reading her short story anthology, Buried Deep and Other Stories last year, and I think she's really well-versed in writing them. The Summer War is reminiscent of fairy tales. It's innovative and more modern, while evocative of folklore and Germanic fairy tales. It is a little...unrealistic in some aspects, but I'd be a fool to search for realism in a fairytale-inspired fantasy. The story feels like a cozy fantasy, centering on family dynamics, and keeps some suspense and tension in the mix with political intrigue. Loved the worldbuilding and tension in this one, but not a fan of the way Celia's power was used in the story.
Thanks Netgalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This is a pretty sweet cozy fantasy read. I really enjoyed reading her short story anthology, Buried Deep and Other Stories last year, and I think she's really well-versed in writing them. The Summer War is reminiscent of fairy tales. It's innovative and more modern, while evocative of folklore and Germanic fairy tales. It is a little...unrealistic in some aspects, but I'd be a fool to search for realism in a fairytale-inspired fantasy. The story feels like a cozy fantasy, centering on family dynamics, and keeps some suspense and tension in the mix with political intrigue. Loved the worldbuilding and tension in this one, but not a fan of the way Celia's power was used in the story.
Thanks Netgalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
May 29, 2025
I read this in one sitting and could have had another 500 pages of this story and world, yet I was also totally satisfied by this novella. That’s how you know an author is talented and has me wrapped around her little finger.
Celia was 12 years old when she cursed her older brother for leaving her behind after disagreeing with their father, the Duke, about who he should love.
He is the greatest Knight in the realm and goes over to the Summerlings. An immortal people who sought vengeance until Celia’s father won the war.
Who does she turn to when the person she loves most betrays her and she betrays him (both unknowingly?)
What happens when you want love more than power? Peace over justice?
Father did finally recognize that something was wrong, but he’d spent too much time with his brain shut up inside a dark room, and he couldn’t take it out and use it again right away.
How Naomi Novik can create such atmosphere, world-building, and intimate character insight is incredible. Her unique lyrical prose pulls you in and is very suited to this tale of love and tragedy.
Yes, I saw the twists, yes the ending was predictable, but I was RIVETED and gushing for her writing.
Arc gifted by Del Rey.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Celia was 12 years old when she cursed her older brother for leaving her behind after disagreeing with their father, the Duke, about who he should love.
He is the greatest Knight in the realm and goes over to the Summerlings. An immortal people who sought vengeance until Celia’s father won the war.
Who does she turn to when the person she loves most betrays her and she betrays him (both unknowingly?)
What happens when you want love more than power? Peace over justice?
Father did finally recognize that something was wrong, but he’d spent too much time with his brain shut up inside a dark room, and he couldn’t take it out and use it again right away.
How Naomi Novik can create such atmosphere, world-building, and intimate character insight is incredible. Her unique lyrical prose pulls you in and is very suited to this tale of love and tragedy.
Yes, I saw the twists, yes the ending was predictable, but I was RIVETED and gushing for her writing.
Arc gifted by Del Rey.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
October 7, 2025
She’s one of my favourite authors, so it’s too easy for me to love her work. It is written in her signature, elegant and romantic prose and rings like a fairy tale in the vein of Spinning Silver.
Celia is bright, astute, and wise beyond her years. She is the daughter of a grand duke who, as a master planner and strategist, rose from commoner to well on his way to securing de facto power. Evidently, Celia inherited her father’s remarkable foresight which she employs with a view to safeguarding her family’s well-being. Like most fairy tales, the undercurrent of the novella is love—although not romantic in kind, the love amongst kin still favours empathy, mercy, tolerance, acceptance, ambition etc
In my reflections, I’d like to share my favourite aspect of the novella: its theme and structure; it is a parable, both in itself and contained within the story or song as an invitation to reflect upon a lesson. By portraying choices and consequences, the narrative draws the audience to examine their own behaviours and mindsets, while maintaining enough emotional distance to avoid denial, defensiveness or resistance. It’s an effective way of offering critique while delivering results.
I think it’s brilliantly crafted, and I secretly hoped that Temeraire, the sagacious celestial dragon, would make an appearance—I miss him so much—though I imagine he’d be pleased at the mention of pavilions. It’s a perfect read for this season despite the title because the magic within it, though subtle, is still wide-reaching and formidable. I won’t delve deeper for fear of venturing too close to spoilers but I hope it’ll be enough to convince you of its effervescence.
Celia is bright, astute, and wise beyond her years. She is the daughter of a grand duke who, as a master planner and strategist, rose from commoner to well on his way to securing de facto power. Evidently, Celia inherited her father’s remarkable foresight which she employs with a view to safeguarding her family’s well-being. Like most fairy tales, the undercurrent of the novella is love—although not romantic in kind, the love amongst kin still favours empathy, mercy, tolerance, acceptance, ambition etc
In my reflections, I’d like to share my favourite aspect of the novella: its theme and structure; it is a parable, both in itself and contained within the story or song as an invitation to reflect upon a lesson. By portraying choices and consequences, the narrative draws the audience to examine their own behaviours and mindsets, while maintaining enough emotional distance to avoid denial, defensiveness or resistance. It’s an effective way of offering critique while delivering results.
I think it’s brilliantly crafted, and I secretly hoped that Temeraire, the sagacious celestial dragon, would make an appearance—I miss him so much—though I imagine he’d be pleased at the mention of pavilions. It’s a perfect read for this season despite the title because the magic within it, though subtle, is still wide-reaching and formidable. I won’t delve deeper for fear of venturing too close to spoilers but I hope it’ll be enough to convince you of its effervescence.
September 18, 2025
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!
naomi novik never ceases to amaze me with her writing, and this short novella full of love of all kinds completely took me by surprise. how she managed to weave so much magical lore and world building into such a short work, i’ll never know, but i’m glad of it.
naomi novik never ceases to amaze me with her writing, and this short novella full of love of all kinds completely took me by surprise. how she managed to weave so much magical lore and world building into such a short work, i’ll never know, but i’m glad of it.
November 2, 2025
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year from one of my favorite fantasy authors 🥰 and as usual Naomi Novik doesn’t disappoint!
The story has the cadence of a fairytale, with beautiful and evocative writing. I loved this fantasy world, which the author manages to shape with very little explanations. I'm not sure if this world will be revisited in future books but I'd love to read more stories in this setting.
I enjoyed the growth of the main character throughout the story, and the way she becomes aware of her own flaws, although she’s still very much a child. I also really liked the fact that among other themes, the story focuses on the relationship between the three siblings.
The way the fae were depicted was really interesting, their values are clearly different to those of the humans, and although some of their customs sound almost funny at times, I enjoyed the fact that the whole story revolved around what was ultimately a cultural difference between humans and fae.
Overall I really loved this novella, and I hope we’ll have more books from Naomi Novik soon!
Thanks to Del Rey via NetGalley for providing an eARC
The story has the cadence of a fairytale, with beautiful and evocative writing. I loved this fantasy world, which the author manages to shape with very little explanations. I'm not sure if this world will be revisited in future books but I'd love to read more stories in this setting.
I enjoyed the growth of the main character throughout the story, and the way she becomes aware of her own flaws, although she’s still very much a child. I also really liked the fact that among other themes, the story focuses on the relationship between the three siblings.
The way the fae were depicted was really interesting, their values are clearly different to those of the humans, and although some of their customs sound almost funny at times, I enjoyed the fact that the whole story revolved around what was ultimately a cultural difference between humans and fae.
Overall I really loved this novella, and I hope we’ll have more books from Naomi Novik soon!
Thanks to Del Rey via NetGalley for providing an eARC
June 14, 2025
definitely should’ve been longer
September 17, 2025
Absolutely no notes, no niggles, no nitpicks for this one. Genuinely. Also, apparently in 2025 almost all my five stars are going to novella-length faerie/fairytale stories? Incredible.
While I easily could've read two, four, six hundred pages more of this one, it's honestly perfect exactly how it is. And I think it actually excels because of it's short page count. Nothing feels rushed, despite some stakes, and every moment counts; both for those with a mortal lifespan and those without.
Anyone can write a story with this kind of setting but the true masters are the ones who are really intentional with the way they use promises, oaths, and words of binding. And Novik does that beautifully.
Also, the way the stories, new and old, are resolved in this, the way these siblings love each other, both simply and with layers of complexity, without thought and yet with purpose.. it's all just done so well.
And yes, I cried a bunch, whatever, no one is surprised.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go read something else right away before I convince myself to derail all my plans and finally give in and do an UPROOTED reread.
If you've yet to try a Novik, I would definitely recommend this one.
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
While I easily could've read two, four, six hundred pages more of this one, it's honestly perfect exactly how it is. And I think it actually excels because of it's short page count. Nothing feels rushed, despite some stakes, and every moment counts; both for those with a mortal lifespan and those without.
Anyone can write a story with this kind of setting but the true masters are the ones who are really intentional with the way they use promises, oaths, and words of binding. And Novik does that beautifully.
Also, the way the stories, new and old, are resolved in this, the way these siblings love each other, both simply and with layers of complexity, without thought and yet with purpose.. it's all just done so well.
And yes, I cried a bunch, whatever, no one is surprised.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go read something else right away before I convince myself to derail all my plans and finally give in and do an UPROOTED reread.
If you've yet to try a Novik, I would definitely recommend this one.
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
September 16, 2025
Terror and guts at one remove
The Summer War felt to me like a diluted version of the characteristic Naomi Novik experience. I have something specific in mind when I say that. The signature Novik "terror and guts" moment is when a powerful character takes on a monster beyond human abilities. In terror and despair and through sheer guts she contacts her inner power and defeats the monster. Think of Neeshka entering the Heart Tree in Uprooted, or El destroying her first maw-mouth in A Deadly Education. Such a moment occurs in The Summer War, I believe. But it is not our point-of-view character that experiences it. Thus we see it at a remove, and it is less powerful.
That point-of-view character is Celia. She is a sort of princess. Her father is not the king de jure of Prosper, but he is more or less the de facto king -- with all the power and not much of the pageantry. He's a jumped up commoner who through military prowess won a place. When I say "prowess," what I mean mostly is cleverness. "Commoner who rises by using their brains" is a common phenotype in Novik -- think of Miryem in Spinning Silver who turns silver into gold by becoming a clever investor and money-lender.
Unlike her father, Celia does in fact have abilities beyond cleverness. She is a sorceress. She discovers this in the worst possible way: a twelve-year-old girl, she curses her beloved brother Argent, and the curse sticks.
But Celia is clever, too. She first shows this in the way she helps her unloved middle brother Roric.
I'm going to leave the plot summary there so as not to spoil. Let's just say that Celia gets into trouble and has to be rescued. Uncharacteristically for a Novik heroine, she is unable to rescue herself.
Although this was a good story, it was less powerful than I have come to expect of Novik. In the end I felt let down.
Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an advance reader copy of The Summer War. Release date 16-September-2025.
Blog review. This link will not work until 16-September-2025.
The Summer War felt to me like a diluted version of the characteristic Naomi Novik experience. I have something specific in mind when I say that. The signature Novik "terror and guts" moment is when a powerful character takes on a monster beyond human abilities. In terror and despair and through sheer guts she contacts her inner power and defeats the monster. Think of Neeshka entering the Heart Tree in Uprooted, or El destroying her first maw-mouth in A Deadly Education. Such a moment occurs in The Summer War, I believe. But it is not our point-of-view character that experiences it. Thus we see it at a remove, and it is less powerful.
That point-of-view character is Celia. She is a sort of princess. Her father is not the king de jure of Prosper, but he is more or less the de facto king -- with all the power and not much of the pageantry. He's a jumped up commoner who through military prowess won a place. When I say "prowess," what I mean mostly is cleverness. "Commoner who rises by using their brains" is a common phenotype in Novik -- think of Miryem in Spinning Silver who turns silver into gold by becoming a clever investor and money-lender.
Unlike her father, Celia does in fact have abilities beyond cleverness. She is a sorceress. She discovers this in the worst possible way: a twelve-year-old girl, she curses her beloved brother Argent, and the curse sticks.
But Celia is clever, too. She first shows this in the way she helps her unloved middle brother Roric.
I'm going to leave the plot summary there so as not to spoil. Let's just say that Celia gets into trouble and has to be rescued. Uncharacteristically for a Novik heroine, she is unable to rescue herself.
Although this was a good story, it was less powerful than I have come to expect of Novik. In the end I felt let down.
Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an advance reader copy of The Summer War. Release date 16-September-2025.
Blog review. This link will not work until 16-September-2025.
November 11, 2025
As usual, Naomi Novik entrances with her writing style. I also enjoyed the story / plot and the way she handled the ending.
September 22, 2025
Almost a fairy tale, but not quite, a classic theme (for books written by women for women) the coming of age of the princess-adjacent girl in a medieval/fairytale like setting and somehow Novik gives it something new plot and theme wise, while the style and setting remain so classic.
So very good, and so much to my taste.
I have been wildly complaining of 2025 sf/f releases (not just sf/f actually) being disappointing to me and Tor novellas being cookie cutter and mid, so this was extra refreshing. It felt oh so right, the awareness, the writing, even the length (I liked the world and characters and could have spent more time with them, but there is a momentum to the plot and resolution here which feels right). So very good.
I was squirming a bit at the graphic numbers of dead people in wars and fights and all - Novik is usually a high action and high casualty author, and that is both not my taste and affects my suspension of disbelief ("wait, what is the population again to support so many knights?". I hate superhero movies partly because of that), but that ended up being worked into the plot maturely, being part of the point.
So very good, though now I have the problem, wait what am I going to read next that will not feel like a let down...
So very good, and so much to my taste.
I have been wildly complaining of 2025 sf/f releases (not just sf/f actually) being disappointing to me and Tor novellas being cookie cutter and mid, so this was extra refreshing. It felt oh so right, the awareness, the writing, even the length (I liked the world and characters and could have spent more time with them, but there is a momentum to the plot and resolution here which feels right). So very good.
I was squirming a bit at the graphic numbers of dead people in wars and fights and all - Novik is usually a high action and high casualty author, and that is both not my taste and affects my suspension of disbelief ("wait, what is the population again to support so many knights?". I hate superhero movies partly because of that), but that ended up being worked into the plot maturely, being part of the point.
So very good, though now I have the problem, wait what am I going to read next that will not feel like a let down...
September 24, 2025
4.5 stars
Audiobook was great!
So much was packed into this short little book. War, neglect, sibling relationships, love, and trickstery fae. My only complaint is that I wish we would've seen a little bit more from the MC. But that's just me wanting women to take control of their own destinies (and maybe a bit of vengeance lol)
I know this is titled "summer" but it would make a great fall read.
Audiobook was great!
So much was packed into this short little book. War, neglect, sibling relationships, love, and trickstery fae. My only complaint is that I wish we would've seen a little bit more from the MC. But that's just me wanting women to take control of their own destinies (and maybe a bit of vengeance lol)
I know this is titled "summer" but it would make a great fall read.
November 17, 2025
A cute fairy-tale-esque novella that I only mildly liked, featuring the relationships among three siblings from a noble family, and their dealings with their fae/elven neighbors. Lots of metafictional commentary, self-fulfilling prophecies, fae bargains, politics (which at first glance do at least seem to make sense), and playing with tropes. Entertainingly, the elven society seems to operate entirely by the rules of songs of chivalry. And it is mostly a sweet story that wraps up in a satisfying way.
That said, it’s not a new favorite of mine. I have perhaps read too many Novik books, to the point that the types of authorial choices she makes have gotten over-familiar, and this book in particular shares a lot of motifs with Spinning Silver, a favorite of mine, making this a bit of a pale retread by comparison. Also, the heroine comes across as pretty generic while nonetheless reading a lot older than her supposed age; she is the only female character in the story; and she spends half of it in a situation of enforced passivity—none of which much endeared the story to me. Worth a read if you’re into this sort of thing, but also, consider reading Spinning Silver first.
That said, it’s not a new favorite of mine. I have perhaps read too many Novik books, to the point that the types of authorial choices she makes have gotten over-familiar, and this book in particular shares a lot of motifs with Spinning Silver, a favorite of mine, making this a bit of a pale retread by comparison. Also, the heroine comes across as pretty generic while nonetheless reading a lot older than her supposed age; she is the only female character in the story; and she spends half of it in a situation of enforced passivity—none of which much endeared the story to me. Worth a read if you’re into this sort of thing, but also, consider reading Spinning Silver first.
September 11, 2025
I flew through this, not only because it’s a novella, but because Naomi Novik is one of my favorite authors. She knows how to write excellent, highly-immersive fantasy, and that holds true with this tale. All of the characters are well-written, and the themes of love, grief, regret and revenge are all present throughout.
Anyone have an older sibling who you look up to and have a good relationship with, and then eventually realize they’ve replaced you? I remember the night after my brother’s girlfriend at the time had gone home, several hours away, and when I went to hang out with him as usual, he was distant and obviously missing her. It hit me that things would never be the same between us, and it was hard for me to accept that at first. And I didn’t even want to be the most important person in his life! However, I did mourn the loss of our easy friendship and hanging out together at night playing videogames. Of course, I got over it after a little while, and when I got older and started dating, I understood the WHY a lot more.
In this tale, Celia is twelve, and she hero-worships her older brother Argent. They have a great relationship, or so it seems to Celia. When she realizes that Argent does not care for her as much as she cares for him, some words come out of her mouth with devastating, unintended consequences. Another development from the awakening of Celia’s powers results in her having an important part to play in the Summer War, a an interminably-long conflict between the mortals of Celia’s land and the elusive summerlings, who are immortal and capable of holding a grudge for centuries.
All of these subplots are intriguing in their own way, and I was invested in the story and charmed by the ending.
I do have a couple of nitpicks, however:
1. Barely adolescent children should not have the smarts that Celia and her brother possess, in order to run the estate and somehow accurately read between the lines of a court missive. I’m not buying it.
2. Everything was wrapped up a little too nicely and quickly at the end. This novella is similar to Novik’s short story “Spinning Silver”, which she later revisited and turned into the magnificent novel that it is today. It’s my opinion that “The Summer War” needs more fleshing out as well. The kernels of à great book are there already.
With that said, this is a good little novella that I would read again, and I love how it contains fantastic commentary on LGBTQIA+ issues.
My thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an eARC! All opinions are mine alone.
Anyone have an older sibling who you look up to and have a good relationship with, and then eventually realize they’ve replaced you? I remember the night after my brother’s girlfriend at the time had gone home, several hours away, and when I went to hang out with him as usual, he was distant and obviously missing her. It hit me that things would never be the same between us, and it was hard for me to accept that at first. And I didn’t even want to be the most important person in his life! However, I did mourn the loss of our easy friendship and hanging out together at night playing videogames. Of course, I got over it after a little while, and when I got older and started dating, I understood the WHY a lot more.
In this tale, Celia is twelve, and she hero-worships her older brother Argent. They have a great relationship, or so it seems to Celia. When she realizes that Argent does not care for her as much as she cares for him, some words come out of her mouth with devastating, unintended consequences. Another development from the awakening of Celia’s powers results in her having an important part to play in the Summer War, a an interminably-long conflict between the mortals of Celia’s land and the elusive summerlings, who are immortal and capable of holding a grudge for centuries.
All of these subplots are intriguing in their own way, and I was invested in the story and charmed by the ending.
I do have a couple of nitpicks, however:
1. Barely adolescent children should not have the smarts that Celia and her brother possess, in order to run the estate and somehow accurately read between the lines of a court missive. I’m not buying it.
2. Everything was wrapped up a little too nicely and quickly at the end. This novella is similar to Novik’s short story “Spinning Silver”, which she later revisited and turned into the magnificent novel that it is today. It’s my opinion that “The Summer War” needs more fleshing out as well. The kernels of à great book are there already.
With that said, this is a good little novella that I would read again, and I love how it contains fantastic commentary on LGBTQIA+ issues.
My thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an eARC! All opinions are mine alone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2025
Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me. I stayed up late reading finishing it (because it's a novella, I always convinced myself that I was close to the end), yet I put it down without feeling totally satisfied. Novellas are an awkward length, I think: too long to be idea-driven, too short to be totally character-driven.
I simultaneously wanted less and more from The Summer War: less about campaign violence, more about the complex relationships between siblings (each of whom in this book has had a very different childhood despite growing up in the same place), more about the world, which leans on some faerie lore but is also generically medieval. Maybe a better, less plot-driven romance. It reminded me in places of Spinning Silver, which I adored, in that there are bargains, faerie oaths to be kept, and a determined human girl at the middle of the muddle, but it lacks the character development, the elaborate world-building, and the redemption of the cruelest characters.
It was engaging enough for a couple hours, but it's not a book I care to own or reread.
I simultaneously wanted less and more from The Summer War: less about campaign violence, more about the complex relationships between siblings (each of whom in this book has had a very different childhood despite growing up in the same place), more about the world, which leans on some faerie lore but is also generically medieval. Maybe a better, less plot-driven romance. It reminded me in places of Spinning Silver, which I adored, in that there are bargains, faerie oaths to be kept, and a determined human girl at the middle of the muddle, but it lacks the character development, the elaborate world-building, and the redemption of the cruelest characters.
It was engaging enough for a couple hours, but it's not a book I care to own or reread.
June 23, 2025
4.0 ★— Naomi Novik is one of my favorite authors, so when I saw she was publishing this short novella, I couldn’t resist picking it up!
As expected for a novella, it’s a brief read (don’t ask me why it still took me ages to finish — I think the whimsical tone just didn’t match my reading mood at the time, lmao). Still, in its short length, it manages to deliver a wonderfully fairytale-esque story, filled with Novik’s signature wittiness, clever riddles, enchanting atmosphere, and quirky characters.
At its heart is Celia, a heroine who grows up under her famous father — a warrior turned Duke, celebrated across the land for his extraordinary feats in bringing peace to the kingdom. As the tale unfolds, we see Celia mature, and her relationships with her family, which takes center stage here, deepen and evolve. Witnessing Celia grow from having her child’s perspective into her maturing into a thoughtful young woman, learning the complexities of her world, was well-told and interesting to follow.
Much of the story’s focus was really set on familial love, particularly the dynamics between her and her siblings. Anyone that’s looking for a more romance-driven story is definitely not going to find this here, as that aspect of the story is there, but not the most substantial.
But if you’ve enjoyed Spinning Silver, Uprooted, Buried Deep and other Stories, or any of Novik’s other works, I think you’ll find this just as enchanting.
This is a fantastical, beautifully atmospheric tale that’s short but still an absolute delight to read — a perfect, self-contained story for when you want a quick but satisfying escape!
____________________
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
As expected for a novella, it’s a brief read (don’t ask me why it still took me ages to finish — I think the whimsical tone just didn’t match my reading mood at the time, lmao). Still, in its short length, it manages to deliver a wonderfully fairytale-esque story, filled with Novik’s signature wittiness, clever riddles, enchanting atmosphere, and quirky characters.
At its heart is Celia, a heroine who grows up under her famous father — a warrior turned Duke, celebrated across the land for his extraordinary feats in bringing peace to the kingdom. As the tale unfolds, we see Celia mature, and her relationships with her family, which takes center stage here, deepen and evolve. Witnessing Celia grow from having her child’s perspective into her maturing into a thoughtful young woman, learning the complexities of her world, was well-told and interesting to follow.
Much of the story’s focus was really set on familial love, particularly the dynamics between her and her siblings. Anyone that’s looking for a more romance-driven story is definitely not going to find this here, as that aspect of the story is there, but not the most substantial.
But if you’ve enjoyed Spinning Silver, Uprooted, Buried Deep and other Stories, or any of Novik’s other works, I think you’ll find this just as enchanting.
This is a fantastical, beautifully atmospheric tale that’s short but still an absolute delight to read — a perfect, self-contained story for when you want a quick but satisfying escape!
____________________
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 3, 2025
The Summer War
This isn’t a book I’ll remember for long; in fact I had to look it up to get the title. It’s fantasy, which isn’t my favorite, and its short which I don’t usually like either, but in this case I was pleased. Despite all the above I enjoyed it, quite a lot of unexpected things happened.
This isn’t a book I’ll remember for long; in fact I had to look it up to get the title. It’s fantasy, which isn’t my favorite, and its short which I don’t usually like either, but in this case I was pleased. Despite all the above I enjoyed it, quite a lot of unexpected things happened.
September 2, 2025
3.5 ✨⭐️
I’m usually ready to build a shrine to Naomi Novik and light candles at her altar of fantasy brilliance, (The Scholomance series is the best dark academia series I've read in years) but The Summer War? It’s like she invited me to a magical feast and served me half a sandwich. A good sandwich, mind you, but I was still left nibbling at the crusts, wondering where the fries went.
The Summer War drops us into a lush, kind of war-torn world where Celia, our plucky sorceress, is trying to navigate a brewing conflict between factions and the shady Summer King. But for the first half, it’s like Celia’s stuck in a fantasy DMV, getting shuffled from one plot point to another like a sad ping-pong ball. The stakes? More like cocktail skewers than Excalibur-level swords. I kept waiting for that Novik magic to kick in, but Celia just takes every hit like a punching bag.
Enter Roric, the MVP, who swoops in like a chaotic wizard uncle you didn’t know you needed. Around the 60% mark, the story finally wakes up, and Roric outsmarting the Summer King is pure gold. That scene where he flips the script on the King’s sneaky oath? Celia finally grows a spine, turning into the scrappy heroine I wanted to cheer for.
The pacing’s wobblier than a goblin on a unicycle, and the stakes, even when they finally show up, feel like “oh no, we might lose Wi-Fi” instead of “the world’s gonna burn.”
Roric stole the show and Celia matched his cunning, but it left me hungry. 3.5 stars. Half a star for Roric’s swagger and that late-game plot twist. Novik’s still my queen, but this one’s more of a court jester than a royal triumph.
I’m usually ready to build a shrine to Naomi Novik and light candles at her altar of fantasy brilliance, (The Scholomance series is the best dark academia series I've read in years) but The Summer War? It’s like she invited me to a magical feast and served me half a sandwich. A good sandwich, mind you, but I was still left nibbling at the crusts, wondering where the fries went.
The Summer War drops us into a lush, kind of war-torn world where Celia, our plucky sorceress, is trying to navigate a brewing conflict between factions and the shady Summer King. But for the first half, it’s like Celia’s stuck in a fantasy DMV, getting shuffled from one plot point to another like a sad ping-pong ball. The stakes? More like cocktail skewers than Excalibur-level swords. I kept waiting for that Novik magic to kick in, but Celia just takes every hit like a punching bag.
Enter Roric, the MVP, who swoops in like a chaotic wizard uncle you didn’t know you needed. Around the 60% mark, the story finally wakes up, and Roric outsmarting the Summer King is pure gold. That scene where he flips the script on the King’s sneaky oath? Celia finally grows a spine, turning into the scrappy heroine I wanted to cheer for.
The pacing’s wobblier than a goblin on a unicycle, and the stakes, even when they finally show up, feel like “oh no, we might lose Wi-Fi” instead of “the world’s gonna burn.”
Roric stole the show and Celia matched his cunning, but it left me hungry. 3.5 stars. Half a star for Roric’s swagger and that late-game plot twist. Novik’s still my queen, but this one’s more of a court jester than a royal triumph.
September 18, 2025
Just released 16Sept25
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
Naomi Novik is known for her rich stories with subtle magics and deep lore. She plays with themes and characters building them slowly over time. This is harder to accomplish in a shorter book but she still does a fantastic job building characters and the world they live in The Summer War, a stand alone novella.
Celia loved her brother Argent with about as much adoration a younger sibling can have for an older one. He was the positive force in her life, not the father whose only use for Celia would be who she could marry when older. So when Argent cuts himself off from his family to leave and become a hero in faery, Celia is devastated and accidentally curses him to never have love. She wants to fix it, but with no idea how to find him and just a young girl at the time she is stuck until Roric, the brother she never paid attention to, the one no one paid any attention to decides to help her. They only have each other now and come up with a plan to save their older brother.
Told in past and present the reader learns about the history of the the Summerling's war with the humans and why. Everyone thinks the war is over but Fae live a long time and what is twenty years to them? They have not forgotten the war, even if the humans have and Celia is about to be thrust into the middle of it all. She will need all of her wits and both of her brothers if she is to escape the fate that has come for her.
I loved the fairytale feel of the book. This has deception, heroes of all kinds and a love story of sorts, that is probably not be what you are expecting. This is about family and the bonds that hold them together both for humans and Fae. It builds a fantastic world in a short time and really highlights the characters and their journeys to become heroes worthy of a story. Some heroes fight with swords, some with cunning and some with dedication and a song. But all are heroic when they march into the heart of the enemy to save someone they love.
If you have never tried Naomi Novik's writing this will be a good introduction to see if it is something you may enjoy. She has beautiful prose and slow world building, which isn't for everyone but I have enjoyed the stories I've read by her and The Summer War was no exception to that.
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
Naomi Novik is known for her rich stories with subtle magics and deep lore. She plays with themes and characters building them slowly over time. This is harder to accomplish in a shorter book but she still does a fantastic job building characters and the world they live in The Summer War, a stand alone novella.
Celia loved her brother Argent with about as much adoration a younger sibling can have for an older one. He was the positive force in her life, not the father whose only use for Celia would be who she could marry when older. So when Argent cuts himself off from his family to leave and become a hero in faery, Celia is devastated and accidentally curses him to never have love. She wants to fix it, but with no idea how to find him and just a young girl at the time she is stuck until Roric, the brother she never paid attention to, the one no one paid any attention to decides to help her. They only have each other now and come up with a plan to save their older brother.
Told in past and present the reader learns about the history of the the Summerling's war with the humans and why. Everyone thinks the war is over but Fae live a long time and what is twenty years to them? They have not forgotten the war, even if the humans have and Celia is about to be thrust into the middle of it all. She will need all of her wits and both of her brothers if she is to escape the fate that has come for her.
I loved the fairytale feel of the book. This has deception, heroes of all kinds and a love story of sorts, that is probably not be what you are expecting. This is about family and the bonds that hold them together both for humans and Fae. It builds a fantastic world in a short time and really highlights the characters and their journeys to become heroes worthy of a story. Some heroes fight with swords, some with cunning and some with dedication and a song. But all are heroic when they march into the heart of the enemy to save someone they love.
If you have never tried Naomi Novik's writing this will be a good introduction to see if it is something you may enjoy. She has beautiful prose and slow world building, which isn't for everyone but I have enjoyed the stories I've read by her and The Summer War was no exception to that.
December 3, 2025
I’ve read most of Naomi Novik’s later books, and this one reads more like her Spinning Silver style of writing than the Scholomance series of books ( A Deadly Education + 2 others). What that means is the settings are incredibly imaginative, and the prose is almost flawless.
Celia is so attached to her older brother Argent, that when he decides to leave his family and set off on his own she takes it personally. So 12 year old Celia curses her brother to never being able to find love because he is breaking her heart at that moment. Unfortunately, Celia is descended from a very powerful witch, and her curses come true.
As Celia deals with an arranged marriage at the ripe old age of 15, she is also filled with regret over her petulant remarks about Argent that will keep him without love for his lifetime. She decides she must undo her curse. But first, she needs to find him. Throw in a fae King with a axe to grind and Celia will have her hands full.
Celia is so attached to her older brother Argent, that when he decides to leave his family and set off on his own she takes it personally. So 12 year old Celia curses her brother to never being able to find love because he is breaking her heart at that moment. Unfortunately, Celia is descended from a very powerful witch, and her curses come true.
As Celia deals with an arranged marriage at the ripe old age of 15, she is also filled with regret over her petulant remarks about Argent that will keep him without love for his lifetime. She decides she must undo her curse. But first, she needs to find him. Throw in a fae King with a axe to grind and Celia will have her hands full.
September 6, 2025
Headlines:
Siblings
Queer acceptance
The why of wars
The Summer War was a perfect-lengthed story that was full and encapsulated. It opened it's doors by pulling on my heart strings with two of the three siblings. Celie, Argent and Roric were all endearing characters in their own way and while Celie's perspective narrated the tale, the other two were lead characters.
I must admit to some confusion over these ongoing Summer Wars. The whys, the transgressions left me a little confused in the first quarter but the rest of the tale brought some clarity. The summerlings were such an interesting race and I wanted a bit more of a picture painted because what I did see, was so fascinating.
The queer love at the centre of this tale was wrapped in a curse at the hands of a burgeoning sorceress. Tragedy dripped from the pages and that final challenge of Argent's was difficult to read; I loved Roric's part in this.
I adore Naomi Novik's ability to craft a world that feels newly-fantastical and to develop characters to care for. Highly recommended,.
Thank you DelRey UK for the eARC.
Siblings
Queer acceptance
The why of wars
The Summer War was a perfect-lengthed story that was full and encapsulated. It opened it's doors by pulling on my heart strings with two of the three siblings. Celie, Argent and Roric were all endearing characters in their own way and while Celie's perspective narrated the tale, the other two were lead characters.
I must admit to some confusion over these ongoing Summer Wars. The whys, the transgressions left me a little confused in the first quarter but the rest of the tale brought some clarity. The summerlings were such an interesting race and I wanted a bit more of a picture painted because what I did see, was so fascinating.
The queer love at the centre of this tale was wrapped in a curse at the hands of a burgeoning sorceress. Tragedy dripped from the pages and that final challenge of Argent's was difficult to read; I loved Roric's part in this.
I adore Naomi Novik's ability to craft a world that feels newly-fantastical and to develop characters to care for. Highly recommended,.
Thank you DelRey UK for the eARC.
November 9, 2025
I am actually blown away by how much I loved this. If you’re a fan of whimsical fairytales that center around sibling love, similar in vein to The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar, then you will love this. It’s got lore accurate fae, sorceresses, bards, and knights. A surprising amount of action, political intrigue, and wholesome bonding for such a short book.
As a girl with two brothers, this was so much more relatable than I was anticipating. But I will say, as the middle child, I identified a whole lot more with Roric than Celia. I loved the dynamic between all three siblings. The muddled feelings of love, jealousy, hatred, and admiration. Such a perfect and raw reflection of siblinghood. I was fully expecting to hate their father, but I actually formed a grudging respect for him by the end.
A little bit heartbreaking, a little bit silly. Like all good fairytales are.
As a girl with two brothers, this was so much more relatable than I was anticipating. But I will say, as the middle child, I identified a whole lot more with Roric than Celia. I loved the dynamic between all three siblings. The muddled feelings of love, jealousy, hatred, and admiration. Such a perfect and raw reflection of siblinghood. I was fully expecting to hate their father, but I actually formed a grudging respect for him by the end.
A little bit heartbreaking, a little bit silly. Like all good fairytales are.
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