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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This little novella is a story about the bond between siblings, love and the war between two wholly different kingdoms.
This read like a fairytale. I liked the way the author interweaved the magic with the story. The characters are all very well written and the story tore at my heartstrings sometimes.
In my opinion, I wouldn’t have mind it to be a bit longer. The story has a lot of potential to be longer. The ending was a bit predictable and in my opinion, it felt a bit rushed. But, overall, I loved it.
I’ve never read anything from this author yet, but now I most definitely will pick up some of her other books.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC!
The novella was a bit slow to start which is a bit of problem when a book is short. However, the story picked up and it was good! It reads like a fairy tale and the writing is really good. Characters were more or less developed (well Celia and Roric were, Argent not so much). Maybe it should be a little longer though, it would regulate the pacing problem and permit the characters to all be developed. The time in the Summer Lands were really short which is a shame as well. The ending was good though! Overall, I did like it!
This was the first book by Naomi Novik that I read and it made me want to read more.
The novella was a bit slow to start which is a bit of problem when a book is short. However, the story picked up and it was good! It reads like a fairy tale and the writing is really good. Characters were more or less developed (well Celia and Roric were, Argent not so much). Maybe it should be a little longer though, it would regulate the pacing problem and permit the characters to all be developed. The time in the Summer Lands were really short which is a shame as well. The ending was good though! Overall, I did like it!
This was the first book by Naomi Novik that I read and it made me want to read more.
Upset when her beloved brother flees the home of their father who disapproves of his sexuality, Celia curses her brother to never find love only to have it come true. Now Celia must travel to the Summerlands to find him and lift the curse. But her newfound magic as a sorceress has caught the eye of the king and she is soon betrothed to the crown prince.
If I had realized The Summer War was a novella, I would have passed. Given it's short length, Novik rushes through the plot with little character development. The fantasy world and concept of the Summer War was intriguing and had Novik turned it into a full-length novel, I think I might have enjoyed it. Instead, the plot ended up being overly simplistic and naive.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Del Rey through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Naomi Novik is a master at storytelling. Even though this was a novella, I still found myself captivated by the premise and the characters. The story focuses on Celia, a young witch, who only discovers that she has powers when she accidentally curses her brother. The rest of the novella follows her and her two siblings as they deal with the consequences of this.
I finished this quickly and enjoyed the read. It is a great vacation read or a novella to enjoy between longer, heavier reads. While others have said that they wish this were longer, I am impressed by Novik's ability to weave a powerful story in such a concise manner. The characters, setting, and conflicts were flushed out enough that I didn't feel like anything was lacking detail. My only complaint is that, to the best of my knowledge, I don't have a full-length Novik book to look forward to for awhile.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for an advanced copy of this novella.
I finished this quickly and enjoyed the read. It is a great vacation read or a novella to enjoy between longer, heavier reads. While others have said that they wish this were longer, I am impressed by Novik's ability to weave a powerful story in such a concise manner. The characters, setting, and conflicts were flushed out enough that I didn't feel like anything was lacking detail. My only complaint is that, to the best of my knowledge, I don't have a full-length Novik book to look forward to for awhile.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for an advanced copy of this novella.
This was a touching novella that packed a lot of world-building, heart, and love into so few pages. The story of Celia and her brothers is one that centers learning about yourself and the lengths you'll go to for those that you love. The world-building was incredibly well-done and gave a vivid picture of the scope and history of the titular war, all while being important in the overall plot. It was truly an excellent novella and a wonderful experience to read it!
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved this novella from Naomi Novik, it's perfect for fans of her other work. In some ways a classic fairytale, but is also a refreshing take. There's an impressive amount of world building given its length. LOVED the relationship between the siblings.
Thank you to Del Rey for providing me with an ARC on NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Del Rey for providing me with an ARC on NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief, War
Minor: Pedophilia, Death of parent
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of The Summer War. I was so excited about getting to read the newest Naomi Novik book, but unfortunately, I didn't have a positive experience.
I am begging fantasy authors to stop writing sexual scenes involving minors and to stop using sex crimes as jokes.
While The Summer War had some pacing issues, along with 2D characters and overly predictable plot points, it could have been a sweet and entertaining little novella.
But we're not in the '90s any more. It's really not okay to not understand the basics of consent. And it's particularly nauseating when there's not even a plot or character reason for it.
It's really emphasised that our main character Celia is a child. She must marry the prince, and he wants to marry her when she's 12. Her family refuses, saying she should wait until she's 18, but the prince won't accept 18 or even 16, so in the end, she's married at 15.
But on her wedding day, she's not married to the prince. Instead, despite her saying no over and again, she's forcibly married to an immortal elf-like ruler who carries her off to his kingdom and lock in a tower.
The good news is that this immortal ruler has no intention of raping her; instead, he wants to humiliate her by only having sex with other people so she's driven to suicide.
But, she still has to sit and watch an orgy during her wedding feast, and she's still afraid that her husband will rape her. Again, she's a child, and there's no logical reason why she couldn't have been older during these scenes. At no point are we given a reason why the prince wouldn't wait until she was an adult, or why he originally wanted this happen when she was 12.
But on her wedding day, she's not married to the prince. Instead, despite her saying no over and again, she's forcibly married to an immortal elf-like ruler who carries her off to his kingdom and lock in a tower.
The good news is that this immortal ruler has no intention of raping her; instead, he wants to humiliate her by only having sex with other people so she's driven to suicide.
But, she still has to sit and watch an orgy during her wedding feast, and she's still afraid that her husband will rape her.
Then, her brothers come to save the day — and as part of this, there's an entirely unnecessary verse of song about a man sexually assaulting every ram and ewe in a field, complete with a "deeply-distressed" "Baaa-aah!" Come on, why was this included?
I'm disappointed and frustrated that what could have been a charming novella was ruined by these — entirely unnecessary! — issues.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'm a huge Naomi Novik fan and this one also hit the mark for me.
Celia is the youngest child of a man who started as a low born knight and scrabbled his way up to a dukedom with wily war strategies. Celia has two older brothers Argent and Roric. Poor Roric, the middle child of course, is discounted as valuable as his mother was of common birth (and cause he's the middle child).
When Argent leaves the family home due to his father's inability to accept him, Celia is heartbroken and accidentally curses him to never be loved.
In the background is the war that's been going on between their kingdom and the one of the Summerlings (fairy like people) for ages as each slight against the other is returned in kind.
Roric and Celia bond in Argent's absence and just may be the ones to heal hurts and break curses.
This is a short book and very much a fairy tale, but one I enjoyed, as even in these few pages character development still happened.
Celia is the youngest child of a man who started as a low born knight and scrabbled his way up to a dukedom with wily war strategies. Celia has two older brothers Argent and Roric. Poor Roric, the middle child of course, is discounted as valuable as his mother was of common birth (and cause he's the middle child).
When Argent leaves the family home due to his father's inability to accept him, Celia is heartbroken and accidentally curses him to never be loved.
In the background is the war that's been going on between their kingdom and the one of the Summerlings (fairy like people) for ages as each slight against the other is returned in kind.
Roric and Celia bond in Argent's absence and just may be the ones to heal hurts and break curses.
This is a short book and very much a fairy tale, but one I enjoyed, as even in these few pages character development still happened.
If Naomi Novik writes it, I will read it and she's absolutely done it again. The Summer War is a beautifully written novella that somehow crams the emotional weight of an epic into under 150 pages. I honestly didn’t expect to feel so much, so fast. I was misty-eyed barely ten pages in, and by the time I reached the ending, I was full of warmth!
This story feels like a fairytale, but modern. Sad and magical and healing all at once. It follows Celia, a girl just on the cusp of growing up, who discovers her magic in the worst way, by accidentally cursing her older brother. What unfolds from there is a journey of regret, love, sacrifice, and learning who you are in a world that demands too much.
I loved how much heart this packed in. The sibling dynamic, especially between Celia and her brothers, was a major highlight for me. Watching her grow from a hurt, angry kid into someone capable of deep, complicated choices was incredibly satisfying. And the world of the Summerlings? Think otherworldly and strange, a little eerie, a little whimsical, and just full of that old fairy magic vibe. I wanted to visit so badly haha.
Novik’s writing is just so enchanting and captivating, she has this rare ability to make every sentence feel deliberate without slowing the pace. The themes of longing, power, and what we’re willing to give (or take) for love are handled with care. Her prose is lyrical without being over the top, and the emotional undercurrents are powerful in a way that sneaks up on you. If I had one small critique, it’s that I wanted just a bit more at the end. A few moments could’ve been drawn out. That's so minor though.
If you love thoughtful fantasy, fairytales, or stories about the messiness of love (romantic, familial, all of it), The Summer War is absolutely worth your time. I’d have happily read 500 pages of this world, but the fact that it’s this tight and complete makes it even more impressive. Besides, we need more shorter, standalone fantasy stories.
*Many thanks to Del Rey for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story feels like a fairytale, but modern. Sad and magical and healing all at once. It follows Celia, a girl just on the cusp of growing up, who discovers her magic in the worst way, by accidentally cursing her older brother. What unfolds from there is a journey of regret, love, sacrifice, and learning who you are in a world that demands too much.
I loved how much heart this packed in. The sibling dynamic, especially between Celia and her brothers, was a major highlight for me. Watching her grow from a hurt, angry kid into someone capable of deep, complicated choices was incredibly satisfying. And the world of the Summerlings? Think otherworldly and strange, a little eerie, a little whimsical, and just full of that old fairy magic vibe. I wanted to visit so badly haha.
Novik’s writing is just so enchanting and captivating, she has this rare ability to make every sentence feel deliberate without slowing the pace. The themes of longing, power, and what we’re willing to give (or take) for love are handled with care. Her prose is lyrical without being over the top, and the emotional undercurrents are powerful in a way that sneaks up on you. If I had one small critique, it’s that I wanted just a bit more at the end. A few moments could’ve been drawn out. That's so minor though.
If you love thoughtful fantasy, fairytales, or stories about the messiness of love (romantic, familial, all of it), The Summer War is absolutely worth your time. I’d have happily read 500 pages of this world, but the fact that it’s this tight and complete makes it even more impressive. Besides, we need more shorter, standalone fantasy stories.
*Many thanks to Del Rey for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes