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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
4.5/5 Stars
The Summer War is a classic fairytale story (with a few twists) of how people act on their values of love, honor, and revenge. I loved the queer elements and undertones laid throughout this novella, and would recomend it to anyone who is looking for a quick and entertaining read.
4.5/5 Stars
The Summer War is a classic fairytale story (with a few twists) of how people act on their values of love, honor, and revenge. I loved the queer elements and undertones laid throughout this novella, and would recomend it to anyone who is looking for a quick and entertaining read.
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Summer War almost feels like a pitch for a longer novel, but still holds up incredibly well as a short novella. We get a slightly spoiled daughter of a duke who is used as a pawn in the ongoing attempts at peace bewteen fae-esque creatures (the Summerlings) and who accidentally curses her brother to never find love. The climax is a genuinely great blend of knightly battle and bardic showing off and rules lawyering in the best kind of way, and the end is genuinely sweet. Fantastic quick read over the space of a weekend, and a highly recommended read this fall.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
adventurous
reflective
fast-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
adventurous
emotional
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
absolutely no notes
lighthearted
fast-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
Young Celia, reeling from the revelation that she cares about her eldest brother far more than he cares for her, uncovers her magic by cursing him to become an incredible knight but never find a man who will love him. Working to fix this accident, Celia builds relationships with her other brother and works to deal with the political implications of her newly revealed power in a nation still recovering from annual battles with the summerlings.
A short but well-formed story of a teenager working with her resources to better the circumstances of her family and country, aware that her magic is finite, and that family is frail. Celia balances honour, responsibility, and devotion as she navigates unsettling situations in a high-stakes bildungsroman.
Enjoyable to read a very self-aware character who recognises and respects soft/social power and works to wield her own without it feeling forced. The descriptions really set the scene, and the characters' emotions were clear and respected even when not necessarily rational. This novella leans towards Novik's fairytale-esque stories, continuing the idea of a tradition as a starting point while developing beyond a simple retelling. Brief but memorable.
Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for an eARC of this to review.
A short but well-formed story of a teenager working with her resources to better the circumstances of her family and country, aware that her magic is finite, and that family is frail. Celia balances honour, responsibility, and devotion as she navigates unsettling situations in a high-stakes bildungsroman.
Enjoyable to read a very self-aware character who recognises and respects soft/social power and works to wield her own without it feeling forced. The descriptions really set the scene, and the characters' emotions were clear and respected even when not necessarily rational. This novella leans towards Novik's fairytale-esque stories, continuing the idea of a tradition as a starting point while developing beyond a simple retelling. Brief but memorable.
Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for an eARC of this to review.