asheroams 's review for:

The Summer War by Naomi Novik

4.25

lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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Since I was a kid, I've loved fairy tales. All sorts. This should be evident in my continued preference for fantasy novels above almost everything else now that I'm an adult. Naomi Novik has always been great at making me nostalgic for the fairy tales I read so frequently when I was younger. The Summer War is no exception.

This just feels like a classic fairy tale. It was cozy, romantic, and fantastical in all the best ways.

While it's a beautiful novella, it's also restricted by it being so. The beginning did feel a bit like I was being overloaded with context and left me wanting for more details in the latter half. And that wanting is my one regret: I wanted more from it. And I don't mean that in a bad way. I know that Novik has taken short stories in the past and fleshed them out into full novels (Spinning Silver comes immediately to mind). I wouldn't mind in the least bit if The Summer War eventually got a similar treatment.

I don't want to give too much away here, but trust me when I say this one is well worth the read. I'll hold it in the highest regards with the many fairy tales I read as a child. And like those, I'll be back to read it again and again, no doubt finding deeper layers of meaning as I go.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.