I enjoyed this book. What caught my attention was truly the cover and I feel like the book didn’t quite live up to it. I found it a bit boring and the plot development at times weak. However, I did like it.

I was very excited for this one - as an Autumn baby and lifelong fantasy fan, this seems right up my alley. Unfortunately, it just didn't grab my attention. This reads like a YA novel, which is not a bad thing, but I was not anticipating it. Tirne feels like a useless character - she never really does anything but worry about her position, and while there was a fair bit of world building, half the time it didn't really make sense. I was also very disappointment by the lack of Romance from a book whose advertisement focuses on the "illicit sparks and forbidden attraction" between Tirne and Autumn....it was very bland and overall, uninteresting. I found myself not really caring about the ending, or feeling any emotional connection to the characters.
Overall, not for me, but I still think the premise was interesting!

Tirne is the Herald to the god Autumn, a job that involves helping the souls of the dead cross over, and ushering Autumn into--and out of--the human world every year. But this year, when she steps through the mirror that serves as a portal between the worlds of the humans and the gods, she feels a nausea that's never been there before--and then the mirror cracks. Not only does this mean that she and Autumn are trapped in the human world; it also casts suspicion on Tirne herself.
As experts and Scions are called from near and far to try to reassemble the mirror and figure out why, exactly, it broke, the temple begins to prepare for an autumn that may last longer than expected--one that may outlast their food stores. And Tirne works to clear her name and discover who or what is really behind the mirror's destruction.

I absolutely adore this book. It's got a bit of everything--magic, intrigue, a bit of a romance (though it is not a capital R Romance), disability (Tirne has headaches that cause some major problems), an examination of godhood and humanity... there's even a character I kind of hate, but in a fun way that really drew me in and made me want to read more about him.
I got to beta read this book, so this is actually my second time reading it, and it's definitely worth the re-read!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I know I would have liked this book even more if I had been reading it during Autumn. This is such a cozy but fast-paced seasonal read. It is a nice mix of soft fantasy, mystery, and romance (albeit not conventional romance). I loved the idea of the mirror as a portal between worlds, and the conflict between the characters felt earned. I would absolutely pick up from this author again.

Thank you Netgalley and Flatiron Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This story isn’t what I thought it would be after fully reading it which isn’t necessarily bad. The synopsis is what initially drew me into the book. I expected more romance between Tirne and Autumn but there isn’t as much as I’d assume there would be.

The world building was colorful and fascinating. It drew me in. I wanted to hear more about Lys and Kald. I honestly wasn’t sure what to believe about it even when I got to the end. I would love to read another novel in this same world by the author following a different character or a different MC.

I had some issues with the main character, Tirne. I liked her dedication and strength at the beginning but found her weak by the end. I absolutely hated Sidriel from the beginning to the end and couldn’t understand the relationship between him and Tirne. Especially how she felt at the end towards him after everything that had happened in the book. Autumn felt flat as a character I expected more from. The only characters I loved were Bix, Jaed and Vanyse.

The pacing was a little strange for me. It seemed to drag until about 85% of the way in until everything happened extremely quickly. I definitely dragged through the book for a good while until about 60/70% once it started to pick up and ended up finishing it in one sitting.

I was able to guess from the beginning who was behind everything but I will admit I was surprised at the slight plot twist thrown at the end. All in all though it was a good read and I’d love to see more from both this author and the world they created.

Let me preface this review with the fact that I have absolutely no chill and this book isn’t coming out for 6 months but I started it immediately because it sounded amazing.

Lush, atmospheric writing, a rich world and magic system, and the many facets of love are just a few of the treasures you’ll find in this debut. Tirne is a phenomenal main character and the metaphor of the seasons is used so well throughout the story to show the different changes in her life.

I also loved the mystery elements and the secrets and lies between the characters.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I dove in but I loved what I found.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I read The Longest Autumn, but I have to say I was surprised. I thought this story was well thought out and I enjoyed the plot. I will say I expected a different love interest but again, was pleasantly surprised by the affairs. I would be unable to stay in that court with the other partners floating around but more power to those who can. I know I envisioned a few characters different at first and then had to change my mind's visual but that isn't uncommon. Unlike many books I read, this one had a longer time span and I questioned it a few times but then got my wits back.

Thank you #NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC in exchange for this review. I am my own person and the thoughts above are my own.

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I expected to like this more than I did. That's not to say the book isn't good. I enjoyed it, and was never tempted to stop reading, but I didn't love it. My favorite thing about the story was the world building, as I really like the world Avery has created here, with the mortal and divine worlds connected via a mirror, the worship of seasonal gods, and the customs surrounding multiple religions. I read a lot of fantasy and have never encountered something quite like this. I just wish the main character had been a bit more engaging. Tirne, a Herald of the god Autmun, came off as too passive a character to me. To be fair, that may have been the point, but I found it frustrating at times. She's a pawn in other people's plots so often, and I kept waiting for her to turn the tables or take decisive action, but she never really did. Often she allows herself to be knowingly used by people she is aware are untrustworthy; in some cases even people who directly tell her they cannot be trusted, and then she's surprised when they, predictably, turn on her.

A large portion of the book deals with solving of the mystery of how the mirror broke, but even that mostly amounts to Tirne sneaking into people's rooms, looking for some kind of evidence of something, and not finding much, or not being able to go to anyone about the significance of the one clue she does find. Again, she doesn't manage to accomplish much. She also suffers from debilitating migraines. In some ways, the book is more about someone dealing with a chronic illness than it is the mystery of who broke the mirror or any romantic elements. While I appreciate the representation of chronic illness, another element you don't see much in fantasy, the description of the story made it seem like it was more about solving a mystery (which she doesn't really manage to do) or romance.

Regarding the mention of romance in the book description, I'm actually not that big on romance novels, so I was a little worried that would be too much for me, but while Tirne does have multiple different, let's say relationships (because some are not romantic at all) over the course of the novel, there's very little romantic love to be had in the story. The book description did feel a bit misleading as far as that element - just a heads up for anyone whose interest was caught by the romance element.

Overall, I enjoyed the world-building, and would be interested to read another story set in this world, if given a character that had a little more agency.

I really loved Tirne at the start of this book. I thought she was going to be the strong main character that would be exciting to follow along with. And she was… for the first quarter of the book. But once things got bad, Tirne’s character really fell apart. My biggest issue was that she didn’t do ANYTHING. You could have replaced her with a rock and this would have ended the same way.

The side characters, especially the sorcerers, were way more intriguing and worth following than Tirne was. At least they were able to contribute to the plot. Tirne’s entire personality revolved around her headaches and her position as Herald. What even does the Herald do? Unclear. From what I gathered, absolutely nothing important?

But I’ll admit, I didn’t give this book a lower rating because I just loved the fantasy elements of this book. While I think the magic system and “good magic vs evil magic” trope could’ve been explained better, I still enjoyed this. And I liked seeing how the god Autumn started changing the more he was in the human realm. But this did make me wonder what the gods’ realm looked like. Part of me wonders if this will remain a standalone book or if Avery plans to make this a series. But (a large) part of me just doesn’t care to find out.

An utterly beautiful and unique fantasy debut! I was engrossed immediately in the fascinating and complex world; the build-up of that opening scene with the intricacy of the detail of the Mirror, the rising sense of anticipation, and then the moment when the Mirror inevitably cracks was a flawless opening, and I was obsessed for the rest of the book. Tirne was such a fantastic character -- inherently relatable in her desperation to hold onto her position as Herald, against all odds and at all costs, and her relationships with Autumn and Sidriel were deeply touching in their own ways. Absolutely would recommend to all fantasy fans!

Thank you Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC!
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🍂Wow…where do I begin? This was such a page turner for me. One of those books that grabs hold of you from page one all the way to the end. Readers will follow Tirne on a magnificent journey through love, betrayal, lust, and loyalty. I found myself refreshed by Tirne’s tale as it is unlike many of the fantasy novels I have read as of late.🍂
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🍁 This would have been a 5 star but…the ending did lose me. All of Tirne’s growth and pain was for nought towards the end…leaving me hungry for more. Reading the last few chapters and epilogue really wrecked the idea of Tirne’s character as it felt as though any agency or fight had been stripped from her, leaving her to a meager existence in her world. I wished more had come about her hard work and journey through love and pain as she tried so desperately to hold onto her previous occupation with Autumn.🍁
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🍃But, all in all, 90% of the book was absolutely stunning and utterly flawless. Definitely a must read for lovers of fantasy!🍃

First, a thank you to Flatiron books, Amy Avery and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Longest Autumn is the story of the autumn god and his herald, Tirne, becoming stuck in the mortal world after a spell destroys their portal between worlds. The longer the seasonal gods stay in the moral realm, the more human they become, and the more the mortal world is impacted by the delay of the change in season. Will Tirne be able to figure out who betrayed the gods and fix the portal before time runs out?

This was an extremely unique story, and I was extremely impressed with Amy Avery's innovative debut novel. I thought the story was complex and moved at a good pace which kept me engaged with no lulls in the progression. The ending was a little quicker than I expected, and I think because the story moved quickly, I did not feel a huge connection to the characters. I also really appreciate a standard happily ever after. This fantasy novel has romantic themes, and I like when potential romances are wrapped up with a pretty bow. Tirne went through so much strife and heartache, and I would have loved to see her have a little more peace in the ending. This is obviously a personal preference, and the ending was heart wrenchingly beautiful. I did love the inclusivity of this novel. There were many LGBTQ relationships and nonbinary characters. The love in this world is fluid and open, and I appreciated that in the story. This was a solid 3.5-4 star for me, and I would pick up Amy's books in the future.