This wonderful new fairy tale about familial love and forgiveness was a delight to read and was just short enough to read in one sitting. It is always amazing to me how much an author can pack into a novella. Would I have loved it if it was a full length novel? Of course I would, but I also found it to be perfect at this length too.

Celia is the main narrator of this story and she is quite young when it starts, early teens, but she is such a smart young lady and she certainly grows into quite the young woman by the end. I really enjoyed her perspective of the story. I felt her pain when Argent leaves her, especially as there was no indication that he was planning to say goodbye. And what twelve year old doesn’t want to curse their older brother? She of course regrets it immediately, but there is nothing to be done as he has gone. But she is smart and starts to work on a plan to undo the curse. I also appreciated how she decides that she needs to have more care in her life and how she develops a relationship with the middle son, who has been mostly ignored by the family.

This is very much a story about familial love, forgiveness and empathy. There are knights and quests, betrayals, vengeance and of course magic. It is not specifically said that the Summer People are the Fae, but you very much understand that they are. I loved the description of the summerland and the war was outlined in much detail, without it being boring or an infodump. The war is centered around vengeance for a wrong that happened hundreds of years ago. Celia and her family are caught up in the consequences of this and a lot of responsibility is then put upon Celia to help right the wrong. The ending is quite intense at first but eventually becomes quite heartwarming with a lot of love and acceptance between all.

If you are a fan of this author, this is a must read. If you have yet to experience her stories there would be no better place than to start here. It is a delightful story full of heart and love.

The Summer War is the story of Celia, who is a sorceress just coming into her powers as a young woman, and in doing so accidentally curses her oldest brother Argent to a life without love. He wanders the world as she grows into a woman, and eventually finds herself entangled with the summerlings, and learning just what the Summer War was all about. Celia and her often forgotten middle brother try their best to save their land, and Argent, from the summerlings.

This was a lovely little novella that I read all in one sitting. It read a bit like a fairy tale, somewhat like Uprooted or Spinning Silver did, both of which I enjoyed very much. I only wish that it had been a bit longer, but I still enjoyed my time with this story. I had 4/5 stars of fun with this story. I will definitely read more of Naomi Novik's work when I have the opportunity!

This novella has all of Novik's hallmarks: lyrical writing with quirky characters and situations. It is a modernly crafted fairy tale that feels ageless - like something passed down from generation to generation.

Story: Celia watches her beloved older brother storm out of the castle, never to return. Afraid for him and of being abandoned, she yells at him in anger, only to have her words turn into a curse. Years later, she knows she must undo what she has done or condemn her brother to a life of loneliness. Together with her hated middle brother, she will work to break the unwitting curse and bring her older brother home.

The story is a good length and provides a full circle ending that works beautifully. Those who enjoy her other books should also greatly appreciate this quick read as well. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Once upon a time, there was a teenaged girl whose father believed that he could outsmart everyone. Naomi Novik’s charming, heartfelt novella, The Summer War, tells us what happens when the girl’s father’s plans go awry. Celia’s father is a master strategist with a glaring blind spot: he never considered anyone’s feelings, not least of which is that people can’t help who they fall in love with.

Celia’s story really begins when she is a little girl, on the day her world falls apart. Her beloved brother, who has striven to live up to their father’s expectations, decides that he has had enough. His only hope to live the kind of life he wants is to leave. Celia becomes so upset that her beloved brother that she curses him. Unfortunately for Celia, her brother, and her family, Celia’s fit of childish pique is amplified by her hitherto unknown abilities as a sorceress. Everyone is very, very surprised by this.

There is not a wasted word in The Summer War. Novik packs in just enough exposition and scene-setting to show us what the stakes are as the story plunges Celia neck-deep into all kinds of problems. Who will take care of her father’s dukedom after his plans implode? What’s up with the weirdly impatient prince of the realm who insists on marrying Celia, now that she’s revealed to have powerful magic? Is the Summer War that plagued the kingdom for centuries really over? As if this wasn’t enough to keep Celia up at night, she is also constantly challenged with questions about love. Who deserves love? Are some hurts unforgivable? Most of all, can love conquer all?

I had a lovely time reading The Summer War. It’s short; the hardcover edition is only 144 pages. I might’ve wished that the book were longer because I absolutely fell in love with the characters and the surprising complexity of the story, but this book is exactly as long as it needs to be. It’s a beautifully crafted tale that utterly absorbed me for an evening. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

I didn't even know The Summer War was coming out until I got a request to review it on NetGalley, and I couldn't resist an opportunity to read another story by Naomi Novik! I also didn't realize this was a novella until I started reading it and noticed how quickly I was moving through the ebook, lol. Nevertheless, this was such a pleasant surprise! I enjoy how novellas enfold you right into the action without much preamble, and The Summer War did just that. I got to learn about the Summerlings and this war and Celia all as her tale unfolded. I absolutely adore how much of a rich, emotional ride The Summer War created even in such a short amount of time, with some delightful and intense surprises along way. I would love to read more books set in this place and with these characters!

I loved this short story!

I’ve read a lot of Naomi Novik’s work before (specifically the Temeraire series) and this one was her same excellent quality, but fresh and different. It felt like reading a folk tale from an ancient tome, but with a story that resonates and touches modern audiences in a way that older stories don’t. I loved the themes of familial love and forgiveness, and setting aside pride to forge something more important. Novik draws us into the characters so subtly, that you don’t realise how much you care about them, until you’re reading desperately fast to try to see them to safety. Such massive respect for the delivery of all that in so few pages!

Overall, a truly exceptional short fairy story, with knights, quests, honour, betrayal and magic, and a satisfyingly heart-warming resolution. What more could you want?

Enjoyable little read. Main character is interesting and I think seeing her growing up and starting to understand her position in world surrounding her make her more three dimensional, more really human, more real for readers. Overall good little read for fans of Naomi Novik and not only for them.

Remarkable, as always. This story had so much of what I loved most about Spinning Silver, with new and fresh twists, and I’ll never not be astounded by Naomi Novik’s writing. The prose is gorgeous, and I’ll be thinking about this story long after reading it.

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.

(Full and very long review in link.)

Naomi never fails to knock me off my feet, her writing is so captivating. The Summer War is a light hearted, romantic. The world building is beautiful. This story didn't need to be a novella, it could have been a full novel, I really was swept away. Epic writing, I never pass on a Naomi book. Thank you again for this heart breaking and whimsical writing.

A lovely little novella that feels like a traditional fairytale! Novik’s writing always flows nicely, with strong worldbuilding and solid pacing. If you’re looking for something that feels classic but has an interesting story, try this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, and Inklore for the ARC!

A lovely little story that flew by, but captured a lot of detail. I felt it was a bit hampered by the lore - there wasn't enough room to explain everything, but so much was mentioned that I felt lost at times. But the story itself was satisfying and enjoyable.

Thanks to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Racconti e novelle non sono in genere la mia lettura preferita, però ci regala in poche pagine una storia profonda sull'empatia, sullo scegliere di aprirsi agli altri.
Si conferma essere tra le mie autrici prederite

The Summer War is a fairy tale and a glittering gem of a novella. It’s about empathy. It’s not a story where empathy is someone’s gift or superpower, but a story where empathy is a choice one makes again and again. Real flaws and feelings are packed into less than 150 pages, somehow. Naomi Novik casts some of my favorite sorcery in this one.

2⭐️ Although I adore Naomi Novik’s fantasy books and series, I now realise that I am not a fan of her novellas/ short stories.

The Summer War had a lot of ideas crammed into a short space and therefore felt quite rushed. As a result there was so much info dumping that I felt myself not paying much attention to our main character, Celia.

I am partial to an arranged marriage plot but one which begins with a child so young leaves me with an ick that I can’t seem to move past enough to enjoy the story.

The vibes of this book felt fairytaley, much like Novik’s collection of short stories ‘Buried Deep and other stories’ so if you enjoyed those you’ll probably find that you will enjoy this.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC.

What happens when a fairytale heroine sees everything all-too-clearly. The heroic brother, the beautiful princess-to-be, and the overlooked child are all tropes, as is the war-by-other-means between the humans and the Summerlings. The twists, however, are unexpected as are the characters behind the cliches. It’s a quick read, but a very resonant one.

This was such a great concept and I loved the world building - but I found the last halfway through, the story felt rushed. However, I'll definitely read more from her in the future.

From the start I was immersed in this short story! Novik has a beautiful way with words to describe the scene and Celia’s story. It felt very nostalgic and fairy-tale like to me and I enjoyed it thoroughly!

Naomi Novik writes magical settings beautifully. I love the way she twists and weirds things so vividly, which makes it very easy to fall into her stories. The Summer War read like a fairy tale, one that could have been longer but absolutely didn't need to be. It got plenty across about the sad pointlessness of war and the power of love (of all kinds, not just romantic). I enjoyed it immensely and finished it in one setting. My only complaint would be about the way the summer war was won: it seemed less like Veris the Fox was clever and more that the Summerlings were strangely clueless. Yes, they have honor and therefore think about battle differently, but aren't they supposed to have great magic? But anyway, it's a minor thing.

"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 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, 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."

After cursing her older brother you think she'd no refer to her middle brother as unwanted...