The Summer War

Paperback Published on: 03/09/2026
Price: £9.99
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Published 03/09/2026
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Coming soon
Published 03/09/2026
No stock available in any shop.

Bookseller Reviews

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The Summer War
A Charming Fairy Tale
A short story that packs a lot of punch in the usual Novik style. Reading this made me very nostalgic for her long one chapter Witcher fics, as it packs in... READ MORE
Ella at Wakefield

Synopsis

In this enchanting, poignant novella from the Sunday 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 discovers her talent for magic on the day her beloved oldest brother Argent leaves home. Furious at being left behind, she lashes out, not realising her childish, angry words will suddenly 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. Yet she cannot find the solution – until she learns the truth about the centuries-old war between her people and the summerlings, the immortal beings holding a relentless grudge against their mortal neighbours.

With the aid of her unwanted middle brother, Celia may be able to undo her eldest brother’s curse and heal the lands so long torn apart by the Summer War. But what price will she have to pay?

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Cornerstone
  • ISBN: 9781804956601
  • Number of pages: 224
  • Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 15 mm
  • Weight: 200g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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The Summer War
Wonderful
For such a short novella, this one surely packs a punch. There is so much story here in just 75 pages but I could have kept reading. I am not always a fan ... READ MORE
Renee_Reads
The Summer War
I absolutely devoured this short story
I absolutely devoured this novella in a very short time. Sweet poignant and emotional it just called out to my old romantic heart. Oh its not the usual lov... READ MORE
Marta Cox
The Summer War
Very good novella that could have been an excellent novel
Naomi Novik is an incredibly talented author, and she proves it once again with this novella. The Summer War tells the story of a young girl named Celia wh... READ MORE
Magdalena
The Summer War
Small but Powerful — A Beautifully Written Novella
This was such a great novella! The only bad thing I can say about it is that it was short. I wish the story were longer! Even though it's short, it made m... READ MORE
Sandra Macia Vazquez
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Summer War
The whys of war
The Summer War was a perfect-lengthed story that was full and encapsulated. It opened it's doors by pulling on my heart strings with two of the three sibli... READ MORE
Micky - bookphenomena
The Summer War
Loved It!
The only bad thing I can say about this, is that I wish it could have been longer!!!! Naomi Novik weaves magic into her stories and I have loved everything... READ MORE
K. Bickmore
The Summer War
A little tease
This short novella packs so much into it that it could easily be expanded into a full book! The war dynamics, particularly the politics, were incredibly in... READ MORE
Rebecca J
The Summer War
Fairytale vibes and pure reading joy
This has a fairytale vibe, but with subtle winks to our current global political climate - everlasting war, 'kings' clinging to power at any cost. Don’t le... READ MORE
Sam H
The Summer War
Sibling Bonds and Rule-Lawyering Fae
Naomi Novik’s ‘The Summer War’ invokes the winding and mischievously hair-splitting roots of fairytale folklore to capture the evolving hardships and loves... READ MORE
Sam W
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Summer War
Spinning Silver's little sister
A fairytale novella that reads like Spinning Silver's little sister, The Summer War sees Naomi Novik return to the world of folklore with a tale so easy to... READ MORE
Jess
The Summer War
Fantastic!
Naomi Novik has crafted an absolute masterpiece with this brilliant, enchanting, and deeply moving five-star novella. The narrative grabs you instantly... READ MORE
kostev09
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Summer War
Charming and fun but with intrigue
I really enjoyed this novella, it felt like a really big story but neither rushed nor condensed. A really nice take on the relationship between the fae and... READ MORE
Eloise Best
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.