The Summer War

Hugo Award nominee 2026.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • 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.

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Fantasy Novella

Release date: September 16, 2025

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Naomi Novik

Naomi Novik is a name that resonates deeply within the world of fantasy, known for her ability to blend the fantastical with rich, immersive storytelling that challenges the boundaries of the genre. With an imagination as vast as the worlds she creates, Novik has become one of the most celebrated voices in contemporary speculative fiction, captivating readers with tales that balance intricate world-building with deeply human characters.

Born in New York City, Novik's early love for history and mythology found its natural outlet in her writing. Her passion for fantasy was sparked by childhood stories of dragons, magic, and adventure. It’s no surprise, then, that her debut novel, His Majesty's Dragon, introduced the world to one of the most distinctive dragon-centric tales in modern fantasy. Set in an alternate history where dragons serve as military assets during the Napoleonic Wars, the book became an instant favorite, hailed for its originality and its mix of history, adventure, and the enchanting presence of dragons. Novik's work is marked by her seamless blend of the historical and the fantastical, using both to illuminate complex themes of power, loyalty, and sacrifice.

What sets Novik apart in the crowded world of fantasy is her ability to evoke a sense of wonder without sacrificing the emotional depth of her characters. Whether it's the fierce bond between Captain Will Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire, or the delicate moral choices faced by her protagonists, Novik's stories resonate because they are as much about the heart as they are about the world-building. This balance between the personal and the epic is a hallmark of her writing style, making her books not only thrilling page-turners but also profoundly moving narratives about growth, friendship, and resilience.

In addition to her Temeraire series, which has earned her multiple Hugo and Locus Award nominations, Novik has expanded her repertoire with Uprooted and Spinning Silver, two novels that firmly establish her as a master of standalone fantasy. Uprooted is a lush, dark fairy tale infused with Slavic folklore, while Spinning Silver brings to life a world where magic and money intertwine in unexpected ways. Both books showcase her uncanny ability to craft stories that feel timeless, yet are rooted in the complexities of human relationships and societal expectations.

Throughout her career, Novik has garnered a devoted fan base, and her works have been translated into multiple languages. Her stories are as captivating as they are thought-provoking, offering both escapism and reflection. Novik has often shared that her writing is a way for her to explore the “what-ifs” of history and magic, blending these with a deep empathy for her characters' struggles and triumphs.

With a writing style that is both lyrical and grounded, Naomi Novik’s work is a gateway to worlds of wonder, where dragons soar, magic pulses through the earth, and the complexities of the human heart take center stage. Whether you're drawn to her historical fantasy epics or her reimagined fairy tales, Novik’s stories invite readers to step into a world of magic, danger, and the triumph of the human spirit.