Book Review: The Summer War by Naomi Novik

Started: 9 August 2026

Finished: 11 August 2026

3.5 stars

For the first half, I thought it was good and interesting but it was also just fine. That is to say I liked what I was reading but I wasn’t particularly gripped or immersed. I could pick it up easily but I could also put it down easily. Maybe it’s because there was so much political maneuvering going on, which is admittedly not my preference. But the second half, I couldn’t put the book down o was so gripped.

Something that felt out of place was that Celia felt way too mature for her written age. I understand she might be more mature than a normal preteen due to the way she was raised and the immense expectations placed upon her, but she seemed to be in her twenties with that kind of logical reasoning and complex planning skills. She just wasn’t emotional enough.

That said, Celia and the rest of the characters all felt very well-developed. They weren’t too one-dimensional with their personalities and motives. The world itself was also impressively done. Not everything was explained, like what a wyrm is, but I didn’t find that that bothered me. It wasn’t fundamental to the story so I was fine brushing over it.

Overall, I'm glad I read this book but I'm not sure if it'll be memorable.