If you love the idea of Hades and Persephone, mortals and gods meets seasons, then you have to keep reading. The Longest Autumn is about what happens when a god becomes trapped in the mortal world, one that controls the seasons. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts on The Longest Autumn.
Summary
Tirne is one of four humans rigorously selected to usher the turn of the seasons into the mortal world. Every year, she escorts the taciturn god Autumn between the godly and human realms. Autumn’s seasonal stay among mortals brings cooler weather, changing leaves, and the harvest of apples and gourds until Winter takes his place.
This year, the enchanted Mirror that separates their worlds shatters after Tirne and Autumn pass through, trapping both of them in the human realm. As the endless autumn stretches on, crops begin to fail and the threat of starvation looms. Away from the magic of the gods’ home, Tirne’s debilitating headaches return with a vengeance. Worse, Autumn’s extended stay in the human realm turns him ever more mortal and vulnerable, stirring a new, forbidden attraction to Tirne.
While the priesthood scrambles to find a way to reassemble the Mirror, Tirne digs into the temple’s secrets and finds an unlikely ally—or enemy—in the enigmatic sorcerer and master of poisons, Sidriel. Thrown into a world of mystery, betrayal, and espionage as she searches for the truth, might Tirne lose her morals, her hard-earned position, and the illicit spark between her and Autumn?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
For me, my reading experience of The Longest Autumn survived on vibes with a tinge of mystery. I love the premise of The Longest Autumn. The idea of the gods of the seasons coming to the mortal world and taking their turns. It gives a very strong Hades and Persephone vibe especially for Tirne who loses everything when the magical portal between the worlds breaks and strands Autumn on the side of the mortal world. Tirne is immediately blamed and takes it upon herself to try to clear her name.
This fantasy world quickly turns into a mystery as Tirne has to figure out who would do this and why she is being framed. At the same time, she has to navigate her chronic pain and keeping it a secret so she doesn’t lose her position. But as The Longest Autumn progresses, she has to figure out if all of this is worth it, if what she has to give up, is worth it. For me, the mystery is what drew me in, but because of the drawn out pacing it feels languid which, in a mystery, just felt a little unmoored. This is where my reading of it, until the end, was held on my a thread of two things – trying to figure out who did it (albeit drawn out) and also the romance storyline.
Overall,
For me, the mystery needed a few more breadcrumbs and red herrings drawn in to advance this in a way that kept the attention. The middle of The Longest Autumn ends up becoming more character driven, which is something I also enjoy, but with the mystery being the hook leaves it dangling. That being said, the character work is subtle and meaningful especially at the end. The romance story line works in an understated way that drives home the importance of love that comes into our life and won’t let go versus ones that spark and die out.
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The Longest Autumn has a fabulous narrator, Zura Johnson, who really brings the emotion of Tirne alive. All the ways she is doubting what she knows and is in danger of losing everything. Ultimately I guess my final thoughts are to go into The Longest Autumn more as a character study, slow burning story, and less of the hook of the mystery. There’s some beautiful subtle work into the characters and their evolution throughout the prolonged season I appreciated which make this one a worthwhile read.
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