No role in the Temple is more highly prized than that of Herald: a human who lives among the gods and once a year, escorts an immortal through the Mirror into the mortal world to usher in a new season. Tirne relishes her position as Autumn’s Herald and will do anything to keep the role, from neglecting her friends to hiding her debilitating migraines.
But this year, when Tirne touches the Mirror, it shatters, trapping both her and the god in the mortal world. The resulting endless autumn and the crop failures that come with it aren’t the only things Tirne has to fear. The leaders of the Temple think she destroyed the Mirror on purpose and strip her of her duties. They keep an eye on her for traitorous behavior—when they aren’t bottling her blood to test on the Mirror.
The longer Tirne stays in the mortal world, the worse her headaches will get and the more human Autumn will become. If the Temple can’t figure out who shattered the Mirror, Tirne will. But as she digs, Tirne discovers lies that wrap around not only the Temple, but around the gods themselves.
Author Amy Avery pulls from Greek mythology to create the languid, fantastical setting of The Longest Autumn. The four gods of the seasons, their estranged father and a fallen god with shadowbeasts at his call are the foundation of the complex world of the Temple, and fans of Grecian-inspired fantasies will enjoy the compelling—if unevenly paced—story that unfolds within it.
As in the Hellenistic myths that influenced it, sex is at the forefront of The Longest Autumn, with near-constant discussion around who Autumn is courting, which of Tirne’s friends are sleeping together and who Tirne herself finds attractive. Sexual and romantic identities of all kinds are welcome in the Temple, but rarely do more erotic details make the page, placing this novel low on the proverbial spice scale. Rather, Avery is preoccupied with the messy politicking of religion, and Tirne’s decisions are largely driven by social turmoil between her friends and her unstable alliances, rather than romance.
Where Avery really excels is world building, which is original throughout. Tirne manages her chronic pain with medicine but also alchemical concoctions made from magical blood, the fascinating details of which impact the plot without detracting from Tirne’s dismantling of the stories she’s been told and the lies about the seasonal gods.
The Longest Autumn will appeal to fans of Jennifer Saint’s Elektra or fantasy readers looking for something quiet and character-driven.
