I was really interested in the premise of this book, but overall felt it was just so-so.. The plot of the book revolves around the breaking of a magical artifact that allows the seasonal gods and their human heralds pass between the realms of gods and mortals. Tirne, the herald of Autumn, is blamed for the breaking and we follow as she tries to solve the mystery. The plot kept me intrigued enough to finish the book, but I didn’t feel particularly connected to Tirne.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was not for me, but I can also be picky. I wonder if I would rate the book differently if I read it instead.

I want to thank netgalley and the publisher for giving me an audio-arc in exchange of my honest review.

The premise of this book was so good and I was extremely excited for it but sadly I was disappointed. The first 25 percent was amazing in my opinion but sadly after that it felt flat for me. It did pick up at points here and there but nothing that will keep me invested in the story. I feel like there was a lot of sexual relationships between characters but the romance was lost and that's what I was really looking forward in this one. I dint felt chemistry between the FMC and MMC and tbh at times I was not sure who the MMC supposed to be. And sadly I didn't like the ending either I felt like the FMC was done dirty tbh.

If you go into this one not expecting romance I think you will be fine with the mystery and the writing style was quite good it was just not my cup of tea but I can see how many will love it.

So many issues but still a good read. I wanted more movement in the plot. The main character seemed at times to live in a very open world and at other times was very repressed. I didn't feel a romance or sexual tension between Tierne and Autumn. I thought the middle was slow but still wanted to read and find out how they resolved #TheLongestAutumn Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Regrettably, this book didn't resonate with me. My anticipation for a strong female protagonist was prolonged, and the strength arc took longer to materialize than expected. The unique approach to seasons and gods in its world building and political structure felt somewhat distant, hindering my connection to the story. The audiobook's narrator conveyed a beautiful, autumnal tone, but the somber and willowy voice made it challenging to discern emotions, and certain parts seemed to drone on. Both the narration and story pacing felt rather casual, prioritizing mood and world-building over plot progression. The third-person perspective made it difficult to distinguish intentional sadness in the world from potential bias stemming from the main character. Although various characters were well-explained, I struggled to form a strong connection with any. While appreciative of the uniqueness and contemplative nature of the story, the overall vibe and lack of action left me somewhat disengaged.

2/5 stars for the story
3/5 stars for the narration

I really loved the world and the magic. I think death ferrying stories are so unique and offer a lot of mythology and stories to work off, but the beginning and voice threw me a bit. Might have enjoyed more if reading and not listening in audiobook format

Me and Autumn? It's a thing.

So when I knew I was going to read this, I was desperately hoping for atmosphere and between chill breezes so visceral I shivered, apple cider kisses, and trails of dead leaves, I got atmosphere in spades.

Tirne is the Herald of Autumn - her duty is to usher him through a magical mirror into the human world to bring on the beginning of that cooler weather, those longer and darker nights, the smell of woodsmoke and fat, orange pumpkins. This is a role that means a lot to Tirne, desperate to be written into her history just like her mother before her.

Only, this year, something happens - that magical mirror shatters when she passes through it. And Tirne? She's the prime suspect for sabotage.

For someone so hellbent on loyalty to her god, we start to see her ambition control her - stripped of her title as Herald, she first beatifically commits herself to doing whatever's necessary to fix the mirror before food and firewood runs out and people begin to starve and infection spreads. But it soon becomes obvious that she'll also do anything to get her position restored, even if it means putting her trust in people she shouldn't.

Meanwhile, a bourgeoning energy is passing through Autumn and Tirne. Illicit touches are hidden, even though those same touches are against the commandments that Autumn himself laid down.

This was dreamy and sexy and mysterious and a super fun, quick fantasy debut. I'm sad to hear that it's a standalone - I'd have loved more of the lore of the passing of the seasons, more about the scions of each seasonal god, and more about the seasonal gods themselves. I definitely think there's an opportunity for a more expansive universe. Amy Avery is a skilled writer and I can't wait to see what she does in the future.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, author Amy Avery, and Netgalley for providing me access to the ALC. 
To be released on January 16, 2024

We start out with a brilliant premise and a terrifically exciting, promising opener. We follow Tirne, herald to the god Autumn. During this year’s ceremony, she touches the enchanted Mirror and causes it to shatter.

I hate to say this, but I came out of this book wanting hours of my life back. The majority of the book is low-key, slowly paced court intrigue. There’s a lot of bed-hopping, shifting relationships, and questionable motives. How does someone make affairs between gods & mortals boring?! Basically, I think those details should’ve at least been eventful or even leaned into to the point of farce or melodrama. But the result was more like watching paint dry. Cattiness was even a snooze fest, as I didn’t care about the characters. I think the attempt was made at a twisty-turny plot, but meh. I ended up not really caring about anything that happened until about the last third of the book.

I think the entire story suffers from the austere style of storytelling. I didn’t get much personality from the main character; it feels as if Tirne is telling her story from at a distance. She’s about her goals but comes off kind of flat. One of the other major players is Lord Autumn, who did not give off much “god-ness.” I was intrigued by some of the other characters but wasn't given enough to latch onto with them.

Let’s not even talk about the abysmal, dreary ending. It was unsatisying but also made me mad.

Positives include the narration, which was very competently performed by Zura Johnson. The prose was serviceable.

The Longest Autumn is a mystery in fantasy book. The narrator did a great job bringing the characters and plot to life. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy with a twist.

I don’t know if the narrator, Zura Johnson, has a naturally soft voice or this was deliberate, but she spoke in hushed tones, an almost-whisper, that drove me crazy after a while. In fairness, this was very much a me thing. Her storytelling style was quite good.

Pacing is SLOW.

As someone who lives with chronic pain and cycling migraines, I appreciated the representation here. Despite that, the refrain of Tirne’s headaches felt repetitive, important to the plot, but also not evolving or bringing depth to the story.

Casual sex is a major factor, with all the characters, some for pleasure, some as a trade for something else another person wants. It’s just sex for the sake of sex, and it didn’t add much of anything to the story.

I didn’t care about any of the characters, and I was bored.

DNF 53%

*Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free download.*

I loved the world building elements of this book so much! The mystery was great although I wish there had been more actual work done with it, she just kind of found out. And the romance was great but I’m struggling with the end. After everything she essentially ended up with nothing and it’s not believable

"Under the right circumstances, would even a god fall?"

The Longest Autumn was a rich fantasy set in a world where the Seasons are Gods who pass between realms to visit the temples of the human realm. We follow Tirne, the herald of the god Autumn, who is tasked with escorting Autumn through the mirror between realms each year. On the sixth year of her service as herald, the mirror is shattered during their cross-over, trapping Tirne and Autumn in the mortal realm and ushering in an eternal Fall.

I found this world to be beautiful to read about, and found the author was able to insert intricate exposition of the workings of the temples and other religions of the world with delicacy. We are able to understand the intricate relationships Tirne has with her friends, lovers, and fellow followers of Autumn in the human realm, and I appreciated how seamlessly LGBTQ relationships were presented in the story. Each of these relationships gave great insight to Tirne, her role, and how she would truly do anything for her god Autumn.

Zura Johnson's voice truly brought this story to life, adding even more emotion into Tirne and Autumn's relationship. It set the perfect tone for the mystery of the story, and showed Tirne's emotional journey as she searches for who broke the mirror, and what it means for her relationship with Autumn.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for this ALC!

This audiobook had me very interested from the beginning and I enjoyed it a lot. The narrator did a very good job. I would recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an audio arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Longest Autumn takes inspiration from Greek and Roman mythology, but has its own unique worldbuilding that initially is what made me interested in reading this. Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me and I didn’t find myself enjoying it. My main issue with this book was the main character, I didn’t like her and found her annoying. Her decisions infuriated me and I struggled to understand her reasoning. I also didn’t love how sexual this book was, it made me uncomfortable. I don’t think I would read anything else by this author unfortunately.

I was skeptical about this book but oh em gee. I am obsessed. I can’t even pick a favorite character lol. The entire book was fantastic! It immediately sucked me in and the pace was slow for about the first 30% of the book but after that it picked up for me and I enjoyed it so much. The plot is great and the characters are wonderful. The world building was perfect. It wasn’t over explained or described or too much. I cant praise this book enough. It’s so immersive. I would have liked to see more character growth but overall still a fantastic read! I have already shared my thoughts with so many people and they can’t wait to read also! Bravo! Well done!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

The idea behind The Longest Autumn is neat (humans are chosen to be heralds for the gods! they help usher in the seasons!) and the set up of the plot is interesting (the Mirror separating their worlds breaks, leading to a never ending autumn until the Mirror can be fixed!). I really liked the world building here and appreciated that the gods did not feel too heavily inspired by one mythology or another, and I thought the court intrigue/mystery aspect of this was compelling. I also found the chronic headache/migraine representation was well done! Still, I found that Tirne was a frustrating point of view character and I didn’t always love being in her head. I appreciated that this isn’t romance-y in the way that there’s a central romance that’s followed and she gets to hook up with multiple different individuals, and sometimes it means something and sometimes it’s just a fun romp, but I found none of the romantic story lines all that interesting. Despite this not being a romance-forward book, I do think my feelings about those relationships made the conclusion of the book to be less heavy-hitting or tragic. Still, I did find that the end was a natural conclusion to Tirne’s character arc, even if it didn’t end up doing much for me. I also thought there were times where this lost steam and some parts in the middle felt a bit dragged out.

I also enjoyed the audiobook narration, and it definitely contributed to making this an easy book to read.

Thank NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this opportunity to read rate and review this audiobook arc which will be available January 16,2024.

Let me preface this review by stating I also read the book arc and this is solely based upon the narrator not the story.

Zura Johnson’s voice oozed emotions, tension and built upon them with such seamless ease that it felt like she was a bard telling a story in a tavern by the giant fireplace. There was not one moment where I ever felt bored or felt the need to place this book on a super fast speed just to get through it. I actually wanted more time. She breathed new life into this book gave it another depth.

Title: A woman who had it all, and will fight tooth and nail to get it back.

This was a full and rich fantasy built into the most peculiar world of Gods, Seasons and Worshippers. I was blown away by the lore and how well the author reveals all the nuances as the story went along. I very much enjoyed it and would recommend it to avid fantasy readers with the disclosure that it has explicit romance. It’s breathless and alluring, so those who enjoy court intrigue will love it.

Tirne is the herald of the god Autumn, meaning that it is her human blood that opens the mirror between realms so that she can escort him into the mortal world to begin the season. She spends three quarters of the year (sound familiar) in the gods' realm awaiting their turn. But Tirne is a devoted believer who loves her role. She studied for years and competed against her fellow acolytes for the honor. But on her 6th heralding, the mirror shatters. Trapping Tirne and her god in the mortal realm, ushering in an eternal autumn and an endless season of death.

The audiobook was a delicious performance, and set the perfect tone. Adding to Tirne’s emotional journey as she pries into the secrets of every student and priest in the temple. She is reviled, stripped of her rank and placed under house arrest until the mirror is repaired. Everyone she loves is a suspect and every ally could just as easily be a foe. She must uncover the culprit, all while juggling two demi-god lovers, an ex-girlfriend, a jealous consort… and maybe even a god who becomes far more attached than he should be.

The author had no reservations about taking the main character from the top of the world all the way down to experience her lowest point. It had the same effect as Celaena in Throne of Glass starting in a prison camp. I thought it showed commitment to the story and took it further than simple court intrigue. If you liked the years at court in Daughter of the Moon Goddess, this feels like her elegant and less-awkward adult sister. Though there are many love interests, there is no pressure to conform to a love triangle. It was swoony and seductive. I especially like how normalized LGBTQ was. She and her friends openly form all types of partnerships. Falling in love with these characters was easy.

I enjoyed this story enough to read it fairly quickly. I didn't get bored or want to put it aside, but...

Ok so we're following Tirne, the herald of the god of Autumn who leads souls to the afterlife each day and escorts Autumn in and out of the mortal world. She loves her position and delights in it, until during a transition from summer to Autumn the mirror (the gateway) between the worlds shatters when they pass through leading to the season lingering unnaturally long while the mirror is repaired.

During their prolonged period in the mortal world Tirne tries to figure out what could have happened to make her blood shatter the mirror, Autumn becomes very close to human, and all the world struggles as sickness and famine spread.

There are all these love affairs that don't really go anywhere and are weirdly intense considering there are multiple "loves" at play for most people. I just wasn't into that piece of the story line and found it irritating.

I received an Audio ARC of this book for an honest review from NetGalley.

The Longest Autumn is refreshing new fantasy with a take on the seasons. The seasons change with the passing through a mirror portal of the God of each season from their realm to the human realm with the help of a human Herald. Tirne is the Herald of the God of Autum.
During the change from summer to autumn the mirror is broken leaving Tirne and Autum stranded in the human realm with no way for the seasons to change. Mystery abounds on how the mirror broke and how to fix it.

The storyline starts slowly in the beginning due to the world building but the narration by Zura Johnson helps to ease the information. I was quickly able to understand and want to know more about the world and the characters. The world is full of diverse characters. The book features romance, along with gender fluidity and LGBTQI+ romance, but the romance is not the plot. The mystery behind how the mirror broke and fixing it before it too late are what moves the plot.

Tirne will stop at nothing to find the answers to the mystery. Her character is complex with secrets of her own that she keeps hidden, migraines that only her friend Jade knows of, from fear that it will accuse her the cause for the mirror’s break. In her efforts to solve the mystery she uncovers misdeeds of those around her, loses friendships, has forbidden relationships and must deal with the consequences of her actions.

Overall I enjoyed this book and how the story wrapped up. My only complaint is that the “villain” felt glossed over. I was shocked when that plot line was revealed but I would have liked to see more explanation in regards to it.

The Longest Autumn by Amy Avery is an enchanting fantasy release perfect for those looking to enjoy a self contained story. I was honored to receive both the Audio and E-Book versions of the pre release story and found both to be an absolutely delightful story experience.
This Audio version added an extra level of immersion with the expressive narration and I do think this will be a great way to experience the story.