A young woman must solve a magical mystery to save her realm, her god, and herself in Amy Avery's atmospheric, melancholy fantasy debut, The Longest Autumn. Tirne has been Herald for the god Autumn for six years, and shepherds souls through to the gods' realm, Sylvus. She also guides Autumn to the mortal world and back, ushering in the change of seasons every year. But this year, after they step through the mirror Tirne uses as a portal, it shatters and the world is plunged into an endless autumn.
Tirne's life at the Temple was one of honor and privilege, but now she's become a pariah. Priests and sorcerers demand her blood for testing, Autumn's resentful Consort revels in Tirne's downfall, and she pulls away from her friends and lovers. Tirne must also cope with debilitating headaches and her link to Autumn, who becomes more mortal every day and whose burgeoning human emotions complicate their relationship. Avery develops complex social, romantic, and political connections in her queernormative historical fantasy setting, which makes Tirne's questionable decisions--and romantic entanglements--understandable to readers, even as they can sense the looming betrayals.
Little grows in autumn, and as food and heating fuel run out and illness spreads, Tirne scrambles to find out who fractured the mirror before it's too late. Tirne is an imperfect character, with good intentions and a habit of making impulsive choices. Her journey will appeal to fans of Genevieve Gornichec and Katherine Arden. --Suzanne Krohn, librarian and freelance reviewer