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Crier's War
Impossible love between two girls —one human, one Made.
A love that could birth a revolution.
After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, Designed to be the playthings of royals, took over the estates of their owners and bent the human race to their will.
Now, Ayla, a human servant rising the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging the death of her family… by killing the Sovereign’s daughter, Lady Crier. Crier, who was Made to be beautiful, to be flawless. And to take over the work of her father.
Crier had been preparing to do just that—to inherit her father’s rule over the land. But that was before she was betrothed to Scyre Kinok, who seems to have a thousand secrets. That was before she discovered her father isn’t as benevolent as she thought. That was before she met Ayla.
Set in a richly-imagined fantasy world, Nina Varela’s debut novel is a sweepingly romantic tale of love, loss and revenge, that challenges what it really means to be human.
A love that could birth a revolution.
After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, Designed to be the playthings of royals, took over the estates of their owners and bent the human race to their will.
Now, Ayla, a human servant rising the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging the death of her family… by killing the Sovereign’s daughter, Lady Crier. Crier, who was Made to be beautiful, to be flawless. And to take over the work of her father.
Crier had been preparing to do just that—to inherit her father’s rule over the land. But that was before she was betrothed to Scyre Kinok, who seems to have a thousand secrets. That was before she discovered her father isn’t as benevolent as she thought. That was before she met Ayla.
Set in a richly-imagined fantasy world, Nina Varela’s debut novel is a sweepingly romantic tale of love, loss and revenge, that challenges what it really means to be human.
464 pages, ebook
First published October 1, 2019
About the author
Nina Varela
5 books2,715 followershi! thank y'all so much for reading my books!
i'm not active on here, but you can find me on twitter @ninavarelas or at www.ninavarela.com!
i'm not active on here, but you can find me on twitter @ninavarelas or at www.ninavarela.com!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,544 reviews
August 28, 2022
Oh, the sapphics won big time with this one. Ayla and Crier's story is one of fevered desires, covert betrayals, and tense, tentative romance between inconsolable enemies. This is a novel of corruption, of oppression, of bleak political machinations that is also a clear-eyed interrogation of power and its dynamics, but Ayla and Crier's moments together are a rapturous escape from the chaos swirling around them. I came for the plot (which did not disappoint as some of the twists and developments made me genuinely gasp out loud), but frankly stayed for the romance.
May 23, 2020
reread may 2020 me @ nina varela: HEY QUEEN! girl, you have done it again. constantly raising the bar for all of us .... and doing it flawlessly. I'd say I'm surprised, but I know who you are. I've seen it up close and personal. Girl, you make me so proud . and I love you .
by breatheforayla on tumblr
I AM A MESS!!! This book is everything. I have wanted this for so long. A TRUE slowburn angsty enemies to lovers where they're REAL ENEMIES who want to KILL EACHOTHER and its so beautiful.
The entire set up of this world? the plot?? amazing. We're in a world where Automae, created by humans, ended up overpowering and subjugating them. And it has so many fantasy tropes I love - like hidden/secret/forgotten histories and well constructed political intrigue. And SO MANY POWERFUL FEMALE CHARACTERS!! AND LOTS OF PLOT TWISTS!!
Anyways the ending destroyed me I cannot BELIEVE we now have to wait for book 2 when Nina Valera did me like that in the end
Full review can be found on my blog !!
by breatheforayla on tumblr
I AM A MESS!!! This book is everything. I have wanted this for so long. A TRUE slowburn angsty enemies to lovers where they're REAL ENEMIES who want to KILL EACHOTHER and its so beautiful.
The entire set up of this world? the plot?? amazing. We're in a world where Automae, created by humans, ended up overpowering and subjugating them. And it has so many fantasy tropes I love - like hidden/secret/forgotten histories and well constructed political intrigue. And SO MANY POWERFUL FEMALE CHARACTERS!! AND LOTS OF PLOT TWISTS!!
Anyways the ending destroyed me I cannot BELIEVE we now have to wait for book 2 when Nina Valera did me like that in the end
Full review can be found on my blog !!
October 2, 2019
ARC provided by HarperTeen in exchange for an honest review.
“It was never really a choice, was it? Wanting her. Killing her.”
Friends, if you are looking for a book all about revenge, filled with mystery and betrayals, while also showcasing the best enemies to lovers f/f romance I’ve read in a long while, please immediately pick up Crier’s War. I’m telling you right now, this is going to make so many best of 2019 lists come the end of the year, and I don’t even have words for the amount of pure joy I felt while reading this book.
Crier’s War is set in an alternative future where alchemists have crafted mechanical people, called Automaes, who now rule over the humans. The humans originally created them so a powerful queen, who could not bear children, could have an heir, but soon Automaes were forged for other human pleasures. But then they rose up and conquered the humans who originally made them. Now the world is a very unsafe place to live for humans who are still alive after the war, and they are allowed very few liberties.
➽ Crier - Lesbian! A girl artificially crafted to become the daughter her father needs to carry on his powerful legacy, while being betrothed to a man who promises to help her hone that power for both of them.
➽ Ayla - Bi! A human girl who lost her family and everything else after the Automaes raised up and overthrew the humans.
And after Ayla saves Crier’s life, Crier offers her an opportunity to become a servant for her, which is a very high honor for humans. So, Ayla becomes Crier’s handmaiden, while also seeing this as an opportunity to go undercover and maybe seek the vengeance she has been after for so long. That is, until both girls start realizing that maybe they are on the same side, and maybe they could be something more than enemies if they only were able to learn to trust.
“A thought came to her: a story of its own, one that only just began writing itself in her mind: a story of two women, one human, one Made.”
The romance in this book? It honestly gave me at least twenty years on my lifespan! This is the slowest burn, angst filled, most beautiful enemies to lovers between two women of color! It is so expertly crafted and delivered, and it was a tier above the rest. And the alternating points of view, opposing sides, filled with secrets and betrayals; it was just everything, friends. I bet this will be my favorite ship of 2019. True OTP status.
But this story really begs the question of what it means to be human. Is the capability for empathy, love, trust? What does it mean to have be alive? Simply because we are born or because blood flows through our veins? Is it because we have free will and are able to change our outlook on things and people? Or is it because we choose to take on the title human and make it into whatever we believe it to be?
“Like she was more than a human girl. Like she was a summer storm made of flesh.”
Yet, this story also constantly puts the theme of oppression and privilege at the center of it all. How people appropriate and steal from cultures and pretend that it’s okay, or worse, their own. How dangerous it is for the privileged to not acknowledge their privilege(s). And how oppressors will stop at nothing to maintain the power they have gained that privilege from.
This was such a quick read, and I completely inhaled all 400+ pages and couldn’t put it down. I started it right before a readathon, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it all week, and when the readathon was over I read it in one sitting. My queer heart couldn’t stop smiling, crying, swooning, and evoking every other emotion.
Overall, this was just a masterpiece and one of the best debuts I’ve read in a long while. If you like books filled with political intrigue, twists and turns, a beautiful and horrific backdrop, lush writing, captivating characters, and girls loving girls, I really recommend this one with my whole heart and soul. Also, just in case you aren’t completely sold yet, so many of my friends have compared this to Jude and Cardan from The Cruel Prince, but for the gays, and that is so 100% accurate.
“For the queer readers. You deserve every adventure.”(Two extra things I need to add: 1.) this is ownvoices for the queer rep + 2.) the author is ARMY = no choice but for me to stan forever. Okay, goodbye. I’m off to pray to all the higher powers for book two immediately. Also, jokes on all of you, because this is ghost Melanie reviewing this, because I died at the tide pool scene.)
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The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
Content and Trigger Warnings: war themes, abandonment, loss of loved ones, grief depictions, blood depiction, animal death/gore, and general violence.
Buddy read with Lea! ❤
August 15, 2024
The romance didn't burn me.
The intensity of the whole revenge/war/hatred/love was so lacking even though everything was there all along.
And what I dearly missed was any kind of humour in the writing.
The world system is pretty simple. The moment you open up the book, you will just get into it. The characters have been developed good, their introductions fairly well done with different, unique auras of their own. I would like to say the first half of the book has been written pretty well. It's fast paced, the required information has been delivered to you at the right place and at the right time. The roles of different characters have been represented very well. However, as much as the characters are there alive and plotting, they lacked charisma which they are supposed to be represented with.
I feel like the secondary characters come out much stronger. I like the character of Rowan (the one who took in Ayla, the one of our main protagonists, the human) which I feel is the character who is most represented well. And as much as Benjy's character is meant to be represented somewhat secondary but as someone closest to Ayla, his character leaves a big impact.
Coming to the other main protagonist, Crier the Automa, her character comes out to be a bit like someone who is not needed as much as she is supposed to be the main character. The character of her father/creator, Hesod, is developed so well as well as of her fiance, Kinok. And if these (scoff!) villain characters were given more importance in their description and more important parts, there's a high chance of me getting invested in them more than the other protagonists.
Actually, I was more excited with their entrance in between during the entire read and it's sad to say I wasn't much interested in the relationship or whatever that was going on in between Ayla and Crier in the second half of the book.
What I feel was lacking in Ayla's character:
I can understand the issues she has been dealing with since her childhood days and the hardships she has faced. But the aloofness till the end even with Crier when they are supposed to be lovers. And it feels like she will always have trust issues. I can understand that too. But then what's the point of not trusting someone you love.
I mean why cannot she be tender and soft and caring towards Crier like she does with Benjy. I can understand this too. But ugh, my romantic heart just cannot accept this kind of aloof relationship.
And Crier. What have you done to her, dear author? I have no problem with her character as she is unique of her own. But she doesn't come out as unique or someone I can relate to from any angle. She is neither soft, nor strong; neither rebellious, nor confused; neither too attentive, nor too aloof. This is the character I wanted to be most interested in. But this character turned out to be the one I was least interested in.
I won't go into details how Crier is different from the rest of the Automa.
The love scenes were so out of context and haphazardly put just in between. And yes, it was kind of slow burn romance but I wasn't burning. I so wanted to. But ahem, it didn't deliver.
The plot. It ticked, but it doesn't blow up. The plot need not have much to do actually. It much dwells on how to keep the Automa alive in the long run and to safeguard the material to keep them alive.
As much as I wanted to read about the clashing themes of humans versus the automa, emotions versus emotion-like, rebellion versus truce, lgbt issue being represented well and good, hatred versus love, action versus romance I feel they are lacking somehow.
It's supposed to be enemies to lovers trobe. But the enemies part is missing as a whole. And for the lovers part, I don't know what they are doing. Hot and Cold by Katy Perry maybe?
And it becomes so clichè towards the end that I just cannot stand Ayla and Crier in the same scene.
And the ending does not leave me wanting for more. It doesn't leave me hanging on a straw or on my bed whatsoever.
Argh! The strong characters just ghosted like that.
I do feel the 'flawed' part of Crier never came out at all. I was waiting till the last chapter to see a bit of it. And damn Ayla, she must be the Automa instead.
In the end, I felt like the whole book is about Ayla. And it must have been titled ''Ayla's War'' instead.
I don't know if I would pick up the next book in the series.
I won't.
I have other series waiting for me ☕
The intensity of the whole revenge/war/hatred/love was so lacking even though everything was there all along.
And what I dearly missed was any kind of humour in the writing.
The world system is pretty simple. The moment you open up the book, you will just get into it. The characters have been developed good, their introductions fairly well done with different, unique auras of their own. I would like to say the first half of the book has been written pretty well. It's fast paced, the required information has been delivered to you at the right place and at the right time. The roles of different characters have been represented very well. However, as much as the characters are there alive and plotting, they lacked charisma which they are supposed to be represented with.
I feel like the secondary characters come out much stronger. I like the character of Rowan (the one who took in Ayla, the one of our main protagonists, the human) which I feel is the character who is most represented well. And as much as Benjy's character is meant to be represented somewhat secondary but as someone closest to Ayla, his character leaves a big impact.
Coming to the other main protagonist, Crier the Automa, her character comes out to be a bit like someone who is not needed as much as she is supposed to be the main character. The character of her father/creator, Hesod, is developed so well as well as of her fiance, Kinok. And if these (scoff!) villain characters were given more importance in their description and more important parts, there's a high chance of me getting invested in them more than the other protagonists.
Actually, I was more excited with their entrance in between during the entire read and it's sad to say I wasn't much interested in the relationship or whatever that was going on in between Ayla and Crier in the second half of the book.
What I feel was lacking in Ayla's character:
I can understand the issues she has been dealing with since her childhood days and the hardships she has faced. But the aloofness till the end even with Crier when they are supposed to be lovers. And it feels like she will always have trust issues. I can understand that too. But then what's the point of not trusting someone you love.
I mean why cannot she be tender and soft and caring towards Crier like she does with Benjy. I can understand this too. But ugh, my romantic heart just cannot accept this kind of aloof relationship.
And Crier. What have you done to her, dear author? I have no problem with her character as she is unique of her own. But she doesn't come out as unique or someone I can relate to from any angle. She is neither soft, nor strong; neither rebellious, nor confused; neither too attentive, nor too aloof. This is the character I wanted to be most interested in. But this character turned out to be the one I was least interested in.
I won't go into details how Crier is different from the rest of the Automa.
The love scenes were so out of context and haphazardly put just in between. And yes, it was kind of slow burn romance but I wasn't burning. I so wanted to. But ahem, it didn't deliver.
The plot. It ticked, but it doesn't blow up. The plot need not have much to do actually. It much dwells on how to keep the Automa alive in the long run and to safeguard the material to keep them alive.
As much as I wanted to read about the clashing themes of humans versus the automa, emotions versus emotion-like, rebellion versus truce, lgbt issue being represented well and good, hatred versus love, action versus romance I feel they are lacking somehow.
It's supposed to be enemies to lovers trobe. But the enemies part is missing as a whole. And for the lovers part, I don't know what they are doing. Hot and Cold by Katy Perry maybe?
And it becomes so clichè towards the end that I just cannot stand Ayla and Crier in the same scene.
And the ending does not leave me wanting for more. It doesn't leave me hanging on a straw or on my bed whatsoever.
Argh! The strong characters just ghosted like that.
I do feel the 'flawed' part of Crier never came out at all. I was waiting till the last chapter to see a bit of it. And damn Ayla, she must be the Automa instead.
In the end, I felt like the whole book is about Ayla. And it must have been titled ''Ayla's War'' instead.
I don't know if I would pick up the next book in the series.
I won't.
I have other series waiting for me ☕
January 3, 2022
me every three pages of this book about tenderness between rivals, sapphics, and flawed villainy:
In the world of Zulla, about 80 years after a war between humans and automae, automae rule the earth, triumphing over human beings. Crier, the sovereign’s daughter, is slated to take over. Ayla, a human rebel, has a plan to kill her for revenge. But when Ayla becomes her lady-in-waiting, the two grow closer, and maybe even too close. Meanwhile, Crier discovers she’s maybe not quite the weapon she thought she was.
GOD. Okay. So, I’m deeply obsessed with this book. Why? Could it be that it plays with every single trope I love, but plays around with said tropes? Could it be the commentary on power dynamics? Could it be the rounded, compelling characters? Could it be the incredibly tense romance? Could it be the plot twists that I genuinely did not see coming? Or maybe… all of the above?
Tropes To Love Here:
☆A character who is unhuman in some way falling in love with a character who's more human.
☆When they’re both plotting at the same time but can’t tell each other.
☆One character is a weapon of some kind and think they're flawed because they have feelings: not necessarily romantic feelings, just feelings in general.
Crier is an example of my favorite trope ever: the character raised to be a weapon who decides not to be one. (This is actually my favorite trope ever. I literally have a playlist for it.) I like this trope because I think it provides an interesting dynamic between a perceived role, and can lead to some really fantastic character arcs. This is one of the best examples of it I have ever seen. As a protagonist, Crier is compelling because she takes actions, and enjoyable because at every moment, we are rooting for her to develop.
The romance, in general, is… incredible. A truly compelling romance serves as a natural conclusion to both characters’ arcs. Crier is fascinated by Ayla’s humanity, while Ayla is fascinated by her humanity—her awkwardness, and the quiet tenderness she shows to her. Crier looks at Ayla with tenderness and curiosity; in turn, Ayla is curious about her. Scenes like are filled with such excellent tension.
I think the way this novel handles power dynamics between Crier and Ayla is really really good and really really interesting. Obviously, Ayla is in a lower position of power than Crier, and there are a lot of moments in this book in which Ayla is disturbed by that, or feels bad about it, when Crier attempts to help her or help other humans in the palace in some way. It's just interesting seeing Crier really discover and acknowledge her privilege.
My only real complaint is this: Don’t read the timeline until about halfway through as it spoils one or two minor plot points I really think would’ve been more interesting discovering on my own. However, spoiler-tagged, here are several things in the last hundred pages of this book that made me gasp:
This book has excellent plot twists. These twists are built up well, always feeling as if they make total sense in hindsight but not in the present. And the world has some really cool details built in — there’s one about the flag that made me pause to go like ‘hello’.
Anyway. I devoured this book, and Crier and Ayla have been living in my mind rent free ever since. Highly recommended. Please read this. And then come yell at me.
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You couldn’t depend on much in this world, but you could depend on this: love brought nothing but death. Where love existed, death would follow, a wolf trailing after a wounded deer.
In the world of Zulla, about 80 years after a war between humans and automae, automae rule the earth, triumphing over human beings. Crier, the sovereign’s daughter, is slated to take over. Ayla, a human rebel, has a plan to kill her for revenge. But when Ayla becomes her lady-in-waiting, the two grow closer, and maybe even too close. Meanwhile, Crier discovers she’s maybe not quite the weapon she thought she was.
GOD. Okay. So, I’m deeply obsessed with this book. Why? Could it be that it plays with every single trope I love, but plays around with said tropes? Could it be the commentary on power dynamics? Could it be the rounded, compelling characters? Could it be the incredibly tense romance? Could it be the plot twists that I genuinely did not see coming? Or maybe… all of the above?
Tropes To Love Here:
☆A character who is unhuman in some way falling in love with a character who's more human.
☆When they’re both plotting at the same time but can’t tell each other.
☆One character is a weapon of some kind and think they're flawed because they have feelings: not necessarily romantic feelings, just feelings in general.
Crier is an example of my favorite trope ever: the character raised to be a weapon who decides not to be one. (This is actually my favorite trope ever. I literally have a playlist for it.) I like this trope because I think it provides an interesting dynamic between a perceived role, and can lead to some really fantastic character arcs. This is one of the best examples of it I have ever seen. As a protagonist, Crier is compelling because she takes actions, and enjoyable because at every moment, we are rooting for her to develop.
The romance, in general, is… incredible. A truly compelling romance serves as a natural conclusion to both characters’ arcs. Crier is fascinated by Ayla’s humanity, while Ayla is fascinated by her humanity—her awkwardness, and the quiet tenderness she shows to her. Crier looks at Ayla with tenderness and curiosity; in turn, Ayla is curious about her. Scenes like are filled with such excellent tension.
I think the way this novel handles power dynamics between Crier and Ayla is really really good and really really interesting. Obviously, Ayla is in a lower position of power than Crier, and there are a lot of moments in this book in which Ayla is disturbed by that, or feels bad about it, when Crier attempts to help her or help other humans in the palace in some way. It's just interesting seeing Crier really discover and acknowledge her privilege.
My only real complaint is this: Don’t read the timeline until about halfway through as it spoils one or two minor plot points I really think would’ve been more interesting discovering on my own. However, spoiler-tagged, here are several things in the last hundred pages of this book that made me gasp:
This book has excellent plot twists. These twists are built up well, always feeling as if they make total sense in hindsight but not in the present. And the world has some really cool details built in — there’s one about the flag that made me pause to go like ‘hello’.
Anyway. I devoured this book, and Crier and Ayla have been living in my mind rent free ever since. Highly recommended. Please read this. And then come yell at me.
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April 4, 2020
This book was such a surprise. I thought for sure it would mostly revolve around the sapphic romance, but it didn’t! This felt unique, especially because it flips the AI vs Human story and makes the AIs the ones in charge. I wish the second book was out already because this duology is definitely one I would have binge read straight through.
July 25, 2020
In a world where alchemy-based android-like Automae have overthrown their human Makers and now rule over humans, the paths of two girls, Crier and Ayla, intertwine, ultimately changing the entire course of their political landscape.
Crier, an Automa and the sovereign’s daughter, was Made to be the epitome of perfection, but her entire life changes when she takes on a new human handmaiden, Ayla. There has only been one thing that has kept Ayla going: revenge. And she’s going to get it by killing Crier.
There are genuinely so many enthralling things about this book that I could talk about, from the complexities of the characters, to the elaborate writing, to the intricate fantasy world to the themes and messages to the romance that had me dying. Because, though this is her debut, it’s clear that Varela is an expert writer who knows her craft well.
Crier and Ayla are both strong, compelling main characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading from each of their point of views. Both of their arcs were well-written, and their clashing personalities made for an interesting dynamic. I truly have no idea which I am more drawn to; I loved them both! While I do wish there had been more about the various side characters, Crier and Ayla were enough to make up for the lack of that.
Crier is written as the sweeter, more innocent character, and she kind of has the IQ of like 3 (despite having been Made to be intellectual) but it’s okay. She won’t stand for anyone’s BS, especially being treated the way she has as a woman, and aches to be actually listened to for once.
Ayla, on the other hand, is much pricklier and more standoffish as a result of her refusal to grow close to anyone after her family died. Her grief and rage has been her number one motivator throughout her life, and I loved watching her slowly become more than that and realize she’s not weak to let people in.
I can’t talk about these two without mentioning their romance, because oh my god. When I say slowburn, I’m talking about this book. Varela was masterful in the way she wrote the romance as starting off as a slight curiosity of and infatuation with each other, and becoming angsty longing as tension built and finally broke. The enemies to lovers trope was also artfully executed; Ayla having wanted to kill Crier for years and that want transforming throughout the story as she feels differently about Crier adds a whole other layer to the romance.
Varela’s writing and prose itself are also worth commending, because it was beautiful! I tend not to be the biggest fan of physical descriptions of things such as settings and appearances, etc., so while I didn’t appreciate those as much, I adored how detailed and captivatingly written the emotions and thoughts of Crier and Ayla were! (Especially when it came to their emotions and thoughts about each other.)
What made this book even more golden was the way it tackled certain themes and issues, and all so subtly. I’m an absolute slut for anything that talks about humanity and what it means to be human in literature, and that discussion was so GOOD in this book. But beyond that, I loved how it connected to modern issues in our own world—stealing and appropriating cultures, men displaying women’s work as their own, oppression and privilege, and more—and how they were woven into the story seamlessly.
However, worldbuilding is not something that usually stands out to me, and it’s no different for this book. I felt like there were too many info-dumps in the beginning, and it made it harder for me to be engaged right from the start. However, as the plot started to pick up and I became more engrossed, the tidbits of history that I found to be too much at first slowly became more intriguing.
(But points for the normalization of non-heterosexual people and their relationships! AND points for not confusing me like most fantasy worldbuilding does!!)
I truly think this book is a masterpiece, albeit a few very minor problems (info-dumps and lack of focus on side characters). The plot twists are shocking yet well-written, the villain is so sinister yet intriguing, and the ending leaves you aching for more yet also satisfies you just enough.
While I personally didn’t connect with the book enough to give it 5 stars, I still adored it, especially Crier, Ayla, and their relationship! Anyone looking for a well-rounded fantasy, especially one with more political mystery and a slowburn enemies to lovers romance, should pick this up. This is a more-than-solid, beautifully told story, and I’m eagerly awaiting the magical surprises Varela will cook up next.
:: rep :: POC lesbian MC, POC bisexual MC
:: content warnings :: death/murder (of close ones), violence, depictions of blood, use of drug-like substance
Crier, an Automa and the sovereign’s daughter, was Made to be the epitome of perfection, but her entire life changes when she takes on a new human handmaiden, Ayla. There has only been one thing that has kept Ayla going: revenge. And she’s going to get it by killing Crier.
There are genuinely so many enthralling things about this book that I could talk about, from the complexities of the characters, to the elaborate writing, to the intricate fantasy world to the themes and messages to the romance that had me dying. Because, though this is her debut, it’s clear that Varela is an expert writer who knows her craft well.
Justice was a god, and Ayla didn’t believe in such childish things. She believed in blood.
Crier and Ayla are both strong, compelling main characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading from each of their point of views. Both of their arcs were well-written, and their clashing personalities made for an interesting dynamic. I truly have no idea which I am more drawn to; I loved them both! While I do wish there had been more about the various side characters, Crier and Ayla were enough to make up for the lack of that.
Crier is written as the sweeter, more innocent character, and she kind of has the IQ of like 3 (despite having been Made to be intellectual) but it’s okay. She won’t stand for anyone’s BS, especially being treated the way she has as a woman, and aches to be actually listened to for once.
Ayla, on the other hand, is much pricklier and more standoffish as a result of her refusal to grow close to anyone after her family died. Her grief and rage has been her number one motivator throughout her life, and I loved watching her slowly become more than that and realize she’s not weak to let people in.
I can’t talk about these two without mentioning their romance, because oh my god. When I say slowburn, I’m talking about this book. Varela was masterful in the way she wrote the romance as starting off as a slight curiosity of and infatuation with each other, and becoming angsty longing as tension built and finally broke. The enemies to lovers trope was also artfully executed; Ayla having wanted to kill Crier for years and that want transforming throughout the story as she feels differently about Crier adds a whole other layer to the romance.
A drop of water gleamed on Ayla’s lower lip. Strangely, it made Crier want to—drink.
Varela’s writing and prose itself are also worth commending, because it was beautiful! I tend not to be the biggest fan of physical descriptions of things such as settings and appearances, etc., so while I didn’t appreciate those as much, I adored how detailed and captivatingly written the emotions and thoughts of Crier and Ayla were! (Especially when it came to their emotions and thoughts about each other.)
What made this book even more golden was the way it tackled certain themes and issues, and all so subtly. I’m an absolute slut for anything that talks about humanity and what it means to be human in literature, and that discussion was so GOOD in this book. But beyond that, I loved how it connected to modern issues in our own world—stealing and appropriating cultures, men displaying women’s work as their own, oppression and privilege, and more—and how they were woven into the story seamlessly.
However, worldbuilding is not something that usually stands out to me, and it’s no different for this book. I felt like there were too many info-dumps in the beginning, and it made it harder for me to be engaged right from the start. However, as the plot started to pick up and I became more engrossed, the tidbits of history that I found to be too much at first slowly became more intriguing.
(But points for the normalization of non-heterosexual people and their relationships! AND points for not confusing me like most fantasy worldbuilding does!!)
“Humanity is how you act, my lady […] Not how you were Made.”
I truly think this book is a masterpiece, albeit a few very minor problems (info-dumps and lack of focus on side characters). The plot twists are shocking yet well-written, the villain is so sinister yet intriguing, and the ending leaves you aching for more yet also satisfies you just enough.
While I personally didn’t connect with the book enough to give it 5 stars, I still adored it, especially Crier, Ayla, and their relationship! Anyone looking for a well-rounded fantasy, especially one with more political mystery and a slowburn enemies to lovers romance, should pick this up. This is a more-than-solid, beautifully told story, and I’m eagerly awaiting the magical surprises Varela will cook up next.
:: rep :: POC lesbian MC, POC bisexual MC
:: content warnings :: death/murder (of close ones), violence, depictions of blood, use of drug-like substance
Thank you to the blog tour host, HarperCollins, and the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a spot on this blog tour! This did not affect my opinions in any way.
All quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in final publication.
October 18, 2019
crier 90% of this book: *yearns*
August 16, 2021
Just finished my reread with my book club! I’m obsessed 😭💕
December 3, 2019
I'm going to need y'all to preorder this book immediately. All a queer girl wants is to read a YA fantasy that is not only incredibly original, but has two queer girls at it's center. And on top of that we get a slow burn romance? We have all been BLESSED by Nina Varela and we should be thanking her.
The most notable thing to take from this book, though, was it's ties to present day. It may not have been written like that intentionally, but it definitely called out real-world problems. (ex. "Your customs are similar because your entire culture was stolen from ours. Because you have no history of culture of your own.").
Other things of note included identifiable characters from chapter one. Each character had traits that made them unique and easy to remember who's who. The world building was great and judging by how it ended I assume we'll be getting more of the world in book 2.
Finally, the relationship between Ayla and Crier was just so SOFT. It feels real and it makes you feel. Full stop. So even if you're only here for sapphic romance, it's definitely one of the best.
So, if you're thinking about picking up this book, please do. It's well worth your time and money, I promise.
The most notable thing to take from this book, though, was it's ties to present day. It may not have been written like that intentionally, but it definitely called out real-world problems. (ex. "Your customs are similar because your entire culture was stolen from ours. Because you have no history of culture of your own.").
Other things of note included identifiable characters from chapter one. Each character had traits that made them unique and easy to remember who's who. The world building was great and judging by how it ended I assume we'll be getting more of the world in book 2.
Finally, the relationship between Ayla and Crier was just so SOFT. It feels real and it makes you feel. Full stop. So even if you're only here for sapphic romance, it's definitely one of the best.
So, if you're thinking about picking up this book, please do. It's well worth your time and money, I promise.
June 1, 2022
!!!FIVE STARS!!!
Holy shit girl queen pussy boss (last time I'm using that phrase I swear)
This book put me through a sapphic phase. It made me question whether i truly am bisexual because I hated almost every man in this book (except the best boi Benjy), and fell in love with almost every women (except the Automae women, those fake bitches 😒), ESPECIALLY Ayla.
What can I say, everything is so much better sapphic. Like if I wanted to see two straight people yelling at each other, I'd go sit with my parents at the dinner table. but sapphic is just 😙👌😫. And I say this as a bisexual woman.
This book SLAYYYEEEEDDDDD. There did feel like there was an actiony element missing but other than that....muah...perfection. And the Angst, the fucking angst my people. I was sobbing, crying, trying not to punch Kinok in the face (but i will cut off his metal dick without hesitation.. if he even has one)
The minute i saw crier, I hated her. Not because she was an awfully written character(she's beautifully
written by the way), but because i thought she was the enemy., Then I realized she is the enemy, but in an enemies-to-lovers story, emphasis on lovers.
and then Ayla. My girl queen pussy queen shit "as she should" boss. I loved her from the moment I saw her. Though we never got to see her cut kinoks dick off, we still fell in love with her. Because WHO. FUCKING. WOULDN'T. She was so smart from the beginning, and she's not even old enough to drink. I think her biggest strength is her versatility. She is so good at picking up hints and adapting to her environment. And to be honest, this makes a lot of sense for her. She lives in the dirtiest and most dangerous part of the kingdom, so she has to always watch her back and adapt to whatever situation she's put in. She's like Aladdin if Aladdin was a badass independent hand-to-hand combatant.
And then her relationship with Crier. UUUUGGGGH. This put the slow in slow-burn folks. Thye like barely kissed and I was so angry. And I loved the way Ayla hated Crier and Crier was completely obsessed with Ayla. Polar opposites, am i right?
Anyway, I need the next book I.M.M.E.D.I.A.T.E.L.Y (I don't know if i spelled that word right)
LATER BITCHES
----------------
currently reading
I am ready to simp til my heart hurts!!
Holy shit girl queen pussy boss (last time I'm using that phrase I swear)
This book put me through a sapphic phase. It made me question whether i truly am bisexual because I hated almost every man in this book (except the best boi Benjy), and fell in love with almost every women (except the Automae women, those fake bitches 😒), ESPECIALLY Ayla.
What can I say, everything is so much better sapphic. Like if I wanted to see two straight people yelling at each other, I'd go sit with my parents at the dinner table. but sapphic is just 😙👌😫. And I say this as a bisexual woman.
This book SLAYYYEEEEDDDDD. There did feel like there was an actiony element missing but other than that....muah...perfection. And the Angst, the fucking angst my people. I was sobbing, crying, trying not to punch Kinok in the face (but i will cut off his metal dick without hesitation.. if he even has one)
The minute i saw crier, I hated her. Not because she was an awfully written character(she's beautifully
written by the way), but because i thought she was the enemy., Then I realized she is the enemy, but in an enemies-to-lovers story, emphasis on lovers.
and then Ayla. My girl queen pussy queen shit "as she should" boss. I loved her from the moment I saw her. Though we never got to see her cut kinoks dick off, we still fell in love with her. Because WHO. FUCKING. WOULDN'T. She was so smart from the beginning, and she's not even old enough to drink. I think her biggest strength is her versatility. She is so good at picking up hints and adapting to her environment. And to be honest, this makes a lot of sense for her. She lives in the dirtiest and most dangerous part of the kingdom, so she has to always watch her back and adapt to whatever situation she's put in. She's like Aladdin if Aladdin was a badass independent hand-to-hand combatant.
And then her relationship with Crier. UUUUGGGGH. This put the slow in slow-burn folks. Thye like barely kissed and I was so angry. And I loved the way Ayla hated Crier and Crier was completely obsessed with Ayla. Polar opposites, am i right?
Anyway, I need the next book I.M.M.E.D.I.A.T.E.L.Y (I don't know if i spelled that word right)
LATER BITCHES
----------------
currently reading
I am ready to simp til my heart hurts!!
February 20, 2020
★★★★★ | Is it too early to beg for the sequel if the 1st book hasn't even officially come out yet???? It's out. I'm begging.
➽ SUMMARY
💜 f/f romance
❤️ bisexual and lesbian MCs
💜 enemies-to-lovers
❤️ slow-burn
In Zulla you're either Mortal or Made. Automae subdued Humans in the War of Kinds and now rule over them with a hard hand. Ayla has lost everything in one of Automae's brutal raids. Crier is the heir to the Sovereign who ordered this very raid. Ayla craves revenge. Crier must navigate the political games of her father and fiance. What becomes of them after they cross their paths?
➽ WRITING STYLE
Nina Varela has something raw in her writing. She not only handles the exposition by differentiating what the particular character would pay attention to but also constructs her metaphors and other figures of speech based on their personalities and life experiences. She structures her flashbacks in such a way they contrast with current events and causes them to evoke more emotions. She pulls you in with each word.
➽ PLOT & PACING
Crier's War is always high-stakes, always pulling you through ups and downs, and always intense. Various political intrigues, manipulations and dreams of revolution mixed with a great dose of dramatic irony that leaves you frustrated but in a good way will pull you in and steal your mind for days and days after you finish it. Every quiet moment is followed by a sudden clash and spin. Every tread of information comes at a huge cost. Every connection made leaves you anticipating more answers. And every decision is a battle of this sudden wish with duty and people's expectations.
There was a brief moment around 30 % in when I felt like things got too slow but it picked up not long after.
Like in a Greek tragedy, we're constantly anticipating the worst, hoping for the best and getting both of those tied so closely together it's hard to distinguish anymore. It fascinating and leaves you anticipating the next and next and next turn of events. It's readying you for catharsis. For the revolution of your heart.
➽ CHARACTERS
Ayla — Ayla was disappointed by the world too many times. She is wrathful, judgemental, blunt and tends to keep people at distance but she has a fire inside her. She is resilient despite everything she has experienced and she places her moral code above her own happiness but sometimes all the emotions she fights to push down erupt from her. She's an active volcano.
Crier — Crier wishes to move up in the world of Automae politics. She is an idealist, she thinks if only she could make other Automae listen to her arguments she can fix the unjust system, and still has some traces of naivety that lets people in her vicinity use it against her. She is sharp though and often times she is able to use it to her advantage. Crier is used to playing the long game. She's patient and collected. She slowly adjusts to the fast world of schemes and manipulations. She's a Medusa's stone statue waking up from its slumber.
➽ THE ROMANCE
Their love — forbidden. But forbidden not because it's queer like in so many LGBT+ stories but because their Kinds share a history full of spilling each other's blood. Because one is a princess promised to the man who murdered the other's family.
And yet, those born enemies, get close. And then closer. All their constant 'I hate you but I can't get enough of you' and 'all the laws of the universe say it's impossible and wrong but we're just so fascinated by each other' is addicting. They get to experience so many emotions — emotions which they are not used to as one is coping with her pain by not letting herself feel much but rage and the other was raised to rely solely on the reason — and they fight to keep them to themselves as to be anything but composed would be a weakness.
Crier cannot show this weakness because that would impede her wish to climb Automae political ladder. But Ayla — Ayla has spent a third of her life imagining getting her revenge on Hesod by killing his dear daughter. The Resistance relies on that wish. Her closed ones make their choices with this in mind. How is she supposed to admit that she brought Hesod's anger on herself in a much much different way?
This story is full of yearning and denying it and feelings and trying to squish them. It will make your heart beat faster and it will break it. And then it will leave you begging for more.
➽ WHAT IT MEANS TO BE 'HUMAN'
Crier's War explores what it means to be 'human' and where our humanity starts. What is human and what is just close enough but not yet. Is it our blood? We are human because we are born one. Or is it what we create? Our capacity to dance, sing, make art is what sets us apart from other species. Or is it all about our emotions and passion and care. We are human because we laugh and cry and sometimes let ourselves be led by the heart, not the mind. Or maybe, just maybe, it is a choice we make every day.
➽ ON A FINAL NOTE
After all this whole emotional rollercoaster I feel empty. Drained. Like somebody took away my precious drug. My hearthstone.
"It was never really a choice, was it? Wanting her. Killing her."
➽ SUMMARY
💜 f/f romance
❤️ bisexual and lesbian MCs
💜 enemies-to-lovers
❤️ slow-burn
In Zulla you're either Mortal or Made. Automae subdued Humans in the War of Kinds and now rule over them with a hard hand. Ayla has lost everything in one of Automae's brutal raids. Crier is the heir to the Sovereign who ordered this very raid. Ayla craves revenge. Crier must navigate the political games of her father and fiance. What becomes of them after they cross their paths?
➽ WRITING STYLE
Nina Varela has something raw in her writing. She not only handles the exposition by differentiating what the particular character would pay attention to but also constructs her metaphors and other figures of speech based on their personalities and life experiences. She structures her flashbacks in such a way they contrast with current events and causes them to evoke more emotions. She pulls you in with each word.
➽ PLOT & PACING
Crier's War is always high-stakes, always pulling you through ups and downs, and always intense. Various political intrigues, manipulations and dreams of revolution mixed with a great dose of dramatic irony that leaves you frustrated but in a good way will pull you in and steal your mind for days and days after you finish it. Every quiet moment is followed by a sudden clash and spin. Every tread of information comes at a huge cost. Every connection made leaves you anticipating more answers. And every decision is a battle of this sudden wish with duty and people's expectations.
There was a brief moment around 30 % in when I felt like things got too slow but it picked up not long after.
Like in a Greek tragedy, we're constantly anticipating the worst, hoping for the best and getting both of those tied so closely together it's hard to distinguish anymore. It fascinating and leaves you anticipating the next and next and next turn of events. It's readying you for catharsis. For the revolution of your heart.
➽ CHARACTERS
"Like she was more than a human girl. Like she was a summer storm made of flesh."
Ayla — Ayla was disappointed by the world too many times. She is wrathful, judgemental, blunt and tends to keep people at distance but she has a fire inside her. She is resilient despite everything she has experienced and she places her moral code above her own happiness but sometimes all the emotions she fights to push down erupt from her. She's an active volcano.
"Crier was beautiful. Created to be beautiful, but it was more than that. [...] It was the way her eyes lit up with interest, the way her fingers were always so careful, almost reverent, as she flipped the pages of a book."
Crier — Crier wishes to move up in the world of Automae politics. She is an idealist, she thinks if only she could make other Automae listen to her arguments she can fix the unjust system, and still has some traces of naivety that lets people in her vicinity use it against her. She is sharp though and often times she is able to use it to her advantage. Crier is used to playing the long game. She's patient and collected. She slowly adjusts to the fast world of schemes and manipulations. She's a Medusa's stone statue waking up from its slumber.
➽ THE ROMANCE
"A thought came to her: a story of its own, one that only just began writing itself in her mind: a story of two women, one human, one Made."
Their love — forbidden. But forbidden not because it's queer like in so many LGBT+ stories but because their Kinds share a history full of spilling each other's blood. Because one is a princess promised to the man who murdered the other's family.
And yet, those born enemies, get close. And then closer. All their constant 'I hate you but I can't get enough of you' and 'all the laws of the universe say it's impossible and wrong but we're just so fascinated by each other' is addicting. They get to experience so many emotions — emotions which they are not used to as one is coping with her pain by not letting herself feel much but rage and the other was raised to rely solely on the reason — and they fight to keep them to themselves as to be anything but composed would be a weakness.
Crier cannot show this weakness because that would impede her wish to climb Automae political ladder. But Ayla — Ayla has spent a third of her life imagining getting her revenge on Hesod by killing his dear daughter. The Resistance relies on that wish. Her closed ones make their choices with this in mind. How is she supposed to admit that she brought Hesod's anger on herself in a much much different way?
This story is full of yearning and denying it and feelings and trying to squish them. It will make your heart beat faster and it will break it. And then it will leave you begging for more.
➽ WHAT IT MEANS TO BE 'HUMAN'
Crier's War explores what it means to be 'human' and where our humanity starts. What is human and what is just close enough but not yet. Is it our blood? We are human because we are born one. Or is it what we create? Our capacity to dance, sing, make art is what sets us apart from other species. Or is it all about our emotions and passion and care. We are human because we laugh and cry and sometimes let ourselves be led by the heart, not the mind. Or maybe, just maybe, it is a choice we make every day.
➽ ON A FINAL NOTE
After all this whole emotional rollercoaster I feel empty. Drained. Like somebody took away my precious drug. My hearthstone.
"A drop of water gleamed on Ayla's lower lip. Strangely, it made Crier want to--drink."
💜❤️💜 READ MY POETRY ABOUT THIS BOOK HERE 💜❤️💜
__________________________
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September 27, 2019hi, i wrote this, i hope y'all like it!
content warnings here: https://www.ninavarela.com/content
much love,
nina
content warnings here: https://www.ninavarela.com/content
much love,
nina
September 12, 2022
4.5 stars
I really liked this story. The world building was not only interesting but quite easy to understand especially because of the multiple texts from books from the library.
I think those texts made the story more interesting especially because of the "mysterious" writing about the past behind the Automae.
Since we mentioned the Automae I want to say that I loved their story. The past, development and now the ruling of them over humans was not only interesting but critiqued the very present and real life issue of culture appropriation and stealing.
Crier, the Automae, was a great main character that really developed throughout the story and her pov in this book was not only interesting but such a great contrast to Ayla.
Ayla is still my favourite from the two. Her past was very very detailed and a giant part of the plot of this book and her thirst for revenge and justice is not only something explainable because of her past but also reasonable.
Her character was really detailed and I loved seeing how her feelings changed and also got stronger throughout the book.
The side characters were also really good and detailed especially the enemies of the story which is always great. I could tell how evil they were and was excited to see the main characters fight against them.
On top of that the entire plot was just great. The pacing was good and I was so excited to read the sequel right after finishing it.
I really liked this story. The world building was not only interesting but quite easy to understand especially because of the multiple texts from books from the library.
I think those texts made the story more interesting especially because of the "mysterious" writing about the past behind the Automae.
Since we mentioned the Automae I want to say that I loved their story. The past, development and now the ruling of them over humans was not only interesting but critiqued the very present and real life issue of culture appropriation and stealing.
Crier, the Automae, was a great main character that really developed throughout the story and her pov in this book was not only interesting but such a great contrast to Ayla.
Ayla is still my favourite from the two. Her past was very very detailed and a giant part of the plot of this book and her thirst for revenge and justice is not only something explainable because of her past but also reasonable.
Her character was really detailed and I loved seeing how her feelings changed and also got stronger throughout the book.
The side characters were also really good and detailed especially the enemies of the story which is always great. I could tell how evil they were and was excited to see the main characters fight against them.
On top of that the entire plot was just great. The pacing was good and I was so excited to read the sequel right after finishing it.
December 10, 2022
“Fear is a good thing, Lady Crier. Fear means you are alive, and you want to keep it that way.”
Didn't care about the plot, it was so boring, like almost nothing happened for such a long book, there was no chemistry between the girls and barely any romance. But I guess it's my fault, because I came for the sapphic love in the first place and got none.
January 21, 2024
rep: lesbian poc mc, bi poc mc, poc cast, side mlm & wlw couples
Review also on Reads Rainbow. ARC provided by the publisher.
If you know me at all, you know that I haven’t been big on fantasy in the last year or so. But Crier’s War? It’s the kind of fantasy I can get behind even now, when I’m not really a fan of the genre. And there are two main reasons for this: 1) it’s a little bit character-driven (not the way contemporary novels can be, no, but it’s there) & 2) it’s heavy on the romance.
Now, the thing about romance in Crier’s War is that Varela knows exactly how key the slowburn element is to the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope, knows exactly the pace at which it should develop. Yes, the romance is visible basically since the moment the girls meet (and what a meet-cute they have!), but it’s so graceful, it progresses so naturally, it makes such perfect sense. No insta-love here! (I can think of one other example of a gay fantasy series with those exact qualities that also used them the way they were designed by gods and I won’t name it, but if you know, you know.)
And of course it’s impossible to talk about romance in Crier’s War without saying how gay it is. Which I think might be my favourite part about the book. Not just the fact that two girls share a bed and pine after each other - though obviously it was the reason I wanted to read it in the first place - but how natural it was. The fact that neither of them questioned the relationship in this particular regard even once.
The world Varela created is completely void of homophobia and it’s a beautiful sight to behold. It’s visible in more ways than this one, as well. There are a number of offhandedly mentioned couples throughout the story and so many of them are gay! And not a single comment about that! Not a single person wonders how it was possible that a servant married his beloved stable boy.
So often authors come up with those intricate worlds, where everything seems magical & where our laws have no place, and they still feel the need to include homophobia. Not Varela. She gives us an incredible world, not simply a black-and-white one, but one where gay people are so natural, there isn’t even any need for labels. For that alone I will always be grateful.
Crier’s War is heavy on the gay romance, yes, but that’s not what it actually hinges on. We're introduced to a world where the tension between humans and Automae has been brewing for years & the reader’s view on both sides changes throughout the story, with every new piece of information, with every new betrayal. It’s a carefully woven tale with the stakes that just keep rising and a cliffhanger that makes one wish for a time machine. Any fantasy fan would be satisfied. Any gay fantasy fan would be in love.
Review also on Reads Rainbow. ARC provided by the publisher.
If you know me at all, you know that I haven’t been big on fantasy in the last year or so. But Crier’s War? It’s the kind of fantasy I can get behind even now, when I’m not really a fan of the genre. And there are two main reasons for this: 1) it’s a little bit character-driven (not the way contemporary novels can be, no, but it’s there) & 2) it’s heavy on the romance.
Now, the thing about romance in Crier’s War is that Varela knows exactly how key the slowburn element is to the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope, knows exactly the pace at which it should develop. Yes, the romance is visible basically since the moment the girls meet (and what a meet-cute they have!), but it’s so graceful, it progresses so naturally, it makes such perfect sense. No insta-love here! (I can think of one other example of a gay fantasy series with those exact qualities that also used them the way they were designed by gods and I won’t name it, but if you know, you know.)
And of course it’s impossible to talk about romance in Crier’s War without saying how gay it is. Which I think might be my favourite part about the book. Not just the fact that two girls share a bed and pine after each other - though obviously it was the reason I wanted to read it in the first place - but how natural it was. The fact that neither of them questioned the relationship in this particular regard even once.
The world Varela created is completely void of homophobia and it’s a beautiful sight to behold. It’s visible in more ways than this one, as well. There are a number of offhandedly mentioned couples throughout the story and so many of them are gay! And not a single comment about that! Not a single person wonders how it was possible that a servant married his beloved stable boy.
So often authors come up with those intricate worlds, where everything seems magical & where our laws have no place, and they still feel the need to include homophobia. Not Varela. She gives us an incredible world, not simply a black-and-white one, but one where gay people are so natural, there isn’t even any need for labels. For that alone I will always be grateful.
Crier’s War is heavy on the gay romance, yes, but that’s not what it actually hinges on. We're introduced to a world where the tension between humans and Automae has been brewing for years & the reader’s view on both sides changes throughout the story, with every new piece of information, with every new betrayal. It’s a carefully woven tale with the stakes that just keep rising and a cliffhanger that makes one wish for a time machine. Any fantasy fan would be satisfied. Any gay fantasy fan would be in love.
February 22, 2021
Really enjoyed this one! The story was exciting, well paced and I found it very original.
I loved Crier and her confliction and (obviously) the relationship that was growing between her and Ayla.
My only criticism is that I found certain characters, particularly Ayla, were lacking slightly in depth and characteristic
I loved Crier and her confliction and (obviously) the relationship that was growing between her and Ayla.
My only criticism is that I found certain characters, particularly Ayla, were lacking slightly in depth and characteristic
October 9, 2019
4.29 average rating... did I read a completely different book as everyone else?
The top things about Crier's War that I've seen praised:
(1) Inventive world: the book takes place in a fantasy land where alchemists have invented human-like Automae. The Automae rose up against their Makers and took power over humanity, who are now oppressed and must serve the stronger Kind. The concept is quite interesting, but was not well-thought out in my opinion. The Automae characters are hardly different from humans, other than being physically tougher. The alchemy that creates the Automae is so hand-waved that there's no real sense of what an Automa even is. I didn't get a sense of how an Automa's thinking differs from a human, or what their values are-- supposedly they're less feeling and more intellectual, but I didn't actually see that represented in the characters at all. The Automa-human conflict could have been replaced with any other two groups and it wouldn't have impacted the story at all.
(2) Political/court intrigue and twists: I mean... I guess so? The intrigue is there, I just didn't personally find it very intriguing. I was mostly bored, in fact. It felt like things were just happening, one after another, and the fallout from each of those events weren't fully explored before the next thing happened. It felt like the book was obviously written around specific events happening, rather than exploring character motivation and reactions (which is by far the most interesting part of political/court intrigue, imo). Crier's character was especially frustrating with regard to this, because she's kind of clueless? I didn't have a sense that she had paid any sort of attention to anything prior to the book beginning. (And while we see flashbacks of Ayla's childhood, we don't know anything about Crier's life growing up in the palace as daughter of the sovereign, which... seems like it would be pretty relevant to a court intrigue plot.) The villains also never really felt menacing-- despite their physical proximity to the MCs, they never really felt like a close threat to me. Most of the plot points felt kind of clinical and removed from the characters.
(3) Slow burn f/f enemies-to-lovers romance: UGH. I'm starting to get the idea that when other people say "slow burn romance", it doesn't mean what I think it means. For me, slow burn romances develop the relationship and chemistry between two characters before there's any sort of romantic feelings involved. Slow burn doesn't mean full of UST-- it means that the characters really get to know one another and have a real connection before romance blooms. At least, that's what I want from slow burns. In the case of Crier's War, I guess slow burn means immediate fascination, followed by lingering glances and physical attraction, all with hardly any actual conversation happening. And as far as enemies-to-lovers goes... for one thing, only Ayla is under the impression that they're enemies-- from Crier's point of view their relationship would just be forbidden/taboo. And the "-to-lovers" part doesn't actually happen in this book, though it's clearly being set up for in the next installment. And finally, with regard to the f/f... this is nit-picky, but I'm actually quite curious about what gender even means to an Automa. Is Crier a woman if she's literally not human? Wouldn't one expect nonbinary or agender identities to be common among a world of Automae?
Overall, I found the story to be boring, the worldbuilding to lack depth, and the characters and romance to lack development. There were definitely some interesting concepts, but the execution fell flat for me. Clearly, however, I am in the minority. I would have DNF'ed Crier's War around 40% if I wasn't waiting for it to suddenly get good and justify all the 4- and 5-star ratings. I won't be continuing with the series.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
The top things about Crier's War that I've seen praised:
(1) Inventive world: the book takes place in a fantasy land where alchemists have invented human-like Automae. The Automae rose up against their Makers and took power over humanity, who are now oppressed and must serve the stronger Kind. The concept is quite interesting, but was not well-thought out in my opinion. The Automae characters are hardly different from humans, other than being physically tougher. The alchemy that creates the Automae is so hand-waved that there's no real sense of what an Automa even is. I didn't get a sense of how an Automa's thinking differs from a human, or what their values are-- supposedly they're less feeling and more intellectual, but I didn't actually see that represented in the characters at all. The Automa-human conflict could have been replaced with any other two groups and it wouldn't have impacted the story at all.
(2) Political/court intrigue and twists: I mean... I guess so? The intrigue is there, I just didn't personally find it very intriguing. I was mostly bored, in fact. It felt like things were just happening, one after another, and the fallout from each of those events weren't fully explored before the next thing happened. It felt like the book was obviously written around specific events happening, rather than exploring character motivation and reactions (which is by far the most interesting part of political/court intrigue, imo). Crier's character was especially frustrating with regard to this, because she's kind of clueless? I didn't have a sense that she had paid any sort of attention to anything prior to the book beginning. (And while we see flashbacks of Ayla's childhood, we don't know anything about Crier's life growing up in the palace as daughter of the sovereign, which... seems like it would be pretty relevant to a court intrigue plot.) The villains also never really felt menacing-- despite their physical proximity to the MCs, they never really felt like a close threat to me. Most of the plot points felt kind of clinical and removed from the characters.
(3) Slow burn f/f enemies-to-lovers romance: UGH. I'm starting to get the idea that when other people say "slow burn romance", it doesn't mean what I think it means. For me, slow burn romances develop the relationship and chemistry between two characters before there's any sort of romantic feelings involved. Slow burn doesn't mean full of UST-- it means that the characters really get to know one another and have a real connection before romance blooms. At least, that's what I want from slow burns. In the case of Crier's War, I guess slow burn means immediate fascination, followed by lingering glances and physical attraction, all with hardly any actual conversation happening. And as far as enemies-to-lovers goes... for one thing, only Ayla is under the impression that they're enemies-- from Crier's point of view their relationship would just be forbidden/taboo. And the "-to-lovers" part doesn't actually happen in this book, though it's clearly being set up for in the next installment. And finally, with regard to the f/f... this is nit-picky, but I'm actually quite curious about what gender even means to an Automa. Is Crier a woman if she's literally not human? Wouldn't one expect nonbinary or agender identities to be common among a world of Automae?
Overall, I found the story to be boring, the worldbuilding to lack depth, and the characters and romance to lack development. There were definitely some interesting concepts, but the execution fell flat for me. Clearly, however, I am in the minority. I would have DNF'ed Crier's War around 40% if I wasn't waiting for it to suddenly get good and justify all the 4- and 5-star ratings. I won't be continuing with the series.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
January 14, 2022
Sapphic yearning, worldbuilding excellence, and some of the most beautiful writing I've seen in the pages of a YA. Need. More!
March 3, 2020
“Do not be ashamed of your fear, Lady Crier.”
representation: own voices queer (f/f) romance, POC cast??? (I see this in a lot of reviews, but I felt like the physical descriptions of characters was quite poor, so can't confirm).
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
✧·ﾟ: ✧·ﾟ: 4 . 5 s t a r s :·ﾟ✧:·ﾟ✧
I loved this soooooo much and the audiobook was so good! Enemies to lovers romance, themes of what it means to be human, war and angst.... wow, we stan. Gimme book 2!!!!!
“Humanity is how you act, my lady,” said Jezen. “Not how you were Made.”
trigger warnings: war themes, abandonment, loss of loved ones, on page and off page death of side characters, grief, blood, violence, rats (like... a lot of rats).
representation: own voices queer (f/f) romance, POC cast??? (I see this in a lot of reviews, but I felt like the physical descriptions of characters was quite poor, so can't confirm).
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
✧·ﾟ: ✧·ﾟ: 4 . 5 s t a r s :·ﾟ✧:·ﾟ✧
I loved this soooooo much and the audiobook was so good! Enemies to lovers romance, themes of what it means to be human, war and angst.... wow, we stan. Gimme book 2!!!!!
“Humanity is how you act, my lady,” said Jezen. “Not how you were Made.”
trigger warnings: war themes, abandonment, loss of loved ones, on page and off page death of side characters, grief, blood, violence, rats (like... a lot of rats).
May 25, 2022
➥ 5 Stars *:･ﾟ✧
rtc but omg this book was everything
it reminded me a lot of dance of thieves and sorcery of thorns so read this one if you enjoyed those for sure!!
this book is the epitome of YA in the best way and it was so beautiful. the writing, the romance, the characters. it was everything. yet it somehow managed to be addictive and un-putdownable.
the fact that i do not have the second book pains me. i don’t have any complaints about this book, whatsover.
this isn’t a book with a super complex world or super super unique and deep romance but it was perfect for me. simple and lovely <3
i should probably mention though, that even though they are enemies and they are on the path of becoming lovers, it isn't necessarily a tension-filled hate-to-love bickering and banter type of books. it's more a super pure romance that's just them realising how they aren't so different and and learning to understand eachother.
“Ayla wanted to see her break things, wanted to see her broken, wanted to watch her break apart, wanted to be the cause of it.”
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
rtc but omg this book was everything
it reminded me a lot of dance of thieves and sorcery of thorns so read this one if you enjoyed those for sure!!
this book is the epitome of YA in the best way and it was so beautiful. the writing, the romance, the characters. it was everything. yet it somehow managed to be addictive and un-putdownable.
the fact that i do not have the second book pains me. i don’t have any complaints about this book, whatsover.
this isn’t a book with a super complex world or super super unique and deep romance but it was perfect for me. simple and lovely <3
i should probably mention though, that even though they are enemies and they are on the path of becoming lovers, it isn't necessarily a tension-filled hate-to-love bickering and banter type of books. it's more a super pure romance that's just them realising how they aren't so different and and learning to understand eachother.
September 28, 2023
3.75/4
Bardzo fajna książka ale jest tylko wprowadzeniem do czegoś mocniejszego
Bardzo fajna książka ale jest tylko wprowadzeniem do czegoś mocniejszego
June 21, 2019
🌼review can also be found on my blog! 🌼
representation: lesbian mc's, f/f romance, #ownvoices author
At the beginning of the Automae era, human Queen Thea - who cannot bear children - commissions her people to build her a child. One who can replicate every aspect of human life. A seemingly impossible request is manufactured, where individuals are Made, with Four Pillars: Reason, Calculation, Organics, and Intellect. However, this ignites a vicious war between the humans and the Automades, who rise to power and enslave the remaining humans.
Crier is an Automade and the daughter of Hesod, the sovereign. She's engaged to Scrye Kinok, but wishes to attain power and leadership herself. However, a possible, compassionate flaw in her design alters her disposition to humans. She doesn't abhor their Kind as her father and betrothed do.
Ayla is a human who's had everything taken from her by the Automades, except the cherished locket she keeps around her neck at all times. She's currently a servant at the House of Sovereign and desires revenge against the tyrant Hesod. Ayla determines this can be achieved by killing his daughter, Crier. However, their lives become entwined by chance and the lines of loyalty are blurred for the Automade and the human.
The best way to begin a review is to burst your bubble. This isn't necessarily fantasy. It has fantastical elements, but the fundamentals of the story are dystopian. A battle between two different groups, leaving one victorious and another enslaved. After years, the oppressed band together and form rebellions against their leaders. Sounds exactly like dystopian to me. However, there's nothing wrong with dystopian, I just feel like there's a trend of misleading readers - especially in f/f fiction - by labelling anything not contemporary as "fantasy". This isn't the fault of the publishers, but rather the word-of-mouth from individuals on social media who haven't read the book itself and unconsciously mislabel the genre.
I've intensely disliked the slow-burn trope my entire life, but sometimes you encounter someone who knows how to execute it properly. So thank you, Nina Varela. I always find them tedious and insufferable to read, often lowering my ratings because I spent the entire book waiting for a kiss and, when my wish is finally granted, I no longer care about the book. However, the way Varela developed Crier and Ayla's romance - even the methodical revelation of plot points that slowly expanded on each other to the final climax - was genius and I applaud her. The tension that arose from something as simple as their knees brushing in a carriage was brilliant. In addition, I think I enjoyed Crier and Ayla's slow-burn because they were genuinely enemies to lovers - and forbidden - the entire time. Ayla has plotted revenge against Hesod for almost a decade, wishing to murder his daughter in cold blood, and she still does towards the end of the book. Enemies to lovers has really lost its spark in recent times. It's never true enemies to lovers. It also doesn't hurt that one of my favourite tropes - forced proximity in a bed, where one shifts during their sleep and unconsciously throws their arm around the other - was included.
I intentionally didn't mention anything about how these characters are sapphic in my discussion of the romance because I don't want it to be the main focus of my discussion. I feel like there's a trend of people only reading books with the promise of LGBT characters - which is valid, and I do it too - but I also want people to appreciate and discuss these characters like any other couple. Not only are Crier and Ayla both girls interested in each other, but it's acknowledged that same-gender love and marriage is accepted in their world. There are brief mentions of marriage between two males and the romance between Crier and Ayla is forbidden because Ayla is believed to be a rebel, not because of their gender. I love that fantasy worlds filled with tension, war, bloodshed, fighting, and rebellion are more harmonious than our current society in regards to same-sex couples.
➸ Crier
Crier was undeniably my favourite character and one of the new loves of my life. Please take a shot every time I say that about a gay girl in a book (don't get alcohol poisoning, kids). She's designed to be physically and mentally perfect but believes she's flawed because she feels compassion. My heart shattered for her multiple times throughout the book, especially when she realised her father's care for her might not run as deeply as she'd hoped. I definitely think her and Ayla had an admirable light/dark or stoic/soft theme, where she was optimistic and tried to see the best in everything. As much as I love the dark, complex, immoral female character, I appreciate the soft girls even more. She has an innocence and ignorance of human activities that'll make you fall for her. She's curious about the actions of humans and watches from a distance, always questioning why they find joy in certain things, but never in a judgemental matter. I found the scene where she discovered the concept of sex hilarious because she was flushed and felt "flutters in her stomach", which inevitably leads to thoughts about Ayla.
➸ Ayla
I'm surprised she managed to survive for so long if I'm being honest. I love her, but the fact that she spent almost a decade wanting to murder Crier and had AMPLE opportunities to do so before they were acquainted, but didn't was quite frustrating. I feel like she was the typical vengeful character archetype with nothing left to care for, so she barricades herself against feelings and emotions. I can't discuss much about her personality without spoiling, but I wasn't as warmed to her as I was with Crier.
Crier's War's world-building is intricate and doesn't interrupt the flow of plot, which I appreciated. Majority of the book is spent introducing and building-up the conflict, though this is typical for the first book in a series. A lot of the revelations throughout the book aren't resolved in the end, which is excellent in building anticipation for the next release. I felt like I had a deep understanding of the world and characters, especially with the excerpts from their history books at the beginning of the chapters. A lot of the discussion of the past was shown to us in unique ways instead of told, which I felt was exceptional at grasping the reason for the tension between the humans and Automade, while also upholding interest.
If I can include comparisons to other well-known fantasy series, I'd definitely acknowledge that this has similar vibes as The Winner's Trilogy. There are a few plot similarities, but the comparison drew mainly from the ambitious female main character, vengeful, enslaved love interest, and plentiful political intrigue. The slow-burn romance is additionally on a similar level, but I'd classify it as even slower.
It’s difficult to believe Crier’s War is a debut, with lyrical prose, intricate worldbuilding, and a heart-clenching sapphic slow-burn romance. It’s a book I’ll definitely be recommending to others looking for f/f fantasy romance in the future.
✨ ARC kindly provided by HarperTeen in exchange for an honest review ✨
January 4, 2020
“For the queer readers. You deserve every adventure.”
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Crier’s war was my first read of the year, and I’m so glad it was. I wanted to start the decade on a queer as fuck note, and this book knocked the ball out of the park. Hell, it knocked the whole park.
Crier’s War tells the story of two pawns, a princess (Crier) and a rebel part of the resistance with a thirst for revenge (Ayla,) thrown as enemies in a game too big and tangled for their understanding, and yet, against all odds, they find themselves having to work together. But this tangle game of politics morphs into a game of hearts, and someone might lose theirs along the way...
Now, time for the review. If I loved this book so much, why did I give it three stars? Well, there are many things that I enjoyed about this book, things I admired and wish we could see in other books, BUT, there are still points to go over, things that should have been improved, that I hope will be fixed in the sequel. So here we go.
“Humanity is how you act, my lady […] Not how you were Made.”
Characters: I was captivated by the characters from the moment I met them. With a writing style as compelling, we get to go deep into our characters thoughts and emotional process, we get to understand the angsty, emotional turmoil they’re under, which lead us to see different reactions to the same situation, which eventually gave us very distinct personalities. I’d say though, that twice, the characters made decisions that seemed to fit the plot more than it fitted their personality, and I wish that their thought process to make such a difficult decision was explored deeper.
Romance: Now, I don’t usually talk about romance when I write a review, but I will mention it this once, just this once, simply because I shipped it. That’s it. I shipped it. We had few, but impactful scenes full of emotions and angst, and it.. just really was a thing. One of the best Fantasy relationship I’ve ever read about. So, if you want to read sum fantasy with angsty romance, this is it.
“It was never really a choice, was it? Wanting her. Killing her.”
The plot: It was political. It was strong. Full of deceit and plot twists at every turn of the castle. I love how none of the characters is unnecessarily villainized (see the stereotype of the villain twirling his moustache in his leather throne.) It seems like everyone has thought out opinions, beliefs and interests, which leads to tensed dialogues and even tenser twists. I’d say though, that the end dragged a bit plot-wise because the characters had everything to piece the puzzle back together, but the writer waited the very last moment because it was more convenient. That felt cheap and fell short on my end.
The worldbuilding: see, I think this is where the book falls short. While it is creative and unique, with the Automae (AI) and the rich history of the world, there are points I don’t understand, and creative decisions I don’t follow. I won’t dive into details, because if you haven’t read the book, it’s pointless, but I’ll just say that the overall world is behind on a technical point, considering they’re able to make ‘humanlike’ AI. I also don’t understand how the country in the south is able to get the… thing that keeps the AI alive, nor do I understand why the Automae get married in the first place. Crier says it’s a political alliance, but how strong can that alliance be when there are no children born of that union? When there can never be feelings between them? Seems very poor.
Ideology: I don’t usually include this section in my reviews, but Crier’s war has an intense political message. It’s about privilege and oppression, a theme we’ve all been familiar with for the past few years. But gives it a new setting, new characters; a new angle. You get to see the oppressed and the oppressor, and just like in Snowpiercer, the oppressed becomes the oppressor, and the cycle never ends. It talks about how dangerous it is for the privileged to not acknowledge their privilege, to not check them out of the door once in a while. It talks about cultural appropriation as well, and just so many things… If you’re looking for a more political YA while not getting a lecture, this is for you.
"Crier was made But in the moment Ayla first touched her, Crier had learned what it felt like to be born."
Writing style: as I said, the writing style was compelling and personal, but not only that, it flowed wonderfully. It was unique while not being too flowery (or borderline snob.) it had imagery and metaphors that weren’t stretched or overworked. It didn’t overshadow the story or left the reader confused. The writing style was simply perfect for the book.
In conclusion, I thought that Crier’s war was one of the strongest debuts I’ve read, I'm honoured to have started the year with such a BANG. I’ll leave this review at that I think it’s been long enough 😉
Instagram | youtube
Crier’s war was my first read of the year, and I’m so glad it was. I wanted to start the decade on a queer as fuck note, and this book knocked the ball out of the park. Hell, it knocked the whole park.
Crier’s War tells the story of two pawns, a princess (Crier) and a rebel part of the resistance with a thirst for revenge (Ayla,) thrown as enemies in a game too big and tangled for their understanding, and yet, against all odds, they find themselves having to work together. But this tangle game of politics morphs into a game of hearts, and someone might lose theirs along the way...
Now, time for the review. If I loved this book so much, why did I give it three stars? Well, there are many things that I enjoyed about this book, things I admired and wish we could see in other books, BUT, there are still points to go over, things that should have been improved, that I hope will be fixed in the sequel. So here we go.
“Humanity is how you act, my lady […] Not how you were Made.”
Characters: I was captivated by the characters from the moment I met them. With a writing style as compelling, we get to go deep into our characters thoughts and emotional process, we get to understand the angsty, emotional turmoil they’re under, which lead us to see different reactions to the same situation, which eventually gave us very distinct personalities. I’d say though, that twice, the characters made decisions that seemed to fit the plot more than it fitted their personality, and I wish that their thought process to make such a difficult decision was explored deeper.
Romance: Now, I don’t usually talk about romance when I write a review, but I will mention it this once, just this once, simply because I shipped it. That’s it. I shipped it. We had few, but impactful scenes full of emotions and angst, and it.. just really was a thing. One of the best Fantasy relationship I’ve ever read about. So, if you want to read sum fantasy with angsty romance, this is it.
“It was never really a choice, was it? Wanting her. Killing her.”
The plot: It was political. It was strong. Full of deceit and plot twists at every turn of the castle. I love how none of the characters is unnecessarily villainized (see the stereotype of the villain twirling his moustache in his leather throne.) It seems like everyone has thought out opinions, beliefs and interests, which leads to tensed dialogues and even tenser twists. I’d say though, that the end dragged a bit plot-wise because the characters had everything to piece the puzzle back together, but the writer waited the very last moment because it was more convenient. That felt cheap and fell short on my end.
The worldbuilding: see, I think this is where the book falls short. While it is creative and unique, with the Automae (AI) and the rich history of the world, there are points I don’t understand, and creative decisions I don’t follow. I won’t dive into details, because if you haven’t read the book, it’s pointless, but I’ll just say that the overall world is behind on a technical point, considering they’re able to make ‘humanlike’ AI. I also don’t understand how the country in the south is able to get the… thing that keeps the AI alive, nor do I understand why the Automae get married in the first place. Crier says it’s a political alliance, but how strong can that alliance be when there are no children born of that union? When there can never be feelings between them? Seems very poor.
Ideology: I don’t usually include this section in my reviews, but Crier’s war has an intense political message. It’s about privilege and oppression, a theme we’ve all been familiar with for the past few years. But gives it a new setting, new characters; a new angle. You get to see the oppressed and the oppressor, and just like in Snowpiercer, the oppressed becomes the oppressor, and the cycle never ends. It talks about how dangerous it is for the privileged to not acknowledge their privilege, to not check them out of the door once in a while. It talks about cultural appropriation as well, and just so many things… If you’re looking for a more political YA while not getting a lecture, this is for you.
"Crier was made But in the moment Ayla first touched her, Crier had learned what it felt like to be born."
Writing style: as I said, the writing style was compelling and personal, but not only that, it flowed wonderfully. It was unique while not being too flowery (or borderline snob.) it had imagery and metaphors that weren’t stretched or overworked. It didn’t overshadow the story or left the reader confused. The writing style was simply perfect for the book.
In conclusion, I thought that Crier’s war was one of the strongest debuts I’ve read, I'm honoured to have started the year with such a BANG. I’ll leave this review at that I think it’s been long enough 😉
January 28, 2020
This book is - is over. I... I finished reading it. Turning the pages. I put it away and thanked the Heavens for letting me get through this - this experience. My actions startled me, and I felt a new kind of fear, fear of picking up another Young Adult book ever again. I didn't know how to go forward, but I would have to figure it out. Alone.
if you read through this first bit of nonsense, and this is your first time reading my reviews, thank you for sicking around to get to the real thing. i did my best to try and replicate the writing style for your reading pleasure, because i feel like no amount of explaining would ever truly convey my bone-deep frustration.
nothing happened in this book. the human vs. machine relationship as a whole was scratched with a fingernail once and left to rot in the synopsis. the romance was terribly undercooked. some people died, but because they barely got page time i literally did not care. neither Crier, the robot princess, nor Ayla, her human servant, did any single thing to move the plot forward; alright, well - they did sneak into the same Very Important Office once each, on separate occasions, and they both put their one shared brain cell to trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle that was already fucking complete on page 1, they just smashed the picture with a hammer and pretended nothing had been done before.
also, Crier calls Aiya's human friend straw boy for like a whole chapter, because she sees him wearing a mask made of straw once. fascinating.
i would say i'm never picking up a YA again, but watch me reach out for the next dose of nonsense in like a month or so. good day my dudes.
if you read through this first bit of nonsense, and this is your first time reading my reviews, thank you for sicking around to get to the real thing. i did my best to try and replicate the writing style for your reading pleasure, because i feel like no amount of explaining would ever truly convey my bone-deep frustration.
nothing happened in this book. the human vs. machine relationship as a whole was scratched with a fingernail once and left to rot in the synopsis. the romance was terribly undercooked. some people died, but because they barely got page time i literally did not care. neither Crier, the robot princess, nor Ayla, her human servant, did any single thing to move the plot forward; alright, well - they did sneak into the same Very Important Office once each, on separate occasions, and they both put their one shared brain cell to trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle that was already fucking complete on page 1, they just smashed the picture with a hammer and pretended nothing had been done before.
also, Crier calls Aiya's human friend straw boy for like a whole chapter, because she sees him wearing a mask made of straw once. fascinating.
i would say i'm never picking up a YA again, but watch me reach out for the next dose of nonsense in like a month or so. good day my dudes.
October 8, 2019
My review
Lately, everyone just couldn't seem to stop talking about this new slow burn, enemies-to-lovers high-fantasy book and I knew I needed to read it as soon as possible. I actually thought this was going to be a standalone so you can only imagine my surprise (delighted actually) when I figured it wasn’t over. Crier’s War has such a cool and inspiring concept that really left a jumble of thoughts I’m still trying to process.
After the War of Kinds that ravished the land of Rabu, the country is trying everything to get back on its feet. It has been almost 48 years after the creation of the first Automa – a constructed, unnatural creature made to resemble humans in every way but their feelings and the other Kind has almost completely oppressed humans and adopted their culture as their own. Ayla is a war orphan, her work in a palace using her only as a cover for her actual whereabouts – an apprentice for one of the human rebel leaders. The hate towards the “higher” Kind that has been building up for years has been getting to its peak and it is only a matter of time before a complete offense against the Automa arises. Crier is the daughter of the most powerful man in the kingdom; ambitious and smart, with influential fiancée and bright future, but also one big problem that could ruin her life. Two enemies are forced to work together and find a way among court’s schemes and fights bigger than any of them imagined if they want to save their futures and ones they care about the most.
A court where gossip quickly turns into an enigmatic web of schemes and politics is not a place to play with. I really enjoyed Varela’s writing, her easygoing and intriguing worldbuilding that uncovers a world full of rotten rulers and histories gone wrong. The more I think about this book, I find myself discovering various layers of human nature and the inevitable curse of history repeating itself in an infinite doomed cycle. The problematics have risen between two Kinds – if one is superior, does that mean it should hold itself accountable over the other? Because how can the stronger side not see itself as somehow responsible for the other, without the urge to trample them and subject it to its rule – I don’t know. And what is to be done if one of your greatest creations adopts your culture and oppresses your entire race into oblivion? I guess as long as there is power there won’t be equality or anything close to peace.
Crier is an ambitious and intelligent heir with insightful and revolutionary ideas for both Kinds and their further coexistence, but who would listen to ideas of a seventeen-year-old girl? She is an Automa – a better, stronger, upgraded version of the human race that was supposed to look down on them as animals, but her whole life she was drawn to them, almost as she can sympathize with them. When she found out her Design is flawed – meaning she carried a fifth column that enables her to feel passion, Crier spent a good time of this book figuring out how to deal with feelings she physically wasn’t supposed to have. Her kind wasn’t supposed to feel, but she can’t do a damn thing when it comes to beautiful Ayla who she’s supposed to hate. She finds out she isn’t the only one with a vision, but pursuing that goal might take away her entire future and everything she’d worked for. Unexpected alliances and dangerous spywork will bring her on the verge of a war with her father and her Scyre, but Crier is ready and she won’t be afraid to embrace her vision.
“Justice was a god, and Ayla didn’t believe in such childish
things. She believed in blood.”
Ayla is supposed to hate Crier by every principle - she even planned her assassination in her head more times than she can count. But when she finally has the chance to do it, there is something about Crier that strikes her and makes her falter. Ayla has only had one thing on her mind for the last eight years and that is vengeance for her family. Love is a weakness and it’ll make her hurt even more if she lets anything in again, but wars aren’t won by brute force. What she needs is something big – knowledge that could destroy the entire royal line and bring down the entire Automa population. Battling her feelings with an urge to avenge her family, she’ll find out she has more allies on the court than she thought, but everything comes with a price. She’s suffered too much already, but as it seems her fight is far from over.
I loved everything about this book, except pacing was a bit inconsistent and dull. This book took a lot of time to build tension and plot necessary for a revolution, which made it a bit monotone and boring for my liking. Action scenes were few to none, and even schemes and plans seemed transparent from time to time. Even though I can see where everything’s going and that the first book was an introduction of a sort, I wish it was a little bit more interactive and dynamic.
“If a spider weaves her web to catch flies and catches a
butterfly instead, what does the spider do?
She eats the butterfly.”
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Lately, everyone just couldn't seem to stop talking about this new slow burn, enemies-to-lovers high-fantasy book and I knew I needed to read it as soon as possible. I actually thought this was going to be a standalone so you can only imagine my surprise (delighted actually) when I figured it wasn’t over. Crier’s War has such a cool and inspiring concept that really left a jumble of thoughts I’m still trying to process.
After the War of Kinds that ravished the land of Rabu, the country is trying everything to get back on its feet. It has been almost 48 years after the creation of the first Automa – a constructed, unnatural creature made to resemble humans in every way but their feelings and the other Kind has almost completely oppressed humans and adopted their culture as their own. Ayla is a war orphan, her work in a palace using her only as a cover for her actual whereabouts – an apprentice for one of the human rebel leaders. The hate towards the “higher” Kind that has been building up for years has been getting to its peak and it is only a matter of time before a complete offense against the Automa arises. Crier is the daughter of the most powerful man in the kingdom; ambitious and smart, with influential fiancée and bright future, but also one big problem that could ruin her life. Two enemies are forced to work together and find a way among court’s schemes and fights bigger than any of them imagined if they want to save their futures and ones they care about the most.
A court where gossip quickly turns into an enigmatic web of schemes and politics is not a place to play with. I really enjoyed Varela’s writing, her easygoing and intriguing worldbuilding that uncovers a world full of rotten rulers and histories gone wrong. The more I think about this book, I find myself discovering various layers of human nature and the inevitable curse of history repeating itself in an infinite doomed cycle. The problematics have risen between two Kinds – if one is superior, does that mean it should hold itself accountable over the other? Because how can the stronger side not see itself as somehow responsible for the other, without the urge to trample them and subject it to its rule – I don’t know. And what is to be done if one of your greatest creations adopts your culture and oppresses your entire race into oblivion? I guess as long as there is power there won’t be equality or anything close to peace.
Crier is an ambitious and intelligent heir with insightful and revolutionary ideas for both Kinds and their further coexistence, but who would listen to ideas of a seventeen-year-old girl? She is an Automa – a better, stronger, upgraded version of the human race that was supposed to look down on them as animals, but her whole life she was drawn to them, almost as she can sympathize with them. When she found out her Design is flawed – meaning she carried a fifth column that enables her to feel passion, Crier spent a good time of this book figuring out how to deal with feelings she physically wasn’t supposed to have. Her kind wasn’t supposed to feel, but she can’t do a damn thing when it comes to beautiful Ayla who she’s supposed to hate. She finds out she isn’t the only one with a vision, but pursuing that goal might take away her entire future and everything she’d worked for. Unexpected alliances and dangerous spywork will bring her on the verge of a war with her father and her Scyre, but Crier is ready and she won’t be afraid to embrace her vision.
“Justice was a god, and Ayla didn’t believe in such childish
things. She believed in blood.”
Ayla is supposed to hate Crier by every principle - she even planned her assassination in her head more times than she can count. But when she finally has the chance to do it, there is something about Crier that strikes her and makes her falter. Ayla has only had one thing on her mind for the last eight years and that is vengeance for her family. Love is a weakness and it’ll make her hurt even more if she lets anything in again, but wars aren’t won by brute force. What she needs is something big – knowledge that could destroy the entire royal line and bring down the entire Automa population. Battling her feelings with an urge to avenge her family, she’ll find out she has more allies on the court than she thought, but everything comes with a price. She’s suffered too much already, but as it seems her fight is far from over.
I loved everything about this book, except pacing was a bit inconsistent and dull. This book took a lot of time to build tension and plot necessary for a revolution, which made it a bit monotone and boring for my liking. Action scenes were few to none, and even schemes and plans seemed transparent from time to time. Even though I can see where everything’s going and that the first book was an introduction of a sort, I wish it was a little bit more interactive and dynamic.
“If a spider weaves her web to catch flies and catches a
butterfly instead, what does the spider do?
She eats the butterfly.”
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Shelved as 'lost-interest'
April 22, 2019ARC provided in exchange for honest review ⚔️
October 2, 2019
I LOVE SAPPHIC FANTASY SO MUCH BLESS NINA VARELA FOR WRITING THIS BOOK *sobs*
It was honestly REALLY GOOD. Perfectly constructed romance, and I loved the socio-politics of the world. And of course, Crier and Ayla are my soft children! My sweet, sweet children. I love how Crier was instantly fascinated with Ayla - much like how you’re immediately fascinated by a beautiful bird - and it developed from there, whilst for Ayla is was very much a gorgeous build up that she tried to resist and UGH my heart.
I’ve come to realise I’m a big fan of the handmaiden / lady dynamic that comes up a lot in sapphic romances - Crier & Ayla gave me big Sabran and Ead vibes (from PRIORY) and it made me really happy. (Also the tide pool scene, my heart)
*throws this book at everyone* READ IT. Great worldbuilding, great characters, great plot. I read it in under 24 hours, after all.
> 4.2 stars!! (or even 4.5 because I can't stop thinking about it aaaaa i am obsessed)
It was honestly REALLY GOOD. Perfectly constructed romance, and I loved the socio-politics of the world. And of course, Crier and Ayla are my soft children! My sweet, sweet children. I love how Crier was instantly fascinated with Ayla - much like how you’re immediately fascinated by a beautiful bird - and it developed from there, whilst for Ayla is was very much a gorgeous build up that she tried to resist and UGH my heart.
I’ve come to realise I’m a big fan of the handmaiden / lady dynamic that comes up a lot in sapphic romances - Crier & Ayla gave me big Sabran and Ead vibes (from PRIORY) and it made me really happy. (Also the tide pool scene, my heart)
*throws this book at everyone* READ IT. Great worldbuilding, great characters, great plot. I read it in under 24 hours, after all.
> 4.2 stars!! (or even 4.5 because I can't stop thinking about it aaaaa i am obsessed)
September 8, 2022
3 stars 💫
"Love was what made you invite death, wish for it, crave for it just so that you could be free from your own pain.''
I'm... disappointed.
I mean, is a good book, and probably the problem is that I had high expectations, but there are a few things that made me not love this book.
Before that, I have to say that I love the world building. I found the whole plot interesting and unique, and at first I could't stop reading because I wanted to know more and more. The story, the time line and the Automae was something that amazed me. The characters have a great personality and their interactions are gold. It has the enemies to lovers and forbidden trope, so I should adore this book.
The big problem for me is that, at some point, the book gets kinda boring. Maybe is because I'm not in the best time to read this, but around the 60% I started to lose interest in the story, and once I was at the 70%, I was just reading without enjoying it. The book was so catchy in the beginning, but then, no???? LMAO I DON'T KNOW MAYBE IS JUST ME.
I don't think I'll read the second part because I don't care anymore about what's happening. I hate it because it has everything I love in books, but only thinking about reading the next one makes me feel like I'm going to get into a slump, so nope.
I had so much hype 😭
"Love was what made you invite death, wish for it, crave for it just so that you could be free from your own pain.''
I'm... disappointed.
I mean, is a good book, and probably the problem is that I had high expectations, but there are a few things that made me not love this book.
Before that, I have to say that I love the world building. I found the whole plot interesting and unique, and at first I could't stop reading because I wanted to know more and more. The story, the time line and the Automae was something that amazed me. The characters have a great personality and their interactions are gold. It has the enemies to lovers and forbidden trope, so I should adore this book.
The big problem for me is that, at some point, the book gets kinda boring. Maybe is because I'm not in the best time to read this, but around the 60% I started to lose interest in the story, and once I was at the 70%, I was just reading without enjoying it. The book was so catchy in the beginning, but then, no???? LMAO I DON'T KNOW MAYBE IS JUST ME.
I don't think I'll read the second part because I don't care anymore about what's happening. I hate it because it has everything I love in books, but only thinking about reading the next one makes me feel like I'm going to get into a slump, so nope.
I had so much hype 😭
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February 8, 2022DNF'ed at page 311
I kinda feel the book has been revolving about the same topics since page 1 and not really moving forward in them (the vengenace thing, the spying thing), and the characters don't really seem to be all that fleshed out. I kept thinking: "now is where the action picks up, now is where the plot gets bigger", but sadly it never happened. I got tired of always being in the same spot, and my main downsides are how "thin" the plot is and how plane and under developed the characters are, as are they relationships.
I kinda feel the book has been revolving about the same topics since page 1 and not really moving forward in them (the vengenace thing, the spying thing), and the characters don't really seem to be all that fleshed out. I kept thinking: "now is where the action picks up, now is where the plot gets bigger", but sadly it never happened. I got tired of always being in the same spot, and my main downsides are how "thin" the plot is and how plane and under developed the characters are, as are they relationships.
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