Book Review – Crier’s War by Nina Varela

Title: Crier’s War

Author: Nina Varela

Publisher: Quill Tree Books

Publication date: October 1st, 2019

464 pages

4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

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.

Review

“If longing is madness, then none of us are sane.”

Nina Varela, Crier’s War

I was immediately sucked into Crier’s War when I began reading it – it is my definition of a perfect YA fantasy novel. There is action, intrigue, a case of forbidden love, a science fiction twist – it has it all. Add in some sapphic romance and it was a million percent up my alley. I couldn’t wait to keep reading it to see what was going to happen next.

The angst and pining in this book is divine. Ayla has no reason to like Crier after her parents are killed but everything Crier does makes her feel conflicted. Crier doesn’t understand how she has such feelings, as an automaton she was Made differently. The writing is incredibly immersive and I loved the snippets of the past at the beginning of chapters. I felt like I was in Rabu with them throughout the book, watching it happen.

Sure, some people may say this is “typical YA” as a negative, but I would never be that person. I love typical YA something fierce, and the pinch of sci fi is a delightful addition that adds a lot of depth to the plot line. I also have no idea how Iron Heart will go based on the ending of Crier’s War, but I’m incredible excited to find outl

Happy reading, folks!