Crier's War by Nina Varela Pages: 448
Published by HarperTeen on October 1, 2019
Series: Crier's War #1
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy & Magic
Source: Finished Hardcover from Publisher
After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, designed to be the playthings of royals, usurped their owners’ estates and bent the human race to their will.
Now Ayla, a human servant rising in the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging her family’s death…by killing the sovereign’s daughter, Lady Crier.
Crier was Made to be beautiful, flawless, and to carry on her father’s legacy. But that was before her betrothal to the enigmatic Scyre Kinok, before she discovered her father isn’t the benevolent king she once admired, and most importantly, before she met Ayla.
Now, with growing human unrest across the land, pressures from a foreign queen, and an evil new leader on the rise, Crier and Ayla find there may be only one path to love: war.
Crier’s War is a young adult fantasy and is the first book in the Crier’s War series by Nina Varela. Before I get into my review, can we take a moment (or 10) to admire the beautiful cover? The cover of Crier’s War is one of my favorite covers of 2019! It is simply stunning, and it is even prettier in person! Let me know your favorite covers of 2019 in the comments below! Crier’s War is a fast paced fantasy read, and it was an adventure that I really enjoyed. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
In Crier’s War, we meet Ayla and Crier. Ayla is a human girl in a world where humans are repressed by Automae. Automae are machines that rose up against past human rulers, and have now become the ruling class. Ayla dreams of avenging her family, who were killed by the Automae. Her plan of vengeance was going to be killing the Automae King’s Daughter- Lady Crier. Ayla gets a job as Crier’s handmaiden and neither are who the other expected them to be. They story really sets off from there. One of the things I loved most about Crier’s War is the great cast of characters that are present throughout the story. They are so richly described and wonderfully diverse. Crier and Ayla captured my attention and they captured my heart while I was reading their story. I really love them both!
Crier’s War is the kind of book that once you pick up, it totally consumes you. Leaving you with no choice but to keep reading until there are no more pages left for you to read. I read this book in one sitting, because once I picked it up, there was no turning back for me. I loved this story and I am super anxious to see what is going to happen in the next installment. Nina Varela created a fantastically nuanced world, poised on the edge of war between the humans and the Automae. Crier’s War is a multi-perspective narrative, which allows you to get to know the characters and really get into their head. Learn their motivations and thought processes. This is my favorite narration style because I feel like I get to know everyone on a much deeper level. It’s nice to know what the characters are doing, but even better to learn about what makes them tick, and the why of their actions. It makes for a very compelling read, and Nina did a fantastic job of keeping each narrative clear. Nothing felt too confusing for me, which is not always an easy task with switching perspectives.
If you are a fan of fast paced fantasies, with court gossip, intrigue, diverse characters, war and plenty of action, then Crier’s War is going to be a must read fantasy series for you. This book was everything I hoped it would be and then some. I really loved it. Bring on book 2!
The cover of Crier’s War is one of my favorite covers of 2019! Let me know your favorite covers of 2019 in the comments below!
About Nina Varela
Nina Varela is a nationally awarded writer of screenplays and short fiction. She was born in New Orleans and raised on a hippie commune in Durham, North Carolina, where she spent most of her childhood running barefoot through the woods. These days, Nina lives in Los Angeles with her writing partner and their tiny, ill-behaved dog. She tends to write stories about hard-won love and young people toppling the monarchy. On a related note, she’s queer. On a less related note, she has strong feelings about hushpuppies and loves a good jambalaya. CRIER’S WAR is her first novel.
Really helpful thank you for sharing ♥️
This sounds really good, I can see why you’re excited for book two!