Crier's War (Crier's War #1) eBook PDF

User Reviews

chai ♡

Rating: really liked it
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.

✨ jami ✨

Rating: really liked it
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 !!

Melanie

Rating: really liked it

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! ❤

Elle (ellexamines)

Rating: really liked it
me every three pages of this book about tenderness between rivals, sapphics, and flawed villainy:
description

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 (view spoiler) 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:
(view spoiler)

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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Samantha

Rating: really liked it
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.

may ➹

Rating: really liked it
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.

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.

literarylesbian

Rating: really liked it
Just finished my reread with my book club! I’m obsessed 😭💕

Boston

Rating: really liked it
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.

;3

Rating: really liked it
crier 90% of this book: *yearns*

kaz.brekkers.future.wife

Rating: really liked it
!!!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!!

E.

Rating: really liked it
★★★★★ | ~~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.

"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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Madita

Rating: really liked it
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.

Nina Varela

Rating: really liked it
hi, i wrote this, i hope y'all like it!

content warnings here: https://www.ninavarela.com/content

much love,
nina

anna (½ of readsrainbow)

Rating: really liked it
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.

Abby

Rating: really liked it
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

Detail

Crier's War (Crier's War #1)

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