User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
3.5 starsFollowing the thrilling events of Crier’s War, the sequel Iron Heart dives back into the story of Crier and Ayla, Automa and human enemies turned… something else. A war is brewing as rebellions and revolutions rise, and Crier and Ayla, along with other allies, must fight for a world where Automae and humans can coexist without one causing the pain of the other, or risk losing more than each other.
Crier’s War saw beautiful writing, a slowburn romance, and riveting character arcs, and these are even more prominent in the sequel—
I dare say they got even better. It’s a solid conclusion to the series, as well as the intricate, emotional journeys of Crier and Ayla.
“Strength isn’t measured by the ability to cause harm.”
As in the first book, Crier and Ayla were such strong characters. I loved seeing Crier break free from certain restraints and expectations that had been placed on her, as an Automa, but also as the daughter of the sovereign. She still has the sweetness and innocence she had before, but now it has morphed into something
more passionate and determined, funneled into a want to help humans after the horrors her Kind has inflicted upon them, and it was beautiful to see.
I loved Ayla and her arc in this sequel so much, too. She spent her entire life with one goal in mind—revenge—but now she has to deal with the result of what she did (or didn’t) do in the first book. She learns that there’s
no one way to fight, that there’s no one way to be angry and strong and defiant, and through this realization, a softer, gentler side of her appears. One of my favorite things about sequels is that it allows characters the space to develop more into a rounded person, and that kind of growth was beautiful to see in both Crier and Ayla.
I think the highlight of this book for me was Crier and Ayla’s romance. I’m not usually one to care about romance this much, and it’s definitely not the central focus of the book, but I loved it so much. They were slowly realizing that they didn’t hate each other (even after certain events of the first book), and coming to terms with the fact that they felt so much for each other, all the while still trying to deny it.
The yearning was just so, so good, and I died at least ten times reading certain parts. It is just so very gay, and I could not be happier.
“You want her. Or love her. Or at least something close. Something just as intense as your hatred.”
Varela’s writing in this book is simply delectable. I’d forgotten how much I loved each word that Varela crafts—all of them feel so meaningful and valuable, and paint such a lovely picture of the setting, the characters, and their emotions. It’s elegant and fits the story so well, and it is so easy to devour and tempts you into reading more and more without you realizing. (Plus, the writing in some of the more romantic scenes made me lose my mind.)
Just as with Crier’s War, the themes that Iron Heart dives into were explored and written so well. At the heart of it at all (no pun intended), the series to me is about what it means to be human, and
where humanity starts and ends. It is a book about intolerance, division, and war, and though it wasn’t sad, there were actually some parts that made me want to cry.
Even though I was physically reading it quickly and there were exciting scenes that keep me engaged, somehow the book felt like it was going by slowly. I also had a hard time with how some characters were introduced or included, but not much was explored with them, which was an issue I had with Crier’s War too. Another minor complaint was that the last few chapters felt rushed and anticlimactic to me, and the ending was a bit abrupt even with an epilogue. All of these made me feel like I couldn’t rate this a full 4 stars, but
I really did enjoy this book, despite these small issues I had!
Because it’s you.
It’s you, the wash of starlight, the old paradox: if the Universe were static, I could stand anywhere in this world and I swear my line of sight would end on you. I swear I’d find you in the dark.
While there were some things that didn’t quite work for me with this sequel, it was not enough to diminish my overall enjoyment of and love for this book and series. With truly gorgeous prose, an achingly heartwarming romance, and compelling characters,
Crier’s War and Iron Heart make an unforgettable duology. I am so excited to read all of Varela’s future works: I just know they’ll be as good (and gay) as this beautifully written series.
—★—
:: rep :: POC lesbian MC, POC bisexual MC
:: content warnings :: death/murder (of loved ones), violence, depictions of blood, use of drug-like substance, body horror [more details]
Thank you to HarperCollins 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.
Rating: really liked it
hi,
i hope y'all enjoy the second half of crier and ayla's story. thank you so much for reading and caring and for loving them; thank you for sharing your excitement about this book. it's all for you.
content warnings can be found here: https://www.ninavarela.com/content
<3,
nina
Rating: really liked it
*mutters sapphic summoning spells furiously under her breath*
//
also does the title refer to Ayla's stubborn iron heart JUST LOVE CRIER DAMN YOU
//
the fact this is coming out a month later in the uk is some kind of personal attack on my person istg
Rating: really liked it
I just think that sapphic fantasy is the best genre right now and you can't change my mind
“Because you surprise me. Because I’m not done being surprised by you.”
Iron Heart is the sequel and conclusion to
Crier’s War , an opener of a duology that changed me deeply. With Ayla on the run and Scyre Kinok gaining increasing power, Crier is left needing to decide where her loyalties lie.
Ayla’s journey in this sequel is primarily about power: her new desire to gain, and her newfound agency in making decisions about
which types of power to wield. She's a character who has been through a lot, and always survived, which makes her compelling. But she is also a character who is terrified to let her guard down. Falling in love with Crier challenges her and forces her to push herself. Seeing her take up a new role in politics of the land was immensely satisfying, and I was consistently invested.
Throughout this series I have been increasingly invested in
Crier as a character, and her arc here is especially relevant. Crier yearns to be human; so much so, in fact, that she pretends to be one. In book one, this dynamic built to her falling in love, believing all along this made her flawed. In this sequel, Varela addresses a deeper question: How is she truly different from any other human? Her defiance of her father, her falling for Ayla, and her meeting human friends all serve as key parts of her character arc.
“You can’t read me once and know everything.”
“Then I will read you again and again.”
The
dynamic between Crier and Ayla is, as always, incredibly tender. While their dynamic in book one caught me, I definitely stayed hooked; I found several lines of dialogue between them genuinely heartbreaking (this one above took my breath away).
Generally, though, this did not quite live up to book one for me. I noticed a distinct amount of tell not show around the beginning. There’s also a specific issue with point of view that bugged me a lot: sometimes, point of view stays stable in each chapter, and sometimes it switches. I did not remember this happening in book one, so I do not know if this was not intentional, and I did not like it. And this series has always relied a bit on plot happening to the characters, but I felt that repeated a lot here.
“Because you deserve to be known, in whatever capacity you wish. I am trying to become a person who deserves to know you. I want that more than anything.”
In a lot of ways, I think it was my enjoyment of book one that led to my enjoyment of this book, rather than anything specific about this sequel. Yet a few other dynamics of this book stood out to me. Junn is an excellent side character, and her development stood out as a highlight here. She serves as an excellent narrative foil to both Crier and Ayla and is by far the most fleshed-out character within the book. While I wanted more from (view spoiler)
[Storme, Ayla's brother, (hide spoiler)] I definitely enjoyed his dynamic with Ayla.
This duology was an excellent read and I am so excited for more by Nina Varela. If you haven't picked up Crier's War yet... well. You really should.
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Rating: really liked it
LET ME IIIIIIIN LET ME IIIIIIIINNNNNNN
Update: I finished it! I love Crier and Ayla so much
Rating: really liked it
rep: lesbian poc mc, bi poc mc, poc cast, side m/nb couple, side mlm & wlw couples
tw: body horror (chapter 6 & 14), panic attack, torture, murder
Review is also on Reads Rainbow. ARC provided by the publisher.Five Reasons to Read This Book
Number One: It’s a sequel to an absolutely amazing Crier’s War and that, in all honesty, is a good reason on its own. If you loved the first book, you definitely want to see what the girls are up to now, how Automae are fairing, how the humans are fairing, if the war that’s been brewing for a while now will happen and what will it bring. Iron Heart works great as a sequel, answers all the important questions, makes you feel welcomed in a world you have come to know and love.
Number Two: It’s sapphic. It’s sapphic in a very bold and unapologetic way. I have whole pages of quotes saved in a google doc which are showcasing the desire and love Ayla and Crier have for each other. But it’s also sapphic in a very authentic way. Showed in small glimpses, in passing thoughts, in a myriad of minute ways that are all obvious to a gay reader.
Number Three: The absolute lack of homophobia. I’ve been praising this aspect of Varela’s world ever since I read Crier’s War, but it’s still just as visible in Iron Heart. And I don’t just mean the fact that the main romance is between two girls. I mean that any time someone tells a fairy tale in this book (and it happens quite a number of times), it’s a gay one. Any time someone mentions having a spouse and it turns out to be a gay marriage, it earns no comments on that front. Any time a nonbinary character is introduced, no one has troubles with using correct pronouns. It feels a little bit like a miracle and like a gift.
Number Four: Plot and twists of it. A lot happens in this book, you will definitely not be bored while reading. And what’s more, Iron Heart keeps you on your toes. Characters reveal hidden layers, their motifs make more and more sense as you learn about their background. Surprises wait at almost every corner, so that rather than an easy sprint from point A to point B, you get a walk through a labyrinth and sometimes even circle back to get to the end. It’s great.
Number Five: It almost feels like retracing my last statement, but here we go – this book is very much focused on the political side of things. It comes from introducing new characters and from giving old ones (Queen Junn) more spotlight. It makes the whole world feel way more real, makes the stakes of the human-Automae conflict more real, the villains more evil. It allows for some sublte commentary on our world, as well. It basically makes everything better.
Rating: really liked it
i finished the book like five minutes ago and i already miss crier and ayla :/ an enemies to lovers sapphic fantasy...nina varela knows how to feed us well
Rating: really liked it
3.5 stars
As much as I love the characters and loved the original story of this world, I was slightly disappointed by this book.
Okay so: I still loved Crier. Her story line in this book was actually my favorite because her character developed amazingly in this book and her working by herself was a great setting to this book.
I also really liked Ayla's storyline and how more characters were introduced in her pov that I found really interesting and was very excited to read about.
yet I had a few issues with the entire plot:
In the beginning there were a lot of flashbacks and just summaries of the plot of the first book, I just think there were too many recaps to book one but maybe that was just me because I read them right after each other. Idk it felt like on of those "previously on pll" flashbacks in tv series.
I also kind of did not get that surprised by the so called "reveal" in this book since it was hinted to in book one IF YOU READ BETWEEN THE LINES which I did.
Was that my mistake? maybe but I still think it was pretty obvious and I also did not think that crier should have been surprised by the reveal. Ayla, the human? sure but the Automae? nope .
Rating: really liked it
Second book syndrome? Nina doesn't know her. Yes, Nina Varela made me cry several times. Yes, I highly recommend Iron Heart. And yes, this perfectly written sequel gave me the comfort and delicious yearning I needed.
Rating: really liked it
FOUR STARS!!
So......yeah....this book was an emotional rollercoaster. I really liked it.
also glad kinok got the fate he deserves!!!
--------------------
They finally had their happy ending!!!
Review To Come
Rating: really liked it
CWs: brief scenes with body horror, panic attackRep: lesbian MC, bisexual MC, nonbinary side character, minor m/nb couple 3.5/5This was definitely better than the first book. I admit I wasn't the biggest fan of
Crier's War and
some of the same issues I had still carried over in this sequel, like:
-
the side characters - nowhere near as memorable as the main characters.
Benjy is as bland, mildly annoying and useless as ever. We get to know more about
Storme and his backstory but...I still didn't like him. I kept getting the impression that he just didn't care as much about Ayla as she did for him. Their sibling dynamic felt very imbalanced and off to me. Again, we learn more about
Queen Junn and I wanted to like her but there just wasn't much for me to hold on to. There are new, super intriguing side characters introduced and I wish the book had been a little longer so we could've seen more of them.
-
the villain is sadly as generic as ever.
-
the worldbuilding is fairly decent but I wanted more details on Tarreen and also the alchemy, the magick, etc.
But there were definitely improvements this time around that I appreciated seeing:
-
the pacing is a lot better done here - it's faster and made the book go by very quickly.
-
the plot is way more solid - there's a concrete goal the protagonists are aiming towards, stakes are higher, no vagueness or meandering around. It made Ayla and Crier's separate journeys in the first half easy to emotionally invest into; there are some pretty interesting twists, the setting is expanded, and once they're finally reunited? Perfection.
- I liked
Crier and Ayla's dynamic a lot more in this book. I loved how they saw each other, the slight parallels to their interactions in the first book, just everything about them honestly. Crier is still my favorite character but Ayla grew on me a lot. The sheer yearning of this romance...phew.
The ending was a bit anti-climactic for me but overall, this was a fun duology to read.
Rating: really liked it
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book as part of my participation in Caffeine Book Tours book tour to promote this novel. This in no way impacted my opinion." "Strength isn't measured by the ability to cause harm."
Iron Heart by
Nina Varela is the
stunning sequel to
Crier's War. This duology takes place in a world where two different species exist - humans and Automae. The Automae rule the land, resigning humans to a life of servitude and violence. The reader follows the journey of one Automae and one human,
Crier and
Ayla, respectively.
Let's start with obvious: As nearly
everyone knows by now,
Crier's War is my favorite book (~technically~ by second favorite book of all-time, but there's no need to get ~technical~). Therefore, it should come as
no surprise that I was...basically...in love with
Iron Heart even
before I'd read it.
I did, in fact, read this beginning to end in one day, and I did, as well, experience more emotions than I will ever be able to vocalize in that one day.
Characters:The first aspect of
Iron Heart that jumped out at me is how all of the characters feel
older in this novel - not in a bad way, but in a way that reflects the
suffering they've endured, the
realities they've confronted, the actions
they have had to take.
If someone asked me for advice on writing character growth (though I do not suggest anyone do), I would simply hand them a copy of
Iron Heart.
Individually
and together, the characters of this novel are the
core of the overarching story, and they do not take their roles lightly.
Crier is the daughter of the Sovereign of Rabu, or, the man who controls almost all the land, and who has and continues to carry massacres against human villages, among other cruelties.
Crier's War is the tale of Crier
waking up, of Crier recognizing the true impact, or, more accurately, the true
danger of her people, and of her own potential.
In
Iron Heart, though, Crier renounces her past naivety and complicity in her people's--her father's--cruelty. Crier is now ready to
defy her father , and her entire government, to
forgo her past life as a noble.
And. Yeah. I
love Crier's growth. Even within the first novel, I was
so impressed with how Varela established Crier. But in
Iron Heart, I was downright
floored .
Ayla is a revolutionary. After losing her family to Hesod's, Crier's father's, cruelty, Ayla transformed into a raging fire. In
Crier's War, we see-no, we
feel Ayla's fury. We see her power. We
see the revolutionary, the rebel.
In
Iron Heart, we feel Ayla's
grief. We see her
strength, her
endurance. We see Ayla the
human.
I. Love. Angry. Women. Give me angry women any day. But to
truly understand justified anger, one must also understand all of the emotions buried underneath her anger - her
shield . One must
know the woman behind the fire.
Iron Heart gave us that opportunity.
Queen Junn , also known as the
Bone Eater, as the
Mad Queen, is a character we truly delve into for the first time in this novel.
Junn is a fascinating character; I don't know that anyone - character or reader alike - will ever be able to fully understand her. But that's what makes her so compelling.
I constantly forgot her age - around 18 - if it hadn't been recently mentioned,
because of...well...
her .
Junn is a character I can neither like nor dislike; she is a character I can
respect .
Benjy , Ayla's best friend and a fellow revolutionary, went on a path I...did not expect. At all.
Nina herself said she thought readers may be surprised by the path Benjy goes on in this book...yeah I was.
When it comes to that theme of
growing up , Benjy
is it. He grows up like no other character does.
And it's exactly what he needs.
I still cannot wrap my head around his journey as I
did not see it coming, but I
can see that this is the path he
needed - the
right path for him.
Outside of our four person ~ squad ~, we also spend time with a few others -
Storme, Ayla's twin brother and Junn's human advisor (and ~ boyfriend ~) ;
Faye, a servant at the Palace thought to have been driven insane by Kinok's cruelty ;
Hook and co., a new ~ squad ~ that I love So. Much. (seriously. I love Hook So. Much. Where is the spin-off Ms. Varela.) ; and a few other new faces.
I could write entire essays on each of these characters, but I'll spare both you and I from that fate. I will say, though, that these character are
just as, if not
more, impactful as/than Crier and Ayla. Their being 'supporting characters' does not lessen their contribution to the story in the slightest.
Relationships:If I thought
Crier's War did a
phenomenal job with relationships...
Iron Heart laughed in my face before surpassing it, reaching a level I didn't even know existed.
Every relationship, whether positive, negative, or neutral, was so layered, so well-constructed.
The development of Crier's relationship with
her father was heartbreaking and necessary. I knew it was coming, and so did she, but it's never fun to have a parent who has no love for you.
The exploration of
Storme and Ayla's relationship was...it also hurt at times, but it didn't at others. Within their relationship, all I could see is that
no matter the pain they put each other through, their love will always be the brightest star in the sky. I see the
full, unadulterated power sibling bonds possess.
As for
Benjy and Ayla...their relationship is so special. I'm a sucker for
having that One Person. It's my jam, and that's
exactly this dynamic. Their bond isn't the same this time-around - it's
evolved, for better or for worse, but it
cannot be broken .
Crier as a character, though, sees for the first time what
friendship truly means. She gets to start forming relationships in the first place. And it is
beautiful.
As for The Girls,
Crier and Ayla ,~ Crayla ~, Varela
invented the word
yearning . This novel is literally just a bunch of badass rebels destroying a colonialist system...and two Lesbians Without Braincells trying to figure out how to ~ gay ~ together.
In all honesty, though, Varela truly does a fucking fantastic job with their relationship. Writing a relationship - a
romance , no less - between the daughter of The Oppressor and a servant whose life was
destroyed by Him is...more than a little challenging.
Varela
intentionally has these two girls grow individually and together
before allowing anything to exist between them. She simultaneously handles a tricky subject with such care, while also writing The ~ Tension ~.
i mean...slow-burn / enemies-to-lovers lesbians...
who could resist??? "You want her. Or love her. Or at least something else. Something just as intense as your hatred."
Other:While I could, and partially
want to, include sections about other aspects such as the incredible world and Varela's breath-taking writing, this review is also
so long, so I'll just provide a few brief notes.
The
theme of revolution and rebellion within fantasy is one I
adore, when done right.
Varela most certainly does it right. This entire book is basically just
fuck colonialism . But, really, Varela truly manages to so seamlessly incorporate the fantasy elements of the Automae and the fairy-tale feel of Crier's story in a world that is
founded on the same horrors as our own world. She straddles the line between
reality and escapism so effortlessly.
She executes the theme of
revolution , creating a story where the revolution goes
beyond one specific person - it is the effort of many, and includes disagreements among them as well. It is not One. Large. War. It is everyday battles, constant efforts to make lasting change. It is
real .
As for Varela's writing, what I will say is this: From the very first sentence to the very last, you
will be enamored by her words.
With that. I. really love this book. This Duology. There is so much more to say, but once I start, I won't be able to stop.
so:
thank you, crier and ayla, for letting me be a part of your journeys, the good and the bad. it made a difference.
[slightly paraphrased] "We won't give up. We never give up."
"Because...because there are things worth dying for."
"Nah...because there are things worth living for."
content warnings: war, death, violence/descriptions of blood, drug use/addiction, body horror representation: queer characters, MCs of color (implied but not explicit), lesbian MCs, f/f romance
Rating: really liked it
This took me forever to read but I did it!!!
=====
Hopefully this will get me out of my reading slump. Can't wait to read this for the sapphics. :)
=====
THE COVER IS SO PRETTY!!!!
Rating: really liked it
The world and characters of this duology have so much potential but sadly this book is very disappointing.
The plot is all over the place, way too convenient or random events happen to make things move and a lot of them aren't addressed later or don't have any impact on anything else. I wouldn't care for a weak plot if the romance made up for it, but sadly it didn't happen in a way I could believe in.
From Crier's POV, it makes sense she'd fall for Ayla in book 1, but I expected more resistance on her part to forgive her in book 2. From Ayla's POV, there wasn't enough development in book 1 to justify her intense longing and feelings right at the start of book 2. I hoped they'd eventually meet and slowly fall for each other as they got to know their true selves, which wasn't what happened at all. Their relationship is supposed to be the focus, costing other characters and plot from being stronger, but it doesn't grow in a believable way.
The only characters I cared about were Crier, who had a nice development of breaking free and becoming independent, and sometimes Ayla (more in book 1). All the new characters introduced were shallow and basically irrelevant — I'd forget their names as soon as they left the page. Characters from book 1 who I hoped to learn more from were barely in the book. Even Benjy who was so important to Ayla was put to the side and they hardly interacted or developed their friendship. We learn the very basics from Storme and never see them learning how to be siblings and in each other's lives again, which was something I was looking forward in this story. Queen Junn's twist adds nothing to the plot? I don't understand it happening either. Kinok's conclusion was so disappointing and bland I don't even wanna mention it.
There are so many cool concepts from the world of this story, but sadly we never see their full potential.
(view spoiler)
[Random spoilery things... am I really expected to believe the superior and with better senses beings wouldn't notice Junn's secret??? and how cool would a thriller with vampire/zombies androids be? (i thought they'd be such a big threat in this book but.....). How do you make vampire robots and don't include a homoerotic scene of Crier drinking Ayla's blood because she's weak from not having her food. Anyway (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
Yay! Finally got the book!!! But K don't know why I am this excited 🤦I am still obsessed with the villains 🖤🖤🖤
Make Crier the character she's supposed to be in the sequel 🖤🖤🖤 fingers crossed 🤞
