Blog Tour, Review & Playlist: Crier’s War (Crier’s War #1) by Nina Varela

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Blog Tour, Review & Playlist: Crier’s War (Crier’s War #1) by Nina Varela

Title: Crier’s War
Series: Crier’s War #1

Author: Nina Varela

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: October 1, 2019

From debut author Nina Varela comes the first book in an Own Voices, richly imagined epic fantasy about an impossible love between two girls—one human, one Made—whose romance could be the beginning of a revolution.

Perfect for fans of Marie Rutkoski’s The Winner’s Curse as well as Game of Thrones and Westworld.

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.

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Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. All opinions in my review are my own.

Friends, this book is an absolute gem! A true masterpiece that I sank into faster than the Titanic sank into the North Atlantic. I loved every single moment of this book.

The rudimentary premise of this story isn't altogether original but the execution of the story is wholly unique. Varela crafts a story that will sink into your bones. I loved how atmospheric and detailed this world felt. I loved the history of this world that is contained in the story.

I love the controversial question that underlies the story of what it means to be human. This concept is explored beautifully through the tale from both the human perspective and the Automae perspective. I very much loved how thought-provoking this entire premise is.

The characters in this book will have you with your heart in your hands. They will consume you. The two main characters have their own distinct and vibrant personalities. They are both trying to overcome the struggles within their lives.

The romance in this book was absolutely delightful! It is the best kind of slow-burn enemies-to-lovers story. The lesbian and bi representation made to so very happy.

Overall, this is a story about loss, revenge, injustice, and the fundamentality of being human. This is a story that I will not soon forget and I am so eager for the next book in this series. I expect great things from this author in the future!

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 playing in the Eno River, building faerie houses from moss and bark, and 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/patriarchy/whatever-archy. 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.
You can find Nina at any given coffee shop in the greater Los Angeles area, or at www.ninavarela.com

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