Crier's War: 1

Product Information

The woods seemed to bend around her, trees converging overhead, while near her feet there was a rabbit’s den, a warm little burrow hidden underground from wolves and foxes . . . but not from her. But for Me, It Was Tuesday: When Crier asks Hesod about the raid on Ayla's village, he at first claims not to remember. When she points out that Automae remember everything he admits that he remembers the event itself, but ascribes it no particular importance.

Beneath Notice: It frequently comes up that Automae do not know all of the secret ways for servants to get around their palaces, or notice the servants themselves at work. Sometimes this is plot-important when characters take advantage of this, but other times it just emphasizes how arrogant and elitist the Automae are.Oh my god the romance in this had me SCREAMING. It’s so beautifully soft, slow-burning and filled with TENSION and little moments and it’s the kind of torture I’m okay with because the yearning god. Crier's War is a Young Adult Science Fiction duology written by Nina Varela, consisting of the books Crier's War (2019) and Iron Heart (2020). The Stoic: Automae have much more control over their expressions than humans do, so they show much less emotion. Automae also claim to not experience emotions the same way as humans do in the first place, but this may not be as true as they claim. Arranged Marriage: Lady Crier is engaged to Scyre Kinok, the head of the Anti-Reliance Movement. Sovereign Hesod hopes to co-opt Kinok's popularity, and Kinok hopes to use the marriage to extend his influence. I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Crier tries to reach Rosi after she has been corrupted by Nightshade, but by the end she has degenerated so much that there is no reaction at all.

It had been late summer, the sky clear and delphinium blue. Crier used to treasure those long, slow walks with her father, hoarding moments like pieces of jewelry, pretty things to turn over and admire in the light. She looked forward to them every day. It was their time—away from the Red Council, away from her studies—when she could learn from him and him alone. The War Just Before: The Southern Uprisings, a human rebellion in the Southern Estates which launched Scyre Kinok's political career when he suppressed them almost single-handedly. He also deliberately instigated the Uprisings in the first place. This was the last large-scale human rebellion, and its crushing defeat has demotivated many Resistance members to think that open revolt against the Automae is futile. Yes, but his philosophy is gaining traction among the Made, the protection and rule of which are my—and your—responsibility. We must convince him to join a family structure. To bridge the divide.” I was hooked right from the start into this unique world the author creates, where Automae, humans re-made with better abilities, rule and Humans are inferior. The world-building is absolutely fantastic, with a complex history and rules of its own. I was curious from the start and, as I read on, I was fascinated. I couldn’t stop reading.

Nina Varela

Crier will try and fail to cover for Ayla, and maybe at some point try to kiss her since Crier clearly wants to. In some books, the distinction between fantasy and science fiction is clear. With Crier’s War, it’s a little muddy. It feels much more like fantasy, given the feudal aspects of the world, but androids are more often found in science fiction. But the androids in the book don’t seem like standard futuristic technology; they’re created using stones found in a mine. Then again, there’s no talk of “magic” bringing them to life … regardless of which genre Crier’s War actually falls into—and I could talk myself in circles for quite a while here—it’s a fantastic addition.

Vestigial Empire: The Sovereign's authority once spanned the entire continent of Zulla, but the nation of Varn has seceded and the region of Tarreen — which as on the far side of Varn — is so remote there is almost no direct rule. This leaves only the heartland region of Rabu and the Far North under actual control, even though Hesod still claims the title 'Sovereign of Zulla'. Unresolved Sexual Tension: Crier is obsessively fixated on Ayla after their very first meeting, and after spending time with her Ayla begins to find her own feelings for Crier growing as well. Crier believes that such feelings are the result of her Flawed Design, and Ayla is plotting Crier's death and the overthrow of the Automae, so neither can act on their feelings. They finally admit and act on their feelings towards the end of the second novel. Tin Man: The Automae are unusual in that they do not deny having emotions, but they claim that they experience them differently than humans do. Some of the text supports this, but other aspects seem to indicate that they simply don’t SHOW it. Actually, I wanted to congratulate you, my lady,” he said suddenly. “While we are out here, away from—from the palace. I heard you convinced Sovereign Hesod to let you attend a meeting of the Red Council next week.” Before you dive in and fall in love like we have, here’s what you need to know: After a war tore their kingdom apart, the Automae, designed to be the playthings of royals, took over and bent the human race to their will. And now, so many years later, Ayla, a human servant, is determined to get revenge by killing the sovereign’s daughter, Crier. The only problem? Their mutual intrigue turns to love. It’s a slow-burn, nemeses-to-lovers revolution and, basically, it’s everything.

The Hunt was an old human ritual, so old that most humans did not use it anymore. But Hesod was a Traditionalist and historian at heart, and he fostered a unique appreciation for human traditions and mythology. When Crier was Made, he had anointed her forehead with wine and honey for good fortune. When she came of age at thirteen, he had gifted her a silver dress embroidered with the phases of the moon. When he decided that she would marry Kinok, a Scyre from the Western Mountains, he did not make arrangements for Crier to take part in the Automa tradition of traveling to a Maker’s workshop, designing and creating a symbolic gift for her future husband. He had planned for a Hunt. You wouldn’t know it from the looks of her. She had one of t

Capital Letters Are Magic: The steps and final products in the alchemical process are all spelt with capital letters: Objects (And Automae) are Designed and Made, and if there is an error then the final product is Flawed.We are so into the epic world-building and wildly complex romance in Crier’s War, in fact, that we’re pumped to bring you a sneak peek below! His Story Repeats Itself: The first pivotal moment occurs when Ayla is hiding in the outhouse while her village burns and awaits her brother Storme to return for her. The wait is finally over when Storme rescues Ayla from the Iron Heart and the ensuing explosion and fire. 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. 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.” This is because the Automae/human divide is not solely a metaphor, but is fully realized within the world of the book. There are some distinctions between the Automae and the humans that can’t be elided: the Automae are superstrong, superfast, don’t age, don’t need to breathe, don’t need to eat, and are basically “born” into adult bodies. Through the Automae, Crier’s War explores what it means to be posthuman, and it does it within the fantasy genre, which is somewhat unusual. I actually got some Ghost in the Shell vibes from this book because of how it explores what life means when you are more or less a machine with capabilities far beyond typical human flesh, which is not something I was expecting at the outset.