BOOK INFO
Title: Crier's War
Author: Nina Valera
Pages: 464
Publication date: October 1st 2019
Description: Impossible love between two girls—one human, one Made.
A love that could birth a revolution.
After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, Designed to be the playthings of royals, took over the estates of their owners and bent the human race to their will.
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.
Crier had been preparing to do just that—to inherit her father's rule over the land. But that was before she was betrothed to Scyre Kinok, who seems to have a thousand secrets. That was before she discovered her father isn't as benevolent as she thought. That was before she met Ayla.
Set in a richly-imagined fantasy world, Nina Varela's debut novel is a sweepingly romantic tale of love, loss and revenge, that challenges what it really means to be human.
REVIEW
It's always the Ninas that make good lesbian books. (First Nina LaCour. Now Nina Valera?! Are you kidding me! Should I change my name to Nina too?!)
Ahem. Now to the actual review.
Crier's War is simply everything I've ever expected out of a fantasy book. And that says a lot. Because I have very high expectations when it comes to fantasy books. (Or books in general.)
The only reason I bought this book was because it was sapphic. I knew nothing about the plot, nothing about what sort of fantasy it was. I was starving for some lesbian content, then saw this book, then bought it immediately.
I did not regret it.
Even if, to my surprise, the relationship between the two protagonists—Crier and Ayla—is, in my opinion, the weakest point of the novel. This book is plot-heavy, which isn't a bad thing. In fact, it's very compelling. And yet we don't see enough interaction between Ayla and Crier. When we see them interact, there's always a heaviness to it. A certain kind of importance.
We don't see enough of them interacting just for the sake of interacting. We don't see them bonding, joking at each other, doing things that might make each other's heart flutter.
I'm not saying their relationship is bad. Not at all! In fact, I quite like it! Especially with how it ties into the plot. Most times in stories, romance happen just for the sake of it. Almost like an afterthought. Like, "Hey, why not throw it in? That would make people want to buy this book more, right?"
This book, however, wouldn't work without the romance. The romance is integral to the plot. And I love it.
Still, though. It's not perfect. The transition from strangers to piners (as in they pine for each other) happens too quickly for me to believe it. I can understand they become friends, and maybe begin to crush on each other, but love? This quick?
That said, this book is phenomenal. I've said it once but I need to say it again: Crier's War is simply everything I've ever expected out of a fantasy book.
The worldbuilding is nice. I get sucked into its world all too soon. I love the way it mirrors our own world too well, without it being too obvious. Nina Valera is good at balancing it. Sometimes authors tend to shove it in our faces, like, "Hey! Look at me being all progressive! I'm woke too, right?" But not Valera.
There are, obviously, some aspects that are not yet explored, but that's what the second book is for. And it doesn't make this book any lesser. This book takes its time with introducing one element at a time. Not to mention it's a relatively easy world to follow. Nothing about this world feels over-the-top. It's all so realistic, which is strange given that this is, well, a fantasy book.
Oh, and the characters too! Like the world, they're realistic. I won't say they're the best, but they are certainly better than other characters in other books. (Cough, cough, Throne of Glass.)
As for the plot—well, I won't say it's the most original, but I will say that it hits its beats spectacularly. There's no dilly-dallying, no boring parts. One thing leads to another, then another, and it all wraps up in this neat big amazing thing.
The last thing I want to talk about is the writing style. The goddamn writing style. Wow, as an aspiring author, I am jealous. The descriptions are so vivid. So creative. So detailed. Yes, at times, things can be too detailed, but I think that has less to do with the book and more to do with me and my short attention span. Nina Valera is incredible.
Again, my one complaint is the not-very-well-developed romance. But besides that? Wow. Just—wow.
RATING: 9/10
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Clemmie Judges
Non-FictionSo, books. I've read a bunch of them. I also have strong opinions about them. Why not share it with the internet? (Don't worry, it's spoiler-free.)
