Crier's War, by Nina Varela

Lady Crier is the daughter of Sovereign Hesod, her goal is to gain more of an influence in how the land is governed. Automae being "made" people, they have most of the attributes of a human, but more enhanced and so they are deemed superior to humans. Ayla is a human with a personal vendetta against Sovereign Hesod. He was the one who called for the raid in her town, the raid killing her parents and twin brother. She plans to get her revenge by killing Crier. One night, she had the perfect chance to leave her for dead, but she saves her and they end up becoming closer in a way they probably never expected to

I loved Crier's War, by Nina Varela. The worldbuilding is amazing, though there is a lot of information about the setting right in the beginning that may get a bit slow to some people. This book really captivated me and I finished it in 2 days. And the LGBTQ+ representation is really good too, so I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is also part of that community and any allies. I also recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy type books with a hint of sci-fi and romance. It was really wholesome reading this book and noticing small moments between Crier and Ayla. It was great seeing how being LGBTQ+ was normalized and common in the world.

Reviewed by AO, Grade 9

Glendale Central Library