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Crier's War

Nina Varela

464 pages

A simmering, slow-burn romance wrapped in a tense political rebellion where the line between human and machine blurs.

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What it feels like

Reading this book feels like watching a tightly coiled spring slowly unwind. The narrative moves at a steady, deliberate pace, prioritizing the simmering tension of a slow-burn romance and the intricate web of political maneuvering over explosive action. The atmosphere is thick with an oppressive, yet deeply romantic mood, contrasting the cold, flawless architecture of the ruling class with the messy, desperate heartbeat of human rebellion. The prose is lush and contemplative, lingering on sensory details that highlight the philosophical questions at the story's core—what it truly means to be human, and how love can defy our deepest programming. It is a deeply yearning experience, perfect for readers who devour enemies-to-lovers dynamics where every stolen glance feels as dangerous as a drawn blade.

Mood
  • simmering
  • atmospheric
  • oppressive
  • romantic
Tone
  • earnest
  • contemplative
  • tense
  • yearning
Pace
steady
Themes
what it means to be human · systemic oppression · forbidden love · defying destiny · the corrupting nature of power
The writing
Lush and sensory, lingering on the stark contrasts between cold mechanical perfection and messy, beating human hearts.
The arc
Begins in a place of rigid hatred and duty, slowly melting into a desperate, world-altering vulnerability as two opposing forces collide.
Who it's for
Fans of slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance who love their political intrigue laced with philosophical questions about humanity.
Content notes
  • violence
  • grief
  • systemic oppression
  • death of family members

About the book

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.

Description from Open Library.

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