Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Crier's War

Top positive review

One of those books that LGBT SFF fans have been waiting for all our lives

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2019

I was incredibly fortunate to obtain an advance copy earlier this month of Nina Varela's Crier's War, which was finally released today. I feel honored to have read it early because I was clamoring for a copy for months, and after reading, I pre-ordrered in hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook.

Crier's War is told from the alternating perspectives of Crier, an Automa princess, and Ayla, a human rebel, in a world where Automa now rule over the humans who once created them.

Falling in love in such a world would be complicated enough, even if Ayla weren't sworn to assassinate Crier as revenge for her family's death...

Crier's War is something extraordinary: It is a story of forbidden romance between two girls, set in a world without homophobia, which nonetheless manages to declare that the homophobes who try to control us are wrong: there is nothing broken about who we are.

Did I ugly cry? I ugly cried. But it was from joy, because there are no dead lesbians here.

What do we have instead?

* A romance between an android lesbian Slytherin who is having Big Feelings for the first time and a traumatized, fighty Gryffindor rebel who is terrified of loving anyone, lest they literally die (again) (oof)

* Enemies to friends to lovers

* Bed sharing

* Pining

* Found family!

* A magic system based on alchemy

* Girls! Loving! Girls! In! A! SFF! Setting!

As a lesbian who loves SFF and romance, I have never read a book that was so perfectly aligned with my interests. Crier's War is easily my favorite book of 2019 and one of my favorite books of all time. I am already back to clamoring... for the sequel, which is set for a 2020 release!

42 people found this helpful

Top critical review

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L Dopa

I made a robot named "One who cries" Guess what? She cries!

Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2019

Ugh, this book. I had just finished reading a very funny book called How Not to Write a Novel, and when I began to read this book I was like "these are all the things that book said NOT to do!" But I soldered through cause sometimes I will read bad books and write reviews of them.

This book is just... not well written. The characters are flat, the world is too complex and yet too simple, the dynamics of power aren't intriguing, and even the central f/f romance is tepidly sketched and far from swoonworthy.

The inconsistent worldbuilding bothered me the most. We're told that the Automate (aka Robots) are super strong, super smart and have super senses. So why is Crier so dumb? She's bland, naive, and doesn't make conclusions that would indicate that she's got a keen robot mind. She gets upset cause she cries. BUT HER NAME IS CRIER! Isn't that a hint? Like, would you name something "thing that cries" if it couldn't cry? Another worldbuilding blunder is with the super senses. In the prologue I believe, we learn that Crier's senses are so sharp, she can identify animals by heartbeat alone. But later in the book, she is able to observe her fiance and dad and eavesdrop on their conversation without them sensing her (and Ayla the love interest). Huh?!!?

Then there's a bit at the end where Crier sends a letter that her father intercepts before it can go to the intended recipient, but that recipient somehow sends a reply to Crier for that exact same intercepted letter. Guys, c'mon.

Skip this book!

34 people found this helpful

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From the United States

Emily L

One of those books that LGBT SFF fans have been waiting for all our lives

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2019

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42 people found this helpful

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88Person

It’s the bomb diggity

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2019

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I’m not one to leave a book review, as I like pretty much all of them.

I’m gonna be honest, I got this book delivered today and started reading it...and haven’t put it down since. Sidebar, SO not being paid to write this (unfortunately).

Anyways, back to the review. Dude, so good. I don’t even feel guilty for being a grown-a$$ woman loving a teen book.

You know those books you wish you could go read for the first time again? This is already one. I’m so excited to keep reading it. I legit am writing this on a required bathroom break. TMI? Totes. Sorry not sorry.

Anywho. You won’t regret this book. It’s engaging and well written and the character development is on fleek.

I was skeptical because frankly if something only has like 4 amazon reviews, it’s usually beneath my royal highness. I was feelin sassy and took a chance on it....SOLID decision from previous me. Good job past self, you set me up for true success.

Now back to reading for me!

25 people found this helpful

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alexis jorgensen

Amazing Read!

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2021

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First off, I have to say Varela, the author, has amazing talent. The character and world building were incredibly immersive and well-done. Each character was fleshed out and complex and the fantasy world, in which they lived, was unique and developed. I also loved the various interactions and relationships throughout this story, especially that of the two main characters Crier and Ayla. I love a good enemies-to-lovers storyline and I felt this one flowed really well. There were a few moments in which I think the storyline could have moved a little faster. Sometimes recalled details of the characters’ pasts seemed to come up a little too often so that they started feeling a little repetitive to hear about again, but it didn’t take much away from the story. I mostly just wished that time could have been spent with a few more moments between the two main characters. While I loved their romance and it’s development, there weren’t many concrete moments between them (if that makes sense). The pining and tension were both there in full and there were many moments that displayed the characters’ feelings for/towards each other wonderfully, but they hardly had any blatantly romantic scenes which I think would have been nice to explore a little further. Overall, these grievances of mine are only because this story was so well done that I wished for more. I absolutely recommend this series!

6 people found this helpful

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L Dopa

I made a robot named "One who cries" Guess what? She cries!

Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2019

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34 people found this helpful

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Books!

Stubbed a toe because I couldn't put it down!

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2020

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I never thought I liked fantasy, but the few ones I've picked up lately have been top notch. This one touches on all the feels. It really makes you reflect, because it's deeper than made vs human. The story is interesting, deep and makes you think. Plus the cover is top notch, I know we aren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but it's hard not to when one is so eye catching (good thing the story backs it up!) :

3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

About time

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2019

Verified Purchase

So I’m an avid reader. Or I was for a long time until I gave up on waiting for another amazing fantasy-fiction and *my fantasy* lesbean book. I’m so very glad I happened upon this book. I devoured it. I got it for a flight and I forgot I was even in the middle seat. For six hours.
I just learned that there’s an audible version and now I’m going to get it and make my girlfriend sit down long enough to get entranced like I did. I’m already ready to read it again.
I can’t wait for the sequel. And I read it three days after it was released. Slow. Burn.

2 people found this helpful

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Timeless Apothecary

Disappointing

Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2020

Verified Purchase

I wanted badly to love this book- but fell short for me. I would have loved for the romance between the two protagonists to have been more of a slow burn than it almost being instalove. It’s hard to find a YA lesbian fiction where the slow burn of a romance is there.

I was let down by Ayla’s character as her background shaky in the sense that the writer took away her “cornerstone” so to speak in the middle of the book. It left the book’s direction very shattered and without a clear and concise way of moving on from that point. Ayla’s background was fine as is- then it was all bait and switch.

Some of the mechanics of the world itself confused me such as when Crier is introduced to us as being able to hear beings from far distances. Fair. However, the moment Ayla and her meet; she couldn’t hear Ayla be that close to her? I can suspend my judgement for a bit, but this irked me a bit. If you bring mechanics into the world and it’s characters- please follow it through.

Towards the end of the book- I felt the writer was trying to tie everything up with last ditch ideas and it became messy.

I will say this; the writing style is beautiful and very intricate.

11 people found this helpful

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miranda brooks

perfect lgbtq+ romance

Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2019

Verified Purchase

i don’t write book reviews as i never know what to say to give them justice but this book was so poetically beautiful in every sentence i was so in love. i could not put it down, i can’t begin to tell you how behind i am in homework since all i wanted to do was read this book every chance i had. i had no clue that a SEQUEL is coming out in 2020 apparently but thank you to the author because i am left with a crazy amount of questions and a need for more crier and ayla progression!

ugh just beautiful.

One person found this helpful

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Engel_Berta

start of a dope series

Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2020

Verified Purchase

Definitely worth a read. Just trust these reviews. There’s still much to build on and more to explore but a great first debut novel for bookies looking for something fresh and lovely.

One person found this helpful

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Kylie

Good.... but very YA (which it is).

Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2021

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed the world of this book a lot—it's an interesting mix of medieval-ish fantasy and almost steampunk that's very unique while still containing a lot of the best qualities of both genres. I also appreciated the spying aspect, though this is a rare book where I feel some more time could have been spent with the exposition as I don't really know who the Councilmen and Nobles are and how the Court is claiming to be aligned so that the spying can dig up meaningful secrets.

It seems a little harsh to say, but I could take or leave the romance. It's fairly well done (and gets better as the book goes on) but the early stages of their relationship relies a little too heavily on ~the mysterious draw~ and ~confusing, unnamed emotions~ and not enough on a genuine connection that it tangible to the reader. It's hard to get a sense of why these characters are falling in love other than because the author wants them to. It's a nice relationship, but I'm not as invested as I should be for something that markets itself on Romance.

My real problem with this novel is the convenience of the plot. Every place they go does hold an important answer and they find it every time. Lines and leads appear at the precise right moment despite the characters operating with limited information, a lot of confusion, and severely compromised emotional states. Conversations and relationships are restricted to only what is immediately relevant to the plot. It makes the characters feel more two-dimensional than they are, which is tragic because they are lovely characters, and makes the plot more predictable than I would think the author wants it to be.

4 people found this helpful

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