Crier's War

August 1, 2019
War brews between humans and their automaton overlords. In a nigh-unrecognizable world, humans are kept as servants on large estates controlled by Automa, impossibly advanced creations who have recently seized power. The history of how artificial intelligence took over develops in interstitial chapters told by various historians while tensions rise in the present. Humans have various skin tones, including swarthy and brown, but racial categories don't seem to matter in a world where the main axis of power is human versus Made. Crier is the daughter of Sovereign Hesod, who loves appropriating human culture while brutally oppressing the people under his rule. She is also betrothed to Kinok, an Automa with more separatist beliefs toward humans as well as a plan to make him and his kin invulnerable. Meanwhile Ayla, a human girl who lost her family to Automa violence, takes a job as Crier's handmaiden in an attempt to take them down from the inside. Dizzying political machinations intertwine with a burgeoning romance between mistress and servant, especially since Crier suspects that she was built with a capacity for love that her kind shouldn't have. The plot zooms ahead despite being a setup for the sequel, with nail-biting sexual tension between Crier and Ayla--queerness is unremarkable in this world but cross-species relations are unthinkable. A fresh, suspenseful take on the robot apocalypse. (map, timeline) (Fantasy. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Crier is an Automae, made by the King of Rabu to become the perfect successor. Ayla is human, desperate for revenge against the king for her family. But when the two meet, will they set aside their differences for the connection they feel with each other, or will they lead one another to their doom? As the two slowly inch closer to one another, the political climate of this world around them continues to fester. Readers will find themselves immersed in a sapphic story shrouded in political intrigue. Crier and Ayla both find themselves dealing with inner turmoil while their crafted world slowly descends into chaos. Politics plays a major role in the story as Varela pulls from historical tactics and ideas. This book takes the time to build the world and highlight important instances that led to the humans being overthrown by the creations they made. As the history and the present unwind, choices will be made that will forever change the future. VERDICT A lush #OwnVoices fantasy debut with science fiction elements and LGBTQIA+ representation, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass.-Zoe Leonarczyk, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 14, 2019
Fifty years ago, the Automae—created with alchemical magick, automaton components, and flesh and bone—won the War of Kinds, subsequently enslaving their human creators. Crier, the Designed daughter of Sovereign Hesod, an Automata, prepares for a politically advantageous marriage to Kinok, a philosophizing war hero. After Kinok uses blueprints to reveal that Crier is Flawed, she is thrown into an existential crisis, even as she questions Kinok’s ultimate objectives. Meanwhile, 16-year-old human revolutionary Ayla schemes to kill Crier in order to avenge the murders of her family by Hesod’s soldiers. But after Ayla saves Crier’s life and is rewarded with a coveted position as her handmaiden, the two young women must confront their shifting emotions about human and Automae coexistence, even as the tension between their Kinds builds toward war. Tropes, including an enemies-to-lovers plotline, prevail in Varela’s dystopian debut, which employs increasingly captivating political machinations among the intricately linked characters to create a suspenseful read with particular appeal to fans of queer romance. Ages 14–up. Agent: Patrice Caldwell, Howard Morhaim Literary.

August 1, 2019
Grades 9-12 In a world where alchemy has led to the creation of Automae?humanoid beings who are faster, stronger, and smarter than humans?Ayla is a servant, living each day for the sole purpose of seeking revenge for her family's death at the order of the Automae king. By killing the king's daughter, Lady Crier, Ayla will finally see justice for her family. When Ayla accidentally saves Lady Crier's life and is appointed as her handmaiden, it seems like the perfect opportunity. However, Ayla didn't count on Crier's curiosity, her kindness, or her passion for improving the human condition. Crier is meant to marry Kinok, the leader of a radical Automae group the king wishes to keep under his thumb. However, Crier finds herself drawn to Ayla, the brazen human with dark eyes. As the relationship between Crier and Ayla grows more complicated, a plot begins to unfold that could put the entire kingdom at stake. Rife with mystery, romantic tension, and political intrigue, Varela's debut novel is perfect for readers craving queer fantasy with dense world building.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)