Can’t-miss Fall Release: Crier’s War by Nina Varela

Thank you to Wunderkind PR for the early finished copy of this book— all opinions are my own. 

Happy October! Fall is my favorite season for so many reasons (sweater weather, Hocus Pocus nights, and pumpkin patches, for instance) but the number one reason is it’s always full of atmospheric, immersive book releases! Today I’m sharing one of my most anticipated Fall releases that needs to be on everyone’s radar: Crier’s War by Nina Varela!

Here’s a bit about the book (and a closer look at the gorgeous cover!):

---

AUTHOR: Nina Varela
CATEGORY/AUDIENCE: Young Adult
GENRE: Fantasy
RELEASE: October 2, 2019
PUBLISHER: HarperTeen
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

SYNOPSIS: “After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, designed to be the playthings of royals, usurped their owners’ estates and bent the human race to their will.

Now Ayla, a human servant rising in the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging her family’s death…by killing the sovereign’s daughter, Lady Crier.

Crier was Made to be beautiful, flawless, and to carry on her father’s legacy. But that was before her betrothal to the enigmatic Scyre Kinok, before she discovered her father isn’t the benevolent king she once admired, and most importantly, before she met Ayla.

Now, with growing human unrest across the land, pressures from a foreign queen, and an evil new leader on the rise, Crier and Ayla find there may be only one path to love: war.”

---

• #OwnVoices queer girl rep! Amidst the political intrigue and epic fantasy atmosphere, the heart of Crier’s War is the story of two girls falling in love.
• Gorgeous writing that will make you keep turning the pages (just look at some of the quotes I’m sharing throughout this post and you’ll see exactly what I mean!).
• Crier’s War normalizes queerness, and I’m so here for that! Ayla & Crier’s relationship is forbidden, but not because they’re queer.
• A unique exploration of humanity and what it means to be human.
• A stunning finished copy! Seriously, the pictures of the book cover do not do this book justice. This book jacket is incredibly detailed, and has gorgeous metallics to complement the deep colors.
• The start of a new series that will definitely sweep you off your feet! The next installment in the Crier’s War series will be out in 2020, so you’ll definitely want to read the first one now so you can wait in absolute agony staring at your calendar and willing time to move faster until then look forward to the next one!

• Love slow-burn romances!
• Swoon for the enemies-to-lovers trope!
• Enjoy high fantasy worlds with political intrigue
• Need to see themselves represented (Hi, fellow queers!) and those who need to see those unlike themselves!
• Are looking for an atmospheric, suck-you-into-the-story, immersive book perfect for Fall
• Want to support a debut author! There are so many great ways you can support debut authors: purchasing their book, checking it out or requesting it from a library, reading, reviewing, and promoting!
• Need a steamy yet slow-burning queer girl romance in their lives (Okay, I know I kind of already made this point, but just look at the quote below!)

• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: the political intrigue, plus the exploration of what it means to be human amongst the inhuman, makes this a great read-a-like! One reviewer on Goodreads referred to Crier’s War as “Cruel Prince, but gay” and honestly, who doesn’t want that in their life?!
• Your Only & Only by Adrianne Finlay: Readers who loved this sci-fi love story about a human and a clone will swoon over Ayla & Crier’s romance!
• Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan: If you enjoyed this YA fantasy about two girls falling in love amidst politics & powerful regimes, you’ll definitely want to pick up Crier’s War. 
• We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia: Both are f/f romances that are both slow-burns and enemies-to-lovers (the best combination!) and are both set amidst times of political tensions and revolutions.

Nina Varela is a nationally awarded writer of screenplays and short fiction. She tends to write stories about hard-won love and young people toppling the monarchy/patriarchy/whatever-archy. Nina was born in New Orleans, raised in North Carolina, and now lives in Los Angeles with her writing partner and their tiny, ill-behaved dog. CRIER’S WAR is her first novel.

Twitter: @ninavarelas

Instagram: @ninavarelas_

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ninavarela

Website: https://www.ninavarela.com/

---

 

I’m already swooning over Crier’s War and I haven’t even finished it! I’m in for a busy week at my library full of programs, school visits, and meetings, but having this book waiting for me makes my reading breaks that much better. Stay tuned for my full review, which I’ll be posting once I’ve finished reading!

Crier’s War is officially out today, so be sure to visit the above links to order a copy (or visit your local library or bookstore!).

If you’ve already read Crier’s War, I’d love to hear your thoughts! (But no spoilers, please!)