Criers War – Nina Varela

Crier’s War by Nina Varela

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Crier’s War is the first book in a new science fiction series about a world in which Automae have taken over and subjugated humans. Automae are Made, designed by their “parents” to be exactly what they want their “child” to be – and Crier is no exception. Except… maybe she is? Crier becomes close to a human and starts to question everything that her father, and now her betrothed, has ever told her. Perhaps everything is not what it seemed.

Although the premise of the story seems incredibly interesting, there were moments that just didn’t engage me and I found myself listening just to get to the next part rather than because I was engaged. While I got used to the narrator’s voice, I didn’t particularly enjoy it and it made it challenging to take Crier seriously or even like her. (She was kind of whiny, which was more the narrator’s voice than the text, but it is challenging to separate that when you’re listening to an audiobook.)

I enjoyed the humanity and emotion that Ayla brought to the narrative, which Crier attempted to suppress in herself. Although brash and at times, unlikeable, I think she was still the best character in the story. I really appreciated getting to know her, why she was important to the narrative, and learning about her history (or rather, her family’s history) because it brought a sense of mystery and intrigue to the book that it desperately needed.

Overall, I enjoyed the books even though the pacing or storyline flagged at times and look forward to seeing where this story takes its readers in future books.

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