Read + Review: Iron Heart by Nina Varela

Iron Heart, the sequel to Crier’s War, follows the story of Crier and Ayla; a powerful and inhuman Automae princess, and a human girl sworn to kill her for revenge. Ayla had taken the role of Crier’s handmaiden as a ploy to get closer to the royal family and kill the princess. However, she is thwarted by the realization that she started to develop feelings for the girl she swore to destroy. Ayla discovers the Iron Heart, the source of the Automae’s power, and is faced with the choice of whether to destroy it. Destroying it would mean destroying every Automae, including the girl she loves. In Iron Heart, Ayla comes to a head with the ultimate decision: love or revenge?

The character development in this book was beyond rich, and it was an extremely satisfying conclusion to a compelling duology. I really enjoyed the medium, easy to follow pace of this book. I genuinely couldn’t put the book down until I was finished. The characters were loveable, and Varela had you rooting for Crier and Ayla despite all odds by the end of the story. The plot was a tad cliché, but I could easily overlook that because I honestly loved the story.

The tenseness of the book stuck with me long after I was finished, but in the best possible way. The ending was incredibly satisfying, and it was a heartfelt sapphic story I couldn’t stop reading for a second.