A review by dlrosebyh
Iron Heart by Nina Varela

adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Automae have ruled Rabu's country for far too long, oppressing its human subjects. But the human revolution has risen, and Ayla is at its center. Ayla, a former handmaiden turned fugitive, almost fled Lady Crier's palace, the girl she would've slain if she hadn't fallen in love first. 
 
Ayla has now committed her loyalty to Queen Junn, who can assist the human revolt achieve its ultimate goal: the destroying of the Iron Heart. The Automae will be reduced to the point of extinction if it loses its strength. Ayla wants to succeed, but she can't get rid of her love for Crier. Unbeknownst to her, Crier has also abandoned the palace, joining a band of wandering rebels in her quest to find and defend Ayla. 
 
Crier's War was my favorite book that I read in 2021. I was dying for this conclusion because I was afraid it wouldn't measure up to my expectations— yet, shockingly, it much exceeded them. Since I read Crier's War about two years ago, I was afraid I'd forget the story and, of course, the world-building. However, Nina Varela did an excellent job recap from Crier's War. 
 
Iron Heart is certainly more political than Crier's War, which is why many people disliked the sequel. Personally, I enjoy political fantasies with a romantic subplot. I like how it's plot-driven, yet you can see Crier and Ayla staring at one other. If you like Crier's War for its romance, I think it's unlikely you'll enjoy Iron Heart as much. 
 
The characters were considerably more developed and seemed more real. The characters were not conventional hero-villain types, yet there had complexity. There are reservations. The characters are ethically ambiguous—difficult it's to choose someone to trust because everyone ends up betraying one another. 
 
It was fascinating to read about the interactions between Automaes and humans, and how they experience the world in such different ways yet still connecting together. I liked how the novel didn't just focus on the characters' romantic relationships, as most YA fantasy stories do, but also on platonic and family ones. 
 
If you're looking for an enemies to lovers sapphic tale, this is a must-read. The representation is fantastic, both LGBTQIA+ and POC. If you're not a big lover of plot-driven novels, you might forgo this one since, as much as I adore the characters, it's somewhere in the midst of being plot-driven and character-driven. 
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