Automae who are too sympathetic towards humans are viewed with distrust and contempt in Rabu. When Councilmember Reyka, who is one of the few Automae to publicly discuss human rights and fair treatment, disappears none of the other Red Hands are too concerned. Scyre Kinok even jokes that she may have finally joined the humans that she was so fond of.

I was hooked right from the start into this unique world the author creates, where Automae, humans re-made with better abilities, rule and Humans are inferior. The world-building is absolutely fantastic, with a complex history and rules of its own. I was curious from the start and, as I read on, I was fascinated. I couldn’t stop reading. Secret Path: There are many passageways in the Sovereign's palace which the Automae do not know about, and which can be used by humans to move about the palace without being discovered. The thing is, these passageways aren't actually secret or hidden, they're just used by the servants in the course of their duties so the Automae don't pay attention to them. Title Drop: The mine that supplies Heartstone to the automae is the Iron Heart, the title of the second novel.

It took half a day’s ride to reach these woods, and so Crier had been here only once before, nearly five years ago. Her father enjoyed hunting deer like the humans did. She remembered eating a few bites of hot, spiced venison that night, filling her belly with food she did not require. More ritual than meal. The core of her father’s Traditionalism: adopting human habits and customs into daily life. He said it created meaning, structure. Under most circumstances, Crier understood the merits of Hesod’s beliefs. It was why she called him “father” even though she’d never had a mother and had never been birthed. She had been commissioned, Made.

We Can Rule Together: Scyre Kinok offers this to Lady Crier to entice her to stay when she starts to have doubts about their upcoming marriage. Famous Ancestor: Ayla is the descendant of Thomas Wren and “H”, the unknown woman who was the true creator of Automae. Only Friend: Rosi is the closest thing that Crier has to a friend, being somebody close to her own age that she has corresponded with frequently. They don't really like each other — and Rosi is even surprised when Crier says she is happy to see her at a party — but that connection means that they are still very important to one another. But for Me, It Was Tuesday: When Crier asks Hesod about the raid on Ayla's village, he at first claims not to remember. When she points out that Automae remember everything he admits that he remembers the event itself, but ascribes it no particular importance. This flat image does a decent job of showing how shiny this cover is, but it’s even better in the, uh, flesh. It both looks and feels like a metal plate engraving, which is super fancy. The tagline’s quite epic, too. And I just noticed that the women on the bottom sort of look like characters from Frozen? There’s a lot going on here.Crier was close to Councilmember Reyka, who was the one person in authority who seemed to appreciate and nurture her intelligence and aspirations. She is crushed when she learns that Reyka has mysteriously vanished at the start of the story. And besides, if there were something off, something Flawed, something different about her, she’d know it already . . . wouldn’t she? Before Kinok had begun the Anti-Reliance Movement, about three years ago now, he’d been a Watcher of the Iron Heart. It was a sacred task, protecting the mine that made heartstone, and he was the first Watcher to ever leave his post. Which, of course, had caused much speculation among Automakind. That he’d been discharged, banished for some serious offense. But Kinok claimed it had been a simple difference of philosophy regarding the fate of their Kind, and no one had uncovered any reason more sinister than that.

Crier is the “daughter” of the sovereign of the kingdom of Rabu, but she wasn’t actually born—she was Made, like most of the ruling class of the kingdom. Years prior, the Automae rose up against their human rulers and took over, and the humans have been chomping at the bit ever since. Especially Ayla, whose parents were killed by Crier’s father’s soldiers for seemingly no good reason. Ayla, who now has a job in the palace … and dreams of exacting vengeance. Additionally, while I was excited when she first turned up, I did not think Automae Queen Junn’s arc was handled particularly well, as she ended up being a flat rendition of the bloodthirsty, ambitious queen trope. I think you’re right, you know,” Kinok continued. “I read the open letter you sent to Councilmember Reyka. About your proposed redistribution of representation on the Red Council. You are correct that while there is a voice for every district in Zulla outside of Varn, there is not a voice for every system of value.”

Undercover as Lovers: Ayla and Lady Crier pose as married when staying in an estate after fleeing from Rabu to Varn. Agent Provocateur: Scyre Kinok has infiltrated the human Resistance network, and instigated the Southern Uprisings a few years ago so he could crush it and make himself a hero to the Automae.