A few weeks ago I read two books: The Winner's Curse and The Winner's Crime.
And they didn't turn out as fun and lighthearted as I expected. I mean, I should have known just by looking at the titles, but I seriously didn't think that the story would be so sad.
And they didn't turn out as fun and lighthearted as I expected. I mean, I should have known just by looking at the titles, but I seriously didn't think that the story would be so sad.
Although they're fantasy novels, there is no magic or magical creatures in these books. The story is set in the past, in this imaginary world where the emperor's first priority is to expand his empire, conquer colonies and enslave people. So, it's basically about war and military strategies, but there's also love and betrayal. Ugh. The betrayal is a huge part of the story which is why I thought it was sad and depressing. I don't even know how my heart survived all those hurtful lies and shuttered trust. While I was reading, I remember wondering: how can the author be so cruel to her own characters? Hadn't they suffered enough? Honestly, by the end of book two, all I wanted was to see Kestrel and Arin happy. I know their love was doomed from the very beginning, but I feel that there is hope for them. (Even if it's only a very very tiny shred of hope).
Even though I felt pained while I was reading these books, it was hard for me to put them down. I became instantly attached with the characters, and the story kept me glued till the very last page.
The last book in the trilogy is called The Winner's Kiss, so there must be a happy ending, right? I really hope so. Kestrel and Arin deserve to be together.
Title: The Winner's Curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, YA
Format Read: Audiobook
Description from Goodreads
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love...
As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.
One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.
But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.
Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.
Title: The Winner's Crime
Author: Marie Rutkoski
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, YA
Format Read: Audiobook
Description from Goodreads Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.
The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement... if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.
As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.
Author: Marie Rutkoski
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, YA
Format Read: Audiobook
Description from Goodreads
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love...
As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.
One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.
But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.
Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.
Author: Marie Rutkoski
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, YA
Format Read: Audiobook
Description from Goodreads Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.
The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement... if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.
As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.
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