The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Pages:368
Publish date:July 3rd 2014
Publisher:Bloomsbury
ISBN: 1408858207
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU
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.
The Winner’s Curse:
First Line: She shouldn’t have been tempted.
I received a copy of The Winners Curse from Bloomsbury Australia. This in no way has influenced my review.
I love this book. I cannot explain how much I love this book. It is even more beautiful than the cover and which is simply divine.
Just everything about this book is amazing. The world – how much I love the world created by Marie Rutkoski. It is so intriguing and striking. Rutkoski created something that is new and refreshing but still sticks to a ‘guideline’ for fantasy/historical fiction novels. It was interesting to see the world that Rutkoski created. She formed a world that is complex, but quite easy to get your head around.
The characters that she creates are even more intriguing than the world. You cannot trust anyone and they are multi-layered which adds so much depth to the novel.
Kestrel, the main protagonist, is so intriguing and different a character than. I have read before. She is strong and builds up all these walls, but they are brought down slowly by someone she doesn’t expect to affect her the way he did.
Kestrel is the daughter of general and she is given two choices: join the army or get married. As you can guess Kestrel wants none of those.
There are many reasons why we won…but the fundamental reason is simple. They were weak. We were not.
Rutkoski’s writing in The Winner’s Curse is simply beautiful and captivating. It draws you in and you just can’t seem to put the book down. If I tag could put sticky notes in the whole book I would, because there are just so many beautiful moments. There are many beautiful quotes that I want to remember.
Aria, the slave that Kestrel brought, is very interesting. We don’t know too much about him expect what the slave says to make someone try and buy him. But as the novel goes on we get to see more about him and, man, he was fascinating.
Kestrel’s father is also an interesting character. He is the army general, but when it comes to his daughter, he will do anything even if he doesn’t realise it. Kestrel and her father have interesting relationship that I actually didn’t mind at all. Because he may be all tough on the outside, but deep down he loves his daughter with everything.
Happiness depends on being free, and being free depends on being courageous.
I fell in love with the romance. Oh, it was just so beautiful. Slow, but just so gorgeous and breathtaking. I just swooned half the time. Both Kestrel and Aria don’t even realise how they feel about each other, but it’s beautiful to watch. Rutkoski is a mastermind. The combination of forbidden love between a slave and someone of high standard and the blissful moments are perfect.
She saw him and didn’t understand how she had ever missed his beauty. How it didn’t always strike her as it did now, like a blow.
Some might say that the first half of the book’s pacing is slow, but I think it is the perfect type of slow because the second half? Well, I just could not put the book down. It was thing after thing and it was amazing.
The ending…Wow. What a way to leave a book. You shouldn’t end a book like that, but Rutkoski did and damn I sobbed. I need the The Winners Crime now! I just cannot handle it.
Everything in war hinges of what you know of your adversary’s skills and assists…but how you negotiate the strengths of your opponent is more likely to decide the battle than anything else.
The setup of the whole book is just as amazing as the book. The gorgeous cover that I simply adore. The first pages that are fully black and the way that the chapter numbers are written add as much individuality as the novel does.
The Winners Curse doesn’t disappoint. An outstanding fantasy with relatable characters, beautiful romance, flawless world building and an enthralling storyline. Rutkoski has started the trilogy off with a mighty bang and if anyone asks for a book suggestion it’s going to be The Winners Curse without a doubt.
Have you read The Winner’s Curse? What did you think of it, did you love it as much as I did? Will you read it?
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