Book Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkowski

Title: The Winner's Curse Series: The Winner's Trilogy #1 Author: Marie Rutkowski Published: March 4, 2014 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: 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.

Seriously everyone raves about this series. I feel like I am one of the last people in the blogosphere to read it. But with The Winner's Crime having come out last week I figured this was my opportunity. I had high hopes for this series because of all the amazing reviews I've seen, and I was not at all disappointed. It's a refreshing and interesting YA Fantasy read with a fascinating world and great characters.

One of the more refreshing things about The Winner's Curse was the world and the world-building. This is the kind of book that I would recommend to people who are new to fantasy because the world is more on the subtle side. As a person who likes their fantasy really fantastical I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. There was no magic or mythical creatures but there was tons of political intrigue. The society that Marie created was reminiscent of Ancient Greece with warring city states that have very different ideals. Our main character Kestrel is from the Spartanesque society and she lives in a conquered land where the people are enslaved. As the book develops that becomes the main basis for the plot and I don't want to give anything away so I'll stop explaining it there. But I found the different cultures really interesting and the idea of seeing the oppressed land from the eyes of a "conquerer" was such a unique concept. It was a very unique and captivating world different from the typical YA fantasy.

Another thing that I loved about this book, that was really unique, was the main character. Our MC Kestrel is the daughter of a general. In her society she has two options, she can get married or join the army. What I loved about that is that it sort of communicates the two different female cliches we see in literature and especially in YA fantasy these days. She can either be feminine and take on traditional genre roles or she can go the opposite way and become a badass warrior woman. But Kestrel lives somewhere in between. Throughout the novel she has moments where she embodies both personas but never either one completely. But Kestrel is smart, she's a tactician and planner. It's not really a role that society allows her to have unless she wants to become a soldier but she doesn't let that stop her from being that way. I really admired her for being her own person and following her own path, it made her likable and refreshing.

In addition to Kestrel, there was also a host of fantastic secondary characters. I did like Kestrals father despite the fact that he was forcing her to choose between being a soldier or wife, you could tell that he really loved her and was trying to be a good dad. They had a good relationship and he seemed amenable to what she wanted. Kestrel also had a great group of friends surrounding her. Her best friend Jess who was fun and spunky, Jess's brother Ronan who was flirty and entertaining. Plus there were some great lords that embodied the societal idea of being a ruthless fighter. And then of course there is Arin. I really enjoyed Arin but not for the reasons that I think most people enjoy him. It wasn't at all romantic. I wouldn't say I ship it yet, but it was a pretty good slowburn kind of romance. No, I liked Arin because he's an incredibly complex character who has some interesting character development and some really tough choices he has to make throughout the book. He was the kind of multi-dimensional character that I always enjoy.

But I think what surprised me most about this book is that the plot and pacing was slower than I like but it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book.  It sets up the world, it introduces you to the characters, and it builds the suspense. Then halfway through when the plot starts to pick up you're so hooked you can't put it down. Maybe I'm just getting used to this in first books in a series. I usually get annoyed that they're not telling me anything but here I didn't really mind. Or maybe it was because there was a lot of dramatic irony in this book. That's also kind of hit or miss for me. I don't often like knowing things that the characters don't know but instead of making them seem unintelligent it made them more complex and interesting.

The Winner's Crime is one of the most refreshing and interesting YA fantasy I have read in a long time. It was so captivating and I can't wait to keep going with the series. (I have it on hold at the library, if only they would process the book. How long does that take? No seriously, how long?)

I give The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkowski 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. Regardless if you are a fantasy newbie or a frequent reader of the genre, this book is work a read. It is refreshing and interesting with a fascinating world, complex characters, and an interesting plot that will draw you in then take for a thrilling ride.

Have you read The Winner's Curse? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!