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A review by momwithareadingproblem
The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
5.0
The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski grabbed my attention from the first page and held it to the last. As the general’s daughter, Kestrel lives a privileged life in Herran, one of many conquered Valorian countries. Her love of music and distaste for war is in opposition to the society she represents. When she acquires Arin a Herrani slave from the trading block, her eyes become open to the atrocities her countrymen are capable of.
I really liked Kestrel. My heart bled for her. She isn’t the daughter the general wants, yet she is cunning and smart. Her heart lies with her music, not war and as in Valoria you must either wed or join the army, Kestrel is left with little choice but to marry. She lives a life of privilege, but I don’t think she takes that for granted. She sees what her actions can do to the Herrani slaves and she is compassionate towards them, thinking of their needs and what she can do to make their lives better. She is a conundrum to Arin.
Arin is a fantastically flawed character. There are not many I can say that about. He’s a Herrani slave. Born to a life of privilege and then watched as his family was murdered and he was taken in to slavery, Arin has no love for Valorians. He hates them, he will do whatever is necessary to free his people. Yet Kestrel makes him pause. He should hate her, she’s the daughter of the general, yet he doesn’t. He’s confused by her and her actions. Is she nice because she wants something in return or is she just genuinely kind?
What makes this book fantastic in my opinion is the alternating view points between Arin and Kestrel. It leads to a lot of dramatic irony, where we the readers know what is going on or about to happen but the characters are going in blind. There were times I caught myself holding my breath as I was afraid for Kestrel and Arin as the rebellion began. The sweet romance that blossoms between them is just a bonus as the story focuses more on the Herrani rebellion.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and dove into [b:The Winner's Crime|20443207|The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy, #2)|Marie Rutkoski|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1411741455s/20443207.jpg|31174003] immediately as I couldn’t handle that ending! If you enjoy historical fantasy with a touch of romance, I highly recommend you read this one.
I really liked Kestrel. My heart bled for her. She isn’t the daughter the general wants, yet she is cunning and smart. Her heart lies with her music, not war and as in Valoria you must either wed or join the army, Kestrel is left with little choice but to marry. She lives a life of privilege, but I don’t think she takes that for granted. She sees what her actions can do to the Herrani slaves and she is compassionate towards them, thinking of their needs and what she can do to make their lives better. She is a conundrum to Arin.
Arin is a fantastically flawed character. There are not many I can say that about. He’s a Herrani slave. Born to a life of privilege and then watched as his family was murdered and he was taken in to slavery, Arin has no love for Valorians. He hates them, he will do whatever is necessary to free his people. Yet Kestrel makes him pause. He should hate her, she’s the daughter of the general, yet he doesn’t. He’s confused by her and her actions. Is she nice because she wants something in return or is she just genuinely kind?
What makes this book fantastic in my opinion is the alternating view points between Arin and Kestrel. It leads to a lot of dramatic irony, where we the readers know what is going on or about to happen but the characters are going in blind. There were times I caught myself holding my breath as I was afraid for Kestrel and Arin as the rebellion began. The sweet romance that blossoms between them is just a bonus as the story focuses more on the Herrani rebellion.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and dove into [b:The Winner's Crime|20443207|The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy, #2)|Marie Rutkoski|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1411741455s/20443207.jpg|31174003] immediately as I couldn’t handle that ending! If you enjoy historical fantasy with a touch of romance, I highly recommend you read this one.