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A review by momwithareadingproblem
The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
5.0
The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski has become one of my all-time favorite series! The Winner’s Kiss delivers an ending that is both stunning and beautiful in its execution. The series has boiled down to the events in this book. Arin is prepared for war, he has gained the alliance of the East and developed a new weapon he calls a gun. He’s moved past his feelings for Kestrel (at least he’s fooled himself into thinking he has) and is prepared to lead Herran. Kestrel has hit rock bottom. Her own father has betrayed her, she’s betrayed herself and is now living as a traitor exiled to the northern mines. Can the two find each other and defeat Valoria?
Like Arin in [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], Kestrel is lost in this book. She’s subjected to horror upon horror until she loses her own memories, her mind blocking them in an attempt to protect her. When her knight in shining armor arrives to save her, she’s distrustful of him. She’s lost the naiveté of the previous books, thinking that she was invulnerable. Now she knows the horror that awaits her if she’s caught and she’s scared. I like the vulnerable side of Kestrel that is shown in this book. I always knew it was there under her bravado but it’s a nice change of pace.
Arin has accepted his role as leader of Herran, albeit reluctantly. He’s made allies of Dacran and developed a handheld cannon he calls a gun. He’s ready to win Herran’s freedom from Valoria. He’s shut his mind off from Kestrel after their last encounter. He will not let her control him, he will not let her fool him again. Then the messenger arrives with news that Kestrel is dead and another messenger arrives with news that the Moth, his anonymous spy, has been caught and sent to the Northern mines. It doesn’t take long for Arin to connect the dots and all his feelings for Kestrel come back and then some! He rides and rides hard to rescue her but she’s not what he expects.
The plot of this book is simple. It’s war! The atrocities, the scheming, all the information that Kestrel fed him during the last year…it all boils down to this book. I love the details that the author adds, the complexities in the relationships formed by the characters, and the brutal imagery of the scenes of war. Nothing is left to the imagination, almost all questions are answered. This is the perfect ending to the series! If you enjoyed the series thus far, you don’t want to miss the ending.
Like Arin in [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], Kestrel is lost in this book. She’s subjected to horror upon horror until she loses her own memories, her mind blocking them in an attempt to protect her. When her knight in shining armor arrives to save her, she’s distrustful of him. She’s lost the naiveté of the previous books, thinking that she was invulnerable. Now she knows the horror that awaits her if she’s caught and she’s scared. I like the vulnerable side of Kestrel that is shown in this book. I always knew it was there under her bravado but it’s a nice change of pace.
Arin has accepted his role as leader of Herran, albeit reluctantly. He’s made allies of Dacran and developed a handheld cannon he calls a gun. He’s ready to win Herran’s freedom from Valoria. He’s shut his mind off from Kestrel after their last encounter. He will not let her control him, he will not let her fool him again. Then the messenger arrives with news that Kestrel is dead and another messenger arrives with news that the Moth, his anonymous spy, has been caught and sent to the Northern mines. It doesn’t take long for Arin to connect the dots and all his feelings for Kestrel come back and then some! He rides and rides hard to rescue her but she’s not what he expects.
The plot of this book is simple. It’s war! The atrocities, the scheming, all the information that Kestrel fed him during the last year…it all boils down to this book. I love the details that the author adds, the complexities in the relationships formed by the characters, and the brutal imagery of the scenes of war. Nothing is left to the imagination, almost all questions are answered. This is the perfect ending to the series! If you enjoyed the series thus far, you don’t want to miss the ending.