Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Genre: Fantasy
Publication: March 12, 2014 by Farrar Straus Giroux
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #1
Pages: 355 Pages
Format: Hardback
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
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Goodreads Summary:
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.

My Thoughts:
I am not completely sure where I stand at the end of this book. This is one of a the few times I felt like I needed a half star. But I am going to stick to my system and give this a solid 3 stars. I think the hype got to me with this one. I have been hearing amazing things for years now and I was left feeling like I was missing something. I was just a bit underwhelmed.

There were lots of things that I liked. Kestrel was a great character. She wasn't the character that was amazing at everything. She isn't a strong warrior, and is often gossiped about. She is intelligent and an extremely good strategist.  I love smart women, because brains is often better than brawn. Intelligence is often underestimated.

However, I felt like I knew the story line from early on. There wasn't a whole lot of surprises for me. The story never truly wowed me and I still don't completely understand the romance. I do plan to continue this series, there is lots of potential. It's just not on the top of my list. I think I have been reading too much fantasy lately and need a break.

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