Review: The Winner's Curse By Marie Rutkoski

Title: The winner's curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publication date: March 4, 2014
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★
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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.

The winners curse is a beautiful fantasy novel that captivated me from the very first page. I loved the world Marie Rutkoski created, it was such that I wouldn’t mind living in it (ok maybe not live in it but to visit)

There were two different cultures the Herrani and the Valorians, they are both really different and do not get along. At first I started to feel really bad for the Herrani because of their conditions, but after they rebelled against the Valorians I started to feel bad for the Valorians. The Herrani won’t my favourite at the time as I did not like their methods they used, but I did like the fact that they rebelled against the Valorians because they couldn’t take living beneath them any longer.

I loved Kestrel’s character the whole way through the story, I also loved Arin. I ship them together (they’re so cute!) I did hate Arin when I found out his plan to rebel against the Valorians but as I read I understood why but I still hated him for being around Kestrel and acting innocent, when she mentioned the theft of the black powder and many other things that they did to the Valorians. 

Overall I greatly enjoyed the winners curse, loved Marie Rutkoski’s writing and absolutely adored the characters. I am thrilled to continue on with the second book to this trilogy!