The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Curse
The Winner's Curse: Book One
Written by Marie Rutkoski
Fantasy, Dystopian
Published March 4th 2014
368 Pages
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia via Netgalley
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 market is no place for a young Valorian girl without an escort, but Kestrel has never been one to abide by her father's rules. But when she and friend Jess become disorientated and find themselves in the midst of the slave auction. The young nineteen year old brute being auctioned is not only a Herrani blacksmith, in which Kestrel's General father could use for his guard, but he can sing. Before Kestrel has time to contemplate, she finds herself winning the young man for a hefty price, otherwise known as The Winner's Curse. The slave is simply known as Smith, and now Kestrel owns him. 

His real name is Arin, a Herrani who are treated as slaves after the Valorian army fought to take their homes, their lives and their citizens, but Arin is more than a slave and is determined to fight for his freedom. The quietly determined Kestrel has her own battle to fight, either enlist in the army as a soldier, something in which her father staunchly approves, or marry. Neither option plausible where the feisty young girl is concerned. She despises the Valorian customs, so when she begins to interact with Arin, naturally she finds herself curious as to who he really is.

The country is on the brink of war, the Herrani revolutionaries are taking a stand and fighting for what is rightfully theirs, but will it tear Kestrel and Arin apart before they realise just what they mean to one another. 

My Thoughts


Phenomenal. 


The Winner's Curse is incredible. I loved it. Loved. It. It's not often a book comes around where every single aspect, the storyline, world building, characters and writing are immaculate, but Marie Rutkoski is pretty darn close. Never have I devoured a book where the storyline flowed so effortlessly, telling the tale of a society which was destroyed through invasion, the citizens bought and sold into slavery and where women are either deemed wives or soldiers. Kestrel is neither. Her father is a general and sees the potential in his daughter's quick wit and intellect, making for a perfect strategist for his brutal army. But Kestrel is content to immerse herself in music, a trait shared with her late mother. Her love of music being the deciding factor in purchasing Arin from the slave auction. I adored Kestrel. She isn't the typical heroine, but has a quiet resolve against what her fellow Valorian's believe and societies rules of how a young woman of her stature should behave. Her intellect surpasses that of her male counterparts, often landing her in trouble. 

Arin, formally known as Smith, is reserved, a schemer and detests what his society has become. He holds his cards close to his chest and never imagined being sold to the General's daughter would leave him wanting nothing more than to touch her. He's strong willed and incredibly resilient, but Arin isn't who he seems and is torn between what he believes and the girl who has instilled hope in his life again.

The romance? Perfect. There was no instant love, but a mature relationship slowly building from what seemed to have begun as a strong distaste. The two incredibly diverse characters bond over a shared truth stemming from a simple card game and their forbidden relationship grows. I loved the quiet moments between the two, when the world around them began to crumble. Neither cared what society thought, those around them seemingly believing that Kestrel had taken a lover. But when war explodes across the territory, it's Kestrel who finds herself torn. 

The Winner's Curse is absolutely bloody brilliant. This not only lives up to the hype, but far surpasses it. I was blown away and can't even begin to imagine how I'll cope before book two is released. I need it. NOW.

34 comments

  1. Oooh, based on your review, it reminds so much of the Vikings era. Or the era closer to that. hahaha! Glad you loved it Kelly! I can't wait to get my hands on this one! :D

    Jules @ Jules Bookshelf

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    1. It was brilliant Jules, it really didn't feel like a historical novel at all apart from the lush lifestyles the Valorian's lead. Rarely do I endorse a book boyfriend, but Arin is brilliant and don't be surprised if he's all any young adult fan will talk about for months to come. I really hope you love it as much as I did.

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  2. Great review, I can't wait to read this book!

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    1. Thanks Lavender. It really is one title that I think will appeal to a wide range of young adult fans, even the toughest critics have been won over with this one. The last time I seen so many positive reviews is when These Broken Stars was released.

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  3. I absolutely LOVED this as well! I agree...everything - the plot, the romance, the world-building - all flows so beautifully. And oh my gosh...the romance! So amazing, right? <3 I'm so glad you enjoyed it as much as I did Kelly! Thanks for sharing, and, as always, FABULOUS review! <3

    ~ Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf

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    1. Now we shall fangirl together.

      Ohhhhhhh I loved it Zoe. LOVED. IT. I seen your review a few weeks ago, and knew I just had to have it. This book is the closest to perfect I think we're ever going to get. How the hell are we going to wait until book two is released. I already want it now.

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  4. Yes, this book was absolutely brilliant and I am dying for book 2 because that ending!!!

    Lovely review, girl! <33

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    1. Thanks Melanie. I think I may just die along with you. That ending. THAT ENDING! Why... Why is she doing this to us, making us wait nearly a whole entire year!

      • faints dramatically •

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  5. I don't think I have seen someone not like this book yet. It's on my list to read, but that won't be until all the books are out. Thanks for a great review read.

    88dreamers @ Seriesly Reading

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    1. Oh no Heather, that's probably close to a two year wait, are you going to be able to hold out that long?

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  6. Brilliant review Kelly, so glad you enjoyed this one! I found a lot of flaws in the book, but did enjoy the romance because there wasn't any insta-love. Looking forward to book 2 - the plot is getting intriguing!

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    1. Flaws? Joy? Oh no. You must have been reading something else. I really think clicking a book also depends on what time of genres you seem to gravitate towards. I love dystopians with oppressive regimes, so this scenario could almost have been written for me alone. Glad you enjoyed it though. Will you be reading book two?

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  7. I'm almost afraid to start this because the sequels are far from coming out, but this has definitely caught my attention. I love that cover, and I like strong female protagonists. I'd also love to see how their romance develops.

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    1. That's the downside of any great series, nowadays they take so long for the other books in the series to be released. At least it gives us time to reread the great ones, and this is certainly one of them. It's brilliant, can't wait to see what you think of it.

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  8. Yay! So happy you loved this book. It's one of my forever favorites <3 Everything about it was just amazing.

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    1. Me too Amanda. Going by the early reviews, I knew I'd enjoy it, but I had no idea how much. I simply loved it and everything about it. Even starting my next read and still can't stop thinking about this one.

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  9. I was just commenting elsewhere how I love this cover but have no idea what it is about. Would have never have guessed it centered around a war and a romance that doesn't look like it would work but apparently it did, fantastically. I love when books are simply perfect in every way. It's rare to find one without a flaw. I hope the next one is as amazing. Lovely review (:

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    1. Thanks Adriana and lovely to see you. The war feels more like a dystopian type revolution and a forbidden romance, but it was sooooooo good. Can't wait to see what you think of it.

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  10. Yay! This book really surprised me, all the hype almost put me off, but this time the hype was true! I too loved the slow romance and how creative Marie's world is!

    Mands @ The Bookish Manicurist

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    1. Wasn't it just brilliant Mands! Not often do books live up to the hype, but this was even more phenomenal than I expected.

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  11. This book sounds seriously amazing! I hope to read it soon - I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the great review. :)

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    1. Thanks Ebony, it was just incredible! Make sure you add this one to your list and read it as soon as possible.

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  12. I have heard only amazing things about this book, and it just makes me want to read it so much. Each time I see a review for it I just get overwhelmed and want to grab a copy instantly, even though I've got a lot of books to read at the moment as it is! Anyway, your review is great and I'm just absolutely thrilling to read this for myself, even more now after reading your thoughts on it! x

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    1. I was exactly the same way Romi, but I just couldn't wait to read it. When I see even fussy reviewers rating it so highly, a book will always grab my attention. Can't wait until you grab a copy too Romi, it's incredible!

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  13. Aww, so glad you liked it so much! I was quite happy with it in some aspects...but in others I was totally thrown. I didn't really feel the spark between Kestrel and Arin. I thought they were really well written, I just didn't really see them together. heh. But goes to show how subjective this stuff is, eh!? Lovely review!

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    1. Yeah, I totally understand. The romance was more of a slow burning friendship really, it lacked the passion that we see in so many other young adult novels, but I think that's what sets it apart. Usually the second book is where the relationships develop into something more, do you think you'll continue on with the series? Book two may have a MOTH or two in there.

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  14. YAY how awesome it is to find a book that you really and truly love! I need to read this now, in fact I might pick it up as my next book *glares at the uneven edges and shudders* we'll see. Lovely review as always!

    Jeann @ Happy Indulgence

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    1. Bugger the uneven pages Jeann, read it, read it now. Then we shall fangirl and swoon together.

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  15. I loved this book too! The romance was such a nice slowburning one, and Kestrel was such an excellent protagonist :)
    I'll be lining up with you in order to grab the sequel haha

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    1. Wasn't it just! It was just one of those books that has the potential to ruin you for all other books. The last time I felt so passionately about a book was These Broken Stars, before that, it was Unravel Me.

      Nara, how are we going to survive until book two?

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  16. No instant love? YESSSSS. THIS IS MY BOOK. *starts hunting it down at the library as soon as I can renew my card before the end of the month* And for a minute at the end I actually thought it would say, "the next THG." Thank goodness it's not that. :D

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    1. Noooo, nothing like The Hunger Games whatsoever Sophia. Soooo much better in my opinion. I can't remember the last YA title I read that had romance that wasn't an instant love in some form. This one is truly brilliant. It gave me the same feeling as These Broken Stars, that you've just read an awesome book and you wonder if anything will be able to top it. Can't wait to see what you think, hopefully your library has a copy available.

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  17. Bloody brilliant yo say hey? Well I guess I'll have to read it then! I've been thinking about it and wasn't sure if it was going to be one of those books you get soooo excited about, only to be let down but something stupid like insta-love or crappy world building etc. You have me all excited now...okay off to request on NG!!

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    1. You definitely won't be sorry Amy, it's incredible.

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