Waiting on Wednesday (22): The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

 

 

 

 

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

 

This week's "waiting on" is...

 

The Winner's Kiss

by Marie Rutkoski!

 

Expected publication date: March 1st, 2016
Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it, with the East as his ally and the empire as his enemy. He’s finally managed to dismiss the memory of Kestrel, even if he can’t quite forget her. Kestrel turned into someone he could no longer recognize: someone who cared more for the empire than for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she cared for him. At least, that’s what he thinks.

But far north lies a work camp where Kestrel is a prisoner. Can she manage to escape before she loses herself? As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover unexpected roles in battle, terrible secrets, and a fragile hope. The world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and Kestrel and Arin are caught between. In a game like this, can anybody really win?

THE WINNER'S CRIME is definitely one of my favorite books of the year. I absolutely cannot wait for this one!

 

What is your waiting on?

The Winner's Curse and The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski: Dual Review

 SERIES RATING: 5/5 stars!

 

Author: Marie Rutkoski

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

The Winner's Curse and The Winner's Crime on  Goodreads!

 

SUMMARY of The Winner's Curse (from Goodreads):

 

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.

 

REVIEW:

 

When I read THE WINNER'S CURSE a year ago, I wasn't quite sure if I liked it or not. The writing was absolutely gorgeous, but there was something about the book in my mind that was not sitting well for some reason. I thought about it for months afterwards, and it was finally about six months later that I finally came to the conclusion that the book was absolutely AMAZING! There are very few books that I think about for months after I read it, and THE WINNER'S CURSE happened to be one of them.

 

But when THE WINNER"S CRIME came out a month ago, I was very hesitant to buy it. What if I don't like this one? What if I get the same uneasiness that I felt after reading the first one? And what if the uneasiness doesn't go away???

 

So I got the book from the library first, just to be safe, but I shouldn't have worried. It was even better than the first one. The writing style was still absolutely gorgeous, and the way the characters developed was fantastic! I love Kestrel and Arin so much. And I'm normally not a fan of politics in books, but I loved the court politics and the cat-and-mouse game Kestrel played with the Emperor. All I can say now if bring on book three!!

 

Overall, if you have not picked this series up, I highly suggest you do!

 

CONTENT: Kissing, some talk of sex, and sexual tension between characters, but there's no sex actually on the page. Moderate swearing, and a lot of gory violence.