Summary:
Book two of the dazzling Winner’s Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.
The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement… if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.
As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.
-Goodreads
Review (very mild spoilers):
I would have to say that I enjoyed it almost as much as the first book – key word: almost. It had the same amount of drama that the first book did, if not moreso, and when I finished it (I also read this book in one sitting – about 4 hours total) it left me with the same “I NEED THE NEXT BOOK ASAP” feeling. Of course, the third and final book in the series won’t be coming out until next year, so instead I just felt sad for a bit. While the first book was pretty light emotionally, with the exception of the ending and a few other instances, the second book had a darker feel to it all throughout.
I borrowed this book from my local library, only having to wait a few days after I finished The Winner’s Curse to receive it. It’s about the same size as the first book.
There isn’t necessarily one thing I did not like about the sequel. Rutkoski once again achieved a novel that made me feel like I was in the story. I felt Kestrel’s stress and I felt frustrated when she felt frustrated. In fact, I was pretty tense throughout most of the book. There are a lot of things happening and it kept my attention the entire time. With all second books in trilogies, this book is the bridge between the first book, which is mostly introductory, and the last book, which will likely contain the overall climax to the story. With that being said, the book’s climax was good, but I will need that final book in order to be happy with the story!
Arin and Kestrel are separated throughout a lot of the book, mostly because Kestrel is being prepared to marry the Emperor’s son and it is, understandably, frowned upon for the future empress to be seen mingling with her rumored former lover. There are other factors separating them that I won’t delve into to avoid spoilers, and it goes beyond separation. Both Arin and Kestrel have their own hidden agendas that they are keeping from each other and the entire time I just kept thinking, “These two really need a lesson in trust!” I guess with their situations and with the amount that’s at stake, you really can’t blame them for trying to make every decision a strategical one.
New characters are introduced – some you will like, some you will hate. Ultimately, it will be interesting to see who plays which part in the final book, since the story is so intricate and detailed with the various conflicts and relationships.
If you enjoyed The Winner’s Curse, you need to read this book!
Overall, I would give The Winner’s Crime 4/5 stars!
Right Off The Pages! 