Some weeks ago I published The Winner’s Curse review (read it HERE). This series became one of my favorites and I loved the very smart and birlliant Kestrel as well as gorgous Arin.
So today for your eyes only I’ll publish two reviews: The Winner’s Crime and The Winner’s Kiss. If you’ve never read this series so far but love well written books with fantastic characters you should consider giving it a go!
Enjoy 😉
The Winner’s Crime
5 stars!
So good to read but so bad for my heart!
I thought all the time they would be reunited but… it was always false hope. And so the tension was mounting, reached its peak and then … my hope was crushed once more.
Lady Kestrel is a remarkable young woman, with an acute mind, a big heart, a strategist extraodinaire and trapped in a maze of conspiracy. The palace is her golden cage and she is constantly spied upon. Ridden by guilt when forced to make a choice: sacrifice “a few” or destroy everyone, she truly is caught between a rock and a hard place.
Arin is impetuous, passionate but prompt to believe in the worst. Kestrel will have to protect him throughout this book, shredding her heart to pieces in the process.
War, spying maids, conspiracies, starcrossed lovers… everything to please even the harsher reader.
Convinced? Grab your copy HERE
The Winner’s Kiss grandiose finale!
Still 5 stars!
Some truths about this book and its author:
-Marie Rutkoski is The Wicked Witch of the West;
-Arin is the spiritual child of the God of Death;
-Kestrel’s mind is her best weapon and her worst enemy;
-Roshar is a cocky jackass but a true friend;
-You’ll be ready to graduate Westpoint Academy summa cum laude by the end of the story;
-Do not intend to do anything constructive or productive while reading this story.
Let me explain now:
-Marie Rutkoski is a wicked woman for what she did to Kestrel. I never imagined what she would live through and YOU DON’T MAKE YOUR CHARACTER SUFFER IN SUCH A WAY! I’m sure it must be written in the author’s code of honor handbook. But it’s very, very clever as it made me hurt so much for Kestrel I had to take breaks before going on with the story. Way to hold your reader’s attention as they hope some miracle will happen and save the main female character;
–It’s not “raining men” in this book it’s raining death thanks to Arin. In a battle, he is worth a whole army and his people worship him like a God as he becomes death. He fights and does not feel anything in the heat of the battle but once it’s done, he can’t stop thinking about the woman he killed or the young soldier, or…;
– It’s already been established in the former books that Kestrel is not good with weapon. She does not need to as her intelligence is her best weapon. But a big surprise is waiting the reader and her mind will turn against her, leaving her questioning and distrusting everyone. She’ll be a ghost trying to find her way. We’re used to a strong Kestrel but in this book, she’ll be frail and fragile and will have to transcend her condition to become what she was always meant to be: a formidable woman.
–By the end of the story, if you were able to anticipate every move, every plot, every twist and turns, I can promise you Westpoint will be a piece of cake, a stroll in the park, easy peasy, etc. Marie Rutkoski always builds intricate strategies and schemes. The Valorian army was Goliath and the Herrani army was David. I could not fathom how they could win against the emperor but Kestrel had more tricks in her hat.
This last installment was so enthralling I was engrossed in the story and any attempt at making something useful or productive was doomed from the beginning. Best hang a “do not disturb” on your door, find a quiet spot to read and enjoy this fantastic conclusion to this incredibly well written epic series.
Convinced? Grab your copy HERE
