Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Publication Date: March 3, 2015
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Review:
The Winner’s Curse was my favorite book of 2014. It had everything I like; political intrigue, immersive world building, and forbidden love. So it came as no surprise that my most anticipated book of 2015 was The Winner’s Crime. And while The Winner’s Crime filled the Arin and Kestrel sized hole in my heart it didn’t have that same sweeping storytelling as The Winner’s Curse and it suffered from, a small case, of second book syndrome.
My least favorite thing about this novel was the back and forth between Arin and Kestrel. After the end of The Winner’s Crime I expected there to be strife between them but I thought Arin understood Kestrel’s motivation. I was completely wrong. Arin acted like a spurned child and Kestrel didn’t even try and explain the situation to him. There was so much back and forth that I wanted to shake both of the characters and force them to say what they mean and to mean what they say.
The political intrigue almost made up for the characters though. Almost. There was a greater depth to the world building in this installment. We got to better know the prince Kestrel is engaged to as well as the king who is the driving force behind the wars and the expansion of the empire.
I also enjoyed the relationship between Krestel and her father. In the first novel we got a vague sense of her father but in The Winner’s Crime we see how much of Kestrel’s personality has been shaped by him. We also got a better sense of the struggle Kestrel is going through trying to appease Arin, her father, and herself.
Overall, I did enjoy The Winner’s Crime. I don’t think there was ever a doubt that I would enjoy this book but I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. I was disappointed in Arin and his inability to see the bigger picture and I disliked the fact that Kestrel wasn’t honest with him. After the end of The Winner’s Crime though I am eagerly anticipating the third book in the series, The Winner’s Kiss.
I have been seeing a lot of 4-5 star reviews for this one! After every review it makes me want to read The Winners Crime more! Glad that you enjoyed it, not sure how I will like Kestrel lying to Arin though.....
ReplyDeleteHappy Reading :-)
Em @ The YA Book Butterfly