Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

"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."

It was so, so exciting to be able to read a book and enjoy it so much. I've been seeing this book (and the series) getting so much hype around the booktube and blogger community, and it was so thrilling to be able to sit down and read this book and just appreciate it so much.

The writing was one thing that dragged me into the novel right away. Usually POV changes can annoy me fairly quickly if they aren't done correctly, but Rutkoski created such a clear definition between Kestrel and Arin's thoughts that it was easy to keep the two separate. With a plot that needed both sides of the story to be explained so we could see how both halves of the world lived, the Dual POV was very much needed, and it brought the story to another level by having it be so effective.

The characters and the world building were also done fantastically well. Kestrel and Arin were both well developed, and so were some of the side characters. Little moments between Kestrel and her father, and also Kestrel and her friends, not only developed Kestrel as a character, but also them. The world building was also great; just enough to keep you interested, but at the same time not enough so you were anxious to keep reading and find out more.

Surprisingly, I also enjoyed the elements of the love story in the book. It helped build on the plot, it didn't hinder it, and it also didn't hinder Kestrel as a character, and I loved how she used the fact that Arin loved her to her advantage. The plot twist at the end of the book threw me for a loop, and it was the perfect way to end the first book in a trilogy.

I can't wait to read the next two books, solid 4 out of 5 stars.