They were never meant to be together. As a general's daughter, seventeen-year-old Kestrel enjoys an extravagant and privileged life. Arin has nothing but the clothes on his back. Then Kestrel makes an impulsive decision that binds Arin to her. Though they try to fight it, they can't help but fall in love. In order to be together, they must betray each other.
Set in a new world, The Winner's Curse is a story of rebellion, duels, ballroom dances, wicked rumors, dirty secrets, and games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Romance
While I had heard good things about this book, I will admit I was doubtful because of the preview on the back. Truthfully, it does not do the book justice. While The Winner's Curse does include the romance heavily implied on the back, it is so much more. Its cleverness almost oozes out of the pages, and its dark subjects are never glazed over--this is as much a war story as it is a romance. The plot is sound, the characters are vibrant, and voice/language have no flaws.
And while relationships develop, we are introduced to two different cultures and societies, and those are given just as much focus as the budding romance. It plays an important part in it all, and Rutkoski knows her readers--we crave the background information just as much as the present drama. Just like her high society characters, we want to know everything that's happening. It's a very satisfying read, overall, and I would recommend it to those who wish for a love story filled with all of the twists and turns of a Shakespearean play--with a more surprising ending.
The Winner's Curse is also the first in a trilogy. The second book was published this March, so if you're someone who likes to have the whole series in front of you when you're reading it, then I would save this for later.
No comments:
Post a Comment