The Price of Winning

The Price of Winning

• Feb 21, 2014

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Release Date: March 4, 2014
Publisher: Macmillan | Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Pages: 368 pages
Source & Format: Borrowed from Kelly; ARC
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #1
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (from Goodreads)

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.

Thoughts on The Winner's Curse

I almost didn't write a review for The Winner's Curse because it's already gotten so much buzz, and I'm not sure if I can even do it justice. But I do want to put my two cents in and tell you something very important: for me, this book absolutely surpassed all of my expectations for it.

This is a book that is getting a lot of hype in the blog world. I remember the first time I saw the cover and thought, "Oh, that's a beautiful book!" But it wasn't really on my radar - even after that moment of cover love. I'm not sure if it's because I don't gravitate towards fantasy or because I didn't really take the time to read the summary. What I do know is that within a short period of time, four bloggers whose opinions I really value gave this book FIVE STARS. Here's a sample of what they had to say and how they sold me on reading it:

• Lauren from Love is Not a Triangle: "When I started reading, I was worried the story wouldn't be as compelling as its set up. Instead, it exceeded my expectations. If you love fantasy, intrigue, political maneuvering, romance, or good books in general, this one is for you." (Review)
• Asheley from Into the Hall of Books: "Best book I've read in a very long time? OH YES. OH YES, ABSOLUTELY. Without a doubt. I am absolutely, firmly against the hype machine but I believe that this book will deserve whatever hype it receives. And I don't say that lightly, people." (Review)
• Jen from The Flyleaf Review: "You have heard all the hype about this book, right? And we all know what a dangerous thing that hype machine can be. But in this case? TOTALLY legitimate. Just wait until you guys get the chance to read this book. Just you wait." (Teaser)
• Kelly from Belle of the Literati: "The Winner's Curse is a book that didn't let me move, get up, drink, or eat for the roughly 5 hours it took me to read it. I could NOT put it down. It is a fantastic world of high fantasy that is written beautifully and will have your emotions wound around its finger almost instantly. This book has amazing juxtaposition of love and brutality, pride and compassion, loyalty to family and the morality of doing the right thing. It is a plot that will have your heart racing, swooning, and stopping at multiple points." (Teaser)

YOU'RE BASICALLY DYING TO HAVE YOUR HANDS ON THIS BOOK NOW, RIGHT? I know, I know. I'm sorry to get you all hot and bothered in anticipation for The Winner's Curse. Maybe you're thinking that I still haven't really told you what I thought about this book. Well, let me try to give it a shot.

5 Reasons I'm So Obsessed With This Book

1. The Place.

Y'all, this world is amazing. I sometimes struggle with fantasy novels because I feel disconnected from the world. As a reader, I don't want to spend pages and pages on world building, which often seems to happen in fantasy... but I also don't want to feel like I'm struggling to understand the setting. It's so frustrating when you aren't able to at least somewhat picture where a book is taking place. Thankfully, I didn't have that problem at all in The Winner's Curse. It's a fantasy novel, but I still found the world to be really recognizable. At times, it reminded me of Greek or Roman culture - there's a historical flair to the way this society is set up that immediately made it easer for me to get immersed in the novel.

2. The People.

I'm a major character reader. It's often one of the most important things for me while I'm reading. I don't have to like the characters, but I do need to feel invested in their story. And holy cow, I was completely head over heels for the characters in this book. There are two POVs in The Winner's Curse - Kestrel (female) and Arin (male). Each character's voice was so distinct from the other that I never struggled to place who was speaking. Both captured my heart and my attention, and I found myself completely in love with these two people. Even better? There are also some secondary characters that I suspect will get even more fleshed out in the rest of the series.

3. The Plot. 

Ok, so we've established that this book has a fantastic world and some incredible characters. That's already going to make a ton of readers really happy with this story. But what about the people who really need a good plot? Oh, never fear. This book totally delivers on the action and adventure. Kestrel is a general's daughter and has two choices in front of her: join the military or get married. Truthfully, neither option really appeals to her. And then she buys a young slave, Arin, in an auction. Something about his spirit prompts her to make this rash decision... and you won't see the consequences coming. SO MUCH HAPPENS IN THIS STORY. That set up I just described? Those are the first few chapters, and it just sets everything else in motion. I think my stomach was in knots the entire time I was reading, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!

4. The Politics.

This ties into the plot and the place, but I still felt like it was worth mentioning as its own point. The political atmosphere plays a really big role in The Winner's Curse. There is a hierarchy within this society, and the two main characters on from the opposite ends of it. The positions they hold in the world influences their perceptions and actions. And those differences contribute to so much of the intrigue and events that take place. I felt like this aspect was really unique and felt like something I don't often see in books. I love when a book feels new and fresh!

5. The Passion.

Oh, the slow burn... It's at the top of my reading wishlist, but it can also make for such heart-wrenching and painful reading. I absolutely adore when two people slowly get to know one another - never imagining it could lead to something more. When friendship blossoms into romance, I turn into the happiest of all readers. I think that there is sometimes more passion in restraint, in going slow, in that careful dance around feelings and emotion. There's a reason some of my very favorite romantic relationships are from Jane Austen's novels! In The Winner's Curse, I found the romance to be even more intense and emotional because of everything standing in the way of it. I just can't even find the words to tell you how much I loved that aspect of this book. Hint: it's a whole lot.

THE END.

Actually, no, one more thing: I'm sure there will be some readers who don't fall in love with The Winner's Curse. A book cannot be universally loved. But for this reader? I can't wait to get this beauty into my hands for keeps... where it will be cherished and re-read until the end of all time.

So Quotable

"The Winner's Curse is when you come out of top of the bid, but only by paying a steep price."

"He knew the law of such things: people in brightly lit places cannot see into the dark."