Saturday, February 28, 2015

REVIEW: The Winner's Crime

     Hello fellows!

     As you can tell from my previous post, I recently finished The Winner's Crime, by Marie Rutkoski. As you can tell from the title, I'll be reviewing it. Differing from my other reviews, this post will be spoiler-free because it is yet to be sold at bookstores. I will keep it spoiler-free, unchanging when the book is actually released. To keep this intro short, let's get started.


Title: The Winner's Crime
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Date Released: March 3, 2015
Number of Pages: 417
Summary:
Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them
.
 
     Marie Rutkoski has leveled up her game, with The Winner's Crime. If you loved The Winner's Curse, prepare yourself to the wonders of the second book. In a trilogy, the second book  is quite difficult to write, because you have to keep it interesting while not yet resolving the problems in the plot of the book. Clearly, Marie Rutkoski doesn't suffer from second-book syndrome. If you don't know what that would be, it means that the author doesn't quite achieve the same level of the first book with the second. Back and better than ever, The Winner's Crime will put you into a magical trance, filled with love, lust, revenge and war.

     After sealing the deal, Kestrel must face the marriage she chose to accept in exchange for Arin's life- indirectly. On his part, Arin is now the governor of Herran, where slaves are now free and run their own land. Abiding by the deal, Herran must pay taxes to the emperor but the newly-freed people only have so much money. Starving and unhealthy, Herran is now poor and must rely on Arin in finding a way to resolve their problems.

     Kestrel's yearning for Arin is significantly increasing but she knows it's best to bury this desire. Her soon-to-happen marriage is bound to come around, but Kestrel doesn't know if she's ready. Ready or not, she must fake it and display to the emperor her loyalty to him. Any sneaky little move made by Kestrel, and a consequence is destined to appear. Kestrel knows it's risky to, but she feeds Tensen (Herran's minister of health) to help Arin govern the land in agreement to keep her identity in secrecy.

     On Arin's side, he knows Kestrel is hiding something and he's determined to find out. When he does, it may not be weapons that hurt him, but the real truth behind the things he's been hidden from. With more action, suspense and corners in the plot you would never expect, The Winner's Crime promises much more than The Winner's Curse.

     Coming to bookstores on March 3, 2015, guaranteed, this is a book you would never regret reading nor buying. Based on my previous words, it's remarkably obvious the book receives a 4.5 stars. What happened to the 0.5 stars, you ask? It's because I never wanted it to end. Also because I didn't necessarily appreciate the way Marie Rutkoski ended the epilogue. Yes, it was a good suspenseful ending, but NO MARIE RUTKOSKI, CURSE YOU FOR ENDING THE BOOK IN THAT WAY. WHY?!?!?!

     I feel like that's a good way to end my post, so that's what I'm going to do. March 3, 2015 guys. Go to your local bookstore and buy it then. DO IT.

     That's all for my post, and remember: you should be a tree; they have awesome afterlives

 

No comments:

Post a Comment