The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski Review

Title: The Winner's Curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Received From: Publisher  

Synopsis: 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.

Review:
I was hesitant about The Winner's Curse because I had heard so many amazing things about it. I shouldn't have been, it was just as good as everyone said it was.

You guys know I love fantasy. If could only read one genre for the rest of my life it would be fantasy. So finding another awesome fantasy book really made me happy.

The Winner's Curse is different than most fantasy books that are out there because the main character Kestrel is not a bad-ass knife wielding killer. Her father wants her to be but her heart is just not in it. That is not to say that Kestrel is not an amazingly bad-ass character. She is so good at strategy and she can hold her own if she needs to.

Be warned, The Winner's Curse is not the most fast paced book you will read. The last third is quite fast paced but the first two thirds contain quite a bit of information and the slow burn of growing love. Speaking of love the rowing affection between Arin and Kestrel is not in your face, it is subtle and not the whole point of the story which I really appreciated.

This book is a good look at privilege and why we think we deserve what we have. There are a few times where like Kestrel I started to question the dominance of the society in the book.

Overall I really enjoyed The Winner's Curse, there was plenty of intrigue, romance, and action to satisfy almost anyone. I cannot wait for the next book to find out what is going to happen, as well as find out more about these two countries and their backgrounds.