oliverclausen's review against another edition
3.0
I’d say a 3.5 stars because of the ending. It was what I needed and pretty plain except the ending.
pinkbean's review
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
The portrayal of slavery was abysmal!!!
jasmyn9's review against another edition
4.0
The Winner's Curse is a very interesting look at war and strategy. I have read several reviews that list this as a romance - but I saw it as more of a fantasy novel about revolution, compromise, and war. Kestral is the daughter of the general and many expect her to follow in her father's footsteps, becoming a great soldier and leader. But Kestral has a secret - she can't fight. While she is excellent at strategy, she has never been able to grasp the fine art of physical combat.
Arin is a slave. He is Herrani, one of the people captured by the empire and forced to choose death or slavery. But he is more than just an ordinary slave. When Kestral purchases him she discovers that he is intelligent and sly. As her strategic mind begins to put the pieces together, she isn't quite fast enough. Disaster strikes Kestral's people and while she may be the only chance they have of survival, she is also the reason it succeeded.
I think I loved the mental sparring in this book the best. It was very political, with moves and counter-moves throughout society and on the field of war to be analyzed with fast minds that could make quick decisions. Is there a romance? Sort of. It certainly isn't one that I would want to be a part of, but it is incredibly important to the story. There was not a lot of physical action or conflict until after the half way point of the book, but the author managed to create a lot of tension without it.
I found this book very hard to put down. There were a few small things that bothered me about Arin and the way he reacted and accomplished things - especially when it came to Kestral. I'm definitely going to be watching for the next book. While the story didn't exactly end in a cliffhanger, you can tell there is much more to come and I'm hoping some things aren't exactly as they seem.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/03/review-winners-curse-by-marie-rutkoski.html#sthash.M9QzxAMr.dpuf
Arin is a slave. He is Herrani, one of the people captured by the empire and forced to choose death or slavery. But he is more than just an ordinary slave. When Kestral purchases him she discovers that he is intelligent and sly. As her strategic mind begins to put the pieces together, she isn't quite fast enough. Disaster strikes Kestral's people and while she may be the only chance they have of survival, she is also the reason it succeeded.
I think I loved the mental sparring in this book the best. It was very political, with moves and counter-moves throughout society and on the field of war to be analyzed with fast minds that could make quick decisions. Is there a romance? Sort of. It certainly isn't one that I would want to be a part of, but it is incredibly important to the story. There was not a lot of physical action or conflict until after the half way point of the book, but the author managed to create a lot of tension without it.
I found this book very hard to put down. There were a few small things that bothered me about Arin and the way he reacted and accomplished things - especially when it came to Kestral. I'm definitely going to be watching for the next book. While the story didn't exactly end in a cliffhanger, you can tell there is much more to come and I'm hoping some things aren't exactly as they seem.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/03/review-winners-curse-by-marie-rutkoski.html#sthash.M9QzxAMr.dpuf
jeanmarier's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
angelreads's review against another edition
5.0
First Line: She shouldn’t have been tempted.
I received a copy of The Winners Curse from Bloomsbury Australia. This in no way has influenced my review.
I love this book. I cannot explain how much I love this book. It is even more beautiful than the cover and which is simply divine.
Just everything about this book is amazing. The world – how much I love the world created by Marie Rutkoski. It is so intriguing and striking. Rutkoski created something that is new and refreshing but still sticks to a ‘guideline’ for fantasy/historical fiction novels. It was interesting to see the world that Rutkoski created. She formed a world that is complex, but quite easy to get your head around.
The characters that she creates are even more intriguing than the world. You cannot trust anyone and they are multi-layered which adds so much depth to the novel.
Kestrel, the main protagonist, is so intriguing and different a character than. I have read before. She is strong and builds up all these walls, but they are brought down slowly by someone she doesn’t expect to affect her the way he did.
Kestrel is the daughter of general and she is given two choices: join the army or get married. As you can guess Kestrel wants none of those.
Rutkoski's writing in The Winner’s Curse is simply beautiful and captivating. It draws you in and you just can’t seem to put the book down. If I tag could put sticky notes in the whole book I would, because there are just so many beautiful moments. There are many beautiful quotes that I want to remember.
Aria, the slave that Kestrel brought, is very interesting. We don’t know too much about him expect what the slave says to make someone try and buy him. But as the novel goes on we get to see more about him and, man, he was fascinating.
Kestrel’s father is also an interesting character. He is the army general, but when it comes to his daughter, he will do anything even if he doesn’t realise it. Kestrel and her father have interesting relationship that I actually didn’t mind at all. Because he may be all tough on the outside, but deep down he loves his daughter with everything.
I fell in love with the romance. Oh, it was just so beautiful. Slow, but just so gorgeous and breathtaking. I just swooned half the time. Both Kestrel and Aria don’t even realise how they feel about each other, but it’s beautiful to watch. Rutkoski is a mastermind. The combination of forbidden love between a slave and someone of high standard and the blissful moments are perfect.
Some might say that the first half of the book's pacing is slow, but I think it is the perfect type of slow because the second half? Well, I just could not put the book down. It was thing after thing and it was amazing.
The ending…Wow. What a way to leave a book. You shouldn’t end a book like that, but Rutkoski did and damn I sobbed. I need the The Winners Crime now! I just cannot handle it.
The setup of the whole book is just as amazing as the book. The gorgeous cover that I simply adore. The first pages that are fully black and the way that the chapter numbers are written add as much individuality as the novel does.
The Winners Curse doesn’t disappoint. An outstanding fantasy with relatable characters, beautiful romance, flawless world building and an enthralling storyline. Rutkoski has start
I received a copy of The Winners Curse from Bloomsbury Australia. This in no way has influenced my review.
I love this book. I cannot explain how much I love this book. It is even more beautiful than the cover and which is simply divine.
Just everything about this book is amazing. The world – how much I love the world created by Marie Rutkoski. It is so intriguing and striking. Rutkoski created something that is new and refreshing but still sticks to a ‘guideline’ for fantasy/historical fiction novels. It was interesting to see the world that Rutkoski created. She formed a world that is complex, but quite easy to get your head around.
The characters that she creates are even more intriguing than the world. You cannot trust anyone and they are multi-layered which adds so much depth to the novel.
Kestrel, the main protagonist, is so intriguing and different a character than. I have read before. She is strong and builds up all these walls, but they are brought down slowly by someone she doesn’t expect to affect her the way he did.
Kestrel is the daughter of general and she is given two choices: join the army or get married. As you can guess Kestrel wants none of those.
Rutkoski's writing in The Winner’s Curse is simply beautiful and captivating. It draws you in and you just can’t seem to put the book down. If I tag could put sticky notes in the whole book I would, because there are just so many beautiful moments. There are many beautiful quotes that I want to remember.
Aria, the slave that Kestrel brought, is very interesting. We don’t know too much about him expect what the slave says to make someone try and buy him. But as the novel goes on we get to see more about him and, man, he was fascinating.
Kestrel’s father is also an interesting character. He is the army general, but when it comes to his daughter, he will do anything even if he doesn’t realise it. Kestrel and her father have interesting relationship that I actually didn’t mind at all. Because he may be all tough on the outside, but deep down he loves his daughter with everything.
I fell in love with the romance. Oh, it was just so beautiful. Slow, but just so gorgeous and breathtaking. I just swooned half the time. Both Kestrel and Aria don’t even realise how they feel about each other, but it’s beautiful to watch. Rutkoski is a mastermind. The combination of forbidden love between a slave and someone of high standard and the blissful moments are perfect.
Some might say that the first half of the book's pacing is slow, but I think it is the perfect type of slow because the second half? Well, I just could not put the book down. It was thing after thing and it was amazing.
The ending…Wow. What a way to leave a book. You shouldn’t end a book like that, but Rutkoski did and damn I sobbed. I need the The Winners Crime now! I just cannot handle it.
The setup of the whole book is just as amazing as the book. The gorgeous cover that I simply adore. The first pages that are fully black and the way that the chapter numbers are written add as much individuality as the novel does.
The Winners Curse doesn’t disappoint. An outstanding fantasy with relatable characters, beautiful romance, flawless world building and an enthralling storyline. Rutkoski has start
cjrtb_books's review against another edition
3.5
'My soul is yours, you know that it is.'
Kestrel is the daughter of a General in the Emperors army who, one day, buys a Herrani slave, Arin, I guess she sort of feels drawn to him.
After she buys him, she tries to forget him and the outrageous price she paid, but she can't. And they strike up a friendship......and maybe more. But Arin has his own agenda.
The uprising was a fab part of the book, although a bit gruesome!
I didn't really feel the romance. I mean I guess I did at the beginning but then it soured for me, I also didn't really connect to the characters, maybe Arin a bit but I did love the world building!
Kestrel is the daughter of a General in the Emperors army who, one day, buys a Herrani slave, Arin, I guess she sort of feels drawn to him.
After she buys him, she tries to forget him and the outrageous price she paid, but she can't. And they strike up a friendship......and maybe more. But Arin has his own agenda.
The uprising was a fab part of the book, although a bit gruesome!
I didn't really feel the romance. I mean I guess I did at the beginning but then it soured for me, I also didn't really connect to the characters, maybe Arin a bit but I did love the world building!