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The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1)

Marie Rutkoski

Start date: November 1, 2015

Finish date: November 30, 2015

Discussion: Series

Why we're reading this: Won the poll for the series BOTM
[close] Won the poll for the series BOTM

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Series

* Continuing Series- Nightbane
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last updated Aug 12, 2025 07:32AM

* New Series- The Princess Trials
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What Members Thought

Sep 17, 2014 Kim rated it liked it

Shelves: series, teen-romance, young-adult

This was an enjoyable dystopia. I wouldn't exactly classify it as science fiction or fantasy, more like YA dystopian romance. So you have an empire built on war, and greed. The Valorians, a brutish people, attack and take over the artistic Herrani because they wanted their land. They offer the Herrani a life of servitude instead of slaughter. When it comes to world building, Rutkoski does an excellent job. It's well described without being loquacious. The story flows and dialogue is done well.

Th This was an enjoyable dystopia. I wouldn't exactly classify it as science fiction or fantasy, more like YA dystopian romance. So you have an empire built on war, and greed. The Valorians, a brutish people, attack and take over the artistic Herrani because they wanted their land. They offer the Herrani a life of servitude instead of slaughter. When it comes to world building, Rutkoski does an excellent job. It's well described without being loquacious. The story flows and dialogue is done well.

The beginning seems to be a bit slow for what I was anticipating. I guess when reading about a heroine who's a general's daughter in a world where they wear ornamental knives with their ball gowns, I was expecting a little more action. We begin in a world of high society, balls and lots of gossip. When our heroine does break the rules, it's because she plays the piano. Towards the end some action starts to come in and we get more of what I was expecting.

The characters were somewhat lacking. We have Kestrel, the general's daughter, make an impromptu purchase of a Herrani slave during a unexpected trip to the slave auction. We also have Arin, the Herrani slave who seems too strong willed and defiant for his own good. I didn't love these two. I didn't hate them either. I loved Kestrel's character in the beginning, her keen eye, how strategic, how intelligent, but it seemed like some of her was lost along the way. She became too easily blinded by Arin to what she should have seen as clearly as the fake jewels in the marketplace. Arin was just a jerk who didn't seem to fit the part. I get that she was trying to show us that he wasn't a slave, but something more, but he didn't even pretend well. I kept thinking that we were going to find out he was a Herrani prince or something because he just oozed high society and pride. Eventually he changes too and I found myself thinking of him as a decent fellow but I didn't have that "I LOVE THEM!" feeling about these two. The general himself felt kind of flat but maybe there's more to him.

This is essentially a romance, Kestrel is coming to a age where she much choose either join the Army or get married. She doesn't want to choose either. Enter forbidden love interest now. If you go into this expecting action and kick butt fighting heroine, you will be disappointed. If you go in thinking good ya romance, this will be perfect for you. I got to admit, while I'm not a huge fan of ya romance, the pier scene, kind of pulled at me. I felt it. If I loved the characters, buckets would have fallen. Now that I like Arin more, I am excited to see what will happen in the next. I will continue, and now knowing this is a romance, I do believe I will enjoy it even more. ...more

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