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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
So good. Loved this book! I grew to love this series more and more and I thought this was the best one for sure. Man I love these characters. I loved the writing... Everything. I've already said this before but WOW Marie Rutkoski likes to make her readers wait. At parts I was so frustrated in this series when people kept missing one another or wouldn't speak their minds until it was too late. That was a huge part of this book was the timing. Loved all of the plotting and strategy in this book. It was so refreshing to read about a main character who wasn't the best at weapons but was intelligent and crafty and used that to her advantage. The love story (while at time just about killed me) was beautiful. Loved all the twists and surprises. This ending was perfect. I'm super happy with how everything wrapped up.
This series has been an insane ride! From the wonderful, but humble beginnings of the first book i would never have seen this series going the way it did and growing and just getting better and better. This last book was heart breaking and i couldn't have hoped for better.
I read the winners crime and winners kiss back to back in 24 hours and i regret nothing
5 stars how could it be any less.
I read the winners crime and winners kiss back to back in 24 hours and i regret nothing
5 stars how could it be any less.
3.75 stars maybe? Still processing, but this was my favorite of the series; a very satisfying conclusion and much less court intrigue shenanigans than the last one. Rutkoski's writing feels very unique and poetic and I'm looking forward to reading more from her.
Kestrel was written so beautifully tragic in this book. I love how broken she was and I enjoyed going on the healing journey with her. Arin carried his mental density around for so long, but it was thrilling when he finally realized all his mistakes and that all his instincts had been correct, that he should've listened to them. Wonderful ending to a perfectly delightful book trilogy. I got a little impatient towards the end when I felt it hit a bit of a lull, but nothing that wasn't handled by reading more.
[4.5 stars] AN EXQUISITE CONCLUSION TO A STUNNING TRILOGY! <3
Hmmm. This felt like reading two different books, put together. I really enjoyed book two because it ramped up the tension and intrigue that book one didn’t necessarily have. And the first half of book three was filled with this, I loved the tension and honestly did not know where it was going. Kestrel was in a bad place, would Arin save her? Would she save herself? It was hard to say and that was fun to read.
But in the second half, I honestly felt any tension went out the window. I was still happy with how the story ended for our leads, but there was really no doubt in my mind as to how things would end and I think there should’ve been. Instead of leaning into the brutality from book two, and the first half of book three, Rutkowski leans back out in a return to the tame ness of book one. Judging by other reviews this seems to be a rather unpopular opinion, but the ultimate trajectory to me did not feel organic because the atmosphere felt way less tense at the end.
I did enjoy Arin and Kestrel in this book, particularly in the middle sections, although I felt like some of their problems essentially disappeared midway through without explanation. Overall, not bad, but not the “searing conclusion” I was expecting from reading other reviews.
But in the second half, I honestly felt any tension went out the window. I was still happy with how the story ended for our leads, but there was really no doubt in my mind as to how things would end and I think there should’ve been. Instead of leaning into the brutality from book two, and the first half of book three, Rutkowski leans back out in a return to the tame ness of book one. Judging by other reviews this seems to be a rather unpopular opinion, but the ultimate trajectory to me did not feel organic because the atmosphere felt way less tense at the end.
I did enjoy Arin and Kestrel in this book, particularly in the middle sections, although I felt like some of their problems essentially disappeared midway through without explanation. Overall, not bad, but not the “searing conclusion” I was expecting from reading other reviews.
Anticipation lifted within her like the fragnance of a garden under the rain. She sat at the piano, touching the keys.
"Ready?"
He smiled. "Play."
Beautiful ending to a beautiful book.
"Ready?"
He smiled. "Play."
Beautiful ending to a beautiful book.