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dinipandareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
TL;DR: The Winner's Curse was not what I expected and the further I read, the less I wanted to put it down. This was a great YA fantasy romance that was driven by a political plot and a forbidden romance. While the writing is simple and a bit more tell than show, I was still able to emotionally connect with the characters. I know this is a book younger me would've ate up with star-crossed lovers and a devastatingly angsty romance. It ached so good! 😂 I'm excited to see where the series goes next. (I also hope this review makes sense because I wrote it right after finishing this).
I enjoyed Rutkoski's writing from the first page. It's straightforward and no frills but it was still able to elicit emotions and I could still connect to the story. I'd say there's an "efficiency" to her writing that won't work for everyone because it's not overly descriptive or emotional but somehow, it worked well here. The sociopolitical aspect of the world-building was done well compared to the rest of it. On the one hand, we have the Valorians who are the "mighty conquerors" and who worship military might and savage brutality, subjugating the peoples of the lands they've conquered to slavery and forced labour or death. Then we have the Herrani, a "mild" people who were known for being worldly, culturally rich and artistically gifted. It was an interesting contrast, especially the acknowledgement of Valorians being the "uncivilized brutes and barbarians" when usually it's the conquered/colonised who are referred to in that way. I have to admit I often cringed whenever the term "slaves" was mentioned and at the start, it was quite often. It is gradually challenged by Kestrel's character although she teeters between complicity and defiance for much of the novel but I feel that's going to change in the next book and as the series continues!
Kestrel was a study in contradictions and I loved her. She's very much "not like other Valorians" and again, that trope might not work for everyone but I thought Rutkoski wrote her character well. You can see her reluctance to take part in much of what Valorian society demands and dictates—from its treatment of women, penchant for violence, and treatment of slaves. She has an awareness of the rights and wrongs of her society and understands the Herrani hate towards them, but she also loves her father, the general one who won the Herrani war for the Valorians, and is desperate to please him. She's considered "quirky" and "odd" because she does little things to subvert the master/slave dynamic that sets her apart from her peers but she's excused and accepted because she's the general's daughter. I honestly loved her grit and her brain. Despite not wanting to join the military, there's no doubt she excels in strategy and I loved watching her brain work! She's sharp, tactical, and not afraid to use it to her advantage.
Quite similar in ways to her is Arin, an enslaved Herrani who has a mysterious past and who Kestrel finds herself pulled to the moment she sees him. I wasn't sure what to make of him at the start but I enjoyed the gradual reveals of his character and what he's like although I do feel his arc was less fleshed out compared to Kestrel's. It would've been great to get more from his POV because I enjoyed it a lot! He's cunning and intense but the more he lets his guard down around Kestrel, he has quite a flirty side as well. He eventually becomes a fool simp who'd give Kestrel his soul if she asked. It shouldn't have worked with their dynamic but the forbidden aspect fed the angst so well! Arin kinda smashes the imbalanced power dynamic by being defiant and very much "not like other slaves", lol? From relatively early on, we're roped into his act and it serves to increase the tension and stakes, especially as the romance grows stronger. This is one of those times when the enemies-to-lovers trope is accurately applied because these two couldn't be more wrong for each other and yet... Here we are!
The driving force of the romance plays a larger role the further in the story we get and ultimately, it is what leads them to make the decisions they do and it's how we end up where we do (not vague at all, right, lol). I do think that parts of their romance could've been strengthened and fleshed out more but it honestly didn't make me enjoy it any less. I was <b>invested</b> and how book one ends is heartbreaking, angsty, infuriating and delicious! 😂 (I think) I'm ready for all the angst that I'm sure the rest of this series will bring. Let's go!
If you're a fan of early noughties YA fantasy romance/romantasy/dystopian such as Hunger Games, Divergent, etc., then I think you'll enjoy this. As an older reader who isn't part of the main target audience, I was still able to appreciate this story and I know it's one that my younger self would've devoured in a heartbeat and become obsessed over had I read it back then.
I enjoyed Rutkoski's writing from the first page. It's straightforward and no frills but it was still able to elicit emotions and I could still connect to the story. I'd say there's an "efficiency" to her writing that won't work for everyone because it's not overly descriptive or emotional but somehow, it worked well here. The sociopolitical aspect of the world-building was done well compared to the rest of it. On the one hand, we have the Valorians who are the "mighty conquerors" and who worship military might and savage brutality, subjugating the peoples of the lands they've conquered to slavery and forced labour or death. Then we have the Herrani, a "mild" people who were known for being worldly, culturally rich and artistically gifted. It was an interesting contrast, especially the acknowledgement of Valorians being the "uncivilized brutes and barbarians" when usually it's the conquered/colonised who are referred to in that way. I have to admit I often cringed whenever the term "slaves" was mentioned and at the start, it was quite often. It is gradually challenged by Kestrel's character although she teeters between complicity and defiance for much of the novel but I feel that's going to change in the next book and as the series continues!
Kestrel was a study in contradictions and I loved her. She's very much "not like other Valorians" and again, that trope might not work for everyone but I thought Rutkoski wrote her character well. You can see her reluctance to take part in much of what Valorian society demands and dictates—from its treatment of women, penchant for violence, and treatment of slaves. She has an awareness of the rights and wrongs of her society and understands the Herrani hate towards them, but she also loves her father, the general one who won the Herrani war for the Valorians, and is desperate to please him. She's considered "quirky" and "odd" because she does little things to subvert the master/slave dynamic that sets her apart from her peers but she's excused and accepted because she's the general's daughter. I honestly loved her grit and her brain. Despite not wanting to join the military, there's no doubt she excels in strategy and I loved watching her brain work! She's sharp, tactical, and not afraid to use it to her advantage.
Quite similar in ways to her is Arin, an enslaved Herrani who has a mysterious past and who Kestrel finds herself pulled to the moment she sees him. I wasn't sure what to make of him at the start but I enjoyed the gradual reveals of his character and what he's like although I do feel his arc was less fleshed out compared to Kestrel's. It would've been great to get more from his POV because I enjoyed it a lot! He's cunning and intense but the more he lets his guard down around Kestrel, he has quite a flirty side as well. He eventually becomes a fool simp who'd give Kestrel his soul if she asked. It shouldn't have worked with their dynamic but the forbidden aspect fed the angst so well! Arin kinda smashes the imbalanced power dynamic by being defiant and very much "not like other slaves", lol? From relatively early on, we're roped into his act and it serves to increase the tension and stakes, especially as the romance grows stronger. This is one of those times when the enemies-to-lovers trope is accurately applied because these two couldn't be more wrong for each other and yet... Here we are!
The driving force of the romance plays a larger role the further in the story we get and ultimately, it is what leads them to make the decisions they do and it's how we end up where we do (not vague at all, right, lol). I do think that parts of their romance could've been strengthened and fleshed out more but it honestly didn't make me enjoy it any less. I was <b>invested</b> and how book one ends is heartbreaking, angsty, infuriating and delicious! 😂 (I think) I'm ready for all the angst that I'm sure the rest of this series will bring. Let's go!
If you're a fan of early noughties YA fantasy romance/romantasy/dystopian such as Hunger Games, Divergent, etc., then I think you'll enjoy this. As an older reader who isn't part of the main target audience, I was still able to appreciate this story and I know it's one that my younger self would've devoured in a heartbeat and become obsessed over had I read it back then.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, Death, Slavery, Colonisation, Classism, and Misogyny
Moderate: War, Death of parent, Torture, Trafficking, and Suicide
Minor: Vomit
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