The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski Genre: Fantasy, Action I was blown away by this book. Mainly because of how many reviewers are saying I'm going to love it. And how much I didn't. Not actually hating it but it wasn't the most pleasant experience, I would say. Personally, the ending of The Winner's Curse wasn't compelling enough to even get me to pick up the next book. It's more of: Okay, I will get to it eventually. The ending of that first book got me the feeling to not pick up The Winner's Crime because quite frankly I'm one of those (maybe the only one) who hated the ending - almost the entire latter part actually. Well after all this, I'm still not impressed. |
A royal wedding means one celebration after another: balls, fireworks, and revelry until dawn. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement: that she agreed to marry the crown prince in exchange for Arin's freedom. But can Kestrel trust Arin? Can she even trust herself?
Kestrel is becoming very good at deception. she's working as a spy in the court. If caught, she'll be exposed as a traitor to her country. Yet she can't help searching for a way to change her ruthless world...and she is close to uncovering a shocking secret.
This dazzling follow-up to The Winner's Curse reveals the high price of dangerous lies and untrustworthy alliances. The truth will come out, and when it does, Kestrel and Arin will learn just how much their crimes will cost them.
Kestrel is becoming very good at deception. she's working as a spy in the court. If caught, she'll be exposed as a traitor to her country. Yet she can't help searching for a way to change her ruthless world...and she is close to uncovering a shocking secret.
This dazzling follow-up to The Winner's Curse reveals the high price of dangerous lies and untrustworthy alliances. The truth will come out, and when it does, Kestrel and Arin will learn just how much their crimes will cost them.
If you remember, I loved the writing in the first book. It was basically the reason why I even read it in the first place. It was beautiful. But, the writing in this book gave me a headache.
The memories were strange, they were a network of lashes, laid one on top of the other, burning traces that might have resembled a pattern if it wasn't clear that they had been left by a wild hand with no restraint. The lashes were lit with feeling. |
Uh.
Kestrel lifted her hand from the still warm bath pipe that led to the floor and vanished into it. She went to the window, and stood in the light of its brilliant stain. Her hands glowed blue and deep pink. She unlatched and swung open the window. Everything went clear. The air was raw. Kestrel could scent it on the wind: that thing that was going to blow her forward in time, to warmth, flowers blooming, trees in pollen and then spread green. |
Excuse the meager books/text I read that probably incapacitated my ability to infer properly as a literature student, since everyone seems to think the writing is utterly beautiful. I'm sorry but my eyes hurt, my brain hurts. I can't.
Thankfully, not all of it hurt. I still see the hints of writing back in the first book that made me love it so much.
Thankfully, not all of it hurt. I still see the hints of writing back in the first book that made me love it so much.
They passed by a cell. Fingers curled like white worms through the bars of the cell's small window. |
His words seemed to linger in the air longer than possible. Kestrel had the odd impression of the emperor playing the piano, and striking a dissonant cord that caught the fascination of everyone listening. |
Now, these bits are what I call beautiful writing. They just manage to elicit a kind of emotion from you because of the perfect choice of words and metaphors. Simple. Is. Sophistication. Not all that chunk of weird metaphors that get me completely disorientated. I truly mean it when I say these parts containing fantastic writing made the book easier to get through.
Nevertheless, this rating is the result of me being terribly bored for most of the book. The emperor 'plays games' with Kestrel. Arin dreaming about Kestrel. Metaphors that could be considered 'an attempt at sophistication'. Boring court stuff. Boring conversations. Kestrel's doubts and feelings towards Arin. Arin's doubts and feelings towards Kestrel.
Did I mention I was bored? Well, I was so bored.
The plot is like a roller coaster. Not the fast exciting kind, of course. It just sort of goes up a bit and then it comes back down immediately and all my anticipation and excitement collapses with it, the process repeats. If I forgot to mention I was bored, I'm telling you I was really bored.
The only other thing that saved it was really how bold the author was. Her style with characters is really good. Kestrel isn't our perfect protagonist. She does stupid things but understandable given how desperate she has become. Deluded even. And Kestrel herself knows it too. She is more of a stupid risk taker in this book, but it's still somehow hard to blame her for it. The writer really knows how to colour Kestrel's character. Not to mention Arin, who grows up albeit still stupid. But he manages to see past his initial infatuation, delusion. He sees more reason though I want to emphasize: he is still stupid. Maybe we are all stupid.
The author's courage was commendable. Not many writers would dare to venture into dangerous territory. And if not for the ending, I wouldn't even consider much of picking up the last book. The ending is what I would use to exemplify 'shit going down'. Sides are revealed. Relationships between characters are no longer blurred. Revenge, menace and viciousness are practically promised for the last installment. I'm telling you, the final development was great. Seriously The Winner's Kiss, do something about my expectations, will you?
Nevertheless, this rating is the result of me being terribly bored for most of the book. The emperor 'plays games' with Kestrel. Arin dreaming about Kestrel. Metaphors that could be considered 'an attempt at sophistication'. Boring court stuff. Boring conversations. Kestrel's doubts and feelings towards Arin. Arin's doubts and feelings towards Kestrel.
Did I mention I was bored? Well, I was so bored.
The plot is like a roller coaster. Not the fast exciting kind, of course. It just sort of goes up a bit and then it comes back down immediately and all my anticipation and excitement collapses with it, the process repeats. If I forgot to mention I was bored, I'm telling you I was really bored.
The only other thing that saved it was really how bold the author was. Her style with characters is really good. Kestrel isn't our perfect protagonist. She does stupid things but understandable given how desperate she has become. Deluded even. And Kestrel herself knows it too. She is more of a stupid risk taker in this book, but it's still somehow hard to blame her for it. The writer really knows how to colour Kestrel's character. Not to mention Arin, who grows up albeit still stupid. But he manages to see past his initial infatuation, delusion. He sees more reason though I want to emphasize: he is still stupid. Maybe we are all stupid.
The author's courage was commendable. Not many writers would dare to venture into dangerous territory. And if not for the ending, I wouldn't even consider much of picking up the last book. The ending is what I would use to exemplify 'shit going down'. Sides are revealed. Relationships between characters are no longer blurred. Revenge, menace and viciousness are practically promised for the last installment. I'm telling you, the final development was great. Seriously The Winner's Kiss, do something about my expectations, will you?