The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski | Rating: ★★★★★
“Happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous.”
From 2014. The Winner's Curse is the first book in a planned trilogy by the wonderful Marie Rutkoski and all I can say, right now, is WOW. If there's only one word I can use to review this story it's, seriously, wow. Marie's imagination, the world and its history she crafted, is one that cannot be described coherently. I literally can't explain it without babbling in a tone that is the scariest form of fangirl.
But I can say this: it is one of the best young adult fantasy novels I've ever read and keeps its readers thoroughly engaged until its final pages. I promise you, you will be so invested in this story that you simply will not be able to bring yourself to put it down. Beautifully crafted and warm, it gives you all the feelings a good book should and is a stellar start to what is shaping up to be one of the best young adult trilogies in present time.
The Winner's Curse is a vivid, thrilling, fantasy ride that tells us a tale of war, forbidden love, loss and tragedy. Not only is the world fascinating and well crafted, the characters are intriguing and larger that life -- they are sexy, they are strong and they are among the most fascinating I've ever read. They come to life right before your eyes and make it so it's impossible to not love them, regardless of flaws and obstacles. And, by series end, betrayal.
