Book Recommendations (with spoiler-free reviews)

The Winner's Trilogy ~ Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Curse

The Winner's Crime

The Winner's Kiss

SYNOPSIS: Set in a different world where the empire of Valoria rules over a significant portion of the land, this series is set in Herran, one of Valoria's colonies. When the Herrani were defeated in the Herran War, they were taken as slaves and are now bought and sold at their masters' will. Kestrel is the Valorian general's daughter. Being the only daughter of the man whose rank is second only to the Emperor, Kestrel has lived life like an ordinary rich girl in her home in Herran, attending parties, gossiping with her friends and such. But, like every Valorian, she has to make a choice before she turns 20: either marry or join the army. One day, she sees a slave up for auction and something drives her to buy him. She starts to sort of fall in love with him, but what she doesn't realize is that Arin has a secret that will threaten all she holds dear and nothing will remain the same.

This series was amazing. I read it after I took a long break from reading books (due to studies) and I asked my sister to recommend a book that would make me feel everything. That's always what I've looked for in books. When I read the first one, I was sort of underwhelmed, I have to admit. I want to be as honest as I can in these book reviews. The story was good but it didn't make me feel as much as I'd hoped it would. Oh, but the next two books remedied that. They made up for the first one too.

Firstly, the story. It's very intricate, almost like A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones, for the less cultured). The plot is full of threads that weave over one another in the most perfect of ways. Things click and fall apart and make sense and leave you mind-boggled. Intelligent. That's the perfect word for the plot. It's so intelligent.

The characters are beautiful. Let's talk about Arin first because Kestrel is going to take a long time. Arin is really hot. That's another thing I look for in books: a hot male lead *shrugs*. What he has been through and how he handles it and his thoughts, they're all really beautiful. If I said more, it would give everything away.

KESTREL IS THE BEST. SHE IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!! What I like about her is that she's not a fighter. Being the daughter of the general, you'd expect that she'd be a pro with weapons but she's not. It's a big part of her character. She wants to be good at fighting but she just doesn't have the natural talent. Instead, she loves to play the piano. Oh, and she's intelligent. And when I say intelligent, I mean super hella smart. So smart that sometimes, her thoughts just boggle your mind, like "how did she get to that? Wow." That's her biggest character trait and it's what she uses the most. She plays and beats everyone at board games. She's witty. But she's the best at battle strategies. That girl can bring an army down just using her wits. She also has a complicated relationship with her stiff, closed-off father, who wants her to enlist in the army, something that she despises. She's not a fighter and she's badass. That's what I love. These days, Strong Female Characters™ are defined as ones who are great with a sword, who can kick anyone's ass and are also really witty and sarcastic. That's it. But in reality, strong characters are the ones who are the most real. Not everyone is a fighter and Kestrel is the embodiment of that.

The dialogue is witty at times, and also thought-evoking. Sentences flow like water and spill this sort of beauty, this elegance that is so pleasurable to read.

The romance is TORTURE. IT IS TOTAL AND COMPLETE MENTAL TORTURE. It had me gripping my hair with frustration at times. There's lies and raw emotion and misunderstandings and it's messy and intricate and beautiful all at the same time. I loved it.

Oh and the covers are fantastic. I'm a sucker for beautiful covers, so really, this series is a package deal. Don't be put off with the first one. You might like it better than I did but trust me: read the whole series and I promise you won't regret it.