The Winner’s Kiss

The biggest problem for me here was the romance.

I liked the romance a lot in the first book.
But then the romance fell apart in the second books (maybe too much).

This third book was supposed to bring it all back together, and it did, I just wasnt on board with it. I think there was too much that fell apart in the second book and it didnt get put back together in a way that I could enjoy and be part of. It didnt lure me back in. It just made me roll my eyes.

I actually quite liked Kestrel and Arin separately, but I no longer liked them together. I had zero passion for their romance/relationship, and ultimately thats what the entire book was about. I felt like even the war took second place to their romance. And since I didnt love the romance, I couldnt love the book.

The book felt slow.

This isnt really a spoiler, but it spans the entire first half of the book so skip this next paragraph if you’d rather be surprised…
In the beginning, Kestrel had lost her memory and she just spent the first half trying to get it back. I guess this was frustrating to me because I, as the reader, knew exactly what shed forgotten. I had to sit there while she tried to remember stuff that I already knew. It just wasnt a fun read for me.
{{ end of semi-spoiler }}

Then, the middle to the end was basically one big road trip. Walking. Travelling. Riding. Camping. The actual action was very little. It didnt hold my interest.

Certain parts of the plot were anti-climactic.

My favourite part was a minor character: Roshar. Sadly he ended up being quite a minor character who just appeared in certain places but didnt do much. But I just loved his personality. He was funny and unpredictable.

I hoped for so much more, and Im bummed that I was so disappointed.

As the stars indicate, I’m kind of on the fence with this one – the third book in Rutkoski’s Winner’s Trilogy. I loved the first book, liked the second, and am still trying to decide how I feel about the third.

I’ve finished a handful of trilogies in the past few months, and they’ve all been decent stories with compelling characters and some beautiful prose. The Winner’s Kiss is no exception. However, the final book in each of the recent trilogies I’ve read has missed the mark a bit for me. And unfortunately, this is true for Kiss, as well.

The following info is probably not much of a secret at this point, but as there are certainly people who haven’t read it yet, I will include:
*SPOILER ALERT*

Kestrel’s treason in the second book has been discovered, and she is literally being carted away to a remote prison camp at the beginning of the third book. Talk about a ‘winner’s curse!’ As one might imagine, the conditions at the camp are not those of a holiday resort. In fact, the inmates are kept in deplorable conditions and practically turned into the walking dead, having had their memories erased by a drug regime, making them essentially mindless and easy to control. After what seems like a painfully long internal debate, in which Arin cannot seem to reconcile what he thinks he knows about Kestrel with what he has witnessed of her behavior towards him, he finally figures out her role in helping him (with a little outside help) and rushes off to rescue her from the horrors of the work camp.

I think I was okay with things up to that point, but I find that I agree with many of the other reviewers who took issue with the memory loss device. I, too, was looking forward to their reunion, and felt that there was a wealth of emotions, confessions, and reacquainting to draw from in those days and weeks after the escape. The fact that she forgot everything about her past and who she was certainly raises interesting philosophical questions (How much do we rely on our memories to provide context and stability and knowledge of our own identity and how we interact with others and the world around us? How does one go about trying to relearn and rebuild an identity for oneself?), but I thought it detracted from the flow of the story and dampened the intense spark that had existed between Kestrel and Arin to that point. I’m familiar with the ubiquitous device of keeping the romantic leads apart for as much of the story as possible, and I assume that this was a way to do that without keeping them physically separated, but it fell flat, and I felt a little robbed of the moment I wanted for them.

I also think both main characters changed perhaps too much. I get that a character introduced on page 3 of book 1 is not going to be the same as she/he is on page 340 of book 3. Nor would I want the character to be. I expect characters to grow and try new things and make mistakes and learn lessons and discover their hidden super powers all in service to the grand quest of embracing their identity, and I’m aware that involves a certain degree of change, but I want the arc to be believable, and I usually want the characters on the last page to retain much of the core or essence of who they were in the first chapter. For me, Kestrel and Arin’s changes bordered on the high percentile. For her part, Kestrel not only had to recover from her ordeal in the camp, but she also practically had to create her identity from scratch, which took away a bit of the determination and zip I so appreciated earlier on in the series. Arin changed less so, but his lack of confidence around Kestrel grew tiresome. I realize that she was in a very vulnerable state for much of the book and he felt he needed to tread carefully around her. That is to be commended, certainly, and his concern for her was sweet, but I return to the whole disappointing memory-loss storyline to begin with, which effectively altered their relationship to one of guardian/dependent for a while and sucked the chemistry right out of it.

Consequently, when they do finally have their *moment,* it seemed – excuse the pun – anti-climactic. There wasn’t much tension, spark, or build-up, and her vocal confession of love lacked the emotional punch it deserved.

I, too, was surprised by Arin’s connection to the god of death. I recall some passages about the importance of gods in the Herrani culture, but his particular connection to ‘death’ in this book seemed sudden to me and either unnecessary or under-developed.

The unresolved issues at the end of the book, like reconciling with Jess and reforging some kind of relationship with her father – if one could be – didn’t bother me too much, as we assume that she will continue to try to make progress with both people when the time is right. But I *was* a bit surprised and disappointed that no mention was made of trying to ensure that the prison camp would be shut down and some rehab program developed for the poor souls still stuck there. I thought one of Kestrel’s best qualities was her empathy, and it seemed strange to me that she and Arin wouldn’t have discussed putting an end to that lovely destination, regardless of whether or not it fell under Valorian jurisdiction.

Those issues aside, there were still many great qualities to this book. The trilogy’s story, itself, was great – interesting, creative, heartfelt. The chemistry between Kestrel and Arin through the first two books is compelling. The supporting characters are richly drawn throughout the series. I especially appreciated Verex and Roshar, though all of the secondary characters inhabit their roles well. The first two books take place in Herran and Valoria, and I enjoyed learning about new locations in this book. Much of the prose is lyrical and beautifully written. The themes work well – responsibility, accountability, the subjective nature of honor and loyalty, how different people interpret friendship, the far-reaching and non-black-and-white nature of our choices, love, trust (in oneself and others), power, identity and what it means and who defines it, fairness…. So despite the shortcomings of the third installment, I liked the trilogy overall and would recommend it. I look forward to seeing what this author creates in the future!

It’s always difficult to read and review the final installment of a favorite series. But here we go.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this. Even with reading the synopsis, I didn’t know if I would love or hate the turns this book took with the series. So let’s say that I was a little scared to start. But once I did, I devoured the entire book.

As usual, I love Rutkoski’s writing. I could see this being an excellent audiobook (which is narrated by the fabulous Justine Eyre, fyi).

We explore a lot more of Herran in The Winner’s Kiss. Actually, the majority of the book takes place there, just as the majority of the book is told in Arin’s perspective–a pleasant surprise since in the first two his perspectives were probably closer to 40% of each book. And oh, what a character Arin is. He’s ruthless, but he’s kind. He’s powerful, and he’s self-loathing.

Even though the majority of chapters are told through Arin, we still see a lot of Kestrel. Because certain things happen. And we end up learning even more about her than we knew before (even if she has less screen time). Kestrel was always a complex character. But The Winner’s Kiss just adds to it.

Even Roshar, who we didn’t see all that much in The Winner’s Crime is a key player. And he’s hilarious. Something horrible could have been happening, and he would come in and say something that could make me burst out laughing. He’s one of my new favorite characters.

So I obviously love the characters. What about the plot?

I want to say it’s simple and straightforward. And it is. But with so many twists and turns in the road as well. That doesn’t make any sense until you read the book, I’m sure. But it’s true. It seems really confusing and complex at the time of reading. And I was constantly trying to guess what everyone’s plans were (because we know that Kestrel and Arin love to play games). But when it’s looked at from far away, it’s simple: Herran is allied with the East. They are at war with Valoria. The end.

Overall?
Loved it. Definitely recommend if you read and enjoyed the rest of the series.

So I really loved book 1. Book 2 was initially exciting but then disappointed, because I was gutted to realise that nothing good was coming, book 2 felt pretty bleak.

This book was more enjoyable because obviously the series concludes and by now I love all the characters so much… But wow some parts are seriously slow moving and I did a lot of skim-reading in the middle. Also way too many beautiful descriptions, perhaps these were supposed to balance out the violence, which got too gory and graphic and was not in fact balanced out. I also really struggled to believe that an 18 yr old and 20 year old who had fancied each other this long and this intensely would suddenly cool off and faff about, the physical stuff felt unrealistically late.

Books 2 and 3 would have been better if they were much shorter and released as one book.

But yeah nice wrap up of the plot and well written with great characters and vivid settings. So it gets 4 stars just about.

Overall I read book 3 and book 2 just to find out the ending, but didnt really enjoy them the way I did book 1.

How do I even begin? This trilogy, I can’t believe it has finally come to an end. What an astounding trilogy. Everything from romance, heart break, betrayal war and deceit. It has been a journey for both Arin and Kestrel. I could honestly not find any fault with this trilogy.

Book One: You are thrown head first into Kestrels life and how she deals with being the generals daughter, she has expectations and responsibilities, none of which she wants to live up to. She wants to be able to do what she likes and not have to enlist in the army. You slowly see a romance bloom and blossom with Arin but cut off due to betrayal, revenge and secrets.

Book Two: You gain an understanding through Arin’s perspective and that he will truly do anything for Herrani. You also see how Kestrel is coping in the Emperor’s Palace and how she is playing a game she cannot win which ends in devastating results.

Book Three: You are rooting for both Kestrel and Arin to find each other and work things out. The story ebbed and flowed so beautifully. The quick change in perspectives keeps you hooked and wanting more. You become a true Herrani supporter and want Arin to succeed.

I feel that this series has come a long way and grown from it’s tame romantic beginnings in The Winner’s Curse. The final installment of the thrilling trilogy finishes on an emotional, action packed high! It is definitely not devoid of torturous gambles, nail biting risks and glorious wins that will have you smiling with joy! All these done for the greater good and to shake off the iron fist dictatorship the Valorians have who only become ever more determined to prove their strength and power.

This final book brings all the books together, there is no room for niceties and business gets done from start to finish. There is a constant pull and you just can’t put the book down! This is done perfectly by Rutkoski due to the use of quickly changing perspectives in the most dramatic scenes, where is will leave you hanging with that is happening to Kestrel only to jump and change to Arin leaving you positively desperate to know more. Many authors fail with quick changing perspectives but Rutkoski executed it perfectly. You’ll be biting you nails to know more!

The romance in this final novel is far more mature that the first novel, Kestrel and Arin have come a long way and are no longer the blushing teenagers they used to be. They have both been through so much and have both grown and flourished as characters. Along the way, their love for each other has grown and changed, it is no longer infatuation, it is love that runs pure and deep.

Rutkoski introduces secondary characters such as Roshar and what both protagonists relationship is with him, constant bickering, banter and disagreements with the definite glimpses of a power struggle. You see strong friendships forge. You see how Kestrel deals with betrayal and coping with how her father treated her and the complex dynamic relationship that has formed between them.

This book is overall, entertaining, dynamic and completely thrilling and leaves you wanting more.

In conclusion, I would give this book five stars because it was gripping from start to finish. Even though I finished the book about a week ago, I am still thinking about it now. I would love there to be an epilogue of Arin & Kestrels life and to see how they have settled together. If you have not yet read this trilogy, please do because you will not regret and if you don’t you will be missing out on an amazing story that will effect your soul even after you have read the last page.

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