The Winner's Crime | Book Review

Title: The Winner's Crime
Series: (The Winner's Crime #2)
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Genre: Fantasy, War, Romance (pfft, yeah right..)
Publication Date: March 3rd 2015
Format: ebook

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. 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... if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.

"I don't mind being a moth. I would probably start eating silk if it meant that I could fly."

I would've picked this for my senior quote if I read it earlier...

I am done
 I am so done
  I am fucking done. 

Marie Rutkoski says:

"This book was exhausting to write and took a while for me to finish (having a baby in the middle of it might have had something to do with it)."

So um what the hell was that? Was that the reason? Was it pregnancy and hormones? I bet it was.

Excuse me, Marie Rutkoski.. What have I ever done to you, huh?
She was able to change a very bad situation to a much worst one...


So this whole book was fascinating, but it was also very frustrating. First of all, the misunderstandings! The FUCKING. MISUNDERSTANDINGS. 
If Arin would just fucking shut up and listen for once, half of the problems in this book would've been solved (I was about to write "been solved faster" but then I remembered they don't actually get solved..)

I'm just so sad. I'm angry. I don't know how to feel.

I want to have a girls night with Kestrel just holding her to tell her everything is going to be okay. Everyone is against Kestrel in this freaking book!
She's the one who gets to make the hardest decisions, and she's the one who gets blamed for everything, and she's the one that everybody leaves. 

My little poor Kestrel..

Look, I don't hate Arin. I love him. And as much as understandable his situation is, I wish he just shut the fuck up for once and realize the shit he's doing. His insecurities made me love him so much more to be honest. Like, how many male characters in YA book are concerned that they'er too ugly? 

I thought Verex was going to be a problem but aww he's so cute. 

Overall, I found the political aspects of this book so much more interesting than the first one and I absolutely loved the complexity behind it. The characters continue to wow me with their intelligence. It is a thrilling read full of chess action, a tragic romance and rich characters. I felt so much reading it (mostly the feeling of wanting to throw it against a wall). The wait for the third one will be torture..

I have a few theories that I might share close to The Winner's Kiss's release but for now let us keep it at that.