The Winner's Curse

****

4 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for giving me this book to review.

17 year old Kestrel has 2 options in life, join the military and work with her general father, or get marry, but all she wants to do is play her piano. However, her life changes when one day she buys a young man at the slave but she doesn’t know why, and the slave Arin does not act like an average slave. It is not long before society starts talking about how close they have become and Kestrel has to hide her growing feelings for Arin. However, Arin has a secret which could cost Kestrel everything and everyone if she doesn’t play her hand right.

The Winner’s Curse is a really good YA fantasy book which is all about what people are willing to gamble. The book was well written and there was no info-dumping in it, the first half was enjoyable but not as good as the second half as I could not put it down.

I really liked Kestrel as she wasn’t like most YA heroines because she didn’t try to be kick-ass, she just wants to enjoy her music, although she could have been stronger and firmer as she let some people walk all over her, especially Arin. Arin irritated me in the first half of the book as he was meant to be a slave and it was important to his plan that he acted like one yet he doesn’t at all, but I really liked him in the second half as he showed respect to everyone despite everything that’s happened to him over the years. I did feel sorry for Ronan as he is a really nice guy yet it seemed to me that he was led on by Kestrel.

I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read the next book The Winner’s Crime. I would recommend The Winner’s Curse to fans of Stolen Songbird by Danielle L Jensen or Seraphina by Rachel Hartman.