Three Little Stories

Bridge of Snow by Marie Rutkoski is a prequel of sorts to The Winner's Curse.

Ignore the stirrings of War.  Let the carriage to the royal ball wait.  There is a story to be told: of a starless night, a mother and her sick son, and a mortal who falls in love with the snow god, and will do anything to have her...

The Breakdown:
1. This is a wonderful short that gives a glimpse of Arin's childhood before his home was invaded.  The story he wanted to hear makes it easy to see why he fell for Kestrel. While the story is not necessay to understand The Winner's Curse, it definitely adds to the series.

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Homecoming by Richelle Mead takes place not long after the events of Last Sacrifice.

Rose and Dimitri are going back to Russia to see Dimitri's family, something that both of them sorely need.  Dimitri has finally been restored into a dhampir, after forcibly changed into Strigoi.  His family needs to see him for themselves, and Rose needs to go back to Russia and face her trauma from the trip she made before.

The Breakdown:
1. Liked getting to see who Dimitri interacted with his family. It as easy to see how much he loves them, and how happy they are to have him back.

2. Liked getting to see Rose and Dimitri happy in love with each other without anything standing between them. They work so well together.

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Radiant by Cynthia Hand is a novella that comes between Hallowed and Boundless.

Clara is desperate to get away- from the memories that haunt her in Wyoming and the visions of the future she isn't ready to face- and spending the summer in Italy with her best friend, Angela, should be the perfect escape..

For as long as she can remember, Angela has been told that love is dangerous, that she must always guard her heart.  But when she met a mysterious guy in Italy two years ago she was determine to be with him, no matter the costs.  Now she must decide whether she can trust Clara with her secret, or if telling her the truth will risk everything she cares about.

The Breakdown:
1. The story switches between Clara and Angela perspective. It is interesting to see how each views situations differently.

2. I have to admit, I have not been a big fan of Angela in the novels.  She was too pushy, too intense, and at times didn't seem to care for Clara's feelings.  I think getting her perspective on life in this gives a better picture of why she is the way she is.

3. I have a feeling that Angel's  mysterious guy might end up playing an important role in Boundless, so it will interesting to see how the events in this novella effect the series.

To Read or Not to Read:
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