The Winner's Kiss

The Winner's Kiss is the final book of Marie Rutkoski's The Winner's trilogy.

Some kisses come at a price.

War has begun.  Arin is in the tick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy.  Those he has convinced himself he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn't forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised.  She cares more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people- and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that's what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Krestel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp.  As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him.  She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they've done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Krestel and Arin discover that the world is changing.  The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between.  With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

The Breakdown:
1. It was bittersweet reading this book.  I was excited to see how Rutkoski brought the trilogy to an end, but at the same time I was sad to say goodbye to the characters.  Although sad to see it end, I thought that Rutkoski did a fantastic job of ending Krestel and Arin's story.  It just fit so well with the other two books.

2. This book did put me through a vast range of emotions. From the heartbreak when Arin founds out just what Krestel has done, and what has happened to her.  To the friendships developing between Arin and Roshar, Roshar and Krestel, and Krestel and Sarsine.  And most importantly, to Arin and Krestel finding their way back to the love between them. I love that Rutkoski makes me so emotionally invested in these characters, and makes them so mutli-dimensional.

3. I want to take a minute to appreciate the character of Roshar.  He puts on the haughty prince mantle when it suits him, but he becomes an amazing friend not only to Arin, but to Krestel, too.  Plus, he has quite the wicked sense of humor, and I very much enjoy his sarcastic comments.

4. Going to be honest, the final battle of this book was a real nail biter.  Rutkoski keep me guessing on how everything would play out between the East and the empire, and how the final battle would affect the relationship between Dacrans and the Herrani.  This book definitely keep me engaged with the story until the very end.

To Read or Not to Read:
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