Waiting on Wednesday: THE WINNER’S KISS by Marie Rutkoski

So many awesome books to look forward to! Here’s what I’m super excited for in 2016.

Waiting on Wednesday Theme: End of a series!

Title: THE WINNER’S KISS
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Pub Date: March 29, 2016 by Farrar Straus & Giroux
Amazon: Click click!
B&N: Cliiiiiiiick!
Goodreads: Add it!

I decided not to paste the summary for book 3 since it’s spoilery for the first two books.

SUMMARY FOR BOOK ONE, THE WINNER’S CURSE:

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love…

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

These books are mind blowing. Part of the reason I love them so much is every time you think it can’t get worse, IT DOES. The ending of book one was game changing. The ending of book two was an even bigger twist. Marie Rutkoski is honestly a master at raising the stakes.

We were just talking about #MorallyComplicatedYA last night, and Arin and Kestrel are super amoral characters. They’re in the middle of a war/revolution and every decision is weighted, every choice dangerous. They literally hold lives in their hands. They are grey. They’ve done bad for good. They keep their motives closely guarded–which leads to a lot of angst and:

Literally me reading these books

And anyway, if the deepness didn’t entice you then I don’t know what to tell you. There’s also:

1. Murder
2. Tigers
3. KESTREL THE BADDEST B EVER ❤
4. OMG PLOT TWIST ENDINGS
5. prettyprettyprettycovers
6. angstangstangst

And if you REALLY need more convincing:

“He did not want her to know.
He did not want her to see.
But:
Look at me, he found himself thinking furiously at her. Look at me.
She lifted her eyes, and did.” -The Winner’s Crime

“There was dishonor, she decided, in accepting someone else’s idea of honor without question.” -The Winner’s Crime

“Right before sleep, he came close to understanding. But he was awake now.” -The Winner’s Crime

“The truth can deceive as well as a lie.” -The Winner’s Crime

“Isn’t that what stories do, make real things fake, and fake things real?” -The Winner’s Crime

Amazing, right? So read The Winner’s Curse and The Winner’s Crime in time for the LAST book in the series. And Marie promised there would be kissing!

 

@Mic_Domenici@EachStarAWorld@MissDahlELama@thebooktraveler oh, there is kissing.

— Marie Rutkoski (@marierutkoski) November 24, 2015

I CAN’T WAIT FOR MARCH. And! Marie is joining The Fierce Reads Tour next spring!!! *happy dance* Details here! You don’t want to miss this.

Have you read The Winner’s trilogy? Are you excited for THE WINNER’S KISS? What do you think will happen? Can there be a happy ending? AHHHH!!