The Winner's Crime Review

THE WINNER'S CRIME
Series: The Winner's Trilogy (Book Two)
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Release Date: March 3rd 2015

Book Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury 
Source: Physical copy, Goodreads 
Review: 5/5 *Full Review Below.

Blurb:
Lady Kestrel's engagement to Valoria's crown prince calls for great celebration: balls and performances, fireworks and revelry. But to Kestrel it means a cage of her own making. Embedded in the imperial court as a spy, she lives and breathes deceit and cannot confide in the one person she really longs to trust ...

While Arin fights to keep his country's freedom from the hands of his enemy, he suspects that Kestrel knows more than she shows. As Kestrel comes closer to uncovering a shocking secret, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth.Lies will come undone, and Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them in this second book in the breathtaking Winner's trilogy. 

WHAT HAS THIS BOOK DONE TO ME?!

This book will leave you a complete bubbling heartbroken mess and in a permanent state of mourning, I don’t know how I’m going to survive until book 3. Rutkoski is a mastermind!

Welcome to the best book of 2015 so far…

The first book The Winner’s Curse made me laugh and nearly cry but this had me sobbing, I was a mess. I'm seriously debating reading book 3 it’s been a month since I read this and I'm still heartbroken and furious!

Kestrel is still paying for the consequences that came from saving Arin and his peoples lives. She’s trapped in an engagement she never wanted and still yearns for the love she can never have. Arin fights to figure out the truth to how Kestrel became engaged to Valoria’s Crown Prince and ends up discovering a shocking secret. (NOT THE BLOODY SECRET YOU WANT ARGH)

Kestrel is one of my favourite heroines. She’s not your typical fighting heroine instead she’s extremely skillful and sharp minded. She has been winning her fathers wars with her tactful and faultless strategies. The Winner’s Crime gives you more insight into how Kestrel very cleverly skirts between lies and the truth and can outwit almost any man but she doesn’t get far with the King. The King knows everything that happens in his kingdom and loves nothing more than to watch his people squirm and strike when no one suspects it.

My favourite part of this book is the clever writing, I was totally captivated from start to finish. Rutkoski has a disturbingly gifted way of enchanting you, even with a slow paced book that you physically can’t put down and will have your heart pounding until the very end.

I can’t even describe all the feels you will get from this book I mean it actually hurt to read it.. How messed up is that? This book doesn’t have much romance in but there are these scenes that are just heartbreaking and frustrating (for me!) as Kestrel and Arin are forced to deal with the mess they've created and continue to deny their feelings for the greater good. I needed more romance in this, I could read about these two all day but the book has much more pressing matters at hand!

I won’t lie you the cliffhanger will most definitely kill you so if you’ve haven’t read it yet, DON’T.. at least save it for a later date ;)

This book is brutal and harsh and will undoubtedly tear you apart and lead you through a whirlwind of emotions but you will LOVE it. It’s filled with lies, betrayals, self-sacrifice, false alliances, angst, angst, angst and finally heartbreak. Also NO INSTA-LOVE!

I already can’t wait to forget the series just so I can read them a-new before the final installment! This book is for anyone and everyone, it’s the best of high fantasy and it’s just bound to tear your heart apart. HAPPY READING!