Marie Rutkoski’s The Winner’s Curse is an intricately told story that introduces a new and fascinating world. In this world, one group of people, the Valorians, conquered another, the Herrani, took their land and turned them into slaves. For years, the power dynamics between the two groups have stayed the same. But now, as the novel begins and Kestral, a Valorian general’s daughter, buys Arin, a Herrani slave, at an auction, the relationship between the Valorians and Herrani begins to change.
Kestral can’t pinpoint why she impulsively purchased Arin at the auction, and she initially ignores his existence when they return to her home. After time, she begins to use Arin as her escort when visiting friends, and the two come to know one another better, even playing Bite and Sting, a Valorian game, together in secret. As they become friends, and it seems that romance may be developing between them, their friends and family begin to question their relationship. Their relationship is further complicated by the pressure Kestral feels from her father to choose between marrying and joining the military, a woman’s only options in the empire. All the while, a secret rebellion brews as a group of Herrani join together to overthrow the Valorians. As the two storylines come together, the book becomes a fast-paced read filled with action.
The Winner’s Curse, the first in a planned trilogy, will have readers eagerly awaiting more information about Kestrel and Arin. Rutkoski transports readers to her new world and takes them along for a high stakes journey.