The Winner’s Curse
Series
The Winner’s Trilogy
by
Marie Rutkoski
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Macmillan
Imprint
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN
9780374384678
Awards and Honors
Booklist 2014 Top 10 Books for Youth, Romance; Amazon.com Top 20 Editors’ picks 2014, Teen & Young Adult; Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Books of 2014; YALSA’s 2015 Best Fiction for Young Adults; The New York Public Library, Best Books for Teens 2014!
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Violence: Mild Violence, Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Alcohol Abuse, Violence: Mild Violence
When Kestrel, an aristocratic citizen of Valoria, buys a mysterious young man at auction, she changes both the course of her life and that of the empire.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Violence: Mild Violence, Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Alcohol Abuse, Violence: Mild Violence
Details
Format
Page Count
368
Trim Size
5 1/2" x 8 1/4"
Dewey
F
AR
5.1: points 12
Lexile
680L
Genre
Fiction
Scholastic Reading Counts
20
JLG Release
May 2014
Book Genres
Topics
Slavery. Empire. Love. Fantasy.
Standard MARC Records
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Cover Art
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Praise & Reviews
Starred or favorable reviews have been received from these periodicals:
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books*, Booklist, The Horn Book Magazine, The Horn Book Guide^, Kirkus Reviews*, Publishers Weekly*, School Library Journal
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
As a member of the ruling Valorian class and the daughter of General Trajan, 17-year-old Kestrel must either marry or enlist in the army before she turns 20. She does not want to do either. A talented musician and gambler, the headstrong teen would rather play the piano or a game of Bite and Sting than fight. When she impulsively purchases a 19-year-old Herrani slave called Smith at an auction, she makes a decision that pierces her hermetic, privileged world. The more their paths cross, the more their relationship evolves and changes into something undefined and new. Unbeknownst to Kestrel, however, the mysterious and talented Smith, whose real name is Arin, is part of an uprising that is plotting to free the Herrani by destroying their enslavers. Winner’s Curse is a riveting novel about social stratification, mistrust, and honor—but even more, it’s a book that challenges readers to think about morality and the way deep emotion and a lust for revenge can make the separation between right and wrong as hazy as shifting clouds. Where should Kestrel’s loyalty lie: with her people or the exploited Herrani? Do years of mistreatment justify annihilating an entire people? In this well-paced novel, there is violence, action-packed battle scenes, and descriptions of gruesome deaths. There is also hope that love will be the real winner and faith that it can be greater than the curse of war.—Chelsey Philpot, School Library Journal
Horn Book
Kestrel, daughter of an imperial general, is inexplicably moved to pay an exorbitant price for Arin, a handsome, musically gifted slave who is up for auction. Arin is Herrani, a people conquered and enslaved by the Valorian emperor; Kestrel soon realizes that he’s cultured as well as brawny and beautiful—and also a plotter of a Herrani uprising. The tables are turned when the Herrani take over the city, and Kestrel herself becomes Arin’s prisoner and slave. She uses her skills as a gambler and military strategist to free herself and negotiate a peaceful resolution to the Herrani-Valorian conflict. Rutkoski’s invented world and political situation are loosely inspired by Greco-Roman antiquity. The story’s mechanics pivot on military strategies and a romantic relationship that is predictable and somewhat improbable. The tale reads as a confection, with forbidden love, fancy gowns, putative musical giftedness (vague in its expression), and warrior stoicism to delight teenage readers. Characterization and prose style are serviceable rather than profound, but the plot takes some satisfying twists and turns. deirdre f. baker
Grades 9 & Up
Young Adults
For Grades 9 & Up
Your older teen readers will appreciate the 12 selections in this category, a diverse mix of fiction and nonfiction covering complex issues and more mature content, from crushes and body changes to friendships and sibling rivalry.
12 books per Year
$201.60 per Year
Interests
Diversity,Fiction,Mature Readers,LGBTQ+,Novels,Funny/Humorous,Realistic Fiction
Grades 9 & Up
Young Adults
12 books per Year
$201.60 per Year
