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    The Winner's Kiss
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    The Winner's Kiss
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    The Winner's Kiss
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Winner's Kiss

    Written by Marie Rutkoski

    Narrated by Justine Eyre

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn't forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared 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, Kestrel 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 Kestrel 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?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMar 29, 2016
    ISBN9780804167918
    Unavailable
    The Winner's Kiss
    Author

    Marie Rutkoski

    Born in Illinois, Marie Rutkoski is a graduate of the University of Iowa and Harvard University. She is a professor of English literature at Brooklyn College and a New York Times bestselling author of books for children and young adults, including The Shadow Society and the Kronos Chronicles, which includes The Cabinet of Wonders. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.

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    Reviews for The Winner's Kiss

    4/5

    149 ratings12 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I really enjoyed book one, but book two fell short for me. The finale to the story redeemed the series. I think the reason I did not love book two was Kestrel and Arin were never together. They only saw each other a few times. Now, they are back together and the story that I loved came back to life. I love the two of them together as I liked this series more for the romance than the War aspects. I wish it focused more on their relationship throughout. I again lost interest when they went their separate ways.Overall, it was a decent series and I am glad I finished it.
    • 4/5
      Mar 2018 = 4.5 stars
      Apr 2016 = 4.5 stars
    • 4/5
      Great ending to this series :) RTC later when I feel like writing things down.
    • 4/5
      The conclusion of a trilogy, complete with battles and adventures and romance as you might expect and hope for if you have been reading this series. I felt that the ending was a bit drawn out, but on the other hand, this allowed each plot line to be satisfactorily concluded. I've really enjoyed listening to this series on audiobook, and I feel Justine Eyre's narration actually adds a lot of value, so if you are an audiobook fan, try these!
    • 5/5
      The heartstopping end to The Winner's Trilogy starts with Kestrel trying to figure a way out of prison due to her betrayal being discovered and swiftly punished by her father. Arin is gunning for war after ensuring the aid of the Dacran queen. Kestrel tries to escape a few times, but after harsh punishment and being subject to various drugs, she loses the will to fight and starts to forget who she even is. Arin focuses on simply not feeling and throwing himself in the war to cope. The Dacrans and Herrans are clearly outnumbered, outgunned, and out maneuvered plus his Moth spy has disappeared. Will Kestrel and Arin ever see each other again? Can the Herrans and Dacran cooperate and overthrow the Valerians?The Winner's Trilogy is epic fantasy at its best, addictive and masterfully written. Although there isn't any magic to speak of, the world is completely realized with the different people's customs, attitudes, and norms. This book in particular is a wonderful mix of romance, political intrigue, and war without having one aspect take up too much of the plot. One of my pet peeves with young adult fiction is how the angsty romance takes up so much of the plot when earth shattering things are usually happening all around. There's a place for everything in The Winner's Kiss and nothing is forgotten. The romance has the usual miscommunications and pride of the respective people involved which is expected because it builds tension. However, Kestrel and Arin finally level with each other and get all of their feelings out with real conversations instead of half truths and misunderstandings. The political intrigue is the smallest part in this novel because Kestrel is no longer at court, but it's mainly present when Dacran royalty is involved. The war depicted here isn't glorious and honorable. It's bloody, messy, dirty, and horrific. Kestrel finally directly involves herself with the war and is forced to take lives to save her own and get her hands dirty instead of orchestrating everything from safety. All aspects of the book were filled with just enough forward momentum, tension, and drama.The characters of The Winner's Trilogy are really what kept me reading, especially Kestrel, Arin, and Roshar. Every character is dynamic and interesting to read, even the ones I loved to hate. Kestrel is no longer surrounded by riches. She starts out trapped in a prison built to create mindless slaves through drugs. After months of fighting to escape and being punished, she succumbs to the oblivion of the drugs and forgets literally everything about herself. Once Arin saves her, she has no idea who he is or even who she is, having to relearn and remember everything. The person who comes out the other side isn't exactly like the old Kestrel, but someone new who has to get to know Arin again (plus everyone else in her life) instead of just fall into his arms. She has to discover who she is and reconcile everyone else's account of her with her own slowly trickling in memories, many of which are repressed. I like that Kestrel had to come to terms with her own lies and other undesirable things she did in order to do what she thought was best. Her complex relationship with her father also plays a large role because so much of herself was shaped around waiting for him and hungering for his approval. She has to find who she is separate from him and from Arin before she makes any definite decisions on what to do. Arin is also changed after Kestrel so soundly rejected him in the last book. His anger and sorrow are closer to the surface as he tries to throw himself into battle to forget. Through new Kestrel, his softer side emerges more and more, but he is no less ferocious in battle. He has to let Kestrel go a little bit and stop being so controlling because she's a force to reckoned with and will make her own decisions despite his. They became a great team as the battles went on and got to know a different side of each other this way. Arin's friendship with Roshar also develops and becomes almost like a brotherhood instead. The two have such silly banter because Arin tries to be serious all the time, but Roshar insists on making jokes at every turn, no matter how dour the situation. The mutilated prince has lots of layers underneath his jokes and it becomes clear that he actually cares for Arin and Kestrel, who he gets to know throughout the novel. The ending particularly showed the depths of his devotion even if that act in itself is told in a hilarious way. Without Roshar, the book would have been much too dramatic. He succeeds in lightening the mood (even if he may be infuriating) and coming up with schemes that don't always align with his allies. Roshar is a memorable trickster character with his own agendas, but a heart of gold.If I had my way, I would have read The Winner's Kiss in one sitting. Alas, things like sleep and work got in the way. I loved the entire series and I couldn't ask for a better ending to this series. I eagerly await for what Marie Rutkoski writes next, whether future books exist in this same universe or not. I always lose myself in her masterful writing with its twists and turns that I can never predict.
    • 4/5
      A good, strong conclusion to this trilogy. Taking up the story just as it had left the characters in the previous volume, The Winner's Kiss opens with Krestel struggling in a prison labor camp and Arin engrossed in war and alliances. Many secrets kept are unraveled and I fully credit the author with not keeping Krestel and Arin's reconciliation for the novel's conclusion, and instead providing some very real suspense in the battles and games played out in the last half of this book. Definitely read this if you have enjoyed the first two novels in the trilogy.
    • 4/5
      Spoilers for the first two books in the series; no spoilers for this book unless marked by the spoiler tag. ;)I really enjoyed the first half of this book; taking place just after Kestrel is shipped off to the mines by her father and the emperor. She suffers a great deal in the mines, and with Arin believing that she is dead, he pretty much gives himself over to the god of death and is determined to make Valoria suffer and crumble. I really liked that Verex did his best to get Kestrel out of the mines by smuggling a key to her. I also love that it was Arin who got Kestrel out of the mines in the end, and how he put himself in danger to do so. I seriously got teary at one point because it was just so great. ;) Kestrel's amnesia, brought on by her trauma, near-starvation, and drugging in the mines was a good device to use, and it was nice to watch her fall in love with Arin all over again, from the beginning.Okay, let's talk about Roshar and how freaking awesome he is. :D I loved his character; he's sarcastic, self-depreciating (even though he's a prince), and he grows so much because of his and Arin's friendship. I really think that Arin brought him back to life in a way, helping him heal from the trauma he suffered as a slave of the Valorian Empire. Also, super-stoked that Roshar was gay. And super, super-stoked that Arin and Roshar had an incredibly close friendship, with both of them stating that they loved the other (in a platonic manner), and that there was no sexual relationship between them. I mean, I wouldn't have minded that Arin was bisexual or anything, but it seems that a deep, profound relationship between two men (especially if one is gay) is so rare, and when it DOES appear, they have to have sex. It doesn't have to be that way! Men can love one another as deeply as friends as women can, and I was so happy to see that here. :) I felt like the last half of the book felt a little disjointed and rushed, because there were SO MANY things that needed to be resolved. It felt like there needed to be another book in the series to me, but I know that the trilogy format is what is favored in YA fiction right now, so...it is what it is. I would definitely recommend this series!
    • 5/5
      This book was definitely the perfect ending I was looking for for this trilogy. It started off with me being really stressful because of where Kestrel was at, and what Arin thought of her. I was so worried that I would never see the two of them together again. Thankfully this was not the case. However, due to the conditions of the prison she was kept in, she couldn’t remember who he was or what he was to her. It was definitely heartbreaking to see. But once Kestrel began to find her bearings and remember things, she was eager to help Arin and his allies. Lots of suspenseful thrills in this book with the war going on. Kestrel totally proved herself to be the ultimate master of manipulation and it was awesome to see it work so well. I don’t want to say anything more to ruin it for people who haven’t read it though. Overall I really loved this final installment of The Winner’s Trilogy.
    • 4/5
      This is the final book in the trilogy. If you haven’t read books 1 & 2, read no further. Stop. Spoilers below.At the end of book two, Kestrel is on her way to prison and Arin is on his way to life without Kestrel because he thinks she’s his enemy. Arin is now back in his country traveling about as he fights the war. He has partnered with Roshar, who is technically in charge. Arin fights without fear, knowing that his god will keep him from dying. He desperately wants to win so that his people are free. His people believe his is touched by a god and will bring them freedom. Kestrel’s life is about as bad as it can get. She attempts to contact Arin by leaving a moth with a Herrani, but it appears to fail. She’s sent to a prison camp where the prisoners are drugged to keep them in line. Kestrel isn’t easily cowed; and, in an attempt to escape, is beaten. At that point, she gives up, accepting the drugs as relief from reality. The Herrani doesn’t forget and eventually gets to Arin, who now knows the truth. The guilt is almost too much for him to bear. He is able to get Kestrel out of prison, but her mind has been traumatized by the drugs and she has no memory of him.At this point, the story can go towards its conclusion. Arin has to deal with his guilt, try to help Kestrel, and win the war to free his people while not allowing Roshar and his sister, the queen, his country. He and Roshar are close friends, but the queen has her own plans. Kestrel becomes stronger and is really the only person who can strategize as well as the general, her father.I enjoyed this trilogy. I think book one is the best, but I enjoyed the ending, for it ends well. I greatly recommend the entire trilogy!
    • 4/5
      This book wasn’t perfect, but it was perfect for me.


      There were so many things that I loved.

      First, as with the previous books, the hauntingly beautiful prose left me giddy and tingling. Rutkoski conveys her characters’ anguish and their hope in fine, detailed brushstrokes of language. Her phrasing is unique without being showy, her choice of imagery almost perfectly balanced with the actions of individual characters. Speaking of, Kestrel’s character arc was wonderfully structured. I was a little skeptical, at first, with the amnesia plotline (because AMNESIA, REALLY), but with Rutkoski at the helm I needn’t have worried! Kestrel’s loss of memory was achingly captured. It was a great way to bring new depth and growth to a character that I once thought of as “aloof”. It challenged Kestrel’s — and thereby our — perceptions of herself, which complicated her relationships with others. I particularly loved Kestrel’s careful, bruising understanding of her dynamic with her father, and I loved watching her work through and learn from it from a different place. And, just as importantly, it knitted her relationship with Arin out of more solid, brighter thread. This, in turn, gave Arin and Kestrel’s star-crossed romance a heartwrenchingly satisfying ending. I loved how Kestrel and Arin, through misspoken words and cut-off conversations, arrive, with painful, awkward honesty, to the conclusion that they can — and should — always meet each other as equals. It’s a wonderfully open, mature way to sweeten the romance between two fierce and complex characters.

      But no, it wasn’t entirely perfect.

      There were a few plot points that were rushed through and blown past in service of character growth. Again, this was fine for me, since I place much more emphasis on character development than plot in my own writing and reading. But some might question just how easy it was for Arin to arrive at the tundra and rescue Kestrel within the span of barely 12 hours or so, when Kestrel had plotted for days and had failed disastrously. (And it didn’t entirely sit right with me that Kestrel ultimately needed Arin to come save her.) Some may not entirely love Kestrel’s struggle with amnesia, as it somewhat erases her struggles in the past few books (her deteriorated relationship with Jess, for example). And some will find the ending to be squished together and rushed, making the whole climax feel like a long, light breeze, rather than a savage storm. The back and forth between Kestrel’s climax and Arin’s, in particular, was hard for me to follow, and made me feel a bit light-headed when everything was over.

      And yet, when it was over, I was left with that queer ache that comes with feeling extremely satisfied, and wishing I was not done. All said, this is a lush, romantic conclusion to a richly imagined trilogy. A triumphant story about the enduring power of faith and love. ★★★★☆.
    • 4/5
      Note: There will necessarily be some spoilers for Books One and Two of this series.The Winner’s Kiss concludes a very good YA fantasy trilogy that began with The Winner’s Curse and continued with The Winner’s Crime.In The Winner's Curse, we met seventeen-year-old Kestrel (who turns eighteen in Book Two), the daughter of single parent General Trajan, the highest ranking general of the Valorian Empire, ruling over the lands taken ten years previously from the Herrani. The Herrani now serve as “slaves” to the Valorians, but the slavery is depicted as more of indentured servitude. Kestrel has been brought up with the help of a Herrani woman, and so is more compassionate than other Valorians towards Herranis, and more conflicted about the whole slavery system. Nevertheless, she doesn’t question it too much; it is the world into which she has been born. At a slave auction, Kestrel impulsively purchased a rebellious and handsome boy of 19 named Arin, but (of course) Kestrel and Arin fell in love, with portentous complications. Arin is working to help the Herranis bring about the destruction of the Valorians, and Kestrel, who would do anything for Arin, begins helping him as a spy (unknown even to Arin) named “The Moth.” Unfortunately, her father discovers her treason, and sends her to her probable death as a prisoner in the sulfur mines.In order to keep prisoners working hard as well as compliant, they are drugged morning and night. In time, Kestrel forgets who she is and who everyone is in her life.Some Spoilers Ahead: Skip to Evaluation to Avoid Spoilers (Note: The ending is not revealed):Arin finally hears the truth about what happened to Kestrel (her father put out word that she had died of a disease) and rescues her. But she doesn’t even recognize Arin. With the help of Arin’s cousin Sarsine, Kestrel gradually regains her memories, except for how she felt about Arin, something she actively resists remembering. What her father did to her has affected her deeply: how could feel love again for someone without being broken by it?They have bigger concerns as well. Now there is a war against the Valorians, and Kestrel uses all the skills her father taught her to help Arin defeat them. She feels guilty for it, and Arin points out she had no choice but to choose a side - her father, or herself. Kestrel said “I want better choices.” And Arin replied: “Then we must make a world that has them.” They all also have to figure out how to get to a place of forgiveness, especially Kestrel.As Arin and Kestrel, along with the lovable Prince Roshar, fight the numerous and better-equipped Valorians, it is truly not clear if any or all of them will survive. Evaluation: This is a series that will have you feeling sad when it ends. The characters are so complex and appealing that it is hard to let them go. The romance aspect is very well done; it is slow in developing and fraught with both doubt and yearning. The book also has surprising elements of diversity that are well-integrated into the story in a way that mirrors real life. The author takes the classic elements of fairy tales and fantasies and subverts them a bit, but still gives us a prince and a heroine worth swooning over. I know many readers, especially adult readers, avoid the plethora of YA fantasy trilogies that seem to flood the market, but this is definitely one worth reading.
    • 5/5
      This was a wonderful conclusion to this series and very engaging. This book was just so easy to read, I blew right through this book and enjoyed every minute of it. This has been an excellent YA fantasy series full of action, intrigue, war, and romance and I really loved it.Kestrel goes through a lot of trials and torment in this novel; this forces her to grow a lot as a character and she ends up as a better...if different...person because of it. Arin grows and changes some as well; in the beginning of the book I was a bit frustrated by Arin’s blindness.I love that both Kestrel and Arin are flawed but strive to do what they think is right. I also enjoyed that Roshar was in the story a lot, he is a great character and a great friend to Arin.What continues to awe me about this series is how well the writing flows, how beautifully the book is written, and how easy and engaging it is to read. This book practically reads itself, it is just so entertaining.I really enjoyed how the story was wrapped up and thought this was a wonderful way to tie up this series.Overall this was a wonderful conclusion to The Winner’s Curse series. This whole series was an incredibly well done YA fantasy series that had lots of action, intrigue, and romance. I would recommend to those who enjoy historical fantasy. It was just a spectacularly engaging read!