Hey friends! Today, we kick off the second week of the Read-along for The Winner's Curse! YAY! (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out this post for all the deets and a super epic giveaway, which is also posted at the bottom of this post too!) I'll be discussing the ONLY chapters 11-20 of The Winner's Curse, and my thoughts. If you haven't started reading with us yet, don't worry! There's still plenty of time to catch up, so pick up your copy of The Winner's Curse and start devouring Kestrel and Arin's story!
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 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.
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Favorite quote(s) from Chapters 11-20: "Nothing in you dreams can hurt you." & "Nettle your enemy."
Dear The Winner's Curse (Part Two),
Well, it was hell waiting a week to read the next ten chapters of you. After finishing the first ten last week, I just wanted to continue, because hello! You're freaking awesome and binge-worthy. This week's chapters were even better, if that's possible. I was instantly sucked back into Kestrel & Arin's world within the first sentence of Chapter 11.
Chapters 11-20 of you, The Winner's Curse, follow Lady Kestrel through some rough trials and tribulations. She is constantly fighting off Ronan's advances (ew), strategizing ways to get out of signing up for the military, playing Bite & Sting with Arin in exchange for questions & answers, grieving the loss of someone extremely near and dear to her heart, and then putting her neck on the line and risking her life in a death duel all because she wants to protect her slave. Meanwhile, Arin is sneaking around, failing to avoid Kestrel, making weapons for the Herrani, meeting Cheat to snitch, and being forced back to his old home, ultimately getting caught stealing something that was once his, and forcing Kestrel's hand to call for a death duel. He fights tooth and nail against Kestrel fighting Irex, much like the rest of her friends, but despite that, Kestrel meets up to duel Irex, with an audience crowding the estate. And that's where you leave off for now, The Winner's Curse.
WHAT?! I need more. NOW! It's so hard for me not to just sit here and read you in entirety. It killed me when Enai passed, because I knew how close Kestrel was to her. And then the part where Kestrel finds out that Irex's house used to be Arin's. My heart broke for Arin. My poor, poor slave. But my favorite part of you? When Kestrel tells Arin that he is her friend, and the next day, he confirms it. *LE SIGH*
Your chapters this week were even more of an emotional ride for me, and I'm tearing at the seams wanting to just sneak a few more pages or chapters out of you right this very second. But I shall wait and read later this week along with everyone else! You have definitely reminded me of why I sat and read you in one sitting the first time around.
With a broken heart I bid you adieu until next week, my love,
Becca
As promised, here's that EPIC giveaway that was promised! Huge thanks to Good Choice Reading for putting together this read-along, and Macmillan for offering up all these goodies!
I seriously love this series! Marie is such an amazing writer and I love what she has done with these characters and this world. I cannot wait to read more - and signed editions would be a fabulous addition to my bookshelves!
ReplyDeleteThis is where the story starts to get so good! When Kestrel stands up for Arin at Irex's and Arin knows that she knows whose house it was ... The plot thickens. You can see Arin really start to take a second look at Kestrel whose important he'd most tried to dismiss before now. And next we have the duel!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great series! Thanks for the tour. :)
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