The Winner’s Curse, by Marie Rutkoski

[mrissa]

Review copy provided by FSG.

Ten pages into this book, I thought, why have I not heard of her other books? A hundred pages in, I went and put them on my library and Amazon lists. Because: sold. Yes. This is one of the times when I see that something is only the first part of a trilogy and think YES GOOD MORE rather than OH CRUD NOT AGAIN.

So one of the two main characters. Kestrel. So well-done on so many, many levels. First of all, Kestrel is allowed to be a strategist, both by inclination and by–brace yourself–study. She is not merely a natural prodigy. She gets better at strategy by studying it and thinking about it. Also, she has blind spots instilled by her culture and upbringing, so even though she is both strategic and treacherous (we love treacherous heroines!), she is not infallible even in the areas of her skill. I loved that. I loved that she was a competent fighter and that she used her areas of more-than-competence to get around her areas of mere-competence.

I loved the blind spots. Really, truly I did. Because Kestrel is on the winner’s side. Kestrel has been raised by the powerful in the empire, in the slave-owning empire, and even when you have compassion for your slaves, even when you have asked for freedom for your very favorite slave and have a loving relationship with her, even when you think that you understand about the things that slaves are not free to choose–even with all of that. If you are part of that culture, if you are that part of that culture, there are elements of it that do not just evaporate like the morning dew no matter who you meet, no matter what happens. And Kestrel was written just beautifully that way.

And Arin, the other main character, has his blind spots, too. He has the places where the things he has learned has taught him to expect very different things of Kestrel than what she is willing to do, able to do, interested in doing…they are perpetually wrong-footed with each other in all the right ways. It works so very well. There are games and friendships and music and politics and I love it.

(I will note that the politics does not happen right away. Trust me. There will be politics.)

And this book: if you are thinking, oh, the winner’s curse, that’s an economics term: you are correct. It is indeed that winner’s curse. Marie Rutkoski has written a YA fantasy novel with a major central love story around an economics term. She’s explored it on more than one level. Because she is smart and trusts young people to be smart. And also old people. Whoever, really. I appreciate that a lot.

Originally published at Novel Gazing Redux

Comments

[yhlee.livejournal.com]

I must get this from the library when it's out (?). Thank you.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Yes, out in early March, sorry, should have said.

[alecaustin.livejournal.com]

The excerpt on Tor.com is really good, but the associated cover image just screams "Not for Alecs!" So of course I never read it before now. Sigh.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Sometimes having trained ourselves in parsing cover images has a distinct down side.

[alecaustin.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure that cover really requires parsing. Other than maybe to sayi "Marketing didn't want to communicate that this book contained war, strategy, slaves, politics, or empires AT ALL, did they?"

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I have not looked closely, but just for clarity: I have found a short story on Tor.com that is related but not an excerpt. Which means there is more. Which is even better.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Oh good. There is an excerpt, and there are two short stories. Tor.com has come through for me on a very difficult morning. Hurrah Tor.com.

[txanne.livejournal.com]

Ooh. OOOOOOH. You found me another book!!

(edit: and having read the short story on tor.com, it'll probably break my heart. Eep and hurray!)

[papersky.livejournal.com]

For some reason, Amazon will give me the first five chapters free, ick, but won't let me preorder the whole book for the Kindle. And will I remember that name until March? I will not. Her other books look interesting but not as appealing, and are also necessarily earlier, and I'll wait for you to read them first.

If you could remind me about it in March when this is out, that would be really useful.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I will try to do this, but what is more likely is I will get other things by Rutkoski and put them in my book posts and you will say, "Oh yes, her!" But we'll get there one way or another.

The preordering really would be in everybody's best interest. I don't understand why they won't let you.

[blairmacg.livejournal.com]

I put it on my (lengthy) Wish List through Amazon. By using the list, I've purchased and read many books I would have otherwise forgotten.

[stfg.livejournal.com]

I also did not find this book when I searched on the author's name. I searched again on the title and it came up, which is pretty weird.

Here's the link I found.

amazon.com/The-Winners-Curse-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00ERWUQR4/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1391205369&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=the+winner%27s+curse+marie+rutkoski

[sprrwhwk.livejournal.com]

Amazon will let you preorder it here (http://www.amazon.com/The-Winners-Curse-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00ERWUQR4/), and it will automatically show up on your Kindle on March 4. They are clever like that. (It didn't show up for me anywhere evident on the search either. I had to dig around a bit.)

And I have preordered it, because strategy and economics and competent female protagonists? Oh yes please.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

I have preordered it too, because yes.

[sprrwhwk.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

[aliseadae]

Oh! I went and found the excerpt and discovered it wasn't out yet. Even though comments here have said otherwise. Whoops. Looking forward to it when it is!