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This story was definitely not what I had expected when I picked up the book. Based on recommendations, I went blindly in when I decided it's time to read it. I clearly had no idea, have not read the blurb, just trusted friends telling me to read it. So everything took me quite by suprise.

While I was confused in the very beginning on how fast scenes and the POV were changing, I did realize how essential that was for the story to unfold. We meet Kestrel, the protagonist of the books, in a surrounding that makes it clear: she is anything but the woman her society wants her to be. Which makes us immediately like her, a lot. The story gets fast to the plot points we need, and soon we meet Arin. And while we find out about his intentions pretty soon, there is just something about the way these two characters interact with each other that makes you know that there will be a hell lot of pain involved.

As we keep reading, we get to learn a lot about the history of Valorian and Herran, as well of their different cultures and characteristic traits (or stereotypes and clichés). Arin and Kestrel's conversation and scenes not only point out how different both Valorian and Herran are, but how impossible it is for them to accept the other. It is interesting to watch them get comfortable with each other, as much as the situation allows it, while knowing that there is going to be a turning point. Which came sooner than anticipated.

I was not expecting for the story to take a climate point that fast. Which made me check the page number (which I usually never to) only to realize we barely reached the half of the book. So how will it be going on? One turns the pages, and turns them, and turns them, only to see that the story has taken a whole different pace to tell the continuing events. We experience several climax, until the very last one that makes us close the book with our mouth shaped in a big "O".

When I started reading the first few chapters I was doubting I would like the book. As I mentioned before, chapters ended too fast, there were too many quick changes in the scenes, and the plot seemed to be faster than my mind processing everything. But reaching the end, it all made sense. We needed that fast plot because this story promises more than the rise and fall of a mistreated ethnicity. This story will tell more than about two people having found a comfortable place in their counterpart. And I don't know if I'll be ready to actually see what's coming next. One thing is for sure, I enjoyed not having read the blurb and thus not being prepared for anything. So I won't even dare to read the blurb of the next book. I will jump right into the story, probably binge-read the whole series.

Marie Rutkoski has created a great world where two differenct cultures clash together, where justice and injustice can be seen cleary, while the border of those seems so blurry. She brought characters to us that not only convince us by simply being who they are, but by their actions, thoughts, and feelings. And I'm not only talking about the two main characters, but all we encounter throughout the story.

I am definitely giving this book 4.8 stars, which is hard to put it like that in Goodreads, so I'll stick to the 4 stars.

Also, I'd like to point out how much this book had similiar but still unique and different elements like The Captive Prince trilogy. Maybe it was just the obvious that made me come to this comparison, maybe it is because I rarely get to read a story with such strong politics in it. However, I do think that everyone who has loved The Captive Prince could enjoy this story as well (Keep in mind that The Winner's Curse is YA, not NA!), and that everyone who enjoyed this might enjoy The Captive Prince trilogy. Again, please keep in mind that it's NA and has explicit content.