The Laughing Listener
#FebsCursedKiss Buddy Read 2019
Format: Paperback
Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Our #FebsCursedKiss buddy read is going swimmingly and yesterday was the start of book two, which means it’s review time! And this was, ugh... Wow. I don't know, I'm so confused about it. Half of me absolutely loved this and the other half wanted to light it on fire.



THE GOOD

My thoughts are so jumbled, I need to break this down. Let's start with what I liked.

First of all, I thought the writing was beautiful! I really love Rutkoski’s style and her use of metaphors and descriptions. There were so many moments that I had to stop and pause to write stuff down. It was great.

Overall I really loved the beginning half of this book. All of the slave talk made me squirm at first, but I could tell early on that this was going to be one of the main conflicts and I was ready to see these slaves rise up and fight back. And at first I really loved how Rutkoski structured the plot and built the tension. The perspectives would switch between Kestrel who was different than most Valorians but completely oblivious to the brewing revolution, and Arin who was secretly planning some kind of revolt that we don’t get all the details on. Arin’s secrets are revealed to us a little bit at a time and I was so into it. I couldn’t read the pages fast enough and was dying to know MORE.



And despite everything, I actually really like the individual characters and can sympathize with both of them. Kestrel is AMAZING and I kind of have a girl crush on her. She’s so smart and cunning with a quiet kind of strength I really admire. Any time she would outwit someone (which was often) I wanted to fist pump. Even during the end when shit was GOIN DOWN I felt for her and could understand her motivations. And Arin is a man who had everything taken away from him and wants to free his people! I admire them both.

THE UGLY

*Lets out a long breath* Okay. Where do I even start?

When this book hits the halfway mark, it goes from 0 to 60 in like, A PAGE. I got whiplash this plot spun around so fast. One carriage scene and BAM, EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT. I wasn’t really shocked at the turn of events? But oh my god, could we have eased into it a little more??



And when I said I like the characters individually, I meant it. I love Arin and I love Kestrel, but their relationship together gets SO WEIRD and I was in a constant state of pissed off reading the last half. Arin wants his freedom and to free his people. Since he was a freaking SLAVE this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but somehow Kestrel is just SO SHOCKED by the whole thing? And Kestrel basically gets claimed as property and held prisoner, so of course she’s gonna be pissed off. But Arin is so confused by her anger, like she should be thankful she’s being held under house arrest. Guys, literally NOTHING that’s happening is shocking. Why are you both so flabbergasted at each other????

Plus, they share ONE KISS and Arin is just hopelessly devoted and in love with Kestrel???? So despite all the tension over a freaking WAR and Kestrel being held prisoner, there are still some weird romantic moments? But they were so randomly thrown in and don’t help their relationship progress AT ALL. Someone would get stabbed, or kestrel would try to run away, but then they would get all flirty while baking pastries and shit. It was soooooo weird.

If felt like too much time was spent in the beginning laying down groundwork, which shoved ALL of the plot to the back. Arin and Kestrels relationship REALLY needed more time to ease into the passion they felt for each other because it just didn’t make sense to me.

FINAL WORD

I’m here for the characters and I’m actually curious to see how this mess plays out, so I’m still continuing the series, but this first book wasn’t the best.

#1 ↦ The Winner’s Curse ↦ ✦✦✦✧✧
#2 ↦ [b:The Winner's Crime|20443207|The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy, #2)|Marie Rutkoski|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1411741455s/20443207.jpg|31174003] ↦ ?????
#3 ↦ [b:The Winner's Kiss|20443235|The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy, #3)|Marie Rutkoski|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1455809407s/20443235.jpg|31175868] ↦ ?????