The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski (review)

After essentially exchanging her own freedom for the liberation of Herrani territory (in The Winner’s Curse, BCCB 3/14), Valorian noblewoman Kestrel finds herself caught in a web of intrigue and deceit now that she is the emperor prince’s betrothed in the Valorian capital. Meanwhile, Arin, former slave (and almost lover) of Kestrel’s and now the ruler of Herrani, is struggling to improve his country’s conditions while still secretly pining away for Kestrel. A ball celebrating her engagement reunites the two, but Kestrel remains aloof, assuming a casual cruelty that leads Arin to believe he never really knew her at all—which is precisely what Kestrel needs him to think if she is going to play the role of spy for Herrani forces without his interference. Rutkoski has created two characters nearly burning up with chemistry, adding tension by focusing on the impossible situation they find themselves in and the stakes that prevent them from being together. The expansion of the world beyond Herrani allows readers to see exactly who would be at risk if Arin and Kestrel acted on their feelings; indeed, a calculated risk by Kestrel results in the death of nearly an entire tribe of people, a message from the emperor that her actions are being watched and have serious consequences. The cliffhanger ending of this second installment guarantees an anxious audience for the arrival of the third book.