Book Review: The Winner's Trilogy

Safe to say that I don't often write reviews, mostly because not enough time.

BUT, the conclusion of a favorite series is a monumental thing.

THE WINNER'S TRILOGY

by Marie Rutkoski

Summary of Book I, Book II, Book III
Order Book I, Book II, Book III

Spoiler Free Review

This series just works on so many levels. Here I break down why:

The Characters

You won't find run of the mill characters in this trilogy. No tropes, no cliches. Instead you have characters who complement each other PERFECTLY. They were meant to be in these books, meant to be in their roles. Everything is so purposefully drawn. Specifically, our two leads weren't just chosen because they were intriguing on their own. So often this is the case, and yet it results in relationships lacking chemistry. Arin and Kestrel make so much sense as a pair. They are so similar, yet so different. What works so well is that they are equals in so many ways, and yet by the constructs of society, they are in very different places at the start of the series. The most beautiful journey is watching them slowly overcome their differences in initial positions and rediscovering the people they are innately, and reconciling how they have changed by the end of the journey. Secondary characters are also very nuanced and compelling.

The Writing

Second to plot (because I like to predict all the things), writing is probably what I'm most critical of, just because I admire good writing so much and am always striving to improve my own. The thing about good writing is that it's never too showy. It should never overtake the story. It serves. It's all too easy to forget this. Even now, when I read through my own drafts, I find lines that make me frown and think huh...I have a feeling that I just wrote that to be pretty.

Now, when you have the writing prowess of Marie, it's tempting to just fill a book of pretty writing that doesn't always serve the characters and the story. But these books don't fall into that trap. The writing and the story serve each other equally. Neither overpowers the other. You have scenes where the emotions and story need to take front and center. In those cases the writing does its job beautifully but knows not to overextend itself. Then you have quieter moments where the book gets more contemplative and emotional, and the writing knows that it's its time to shine. The balance of all things is handled so well.

Also, if you have trouble thinking of a mean metaphor, read this series. Oh my goodness, this series is loaded with the MOST BEAUTIFUL OF METAPHORS EVER.

The Plot

This is one of those rare times when for once I wasn't trying to out-think the author and predict all the twists. When there are twists, they are the sort that reside in the deepest part of your gut, the ones that you subconsciously aware of, as if you're watching this horror and with each second you KNOW something terrible is going to come, but the magic is you cannot look away. you absolutely cannot. You feel your helplessness - it's mirrored in the characters themselves - and Marie is a master at using that to drive the story forward.

Final Thoughts

Everything was handled so deftly, with so much care and honesty.

Something that my mom pointed out (because she's a fan of the books too) is that she could tell that the author had deep knowledge of the classics. I know what she means. The Winner's Trilogy is like a fine dark chocolate - it's not the initial burst of sweetness that knocks you off your feet, but rather slow unraveling of flavors and the series reveals its many layers. These books are the types that are worth reading and rereading over and over again, because there's always another shade of emotion to be discovered and another turn of phrase to be savored.

So there you have it. An extremely gushy/vague review (didn't want to spoil anything).

tldr; read The Winner's Trilogy. Do it, and then come back here to fangirl with me.