Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Winning trilogy ends on a more mature note.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
When Kestrel is discovered as a spy at the end of The Winner's Crime, she is sent to the tundra to do hard labor, a mercy when the punishment for treason is usually death. But it doesn't feel like a mercy to Kestrel. The food is drugged to make her work harder during the day, sleep at night, and slowly forget who she even is. An escape attempt leads to a whipping, and afterward she succumbs to the power of the drugs. Arin, meanwhile, makes his way back to Herran with his new allies from Dacra who have vowed to help him fight. There's no way around an all-out war after the Valorian emperor poisoned his country's water supply, leaving everyone too sick to fight. As they get their energy back and war is imminent, word comes from Valoria about Kestrel's capture. Arin, feeling both responsible and heartsick, is determined to free Kestrel before he takes on the Valorian Emperor.
Is It Any Good?
Fans of the series will all-out devour the nail-biting jailbreak opener and the twisty climax of this finale; the middle takes a bit more patience. Rutkoski's writing is lovely, full of thoughtful imagery and depth. It's usually an asset, but as Kestrel grapples with her hazy memory after the prison drugs and Arin tries to bring her back to herself, there's so much to ponder. Who is she now? Does Arin love her out of guilt? Could she just use him to help her remember who she was before? Does she want to be that person again? It feels as hazy for the reader as it does for Kestrel, and the author's beautiful prose loses its impact.
Luckily, as soon as the characters set up camp for battle, the pace builds again -- and Kestrel magically finds her mojo again. That requisite "all hope is lost" moment in every underdog battle really feels that way in THE WINNER'S KISS, making the ending all that more surprising and satisfying.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the battle scenes here where readers are in the thick of the action. Does that affect you differently than a bird's-eye view?
How do you think the author used her knowledge of slavery to create the character of Arin?
Are you satisfied with the ending of this trilogy? Will you seek out more work by this author?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Animals
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date : March 29, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 496
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate