The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski
(Website, Twitter, Goodreads)Also by this author: The Winner's Kiss
Published by Macmillan on March 3rd 2015
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Love & Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: ARC

Following your heart can be a crimeA royal wedding is what most girls dream about. It means one celebration after another: balls, fireworks, and revelry until dawn. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement: that she agreed to marry the crown prince in exchange for Arin's freedom. But can Kestrel trust Arin? Can she even trust herself? For Kestrel is becoming very good at deception. She's working as a spy in the court. If caught, she'll be exposed as a traitor to her country. Yet she can't help searching for a way to change her ruthless world . . . and she is close to uncovering a shocking secret. This dazzling follow-up to The Winner's Curse reveals the high price of dangerous lies and untrustworthy alliances. The truth will come out, and when it does, Kestrel and Arin will learn just how much their crimes will cost them.

Where did the idea for The Winner’s Curse come from?

From the term from economic theory, “the winner’s curse,” which describes what happens when you win something at an auction but only because you have paid more than what everyone else has decided the item is worth.

What has been your favorite scene to write and why?

Every single Bite and Sting game between Kestrel and Arin (in the Winner’s Crime, too) has been easy and delightful to write; there’s something about setting them up as opponents that let’s them show more to each other than they mean to do. All the kisses are fun to write, and it’s a challenge to make each one different—not just physically, but also emotionally. Lately, the scenes in the final book, The Winner’s Kiss, that I most enjoy writing are the ones where Kestrel and Arin are honest with each other, because they’ve held their true thoughts and feelings back in so many ways before (with Kestrel being especially guilty of this).

I suppose I’m saying that the emotional moments are my favorite to write, especially when I can make them feel new and different. Action scenes are cool, too, but they’re more about moving plot forward and less about deepening character. I care a lot about crafting my characters.

Did any of your characters surprise you by doing something you didn’t expect?

Yes. I was not expecting Cheat to be such a malevolent force. When he first appeared, I liked him; he seemed funny, cunning, and inappropriate. I had no plans for him to be the way he became.

I was surprised when Arin told Kestrel he wanted to meet his sweetheart in the market. I think Arin didn’t mean to say it either. The way I see it is that, despite himself, he already feels more drawn than he should to Kestrel, more curious and affected by her than he should be, and so pretending that he is in a relationship is a defense he puts up quickly, without quite understanding why, against his own interest in Kestrel.

Do you have any strange writing habits?

I have an amazing view of Manhattan and my desk sits in front of it, but lately I’ve been drawing the curtains when I sit down to write, which is perhaps odd. It’s not just that it can be distracting to see whether it’s snowing or what people in the apartment building near ours are doing. It’s also that it helps me imagine my world more fully if I’m not looking at the real one. And I like the glowy light when the curtains are shut.

What’s next for you? Are you working on anything right now that you can tell us about?

Here is a tiny, tiny snippet from a scene I recently wrote in The Winner’s Kiss (of course, it’s unedited and might even be cut entirely from the book):

He jumped the orange from one hand to the other. Marveled at it.

She said, “I didn’t know whether you like them.”

“I do. Actually…” He rolled it in the well of one palm. “I love them.”

He could have sworn that she smiled in the dark. “Then what are you waiting for?”

5 Favorites

I’m going to answer all of these as “right now,” since, for example, my favorite TV Show ever would be The Wire, but right now I love watching The 100. Yes, yes. Bellamy. Clarke. That is all.

Favorite Song (right now) : “Bad,” by U2

Favorite Book (right now) : Wolf Hall

Favorite TV Show/Movie: The 100.

Favorite Word : indelible

Favorite Snack : A square of dark chocolate

Our Thoughts
What are your overall feelings about this book?

Erin: Just like The Winner’s Curse, I loved everything about this book. It felt very different from book one though because Kestrel and Arin are on separate paths and although their stories intertwined, they felt very separate. In the end, I thought this added to the overall story and made it that much better!

Jaime: I did too… I thought I knew what was going to happen, but I was completely wrong. This story has everything, sacrifice, romance, betrayal and political drama … you just can’t go wrong. With an incredible cast of characters, Rutkoski will have you on the edge of your seat.

What was your favorite part?

Erin: Maybe the balcony scene…although the scene in the music room killed me. Just all the inner turmoil Kestrel had and seeing her struggle with what she had to do versus what she really wanted to do. OMG – I don’t even know how to choose.

Jaime: All of it? I did love the scene in the music room though… and yes the balcony… and well, let’s be honest each and every interaction between Arin & Kestrel had me dreaming of sappy romantic things.

What was your least favorite part?

Erin: That it ended…is that an acceptable answer?

Jaime: I have none. I mean, each and every part, even the heartbreaking and crushing parts were so amazing.

We both love Kestrel and Arin…what did you think about how their stories progressed in The Winner’s Crime?

Erin: AHHH – I just want these two to be happy and together. Obviously the choices they have made have brought them to where they are now but a number of things happened that I didn’t expect. I know that sounds pretty vague but Rutkoski sure knows how to create some angst.

Jaime: Happy and together would be lovely… how do we get that? Honestly though, their story is a rough one from the very start. Star-crossed and impossible, how could it possibly work between these two? I don’t even have the answer but I want … no I need it!

Everyone is talking about the ending of the book. Without spoilers…what did you think about it?

Erin: Seriously…I don’t know how we are expected to go through that and then have to wait another year for what happens next. I mean, UGH! I love this story and these characters so much and I will get on my knees and beg to whoever I have to in order to get a copy of the next book.

Jaime: Torture. Plain and simple. It hurts just to think about it.

About Marie Rutkoski

Marie Rutkoski is the author of the YA novel The Shadow Society and the children's fantasy series The Kronos Chronicles, including The Cabinet of Wonders, The Celestial Globe and The Jewel of the Kalderash. Her next project is a YA trilogy that begins with The Winner's Curse, which is scheduled to be published in March 2014.

Marie grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), as the oldest of four children. She holds a BA from the University of Iowa and a PhD from Harvard University. Marie is currently a professor at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Renaissance Drama, children's literature and fiction writing. She lives in New York City with her husband and two sons.

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