This is the sequel to Winner's Curse, a Young Adult novel which I reviewed a couple of days ago. I am sorry to say that this book fell victim to the curse of many such sequels in that it does not nearly match its predecessor. Not much happens, or rather the same things happen over and over again. Kestral prepares to wed the emperor's son to fulfill the bargain she made in order to protect her beloved Arin (and incidentally his fellow countrymen) from a battle that would have surely resulted in death. Arin wants to believe that Kestral loves him so he sneaks around to talk to her to find an explanation for her actions. Time after time she almost tells him her reasons and time after time she does not, for one reason or another. Meanwhile, her father has departed to spearhead a new war of conquest, but returns in time to discover her divided allegiance. The book ends in a cliffhanger. Clearly, a third novel is needed to complete the story.
A couple of plot devices make this sequel less than believable. Kestral, at 17, turns out to be a master military tactician. Arin, surely only a few years older (although I don't remember an age being given), is chosen by his countrymen to lead them. Then he absents himself for months, leaving his country's guidance in the hands of a young female cousin. Does that seem likely in real life?
I cynically feel that a great many authors stretch their storytelling thin so that they can reap the maximum profits from one idea. Some series have an engrossing story to tell in each installment (such as in the Harry Potter series), but for some the basic premise does not suffice to extend through multiple installments.
However, if my granddaughter who loaned me the book had the final book in the series, I would probably read it, just to find out what happens. I'm pretty sure it will end happily ever after.
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