A good, enjoyable and satisfying conclusion to the trilogy! Loved seeing the characters develop over the course of the three books.

I adore this series. It's brilliantly written, with a fascinating plot and engaging characters. I love time spent in this world.

Thank you for the opportunity to read The Winner's Kiss, I really had high hopes for this book, as I'd really enjoyed reading the previous books in this series, but unfortunately, The Winner's Kiss didn't end up being the book for me.

What a fantastic ending to a unique series. All the plot twists and questions were wrapped up cleverly keeping me guessing to the end. I look forward to more from Marie!

4 stars out of 5

The Winner’s Kiss was a really satisfying conclusion to the series, and I am very much looking forward to whatever Marie Rutkoski writes next.

If we were to compare the Kestrel and Arin from this book to the Kestrel and Arin in book one, the differences would obvious. The character development for these two has been excellent; in this book, they were older and wiser. They had both been through so much, and had both changed in different ways. Kestrel’s final confrontation with the emperor was one example of how she had grown. She had always had a brilliant mind but this just showed what she willing to do now that she wouldn’t have done before. Arin played an important role as well, he was less reckless, and I really enjoyed getting to know him more in this book. Their relationship was never going to be smooth sailing, but I liked that it wasn’t easy, that they had to work hard for it, and I actually really appreciated that we got a happily ever after, because these characters deserved to be happy! I would have been devastated if it ended any other way.

There were some intense twists in this book and I think I finished the whole thing in one day because I was desperate to find out what would happen. The writing was as compelling as ever and while I’m sad this series is over, I am now eagerly awaiting Marie Rutkoski's next book.

The Winner's trilogy by Marie Rutkoski has been one of my favourite trilogies ever. I was completely blown away by the first book in the series (The Winner's Curse), I thought the second (The Winner's Crime) was somehow even better building more and more on what I loved about the first book in the series and, if I'm honest, I was so nervous to start the third and final book in the trilogy, The Winner's Kiss for fear of this third book wouldn't live up to the others, that somehow I'd find a way to be disappointed. In the characters, in the relationships, in the way the story progressed. That is why I put off reading this book for such a long time. Someone needs to go back and shake past-Michelle. Past-Michelle was an idiot. Because The Winner's Kiss was everything I wanted in the conclusion to Kestrel and Arin's stories. And for all of the characters.

This trilogy was so much about strategy and political intrigue. I loved how much this book is about politics and how much the lies and decisions of the things they'd done in the past weighed heavily on our characters. It's also a book about friendship, about memories, about family and priorities.

This book and the entire trilogy felt so incredibly emotional to me. I was constantly crying or laughing or had my heart in my throat wanting to know what would happen next, how could this characters live with the actions they've done? The entire cast felt so real to me, the characters of Arin and Kestrel in particular. And while I was happy with the ending given to them both, I was also disappointed that I would no longer be living alongside them in this world that Marie Rutkoski created.

Was an excellent ending to a great trilogy. The covers are so to die for!!!

The Winner's Crime was the perfect ending to one of my favourite YA fantasy series of all time. Rutkoski captured my heart and my attention from the first few pages of The Winner's Kiss and this final book could not have ended any stronger - or better. It's so refreshing to see a trilogy get better and better with every book; the second one blew me away and The Winner's Crime just knocked it out of the park. A truly amazing trilogy. The Winner's Crime is just an exquisite fantasy story, Rutkoski's writing is just so beautifully lyrical and the world is yet again vivid and immersive. The setting of this trilogy has to be one of my favourite; the Greek and Roman influences depicted in this fantastical world are just so amazingly creative and the world so expertly crafted. The characters especially Kestrel and Arin (be still my beating heart) are so complex; at times extremely frustrating and annoyingly selfish and then so fierce and caring the next. Kestrel's journey throughout the entire series and especially in this book is both heartbreaking and empowering. Her character has so much depth than what you see on the surface. The perfect female protagonist who may not be the most skilled with a blade (which this book addresses!) but her power lays in her sharp mind and expert knowledge. It's just so refreshing to see and I love her for it.
The Winner's Crime was a triumphant ending to an amazing fantasy series and as a reader I really couldn't have asked for more. Engaging, intricate, dramatic and complex - I'll definitely return to this world again in the future and binge read the entire trilogy. Amazing.