Sophie Reads YA: Marie Rutkoski

2021 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Hollow Heart (The Midnight Lie #2) by Marie Rutkoski

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The Hollow Heart
Series: The Midnight Lie #2
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Published September 9th 2021 by Hodder & Stoughton

Goodreads Synopsis
Intrigue, romance, and magic abound in the heart-stopping conclusion to Marie Rutkoski’s Forgotten Gods duology.

At the end of The Midnight Lie, Nirrim offered up her heart to the God of Thieves in order to restore her people’s memories of their city’s history. The Half Kith who once lived imprisoned behind the city’s wall now realize that many among them are powerful. Meanwhile, the person Nirrim once loved most, Sid, has returned to her home country of Herran, where she must navigate the politics of being a rogue princess who has finally agreed to do her duty.

In the Herrani court, rumors begin to grow of a new threat rising across the sea, of magic unleashed on the world, and of a cruel, black-haired queen who can push false memories into your mind, so that you believe your dearest friends to be your enemies.

Sid doesn’t know that this queen is Nirrim, who seeks her revenge against a world that has wronged her. Can Sid save Nirrim from herself? Does Nirrim even want to be saved? As blood is shed and war begins, Sid and Nirrim find that it might not matter what they want…for the gods have their own plans.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Following the dramatic conclusion of The Midnight Lie, we see how Nirrim's bargain with the god of thieves has changed the lives of all those on Herrath, as well as Sid and her family. Though Nirrim's actions were from a good place, losing her compassion has turned her into a heartless queen, who has freed the Half-Kith, but is using their magical powers to bring the High Kith and Middling people to heel, before turning her attention on other nations, including Herran. Learning that her mother, Queen Kestrel, was ill, Sid returned home, ready to face her parents after fleeing from her engagement. But when she arrives in Herran, it seems as if someone is out to get her mother, and she needs to discover the truth before it is too late. But with powers both home and abroad seemingly out to hurt Sid, will she be able to save all those she love, or do the gods have another fate in store for her?

This book has been one of my most anticipated 2021 reads, so when I got home one Friday to find a review copy through the door, I immediately dropped what I was reading, and started it. While I really enjoyed it, I was a little disappointed to not love it as much as I had The Midnight Lie. To start off with, Sid and Nirrim were apart for most of the book, and though there were good reasons for that, I wanted to see more moments between them. With Nirrim, her character was completely different to that we had seen in book 1. She lacked empathy and compassion, and though she did want what was best for her people, she didn't really care who she hurt - physically or emotionally - to achieve her aims. And the little bit of power she had managed to eke out, soon turned her into a power hungry monster, really, who wanted to expand her empire to more than just the little island of Herrath. I did appreciate seeing this other side of her, and how the other Nirrim was a voice of reason she occasionally listened to.

Sid's chapters, on the other hand, were some of my favourites. When we met her in The Midnight Lie, we didn't really know who she was, and when it was revealed that she was the daughter of Arin and Kestrel, I was hoping we'd meet them again in this book. Now, it's been over 5 years since I read any of The Winner's Trilogy, so I've probably forgotten some of the events which took place in Arin and Kestrel's story. I found Kestrel to be a hard woman, though she loved Sid, she pushed her a lot for any love or affection. I appreciated the side plot of who wanted to hurt Kestrel, and the reveal of the who and why was behind it was fantastic! We saw a growth in Sid, which had started, I think, in the first book, but was really cemented here.

I think one of my main bug bears here, though, was the ending. Seeing all of the event wrap up, and learning more about the pantheon of the gods was wonderful, but it was extremely abrupt, and if I didn't have a finished hard copy in my hands, I would've thought there were pages/chapters missing. There were so many questions I still had that were unanswered, and I don't know if Marie is thinking to release a new series in the future, following on from this one, but there are definitely things that need tying up, in my opinion.

Dates Read:
August 7-9, 2021

Rating
4 Stars

Marie Rutkoski

Waiting On Wednesday: The Hollow Heart (The Midnight Lie #2) by Marie Rutkoski

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Marie Rutkoski

Waiting On Wednesday: The Midnight Lie (The Midnight Lie #1) by Marie Rutkoski

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2020 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Midnight Lie (The Midnight Lie #1) by Marie Rutkoski

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The Midnight Lie
Series: The Midnight Lie #1
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Published March 10th 2020 by Hodder & Stoughton

Goodreads Synopsis
Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.

Nirrim keeps her head down and a dangerous secret close to her chest.

But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumors that the High Caste possesses magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.

Set in the world of the New York Times–bestselling Winner’s Trilogy, beloved author Marie Rutkoski returns with an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us—and the lies we tell ourselves.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

This book was one that as soon as it was announced I knew I needed it. I adored Marie's debut series, The Winner's Trilogy, and hearing that this book would be in the same world, but also not, and would feature an LGBT romance, I was desperate to read it, and when my review copy arrived, I was overjoyed. As you'll see from the dates read, I took me less than a day, really, and I only stopped reading to eat and sleep!

In The Midnight Lie, our MC, Nirirm, lives on Ethin, where the island is split into kiths. You have the half-Kith, who are seen as the lower class, the Middling, and then the upper class, high-Kith. The half-Kith live in the Ward, behind walls and with a whole range of rules and regulations regarding what they can do, wear, and how they can live. Nirrim belongs to the half-Kith. She was found in an orphanage box and raised to be half-Kith. When she was 8, she was 'adopted' by Raven, and taken to work in her tavern baking, and later forging official documents. She's always felt different, but put that down to her eidetic memory, and thought nothing more of it until a stranger arrives in the Ward, and she begins to question everything. She's arrested for rescuing an Elysium bird, and grows closer to the stranger, Sid. As they work to find out what it is about the island, and if there is in fact magic in Ethin, they fall for one another, but Sid is hiding something, and is bound to break Nirrim's heart when she doubtlessly leaves.

Like I said, I couldn't put this book down, and wanted to read it at all times, but silly things like sleeping and eating got in the way. From the very first page, I was hooked, and I remembered just why I loved Marie's previous series as her writing and stories are breathtaking. Nirrim is an outstanding main character, and I really cared for her throughout the course of the book, as she learnt more about herself, and started to become who she should be, and not who Raven told her she was. She had so many skills and redeeming qualities, that it was inevitable that Sid would fall for her, and vice versa. Sid's character was secretive, and seductive, and I just loved her. To me, I worked out who she was quite early on in the book, but I liked the mystery surrounding her, and the way her affection for Nirrim slowly came out, as if she was fighting it, because she knew she would have to return home soon enough.

The plot of this story was smoothly done, with just the right amount of show, not tell, and intrigue to keep us hooked. Every part of the book was necessary, and I am so glad that this is a duology, because I need to know more from Nirrim and Sid, especially with how the book ended and the epilogue. Really, this was fantastic, and you should get a copy as soon as possible!

Dates Read:
February 18-19, 2020

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

Blog Tour & ARC Review: The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy #3) by Marie Rutkoski

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The Winner's Kiss
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #3
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Published March 24th 2016 by Bloomsbury Children's

Goodreads Synopsis

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn't forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they've done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

I'm sure it will be no surprise that I loved this book. I don't think I know anyone who hasn't loved this series, and when I found out that The Winner's Kiss was up on NetGalley, I requested it so quickly. I was in the library doing research for an assignment when I got the email came through that I'd been approved, and let me tell you, it was extremely difficult to keep my attention on civil war battles when I knew I could read about Kestrel and Arin.

I've put off reviewing this book for a few weeks because I just can't organise my thoughts. Basically, the book was amazing, I loved it, and I'm sad the series is over.

In The Winner's Kiss, we dive back in just after the dramatic events of The Winner's Crime. Kestrel is on her way to the work camps in the north for her treason against the Valorians, and Arin has no idea as he's heading to defend Herrani. The final battle between Valoria and Herran is coming, and both with be crucial players in it. There's a lot of angst, and some quite sweet moments, but basically, I was a complete mess while reading it.

Kestrel remains one of my favourite YA heroines ever! As you can imagine, she had a quite tough time in this book, especially at the beginning, but she remained strong, even in her vulnerability. There were moments when my heart just broke whilst reading her PoV chapters, and I loved seeing her grow, and come to terms with the fact that her native Valorian people aren't the best, and she has more connection with the Herrani in reality.

Arin, well, he had to deal with a lot in this book too. He's the leader of the Herrani people, and has to come to terms with his responsibility to his people. At the same time, he's struggling with his feelings for Kestrel, especially when he thinks she is the cause of all his problems. When they finally come together again, both struggle with wanting to help the Herrani cause, when they can't really deal with their own issues.

The Winner's Kiss had a plot line that was simply sublime. So much was happening, but not too much that you couldn't keep up. After the action packed books 1 & 2, I didn't know how Marie could up the ante, but she definitely succeeded. Everything happened like I wished, and I can honestly say that I couldn't ask for more. The fact that Marie has done so much research whilst writing this book, including reading some of my favourite classical books, like Herodotus' The Histories, made it all the more better. The Winner's Trilogy will remain one of my all time favourite fantasy YA series, and I will basically shove it down everyone's throats until you pick up this series, and discover just how amazing it is. If I could, I would give it much more that 5 stars, it deserves all the stars!

Dates Read:
February 18-24, 2016

Rating
5 Stars