Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publisher: MacMillan
Rating: WARTY!
Reading this novel, I found myself wondering if there's a need for a study of YA novels to determine if there's a proportional relationship between the amount of pink on the cover and the amount of saccharine in the interior.
This story is about a military general's daughter named Kestrel, whose father wants her to become a soldier, but who has no talent for it. Her only other choice is to marry and support her empire by having children so that her compatriots can conquer ever more territory. One day she's out in the market with her best friend Jess when she sees a slave being sold. For inexplicable reasons - except that this is a romance novel of course - Kestrel bids on the slave, way-the-hell more than a slave is considered worth, and ends up taking him home.
The slave, Arin, is a Herrani, a native of the very nation the Valorans (Kestrel's people) occupy, having just conquered it, but what Kestrel doesn't know is that the slave, actually wanted to be bought by her. He's a spy and he has his own agenda to help foment a revolution. For inexplicable reasons - except that this is a romance novel of course - Kestrel starts spending time with Arin and getting to know him. He obviously has good reasons for getting to know her. He's a spy.
This novel is a sadly amateur attempt at both romance and at historical fantasy. Rutkoski has no idea whatsoever how to depict a romantic relationship, and furthermore has no idea whatsoever how to depict a relationship between a slave and his owner. Kestrel behaves scandalously towards Arin, and he behaves abominably towards her, given his slave position, yet there are never, ever, ever, any consequences for either of them. He back-talks to her, he comes into her rooms without permission. He touches her without permission, and he tries to tell her what to do. In short, the entire relationship was laughable, amateurish, and entirely predictable in its every aspect.
I got to about half-way through this and couldn't stand to read another page. This novel is laughably pathetic and I rate it highly warty.
