The Winner's Crime is the second installment in this trilogy and heavily features Kestrel's new life at court and all of the intrigue that comes along with it. However, the main focus of these books is still the romance between her and Arin. Which continues to be just as full of tension, if not more so then the first book. Readers that love tormented romances and seeing characters face insurmountable odds will likely gobble this one up. 
 A taste of what is in store for readers 
 - dungeons and torture 
 - spies, secret codes and conspiracies 
 - court finery, intrigue and political maneuvering 
 - gambling, betting, some even involving a certain fancy dress 
 - unexpected friends and kindness 
 - betrayal and of course heartache 
 - a closer look at court life of Kestrel's countrymen 
 While this book was an enjoyable read to see how things are progressing for both characters and their countries I wasn't as invested in it as I was the first one. This might have been because I'm not a big fan of court intrigue. Or perhaps it's that Kestrel and Arin spent much of the book separated. But what I really think it boiled down to is that I'm not a fan of people agonizing over each other especially when it's due to them keeping each other in the dark about things. But I know many readers love that sort of dynamic in their romance reading. 
 The second main focus here was the political maneuvering trust both Kestrel and Arin do. Got their own regions buy ultimately both for Harran. Though I'm not usually a fan of such plot threads in my reading it was really well done and I think I have an idea of where things are headed for them but still no idea how things are going to work out on a larger scale. I like that the book took place in two different countries other than Harran so it gave me a broader look at the world. It makes me excited to read the last book. 
 As most readers probably expected The Winner's Crime ends on a but of a cliffhanger. Luckily for me it wasn't the type of scenario that leaves me gnashing my teeth and angry that I have to wait for the next book. Instead we are left in a place full of tension but one that is a perfect fit because it begins the next chapter in Kestrel's life. 
 A note on the audio version 
 I both read and listened to The Winner's Crime back and forth and found that I definitely preferred reading in print over the audio. It might be because I only read the print version of The first book. However I found I wasn't fond of the accents that were used. The narration was still really great but I can be rather particular when it comes to applying accents to a fantasy world. Definitely give the sample a listen if you're considering this title on audio.