Sometimes when you read a trilogy, the middle book falls a bit flat compared to the first book, but The Winner's Crime doesn't do that at all! It sucks you right back into Arin and Kestrel's world and it doesn't let you go until the very last page! 
 After the dramatic events of The Winner's Curse, I was extremely eager to start reading The Winner's Crime. Just like the first book, it was an extremely addictive read, and I pretty much kept reading until I was finished. The scenery changes a little bit in this one, and there is a lot going on, but I still really loved both Arin and Kestrel. I wanted to knock their heads together every once in a while, but I still absolutely loved this book! 
 The Winner's Crime is extremely intense! It still has the whole forbidden romance element going on, but it's completely different than it was in The Winner's Curse. And The political stakes and military plots are much fiercer! Kestrel and Arin are both making nuanced moves behind the scenes like a high-stake game of Sting! I'm not going to say anything else because it would be far too easy to spoil this book, but it's intense and it definitely isn't one of those sequels where nothing actually happens. This book is action packed...and when you finish, you will be DESPERATE for The Winner's Kiss! 
 Overall, The Winner's Crime was the perfect follow-up to The Winner's Curse! If you haven't started reading The Winner's Trilogy yet, I highly recommend it! It's intense with fantastic, dynamic main characters!!