Reddit mentions of The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy Book 1)

I actually found it a relief to not be bogged down by magic. Fantasy doesn't have to have magic, it just has to be a different place or setup than history (alternate histories and dystopias are kind of a grey area for me - I usually call them sci-fi). Clockwork's just as interesting to me, especially when it's not just run by phlebotinum! The Winner's Curse is the only fantasy I can think of off the top of my head that had no magic whatsoever.

In terms of feel though, The Goblin Emperor reminded me more of Empress Orchid, in that someone young and mostly unprepared is thrust into a public role and the entire plot is built around learning and navigating the place and solving political crises. That's pure historical fiction though (1800s China).

I LOVE books. I aim to be an author, so I surround myself with books as much as possible. Look how happy I am with my pile of books from ALA Midwinter. Sadly, I had to get rid of most of my books when I moved. Out of this collection (which I'd somehow crammed into a 200 sqft apartment), I was only able to keep about 20 books. If I'd had a Kindle to store my books, I could've kept all of them.

The book I want to read next/the book I'd get if I win is The Winner's Curse. It got rave reviews from all of my favorite reviewers, so I have high hopes for it. :)

Thanks so much for the contest! The Kindle is on my $40 to $100 wishlist.

In YA, there's Half a King and The Winner's Curse, both with seemingly no magic. They're the first books in unfinished series though.