The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse #1) by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Jul 20, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-or-galley, fantasy-or-pn-favourites, fantasy-or-paranormal, romance, fantasy, 2012-favourites

The Assassin’s Curse opens with a runaway bride making a getaway on a camel. I kid you not.

Ananna of the Tanarau dreams of sailing the vast seas with her own ship and her own crew. She longs to be the most beautiful and fierce of all female pirates and trapping herself into a marriage with Tarrin of the Hariri is the last thing she wants. In a moment of sudden rashness, she flees from the reach of her family and his, only to land herself at the receiving end of an assassin’s sword. Naji is hire...more The Assassin’s Curse opens with a runaway bride making a getaway on a camel. I kid you not.

Ananna of the Tanarau dreams of sailing the vast seas with her own ship and her own crew. She longs to be the most beautiful and fierce of all female pirates and trapping herself into a marriage with Tarrin of the Hariri is the last thing she wants. In a moment of sudden rashness, she flees from the reach of her family and his, only to land herself at the receiving end of an assassin’s sword. Naji is hired by the Hariri family to kill Ananna for her disobedience… but things don’t go quite so according to plan. An old curse laid upon Naji is ignited the moment Ananna inadvertently saves his life, thrusting them both into a strange partnership where Naji is forced to protect Ananna in order to protect himself. The assassin and the pirate have to learn to get along, to trust each other, however reluctant they may be…

Cassandra Rose Clarke clearly knows what the definition of kick-ass is. Pirates and assassins? Just the mention of the two had me desperate to read this book. My expectations were reasonably high, especially after the influx of positive reviews, so I’m incredibly pleased it delivered. With adventure, magic and a delicate helping of romance, The Assassin’s Curse is easily one of my favourite fantasy books of the year.

Ananna was a refreshing bundle of wit and courage. I loved her from the moment she set free a vendor’s camel and raced across the desert on it. Albeit a little reckless and quick to speak her mind, she is very easy to like. Her interactions with Naji were particularly entertaining. I loved the subtle romance that blossomed between the two of them and think Clarke was right to develop it the way she did, without letting it interfere with the plot. Naji himself was just as likable as Ananna, although a very different character entirely. With a scar marking his otherwise attractive face, there is a certain sense of vulnerability about him. I’m eager to unravel the layers of his character in the next book and find out more about his past.

There isn’t much of a climax to this book, which surprised me a little as I was expecting one, but it didn’t leave me too disappointed. However, people who are expecting great developments in the plot as the book progresses may not be so pleased. The book description up on Goodreads pretty much summarises the whole story – it is probably better to avoid reading that before proceeding with this book. I am intrigued by the ending though and can see the foundations forming for another adventure in the sequel.

Minor details aside, The Assassin’s Curse is a brilliantly entertaining debut novel and I hope book two is just as thrilling and engaging as this one. The characters were undoubtedly my favourite aspect and I’m way too invested in them to really be bothered by any flaws in the story. This is a series I will definitely be continuing with and can’t wait to reunite with Naji and Ananna in book two, The Pirate’s Wish.

(This review also appears on my blog)
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Oct 01, 2012 Zuleeza rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, debut-author-read-in-2012, high-fantasy, ongoing-series, series-i-havent-finished, favourite

This review is also available on my blog, Qwerty

Easily, the BEST BOOK of 2012 I've read so far.

First, I would like to offer a shitload of virtual Nutella for mah girls,
Ebony and Lisbeth as a sign of gratitute. Without their gushing reviews, I wouldn't go about requesting this from Netgalley.

I think I may have found my favourite book of 2012 so far.

No, I'm not kitten you.

My favourite shelf had been so loneleyh! SO LONELEYH! No books, and I mean no books had ever made it into that list after Dau...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Janina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, on-my-kindle, young-adult-fiction, fantasy, better-than-expected, cliffhanger, covers-i-love, favourite-characters, read-in-2012, want-to-go-there, series-in-progress

I feel like the blurb for this book very much summarises the whole story and is more than a little spoiler-y. I usually don't mind that too much, but if you would like to be surprised, better try to not take a closer look at it. (I just noticed the blurb was changed, so you are now free to read it ;) - and not be spoiled.)

You may not believe it: we have here a book about assassins and pirates that actually includes - hold your breath, hold your breath - real pirates and a real assassin who even...more I feel like the blurb for this book very much summarises the whole story and is more than a little spoiler-y. I usually don't mind that too much, but if you would like to be surprised, better try to not take a closer look at it. (I just noticed the blurb was changed, so you are now free to read it ;) - and not be spoiled.)

You may not believe it: we have here a book about assassins and pirates that actually includes - hold your breath, hold your breath - real pirates and a real assassin who even do a fair amount of pirating and assassinating. I know, I was shocked as well (in the most positive sense).

It is actually hard to really put a label on this novel. At its core, it is fantasy, yes - but not your typical epic quest for honor and glory, not urban fantasy either, and certainly not paranormal. And it is not your typical story featuring an introduction, main part, climax and ending either.

In a way, The Assassin's Curse read more like a very long short story or novella to me. We have little background information on the characters, sporadic world building and an overall unusual story arc ending mostly open. I know this sounds rather negative, but somehow, it worked.

The world building is very unobtrusive. It leaves room for your own imagination without holding back too much, and does a good job at not overwhelming you with information at certain points in the story. This is exactly how I like it - but I am aware of the fact that it might be too little for some. I prefer to not be told about a world, but experience it for myself, and Cassandra Rose Clarke definitely gave me that opportunity.

Clearly, the charm of this book stems from Ananna's voice and her relationship to Naji. Ananna is a very active character, feisty and dauntless - a lot of people will probably label her "kick-ass". For some reason, I have my problems with that expression - it focuses too much on the violent nature of a character for my taste. Yes, Ananna is perfectly able to wield a sword, but she is not a hard or even emotionless fighting machine. I really like her attitude to life in general, her sense of humour and her way of just acting on her feelings, but also her sensitivity and sense of family. Also, she is clearly a fan of the double negative - which sometimes annoyed me a little. Naji is more a brooding and withdrawn kind of guy, and his interactions with loud and bubbly Ananna often brought a smile to my lips. In this story, he is the one who needs to be rescued, the one carrying around emotional baggage. Despite his skills and abilities in the magic department, the position of stronger character clearly belongs to Ananna.

And yes, this novel is actually funny and does not take itself too seriously. If you can live with the very open ending and survive the long wait for a second instalment: Definitely recommended.

Thanks a lot to Netgalley and Angry Robot for the review copy.(less)

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Oct 17, 2012 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Give this at least 3 chapters...

...okay, maybe 4 chapters...

...come to think of it, go with 5, just to be safe...

3.5 stars. I can't remember where I got hooked, but it took a short amount of time. But when it happened, I was all in. It was sort of like when I read Graceling and felt like the story didn't really start until Katsa and Po hit the road. That's what happened to me with Assassin's Curse. Things start to pick up when Annabanana (uh...or something like that, her name was similar) get...more

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Aug 29, 2012 KM rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cover-love, arc-for-review, high-fantasy, angry-robot

This book has been making the rounds much more than I would have thought, considering it's published by a new indie publisher. But honestly, The Assassin's Curse is one of the best debuts I've read all year.

I've been saying for quite a while that what YA needs more of is pirates. There just really aren't that many. And I mean, come on. Who doesn't love a good pirate?

And the pirates in Ms. Clarke's book are epic. Think Pirates of the Caribbean #3, with all the different pirate lords getting toget...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: debut-author-2012, arc-galley-and-first-reads, kick-ass-heroines

This, ladies and gentleman, is how you write a spectacular debut novel. Clarke’s first book is a masterful mix of imagination, thrill, suspense, and a subtle, but underlying, romance. Although I do have my own qualms with this book – which I will get to in a little bit – I can’t deny that it kept me entertained, forcing me to devour it all in one sitting. I fell in love with the character interaction and rich world that Clarke had created and I am already eagerly anticipating the sequel of thi...more This, ladies and gentleman, is how you write a spectacular debut novel. Clarke’s first book is a masterful mix of imagination, thrill, suspense, and a subtle, but underlying, romance. Although I do have my own qualms with this book – which I will get to in a little bit – I can’t deny that it kept me entertained, forcing me to devour it all in one sitting. I fell in love with the character interaction and rich world that Clarke had created and I am already eagerly anticipating the sequel of this fantastic story. In fact, my only complaint at having received this as an ARC is the fact that I have to wait longer than anyone else to get my hands on the sequel, but you can bet that I’ll be one of the first ones to do so.

Seventeen-year-old Ananna, the daughter of a rich pirate lord, wants nothing more than to become captain of her own ship, sailing the seas with a crew of her own. However, when she is forced into marriage with a boy she does not love and barely trusts, she does the only thing she can think of – she runs away. Pirates, however, are not known to be forgiving people and before she knows it, Ananna has an assassin on her trail. Yet, Ananna’s assassin is no ordinary killer and when Ananna unwillingly saves his life, she finds herself bound to him in a way she never wanted. Naji, the enigmatic assassin who is sent to murder Ananna, is victim to a terrible curse causing him to live his life protecting Ananna and forcing him to experience severe pain when she is away or injured. Thus, is it with reluctance that the two of them embark on a journey to find a cure to Naji’s “impossible” curse. Yet, as time will tell, there is more to fear on their adventure than pirates and assassins and their deadliest threat may come from what, to Ananna, is completely unknown…

In all honesty, the plot of this story reminded me a lot of Brightly Woven. Both novels feature a tortured male protagonist who is suffering from a curse and a female protagonist who is forced to remain with him, slowly falling in love with him as time passes. Although these similarities were egregiously obvious throughout the story, The Assassin’s Curse threw in something completely different and original that made it stand out. For one, Ananna is an admirable heroine. She stands up for herself, doesn’t back down from a fight, and knows how to hold her own. Although she comes across as young, juvenile, and even quite less-than-kick-ass at first, that quickly changes. I thoroughly enjoyed Ananna’s narration – her quick wit, brilliant humor, and rapid banter made this novel one that I couldn’t put down. Furthermore, she is far from any typical “Mary Sue” character that I’ve come across and isn’t shy to argue or challenge Naji and the predicament they find themselves in.

Speaking of Naji, I think it’s safe to say that I’m in love with him. There is simply something about tortured characters that rips out my heart and tears my soul, making me sympathize with and eventually fall head-over-heels in love with them. Naji was no different. At first, Naji can come across as cruel, strange, and even hard to like. However, Clarke does a spectacular job developing his character as we progress through the story. She doesn’t hesitate to show us Naji’s weak, vulnerable, and ugly sides just as much as she knows us his compassion, pain, and total badassery. Naji, despite being a handsome man, has a scar across his face which disfigures him, causing him to be extremely self-conscious. Although it seems as if taking on so many issues – a curse, an adventure, pirates, assassins, murder – seems too much to do justice to without adding on the classic theme of don’t-judge-a-book-by-its-cover, Clarke does a remarkable job of balancing everything out. In fact, I think this idea, more than even the curse, truly made Naji stand out to me and revealed a whole other side of him we previously didn’t get to see. What I loved most about it though was how Ananna found it in herself to love him and see him for all his positive aspects rather than his ugliness, murder, and killing. All in all, I feel as if I’ve gotten a truly thorough and complete picture of both Naji and Ananna’s characters after reading this novel and I couldn’t be any happier. The romance in this book is very subtle and slowly creeps up on both Ananna and the reader. I don’t want to give anything away so all I’ll say is that I can’t wait to see where it goes and how it progresses in the sequel!

Gushing aside, I still had a few qualms with this book. First and foremost, it should be noted that this novel takes place in an entirely different world – a world which I still, unfortunately, don’t know too much about. This lack of information did not hinder the story in any manner and was, in fact, probably a very calculated writing maneuver as the narrator, Ananna, obviously knows about the world she lives in, but as a reader I found myself wishing there was more importance given to the world-building aspect of this story. I definitely think we will be getting a lot more information about this world and the multiple detailed intricacies of it in the sequel, but this all goes back to another issue with this novel: the pacing. Now, when I discuss pacing I don’t mean that this book was slow or lagging in any aspect, because it wasn’t. This was a true page-turner. By pacing I mean that there was a flood of information given to the reader during the first few chapters and then the plot took over and there was more information-dumping in the last chapter. I know I would have enjoyed this book more if the intrigue and mystery about Naji’s curse was not revealed to us in the very beginning (or in the synopsis for that matter) and if the world-building had steadily progressed and increased throughout the course of the novel.

Overall though, The Assassin’s Curse is a debut novel you should definitely watch out for. It is entertaining, filled with heart-pounding action and characters that you cannot help but love. Even though this novel comes across as juvenile in some parts, I think it is an excellent addition to the small cluster of good YA fiction out there. Plus, who can resist that beautiful cover? Not me, that’s for sure! I am thrilled to see where Clarke is taking this series and I’ve enjoyed every minute I spent in her world. So, when October rolls around, don’t let it take a curse (or me cursing you) to read this! Pick up this amazing debut – you won’t regret it!(:

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry for providing me with an ARC of this book and giving me the opportunity to read and review it!

You can find this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings (less)

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Dec 20, 2012 Maja rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: annoying-love-triangle, cover-lust, creepy-love-triangle, debut-author, fantasy, magic, moments-of-great-frustration, open-ending, ya, reviewed-in-2012

3.5
The Assassin’s Curse, Cassandra Rose Clarke’s debut novel, is an exciting and unusual adventure filled with pirates, magic and, of course, assassins. It’s a must read for everyone who’s grown a bit tired of the same ol, formulaic stories. This book could never have a girl in a pretty dress on its cover.

Here’s something I’ve noticed in Clarke’s adult book (The Mad Scientist’s Daughter), and it’s even more pronounced here: she tends to write slow-developing, complicated and subtle romances. So...more 3.5
The Assassin’s Curse, Cassandra Rose Clarke’s debut novel, is an exciting and unusual adventure filled with pirates, magic and, of course, assassins. It’s a must read for everyone who’s grown a bit tired of the same ol, formulaic stories. This book could never have a girl in a pretty dress on its cover.

Here’s something I’ve noticed in Clarke’s adult book (The Mad Scientist’s Daughter), and it’s even more pronounced here: she tends to write slow-developing, complicated and subtle romances. Sometimes they’re so subtle, in fact, that you can’t even be sure they’re there. She doesn’t hesitate to throw a third, fourth or even a fifth person into the mix, and she doesn’t hesitate to let that third (fourth, fifth, you get the picture) person win. While I recognize and even appreciate the originality, I don’t always like it. Call it a personal flaw if you will.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure (and please take into consideration that I’m risking my life by writing this down because there will be quite a few bloggers willing to come for me with torches and pitchforks), I must admit I didn’t like Naji all that much. I understand why a girl like Annana would be drawn to him after growing up in such unusual circumstances, but I guess that, somewhere along the line, I’ve outgrown characters like him.

”Yeah,” I said. “This is Naji.”
“I was expecting a little boy,” Marjani said.
“He acts like one sometimes.”

And he does. For a trained assassin, Naji acts far too much like a twelve-year-old boy, and his behavior was just too off-putting for me. He takes the whole broody-and-mysterious thing just a bit too far. I like a dark, quiet hero as much as the next girl, but for me, there really wasn’t much to like about him.

In terms of plot, The Assassin’s Curse is seriously underdeveloped. After an excellent introduction in which our heroine, Ananna, escapes an arranged marriage on a stolen camel of all things, the usual narrative structure quickly becomes neglected, if not altogether abandoned. Even the ending wasn’t the cliffhanger I’d expected. Instead, the book just sort of ended at a pretty random place, there was no real climax and the resolution never came. A few questions were answered, but nothing was actually resolved.

What I really did like about The Assassin’s Curse was the language. A lot of people thought it was inferior to Moira Young’s writing, i.e. the dialect she used for Saba, but I think the two were created with different things in mind. They serve different purposes, and they are both excellent, each in its own way. Ananna’s language use cleverly emphasizes her lack of education and social finesse without disrupting the fluidity of Clarke’s prose or taking away from the reader’s enjoyment. In other words, it is different and useful, but by no means impenetrable.

Considering that this is the only positive thing I’ve written so far, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that I didn’t like this book, but I honestly did. I just felt that there were enough positive reviews out there and that I could afford to be brutally honest and critical. The Assassin’s Curse is certainly worth your time and I hope you’ll give it a chance.

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Jun 18, 2012 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Tamora Pierce and Robin McKinley

Shelves: 2012-reads, glad-i-gave-it-a-chance, exceeded-my-expectations, heroines-i-love-and-or-admire, heroes-i-love-and-respect, world-building-worth-noting, wowed-me, best-characters, wish-i-could-write-a-book-like-this, to-buy-shelf, forewent-sleep-to-read-it, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, soared-above-and-beyond, distinctive-voice-narratives, reviewed

When I first read the synopsis for Cassandra Rose Clarke's The Assassin's Curse, I was very intrigued. Pirates? Assassins? Magic? Curses? Yes, please! Who wouldn't want to read a novel that seems like what might have happened if someone like Tamora Pierce had written Pirates of the Caribbean? As often as I've been burned by false promises in novel synopses, I need not have worried with this novel: The Assassin's Curse fulfilled its promises and managed to soar above and beyond my expectations.

In...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Oceana Fern {Assorted Insanity} rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-romance, two-stars, cover-lust, owned, paper-copy, dat-title, young-adult, paranormal-romance-fiction

I don't think there are words to describe my severe disappointment after finishing THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE.

I began the book with high expectations after individually going through the glowing reviews my ~~co-blogger~~ friends wrote. I was ridiculously excited for THE ASSASSINS' CURSE - but not only did it let me down... I disliked it heartily in general.

I, along with a majority of the readers, found the idea of the plot to be interesting and original - a strong, independent pirate-chick on a quest to c...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Lisbeth Avery {Assorted Insanity} rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finally-some-character-development, favourite, five-stars, swoon-worthy-love-interest, kick-ass-girls, better-than-i-thought-it-would-be, reviewed

For me, the Assassin's Curse is one of my best reads of 2012 (so far). It's full of adventure, magic, and a pinch of romance. It has amazing world building and spectacular characters.

You know what? I hated it in the beginning.

It felt absurd. The main character rode of on a camel. Ok... I guess since it's like Arabia (or something) they have camels to ride off on. But, I live in good old Midwest.

There ain't no camels here.

Than Naji came in. After that, it became awesome. Like assassin ninja aweso...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Clarisse (The Bookcase Diaries) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone!

Recommended to Clarisse (The Bookcase Diaries) by: Received from Netgalley

Shelves: action-adventure, arcs, fantasy, favourites, better-than-expected, awesome-characters, wishlist, ebooks, assassins, girl-power

As seen on my blog. Actual rating is 4.5 stars.

First of all: Wow.

When I started this book I had no expectations whatsoever, certainly least of all that I would consider this one of the best and most fun books I've read so far this year. When I first acquired the ARC for this, I didn't read it immediately. It sat on my eReader for a week before I finally managed to pick it up. Then the problem became putting it down.

In the beginning, we are introduced to 17-year-old Annana of the Tanarau, daughte...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Suzanne (Paranormal Pages) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ananna dreams of being Captain of her own ship one day, so marrying Tarrin, a marriage arranged by her parents, is something she really doesn't want to do. So, she runs from her betrothed, by stealing a camel and running, or should I say, riding, away. She doesn't know what she's going to do now, just that she can't go back to her parents and that Tarrin's family will most likely have assassins on her tail before long.

Naji, the assassin sent after Ananna, has a curse on him. He will be bound to...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Experiment BL626 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, reviewed, netgalley

The Assassin's Curse (TAC) was a fun read. What a pity that the YA fantasy lacked substance.

Hollow Characters

+++ Ananna

Ananna was feisty, practical, and compassionate but these traits of her were not in good synergy. One example is when she rescued Naji from an asp after his failed attempt to assassinate her. She acted compassionately but how was it practical to save someone who was trying to kill you?

She had no problem, or I should say no hesitancy in stealing, lying, and killing when necessar...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Preeti Joan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow. I wasn't expecting to like this book. What a shocker! Haha! I haven't even heard of it until I found this title in Netgalley. The synopsis caught my attention and for me, it was interesting. I gave it a shot and viola! 4 stars, baby! I was in the mood for pirates and assassins, lately. Hmmm. Wonder why that is? Anyway, I find this book really amusing and fun.

So the story revolves around Ananna, the daughter of one of the most "influential" pirates in Tanarau, who was supposed to be married...more Wow. I wasn't expecting to like this book. What a shocker! Haha! I haven't even heard of it until I found this title in Netgalley. The synopsis caught my attention and for me, it was interesting. I gave it a shot and viola! 4 stars, baby! I was in the mood for pirates and assassins, lately. Hmmm. Wonder why that is? Anyway, I find this book really amusing and fun.

So the story revolves around Ananna, the daughter of one of the most "influential" pirates in Tanarau, who was supposed to be married off to a handsome, young man (sorry, forgot his name! haha!). Ananna has this thing about beautiful and handsome people. According to her, it's difficult to trust beautiful people because in some ways or another, they would just leave you hanging and betray that trust. So she ran off and found herself a new shadow, Naji, who is an assassin hired by her parents to fetch her and bring her back. While trying to do his task, Naji found himself in debt to her for saving his life from a viper. Now, they're bound together by an impossible curse until they found a cure. So they've been inseparable ever since. They journeyed through raging deserts, crowded markets, and angry oceans to find themselves someone who could break the curse between them. It isn't called an "impossible curse" for nothing. Once they found someone (and i'm no gonna teeeeell!), they must complete three impossible tasks for them to be able to break the curse. So what are those 3 impossible tasks?

Of course I must not reveal them! Haha! It would ruin and spoil your reading! So that's that! Why not 5 stars, though? Maybe because of Ms. Clarke's style of writing that's somehow uncomfortable to read. But the concept is good enough. Just that she could have done well in that area. Another reason is because of the ending! It's such a CLIFFHANGER! At first I thought that this book was an independent book! Much to my surprise that it wasn't! #%$^*&@! So I have to wait another frigging year for the next book. I didn't see that one coming so thanks! :|

To sum up my feelings for this book, I would like to say that I really liked it! It's new and the fact that I don't know much about Naji's character makes me want to know him more in the next books. He's such a private person so yeah! Hoping to hasten this year and bring the next book out (whatever the title is.. hahaha!).

Enjoy reading and ciao! :>(less)

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Aug 04, 2012 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: coverlove, fantasy, arc, netgalley-arc, 2012-reads, 2012-reviews, young-adult-fiction, read-need-to-buy, reviewed

Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

Wow - what a beautiful and original cover; I defy anyone to see that and not want to at least peak at the inside novel. I caught sight of this beautiful, evocative cover a few weeks ago on GoodReads and once it had popped up on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it. For once, this is not a case of a beautiful, alluring young adult cover hiding a big ol' mess of plot and characters inside (unlike numerous others I could name that lied to my eyes); this...more Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

Wow - what a beautiful and original cover; I defy anyone to see that and not want to at least peak at the inside novel. I caught sight of this beautiful, evocative cover a few weeks ago on GoodReads and once it had popped up on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it. For once, this is not a case of a beautiful, alluring young adult cover hiding a big ol' mess of plot and characters inside (unlike numerous others I could name that lied to my eyes); this is a novel worth that eye-catching picture. Boasting a wholly fun and quick-moving storyline about Pirate Confederations, blood-magic, assassins, battles and more, The Assassin's Curse tries for a lot for a debut novel and happily, it succeeds in most of those areas. Immediately entertaining, original and full of compelling characters, this is a welcome addition to the fast-growing young-adult fantasy genre. Fans of the soon-to-released Seraphina and other such fantasy offerings will find a new strong heroine to root for and identify with, in an alien but vaguely familiar world, populated with the weird and strange sprung from this author's fertile imagination.

Though The Assassin's Curse is truly just a bit too short to see all its potential awesome to its full fruition, this is a novel rich in imagination and atmosphere. With islands of mists that can drive men mad, magic, pirate allegiances and Orders of assassins, there's an obviously medievally-influenced fantasy feel to the world being built by this author and it works for both the story and the characters being created. And the characters are a tretat -- for all that I was enveloped in the feel of Clarke's world, the strength of this novel rests mainly on its strong teen protagonist Ananna and her foil, the withdrawn Naji. With a sluggish, almost juvenile beginning, it was my interest in the mythology and in Ananna's story that kept me engaged. As it turns out, the novel matures from its initial impression of simplicity as its leading heroine does: quickly and smoothly once the narrative gets going. The introductory infodumps are not the best method of storytelling (duh), and thankfully the author matures out of that foible soon enough.

Ananna is one of those memorable heroines: strong, difficult, smart, and deadly. She is a wonderfully complicated, flawed woman - this is a girl who will kill to stay alive but will feel regret for it after. She's a hard woman, but not a cruel one -- and that's perfect for the cutthroat pirate world she hails from. A wide-eyed innocent wouldn't escaped from her wedding on a stolen camel, but a fully proficient one wouldn't be caught in the situation she finds herself in with Naji. It's a delicate balance, but one that is well-struck here. The first person POV is used skillfully with this particular protagonist; though I did grow tired of certain phrases she used, I felt connected to the independently-minded Miss Taranau immediately. Her strong and defiant voice, coupled with the conversational tone of the novel make for a vibrantly fleshed-out young-woman. I was really impressed with the air cultivated for both Ananna and Naji - both are prickly and difficult people, but you root for them because of (or in spite of?) their often harsh outlooks. Naji, whom I love, does still need a lot of personal development. I'm a sucker for any brooding assassin but I hope more characterization is down the road for him. A tortured love interest is well and good -- but don't leave it at that alone. Naji has potential and though I love him, I will be pissed if he is wasted and becomes a stagnant character.

As much as I was wrapped up in Ananna's inner monologue and travails, I didn't fail to notice that some aspects of this novel can feel a bit shortchanged, and that the plot can feel a bit thin in places. There's a lot of rushing about from place to place, long treks from one location to the next, all to find Person X ~~and then Gandalf Dumbledore~~, the old Hermit Mystic Wizard ~~trope~~...which didn't exactly light me on fire with its originality or do anything to fix the lack of tension. Those are all fairly common fantasy tropes and its a shame to see a novel as original as The Assassin's Curse fall prey to such easy traps. Ananna and Naji are more than able to carry the novel and create momentum between them that makes me want to read, but I never really felt any tension or suspense when confronted with the Mists, or other enemies. There's not a lot of worldbuilding here, and as this is character-driven, I'll allow a pass. For now. The bittersweet ending is open-ended enough for a sequel or companion novel (in fact, I am counting on a series for this) and that is one area that sorely needs some detail and attention.

Cassandra Rose Clarke is an author to watch. This novel was quick, fun, unique and filled with two wonderfully imagined characters -- all the more impressive for The Assassin's Curse being her first. Though not free of a few pitfalls, I greatly enjoyed reading this and eagerly look forward to the next adventure on the horizon for these two characters.(less)

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Nov 06, 2012 Matt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ananna of the Tanarau lives the life of a pirate's daughter: swinging from ship masts, swashbuckling, swimming in stolen gold, and shacking up with Johnny Depp. Basically, this sums up a pirate's life. And yes, I listened to that the entire time I wrote this review.

Ananna's life is fine and dandy, until her parents decide to marry her off to another pirate family for the sake of ties. Infuriated, she runs off to escape the marriage. Unfortunately, her fiance's pirate family's all

And sends a...l...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Scarlett rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-arc, reviewed

Originally posted on my blog here.

Where to start with this book? Feisty pirate princesses, brooding assassin's, impossible curses, this book has it all! And the cover is gorgeous. It's simple and yet will look so good on my shelf (for this is definitely worth permanent collection).

Going into this I had pretty high expectations (did you read the synopsis? you would too with that). It starts off with a bit of writing in a dialect, and that threw me for about a paragraph, but then I was too busy la...more Originally posted on my blog here.

Where to start with this book? Feisty pirate princesses, brooding assassin's, impossible curses, this book has it all! And the cover is gorgeous. It's simple and yet will look so good on my shelf (for this is definitely worth permanent collection).

Going into this I had pretty high expectations (did you read the synopsis? you would too with that). It starts off with a bit of writing in a dialect, and that threw me for about a paragraph, but then I was too busy laughing at Ananna's inner dialogue to care about how she said it. This girl is hilarious! And so believably authentic. Honestly, she's one of the easiest narrators to follow and I really, really enjoyed hearing the story from her point of view. There were details, but nothing too major, and her reactions are real. She's tough, but has a lot thrown at her and so I can understand her spazzing out sometimes. Not gonna lie, but I was picturing Korra from The Legend of Korra and it fits really really well.

Continuing on with the Avatar theme (and in a very good way, big fan of the show, even though this is set with a Middle Eastern flare to it) Naji totally glows blue! While he has the potential to be extremely swoon worthy, I didn't feel like I got to know him as well as I would have liked. He was certainly a brooding assassin, which is to be expected, but I'm looking forward to him thawing a bit more (and explaining things more!).

I was immediately immersed into the storyline and the world. There are some aspects that I wish could have been explained in a bit more detail (the Mists, etc) but what we get in this first installment is pretty darn awesome. There is character growth, frustration, terror, heartache....tons of really awesome stuff.

My only disappointment was that this isn't all it! I was hoping for this to be a single amazingly long stand alone but alas that was not the case. The next one, The Pirates Wish, is due out sometime next year. You can believe I will be getting my hands on that as soon as possible. I want both of these books on my shelves. I think it's an awesome story, but those titles just go so well together too (The Assassin's Curse & The Pirate's Wish...love it!).

Ms. Clarke is a stand-out debut author (anything else from her goes straight to my TBR) and I highly recommend reading this.....or no riding camels for you!(less)

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Oct 01, 2012 Cassi aka Snow White Haggard rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: galleys, favorites, fantasy, read-in-2012

This review is Breakdown of a Heroine Style because I just love Ananna that much.

Who is Ananna?
Ananna is the seventeen year old daughter of a pirate captain. She's been raised on a confederation pirate ship, knows her way around the riggings. She's handy with a sword and can find her way out of almost any problem.

Strength of Character
Ananna is kickass in all the best ways. She can defend herself with a sword and knife. She doesn't hesitate to fight off evil. When she decides to learn navigation...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Barbara, aka VampAngel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, reviewed

I received the eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

This book is magical.

Assassin's Curse opens with our heroine, Ananna, fleeing a arranged marriage in a camel. Yeah, you read it right, a camel. That's was the first time on this book that I said to myself: I like this girl. She's my kind of girl.

Ananna is a pirate. Her parents and her supposedly future husband are all pirates too. As are her future in-laws. Because she fled, now she has to deal with an assassin sent...more I received the eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

This book is magical.

Assassin's Curse opens with our heroine, Ananna, fleeing a arranged marriage in a camel. Yeah, you read it right, a camel. That's was the first time on this book that I said to myself: I like this girl. She's my kind of girl.

Ananna is a pirate. Her parents and her supposedly future husband are all pirates too. As are her future in-laws. Because she fled, now she has to deal with an assassin sent by her betrothed parents. This is no ordinary killer, but a mythical one belonging to a mysterious and much feared order. A magical order of assassins, who's horror stories Ananna's grew up hearing about.

When said assassin catches up to her, something happens and she ends up saving his life. This jumps starts a curse and now the assassin needs to protect her, otherwise he suffers a lot of pain. The pair then teams up to defeat the other assassins who will be coming after her, since he failed, and to find a cure for the curse.

And so the adventure begins. A trek through a dessert to find a river witch. A sea voyage in a pirate ship to reach some magical islands. And a growing attraction between our intrepid heroine and the scarred assassin. I hadn't had that much fun reading a book in a long time. It has this Arabian Night's feel to it. This great Middle Eastern world and influence, that the only thing missing was a magic carpet. And the magic here is one of the coolest I've ever read about.

Ananna is a terrific heroine. She's courageous, loyal, smart, capable, cunning and full of sass. It has been ages since I liked a heroine as much as I liked Ananna. There isn't any TSTL moments with her. Not once in the whole book I got annoyed with her. I have to say that was extremely refreshing. I was sold on her after just a few pages, but reading the whole book made my appreciation for her to only grow. What I also loved about her was that she wasn't beautiful and perfect. She had a real woman's body and she even says in the book that she has never been considered pretty. Plus, she is very adamant that she doesn't trust beautiful people, because everything is easier for them and they don't have to work as hard as everyone else.

The love interest, Naji, is also a compelling character. Half of his face is completely scarred and he's extremely mysterious. He can't divulge the assassin's order secrets and he's now cursed to save a girl he was suppose to kill. Her kindness and loyalty moves him and an interesting friendship develops between the two. I thought the author did a fantastic job with the romance here. It's slow building and by the end of the book you only know how one of them feels. There is no insta-love, thank heavens. What we have in this novel is a realistic relationship development with two people getting to know each other, and a girl finally finding out that she wants more than a friendship. I was also glad that the leading man here is less than perfect, especially physically. I'm kind of sick of all the beautiful alpha males we find so often in this genre. I wish authors would give me an ugly and/or disfigured love interest more often. But, the only cases I can't remember now are on this book and on Stacia Kane's Downside Ghosts series.

I wouldn't call this novel a romance, because it's not. It actually crosses over many genres. It has a little tiny bit of romance, but it could also be considered YA (since the heroine is 17), Fantasy (it's a magical universe), and even a little bit Steampunk (landships and all). The classification really doesn't matter, what matters is that this is a fantastic read. I would recommend this to anyone who would listen. It's such a fun-filled adventure in such a magical universe, that's hard to imagine anyone not enjoying it. It's very original and refreshing, especially since in this genre that is becoming so repetitive. So, go pre-order this book now and read it the day that it comes out. You won't regret it.

(less)

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Jun 23, 2012 Brandi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc

A rugged tale of danger, magic, and romance.

Wow, this is an awesome debut!

Ananna of the Tanarau runs away from home when her parents try to marry her off to a rival pirate clan. Within a few days, it becomes apparent that the scorned clan have sent an assassin after her — but when Ananna faces him down one night, armed with magic she really doesn’t know how to use, she accidentally saves his life and activates a curse that forces him to protect her from harm.

Ananna and the assassin — whom she no...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Karissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got an eGalley of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. It ended up being a wonderful fantasy about a girl who flees an arranged marriage only to stumble into an assassin’s curse. The book was full of adventure, magic, and wonderful characters.

Ananna is part of a pirating family and flees her family’s ship to escape an arranged marriage. Shortly after her flight she finds that her intended has hired an assassin to take her out. When Ananna accidentally saves the life of the very assas...more I got an eGalley of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. It ended up being a wonderful fantasy about a girl who flees an arranged marriage only to stumble into an assassin’s curse. The book was full of adventure, magic, and wonderful characters.

Ananna is part of a pirating family and flees her family’s ship to escape an arranged marriage. Shortly after her flight she finds that her intended has hired an assassin to take her out. When Ananna accidentally saves the life of the very assassin, Naji, who was hunting her she activates a curse which ties the assassin’s life to hers and forces him to protect her. Now Ananna and Naji must find a way to break this horrible curse.

I absolutely loved the characters and setting for this story. Ananna is a super plucky and fun heroine who, due to her pirate upbringing, can definitely take care of herself. Naji is also a very capable warrior and very mysterious. Both have rather sarcastic senses of humor. Both characters are very easy to engage with and like.

The setting was a creative one. Most of the book is set in the desert or in desert cities; there aren’t a ton of fantasy books with this type of setting. It gives the story a bit of an Arabian flavor and makes the story exotic.

I love quest based fantasy and these characters go on a magical quest through strange lands to try and break the curse. There is a lot of interesting magic of different types explored too. At points Ananna and Naji struggle to survive, so there is a survival aspect to the adventure as well. There is a little bit of romance, but not much. Mostly adventure, action, magic, and survival.

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed this story, it is just the beginning of a larger story. This book basically sets up the story for future impossible quests that the characters must go on to finally break the curse. So there isn’t a lot of resolution here...mainly a lot of set up. That being said I thoroughly enjoyed the set up and can’t wait to read more.

Overall an absolutely fantastic adventure fantasy read. I loved the exotic desert setting, the adventure and magic, and the wonderful characters that were unique and easy to engage with. There is also a wonderful quest-based plot and lots of excellent action scenes. The book is very well written and was a pleasure to read. Highly recommended to fantasy fans everywhere. Appropriate for middle grade and older.(less)

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Jul 19, 2012 Nobonita rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review is also posted at my blog: http://perrytheplatypus1102-3daydream...
Minor changes may have been made.

I got an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book via Netgalley.

I have almost nothing to complain about this book.Sure,it took it's time in proceeding with the main story so at the beginning it felt a bit boring.But once the story proceeded,I got more and more sucked into this newly created world of pirates and assassins by Cassandra Rose Clarke. From the cover and the storyline,I could tel...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-favorite-books, great-books-in-my-opinion

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this wonderful novel.

The novel opens with a pirate wedding. Ananna of the Tanarau is being forced into an arranged marriage. She does not appreciate this one bit. So, like any strong woman, she escapes said situation on a camel and flees into the desert. Unfortunately, the groom's family doesn't appreciate our strong heroine as much as we already do and sends an assassin after her. When Ananna and the assassin, Naji, finally come head to he...more Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this wonderful novel.

The novel opens with a pirate wedding. Ananna of the Tanarau is being forced into an arranged marriage. She does not appreciate this one bit. So, like any strong woman, she escapes said situation on a camel and flees into the desert. Unfortunately, the groom's family doesn't appreciate our strong heroine as much as we already do and sends an assassin after her. When Ananna and the assassin, Naji, finally come head to head something happens neither were expecting. They accidently activate a curse that was placed upon Naji and reluctantly embark on a journey together to reverse it.

Ananna is going to hold a place in my heart as one of my favorite heroines. She had me tearing up a few times. Our pirate heroine is so realistic. She's great in a fight but still every bit a young woman with powerful emotions and complex thoughts. She's smart and cunning and not afraid to voice her opinion. I never once found myself annoyed with her, yet she still proves she flawed and far from perfect. She's a refreshing breeze after the doldrums that are most YA heroines.

If you've seen the movie John Carter, she reminds me of Dejah. That scene where John Carter tells her to stand behind him when the fight begins, then she swoops around and takes out more bad guys than he does. He says "Maybe I should get behind you." And she just smiles at him. I kept imagining that scene while reading this because it perfectly describes Ananna and Naji relationship to each other.

This novel turns the damsel-in-distress plotline upside-down. While Naji proves himself to be very competent assassin, Ananna ends up saving his life multiple times. She's constantly getting him out of situations where he over exerts himself with magic or gets seriously injured. The journey they take together is completely compelling. I couldn't put the book down. Magic, mysterious glowing tattoos, Otherworlds, witches, wizards, pirates and assassins! This is such a great debut novel and, considering the way it ends, I can't wait for the sequel!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this wonderful novel.(less)

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Oct 05, 2012 Juhina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books, ebook, netgalley, strange-chemistry

4.5/5 stars

The Assassin's Curse was exactly what the cover and synopsis promise, an adventure. Cassandra Rose Clarke has recreated the feeling of fairytales such as Aladdin and Mulan and basically delivered an addicting and all consuming novel called The Assassin's Curse. The two main characters are a pirate and an Assassin. The originality of the premise and characters as well as plot in this novel is what really set this novel apart from the usual adventure novels.

The protagonist, who is a da...more 4.5/5 stars

The Assassin's Curse was exactly what the cover and synopsis promise, an adventure. Cassandra Rose Clarke has recreated the feeling of fairytales such as Aladdin and Mulan and basically delivered an addicting and all consuming novel called The Assassin's Curse. The two main characters are a pirate and an Assassin. The originality of the premise and characters as well as plot in this novel is what really set this novel apart from the usual adventure novels.

The protagonist, who is a daughter of a powerful pirate family ends up running away from an unwanted marriage. The family of the groom send an assassin to murder her because the shame is apparently too much for them. Now the twist that happens is that she ends up saving the assassin's life and causes the emergence of a curse. Naji, the Assassin now has to protect Ananna's life. Here is when the adventure to break the curse begins. Of course the adventure begins from the first page of the novel and I loved how we are dropped right in the middle of the action from the get go. Ananna is a great character; she is strong headed and doesn't go along with anyone's plan for her life, not even her parents. However I think my favorite character of the two is Naji. I just really sympathize with him at the beginning and I just love how even with his hard exterior, he isn't the dark brooding type, he isn't even labeled as an assassin's version of a bad boy. He is sweet, caring, and just all around a true gentleman, which ironically contradicts his profession. I just loved their growing fondness of each other over time and I just always hoped for more from those two together!

Cassandra Rose's writing is engaging and makes you totally connect with the characters. I honestly couldn't put the book down and kept on sneaking in reading breaks whenever possible. While The Assassin's Curse doesn't go that far plot wise, I felt this book was more about the character growth than the actual plot progression. The ending just made me want more and I can't wait for the release of the second book in this series and continuing on the journey of this odd partnership between a pirate and an assassin.(less)

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Oct 02, 2012 AH rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-netgalley, assassins, demons, fantasy, favorites, magic, middle-grades, read-sept-2012, wizards, young-adult, babr-reviews

Pirates, curses, magic, and more made The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clark one of my favorite reads of 2012. The Assassin’s Curse is a book than can appeal to many readers from middle grades and up. It really didn’t feel like a kid or young adult book at all – there was plenty of action and adventure to keep the reader riveted to the pages.

The Assassin’s Curse is told from the point of view of Ananna of Tanarau, the daughter of pirates from the Pirate Federation. She is to be wed in an a...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Katy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

2.5 stars - Bouncing between 2 and 3.

UGH! You stupid, stupid man! How could you… Why can't you… GAH!

This book was everything I could want in a YA fantasy. A feisty, independent female pirate (cool!). A hot, mysterious assassin (swoon!). Adventures over land AND sea (awesome!). Unfortunately, it was not. The book wasn't bad. It just didn't suck me in and left me feeling meh.

The story had a lot of potential. But I felt there were too many things that Clarke skimmed over the surface to. The book st...more 2.5 stars - Bouncing between 2 and 3.

UGH! You stupid, stupid man! How could you… Why can't you… GAH!

This book was everything I could want in a YA fantasy. A feisty, independent female pirate (cool!). A hot, mysterious assassin (swoon!). Adventures over land AND sea (awesome!). Unfortunately, it was not. The book wasn't bad. It just didn't suck me in and left me feeling meh.

The story had a lot of potential. But I felt there were too many things that Clarke skimmed over the surface to. The book starts out with Ananna being presented to her betrothed and her running away. I didn't feel Clarke gave us enough of a reason why she didn't want to marry Tarrin other than he was too beautiful and she wanted to be independent. And then (RED FLAG! MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!), (view spoiler) Again, I just wish I knew more about her hatred for him.

Also, the book is littered with references to stories Ananna learned while growing up, but we never get much details on the myths her Papa used to tell her (i.e. near the end, she freaked out about light coming from her, but I didn't understand what happened). I have the same complaints for lack of details into the Order and in the magic. Why tease something if you're not going to explain it.

My biggest problem was I didn't love Ananna and Naji. They infuriated me because they were always fighting with each other - and it wasn't cute bickering that enhanced their chemistry. They just did too many stupid things and said too many stupid things, and they're always arguing about something or the other. Ananna wasn't a bad heroine, but she just wasn't as kickass as I expected her to be.

And Naji, I'm sorry, but he's kind of a poor excuse for an assassin and later a weak protector. It seems like Ananna is always trying to save him, and he's always doing things wrong. And he is just so freaking blind that it makes me want to pull my hair out. It's kind of disappointing.

But like I said. It's not a bad book, and there were probably some parts that I liked, enough to bounce between 2 and 3 stars. But overall, I just don't think this book was anywhere near what I was expecting.(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 JennRenee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: release-oct-hardcover, challenge-2012-2013-winter-read

What is not to love about pirates, assassin's, and curses. Sounds like a bunch of fun to me, and it was. I read a bunch of reviews on this book, and many said it had a slow beginning. I didn't notice any slow starts, beginnings, or ends to this story. From the very beginning I was intrigued and was pretty invested in the story in just a a couple of chapters. I love fantasy and this one definitely left my need for a good fantasy satisfied. Great story, lots of action, and very unique characters.

A...more What is not to love about pirates, assassin's, and curses. Sounds like a bunch of fun to me, and it was. I read a bunch of reviews on this book, and many said it had a slow beginning. I didn't notice any slow starts, beginnings, or ends to this story. From the very beginning I was intrigued and was pretty invested in the story in just a a couple of chapters. I love fantasy and this one definitely left my need for a good fantasy satisfied. Great story, lots of action, and very unique characters.

Ananna's family are pirates, her parents want to marry her off to another pirate but Ananna does not want to marry if she cannot fly her own colors. She wants her own ship. She runs off after meeting her future husband and in her flight for escape almost gets killed by an assassin. Instead of getting killed, she saves the assassin's life and now he is bound to her, to keep her safe. They embark on a journey to to find the impossible cure to break the curse.

I enjoyed this book so much. I was a bit concerned when I picked up, I like High Fantasy but sometimes they are written in a matter that keep my attention and confuse me. This book was very well written and I loved every moment of it. The slang and the attitude of the main character gave the book more of a modern feel but with high fantasy aspects. I had no problem keeping up with the story and it kept my interest from the first page to the last page.

The storyline was very fresh and new for me. It was very entertaining, full of pirates, creatures, and adventure. The world that was built to create space for the quirky characters to live was just wonderful. I really was in a different world, a different mood, when reading this book. I love it when a book completely takes me away.

I really enjoyed the characters, I connected to them quickly and just loved the time I spent with them. Ananna was very independent and full of attitude. She knew what she wanted and would do anything needed to get there. She was also very brave and at times selfless, as in saving the assassin that was sent to kill her. I did have a slight problem with the voice of her character, she did seem a lot younger than she was supposed to be, but I did learn to deal with it. I completely fell for the assassin. I wanted to know more of his story. I knew from the very beginning there was more to him than what first appeared. He had many layers that were fun to peel off though out the story.

I had so much fun with this story. I know I keep saying fun, but it really was amazing.

I just couldn't get enough. I can't wait to start the next installment. If you like magic, a very creative world, and fun characters... grab a copy, you just may love it too. (less)

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Feb 28, 2013 Lauren Smith rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-review-copy, fantasy, to-review, ya-children-s-fiction

This review was initially published on my blog, Violin in a Void

Rating: 5/10

Seventeen-year-old Ananna of the Tanarau is the pirate daughter of pirate parents, raised in the violent, seafaring lifestyle of a pirate. She dreams of one day captaining her own ship, although that seems unlikely now that her parents have arranged her marriage to the son of another pirate clan. Tarrin of the Hariri. Tarrin is “the most beautiful man [Ananna] ever saw” and looks like a god from a temple painting, but An...more This review was initially published on my blog, Violin in a Void

Rating: 5/10

Seventeen-year-old Ananna of the Tanarau is the pirate daughter of pirate parents, raised in the violent, seafaring lifestyle of a pirate. She dreams of one day captaining her own ship, although that seems unlikely now that her parents have arranged her marriage to the son of another pirate clan. Tarrin of the Hariri. Tarrin is “the most beautiful man [Ananna] ever saw” and looks like a god from a temple painting, but Ananna distrusts beautiful people and when Tarrin shows his disdain for her family name, she decides to run away. Ignoring Tarrin’s warnings that his family will send an assassin to kill her for this insult, Ananna steals a camel and disappears into the city.

She hides out for a short while, but the assassin comes after her as promised. They are fighting it out in the desert when a snake appears. It’s about to bite the assassin and save Ananna’s life, but she’s so shocked and scared when she sees it that she kills the snake, saving the assassin’s life instead and activating a curse. The good news is that Naji, the assassin, can no longer kill her – the curse forces him to protect her from harm because every time she gets hurt or even finds herself in danger, he experiences physical pain. So of course if she dies, he will too. Ananna is not obliged to hang around, but after seeing the suffering that she could cause by leaving Naji, she decides to travel with him and find a way of ending the curse.

Ananna and Naji’s world is rich with magic and bursting with the potential for adventure. Naji comes from an elite order of assassins who reside in The Mists, a mysterious Otherworld that exists in the same space as the normal one, but is invisible to it. Naji is skilled in the magic of blood and darkness and can move unseen by leaping from shadow to shadow. Ananna has always been untouched by magic, although her mother is a water witch and tried her best to teach her daughter the craft. Instead, Ananna takes after her father and frequently recalls his advice in times of trouble. She’s a quick-fingered thief, is deadly with a blade and perfectly at home when running a ship.

Her quest with Naji takes them across the desert, the ocean and to a magical floating island. They fight magical beings and cutthroat pirates, proving to be deadly young warriors. Although Naji has to protect Ananna in order to protect himself, she has to look after and save him a lot of the time as well, especially after he’s incapacitated from using too much magic or suffering the pain incurred by Ananna’s injuries. I was surprised but pleased to find that Clarke didn’t entirely romanticise the idea of Ananna as a pirate by glossing over the violence of her lifestyle for the sake of a YA audience. At seventeen, she’s familiar and comfortable with violence. She’s kills people, she’s used to being cut and bruised, and she doesn’t make a fuss about it. That’s not to say it’s a violent book – it still has a very gentle YA feel. The characters don’t make a big deal of the violence and none of it is very graphic, so the tone remains light.

There’s a delicate touch of romance to the story, but that doesn’t quite fulfill the promise of “growing romantic tension” advertised in the blurb. Any attraction between our two protagonists is completely one-sided. The story is narrated by Ananna, and she finds herself drawn to Naji in the same way that any seventeen-year-old girl would find herself attracted to a mysterious guy who she spends a lot of time alone with. He’s also perfect for her in terms of looks: Ananna distrusts very good-looking people, but although Naji is handsome, his face is marred by an ugly scar, so Ananna sort of gets the best of both worlds with him. Naji however, remains taciturn throughout the novel, and the only romance he acknowledges is the one that once existed between him and a river witch named Leila. He doesn’t smile, he barely speaks to Ananna unless he has to, and doesn’t show any interest in her beyond their quest. He’s not mean, but he’s more like an estranged brother than a potential boyfriend.

I was surprised that the feisty, garrulous Ananna didn’t make more of an effort to get Naji talking. Because Naji, for completely inexplicable reasons, flat out refuses to give Ananna any proper information about the curse that’s changed both their lives, where they’re going to end it, and what they’ll have to do to achieve that. And like Ananna, Naji is also being chased by people who want to kill him, but he doesn’t provide the details. In contrast to her tendency to be hot-headed and smart-mouthed, Ananna is willing to just follow Naji around and wait to see what happens, even though she could easily coerce him into telling all. I’m not sure why Clarke makes her characters act this way. Normally when authors make characters withhold information, it’s to force them to maintain a sense of mystery that could easily be lost. But this is not a mystery novel and it doesn’t need the suspense. When Naji does eventually reveal tiny bits of his plans and the details of how he was cursed, it makes no real difference to the story. So why hide these things in the first place? If anything, they could have given the story a greater sense of purpose.

This is one of many small problems that spoil the book. Ananna generally speaks well of her parents, so it’s unclear why they basically sold her off in marriage at the age of seventeen. After running away, Ananna expresses sadness at leaving her parents as well as frustration regarding the arranged marriage, but she never thinks about this extremely troubling issue for very long. After activating Naji’s curse, you’d think she’d be calculating enough to realise that having a skilled assassin to protect you is very useful when there’s a clan of pirates out to murder you, but she lets her pride and her temper get the better of her and almost leaves to fight her battles alone. The problem with the Hariri doesn’t end up being nearly as dire as expected though – after the fight with Naji and another battle out in the desert, they practically disappear from the plot. The story mostly concerns the quest to end Naji’s curse, but it moves very slowly. There’s plenty of action and adventure so it’s not boring, but this basically fills up the long spaces between the very brief pieces that actually move the main plot along.

Then the book ends without resolving anything. This didn’t bother me too much. The end approached without the characters having made any real progress in dealing with the curse, so I assumed the bulk of the story was being saved for the sequels. But mostly it didn’t bother me because this is one of those books that I don’t feel much of anything for. It’s just a quick easy read to pass the time and, in my case, finish a reading challenge. I couldn’t help but notice the flaws, but they didn’t elicit more than a shrug. Naji and Ananna’s adventures were enjoyable and I liked them both, but I’m not particularly interested in finding out how they solve their problems, so I won’t be reading the sequel. But at least I didn’t hate it, and this review was a lot easier to write than most.(less)

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Oct 28, 2012 Yearning To Read rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: intriguing-idea, love-the-cover, arc, 15-and-up, 2012-read, best-lit-men, books-of-incredible, fantasy, favorite-love-stories, i-didnt-die-because-i-have-this, own, powerful, series-unfinished, surpassed-expectations, to-re-read, totally-crazy, wizards, young-adult, reviewed, perfectly-titled

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke (#1)
Pages: 320
Release Date: October 2nd, 2012
Date Read: 2012, September 17th-18th
Received: ARC from Publisher; OWN
Rating: 5/5 stars
Recommended to: 15+

SUMMARY -
Ananna of the Tanarau, daughter of a pirate, fierce young woman raised on he sea, is given no choice: she must marry Tarrin of the Hariri, or else, he threatens, his famiy will send a highly trained and deadly assassin to kill Ananna. Instead of agreeing, however, Ananna makes her escape - and...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Kim (The Quiet Girl's Library Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You can find this review on my blog, thequietgirlslibrary.blogspot.com.

Warning May Contain Slight Spoilers.

This story is told from the point of view of 17 year old Ananna of the Tanarau, who yearns to captain her own ship, despite the fact the Pirate Confederation does not allow woman captains. The only way for a pirate to better themselves is through murder, mutiny, or marriage. So it is because of this belief system that Ananna finds herself in an arranged marriage to Tarrin of the Hariri clan...more You can find this review on my blog, thequietgirlslibrary.blogspot.com.

Warning May Contain Slight Spoilers.

This story is told from the point of view of 17 year old Ananna of the Tanarau, who yearns to captain her own ship, despite the fact the Pirate Confederation does not allow woman captains. The only way for a pirate to better themselves is through murder, mutiny, or marriage. So it is because of this belief system that Ananna finds herself in an arranged marriage to Tarrin of the Hariri clan. Not too keen on being tied to a man, Ananna makes a hasty getaway with the help of a camel. Enraged by her treachery, the Hariri sends the Assassin, Naji, after her.

Naji at first embodies all that Ananna remembers from the frightening childhood stories her father used to tell her. He appears cold and deadly, seeming to be made more of shadows than of flesh. Ananna’s perception of Naji gradually begins to shift after Ananna accidentally saves the assassin’s life. Ironically, Ananna finds herself bound to this man (thanks to his curse) soon after having escaped being bound to another through marriage. So begins this duos unorthodox relationship. They begin a quest to find the cure to Naji’s curse and along the way they must traverse deserts and oceans, all the while battling characters from both their world and the other world, referred to as The Mists.

With each passing moment we see that Ananna begins to develop feelings for Naji. In her eyes he turns from a deadly assassin into a man that must constantly battle with his inner turmoil. Both characters are quick to define others as beautiful, but when it comes themselves all they can see is their own flaws. However, when they look at each other they are able to see what lay beyond the surface. When Ananna looks upon Naji she sees not a scared face of a murderer, but rather a man that is insecure and vulnerable. Likewise, when Naji looks upon Ananna he sees not a weatherworn girl, but a fierce, independent woman. It seems in this case beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.
Both characters come across as stubborn and strong willed, which is perhaps one of the reasons I found their interactions to be so amusing. It’s clear that there is chemistry between the two, though for the moment it seems to be more one sided, this is perhaps owning to the fact that everything is in the point of view of Ananna. In addition to the relationship between the main characters, this book was strong in the sense that it offered something for everyone. Featuring everything from pirates to assassins to other worldly beings, with a nice pinch of magic thrown in for good measure, this book is sure to appeal to both men and women. At no point did I feel as if the plot were dragging, instead I found myself unable to put the book down.

As a Lover of young adult adventure novels, I found the Assassin’s Curse to be quite refreshing. The main characters are both intriguing and believable, and the story is well paced. The prose remains consistent throughout the novel, and Clarke is not afraid to add some zest to the narrative by throwing in some swear words. Clarke could have easily gone overboard with this “pirate talk”, but she does it in such a manner that it adds more authenticity to Ananna’s character (she is a pirate after all!). I also appreciated the fact that the romance in this novel was gradual and subtle. I liked the fact that Clarke did not feel as if she had to either exaggerate the main characters’ relationship or add an over the top love triangle into the mix. The only downside to this book was the fact that there was no clear climax in the book; instead we get a series of ups and downs, and no resolution in the end. However, the way in which the relationship between Ananna and Naji has begun to develop has left me wanting more, and I eagerly await the next installment, entitled The Pirate’s Wish, which hits stores June 4th. What I hope to see in this next novel is some sort of resolution, either partial or otherwise. I also hope to get more insight into the thoughts and feelings of Naji. That being said, with this debut novel, author Cassandra Rose Clarke has proven to me that she has what it takes to contend with the likes of Suzanne Collins and Tamora Pierce.

If you enjoyed The Assassin’s Curse I highly recommend you check out these similar books:

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Call of the Sea by Rebecca Hart
Blood Red Road by Moira Young(less)

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