I received this as an Advance Reader's Copy and honestly didn't really know what to expect from the book. The beautiful cover grabbed me right away, but the story sounded really strange - pirates, a magic curse, a ninja assassin. I certainly didn't expect it to be one of the best reads of the year so far for me! I LOVED this book. What a brilliant debut novel from Clarke. I'm already inwardly groaning at the fact I now have to wait so long for the second book.

The story follows Ananna, a pirate princess, who escapes from an arranged marriage proposal to another pirate Captain's son. Strong-willed, she escapes into the desert on the back of a stolen camel, where she gets acquainted with a witch who tells her she is in grave trouble. An assassin has been sent after her to kill her, for slighting the marriage proposal. In a strange twist of fate, the assassin Naji is then locked in a curse where instead of killing his charge, he is fated to protect her life with his own forever. Neither one is happy with this outcome, so Ananna and Naji travel through the desert and then across the seas, looking for a magical spell that can lift the curse and restore their lives back to normal. What follows is a spell-binding, swashbuckling adventure.

This book had everything: witty humor, strong female and male protagonists, great dialogue, wonderful character development and interesting ones at that, great pacing, and even a touch of romance. I started in the evening to read it, and stayed up until early in the morning until I was finished - it was that good. The ending was satisfying, even heart-wrenching. This is a continuing story, so don't expect everything to be resolved at the end, but I for one can't WAIT for the next book. Awesome job, Cassandra Rose Clarke!