The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse, #1) in The Assassin's Curse Re-Read

Jun 14, 2012 Nobonita - The Bengali Nomad rated it really liked it

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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Jan 05, 2014 Doroty Ellis rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, favorites, fantasy, romance

In the beginning there is a young pirate girl in the desert with a camel. You ask why is a pirate on land, much less in the desert? Well, Ananna is running, running from her parents, from her arranged marriage and running from everything she has ever known.

Her biggest dream is to own her own ship and sail as captain, but it's impossible since men don't sail under women, but she has plans about that. Until it self destructs when she saves the man (assassin) sent out to kill her, triggering the c
In the beginning there is a young pirate girl in the desert with a camel. You ask why is a pirate on land, much less in the desert? Well, Ananna is running, running from her parents, from her arranged marriage and running from everything she has ever known.

Her biggest dream is to own her own ship and sail as captain, but it's impossible since men don't sail under women, but she has plans about that. Until it self destructs when she saves the man (assassin) sent out to kill her, triggering the curse that binds them together. Fun, right? Naji, the assassin, is a sorcerer specializing in blood magic, also targeted by evil from another world. Stuck together they must work cheek by jowl to get out of this mess, preferable alive .

There is nothing i like more then a feisty heroine, and Annana is plenty feisty also sassy and blunt. What on her mind that out her mouth before you can say Ongraygeeomryn, a true pirate. But, underneath the tough exterior still lies the fragile heart of a young girl .

"Yeah. Beautiful people, things are too easy for 'em. They don't know how to survive in this world. Somebody's ugly, or even plain, normal-looking, that means they got to work twice as hard for things. For anything. Just to get people to listen to 'em, or take 'em serious. So yeah. I don't trust beautiful people."

Naji a surly young man with a scarred face and a scarred soul.Its clear from the beginning that he doesn't trust people. And its hard to do so when one look at him (and his face) sends even the toughest pirate running. The fact that he kept things from Ananna and did things on his own annoyed me at first, but then i realized that he didn't know any different.

The two made a great pair. Where Ananna was brass Naji was careful, they complimented each other in ways they didn't even realize. Also, he left her to fight her own battles even if it pained him, allowing her the freedom of choice, and didn't act like the testosteroned Alfa-male(I'm so accustomed to). In turn she pulled him out of the shell he hid under, made him face the world. He is also completely oblivious when it comes to her feelings, which is a breath of fresh air in recent YA books where the heroine is the one being oblivious. It was fun watching them interact with each other.

The only thing that bothered me was the lack of interaction between the characters, since its told from Annanas point of view, she retold most of the story, and i wanted more communication between character instead of the usual; he said, she said.

It was amusing reading this book, i had fun with the characters and the setting of the world was masterfully done. Before i even realized i had finished the book, and it was 4 am, fun times!

If you're like me, and love a heroine with spunk and courage to face her destiny instead of winy bitches that wait around to be rescued, then pick up this books, and you're gonna get action and adventure for free (did i mention the pirates?). ...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Perla The IB Teen Book Blogger rated it it was amazing

Shelves: all-time-favorites, favorites

One of my favorite books of the year! I had to wait for the moment when the story clicked something in me, and once Naji came into the picture, everything sharpened into focus and I couldn't put the book down. It's not all about the guy, believe me, Ananna is one of the best characters I've read all year, but it took the addition of Naji and their strained relationship to really make her and all her qualities shine. Naji is an exceptionally delicious hero, complex and powerful, I can see how Ana ...more

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Oct 25, 2012 D.F. Jules rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her.

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to beco ...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Leeanna rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-own, for-review, arcs

This review is also available on my website, www.leeanna.me.

I’m ashamed to say it took me a while to start “The Assassin’s Curse,” but once I did finally start reading, I couldn’t stop until I finished it. This is the book for you if you like pirates, assassins, and magic -- and even if you don’t, I still encourage you to check it out. You’ll find out why so many of us like pirates, assassins, and magic. :D

Ananna is one of the most unique heroines I’ve met this year. How many girls run away fr ...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Ryan Snyder rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, hmaybe

received ebook/arc from netgally. YAY! so glad i got to read this. I am kind of bloodthirsty so the title and description were like....Ashley...read me!!!! moving on

where to start? ok, i will start by saying that i loved this book. I loved being inside ananna's head. I think what mad me love is so much was her grammar. I loved how she says "aint" all of the time. She is a pirate, so there is no need for he to have proper grammar. Naji, however, was educated in order to become an assassin (yes, a received ebook/arc from netgally. YAY! so glad i got to read this. I am kind of bloodthirsty so the title and description were like....Ashley...read me!!!! moving on

where to start? ok, i will start by saying that i loved this book. I loved being inside ananna's head. I think what mad me love is so much was her grammar. I loved how she says "aint" all of the time. She is a pirate, so there is no need for he to have proper grammar. Naji, however, was educated in order to become an assassin (yes, assassin's go to school. everyone knows THAT :P) she would say something like: I aint a child. and he would go:....no, you aren't. haha. i felt like he may have been making fun of her, but i don't care. because i love them both. Ananna is a strong heroine who can take care of herself and ends up saving Naji more than he saves her. haha. i love it! This book had me laughing really hard quite a few times. When the guy gives Naji his three impossible tasks to break the curse, he says: (not exact words) Good luck with THAT, murderer. haha. i about died. For them to be so isolated, the magic people sure do like to make fun of/ hurt people. Like that one moron i will not name. gosh, i HATED her. and so did my girl, ananna (we have good instincts like that. pirate's instincts. oh yeah. ;D) Another part i loved was when she was freaking out and thought that Naji had turned into a fern. classic. haha. "I thought you had turned into a fern!" and his reaction? "oh" haha. he is so clueless. I hope we can learn more about him in the second half of the duology (which i have to wait FOREVER to read. D:) We learn a little about his character. He is like shrouded in mystery, which i like in a love interest/ leading man ;). I HAVE to know how he got his scar. He kind of broke my heart a little when he was mooning over SHE who will not be named. the..slimeball. (moving on) He is so self- conscious which is so ADORABLE, because he is this awesome BA bloodthirsty assassin hottie magic shadow man! (pardon my grammar. I'm a pirate)He hates the ocean. She loves it. He likes the desert. she hates it. this book ended on a clifffhanger, which i do not appreciate since i have to wait until the end of 2013 to find out what happens. 0.o. not cool, lady. not cool. I have no idea if you will enjoy this as much as i did. I am kind of weird. I have a strange sense of humor (i thought you turned into a fern!. haha)and i have an affinity for both Pirates and assassins. but i will highly recommend you read it when it comes out. I cannot wait to buy the sucker. I'll put it next to Graceling, my other favorite assassin book. seriously, the sequel needs to hurry up and find its way to my bedroom. i am just saying. Oh! and i hope to see people from the first book again in book 2. and i too wonder what it would be like to kiss an assassin. :D i bet its WONDERFUL. (i already told you guys i was weird) ...more

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Nov 13, 2013 Raina Lie rated it liked it · review of another edition

ringan dan seru. agak terganggu dengan kecenderungan penulis menggunakan kalimat-kalimat dobel-negatif tapi bacanya tetep asik kok :D Pingin baca lanjutannya...

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Aug 06, 2012 Daphne (Illumicrate) rated it really liked it

Shelves: genre-fantasy, pub-strange-chemistry, age-ya, type-arc-netgalley, 2012-debut-author

3.5 stars, originally posted at Winged Reviews.

I wanted to read this debut due to a review that said one of the main characters reminded her of a certain scarred prince close to my heart. I also love high fantasy, pirates, assassins and eastern-influenced culture and this book had it all in spades. While the world building was phenomenal, the aforementioned main character was a complete let down. In fact, both of them were.

Ananna of the Tanarau is the only daughter and successor to a wealthy pir 3.5 stars, originally posted at Winged Reviews.

I wanted to read this debut due to a review that said one of the main characters reminded her of a certain scarred prince close to my heart. I also love high fantasy, pirates, assassins and eastern-influenced culture and this book had it all in spades. While the world building was phenomenal, the aforementioned main character was a complete let down. In fact, both of them were.

Ananna of the Tanarau is the only daughter and successor to a wealthy pirate clan. In order to carry on the legacy, her parents arranged for her to marry Tarrin of the Hariri, another pirate clan. Like every girl who finds herself with an arranged marriage, she felt it would crush her dreams of being the captain of her own ship. So instead of going through with it, she goes all runaway bride and takes the risk that the Hariri clan would send an assassin after her for disgracing them.

Assassins in Clarke's world are not just skilled at stealth and fighting. They are a shadowy clan of their own, feared for their use of blood magic. The threat of an assassin like Naji being sent after you usually means a certain and painful death. Fortunately, she's the main character in her own book, so instead of dying, she inadvertently kills an asp, saves Naji's life and triggers his dormant curse. Instead of being able to finish the job, he now is sworn to protect her or it will cost him his life. He even feels actual physical pain when she is in danger or hurt. Together, they travel through the vast dessert, across the ocean and mystical islands in order to find a cure.

The world building is really something else. At first glance (of the cover), it's Arabian Nights inspired, with dessert towns, marketplaces and camels. But as Ananna and Naji continue their quest, there are traces of 17th Century pirate docks and mystical island surroundings reminiscent of Doctor Moreau but with creepy plants instead of animals. There is also the shadow world, which is here, but isn't. Everything was described much better than I just did and each place they travelled through and each situation they found themselves in came alive for me. I also really enjoyed the way magic was dealt with in this book, as it and its rules fit seamleassly into the world.

As for Ananna and Naji, they fell flat. I admired Ananna's courage to defy her parents and heritage, but didn't understand her actions and motives most of the time. She was strong-willed but insecure and very stubborn in her insistence to stick with Naji. I wanted her to find her dreams, instead of being more concerned about the well-being of someone who just tried to kill her. Naji was also just as, if not more, insecure as Ananna due to the scar on his face. He was also cold and stubborn and the lack of communication from his part made me want to shake him really hard and yell. He also seemed frightfully ignorant of people's feelings and perception of him. As you can imagine, they fought constantly. Sadly, it wasn't in the "we have chemistry" way, it was just plain fighting. I really don't know why Ananna ends up developing feelings for Naji, because it came almost out of the blue.

I do have higher hopes for the second book, now that both characters have developed and formed a somewhat mutual respect for each other. I love quests, and completing three impossible tasks to cure the impossible curse will be fantastic to read about. So, a slow start, but it has the makings of a great series. ...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Kathy (Kindle-aholic) rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya

4.5 stars.

I really got into this one. The pages flew by and I had a lot of fun reading it. You know I love YA, and I can usually handle ones set in high school, but I've read lots of those lately. I LOVE that this is a YA fantasy outside of the schoolroom, in a completely unique world.

Ananna is a pirate, raised in a pirate clan on the seas. She is an expert thief, knows her way around a sword, and while not bloodthirsty she also doesn't run from a fight. She also has a good sense of self-prese ...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Ashley Ferguson rated it really liked it

This review can also be found at The A P Book Club

At first, I thought I was really going to have a hard time getting into this book. I struggled to get into Ananna's mind and with her dialect. I also couldn't really see where the plot was going to go, or how everything would fit together.

And then she jumps ship and runs away from her planned marriage, and everything just takes off. I actually really enjoyed how she spoke/thought, and it was kind of refreshing to read a book that wasn't written w This review can also be found at The A P Book Club

At first, I thought I was really going to have a hard time getting into this book. I struggled to get into Ananna's mind and with her dialect. I also couldn't really see where the plot was going to go, or how everything would fit together.

And then she jumps ship and runs away from her planned marriage, and everything just takes off. I actually really enjoyed how she spoke/thought, and it was kind of refreshing to read a book that wasn't written with a very strict grammatical structure.The way Clark puts the reader into Ananna's head is incredible, and I was definitely pleasantly surprised. While she did annoy me at times, and I didn't necessarily agree with all of her decisions, I thought she was very real and dynamic.

Actually, Naji was also a very well developed, dynamic character as well. I enjoyed getting to know him with Ananna, and I even found myself wishing that some of the chapters had been from his point of view. I'd like to know his feelings and his thoughts concerning this whole curse business, and about everything related to it. There are so many unanswered questions I have about him, and I'm really hoping the rest of the series answers at least some of them.

The plot and the pacing also move along much more quickly once Ananna actually decides to run away. While it does take her some time to meet the assassin and then continue on their journey, Clark does a great job with filling the time with all sorts of interesting details that help with the world building. The world is rich and full, and parts of it definitely seem like they're based on real places. The deserts, for instance. Other places though are completely fantastical and magical and really showcase what a vivid imagination Clark must have.

I was a little disappointed in the ending - I thought it was very abrupt and gave very little closer to anything. In fact, I can't really think of anything that was truly resolved. I kept trying to get my Kindle app to go to the next page, but it just wouldn't budge. However, that makes me very excited that this book is only the first in a trilogy, and I will definitely be trying to desperately get my hands on a copy of The Pirate's Wish as soon as I possibly can.

Anyone who is a fan of pirates, assassins, magic, epic adventures, and even some fantasy should definitely check out this book - it's one you won't want to miss! I would definitely give this one a 4/5. ...more

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