4.5 stars!
I read about 30% of this before I did some severe skimming. The heroine speaks like this "I ain't had no dreams." the whole way through the book, personal dislike. The magical world, the magical associations, characters, and pretty much everything makes no sense to me. I'm not a usual YA reader, not sure if that is the problem here but I did not like the writing style, flow, or point of the story. It looks like 90% of my friends really liked this, I'm definitely in the minority here.
I've read The Mad Scientist's Daughter by the same author and was a big fan but yeah, this one, not so much :/
Title: The Assassin's Curse
Series Title: The Assassin's Curse (#1)
Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Original Published Date: 2012
Pages: 265
Edition Language: English
Format: Ebook
Category: Fantasy,Young-Adult, Adventure, Romance
Summary: (from Goodreads:) Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to another pirate clan. But that only prompts the scorned clan to send an assassin after her. When Ananna faces him down one night, armed with magic she doesn't really know how to use, she accidentally activates a curse binding them together.
To break the spell, Ananna and the assassin must complete three impossible tasks--all while grappling with evil wizards, floating islands, haughty manticores, runaway nobility, strange magic...and the growing romantic tension between them.
Review: How does ancient Arabia, magic, a pirate princess and an assassin sound to you? To me it sounded AWESOME!!!!! And it was a really awesome book. Not much romance as I hoped, but it didn't bother me.
I like when I know something is not realistic it still seemsrealistic, like it doesn't take three days to cross the desert! It takes the time it takes and I am appreciating it. What I also appreciate is that Ananna, the main character and narrator, has a bit of a pirate jargon. Or... I don't know if I would call it that - I am not a pirate - but surdenly it is clear she ain't talking no standard English. It is the little details that makes you appreciate it more. The character's are also after my taste. Ananna is suspicious, tries to seem tough and, at many points, actually is. Naji is gloomy, mysterious and both of them are not PERFECT! I can see faults at both of them!
Cassandra Rose Clarke's novel is not like any fantasy, young adult romance that is so popular. Here it is more the adventure rather than the romance that is the thing you shall be looking for. But I expect some more in the next book... But not so much more.
I liked this book; I liked the world created, it was very Arabian-like. Ananna is a MC that readers are going to like or hate, I think.
I liked her. She is a real pirate, born and raised. She has a sullen, impulsive, honest personality, too honest sometimes that it is closed to rudeness. But she is also brave and knows how to fight, she does not hesitate when she makes up her mind and she is very determined to get what she wants. I admit that at first I was not very excited with all her "ain't" but eventually, I appreciated that she talks like a pirate should.
Her adventure starts almost immediately: she runs away from an arranged marriage. In her run, she meets Naji, an assassin hired to kill her. But accidentally, she saves his life, and because of a curse he carries, they are bound together.
One of the things I liked best was that, although this is a YA book, romance is not an important factor. Ananna does not like beautiful people; she distrusts them, so she is not a heroine who goes head-over-heels over a pretty face. Throughout her journey with Naji she doesn't have any romantic, silly notions. Only at the end of the book she realizes her feelings for Naji, which seems a bit out of nowhere, considering that she never worries all the times he is close to death. In fact, she may have fallen in love with him, but I don't think that she likes him.
So, so far, it is a one-side love only. Naji, while being nice and protective to her, and having all these enjoyable bickerings with Ananna, doesn't look like a romantic interest. He is still a bit lovesick over a witch who likes to mess up with him, since he lost all his good looks (he has a burn scar in his face that depresses him).
Best of the book: the cover doesn't mislead; it is really about pirates, assassins; there is magic, deaths, escapes, villains, adventure, masks, curses, charms.
Worst of the book: the pace is slow sometimes. Like, it starts excellent, with an escape and fights, but then it slows down when Naji and Ananna go through the dessert; it is just OK with Leila the witch; then it is all going well with the pirates, but then it slows down again in the island.
And although I like Naji (he is nice, I like his looks, his magic and skills) he is useless most of the times. Because of the curse, he suffers physically when Ananna is in danger, and as it happens all the time, he is weak and close to death almost always. So Ananna is the one who has to put them together, has to take care of both of them, and it is difficult when she needs to go away for a while, but having to worry for Naji and his headaches for being in dangerous situations.
Nevertheless, it is a good debut for a new author, and now I am going for the 2nd book.
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