Review: The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan. But that only prompts the scorned clan to send an assassin after her. And 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 curse, 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.
"An inventive debut with a strong narrative voice, a glimpse of an intriguing new world." - Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of the Shadows of the Apt series
"Ananna of Tanarau is a delightfully irascible heroine, inhabiting a fascinating and fresh new world that I would love to spend more time in. Pirate ships? Camels? Shadow dwelling assassins? Yes please! Can I have some more?" - Celine Kiernan, author of the Moorhawke trilogy

MY TAKE:

My first thought when I realized that there were only a few pages left as I was reading this book was "Freakin' heck! No! This book can't be done yet! There's still so much left unanswered! When's the next book coming out?!" Oh, and I seriously considered searching for some fanfiction, or at least writing one, to get my Ananna and Naji fix.

The Assassin's Curse is the story of Ananna, a stubborn pirate who runs away when she is forced to marry someone from another pirate clan. The spurned clan sends an assassin after her. However, things become complicated when her actions result in her being bound to the assassin.

I liked Ananna. She's brash and tough and she knows a lot of useful things. As for Naji, I liked his back story and how he was described. The only thing that I didn't like was how in the process of making Ananna strong and independent, sometimes it felt as though Naji was not as capable as he seemed.

The whole magic-meets-pirates angle reminded me a little bit of Tamora Pierce's novels. The Assassin's Curse has plenty of original concepts and plot lines, though. I'm definitely eager to find out what comes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Strange Chemistry for the e-ARC. Publication date of The Assassin's Curse is on October 2, 2012.

THE GOOD:

1. Ananna is likable.
2. The story has plenty of potential.
3. The world-building is great.

THE BAD:

1. There were a few unanswered questions and potential plot holes, but they might be answered in the second book.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

I was very much aware of that charm pressing against my skin, soft as a lover's touch.

READ IT IF:

1. You like Tamora Pierce's novels.
2. You like strong heroines.
3. You like novels with action, romance and magic.

RATING: 



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