Expected Publication: October 2nd, 2012
The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse # 1)
Strange Chemistry
ISBN-13: 9781908844019
Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship whenever 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 become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.
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 become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.
Review
Ananna has much bigger plans for her life than her parents do. So when they arrange a marriage with a fellow pirate captain's son, she makes a break for it. Planning on eventually becoming the captain of her own ship, she's willing to take the risk of striking out on her own - even if it means that her fiance, Tarrin of the Hariri, and his parents will send an assassin after her for the insult. Which of course they do and when Ananna finds herself on the end of Naji's blade she thinks her death is certain. But then she saves his life from a deadly snake and they are bound by an impossible curse that appoints him as her protector, however unwilling. Is there a way to break an impossible curse, or will the pirate and the assassin be stuck together forever? Also, are the Hariri clan the only enemies on their trail or does a secret in Naji's past hold a far deadlier resolution? I thought that this book would end up disappointing me like the last assassin book I read, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, did. I however was pleasantly surprised by this one. It has a lot more action and adventure than I expected, with only a slight hint of unrequited romance near the very end. This book was ride, starting with the prison break of Ananna at the beginning from her arranged marriage to a man she knows won't treat her as an equal. I love that she is such a strong character, very honest and witty in a normal sort of way. She never hesitates to say what she's thinking or to do what she believes is right. Plus, she has a lot more common sense than a lot of YA heroines do. And she freaking USES IT!!! How rare is that? Naji is a kick-ass assassin, but he's also a sensitive and oblivious young guy who doesn't understand friendship and leads a really messed up life. The two of them together are absolutely hilarious and the side characters like the bitchy Leila were a great addition to the sometimes slowly moving pace of the plot. The authentic speech on the part of Ananna surprised me - not a lot of authors throw in that particular detail and it was nice addition that a girl raised by pirate parents actually talked like one too. Overall this was a fairly satisfying book, even if the majority of it was setup and world-building without a dramatic cliffhanger or climax at the ending. I am looking forward to what should be non-stop action and adventure in the sequel. Highly recommended to fantasy, pirate and adventure fans who want a book where romance IS NOT the driving force for once! :)
VERDICT: 4.35/5 Stars
*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is October 2nd, 2012.*
I was about to read this book. Thanks for the awesome review. Now, I can't wait to read it.
ReplyDelete-Dannielle