The Assassin's Curse & The Pirate's Wish

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. 

Th 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. 

Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Page Count: 320
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure, Romance
Series? Yes. (Book 1: The Assassin's Curse)

After setting out to break the curse that binds them together, the pirate Ananna and the assassin Naji find themselves stranded on an enchanted island in the north with nothing but a sword, their wits, and the secret to breaking the curse: complete three impossible tasks. With the help of their friend Marjani and a rather unusual ally, Ananna and Naji make their way south again, seeking what seems to be beyond their reach.

Unfortunately, Naji has enemies from the shadowy world known as the Mists, and Ananna must still face the repercussions of going up against the Pirate Confederation. Together, Najir and Ananna must break the curse, escape their enemies - and come to terms with their growing romantic attraction. 

Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Page Count: 336
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure, Romance
Series? Yes. (Book 2: The Assassin's Curse)




First off, can I just note how beautiful these covers are! Amazing art work!!

  How can someone not be interested in a swashbuckling tale of an adventurous pirate and a cursed assassin? A tale spun about the results of one pirates actions and the magic that binds the assassin to her. Not to mention a unique world not known to a normal human. This is one of those stories that has the makings of a pretty good read.

  Thankfully, that is what this story was! I have never heard of this series until I read a review for The Assassin's Curse. It's not a brand new book, but not as popular as say The Hunger Games. I would consider it a hidden treasure personally.

  Ananna, the pirate of our story, encounters problems when she decides to ditch her own family so she wouldn't have to get married. Not a marriage of love but of politics, Ananna runs to start her life in the hopes of getting her own ship. However, when Naji comes after her with the orders to kill her, that is when the story truly begins. Because of a curse Naji has placed on him from a separate world called The Mist, Ananna and he are now stuck together.

  Thankfully, for both Ananna and Naji, the curse can be broken, with one spall problem...it's impossible. The only way to undo the curse is to complete Three Impossible Tasks. Kinda dampens the mood a bit, not to mention it's hard to complete anything on an enchanted island.

The story itself was entertaining. The magic system the book used was not entirely unique, but not the same old system every other book uses. I liked the concept of each magic user having something to do with elements. For example, Ananna's mother uses the sea to help with her magic, while Naji uses his own blood. The information given about the world and magic was well done so thankfully there was not a huge confusing info dump on the reader. The way everything was explained flowed quite nicely.

  I enjoyed the romance part to this book. There were a few couples we get to see along the journey, but nothing was rushed. This was not a boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love at first sight, The End, kind of story. Each character had to figure out the relationship and how to deal with it in their own way, and I liked that nothing felt forced or  had the instant love moment.

  The only complaint I probably had about the writing, or story in general, would be the way the author wrote. The descriptions were beautifully done, and the writing was not bad, but she made it sound like the pirate was actually talking. A few times my grammar correction mode wanted to correct a few things, but it didn't take long to block that out. I got used to it quickly, and it did help add character to the story and also made the reader feel more connected to Ananna.

  The way the first book ended and the start of the second book had a easy flow to it. We didn't start months or years later, we picked up right where the first book left off. It almost felt like this was just one book all together, and to be honest, it could have easily been made into one book. I can't say I liked one over the other, because to me they were both equally great.

I have to give both of these books a 5 out of 5 stars. If you want a fun quick adventure to read, these are a great choice! Glad I had a chance to find these gems!