Name: The Assassin's Curse
ISBN: 9781908844002

Cassandra Rose Clarke

When Ananna of the Tanarau pirates deserts her family after trying to be married off to another pirate clan, the jilted clan sends an assassin after her. Ananna fights him off with magic she doesn't know how to control, and accidentally binds the two of them together with a curse. To break the curse, they will have to perform three impossible tasks, as well as overcome the growing romance between themselves.

The Assassin's Curse

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. -- publisher.

The assassin's curse

Colleen

This book starts with the words, "I ain't never." The language does not improve from there. Apparently, in Clarke's fantasy world pirates are uneducated and sound like illiterate hillbillies. Now, I am not bashing illiterate people. But Clarke seemed to go out of her way to make the main character, Ananna, use the worst possible grammar, not just in the dialogue but also in the narration. Every other sentence had a double negative. I almost didn't turn the first page. For the first two chapters, I spent more time unraveling what the heck Ananna was trying to say than actually reading. Eventually, I just started mentally "translating" everything she said.

Thankfully, it gets a little better once Naji the assassin comes into the story. (He speaks in complete sentences!) The adventure kicks in and sweeps you away. I liked the story overall, but the ending was clearly just a major build up for the sequel. In fact the second paragraph of the book's description must be things that take place in the sequel... If you want a light, fantasy YA read and aren't picky about grammar, then you will probably enjoy this book.

During The Assassin's Curse, Naji starts teaching Ananna mathematics. Here's to hoping in the next book he teaches her Grammar!

Sandra Tammaru

What was that ending sheeeesh... interesting story with a cool background and complex characters - intriguing what will happen next

Lindsay Maldonado

** spoiler alert **
           I actually really enjoyed this book. I loved the magic aspect of it, the small amount of suspense, and especially the possible love that starts to blossom between the main character and her would-be killer. It hits all my needs fro a romance book: magic, curses, a girl stuck with a cute boy, and romantic tension that is just waiting to completely burst!

Pamela Alvarado

I liked the plot and the fact that the heroine was a pirate. But what kept me from giving it five stars was the romance. Or lack of thereof. I usually don't mind but the blurb gave the idea of at least a kiss. *shrug* It's wonderful when two characters take their time to know each other, but I feel a little deceived with this one.

Cindy Lee

You can also read this review here.

The actual rating is 4.5 stars.

I really loved the Assassin's Curse. It's just a very good and interesting book :)

You are introduced to Ananna of the Tanarau in the beginning. Her dad was marrying her off to some other pirate (who is a dick by the way, really, you kill your bride if she doesn't want you?). She abandons her parents and run away. She wants her own boat, not as some second-in-command. After she ran away, the Hariri clan sends an assassin after her because she doesn't want to marry their son.

Then a chapter later, the assassin's finds her. Ananna saves his life. BAM. There's the curse. Now they're bound together and the assassin, Naji, has to protect her or he'll feel pain (or die). 

Now they've got to find a cure so that Naji doesn't have to protect and be with Ananna at all times. Naji and Ananna goes through various things to try and "cure" him. Really, it has so much action in it! But don't worry! There's room for the romance aspect. In this book, the romance wasn't heavy at all. Really, they weren't friendly with each other through the first half of the book. Now Ananna likes Naji but I'm still not sure if's it's a one-way thing or not.. Hmm.. That's okay! Keeps me guessing!

This book doesn't lack anything at all! The action and adventure and life-threatening moments are there.. The romance was KIND OF there.. The suspense was there.. The whole I-want-to-kill-you-or-else-I'll-die partner bonding was there. Well, you know what I mean!

My favorite character through all of this is Ananna, of course! Usually, a guy would be my favorite, but nope! Not for this book! I really like Ananna. She's a very strong girl and can take care of herself (unlike me, lol). She doesn't need anyone to protect her and carry herself along as well as any man. I feel like she and Naji are equal in skills (except that she doesn't have magic). That makes me feel better because really, we all need to be badass and show the guys up.

Naji is also a favorite. I feel like he's misunderstood too many times. Really, he's a good guy. He shouldn't be self-conscientious about his scar. If anyone really loves him, she wouldn't care about his looks but love him for who he is. So I hope Naji finds his true love :3

A problem that I found was the double negatives. This is totally personal and the book isn't wrong! I just CAN NOT stand double negatives. It drives me crazy. I even ranted about this to my friend who hates books. I feel like Ananna uses double negative too much even if she IS a pirate. Again, this is a personal problem.

Overall, the Assassin's Curse is an action-packed book that doesn't lack anything! *sigh* Now waiting on the awesome sequel...

Анастасия Розова

Just as I expected. Really, really good. I read this book basically in a day, partly because it is quite short, partly because I coudn't keep myself away from it. 
I liked our main characters quite a lot. 
Ananna was so straight-forward and sassy, quite brave, but also svared on a lot of occasions. To be expected from a seventeen year old.
Naji. God, I loved the scenes where he smiled with his eyes and with his eyes only. And the moment he laughed! Oh, so precious.
Their adventures were also very gripping and interesting to read about. Scary at times, I mean, for them. But still interesting.
Can't wait to continue on with this dualogy.

this was a 2.5 read. i expected so much from this, but somehow finished super disappointed. most of all bc i have to pick up the second one to find out what happens next, but i'm also seriously contemplating just to not continue, bc damn. the writing was...not my cup of tea and the characters were dull. i couldn't connect to them at all. story line was okay. and that's basically it.

Amanda 

2 1/2 stars. I liked it well enough. The only real annoying problem I had with it is that there is no world building. It felt more like the second book in a series rather than a first. You kind of get little nuggets of information as you go and have to fill in the blanks yourself. The characters are alright. The heroine is smart and brave. The hero is a bit bland and doesn't give a lot away as to what he thinks or feels but I guess that's what tough secretive assassins are like. I'll be reading the sequel purely out of curiosity about how it finishes, not because I need to.

Carla Aquino

Why oh why! I did not know this was a series and now I have to read the other books to find out what happens! This book pissed me off in so many ways.....the grammer was the thing that pissed me off the most! But damn that assassin for being so damn mysterious and now I absolutely have to know what happens! Purchasing book #2 right now!

Katharine Lumley

Patricia Santos

Opinião do blogue Chaise Longue: http://girlinchaiselongue.blogspot.pt...

O meu fascínio por piratas vem de há muito tempo. Os livros de Emilio Salgari e o tenebroso A Ilha do Tesouro, suscitaram-me cedo o gosto pelas aventuras no mar, gosto que o franchising Piratas das Caraíbas e a série Velas Negras só viria a intensificar. Sou, aliás, daquelas pessoas que pensa que já não há livros suficientes sobre piratas, ou não tenho a sorte de os encontrar. Foi fácil então convencerem-me a ler este The Assassin's Curse, um livro sobre piratas e assassinos cheio de magia que se revelou uma leitura entusiasmante, impossível de se largar, que evoca os perigos e aventuras dessas saudosas histórias que me encantaram na infância. Cassandra Rose Clarke é detentora de uma imaginação fértil e de uma escrita fluída e viciante, que impregnada de humor e um leve drama, tem a capacidade de nos transportar para as páginas do seu livro, fazendo-nos esquecer o mundo real por umas deliciosas horas de diversão. Por isso não se espantem se, enquanto estiverem a ler, forem capazes de sentir o sabor salgado do mar ou a secura do deserto. Prometo-vos que é algo normal quando se trata deste livro.

 Com subtileza, é nos apresentado um mundo que vai buscar múltiplas culturas e conhecimentos, onde não falta magia de todos os géneros nem heróis e vilões de todos os tipos. Um mundo complexo e bem construído mas que deixa o suficiente em branco para que possamos dar rédea solta à nossa imaginação, esta história tem um pouco de Mil e Uma Noites, um pouco de Barba Negra, e outras coisas que nada têm a ver. Mas essa aparente salganhada acaba por resultar numa narrativa cheia de acção e percalços, com muitos momentos hilariantes e onde o mistério nunca acaba, pois cada revelaçãozinha só dá azo a uma curiosidade ainda mais insana. Cada aventura, fuga, luta, zanga, e sabe-se lá que mais tragédia que acontece, permite-nos descobrir um pouco mais desta história bem como das personagens. É engraçado como, apesar do ritmo viciante que esta leitura tem, o desenvolvimento da relação entre os protagonistas acaba por ser tortuosamente mais lenta, o que surpreendentemente, em vez de nos aborrecer, só nos leva a deliciar-nos ainda mais com Naji e Ananna, inimigos mortais que se exasperam até à medula.
 
Deixem-me falar aliás, de como o Naji é desesperante. Um túmulo sobre tudo o que a ele concerne, o assassino é capaz de nos irritar profundamente mas, conforme vamos descobrindo coisas sobre o seu passado e as suas fragilidades e temores, acabámos por lhe ganhar um certo carinho e uma necessidade de o proteger que, por mais que ele tente se fazer de mau, não evapora nem um bocadinho. Nem quando ele é parvo e esconde o que não deve. Já a Ananna, a nossa pirata, é impulsiva, resmungona e não precisa que ninguém a salve, pois é desenrascada e corajosa que chegue. É tão refrescante ter uma protagonista que não se deixa abalar por nada, mesmo quando a sua fé é perigosa e inconsciente. Apesar de serem tão diferentes, a Ananna e o Naji acabam por se complementarem e é muito interessante ver como a sua relação vai evoluindo conforme se conhecem melhor. As personagens secundárias são mais misteriosas mas não menos carismáticas, e para o mal ou para o bem, todas acabam por ter o seu papel nos destinos do assassino e da pirata.

 The Assassin's Curse é uma mistura entre velhas histórias e originalidade, o que lhe vale uma “personalidade” marcante e carismática que vicia o leitor nas suas páginas, tão bem criadas e desenvolvidas pela autora, Cassandra Rose Clarke, um talento escondido que merece e deve ser descoberta.

Katerina Thorson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katsbooknook/
** 4/ 5 stars
So back story, I have been looking for this Duology for almost 3 years and I haven't been able to find it anywhere! Not in Barnes and Noble or even local bookstores and don't get me started on Amazon ($100 for this one book!!! Why?) However, I stumbled across the duology while studying abroad in Norway and like hell was I going to pass it up! 

I was not disappointed at all with the first book "The Assassin's Curse" - while the book seemed to be written as if for a younger audience (due to the lack of a harder read) I still immensely enjoyed the merits of the plot and where the story was actually going. I do believe, however, that this story could have been condensed into just one book with longer pages. As the ending point seemed a bit random and not at all thought out. 

Moving on from the logistics of the story and onto the characters. I loved both character's: Ananna and Naji. While I was hoping for a better character development- which I believe will come in the next book - the contrasting characters really brought this book to life. You have Naji with a brooding and self-hatred and then Ananna who is very independent and wants a life of her own. It was really great to see these two work together - even if one is meant to kill the other. 

 In the end I gave this book a 4/5 stars because it truly brought me out of my reading slump that I had been stuck in for sometime and the character's did capture my heart. I want to see where this story will take me in the next book!

Vicky  Nuñez 

Haleemah Sadiah

Nouf Fallatah 

Jessica Coburn

Raya

Briar Rose

Gabrielle Navarro

Viviane 

Savannah Winchell

valen alvarez

Thiago Margarida

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 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. From the Trade Paperback edition.

The Assassin's Curse

Reviews

Highlights