Book Review: The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Hello! This week I will be reviewing a pair of books from the same story arc. The first is The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke which is the focus of this review, and the second is The Pirate’s Wish which will be posted tomorrow.

The Assassin’s Curse begins with a pirate Ananna whose parents arrange for her marriage to a son of a wealthy, land-based pirate family. However, this boy, while handsome, won’t help Ananna achieve her dreams, to captain her own ship and crew. She runs away from him and the marriage. Offended, his family sends the assassin Naji after her. Assassins are a legendary group of blood magic users who kill for hire to prevent wars. Cunning and kind, Ananna saves the assassin’s life during a duel, creating a curse that binds these two together. Now Naji had to protect the pirate, at least he can figure out how to break the curse. Hi-jinks ensue as they begin their adventure aiming to find the magic that will break the curse.

The good: This book is a quick, easy read with a cute story line. I enjoyed the fantasy  The characters were likable, In general the plot wasn’t too predictable, though some of the characterizations were stereotypical. I rarely read pirate or assassin stories, which made for a nice change of pace. The tone was lighthearted, and overall it was a pleasure to read.

The middle ground: The syntax and grammar aim to imitate an informally educated teen pirate. That being said, if you can’t handle “ain’t”, double negatives, or improper grammar, I don’t recommend this book. I enjoyed the choice of syntax because anything else would seem insincere to the character of Ananna. Other characters spoke with proper grammar, which further illustrated the difference in education and life experiences.

The bad: In terms of character, there wasn’t enough character growth. Some did exist, particularly for Ananna overcoming some of her pirate prejudices, yet other characters like Naji seemed almost stagnant. Granted, I think his personal growth occurs in the sequel, but I would have preferred more from him in the first novel. Development overall was lacking, with incomplete world building and haphazard rules for magic that were sparingly described.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA, fantasy, and can handle some pirate-school dialogue. The main character of Ananna was endearing, and the plot of a pirate going through the desert and magic islands is fun. I am excited to read the next novel!

3/5 stars

Purchase the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble, or check out you local library either for the paperback or Overdrive ebook collection.