ARC Review: The Pirate's Wish (The Assassin's Curse #2) by Cassandra Rose Clarke

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
336 Pages

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, Naji and Ananna must break the curse, escape their enemies -- and come to terms with their growing romantic attraction.

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The Pirate's Wish was definitely one of my most anticipated novels of 2013. I came to read these because of the glorious covers and stayed a fan because of truly engaging story. After the magnificent debut that Cassandra Rose Clarke released last year, and her stunning sophomore (and adult) novel published a few months ago, I knew there was no way that I would feel anything but love for The Pirate's Wish. Of course I was right. The Pirate's Wish is a fantastical conclusion to The Assassin's Curse duology.

The Pirate's Wish continues Ananna and Naji's story as they work together to free Naji of his curse. So far, they have been unable to complete any of the three tasks, but with the help of some unlikely allies, they may just be able to save Naji. Throw in a manticore, a rocky relationship and some evildoers that are up to no good, this novel will leave readers satisfied, but longing for more!

I will miss these characters so very much! Each of them gained a special place in my heart and I really hope Ms. Clarke plans to give at least Naji and Ananna cameos in her spin-off series. While the book/series ends perfectly for the two, I'm just so attached that I don't want to let go yet! Of course, the more minor characters are also just as wonderful and perfect editions to the story. I really loved the manticore, whose name I will not even try to spell (or pronounce). She was a great companion for Ananna and added some great humor. 

The plot moves steadily. There's great action and fun adventures. I was never bored and nothing felt drawn out. I read this book in a day because it was so entertaining! I wish I hadn't had to put it down, but alas, I had two classes that day. (Why did I think taking a full semester during the summer was a good idea?) The romance moved pretty quickly once it started. It was a bit disorienting at first, but the relationship between Naji and Ananna has been a long time coming. The tension between the two in the first book and the first have of this one will have readers going out of their minds! The couple balance each other out and their interactions are so sweet and genuine.

I have seen a lot of people struggle with the clarity of the setting, and I can definitely understand that. The author's prose is compelling, but her world-building needs work. The places are described beautifully. It's getting to those places that is the problem. I wouldn't be able to navigate my way through one of the ships, let alone travel the world. That was the only issue I had with this book and as you can see from my rating, it had no real affect on me.

Cassandra Rose Clarke has easily become one of my favorite authors. After giving her a third five-star rating, it's not an exaggeration to say I will read anything this woman writes. She can do no wrong in my eyes. Ms. Clarke is an excellent storyteller and I cannot wait to see where she takes her readers next. No doubt we will enjoy it! I definitely recommend this book and this series. (Excuse me now, while I go and reread them.)

I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review via Netgalley.

Cover Reveal: The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Early in September, I reviewed The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke. It is one of my favorite books of 2012 and I'd go as far as to say one of my favorite YA fantasy novels of all time. On Monday of this week, Strange Chemistry, the publishers of The Assassin's Curse series, released the cover of The Pirate's Wish, the second book in Ms. Clarke's duology.

Here it is:

Well? What do you think?
I absolutely love it. It matches the cover of the first book and is super eye-catching. Though since they released the cover, I keep thinking about how far away the release is... The only thing I don't like about it is the font in which Cassandra's name is written. I prefer the way it was on the first book. (See below.)

And if you haven't seen the cover of The Assassin's Curse:

I fall in love with the book a little more every time I see the cover.

And check out my review of The Assassin's Curse HERE!

Leave your thoughts, notes, general complaints, etc. in the comments!

Book Review: The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse #1) by Cassandra Rose Clarke

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
320 Pages

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.

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Review:

Well, hello there. Let's talk about how much I loved this book, okay?

The Assassin's Curse was, in one word, phenomenal.

The plot is original and the characters are like none that I've ever read before. This world that Cassandra Rose Clarke creates captivated me and left me heartbroken when it ended, because really… WHY DID IT HAVE TO END THERE? How am I supposed to wait until the 2013 release date of The Pirate's Wish, book two in the series?

Ananna's awful grammar was the first thing I noticed. My first note in the book is: "I hate, hate, hate the word 'ain't.'" I'm strange, and I know it. When I first started The Assassin's Curse, I thought I may have to put it down, but something always drew me back. Ananna's a little spitfire and Naji… Oh, Naji, how you break my heart. The friendship that grows between the two main characters tugged at my heartstrings. I'm so glad I requested this one on Netgalley. I'll admit, I chose it because of its cover. BUT SOMETIMES A BOOK IS AS WONDERFUL AS ITS COVER. (Yes, I do often choose the books that I read by their covers… I'm one of those readers.)

The writing is simple, but perfect for the setting of the book. The prose really sets up the characters brilliantly. Everything just fits. I loved the way the author made the this world easy to understand. There were a lot of new ideas, cities, names, but the author always came back to them so you weren't left in the dust. By the end, I understood everything that was going on, and some author can't do that. I'm sure it's not easy to right your own world and get your points across. I've read quite a few fantasy novels that confused the living daylights out of me. Ms. Clarke certainly does not have the problem. In fact, if anything, I want to live in here world. It's been a long time since I've wanted to be a pirate, but now I'm back at that point in my life! 

The ending and the blurb were the only things I didn't like. The ending wasn't necessarily bad. In my opinion, it just fell flat compared to the rest of the book. It just wrapped itself up. It was an obvious ending, one that lets you know that there will be a sequel. Nothing spectacular happens. (WHAT I JUST SAID GIVES NOTHING HAPPENS BEFORE THE END AWAY. I'm not a spoiler, okay?) The blurb told the whole story. It literally gave everything away. It's a summary of the entire book, instead of an idea of what you can expect to happen and a little detail to hook readers in. So I was never really surprised with what happened. That was a bummer because the book would've been even better if it has some shocking moments.

I will definitely be reading book two. In fact, I wish I had it in my hands right now. I'd be reading it and not writing these reviews that I've never to catch up. That's how much I need the next book. PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE. I'm very excited to see what's in store next for Ananna and Naji! They have become dear to my heart in the short time since I was introduced to them.

My advice to you? Go order this book. Now. As soon as possible. Seriously. I mean business.

I received and e-copy of this novel from the publisher through Netgalley for my honest opinion and review.