The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Title: The Assassin's Curse
Publication: October 2, 2012
Publisher: Strange Chemisty
Rating: 3.5 out 5
Source: Publisher

Synopsis
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.

Thoughts:Longing for freedom, to be her own master, Ananna escapes a marriage that she doesn't desire only to find herself face to face with an assassin that she thought was a myth. Naji, the killer for hire by the scorned Hariri family hunts Ananna down cornering her in the desert only to hesitate momentarily and this will cost him dearly. Now, they are bound together until they can find a way to break the curse. These two must also fight to survive the many enemies that hope they fail.

I liked this story, it made me think of Aladdin just from looking at the cover but the pirate/assassin concept fascinates me. The curse the author adding in just adds to the complexity of the story. Basically, pretty cool idea that translates well onto the page. The characters are both unique but the mystery that is Naji, compelled me to want to bury myself into the page because I want to figure out who is really is and what he is hiding. Amana in comparison comes off as more open yet witty. I love her personality and her vulnerability. I think she may crack the puzzle that is Naji and hopefully fall in love along the way. The writing is clear and the pace steady. The plot is okay, I wasn't expecting the ending but other than that, good read. Overall, full of adventure, deception, humor and pirates!