Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas @BloomsburyPub

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Title: Crown of Midnight
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Publication: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Source: Publisher via Netgalley

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. 

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

I love this girl! Celeana has the perfect balance of deadliness and vulnerability. She's just returned from an assassination assignment for the king and she knows how to make a big entrance. Celeana begins this book with a severed head and hand, proof to the king that she is his loyal servant. The prince heir Dorian and Chaol think her unfeeling because she kills so easily but what she hides will protect them from backlash if the king discovers what she's really doing. She's not the only one keeping secrets her friend Nehemia holds important information from Celeana that will set events into motion that will change her. 

The romance between Chaol and Celeana is sweet. They are completely oblivious to what everyone else sees when they are together. Dorian harbors jealous feelings towards what he perceives but he still wants her. Chaol is a good man bound honor and loyalty but sometimes that will lead to unwanted sacrifices, so much to the point that he risks any chance of being with Celeana. The king is dangerous and out for blood. 

The king believes that there is a group of usurpers trying to kill him within the city. This baffles Celeana because who would do such a thing so close to the castle. The king has a list the first name is like a blow because it's someone she knows. Determined to find out if the king's assumptions are correct, Celeana begins investigating the members of this group and what she finds will lead to more trouble, deceit and betrayal than she bargained for. 

Murder, mystery and romance... so much happens in this book with constant action. Celeana has grown in this book, she stills has room to blossom in the next one and she has moments on stubbornness but considering the life she has to live it's understandable. She gets a pocket of sunshine that hope will progress more. Dorian and Chaol are both good male leads, though I like Chaol more. Dorian has a secret in this one, too. Overall, the writing is good and steady. The plot moves quickly throughout. Maas sucks you in right from the start and will leave you panting for more. And that ending is oh my goodness! We learn something very interesting about our saucy assassin. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one! 

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!