Book talk: Ananna did not have a typical childhood. She grew up on her parents' pirate ship learning how to fight and sail. Her bedtime stories were the ones swapped by the crew and they were full of murder and mischief. But the most terrifying of them all were about the assassins: magical, ruthless, and inescapable. If an assassin came after you, you wouldn't live to tell the tale. Even to a pirate princess they sounded too terrifying to be real, so she decided they must be nothing more than boogeymen that only exist in stories. Until the day she ran away from an arranged marriage and an assassin was sent after her. Now she's inextricably bound to one of these heartless killers and her dreams of the future are dashed on the rocks. Her only chance is to find an impossible cure for an impossible curse. And how can she do the impossible?
Rocks my socks: The story is about a pirate princess who falls in love with an assassin with a scarred face but a surprisingly vulnerable heart. It's basically beauty and the beast with pirates and that has always been one of my favorite fairy tales. There's magic and mystery, sailing and sword fights, and female characters that kick butt and save their would-be protectors instead of constantly waiting around to be saved themselves. What's not to love? It isn't a philosophical treatise or full of constant surprises but it's perfect if you want to be swept away on an adventure on a lazy afternoon. Perhaps too good for that: I picked it up before getting out of bed one Saturday morning and ended up staying in bed until I finished it that afternoon. When the sequel comes out I'll make sure I have some breakfast in me before allowing myself to be swept away!
Rocks in my socks: none
Every book its reader: I'd give this to anyone 6th grade and up looking for a classic fantasy adventure novel with a strong female lead. Fans of pirates will be particularly pleased.
Extras:
The author has her own website, twitter, and facebook page
The publisher, Strange Chemistry, has a page for the book with an excerpt and reviews
Source: School library
The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke: Buy it or check it out today!
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