Series: The Assassin's Curse #2
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Published date: June 18th 2013
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Source: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley.com, in exchange for a fair review.
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
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.
So it has been a
little while since I have actually written a review so I apologise if I am a
little rusty. Before I begin, just a little warning that this will contain
spoilers for the first book of the series. I read The Assassin’s Curse earlier
in the year and I really enjoyed it, so I had been really looking forward to
reading this.
This started off
where The Assassin’s Curse left off, with Naji and Ananna still being stuck on
the Isle of the Sky with the three impossible tasks left to complete to break
the curse. Therefore, once a way off the Isle arrives, after making a new
friend, Ananna and Naji must find a way to break the curse.
For me, The
Pirate’s Curse wasn’t as good as the first book. The main reason for this was
that I didn’t like Ananna as much. I felt that Ananna wasn’t as strong a
character this time around. She was sulky and bitter at times and what I like
about her character in The Assassin’s Curse, wasn’t present as often. She was
still strong at times and showed leadership and bravery, but she got on my
nerves occasionally. There were also times when her loyalty wavered a little,
which annoyed me.
Naji was a
character that I liked getting to know a bit better. It was good to see him
open up more and see more of his good qualities such as his loyalty and
bravery. I also liked that Naji was a realistic character. There were times
when he would despair that the curse wouldn’t be broken, which I think we all
would if we had to complete three impossible tasks. I also really enjoyed watching
him become more accepting of the way he looked and less self-conscious.
The new
characters were great additions to the story. Each had their own part to play
and each were fairly different from the others. I also really enjoyed exploring
the history of some of the established characters and finding out more about
their pasts.
I really enjoyed
the relationships. I think that they were all realistic. The romantic
relationships were a little tough and rocky, and didn’t necessarily have the
perfect ending. The relationship between Ananna and her parents was what I
expected it to be like. The friendships were also realistic with their up and
down moments, but some of them were also amusing.
Another reason
that I didn’t like The Pirate’s Curse as much as the first book was that I
found the plot to be more predictable. I think that this was because there was a
certain convenience to the storyline that made it easier to guess what was to
come. I felt that the tasks weren’t actually all that impossible and that they
were accomplished neatly and conveniently such as knowing someone who just so
happened to have an item to break the curse. It was still an enjoyable
plotline, but the predictability took away from it.
I did still
enjoy reading The Pirate’s Curse, but it did have a few flaws in it so I give
it 3.5/5 stars.
Mel.
