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June 03, 2013

Review: The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke

The Pirate's Wish (The Assassin's Curse, #2)
Title: The Pirate's Wish (The Assassin's Curse, #1)
Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Publication date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Genre(s): Young Adult (Supernatural/Adventure)
Source: NetGalley
Format: Digital ARC
Pages: 336
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indigo
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.
The Pirate's Wish was as good as The Assassin's Curse if not better. This review is spoiler free for both books. While The Assassin's Curse was mostly spent building and solidifying the relationship between Ananna, a runaway pirate, and Naji, a ninja assassin, we get so much more in The Pirate's Wish. The romantic attraction definitely increases, but we meet some fantastic characters as well as follow them through a fantastic adventure. 
I don't read enough adventure novels, I have to say that. Most of the novels I read concentrate too much on the romance or have some paranormal aspects or a dystopian world that cares too much about the world building and too little on the characters' journeys. The Pirate's Curse at the beginning was a bit slow because it was set in one place, on land. I wanted to get back to the ocean as much as Ananna did however we meet an unlikely alley and a very pleasant character: The Manticore. The Manticore basically eats humans and is a giant blob of an animal, however Ananna strikes a deal with her in exchange for not eating both. At the beginning I was slightly put off by her and was waiting for the other shoe to drop, however the manticore was a big source of humor for this novel. We see a bit less of the banter between Naji and Ananna but I didn't mind because the manticore was just so freaking hilarious to be around. I just thought this was an awesome input from the author. 
Naji and Ananna's romance was more directly addressed than in The Pirate's Wish. I loved the slow progression. I know I mention this many times but I hate how romantic lines nowadays progress at lighting speed in YA novels. I am personally a big fan of romance in YA books but quantity isn't better than quality in my opinion. A few scenes that are incredibly adorable, of course with a side of tension in the beginning, is better than outright romance throughout the whole novel until I just get sick of it. 
Character wise, I was slightly frustrated at Ananna at times for not listening to Naji, always doubting herself, as well as the decisions she makes, or at least ones she thinks of making. I felt so sorry for Naji because Ananna was such a pain in the butt at times. However Ananna is an endearing character and you can't help liking her even with all her faults. The ending is a bit bittersweet because it is a bit open ended and I didn't expect this to be the final book and the series being a duology. I am definitely going to miss Naji and Ananna however the author is writing another duology in the same world so I at least don't have to say goodbye to that! 
More books by Cassandra Rose Clarke:
The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse, #1)

15 comments:

  1. The Manticore turned out to be such a fantastic character! I loved her so much. Ananna, however, disappointed me more than a little in this second part and it was because of her that my rating went down a bit. She was just too whiny and boy crazy for my taste. But other than that, the book was awesome.
    Great review, Juhina!

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  2. I'm REALLY excited to read this one! I loved the first book and this is on my MUST GET SOON list!

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  3. Eek!! So, I still haven't read this one yet (should be able to get to it soon), but you just made me EVEN MORE excited for it!! I cannot wait to return to Ananna and Naji's story and I'm happy the romance progresses in this one, and progresses slowly, because I too am no fan of the lightning-fast relationships. Nicely reviewed, Juhina!

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  4. Hmmm I didn't realise this was a duology. I just assumed trilogy haha. I thought the first one was OK so I will be reading this one just because the first ending intrigued me. Great review.

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  5. I'm glad to see your 4.5 star rating of this book Juhina, as some of reviews and ratings for this have been really disappointing. I started this book the other day and although it's not wowed me as the first book did, I'm still finding it to be a fun read. Great review!

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  6. You can't help but like Ananna in spite of her faults. INDEED. Both her and Naji have some annoying bits about them, but they're still people, and as long as you can like them, the flaws don't matter. I didn't have that problem with her, but it was interesting to see all the tension in their companionship as a result of personality-induced setbacks.

    "A few scenes that are incredibly adorable, of course with a side of tension in the beginning, is better than outright romance throughout the whole novel until I just get sick of it"

    YES, YES, YES. Sometimes I feel like people think because I enjoy romance, and very often can't live without it in a book, that that means I'm totally cool with lightning-quick romances. I can enjoy them, because deep down I'm a sap and a sucker for hands constantly touching chiseled chests, but I'm not a fan of those romances, because they're just candy for my brain. Enjoyable to the taste but not actually providing any sustenance. I love the depth that can be found in romance, and the different layers and paths they can have. The Pirate's Wish definitely falls in with that.

    I'M SO HAPPY YOU LOVED IT. And that people seem to be loving it as well! It's such an excellent adventure fantasy and I enjoyed the hell out of it for all it was worth. :D

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  7. I've read the first book and I can't wait to devour this one. Thanks for another cool review, Juhina.

    -Dannielle

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  8. I see a lot of bloggers reading and reviewing this book. I still haven't read the first book in this series but I really want to as it sounds magical and amazing. I'm so happy to see that you also like this one as I've heard some not-so-good things about it. Great review :)

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  9. I have seen the first book at my library, and I almost picked up. I'm kicking myself now, this sounds really good. Glad you enjoyed this one too. Great review.

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  10. I'm just about to start this one so haven't read your review. But I'm glad to see the high rating. I've seen a lot of 3 stars floating around and I was getting a bit worried :)

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  11. I REALLY want to read this series! Awesome review!

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  12. Wasn't the manticore a great addition?!? I would have loved the book regardless, but yeah. I also loved the slow progression of the romance and how it was left at the ending. Great review!

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  13. I should read more adventure novels too, this one sounds great!

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  14. Great review :D I still need to read book one, but getting this one too. Hoping I'll enjoy it as much as you did :) Although it makes me worry that the main girl is so annoying. Sigh. Still. Glad you managed to enjoy it :D
    Thank you for commenting on my blog. <3
    Love, Carina @ Carina's Books

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