Angie
Written on Oct 12, 2014
The Assassin's Curse was a very quick and easy read. Ananna and Naji get into a lot of trouble on their journey north, so I was never bored. But I wasn't fully engaged for some reason either. I was just reading along, and next thing I know, it's over. There wasn't anything that really drew me in or blew me away. I also felt like their troubles were a bit repetitive. Someone would find them, Naji would use too much magic to fight them, Ananna would have to nurse him back to health even though she doesn't know what she's doing. Then someone magical would appear, help, and send them on their way. Repeat. I liked what I was reading, but do wish it had been a bit less formulaic.
I did really love the magic in The Assassin's Curse! It's everywhere! Ananna's mother could do magic and tried to teach her, but that didn't go so well. So Ananna does have magic in her, but she just doesn't know how to use it, or really care to. Naji on the other hand pretty much is magic. Assassin's aren't just people who kill other people. He can turn into shadow and move around unnoticed. He can do protection spells and offensive magic. Of course, there are other magical beings who aren't so nice out there too, including sirens! There's also a wizard that Naji thinks can help him. Magic was a huge part of this world, which seemed to be based on the Middle East. I really liked it.
In the end, I did quite enjoy The Assassin's Curse. I was more impressed with the magical aspects, rather than the adventure, but I think that's okay. It's enough for me to be interested in what comes next for Naji and Ananna, since now they'll be headed on a (hopefully) magical quest to break his curse.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.