Series: The Assassin's Curse #2
Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Release Date: June 18, 2013
Pages: 330, Paperback
Source: Library
Source: Library
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 and their wits. But Naji has unseen enemies, and Ananna must face the wrath of the Pirate Confederation.
Together, they must travel afar, defeat their foes and break the mother of all curses. With all this going on, falling in love would be such a bad idea... All of this and much, much more await, in the swashbuckling sequel to The Assassin's Curse.
Together, they must travel afar, defeat their foes and break the mother of all curses. With all this going on, falling in love would be such a bad idea... All of this and much, much more await, in the swashbuckling sequel to The Assassin's Curse.
A sequel is meant to continue a story and further develop what was previously introduced. A conclusion is meant to provide an ending to a story and tie up any loose ends. The Pirate's Wish being both a sequel and a conclusion is required to do both. But I believe it could have done a better job of it.
The Pirate's Wish continues the story of Ananna and Naji who are bound together by a curse rooted in ancient magic. To break the curse they must complete three impossible tasks. Similar to The Assassin's Curse, in The Pirate's Wish, Ananna and Naji embark on an adventure across land and sea to accomplish their mission. Therefore, readers get to explore more of this rich world introduced in the first book. We get more magic, more pirates and quite a few mythical creatures to mix things up. And it certainly is interesting and unpredictable. I just wish we understood more of it.
In The Assassin's Curse, it was acceptable if some things were left unexplained because that is often the case with firsts in a series. It adds mystery and suspense and readers expect to get the answers they are looking for later. But after finishing The Pirate's Wish I feel like I have more questions than answers. And now I can't help but attribute some of this to Clarke's writing. What I once saw as a way to add intrigue, I now see as a lack of development. There is a lot to this world but minimal attention is given to each element. Without more detail, much of what I read felt shallow, like it was just a tool to keep my attention. And don't get me wrong, in most cases it did keep my attention. But to me, this marks the difference between an average book and a great one, The Pirate's Wish being the former.
There was also way more angst than I care for. Ananna spends most of this book pining for Naji, but in a "nobody loves me" kind of way. This was such a big focus that I thought this book was a trilogy suffering from middle book syndrome. I didn't see how they could possibly accomplish all three tasks in the pages remaining. And in fact, the ending did feel rushed.
Sadly, The Pirate's Wish did not live up to its predecessor The Assassin's Curse in my opinion. But I don't want to completely discredit the story and world that Clarke created. This might not be the most well-developed story or world but it was certainly fresh and fun. Not everyone wants to read a heavy fantasy series laden with details, and if that's the case, these books are perfect for you. Clarke has created some interesting characters and a magical adventure with plenty of obstacles hidden along the way. It's an easy, fast paced and inventive read.
Too bad you didn't enjoy the second book as much as I did. I actually posted a review today too! I do agree with your points, though, especially about the pining part and the lack of details. But I found the book really enjoyable and fun. What did you think of the ending? Obviously hard to talk about without spoiling, but I wish there had been an epilogue or something to explain how things were going to work out. My understanding is that there will be more books set in this world, just not about Ananna and Naji (but maybe they will make an appearance)? Great review! ~Pam
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked it Pam! I commented about the ending on your review. I agree an epilogue would have been nice. And yes, last I saw, there will be another duo of books that is based in the same world. It would be really nice if Ananna and Naji do have a small role, I like when authors do that (it's lets me stay with characters). I will def read those. I agree her books are fun, but I wanted more from this one I think.
DeleteI think I like this one about the same as the first one. There wasn't much background story (just like the Mist, I still don't understand it completely) and I agree that it was very focused on the one sided romance.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I guess I shouldn't have expected the second book to be much different than the first. :/
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