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Magic of Blood and Sea: The Assassin's Curse and The Pirate's Wish Kindle Edition

by Cassandra Rose Clarke (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 122 ratings
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A pirate princess and a cursed assassin find their fates intertwined in this gorgeous and thrilling adventure.

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an ally pirate clan. She wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to a handsome and clueless man. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns that her fiancé’s clan has sent an assassin after her.

And when this assassin, Naji, finally finds her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse—with a life-altering result. Now, Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work to complete three impossible tasks that will cure the curse.

Unfortunately, Naji has enemies from the shadowy world known as the Mists, and Ananna must face the repercussions of betraying her engagement that set her off on her adventures. Together, the two must break the curse, escape their enemies, and come to terms with their growing romantic attraction.
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  1. Print length
    545 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Gallery/Saga Press
  5. Publication date
    February 7, 2017
  6. File size
    4331 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

* “Harkens back to the best in fantasy/adventure, offering rock-solid worldbuilding, satisfyingly perilous obstacles and a protagonist whose charismatic ’tude goes way beyond spunk.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE)

“Unique, heart-wrenching, full of mysteries and twists!” (Tamora Pierce, author of the Song of the Lioness books, on THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE )

"An enjoying, compelling read with a strong and competent narrator … a highly satisfying adventure.” (SFX Magazine, on THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE)

“Exciting and original...with magic, pirates, myth and adventure, The Assassin’s Curse will hook you in and keep you tugging on the line for the next book in Clarke’s series.” (USA Today, on THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE)

“Thrilling action combines with surprising character revelations in this satisfying sequel.” (Kirkus Reviews, on THE PIRATE'S WISH)



* “Harkens back to the best in fantasy/adventure, offering rock solid worldbuilding, satisfyingly perilous obstacles and a protagonist whose charismatic ’tude goes way beyond spunk.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE)

“Unique, heart wrenching, full of mysteries and twists!” (Tamora Pierce, author of the Song of the Lioness quartet, on THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE )

"An enjoying, compelling read with a strong and competent narrator … a highly satisfying adventure.” (SFX Magazine, on THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE)

“Exciting and original...with magic, pirates, myth and adventure, The Assassin’s Curse will hook you in and keep you tugging on the line for the next book in Clarke’s series.” (USA Today, on THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE)

“Thrilling action combines with surprising character revelations in this satisfying sequel.” (Kirkus Reviews, on THE PIRATE'S WISH)

About the Author

Cassandra Rose Clarke is the author of Star Trek: Prodigy: A Dangerous Trade, Star Trek: The Next Generation: Shadows Have Offended, Our Lady of the Ice, Magic of Blood and Sea, Magic of Wind and Mist, Star’s End, Halo: Battle Born, and Halo: Battle Born: Meridian Divide. She grew up in south Texas and currently lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she tends to multiple cats. Cassandra’s first adult novel, The Mad Scientist’s Daughter, was a finalist for the 2013 Philip K. Dick Award, and her YA novel, The Assassin’s Curse, was nominated for YALSA’s 2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults. Her short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons and Daily Science Fiction. Visit her at CassandraRoseClarke.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01HN13MSK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gallery/Saga Press; Bind-Up edition (February 7, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 7, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4331 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 545 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 122 ratings

About the author

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Cassandra Rose Clarke

Cassandra Rose Clarke

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​Cassandra Rose Clarke grew up in south Texas and currently lives in a suburb of Houston, where she writes and teaches composition at a pair of local colleges. She holds an M.A. in creative writing from The University of Texas at Austin, and in 2010 she attended the Clarion West Writer’s Workshop in Seattle. Her work has been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, and YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
122 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Meg
5.0 out of 5 stars A favorite pirate tale
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2017
Verified Purchase
I read these when they were originally published and it is one of my favorite pirate series to date. The main character has such a distinct voice and it is easy to love her fierce personality as the reader is sucked in to this world of pirates and assassins. I was thrilled that this book and the subsequent series set in the same universe were going to be republished though I was surprised that they have been published under one binding as opposed to two separate books.
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Nuin Giliath
4.0 out of 5 stars Final rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2020
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Book 1 - The Assassin's Curse - ★★★★☆

This was a great introduction to the world and characters of this story. While we never got to see Ananna at home on her own ship, I liked whenever she would reflect on past experiences and conversations with her parents as this revealed a lot about the life she had had among pirates. What I loved even more was getting to travel around various parts of this world. From bustling city markets to a scorching desert to a river canyon to mystical floating islands, each location offered something unique and interesting. The magic system was pretty standard, but I did appreciate that there were limits involved and practitioners can even run out if they overuse it.

It did take a couple of chapters before I warmed to Ananna and became more invested in the plot. Ananna was a fierce and determined protagonist who also showed her compassionate and caring side with Naji. Speaking of Naji, he certainly fulfilled the mysterious assassin role well. Even though I wished we knew more about him by the end of this book, I did enjoy seeing his protective nature and the few glimpses of a softer side. I really liked how these two started off as reluctant allies who eventually develop a friendship through their trials and travels together.

There were two issues I had with this first book:
1) I wasn't always fond of Ananna's narration. She's written with a very unique voice and I admire the author for committing to that. However, it just didn't fit with how I imagined her sounding and came off rather jarring. (Thankfully this was less noticeable or prevalent in book 2.)

2) On its own The Assassin's Curse wasn't a satisfying story. There was a lot of setup and buildup with little payoff at this point. I'm hoping that book 2 offers some worthwhile resolutions.

Book 2 - The Pirate's Wish - ★★★☆☆

This offered a fairly satisfying conclusion with more of the seafaring adventures I had wanted since the start of book 1. While the world was never as fleshed out as I hoped it would be (there's not even a map 😕), I liked the variety of places featured. There was enough information provided that I could picture these settings in my mind and they felt believable to me.

Even though I had been looking forward to continuing the story after the cliffhanger at the end of the last book, I was a little frustrated at the beginning as the plot started off slow and dragged through the first few chapters. Thankfully, the introduction of the manticore helped to increase my interest and enjoyment. She added some much needed humor and lightness to the story. Things also began to improve with Marjani's reappearance. I liked getting to learn more about her character and past in this book.

There were two weak areas that kept me from rating this series as a whole any higher:
1) I had been intrigued by the idea of having to complete three impossible tasks in order to break their curse. I was hoping for some clever thinking and teamwork leading up to each resolution. Unfortunately, two of the three were resolved through conveniences which involved little to no effort from the characters. Then the third task was solved in a way that was both abrupt and uncomfortable. I wish these had all been handled better.

2) Overall, I enjoyed the romance and its take on the reluctant allies trope. I came to really care for these two characters and wanted them to find happiness together. However, there were times when events, decisions, or misunderstandings led to an awkwardness between them which lasted for far too long. While the ending is left open-ended, I actually thought this conclusion fit these characters and their personalities.

This was an amusing YA fantasy filled with adventure and romance. If you can overlook the convenient solutions and occasional slowness, you might enjoy this duology.

Final rating: 3.5 stars
3 people found this helpful
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Awa
3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Worldbuilding and Characters
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2023
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Pacing of this series is a bit off, but otherwise the imagery of the setting was easy enough to get into.
I enjoyed the book and the characters, as well as what they were meant to be, but I took a really long while to finish because I just couldn't be invested enough to want to know more.

Love story feels a bit one sided.

Overall enjoyable if you're looking for something to read just for the sake of it.
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A
5.0 out of 5 stars sweet book
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2021
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Enjoyed this book, it was really sweet and fun. It was a very light hearted and sweet book to read.
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Christy
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun read, if you're on the mood for something cheesey.
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2019
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This book is perfect for when you're just in the mood for something cheesey. I loved it until the sharks started talking (you'll understand if/when you read the books) then it just went downhill from there. It had a nice ending though, and was we'll written.
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Felicity P.
5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of those rare books that I read ...
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2017
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This is one of those rare books that I read over and over again. I have some complaints surrounding a very late in the story event, but it doesn't ruin the experience for me.
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Leaving and Not staying are the same
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2023
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It’s ok. Good overall but disappointing ending. Plot was decent but you have to get halfway through the book to get to the three impossible tasks, which were in the book description. The tasks worked out a little too perfectly. The main characters are nearly in the same place that they were at the start.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Both books are great!
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2020
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Loved both of the books in here!
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Top reviews from other countries

James Stark
4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
Reviewed in India on March 31, 2018
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The books is really good. Anana, Naji and all the other characters just come alive off the page and the characterizations are really good. While the book does come to a sort of stand still in the middle (which is not the writers fault. I'll explain why later) and other than that, it was fanastic.

The middle portion wasn't the writers fault because the book was supposed to be published as one single book but her publisher thought it would be too big and had her publish it into two separate novels. This book however is a bundle do they are in one. I cut one star because the book's binding feels a little flimsy but nothing major to distract from the amazing writing. Don't buy the books separately. Buy this bundle instead.
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Afsheen
5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly Good
Reviewed in Canada on April 2, 2017
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It's a good balance of fantasy, with a touch of romance but my personal favourite by was the action and adventure. Makes you feel frustrated, laughter and really engages you.
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