Bossy, arrogant, irritable, scarred face... I was TOTALLY having Zuko flashbacks here. Not to mention this awesome guy is a KICKASS warrior assassin dude. The man of the hour? I'm talking about NAJI, from the AMAZEBALLS novel The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke, which is releasing October 2, 2012 by Strange Chemistry.
Not only is The Assassin's Curse a hands-down, gloriously stunning fantasy, but it's also got FRAKING FAB characters to boot. Why, if there was a My Book Girlfriend circulating right about now, best believe Ananna would be my pick for this month. She's brave, unceasingly loyal, temperamental, and a basketful of BADASS AWESOME PIRATE.
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| If only his clothes were BLACK. And he had a mask. |
- He moves with shadows and shizz
- He's wicked fab at magic using and spells, and even *dramatic pause* BLOOD MAGIC
- He's got enemies in frightening places *wiggles fingers ominously*
- He's irrevocably cursed with an IMPOSSIBLE CURSE
- Scar or not, the man is SMEXY IN MY MIND
- He wears all black robes and a mask to cover his face
- He's really called a Jadorr'a
- He speaks an incomprehensible "beautiful terrible language"
- He has a beautiful, glacial pair of blue-gray eyes and, I believe, olive skin
YOU WANT THIS MAN. He brings so much tenderness and sexy feelings out of you, nearly simultaneously, and you want to hug and slobber over him at once. He's gone through some rough times because of his disfigurement, but that VERY SLOW brewing romance between him and Ananna? Well, it's REALLY SLOW. But the spark is there. Because she's his friend, she sees him for the incredible person he is. She's in love with him and I CAN'T WAIT to see HIS FACE when he realizes it. Cuz girlfriend is fierce and wonderful like no other.
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| It's crazysauce on a taco how FINE this boy is. |
"Beautiful people, things are too easy for 'em. They don't know how to survive in this world. Somebody's ugly, or even plain, normal-looking, that means they got to work twice as hard for things. For anything. Just to get people to listen to 'em, or take 'em serious. So yeah. I don't trust beautiful people."
"I see." He dropped his head to the side. I didn't look at him, but down at the floor instead, at the fissures in the stones. "No wonder you were so quick to trust me."
I heard the hard edge in his voice, the crack of bitterness. And so I lifted my head. He was staring up at the ceiling.
"You ain't ugly." (49%)
"I see." He dropped his head to the side. I didn't look at him, but down at the floor instead, at the fissures in the stones. "No wonder you were so quick to trust me."
I heard the hard edge in his voice, the crack of bitterness. And so I lifted my head. He was staring up at the ceiling.
"You ain't ugly." (49%)
"Ananna," Naji said. "I have actually done this sort of thing before. With alarming regularity, in fact."
"I know." I said it real soft, and he leaned over to me like cared what I was saying. "I just want to help you is all."
His eyes got soft and bright. I wanted him to smile. "That's very kind," he said. "I don't have a lot of experience with kindness, but I--I do appreciate it."
I blushed. "And I wish you wouldn't be so sore with me all the time."
He blinked. The music vibrated around us, all shimmery and soft. Nobody was dancing. "I'm not sore with you," he said.
I guess it shoulda made me feel better, but it didn't. (60%)
"I know." I said it real soft, and he leaned over to me like cared what I was saying. "I just want to help you is all."
His eyes got soft and bright. I wanted him to smile. "That's very kind," he said. "I don't have a lot of experience with kindness, but I--I do appreciate it."
I blushed. "And I wish you wouldn't be so sore with me all the time."
He blinked. The music vibrated around us, all shimmery and soft. Nobody was dancing. "I'm not sore with you," he said.
I guess it shoulda made me feel better, but it didn't. (60%)
"I almost did," I said after a while.
"Almost did what?"
"Helped her find you." I couldn't look at him. "She showed me all these things that could happen if I did - amazing things. My own ship, my own crew."
Naji got real still. I knew he was staring at me even though I refused to look up at his face.
"What stopped you? Why didn't you help her?"
"'Cause you're my friend," I said.
All the hardness in his features melted away. "Oh." (93%)
"Almost did what?"
"Helped her find you." I couldn't look at him. "She showed me all these things that could happen if I did - amazing things. My own ship, my own crew."
Naji got real still. I knew he was staring at me even though I refused to look up at his face.
"What stopped you? Why didn't you help her?"
"'Cause you're my friend," I said.
All the hardness in his features melted away. "Oh." (93%)
Don't forget to check back to Missie's My Book Boyfriend post of the week.Ananna of the Tanarau is the eldest daughter of a highly-ranked family in the loose assortment of cutthroats and thieves in the Pirate's Confederation. When she runs away from the marriage her parents have arranged for her, they hire Naji the assassin to murder her.
When a mysterious woman in a dress shop offers her magical assistance for dealing with the assassin, Ananna accepts. She never went in much for magic herself -- she lacks the talent for it -- but she's not quite ready to die yet, either. Unfortunately, the woman's magic fails.
Fortunately, Ananna inadvertently saves the assassin's life in the skirmish, thus activating a curse that had been placed on him a few years earlier. Now, whenever her life is in danger, he must protect her -- or else he experiences tremendous physical pain. Neither Ananna nor the assassin, Naji, are pleased about this development.
Follow Ananna and Naji as they sail across the globe, visiting such mysterious places as the Court of Salt and Waves, in their desperate effort to lift the curse. Soon they will discover that only by completing three impossible tasks will they be able to set themselves free.
Got something specific in mind? Dare I believe I might NOT have covered something you wish to know? If so, let me know down in the comments section. Don't be shy!
