{Short Story Sunday} Review: The Witch's Betrayal by Cassandra Rose Clarke

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Short stories are awesome.  They give us in-depth insight into characters, providing anecdotal proof of why some characters are they way they are.  They entertain by creating a certain mood or focusing on a singular effect...some instance in a previous body of work (or one to follow) that might have been glossed over or ignored completely in a longer novel. 

And so, every Sunday for the foreseeable future, I would like to highlight short stories and novellas set in worlds I've already come to love and learn a little more about some of the secondary characters in my favorite novels.  I'll be underscoring some of my favorite aspects of these short works of fiction, in addition to offering up a mini review of each work.

This week I'm featuring a prequel story:

Title: The Witch's Betrayal
Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Series: The Assassin's Curse, book #0.5
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

An ebook original short story set before The Assassin's Curse.

You’ve read The Assassin’s Curse. You’ve met Naji. Now go back in time and see Naji in his earlier years, as he seeks a target and ends up clashing with Leila, the river witch.

Oh, my poor Naji.  It's no wonder he seems so hard and distant in The Assassin's Curse.  He's suffered, been betrayed by someone close, and he believes he's becoming the monster everyone already sees him as.  I knew there was more to him, but now I think I have a better understanding of his character and therefore a better understanding of his intentions.

All the while Ananna was taunting Naji in The Assassin's Curse, you could see that he was truly hurt and disparaged by some of the comments she made.  It took time for her to see the man beneath the cold, calculating exterior of an assassin.  I could tell he wasn't what he seemed from the moment they met, but getting this peek at who he was before their encounter cemented my earlier impressions of him.

If you were as intrigued by Naji as I was, I definitely recommend picking up this short story.  And if you despised Leila as I did in The Assassin's Curse, you'll definitely enjoy seeing her put in her place in this prequel story.  I'm hoping Ananna will one day learn the history between these two and know that although she may not be stunning like Leila, she is still a far better woman, even if she is a pirate.  :)


Rating:  

The Assassin's Curse series

I just love these covers!!!  :D