Well...where to start? I picked up the book because the storyline really did sound interesting, despite some Goodreads reviews. Unfortunately, all the action promised in the blurb on the back cover doesn't actually happen in this book. The first book leads up to it and sets the stage for more adventure and questing and all that jazz, but the first book really falls flat. 
 The characters aren't developed well and are inconsistent. Ananna is hard to relate to, both because of her uncouth speech and because she's so one-dimensional. Naji isn't much better. They both have annoying mood swings and make stupid decisions. I did like the idea of the main male character/love interest having a rather socially crippling aesthetic flaw, but that was about it. 
 There were also some rather glaring plot holes. The worst part was that the curse itself felt totally forced, with not nearly enough explanation to back it up or make it feel like anything other than a convenient device to force the two characters to travel together. I mean literally, it went like this: Girl is attacked by assassin. Girl sees snake and, for some unfathomable reason, prevents it from killing the guy who's currently trying to kill her. All of a sudden, poof, they're bound together forever because his curse says so, that's why! What. 
 There was also a disturbing lack of follow-up or explanation for events in the book. After Ananna takes off during the first few pages of the book, her parents either never came looking for her or did a pretty pathetic job of it. At once point a mysterious horse and rider appear. The story gets a little chaotic after that, but it never is explained where the horseman came from, who he was, or even if he was friend or foe. 
 It just seems like there was way too much talk and nothing much happening. Way too many gaps and loose ends. Not nearly enough character development or definition. And if you're hoping for at least a little romance to make up for the lack of substantial action, you'll be disappointed on that account too. I read this book all in a single rainy day, but I don't feel attached enough to the characters or compelled enough by the story to bother seeking out the sequel. Which is a shame, because the idea had a lot of potential.