A fascinating retelling. The short story does not give much to the reader other than leaving the reader with the question of whether or not the main character loves her beloved enough to keep him alive or if she is selfish enough to see him die. That is a very superficial way of looking at the original tale, admittedly but, but here Sullivan has taken the story, and she has adapted and expanded upon it in a brilliant way. Princess Kateri is a fierce female character who has to fight for her right to rule her people; it is tradition, but also the way her father wants it. He does not want weakness shown in his kingdom and want’s to make sure that his heir, whether it be his daughter or the man who ultimately defeats her, is a strong man who could destroy their enemies.

There is much tension between Kateri and her father that serves as an underlying part of the story’s tension. Kateri both sees him and does not see him at the same time. She loves her father and believes him, and through a rose-colored lens, she watches his moves. The change in her perspective lends much to her personal growth as those lenses begin to crack slowly and she can see the reality of the worlds around her, the truth behind all the lies that have governed her life.

It is a journey of personal growth for Kateri, which makes for an exciting read because already she starts as this formidable female character, she is a gladiator. Moreover, yet there is a frailty about her that makes her relatable, an understanding and connection to the past that pushes her to be a better person. Her resilience, her strength, and her ability to learn all make her a strong female character. Moreover, the development that goes into that is exceptionally well-done on Sullivan’s part.

As for the story, it has come a long way from the short story. Yes, there is a woman, yes there are some tigers, and yes, there are two doors that an accused must choose from, but that is where the similarities end. Sullivan took those ideas, and she was able to craft a tension driven story from those elements to draw the reader into a new narrative. There are classic tropes in the story regarding the villains, but it is the journey the story takes, the progression and pace that keep it unique and entertaining for the reader.

Tiger Queen is, ultimately, a riveting read. The landscape and detail of the world built here are both beautiful and deadly and has a vibrant aesthetic to it as it tells this story.

As the first (and only) retelling I have read of the short story, "The Lady, or the Tiger," I have to say it was quite enjoyable to read. The way in which Sullivan decides to add more twists to this story compared to the original one was refreshing and made it a fairly well book to read. However, there were a couple of times where I felt as though the story was lagging and a bit boring, which made me take a little longer to get through because my mind would wander off. The story was also pretty easy to guess what was going to happen next, which is not a bad thing, but as someone who enjoys unexpected plot twists, it was a bit disappointing. There is so much potential to be had in a story like this and "Tiger Queen" did not quite there.

Our lead was both sympathetic and believable; the Desert Boys played a larg role in that. I'm not familar with the story this was based on, but that didn't hinder anything. I found this to be incredibly plotted out and also perfectly imagined.

The imagery was very descriptive and the flow of the plot wasn’t too fast. I could feel the conflict the main character felt between wanting to feel sympathy for the Desert Boys and doing what’s right for her kingdom. The world building was well done with each scene that came.

I have to say I loved this book. I've never read the Lady or the Tiger the story this book is based on but I wouldn't mind seeking it out now to read it. Great world building and character relationships by the way.

I really enjoyed following Kateri on her adventures in this book.
I thought that the transformation and connections/relationships that she formed were believable and I was happy to be along on the journey. In the beginning of the story Kateri starts out very black and white, she believes everything that she's been told by those around her. As the story progress and she's found herself asking for help from the Desert Boys, she begins to realize that maybe things aren't as they seem.
I found myself loving Cion and the Desert Boys more and more as the story continued. There were definitely some moments that I found predictable but still loved nonetheless.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and I liked that it was a standalone.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

A big shout out of thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with en eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis: In the mythical desert kingdom of Achra, an ancient law must be fulfilled in order to show the right to rule. To fulfill this law, Princess Kateri must fight suitors in the arena in order to win her right to rule. Bound by her need to make her father’s rule look strong—and a promise her late mother asked her to fulfill, a promise to protect her people, who are dying from the horrible drought and frequent sandstorms, she is driven to win. Because winning will mean that she can finally rid Achra of a band of notorious thieves known as the, Desert Boys, who constantly raid the city wells, forcing the king to ration what little water is there. Punishment for stealing water is a choice between two doors. Behind one door lies freedom, but behind the other lies a tiger. Just as Kateri starts to hope that she has a chance, her last suitor is revealed—as well as a plot for her murder. She knows that she doesn’t stand a chance. In desperation, she turns to the desert and last person she’d ever imagine siding with—the enemy.
Kateri discovers things that completely change what she thought she knew. Twisting her world—and her heart painfully upside down. Her future lies behind two doors. One holds the key to saving her kingdom —but the other holds the tiger. Which one? “Is it the lady or the tiger?”

My thoughts:
Wow! This was such an amazing book! Epic, sweeping, and full of action—complete with a slow-burning romance. I just loved it! This was such an epic retelling of Frank Stockton’s short story, “The Lady or the Tiger?” Totally gave me Wonder Woman/Arabian Nights vibes! Kateri was such a strong and powerful character! Totally embodying the image of true feminism! She was certainly no damsel in distress, not needing a man to save her! She was her own hero! Five-out-of-five stars for sure!

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions stated are my own.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but boy did I get everything I hoped for, and more! I was intrigued from the very beginning. Any time a book incorporates a classic story or poem into the plot, I am sold. Oddly enough, another book I love that does this also features a tiger, and the poem is The Tyger. Tiger Queen takes the short story "The Lady, or the Tiger?" and turns it into so much more! I really connected with all the characters! The Desert Boys were so interesting to get to know, and Kateri herself was such a complex and relatable main character. I really connected with her struggle to know the truth about what was happening around her, but her desire to do the right thing. I thought Tiger Queen wrapped up very satisfactorily, as well. The desert setting was also perfect for the story. Overall, I would highly recommend this book and I plan to read more of Annie Sullivan's other works as well.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. I was excited to get to this as Annie Sullivan seems to be an up and coming author. I loved her writing style, her plot points, and characters! I thought this was a great read and really enjoyed it. Can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

LOVE LOVE LOVE! A million stars!

This book was so damn good! I seriously could not put it down! While at the first 15% I was indifferent, from then onward it just became this really lush story. The character development in here is phenomenal, and the relationships that form are genuine.

Kateri is a character I fell on love with once she realized her problem about the throne early on. She is strong-willed and is a very powerful character. Shes powerful in both her strength and emotion, and I thought it was beautiful.

Cion is another shining light in this. His hard exterior slowly chips away as we delve into his past and the reasons he leads the Desert Boys. He's one I loved right away, and I just fell in love with him throughout the course of this book.

Other characters, like the Desert Boys, Latia, and Rodrick were great as well. Some had more development than others, but they all fit perfectly into the story. You love some, hate one, and love-to-hate one. While they're definitely secondary or background characters, I still enjoyed them.

Honestly? Just pick this up! This is exactly the type of book I needed. No magic, no time travel, no nothing. Just a princess willing to seek out her enemy for help in order to protect her people. It was a beautiful read. This is the first book I've read by this author, but I'm glad I enjoyed it as much as I did. This is definitely worth the read and needs so much more recognition!

ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This story has all the elements. Strong female lead. Bad and good characters that are not what they seem. Many deep secrets to be uncovered. Slow burn romance that I predicted before it started but I really did not mind.

The book was slow on the uptake but I am glad I stuck with it because the ending was oh so satisfying. I loved the main character, Princess Kateri, who had to fight her way to proving she is not weak and that she can indeed rule the desert.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a solid fantasy read with a strong female lead and who loves desert settings.

Thank you Netgalley and Blink publishers for e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to get the arc of this book, I loved Annie’s first book.
But unfortunately I couldn’t really get into this one, I had a hard time fright from the beginning and in places found it to be very predictable.
So this one just wasn’t for me.☹️

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this title.

Tiger Queen was such an adventure, from start to finish. The world building was happening all around you along with the story, creating the perfect pacing that kept me hooked until the end.

I initially began reading this title while I was trying to barrel through a different title which had grown a little stale. Tiger Queen became my bargaining chip; if I read 5% of the other title I would allow myself a few chapters. While some of the twists were expected, how they all came together was magical. Based on this title I will be seeking out other titles by this author.

Princess Kateri lives in a trying world. A decade long drought has lead to water being rationed and families being restricted to just two children. The Desert Boys, a gang of water thieves threaten the people that she loves by raiding the wells and taking water into the desert for themselves. Kateri's father has a simple judicial system when a water thief is captured. They are brought into an arena and given the option of two doors. One to freedom, and the other hiding a tiger hungry for blood.

Kateri herself is no stranger to this arena. She has currently faced 11 of the 12 suitors that she must face to prove that the desert has chosen her to become the next queen. If she fails, she must marry the winner and sit idly by as a powerless queen. When her father announces her last suitor as none other than his captain of the guard, Rodric, Kateri is fearful for her kingdom. Rodric was said to be brought up by the desert itself and had been in charge of training Kateri. After experiencing his cruelty first hand she vows to do anything to keep her kingdom from him, even if that means working with the Desert Boys she so despises.

Kateri sets off to find the Desert Boys' leader, Cion, to train her over the next month. But upon meeting Cion and his merry band of boys, it becomes apparent to Kateri that her true enemy could have been staring her in the face all along.

I can't say enough good about this title. I loved everything about Kateri, Cion, and the Desert Boys. Rodric was a formidable foe throughout the book and all the plot twists and turns were exciting. I'm a bit sad that this book was wrapped up so neatly and that it was very likely the last I've read of Kateri and her adventures. This will be one I pick up to keep on my shelf as this title is very re-readable(is that a word?) Thank you, Annie Sullivan for creating such a fun ride with such great characters!

I recently read A Touch of Gold wich is written by the same author and The Lady and Tiger is one of my favorite short stories so I was lookong forward to reading this. This book was decent but not great, the main character is a strong and strong willed female, but she is also a bit one dimensional. The story while full of action felt rushed and wasnt as fleahed out. The plot twists where not that surprising, the villians also where where perdictable and a bir of the moustache fairly variety.
Unfortunately I cant say that I would reccomend this book or this author, most of the iasues I had with this book I also had with her other book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

So I honestly am not sure how to rate this. I enjoyed this, it just took a while to really grab me. So basic overview, we have a princess (Kateri) who must fight to win her place on the throne. Her father is basically just evil, and his favorite guard Rodric is evil and slightly sadistic. They live in a desert, where a massive draught has been raging for years. The water is rationed severely, and the Desert Boys are the Robin Hoods of water.

Kateri is unbelievably naive, and rash. She consistently acts and speaks before thinking. Not necessarily bad, except for the fact that all the "twists" and "secrets" are so obvious I couldn't believe she could be that stupid. The characters were probably my biggest issue. None of them really felt developed. Kateri did get a nice arc and was far better by the middle/end of the book. The other characters though, they just were who they were the whole time. There was no real depth to the villains, and the plot was just really predictable. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the characters, I really liked the Desert Boys, at least the two you really meet. I would have liked to enjoy the villains but just couldn't. The last hundred pages were full of action, and twists which I had already guessed unfortunately. It was a cute ending and a decent standalone, I just wish the other characters had the depth that Kateri had. The last hundred pages saved this book for me a little. Overall enjoyable but nothing super fantastic. 3.5/5

Tiger Queen follows the story of a young princess fighting for her right to the throne. So far she has beaten 11 suitors with only one more to go, but when her last champion is announced she knows she cannot win. Princess Kateri does the one thing she never thought she would do. She runs away and seeks out the help of the Desert Boys, the scourge of her kingdom, to train her. Once she is there she learns that much of what she has known is not true at all.

This book was so good. The character development, plot, and overall story was just so well done. Annie Sullivan is a new author to me so I did not know what to expect but I was not disappointed at all.

Kateri is an amazing protagonist. She is one of the strongest people in the kingdom and never backs down or shows fear. Her character development was also really well done. We see her hatred turn to kindness and we also see her thoughts change to better her kingdom. She wants to keep her promise to her mother to help their people and we really see her do everything she can to achieve that dream.

There are many other great characters in this book but I think they are better kept a surprise so I won't mention them.

The plot was great. It was always action packed mixed with the perfect amount of chill moments. This book also had one of my favorite things: a slow burn romance. Not just slow burn but extremely slow burn. While some of the plot twists were easy for me to guess, I was always unsure and kept on my toes. My only complaint is that there were some inconsistencies in the timeline.

This is the story of growth, feminism, and power. I 10/10 recommend.

Tiger Queen has all the elements of an amazing story. It has a strong heroine, intriguing plot, moral ambiguity, a complex cast of characters that inspire all sorts of internal emotional turmoil. I immensely appreciated the rich setting and visually stunning descriptions. And I can't tell you how happy I am to say that I really Tiger Queen and I'm hoping many of my friends will give it a chance.

The Kingdom of Achra is struggling. The citizens are having to suffer through a water shortage due to a drought. Water is even being stolen. The reader can surmise immediately, there's something more going on than meets the eye. Enter Princess Kateri whose goal it is to become the best warrior in her kingdom. I adored her! She was a tough and feisty character, not necessarily badass like the heroines other YA books were trying to convey, but a vivacious, witty, and alluring character.

The writing itself is very lovely and flows in a magical fashion befitting the setting of the novel. Sullivan set the perfect tone with her descriptions and the dialogue was both thought provoking and witty a good portion of the time. I really felt the desert sun, the palace, and the other historical elements surrounding me as I read it. It was a fascinating experience that I am definitely going to look for in other historical fiction reads.

Honestly, I have no negative things to say about this book. That's because I was 100% entertained. Even though I wasn't totally blown away, I enjoyed the way the story was framed as a whole.

The story follows Princess Kateri and her journey to finding herself, truth and how she becomes known as the Tiger Queen. She deals with betrayal, learning how to fight and keeping her promise to her mother. She has to overcome many obstacles to find her place within the palace and the Desert Boys family. It is a one sitting read. The story can at times be predictable but a worthy read nonetheless.

For fans of desert-based fantasy

I've been meaning to pick up A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan, but I'm on a book ban! So, I was excited to receive this book to review instead. Especially since the premise interested me. A Princess fighting in an arena, proving she's worthy to rule her kingdom? Absolutely! But more than that—add in the fact the people are being deprived of water and there are rations put in place.

Everything about this book promised a great read, but did it deliver? In some ways, yes, it did. Princess Kateri is naive and has been sheltered by her father to keep her shielded from the truth. He is a cruel man, which is no secret, but Kateri is so blinded to it, which allowed her character to grow immensely. She is strong willed, strong of mind, but her character still fell somewhat flat for me.

There was a disconnect while reading, and I'm not sure why. There was action—a ton of action—which kept the story moving, but because there was so much action I felt withdrawn from the deeper parts of the story. There were some aspects I wished were more fleshed out, more politics with the palace, less training, more experiences in the desert.

I do love that this is based on a short story The Lady or The Tiger?, and from that short story, this world came from it. It's unique, it's gritty, and it was a good read and I'd give it 3.5 savvy crowns.

This a good read for anyone. A Princess from a drought stricken desert city must fight gladiator style to keep a male from usurping her throne through marriage if she looses. The Desert Boys steal water from the wells that supply the city. An evil captain of the guard, a cruel uncaring father that only wants the fighter daughter to make him look good. A bad king. Revelations, and......sand. I recommend this book. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Blink and Netgalley.