Princess Kateri has trained her whole life to finally claim her birthright, vowing to have her revenge on the Desert Boys who killed her mother. But a face-to-face encounter with a living legend, turns everything that she thought she knew on its head, as she is forced to re-evaluate her core beliefs and what it means to be queen.



The sophomore novel from Annie Sullivan will not fail to disappoint. Tiger Queen is engaging from the start establishing a strong heroine, the desert kingdom, and the perceived enemies quickly, then skillfully turning what we thought we knew all around. Life in the desert is merciless, as are its monarchs.



Kateri is courageous, never backing down from a challenge, she knows her weaknesses and acknowledges that she still has room to grow and learn. I admired her compassion, and strength.



Cion is a mysterious enigma who over the course of the book becomes more and more flesh. He is a born leader, with strong loyalties to his family, I loved unraveling his secrets throughout the story.



Action-packed, with excellent world building, Tiger Queen is my favorite of Ms. Sullivan's novels so far. I liked the unexpected twists, well paced action and character development. There are many twists and turns that kept me guessing, and many characters who are not what they appear at first. A wonderful read for fans of teen fantasy and strong heroines.



I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In Tiger Queen is a retelling of “The Lady, or the Tiger?”; we follow Kateri who is a princess of a desert kingdom called Achra. Kateri has to do a battle to see if she will have the right to rule or not. So, when Kateri finds out who she will have to face, Rodric she knows she can't win, she turners to the only person who might know how to win her battle. He happens to be the leader of the Desert Boys who are always braking into her city and stealing water, causing more trouble with her father and the people.
She makes the choice to risk her life to enter into the desert to find the Desert Boys to help. The Desert Boys is a rebel group who just trying to help people. Cion would have to be my favorite character as he is the 'doing what he must to help people' kind of guy. I enjoy his back story, it was one of my favorite scenes. All the backstory is important and helps wrap the whole story up. Back to Cion and Kateri's relationship, I like the little push and pull they have, the willingness to help each other.
The story is fast-paced but well balanced. Sullivan's writing is beautiful! I read her other book A Touch of Gold, and really enjoyed it but I loved this one so much more. The world-building is breathtaking! I loved the details she puts into each part of this story.

I was given a copy of this to review, however, this is my 100% honest thoughts.

Review is also in Double the Books Magazine - https://drive.google.com/open?id=1wLIXN09Hh9qWLQ86ZHBOl7Uz2OBdd7RJ

Great atmospheric setting with a strong heroine who knows her own strength. This book started off with a bang and kept going. I really liked the heroine and seeing her come into her own during the story. The mythology and setting was something I don't see much in YA so it was a welcome change. Give to fans of mythology and wanting something different

Annie Sullivan's retelling of 'The Lady or the Tiger?' takes the original story to another level. As a fan of Stockton's famous short story, this version gives a satisfying answer to the question he leaves with his readers. However, you don't need to read 'The Lady or the Tiger?' in order to enjoy Tiger Queen.

I have to say, the concept of this novel is exceptional! Adventurous and inventive, Tiger Queen is a fun desert fantasy with a lot of action. There were nice gladiator elements and an aspect of one of my favorite tropes: found family. I loved Sullivan's personification of the desert, making it a main character and giving it so much life.

While I loved the concept of this story, the execution left me a bit underwhelmed. The characters seemed one-dimensional and underdeveloped to me and the romance fell a bit flat. It also starts off a bit slow in my opinion. But in these instances it's more of an, "it's not you, it's me," thing? I found it to be an enjoyable read overall.

I would definitely recommend Tiger Queen to anyone who enjoys desert fantasies and fun, action filled standalones! The atmosphere and fight scenes will not disappoint!

This was a really interesting and unique story! I loved the world building and unique atmosphere the writer created. I've never read a book with a world similar to this one, so having that new feel was refreshing! Sullivan did a fantastic job with the world building and it is obvious she did a great amount of planning with everything in this story. The fantasy world was so rich and unique!

I really enjoyed the main character. She was an obvious example of how much planning went into this story. She felt well developed and natural. Her upbringing was apparent through her journey during this story and I loved watching her develop as a character. I wanted to just reach into this story and hug her so often because I cannot even imagine being under the type of pressure she feels.

The writing in this story is beautiful! It truly bring the world to life and makes flying through the pages easy. I definitely stayed up late a few nights trying to devour more of this book! It was just so easy to fall into.

I do have to say, the book is a little predictable. It isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I do wish I hadn't guessed everything correctly.

TIGER QUEEN is a fantasy set in ancient history in a land of sand where a princess finds that her world is not as it seems. Highly recommended to ya fantasy fans!

It took me a bit to like Kateri, the protagonist of the story. She comes across as naive and easily gullible, as well as arrogant. However, her character changes as she faces lies, challenges, and finds friends in unlikely places. The villains play their roles quite well and there I really despised them. The romance is sweet and I appreciated that it didn't take over the story. I liked the training and the group of boys that reminded me of Peter Pan and the lost boys. Cion and the boys were probably my favorite part of the story. The action scenes were engrossing and well written. The ending was climatic ending on a sweet note.

There were a few things I felt could have used more development. A few of the characters were one dimensional and I would have liked them to be better fleshed out. Otherwise, I had no complaints about this story.

In the end, was it what I wished for? I enjoyed this one from beginning to end. Definitely worth the read if you're a fantasy fan!

Content: Violence and abuse.
Source: I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher, which did not require a positive review nor affect it in any way.

I loved this book so much it is the best book I have read this year so far I loved everything about this book. I loved the characters especially Kateri and Cion they both were well written characters I liked how their relationship developed at a slow pace not too fast or too slow at a more natural pace. I liked Kateri because of how strong she is and I really like how she reacted after she found out all she though she knew was wrong I really liked how determined she was to right the wrongs that was done to the people. I liked Cion because how he was the person to tell Kateri the things she grew up were not right and how it was alright to feel and to show emotions. I really liked the plot of the story it was paced at just the right pace I liked that it went from Kateri trying to find a way to beat someone she could not to stopping a tyrant I really liked how it was all wrapped up with no loose ends it had the perfect ending. So overall I really loved this book I would read more by this author for sure.

I did not like this book. I thought it was juvenile and not well written. Very boring. I definitely will not be recommending this book.

Having these books fall into my hands was a godsend given that we are looking to add more female leads to our library—tough ones at that. It is so hard to find books that are written well in character development, plot, and female “tough” situations, but I think we’ve found a great one. The character design in this book is and was exquisite. I enjoyed reading all the descriptions, development, and love put into the characters from the very beginning. Many of the characters have found their way in the world that is so important to that character that I can’t help but love them. Kateri is a tough force to contend with especially when she knows she must kill all the suitors in the arena. She has a determination that I see in many of my current students and I believe she would be a HIT in my girls eyes. She is a force to be reckoned with that even I, a female, would not want to come against.

There are many themes and ideas that come into this novel such as love, heartache, self-respect, protection, and more. I really loved delving into the world that the author created as it is such a magnificent creature in and of itself. The many traditions and customs that she created was great and I really enjoyed seeing that in a book—we don’t see that written so great often. The characters in this book caught my attention so much and I believe that students would be able to connect to the different characters as well (there is someone for everyone). This can be utilized for many grades and many different groups of people—it would be a great book club book.

I enjoyed the fighting, protecting, and action that this book provides in a multi-dimensional way (nothing is just black & white here), There is a lot of backstory that can help you understand what is happening cover to cover. I would suggest this book for a book club or even independent reading as it is not a difficult read and definitely has the high interest aspect to it that all students can get with. The characters that rush into danger is immediately something that my students would gravitate to and love to read—because who doesn’t love action in every form? Especially with a female badass at its helm.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.”

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. The story (a take on the poem “The Lady or the Tiger”) was interesting and pretty well thought out, though somewhat predictable at times. The writing wasn’t overly flowery, but I frequently felt like the author was spelling things out for me that she didn’t need to, making comparisons that I could have made on my own, telling me the “so what?” instead of letting me do it myself. In the beginning especially, explanations and details were given about things that had no bearing on the story, and I’m not sure how necessary they were for the world building.

Kateri (16 almost 17) was likable, particularly as she distanced herself from her father and the things he had told her all her life. She was strong, though, and not just physically. I confess she felt more like she should be 18 than 16, though. I also liked Cion (age?)—he was kind, fair, and a good leader. His little brother Dimic, though, was kind of adorable. Kateri’s father and Rodric were somewhat one dimensional, though.

Character’s ages, however, seemed to lack much thought. We know Kateri was a month away from her 17th birthday at the start of the book and a week away from it at the end. Nobody else’s age is given (always drives me crazy when I can’t figure it out). She says that Rodric is several years older than she is, so he’s likely in his early 20s. She guesses Cion is near her age, not much older than she is (I can’t remember if she estimates a few years or not), putting him at about 18 or so. But Cion says he was 12 when Dimic was born, and I would have guessed Dimic’ age between 8 and 10, not 6. So . . . ? I dunno.

The ending wrapped up a bit too quickly and neatly, I think.

Note: Can’t recall anything bad.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book!!! The title and book cover sold me right away, but then after reading the synopsis, I knew I had to have it. This book had so many great elements to it. I thought that the world was well described and a very interesting one as well. The storyline, deception, twists, they were all so well done. I was able to connect to the main character rather quickly and I liked everything about her. She was not only a princess but strong, capable, and I loved that even though she was a woman, in her kingdom she was able to rule without having to get married, under a few conditions at least. I was immediately hooked from the first chapter.

We follow our main character, Kateri. She is the princess of the kingdom of Achra, which is in the desert. Her mother passed away so it is just her and her father, the King. Her father has always been a tough man, but he has taught her all the training she knows. She sees him as a good King that is working hard to protect their people. Kateri can become Queen of the kingdom without having to marry anyone under one condition. She has to fight 12 suiters in the right and once she has fought the 12th she has earned her right to rule alone if she pleases. She wants to protect her people and fulfill her promise to her mother that she would do so.

The world she lives in is not an easy one. Being the princess, of course, she has everything that she needs, but her people are struggling with droughts and are rationed their water supply. The supply is dwindling because of the gang, the Desert Boys. They keep stealing water for themselves which is leaving less water for the people. Kateri wants to stop the Desert boys and resolve the water problem. Stealing water has horrible consequences. The King puts the criminal in the ring and they have to choose a door. Behind one door is freedom, behind the other door are his fearsome tigers.

When Kateri’s last opponent is announced she knows that with the training she has at the moment, she won’t beat them. She also knows that if this man becomes King, he will not rule honestly or in her peoples’ best interest. Kateri is desperate and knows that the only way to beat him is to turn to her enemy for help. Doing so, she uncovers many truths that rock her entire world. She was only expecting to better her fighting skills when in truth, she found what she should truly be fighting for.

Seriously this book was full of so much adventure, twists and turns, some romance, and some amazing fight scenes. I couldn’t get enough of it. I’m pretty sure I devoured this book in 2 days, so I didn’t get much sleep. I definitely recommend this jewel of a book! Please go read it now and come back and let’s chat about it! I have a feeling you will love it as much as I did!

A bit Peter Pan, a bit Aladdin, Tiger Queen is an adventure of a tale! If Princess Jasmine had been trained as a warrior and given her own story, it would be this book. She's headstrong, but also fiercely loyal and dedicated to her people almost to a fault. I loved the desert setting, which is a character itself, and the gang of boys who remind me of the Lost Boys. If you like twists on retellings or retelling mash-ups, this may be the story for you! A fun, fast-paced read that can be binged in one or two sittings.

I received this copy for review. I was intrigued by the premise of this book. A girl must save herself from the fate of marrying by defeating her suitors in an arena. Kateri is looking to rule the kingdom fairly and stop the outlaws of the desert. She doesn't know why she has to marry in order to rule her kingdom, but there has never been a woman ruler before. She knows she can't win the match with her father's first in command so she heads to the desert to seek help from the very outlaws she despises. Our story is mainly a romance and I didn't like the feel of the writing if that makes sense. This one was ok and may be enjoyed more by younger readers.

Battling your suitors to prove your right to rule?! YES! I loved this. The desert was ruthless, the characters were loveable. My only issue was Kateri's very black and white attitude. I live in the grey so I enjoy characters that are morally grey. BUT, that is just her character and it didn't take away from the book at all. We all have flaws, hers just happens to be a pet peeve.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed Annie Sullivan's first novel "A Touch of Gold" so I was interested in reading "Tiger Queen" as soon as I heard about it. I am so pleased to say that I liked "Tiger Queen" even more than the first book! This book is about a desert land where water has to be rationed by the King due to a long standing drought. Princess Kateri must fight her suitors to determine if she is fit to reign as heir to the kingdom. Any suitor that beats her will rule instead. A group of boys live in the desert and they steal water. When they are caught by the King's army they are brought into the arena to choose between two doors. If they choose correctly they are supposedly forgiven but if they choose the other door they are attacked by one of the King's two tigers. When Kateri learns her final suitor is someone she can't bear to lose to (and have to marry) she runs away and begins to learn things that make her question everything she thought she knew about her father and his kingdom.

"Tiger Queen" somehow contains an entire, semi-complex world with a full story included. Everything is wrapped up by the end of the book and everything makes sense. That stakes feel real. The characters feel real. The conclusion sequence is one of my favorite in a fantasy novel in awhile. The tigers were the extra cherry on top. I recommend this one to all fantasy readers out there.

*I WAS PROVIDED AN e-ARC BY THE PUBLISHER FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS BLOG TOUR. THIS DOESN’T AFFECT MY OPINION*

Can I just take a moment to say ‘wowzah’ to the amount of world-building this novel had? A lot of books don’t really include world-building as the main priority, but through reading this, you could tell that was one of the main forefronts.

Something I really enjoyed about this novel was the chance for self-discovery. Kateri realizes that she can’t really follow along with what everyone says and that she needs to be able to see just how bad things are for herself before she can make a judgment call.

One thing that really bothered me, though, was the bare minimum of romance we were given. As one of the arranged categories for this book, I expected there to be more romance than what we were given. I was actually kind of disappointed by the lack thereof.

Looking over that, I’d say that this book was fairly enjoyable. I loved the world-building, and the characters were pretty good. The plot flowed with few bumps. For that, I rate this book 3.75 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Annie Sullivan, and Blink (publisher) for the opportunity to read Tiger Queen in exchange for an honest review.

One of the draws for me was the phrase "Fans of...Meagan Spooner will devour this retelling." As some may know, Meagan Spooner has done two retellings that feature a strong female character (Hunted, a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and Sherwood, a Robin Hood retelling). This is a retelling of a short story called "The Lady, or the Tiger?" by Frank R. Stockton. The influence from the short story into this novel is very apparent, and boy does the concept turn into a beautifully fleshed out novel!

Kateri, Princess of Achra, wants nothing more than to rule when her time comes and take care of her people. A drought has been affecting the citizens of Achra since before she was born, and the people suffer and die every day from lack of water. The water is rationed very carefully. Keteri watches those who break the law find judgment in her father's area. There are two doors, one with a tiger behind, one without, and the choice of the criminal will determine his (or her) fate (similar to the short story). Kateri has seen enough judgment from the tigers. Her father adores the beasts, yet she has feared them ever since he forced her into their proximity as a child.

In order for Kateri to take the throne, she must also be deemed worthy by the desert itself. To prove her worth as ruler, she must fight a noble suitor in the area every month for twelve months until her sixteenth birthday. If someone vanquishes her, they get to take her as a bride and rule, but if she wins, she rules and has a choice on how to rule. When her father gets closer and closer to Rodric, a man who came from the desert, killed the captain of the guard, and proved himself worthy to become the new captain, Kateri starts to wonder if her father is a justified ruler. When Rodric is announced as Kateri's last opponent, she knows she will lose, so she runs away to find Cion, the leader of the Desert Boys, to help her train so she may beat Rodric and bring her people water and happy lives.

The Desert Boys are seen by the people as a band of murderers and thieves who take water or kill for their needs. Rumor has it the Desert Boys killed the Queen, Kateri's mother, and her infant sibling. Cion agrees to train Kateri in order for her to beat Rodric, with the agreement that the Desert Boys will have enough water rationed to them, as well as justice, for they are not what they are said to be. When Kateri helps the Desert Boys and gets to know them, she sees a side of them she never thought possible after the murder of her mother and sibling, but Cion reveals some shocking information not only about the death of her family members, but also about the control of the water. Kateri begins to question her father and already despises Rodric, and as the Princess, she must find a way to win in the arena to save the people of Archa, the Desert Boys, and herself from a most despicable fate.

A great deal of imagery reminds me of both Aladdin (Kateri running from the city, desert setting, fancy palace) and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (the Desert Boys). I like the characters and the plot and find taking an idea from a short story and shaping it into such a lush novel is amazing. While I enjoyed the plot, it felt rather familiar, like I've read this book before, yet I haven't.

The ending was mostly what I expected and it was rather satisfying. Overall, a great stand-alone novel with a strong female lead that I would recommend for teens.

Since I haven't read the original story behind this book, I can't comment on how this retelling compares. 

But what I can say is that this was a fast-paced, action-packed YA Fantasy that caught my attention right away. 

If you love stories with tons and tons of fighting and proving oneself to an entire kingdom, this should be on the top of your TBR. It has a strong heroine that you can't help but cheer on as she strikes through each opponent, growing stronger by the minute.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

When Annie Sullivan’s debut novel, A Touch of Gold came out, I was intrigued by the plotline and many people had said good things about the novel, so I wanted to read it. When I did, I was slightly disappointed. While the story was good, the plot was moving too fast for me to enjoy it. And so I wasn’t able to finish reading the book.

So when Sullivan’s new novel, Tiger Queen released, I was a bit skeptical. I read it and, I have to say, was pleasantly surprised.

The plot of Tiger Queen does move a little fast, but not enough to be annoying. The plot was very good, and her world built beautifully. It’s not like the world of an epic, but was created just enough to make it belong to the characters.

Kateri’s journey is very well thought out, even if it does move a bit fast. Then again, the novel is a standalone and I usually like to read a series, so it might just be me. But the characters are very well developed and each have their own voice that makes them unique, which in turn breathes life into the story. This, I was very glad about.

Only one thing bothered me. The fact that they ate lizards. I own a bearded dragon lizard and she is my close companion, so I winced every time she described that. Also, I don’t imagine wild lizards having much meat on them. And they’re eating them skin and all, while desert lizards are usually covered in scales and sort of prickly. So that just bothered me, personally.

Overall, Tiger Queen was a pleasant read and I would recommend it to anyone who loves retellings and stories set in desert places. However, if you have a pet lizard(s) and you can’t stand the thought of people eating them, I would not recommend you read this! It will make you sad.

I think Tiger Queen will fit right in with its friends in the YA fantasy genre. Strong female lead, good at fighting, and isn’t quite sure about how she feels about the old traditions. A story about learning who you are, what you’re capable of, and coming to terms with truth. I enjoyed the setting of this book, in the desert, and all the details involved with that. I feel like this is a really underrepresented setting. I also appreciated the fact that this was a “clean teen” story. Didn’t rely on R-rated things to sell the story.