I absolutely love a story with a strong female lead who has the power to change the flaws of society…

Being a leader is a tough role– one that Princess Kateri knows all too well. Her character is so strong-willed with the ability to take over even the scariest of circumstances to better the majority. The author creates such a “fantastical” reading experience where readers can live and enjoy Kateri’s environment that is rich in complexities, difficulties, and struggles. Within this story, the price of freedom comes at a cost, but Kateri portrays an essence of calamity and composure that allows her to voyage into the darkness in order to pull out the light. The story portrayed such suspense and thrill that made this story hard to put down, and even harder to forget.
Sullivan created a rich storyline where Kateri’s people looked up to her to save them from evils in which they could not save themselves. I have always loved stories where the protagonist must then make difficult decisions that will impact the direction of their future and those to come. The writing style within this story flowed so fluidly with words that were as smooth as silk, captivating, and moving. This was my first Annie Sullivan novel, though it will not be my last.

3.5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the world building and and interesting customs depicted. Princess Kateri is fierce and determined, which makes for a formidable protagonist. I am a sucker for enemies to lovers which the book handled nicely. It was interesting to contemplate the effects a water shortage must have on a place since I have, fortunately, never had to experience that. The plot is on the predictable side but the unique desert setting made that less noticeable.

I received an ARC of Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan via NetGalley. What follows is my fair and honest review.

Tiger Queen is a standalone YA fantasy novel which is, apparently, a retelling of Frank Stockton’s short story “The Lady, or the Tiger.” I also thought the story was a bit reminiscent of Mad Max Fury Road because it’s set in a cutthroat world where the most valuable resource is water. Here’s my quick review:

Princess Kateri is determined to become queen to help her people survive a seemingly never-ending drought. But first, Kateri must defeat her suitors in combat in order to prove she is worthy. But when her final opponent is revealed to be someone she has little hope of defeating, Kateri turns to the Desert Boys, the local rebel group. As Kateri lives and trains with the Desert Boys, though, she realizes how little she really knows about her kingdom, and she’s more determined than ever to be queen. If only she can survive her final opponent.

Tiger Queen is a perfectly competent YA fantasy novel. It doesn’t do anything groundbreaking or revolutionary, but it’s mostly an enjoyable read. Though, at times, I struggled with how everyone treated Kateri. I mean, it’s hard to believe she was so blind and naive to her people’s struggles, but it gives her room to grow as a character. As Katari tries to learn and grow, though, there are just moments where she can’t seem to catch a break, and that was a little less fun to read. But I may be the only person who reads those moments in that way.

I would recommend this book to readers looking for a standalone YA fantasy novel and for readers interested in desert kingdoms and seemingly Middle-Eastern-inspired fantasy.

3 stars.

Very good own voices novel. I loved the journey of the characters and the execution of the plot. I would definitely recommend.

This book was a fast paced and easy read with an interesting premise. I loved the concept of the scarcity of water and how the society was built around that scarcity. However, from the very first page the protagonist irritated me. She willfully remained ignorant to things going on within her kingdom and listened solely to her father for how she should think, though this was the same man that pitted her against grown men in the kingdom in a battle that could result in the loss of life or limb. From the very first page, it seemed like her father was up to no good and the protagonist was content to just coast blithely through life, ignoring any of the warning signs, including the necessity of a ring of guards just to walk her across a small part of the kingdom, lest the commoners accost her for water. And yet, she had just bathed in an entire tub of water.

Though I did begin to enjoy the story much more once the action got started, Kateri irritated me until the very end. She came to her own conclusions about things and then remained blind to any other options. She was repeatedly told things that should have been obvious and she was just so. slow. to seeing the things wrong within the kingdom.

The actual events of the plot were predictable, though I did enjoy the story. The fast pace kept me engaged and the premise was enough for me to find joy in seeing some of the little details about how the author imagines society would be if water was a rare commodity.

I finished in approximately four hours of reading time, but I likely wouldn't have continued if the story was going to take me much longer and I likely will not be picking up the sequel.

Kateri was the princess of Achra who was tasked with killing twelve of her suitors in arena fights to assert her right to be queen. However, when she realized that her final suitor was a man she wasn't skilled enough to beat, she fled to the desert to join her sworn enemies, the Desert Boys, to train and gain the necessary skills to win. She not only improved her fighting abilities but learnt so much about the state of her people and the type of queen they needed her to be. The word building in the book was excellent and I loved finding out about the various intricate and unique customs and traditions. I found all of the different legends, animals and places interesting as well. Nevertheless, I don't think the plot was gripping enough for me to give the book five stars but that wasn't a major hindrance to my enjoyment as the characters were good enough to almost make up for it. So, in conclusion, Tiger Queen was an okay read for me. It was enjoyable but not amazing.

Last year, Annie Sullivan’s debut novel, A Touch of Gold, was my favorite 2018 book. This book is definitely making the 2019 list! I was so excited when I learned of Tiger Queen being released this year, despite it not being the sequel I desperately need. When NetGalley approved my ARC request, the day before my birthday I might add, I almost cried I was so happy.

It only took me this long to read it because of how rough my summer courses ended up being. Once I really started, I couldn’t stop. I ended up reading the whole thing in like two days, which is quick for me nowadays with how busy I am. It was so good, though!!

The story is so original (to me at least; I can’t remember if it’s a retelling, but if it is, I don’t the original one) and captivating. I love how fierce Kateri is and how much she wants to fight for her right to rule the people of Achran. She genuinely wants to help them–make it a better place for them to live.

Then there’s Cion, whom I now love with all my heart. From the very first scene, in which he threw down a rope after Kateri falls into a well, despite his hate for the royal family, I knew he was going to be a new favorite. He is so protective of those he cares about and is willing to do anything for them. He and the Desert Boys actually remind me a lot of Peter Pan. I’m not sure if that was intentional, but I loved it so much.

The whole book was well written. Once again, Sullivan was able to easily catch and keep my attention all throughout. I love her style of writing and world building. There is such an easy flow to her words, her characters are well-developed, and I quickly get lost in these worlds she has created.

Like I mentioned in a review earlier this week, I’ve been in a fantasy slump lately. This book thoroughly made me want to get back into it, though! It was also nice reading a standalone, which I’m not usually a fan of in fantasy. However, this story ended wonderfully. I would love to read more about Kateri, the Desert Boys, and the future of Achran, but I’m also happy leaving it as is.

I will absolutely be reading any of Sullivan’s upcoming books. I am super excited for the sequel to A Touch of Gold! I highly recommend both of her books if you haven’t read them yet.

I loved this book so much!! The best part was seeing the main character grow and evolve into the person I knew she could. Such a moving book. It kept me engaged and was written very well.

Tiger Queen was a thrilling desert tale about a woman fighting to improve the lives of her people and prove her own worth. It was a clever retelling of the short story, 'The Lady, Or The Tiger?' and I really enjoyed it!

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4/5

Kateri was the princess of Achra who was tasked with killing twelve of her suitors in arena fights to assert her right to be queen. However, when she realised that her final suitor was a man she wasn't skilled enough to beat, she fled to the desert to join her sworn enemies, the Desert Boys, to train and gain the necessary skills to win. She not only improved her fighting abilities but learnt so much about the state of her people and the type of queen they needed her to be.

I liked Kateri's sheer determination to succeed and how she was willing to put in the required work to achieve her goals. Throughout the book she went on a journey and realised that so many things she firmly believed in weren't as true as she once thought. I also loved the training montage trope and the various challenges she faced to improve her skills. The way Sullivan drew up parallels between Kateri and the caged tigers was very intriguing. Furthermore, I liked how her relationship with Cion slowly grew stronger and I think they make a good couple.

The word building in the book was excellent and I loved finding out about the various intricate and unique customs and traditions. I found all of the different legends, animals and places interesting as well. Nevertheless, I don't think the plot was gripping enough for me to give the book five stars but that wasn't a major hindrance to my enjoyment as the characters were good enough to almost make up for it.

Overall, I thought Tiger Queen was original, clever and exciting and is a must-read for those looking for new ideas in the YA fantasy genre.

I requested this book based purely on my curiosity to see how an author would transform the short story “The Lady or the Tiger” into a YA fantasy novel. The rest of the book description sounded fairly familiar, but I was hopeful that the unique source material would propel it beyond your typical fare. Alas, no.

In Kateri’s world, water is life. Her city and her people suffer for its lack and have fought for years to continue to thrive in a city that is barely getting by. Conditions are only made worse by a group of rebels who defy the water limits and steal the city’s supply for themselves. But Kateri’s father has developed a clever deterrent: if a thief is caught, they much choose between two doors, one of which allows them to return to their home and the other that releases a deadly tiger onto its prey. As Kateri continues to fight for her place in the royal line of succession, she begins finding more and more secrets behind other doors. And soon enough she finds herself questioning everything she’s come to know.

Honestly, take out the bit about the tiger/lady door thing and I feel like I’ve just typed out the same description that I have for so many books before. Substitute “tiger” for “dragon” and you pretty much have the plot of “The Last Namsara.” And that’s just the first one that comes to mind. I’m pretty sure anyone whose read a decent amount of YA fiction could read that book description and give me the entire outline of this book. And you’d be right.

It’s really hard to rate and review books like these. Is this book any worse than the million and one that came before it with the same plot and the same main character? Was I in a less forgiving mood when I read this one as compared to them? I’m not sure. But I will say that this book made me mad. It took what could have been a clever concept and instead of exploring the unique opportunities available there, it twisted it to fit the exact same “write by numbers” mold that we’ve seen forever now in YA fantasy fiction.

I knew I was in for trouble in the first chapter when I read about Kateri’s experience watching a caught thief go through the process of choosing a door. At first she’s sympathetic to the thief who is so young, to show that she’s caring. But then, for no reason, she must show that she’s ruthless and rage against his option for freedom. He should die now for what he’s done! It flip flops as easily as I’ve just written it. There is no explanation or developed rational behind this. It’s clearly there just to get to two basic character traits, at the expense of the character’s overall development as a believable person. The author clearly just wants to get through this whole “character building” bit as fast as possible. This mode of character “development” holds true throughout the rest of the book. Beyond that, Kateri was only the “warrior woman” she’s touted to be on the most superficial level. Other than her fighting skills, her entire plot line is in reaction to the men around her: her father, the men she fights, the man she loves.

In that same chapter we’re introduced to the king, her father, who is OF COURSE not hiding any secrets and OF COURSE is telling her the full truth about this whole water/thief thing. And there’s the nefarious dude she might have to marry and the rumored young, hot leader of the rebels and…man, I’m so bored even typing this out. It’s all exactly as you’d expect.

Frankly, I have very little to say about this book. I’m having a hard time even filling out this review to the word count that I usually hit. There’s just so little new here to even critique. Anyone who is passingly familiar with YA fantasy can see every twist and turn coming from a mile away. All of the characters dutifully follow the scripts laid out for them in books like this, with nary a unique trait to be found. It was incredibly disappointing. Maybe someone who hasn’t read a bunch of YA fantasy would enjoy this, or those who are not worn out by this basic storyline yet. But anyone looking for something fresh or new should beware.

Rating 5: The book itself is like opening the door and getting the tiger instead of the lady.

I adored this book. The desert setting, the fact that this was inspired by both a Catholic Saint AND a short story known as The Lady or the Tiger. It’s hard to say if this is a dystopian or a alt-history, but I loved the confrontations of privilege and conversations about the wonders of first love, the truth of Catholic social teachings

I could not get into this book and gave up at 10%. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book, but it was not for me.

I received an advance review copy for free as part of a blog tour, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is a standalone Fantasy novel with absolutely NO cliffhanger and that makes a change for me. I normally goes for books that have; 1. Cliffhangers; 2. Another book. But I must admit it was an alright book.

I liked the main character. She seemed to crave the approval of her father which kinda annoyed me. Yes I get that she was supposed to rule eventually and become Queen but it bugged me in ways that I don’t quite understand myself. In terms of character development she was a very developed character and I found myself liking her more and more. She was truly worthy of becoming Queen by the end of this book. I understood that she needed to be shaped into becoming a queen but that way in which she was I didn’t agree on. She was basically tormented to make her to be more worthy of ruling and it was awful to read about that.

The story line eventually became incredibly predictable which bored me. I wanted to be able to go into this book and not guess what was going to happen next especially with it being a standalone. But I need begin to guess everything that was happening.

I was also annoyed by the constant reminder of where it was set; in a dessert. It was constant and continuous. It needed to be eased upon the description and it would have made it better.

I love the action that happened throughout this book. Even though I mentioned that I was annoyed by how predictable the book was doesn’t mean I didn’t like the action.

Overall, this book was a good standalone book with just the right amount of action but way too much description of the landscape.

This story wasn't what I was expecting, I was surprised to find the darker to be a little darker that I thought it would be but I like it. Since, I love A Touch of Gold by Annie I was hoping it would be in the same writing style and pace which it was.

The story is told by Kateri who is princess who lost her mother and sibling by murdered done by the Desert Boys at a young age. Her father not having male heir, needed to trained Kateri to fight for her place to lead the people of Achra. The way she would herself to be chosen by the Desert to the rightful leader of the kingdom was she had to go through trails to fight against male opponents who fight her to take her rightful place as leader. During all of this her people and kingdom is suffering for a drought and her father's Had to restrict the water rations from his people.

Not only was Achra was suffering a drought, the king was fighting against the Desert Boys who were stealing from wells and supposedly draining them dry which cause the king to be stricter with the water rations which was causing more suffering for the people. Kateri had hatred for the Desert Boys because she was told by her father that they murdered her mother and her sibling which is something we find early in the story. Kateri disappoints her father after one of her matches because she gets weapon b the opponent even though she won the match, her father see it as weakeness against himself and his bloodline so he announced her next opponent and potential husband to be her trainer Rodric who is not a really nice person. I actually really dislike him and her father. So, Kateri seeks out the leader of the Desert Boys Cion to help trained to fight against Rodric. Without going into spoiler, basically Kateri finds out things are not what they seem in Achra and she has to figure out who she can really trust.

I think the description of the fighting scenes and the world building was done well in the book. Overall, it was good story and honestly I did not realize it was retelling because I never read The Lady, or the Tiger short story.

I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis of this book. It drew inspiration from the poem "The Lady or the Tiger?" by Frank Stockton. The main character, Kateri, is strong and determined and I loved her. The wold building was amazing and colorful. I would highly recommend this to people who enjoyed books like Rebel of the Sands.

Tiger Queen was completely new to me. It's a retelling of "The Lady, or The Tiger?". In all honesty, I've never heard of this story, but was curious to see what it was about. The author definitely starts us off in an exciting spot of the story. Princess Kateri is in the arena and a Desert Boy is about to be punished. She doesn't quite understand her father's decisions and we slowly learn about this world.

Princess Kateri lost her mother awhile ago and she's determined to become Queen and to hold her promise to her mother. She promised to take care of her people. Kateri is close to turning 18 and to become Queen, she must beat a suitor in the arena each month. I actually thought this was a bit of an odd aspect, but  I would've enjoyed it more if it were explained a bit more.

I loved that Princess Kateri slowly starts to realize things are off in their Kingdom, especially when Roderic (the soldier who's been training her), becomes her last suitor to fight. This is where the story picked up for me. I loved reading about her heading out to find a way to beat her opponent and become Queen. Kateri must prove to her father that things aren't all as they seem.

When Kateri finds the Desert Boys, she doesn't really trust them, but needs them. I loved this group of misftis and thought they fit this story well. They steal water and make sure the people who get it need it. Even though I loved this part of the story, at times I felt like nothing was happening. There were conversations and training, but it didn't feel like it was leading to her last battle.

As Kateri slowly realizes things are a lot different than she thinks, she knows she needs to work hard to fix everything. Like I said, it takes awhile before things pick up and that made the ending seemed a bit rushed to me. I would've loved to have seen a bit more action and politics. I know this is a standalone, but I feel that the storyline the author was trying to put down could've used another book.

All in all, I did enjoy Tiger Queen. Annie Sullivan definitely added some twists and turns I didn't see coming. I enjoyed the setting and the idea behind this whole story. Even though I've read this plot in many forms before, she definietly gave her own little twist to this concept. I am looking forward to seeing what she does next

I was provided a free earc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly this book felt like a sophomore slump for me. I loved Annie's first novel, A Touch of Gold, so much but the pacing, characters, and writing in Tiger Queen just felt slow, flat and stilted.

I have high hopes for the sequel to A Touch of Gold but Tiger Queen was a miss for me.

I hadn’t heard of the story this was inspired by (“The Lady, or the Tiger?”) and I really appreciate Annie Sullivan for doing retellings no one else is doing! We get so many retellings and a lot are for the same stories over and over. While I love the Beauty and the Beast the retellings are becoming overkill haha.

The thing I loved most about this book was the setting. We’re in a desert city and I don’t think I’ve read that many stories set in a desert before. I got some Aladdin vibes from this setting and think we need more diverse settings like this one. A lot of fantasy books have a European Middle Ages kind of setting so this was very refreshing.

I also really enjoyed the start of the story. We get thrown into it right away and come realize that this is a pretty brutal city to live in. Our main character Kateri has been raised to be strong and to not show any weakness. She’s also kept a bit dumb and naive and doesn’t really think for herself. Especially not at the beginning.

The Desert Boys were adorable and reminded me of Peter Pan’s Lost Boys. I’m a sucker for those kind of groups and could read about them forever! Another element I really enjoyed was the fact that Kateri had to fight in the arena to prove she was worthy of being Queen. The whole book is written in quite an easy way and you can fly through it.

However, I also thought the story was quite predictable and I think I predicted literary every ‘twist’ and ‘turn’. I love to be surprised by a book and that just wasn’t the case her. And while I did really care for the Desert Boys, I couldn’t care less about Kateri haha. I like that this was a standalone, but I do think it could’ve used some more pages. Kateri changed her mind so easily and that didn’t seem completely realistic to me. And the ending was way to cheesy for me haha. All in all an enjoyable read but not one of my new favorites.

Kateri is our main character, and like I said, I didn’t really care for her. She is naive at the beginning of the story but she also changes way to fast. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to learn of all the things kept secret from you for so long but she excepted it all in about 5 minutes. It was nice to see the person she turned into and being someone that actually cared for her people and wasn’t just invested in getting her crown.

The Desert Boys were wonderful, especially Dimic, I would love to read more about all of them and get to know them better. We do see a bit more of Cion, who was a pretty great character. Although it would’ve been nice to see him fleshed out a bit more. He could’ve used some more flaws to make him more realistic. I think most characters, apart from Kateri could’ve been developed a bit more. The book isn’t super big so I would’ve liked to see some more pages spent on that aspect.

Tiger Queen is a cool retelling of the short story “The Lady, or The Tiger?”. It presents a warrior princess yearning to become the best fighter of her kingdom, and as a result, also the ruler. I really liked the strong protagonist and her development, the interesting magical world and the fast paced plot.

That being said... this is a classic YA fantasy: you will find here all the tropes that you already know very well. Because of that, I found the story predictable and I guessed correctly almost every single plot point or development in the story. BUT I still liked the story! It was so much fun!!!

So here’s the conclusion: if you’re looking for a completely original, complex and unexpected story, this isn’t at all. But if you’re craving a classic YA book, full of the tropes you know and love, with slow-burn romance and plenty of action... then that’s exactly what you will get. Not every book have to be ground-shaking. This is a fun book to have a fun time, and sometimes, that’s all you need.

Tiger Queen is the first book I’ve read from Annie Sullivan and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. It’s action-packed with amazing character development and world building. Tiger Queen is a gritty novel that truly depicts what it would be like to live in the desert with multiple hardships. But, overall, it’s a book about overcoming boundaries and finding yourself in a world that constantly pushes you down.

“We can’t focus on what we’ve lost or the weight of it will bury us faster than the sand. We have to focus on what’s still to gain. We have to focus on finding joy when we can.”

Princess Kateri is a strong and brave protagonist, with a story that many can connect with. In order for her to win the crown, she has to battle a set of opponents in the arena and if she loses, she has to marry that opponent that night. Because if she can’t defeat all her suitors, then her father and her people see her as a weakness and not the strongest leader her kingdom could have. And because of this, Kateri feels like she has to constantly prove herself and that she can never make a mistake. Which is why she needs to defeat her last opponent. But when his identity is revealed, she knows she won’t be able to beat him without help. More specifically, she needs the help of the only person who knows her opponent well: Cion, the leader of the desert boys.

As long as Kateri has been alive, the desert boys have caused chaos within her kingdom by stealing their water. Her menacing father keeps restricting the water wells, which only pushes the desert boys to steal more water. But what Kateri learns from them makes her question everything her father has ever told her. Kateri not only learns more about the desert boys and their culture, but Cion also shows Kateri that not everything is about strength and being brave; there are times you are allowed to have fun and loosen up and be vulnerable, even for someone fighting for the crown and their life.

“‘Scars tell their own stories,’ Cion said, ‘and out here, we listen to them.'”

Princess Kateri thought she knew who she was and what her destiny was supposed to be within her castle walls. But the longer she spends with the desert boys, the more she realizes that her life in the castle was like a caged tiger: trapped, with no way of escaping. Just like her mother, who she promised she would change the world for all the kingdoms’ people, including the desert boys. Kateri also sees firsthand what’s it like to truly live in the desert, and she faces hardships she never had to face in her castle. But out in the desert, she finds more of herself and more of a connection with her mother, than she thought she would. She starts to learn what it means to really live a life to its fullest.

Sullivan brings the desert to life in this book with her mesmerizing and beautiful world building. She doesn’t just depict what living in the desert is like, but what the people of Kateri’s kingdom are like and what must be done for everyone to survive. Living in the desert isn’t an easy life, and Sullivan does a phenomenal job portraying the daily struggles. It’s a life that seems to only promise struggles and hardships for many. But Sullivan lets the reader know that Princess Kateri can change that, if only she is brave enough to do so.

“I hadn’t thought love could truly exist in this desert. I thought it was the biggest mirage of all. Something meant to trick those who sought it out, to distract them from their miserable lives, the ones without futures. But it wasn’t. It was about hope. It was about having a future worth living.”

Tiger Queen is a fun and fast-paced novel with a strong protagonist and amazing side characters. I was thoroughly impressed with Sullivan’s book, and I plan to read the rest of her books.