I don't want to say this book was bad - because it wasn't! - but it didn't feel like it brought anything new to the table. It felt predictable with characters that didn't jump off the page for me. I enjoyed the plot overall, but it just didn't fit what I was hoping for. Maybe because the writing felt really repeated?

Overall, I enjoyed this book for its entertainment value, and I would recommend it to anyone who felt like they needed an escape. 3.5 stars.

Things I liked!

- The premise and the overall plot was quite interesting, especially with the desert and arena settings, I sped through the book very quickly.
- The Desert boys and their camaraderie!
- It made me think about the importance of water and how much it controls our day-to-day lives. Also the kind of chaos that is created when their is scarcity of water. (We all know it but without the first hand experience, most of us tend to forget).
- The MC, Kateri was quite cool and badass.
-The final show down between Kateri and the big bad guy was very good!
-The writing was easy and very accessible.

Things that could have been done better!

-Lack of in-depth world building, some information regarding the history were spread throughout the story but most of them became repetitive after a while.
- Lack of female characters or any strong female relationships. I didn't like that our MC, Kateri was so alone in that big palace.
- Other supporting characters lacked complexity and could have done with some more development.
- Relationship between Cion and Kateri. It seemed obvious from the beginning but the execution and progression of their relationship felt off.
- The villains were one-dimensional.

Overall, this was pretty standard YA fantasy, it was engaging but the story or the characters weren't anything out of the ordinary.

I truly enjoyed the Tiger Queen. Inspired by the story The Lady and The Tiger, Annie Sullivan creates a mythos that is both moving and magical.
Kateri is at the age where she must prove herself that she is worthy to rule the desert kingdom of Achra. She must fight in the arena and whichever man she loses to, she must marry. But she won’t lose; she will rule in her own right.  Her plans re foiled when she crosses path with the rebels who live in the desert. Kateri must learn what it is like to truly be a ruler and to face her past with clear eyes.
I truly enjoyed this book. Sullivan creates a rich world with a complex past and characters that break their original stereotype. In fact, getting to know your neighbor is a huge theme here. Instead of looking at those labeled “other” through a villainous lens, Kateri and the reader learn to see the humanity in everyone and how quickly and unjustly pigeonholing can affect people.
I really enjoyed following a strong woman. I like that she fought to be queen in her own right; not just for a husband. There is romance hear but it’s not front in center as Kateri is always focused on what she promised her people. 
This is a great book to discuss perception and we misjudge others because of rumored and appearance. It is also fun and exciting, making it a great choice for a women’s book club.

To begin, Kateri had an impressive character arc given the page count. At the beginning of Tiger Queen, I was not a fan, I found Kateri to be very aggressive and not very smart. I didn’t understand how she was apprehensive then shocked that Rodric was her final suitor when her father warned her beforehand? She also claimed she was fighting for her people when her action didn’t mirror that. But as the story continued Kateri realized her ignorance and selfishness and learned from her misconceptions to better herself. The biggest moment that showed her gained maturity was when she“discovered that Cion was in a “relationship” and her response to it.

In the end, Kateri wanted Cion to be happy despite that not necessarily meaning he would be with her. Which is the opposite of what happened in the original “The Lady or the Tiger?” in my personal opinion. Other events throughout the story like Kateri removing her cuff, Kateri trusting the Desert Boys, finding out the truth of her father, and the epilogue also helped show her growth.

But from other reviews, I read that Tiger Queen was described as a feminist story which I think leads to the biggest disappointment. Tiger Queen is far from what I would describe as ‘feminism’ in ya book. Kateri is the only prominent female character and her relationship with the other females in the book is what I would describe as wary and tense. So definitely not feministic. But without this knowledge prior to reading, I believe the book was much more enjoyable.

I also loved how much the Desert boys reminded me of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan. There’s no way Annie Sullivan wasn’t inspired by the Lost Boys but I always enjoy found-families and camaraderie in a book.

But that being said, I did have a few gripes with Tiger Queen.

First, I believe that the characters were poorly described. Yes, I had an image in my head of what all the characters looked like but I had no idea if it was accurate. I know that Cion had longer hair and dimples; Rodric was muscular; Kateri wore a cuff to cover her scar on her neck and was also muscular, and I got the impression that they all had a darker skin tone due to living in the desert, but I felt that we need more descriptions of all the characters.
I also felt like Dimic didn’t act his age; he was described to look 8 or 9 but he talked and acted as more of an 11 or 12-year-old and I found having to remind myself of Dimic’s age.

I also feel as though Tiger Queen lacked depth. Each “reveals” individual delivery seemed misplaced and rushed. For example, when Cion told Kateri the truth about her mother’s death, it was thrown in conversation rather suddenly and it felt like an odd, forced connection between the two characters. The only reveal that surprised me was Cion saying he thought of Latia as a sister because Annie Sullivan really had me sold that she was going to take the story in a completely different route than most ya books and have the protagonist not be involved in a romantic relationship - which would’ve been a nice change.

I also wish there was more ruthlessness in the story; we are told how deadly the tigers are but not shown, perhaps before Dimic entered the area there was another prisoner who would’ve met his untimely end to the tigers in the area to show us how dangerous the tigers actually are. We only see the tigers in action towards the end of Tiger Queen in a way that was rather lackluster for their first impression in Frank Stockton’s work.

Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by Tiger Queen. Though I wish we had better descriptions of the characters, and more depth and ruthlessness, I found the characters personalities enjoyable to read and the plot enticing and very well-paced. I would recommend Tiger Queen to anyone who wants to read a fast standalone or who enjoyed Frank Stockton’s original work “The Lady or the Tiger?”

I didn't *hate* this, but I didn't enjoy it either. Part of that - which I don't blame the book for - is because it wasn't what I was expecting (I had more of an arena, bachelor+Hunger Games, adventure, coming-of-age story in mind), and the other part is due to problems with the story. It started off strong with Princess Kateri about to face her second to last suitor in the arena, setting the tone of the story quite quickly. However, things went downhill fast. 

My main qualm was with our main character. On the surface, Kateri is everything a YA heroine should be. A strong, fierce girl willing to learn from her mistakes and the mistakes of those that came before her. However, that's simply on the surface. We are told constantly that Kateri has been trained since childhood to be a warrior, with emphasis on the amount of self control she's meant to have. And then, the second she finds out information that is unpleasant, she throws a tantrum complete with yelling at her undeserving servant and tearing apart her closet. 

Don't get me started on the fact the main antagonist, that's supposed to be extremely threatening, discusses his evil plans under the pRINCESS' WINDOW. Like... what. the. heck. 

This book was also pitched as feminist, which is hilarious. Other than a midwife aunt that is on page for five seconds, there are only two female characters and guess what? They bot hate each other! Who coulda guessed? *sigh* There's also the problem with Kateri hating the idea of marriage, seeing engagement bracelets as 'shackles', and then! Once she falls in love, she thinks 'huh, love is a chain! a chain that connects us to the ones we love'. Please tell me I'm not the only one that sees a problem here? The author meant well, that much is clear, but she definitely missed the mark on this aspect. 

Tie all of that up with a plot that is filled with conveniences and so. many. tropes., it let me down. I know I sound like I hated this book, and that isn't the case. I won't lie and say I enjoyed it, because I didn't, but I can see why people would. Especially if someone was just getting into YA and wasn't used to all of the over-used plot devices and tropes the story used. 

I still want to try some of the author's other works, this one just missed the mark for me, unfortunately.

Tiger Queen is set in the desert kingdom of Achra which is suffering from a terrible drought. Water is being rationed and to make matters worse, the Desert Boys are stealing water from the wells. The punishment for stealing water is having to choose between two doors in the arena. Behind one door lies freedom and the other a vicious tiger.  Kateri, an arrogant warrior princess, has promised her late mother she will protect her people. However, her father has dictated that Kateri has to fight against her suitors to win the right to rule.  If she can beat all twelve, she can assume the throne and pick her own husband.  Having bested the first eleven, Kateri must now fight her father's right-hand man and her trainer Rodic, who wants to be king.  Knowing she can't defeat him, she escapes to the desert to beg Cion, leader of the Desert Boys to train her.  He agrees and as she begins her training, she realizes things are not as they seem.  Ultimately, she joins the Desert Boys to right what is wrong in the kingdom and take her rightful place as Queen.

I actually just recently became an Annie Sullivan fan after reading A Touch of Gold. A book that I can’t believe I didn’t read sooner. So when I saw The Tiger Queen, I was like yes! Sign me up!

I loved Kateri. I love her because you see so much growth in her character as the story progresses. We start with her living a typical royal life. She has no real idea of what the people’s suffering is like and just blindly follows what her father tells her. He’s her father and the King. Why would he lie to her. When she finally ventures out and sees more of the world outside of herself, she really starts to realize that she can’t rely on others to see her. She has to understand what is going on if she truly wants to fulfill her promise to her mother. She tries so hard in the beginning not to be weak by her father’s standards and then by the end see that she can find her own strength and that she doesn’t need to measure up to anyone but herself. Well being that she’s trying to be Queen, her people too. I really enjoyed seeing her grow.

I loved the setting. It’s such an interesting world. This is a city surrounded by desert and suffering from drought. The only reason they haven’t made the trek to leave the territory is there is not enough water to make the journey. They strongly believe in the spirit of the desert and that the changing sands will show them the way to live. In a way it’s their religion. There are also sandstorms and vicious poisonous creatures that if you are not experienced in walking around the desert you might end up dead. I really shouldn’t call them vicious, it’s a if you irritate them they will attack you kind of thing. 

The romance is very subtle and does not distract from the plot at all. I actually kind of wish there was a little more because it was so cute. I also really like that kind of relationship. It always reminds me of Final Fantasy VI (yes I’m really off the range here) and the cute general/thief kind of thing. Or even Robin Hood. Who is actually good and who is actually bad.

All these pieces make up the plot. Kateri is battling for the throne. Having to defeat each suitor in order to avoid marriage and take her rightful place as Queen. During this, due to the drought, the water rations keep getting lowered. Which is causing mini revolts and uprising. When Kateri’s final contender is not only someone terrible but someone she can’t beat. She needs to find a new way to win. Which sets the wheels in motion for the rest of the events of the story.

I loved The Tiger Queen. It’s a great standalone and a really enjoyable read.

Less about tigers than you might think, especially with the release of Tiger King on Netflix.

Kateri is a warrior at heart, groomed into it by her father. I did enjoy seeing her grow, and learn more, transforming from a princess who has no idea what's going on in her city, to a powerful woman who knows what's happening, and can be trusted to keep her people safe.

To rule Achra, Kateri – the king’s daughter and only child – must defeat her suitors to prove her right to rule. Gaining the crown means she can fulfil her promise to her dead mother to protect her people. Achra suffers with a long drought and frequent windstorms, made worse by the Desert Boys who come into the city to steal water from the people. When she finds out who her last suitor is, Kateri faces a choice – remain and be defeated, losing her chance to rule, or escape into the desert, seeking help from the last person she ever thought she’d speak to.

Tiger Queen is a YA Fantasy, set in the desert and in a corrupt, broken city where the rich have all the luxuries they need and the poor are forced to abandon their third children after the king brings in a two children rule.

I really enjoyed this book.

Yes, it’s got familiar tropes, yes it’s a touch predictable, but honestly? Sometimes that is exactly what you need. And those elements (I think) can work well in YA, when the target audience might not have come across the same things as many times as, say, an adult reader like myself.

I liked Kateri as a character. She starts off sheltered and naive, with her world painted in black and white. She fully believes the king is doing what is best for the people, and the Desert Boys are evil. Kateri doesn’t question it, not until she escapes into the desert and actually meets the Desert Boys, realising they are, in fact, simply children trying to get by.

The Desert Boys were fun to read about, a mixture of Lost Boy’s and Robin Hood’s Merry Men, all eager to prove themselves. And I really liked the scenes between Kateri and their leader, Cion – there were really good moments here, ones which just made me smile.

Kateri is determined, and keen to do right by her people. She’s not a character given to moping, and she is willing to step aside if she thinks it’s the right thing to do.

There were, however, some things which I didn’t like as much.

I feel there could have been deeper relationships between Kateri and some of the other women presented in the story. For the most part, the women here are just shown as caretakers, from Cion’s aunt, to an elderly lady looking after abandoned babies. Kateri’s maid, at the start of the story, could have been a good source for this, but it feels like a missed opportunity. I also think there could have been ‘Desert Boys’ who were maybe Desert Girls instead – this is a fantasy world, and given the situation, its doubtful every girl in the city would be content with things, especially when male children are favoured and there is a strict two children rule.

Other than that, this was a really enjoyable, action packed read, well written and tightly paced. If you enjoy YA Fantasy with a focus on romance, I suggest checking out Tiger Queen.

Let me start off by saying I read A Curse of Gold by the same author and I enjoyed that book more than this one.

The plot flowed well enough, but the worls building lacked and without that it brought the story a bit down. 

The characters were kind of forgettable, but I do think a younger age group would enjoy this story.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

Since I rated this book less than 3 stars, I will not be reviewing it on my blog (as stated in my Netgalley profile). But I will be posting my review to Goodreads. 


Pros:

- Intriguing and fascinating world-building. Could’ve been more fleshed out, but ultimately it was a unique and compelling world. 

- Beautiful, vivid descriptions of the various settings. 

Cons:

- Dull characters, with no personality. The secondary cast’s personalities are practically indistinguishable from each other’s, and the heroine, villain, and love interest are unoriginal and boring. 

- Tedious plot. It was predictable and episodic, too, with incidents happening independent of the heroine’s arc and not resulting in strong consequences for the rest of the story. 

- Unremarkable writing. I didn’t like it - it was plain and more “telling” than “showing”. Overall, it felt lifeless. There was nothing spellbinding or powerful about it.  


Overall, the book was disappointing. A stunning world could not make up for the bland characters, dull writing, and uninspired plot.

Annie took a small short story and turned it into an amazing world you want to dive into. She created an amazing strong willed female character, brought romance and intrigue into story you can’t put down!

I was a huge fan of Annie’s first novel, and so I was incredibly excited for her second, especially after I found out that it was based on a favorite story of mine! Unfortunately, I really failed to connect to the world that this was set in, and every time I put the book down, I found it harder and harder to pick it back up again. I really wanted to like this one, but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. One day, I might try it again, but I can’t see that coming any time soon unfortunately. However, I can’t wait for the second Touch of Gold novel!

I enjoyed the uniqueness of this book, which is based on "The Lady, or the Tiger?" It was unlike other books I've read & it kept my attention throughout. I enjoyed the dynamic between Kateri, the Desert boys, and CIon. I would recommend this book to others!

I LOVE retellings, they have always been stories that I love picking up. When you know the basics of a story or what it could be like sometimes the book can just be boring but Tiger Queen wasn't like that. It had well developed characters and was so perfectly put together that it's not just another retelling. It's a story all in itself.

I honestly hated to find out that this is a stand alone novel because it blew my mind away! The characters were so easy to follow and become attached too and I loved the atmosphere. I’ve had this book for awhile from Netgalley and I’m glad I finally finished it. Annie Sullivan wrote this novel so beautifully that I felt as if I was on the journey across the desert with the main character. I will be reading more of her work as soon as she publishes it that’s for sure!

It’s been a long time in coming, but today I finished up Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan.

In full disclosure, Annie and I are friends and co-admins on the YA Fantasy Addicts Facebook group.

That doesn’t mean I’ll be any less honest or true in my review, though.

Anyone feel like a Cheeseburger?

No?

How about a Monte Cristo? Philly Cheesesteak? BLT? Turkey Club?

Still no?

Well, I feel like a sandwich.

So that’s what you’re going to get: the good ole sandwich method.

If you’ve never heard of it, it means I’m going to say something nice, talk about what I didn’t like, and say something nice again.

See, it’s a sandwich.

Though usually the good stuff is the meat, and that it’s in the center, but with the sandwich method, the center is the not so nice and………

Whatever. Let’s hop to it!

The Top Bun

Let’s start with the top bun. What is my favorite?

I like the kind with the little onion bits on top, though I’m not a fan of sesame seeds.

Oh…you meant my favorite part of the book. I got you. *wink*

Tiger Queen starts with a bang and I absolutely love that.

I’ve read so many books lately that start with about 5 chapters worth of information before I get to anything remotely considered exciting.

But Annie Sullivan wastes no time in getting right down to the action in Tiger Queen.

The book opens with our hero, Kateri, watching as a small boy, a Desert Boy (a criminal), is dropped into the arena and given the choice of two doors. Behind one is a tiger and behind the other is some supplies.

Choose the wrong door and the boy is dead, receiving the punishment for his crimes. But choose the correct door and he’ll be set free with some loot for his trouble.

His crimes?
Stealing water from the wells of the city.

You see, Kateri’s city has been suffering through a drought for many years and everyone is limited to a certain amount of water per day. To take more water than you are due is treasonous, endangers the life of the entire city, and is punishable by death.

I won’t spoil what door he chooses and what follows.

But the arena isn’t only used for punishment, it’s also used for sport.

In Kateri’s case, she fights in the arena to win the approval of her father, her people, and to defeat her potential suitors.

Should any one of them best her, they will claim her right to the throne and she will be forced to wed the future king. But should she prevail in defeating all her suitors, she will claim her birthright and her dead mother’s crown.

The Meat

Perhaps in this analogy the meat wasn’t cooked to perfection. Is that how the sandwich method works?

You asked for medium well and got rare or well done? Who knows, and who cares. *shrug*

The part of Tiger Queen that let me down the most was coincidentally the middle of the book.

Maybe that’s why I chose the sandwich method in the first place. Hmm….

It starts off all right. But quickly gets repetitive.

Kateri is training for her final bout in the arena against her final suitor, a man who is stronger and better than her in every way.

And while the training types vary, the situations surrounding them are the same, and Kateri’s progress through them follows the same pattern.

The man that is training Kateri says he has a surprise for Kateri every few chapters and it’s always to reveal some new aspect of the group she’s aligned herself with. And that aspect tends to be frivolous and unrealistic given the rough set of circumstances that have befallen them.

I was actually inclined to enjoy these moments early on, until they kept coming up. “I have a surprise for you.” “Another surprise.”

However, if you can look past the repetitive nature of her training, the story that’s going on in the background is superb and a magical adventure.

The Bottom Bun

I’d say that once you get to the 70-75% mark of Tiger Queen, it’s such a whirlwind of a tale that you won’t be able to put the book down until you reach the very end.

The plot twists, the discoveries, the threads all neatly getting tied up, the action, the sword fighting, the high stakes/high adrenaline moments will keep your blooding pumping and your fingers actively turning the pages.

There were a few twists in Tiger Queen that I saw coming, but even those twists had explanations I didn’t foresee.

So while I was right on the overall outcome, I had guessed wrong on the motivations behind the outcome.

That surprise made for a refreshing twist to the twist.

If you’re like me and you’re constantly making guesses as you read a book, then Tiger Queen might just be the right book for you.

There is a romance subplot for you romance lovers, but be aware that it doesn’t even really begin to take fruition until about the 60% mark of the story.

Hang in there, it’s worth it thought it is a pretty slow-burn romance.

You’ve probably read enough books where the girl and guy are pining for each other in Chapter 2. It’s time for some more realistic romance that takes awhile to kindle, but when it ignites, it blazes strong and true.

Closing Remarks

Anyone else out there love to read the Acknowledgements?

Ooo oo me!

I read them for every book.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the YA Fantasy Addicts Facebook Group is given a shout out in the acknowledgements.

But I was perhaps more astonished to see my name there among a list of many others.

Annie truly is a wonderful author and a fantastic person. If you’d like to get to know her, come join us on Facebook in the YA Fantasy Addicts group.

Tiger Queen gets a solid 4/5 stars from me and is a worthy read for any YA Fantasy fan.

Thank you to the publisher Blink and NetGalley for this review copy of Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan. 

I love a good standalone fantasy novel and I was really looking forward to reading Tiger Queen. This turned out to be an amazing re-telling of The Lady, or the Tiger. Not being familiar with that tale kept the story fresh and new in a genre crowded with Beauty and the Beast and other European fairy tale retellings. 

I appreciated the detail Annie Sullivan put into building this sand swept world and the character of Kateri. She goes through some realistic and gradual changes from Princess to Warrior to rebel. There is also a slow burn “clean” romance. 
I highly recommend this book to YA fantasy fans of all ages.

Plot: 3 stars
Characters: 3 stars
Writing Style: 2 stars
Cover: 4 stars
Representation: 1 stars
Enjoyment: 4 stars
Overall: 2 stars

This one is actually a little hard to review, because some things were really good, but other things that I consider important were really not.

First the good: This was a very enjoyable read. Annie Sullivan knows how to spin an adventure tale, and how to give her main character growth (though her MC always starts off a little *too* naive and trusting of the wrong people and comes off as pretty annoying at first for my taste). The cover is also really beautiful. And little things like the sand dancing, and Kateri's relationship with Cion were beautiful and well-done.

The plot was a little simplistic, which makes sense since it was based on a short story, but I wish it had been fleshed out more. In some ways it felt like more of a middle-grade novel in that way. The writing, too, was simplistic and a little flat, but it wasn't enough to jar me out of the story.

The thing that really bothered me once I started reflecting on the story, and that knocked my initial rating down from 5 stars to 3, is the representation. This has 2 parts

First, cultural: There are a few throwaway sentences about people in the city from other cities/countries having this or that custom, but that was it. Every character was described as being basically the same, which is really unrealistic in a city where people come in caravans from other places. There should have been differences in dress, in skin color, in hair color, etc... but there weren't. There also weren't any real cultural trappings or customs, aside from the sand dances. You could have picked the story up and put it down in the desert basically anywhere. The people were bland and could easily have all been white. In a book drawing inspiration from a presumably Middle Eastern or Indian culture... that's a problem.

Second: Kateri is the only female character with any real impact on the story. There are women who show up here and there as minor characters, but every other character with real importance in the story is a man. And it's *incredibly* unbelievable that Kateri is the first woman to be accepted as a Desert Boy but they accept her so easily and trust her. Even though she's the daughter of the ruler who makes their life so awful? Like... only boys are orphans and third children? That's unrealistic. It would have been *so* easy to make a few of the Desert Boys girls. Sigh.

So overall I enjoyed the story but had major issues with the details.