
Member Reviews

I can't say I hated this book but I didn't entirely love it at all. I found it difficult to get hooked and the plot was all over the place. I did love a few things about this book like the world building wasn't done horribly. I did love the mythology aspect of the book and a few characters but the writing felt hard to get into and the pacing was quite slow. The romance was simply bad to say the least it feels like Tam and Janet never connected. I feel like this book might be for certain fantasy readers, but not for me.

I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it. The Chinese and First Nations mythology part was great. The constant dropping out if the main story for another bit of mythology or a bit of back story was eh. It slowed the story down a lot. The relationship between Tam and Janet was not great. No chemistry and really they don’t seem to like each other very much. If I knew someone who had that vibe with their significant other I wouldn’t be super surprised by an ugly breakup…. I’d try another by this author but not a book two in this series. But…. If the description sounded great to someone else I wouldn’t recommend against reading it either. It was on the whole ok.

Rated 2.5 really.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley and Edelweiss, and got approved on both sites. Thanks to DAW for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.
I'm so, so bummed (more so because I was approved for this one on both the galley sites!). The blurb and the Seanan McGuire comparison had me very excited for this book, and I can see the merit in it (the book - the comparison, not so much), but I wasn't enjoying myself, and I decided to call it quits at 25% for a few reasons. First off, the story and the writing didn't manage to grab me - both the supernatural world and the imagery felt too crowded, for lack of a better word, and at times confusing, or it may be that my eyes glazed over because there wasn't a single element that stood out enough to hook me on the narrative. Secondly, while I'm a seasoned horror reader, I was often grossed out by the specific brand of horror employed here (like, for instance, women with a hole-shaped disease on their arms, or fetus-like creatures preserved in jars and described in detail). The story-within-the-story device didn't help - it isn't one I'm particularly fond of, because it takes me out of the story, and if my interest is already waning, it only exacerbates the matter. Last but not least, I need to forge a strong connection with my characters (especially when I have issues with the plot), and Tam didn't came across as a compelling enough protagonist for me to do that. I saw what this book was trying to do (especially in regard to themes of heritage and cultural appropriation), and I'm sure it will resonate with a number of fantasy readers, but I couldn't find it in me to continue reading.

DNF. I was really enjoying myself for the first third of this, but once past that, I rapidly started losing interest. After the second third, the thought of continuing became exhausting, and that was the death knell.
The set-up is going to be familiar if you know Urban Fantasy: living among and just out of sight of humans are magical beings of all kinds, only some of whom interact with the human world. Aunt Tigress is unique, though, in populating itself with, not generic witches and werewolves, but figures from the mythologies of indigenous Canadians. Being set in Canada, this makes perfect sense! Our main character, though, is part tiger, descended from Chinese tigers and tricksters, and most of the conflict in the book comes from her eponymous tiger aunt fucking with the locals in an attempt to regain the power she had back in China.
This is all great! I know next to working about the mythologies the author is drawing from, so I can’t comment on the representation at all, but I was delighted and fascinated to be presented with beings and creatures I’d never come across before. There were also beasties I did recognise, but which the author has put her own spin on, like the incubus, who here is more of an adorable pixie creature of animal intelligence, rather than a human-sized sex demon.
The problem is that the incubus was my favourite character.
Tam Lin, our MC (who has the name of a Scottish ballad for some reason, maybe to make it clear that she and her love interest Janet – the heroine of the Tam Lin ballad also being named Janet – are fated to be together, or something. It drove me nuts that no one ever commented on this) is…kind of wishy-washy and flavourless. I had no real sense of her as an individual, except in the flashbacks of the times she spent with Aunt Tigress as a kid: in the now, she doesn’t seem to have any drive or desires, just kind of drifting along with the plot and/or with what Janet wants. She’s surrounded by distinct personalities – her mother and stepbrother, Miss Little, Aunt Tigress, even Janet – but doesn’t really have one of her own, and constantly lets those other personalities move and direct her. I still don’t understand how or why she abruptly decides she’s responsible for stopping her aunt, or how or why she goes from ignoring her heritage and abilities to reclaiming them; most of her decisions were really not articulated enough for me.
The plot moves pretty slowly, which would not bother me if the relationships we used that time to explore were less boringly awful. Tam’s mother is terrible: Aunt Tigress is a terrible person, but also terribly interesting, whereas Tam’s mom I just despised – despite knowingly marrying a tiger, she endlessly resents Tam’s unhumanness, wanting her to have nothing to do with her heritage or magic. That she spent years backing Tam’s militantly vegan stepdad in denying her meat – when she is literally a tiger! – meant I hated her way before she blithely tells Tam, to her face, that Tam is difficult to love. HI, GOODBYE.
Tam and Janet, on the other hand, are confusing in the way of badly-written romances everywhere: I never had a clue what drew them to each other, there’s a lot of tonally odd snark, and the dramatic betrayal-reveal that usually comes nearer the end of a book instead came out ten minutes into their relationship. It is then almost instantly forgotten about. (And please don’t get me started on the deeply disturbing tiger-y sex where the issue of wait did you really consent I don’t remember is never really resolved!!!)
The best bits were easily the glimpses we got of baby!Tam bonding/apprenticing with Aunt Tigress, a lot of which is also disturbing and creepy but a) it’s clearly meant to be and b) it’s really interesting. Disturbing is fine in fiction if it’s interesting, this is Writing Fiction 101, and it was really cool getting insight into what being a tiger means, what a terrible but compelling character Aunt Tigress is, and seeing and learning about the magical world, which Tom mostly learns about via her aunt. Aunt Tigress makes baby!Tam complicit in awful things, uses her for her own schemes, and tries to shape her in her own image. Does she actually care about Tam? If she does, it’s in a way I hope no one ever cares about me!
I think the author was trying to create a conflict between Tam’s ‘tiger self’ and her ‘human side’, but that was nonexistent except when it made for convenient drama. We don’t see her needing to resist the outlook or thinking her aunt tried to instil in her, or have any idea what her ‘tiger’ wants that her ‘human’ part does not want. There’s just this sense of nebulous guilt that is very dull to read about.
Plot-wise, I was bored and confused. The quest-objective Janet brings to the table was resolved very quickly and seemingly easily, with Tam suddenly displaying a skill in her father’s magic that wasn’t much hinted at previously. The conflict between Janet and Tam’s mother was eye-rollingly predictable. I’m still not sure who or what the suit monster was, or how we suddenly have an undead fox. Aunt Tigress was up to Major Fuckery, but I kept forgetting about it because it kept fading into the background (oh no the sunsets are extra-dramatic, everybody panic!!! what even). What is the in-between realm and why are we suddenly going there. How exactly does the demon’s pet jack-of-all-trades human help us? He’s very sweet but seriously, what is he doing here. Why are you bringing your human girlfriend to another realm when she can’t even SEE the supernatural (and refuses to be given the ability)? How is it that Tam has no one to reach out to for help except her aunt’s lawyer, and why doesn’t she bring the problem to the locals instead of playing outsider-savior?
They get to the in-between realm and the functional, powerful non-human adults allegedly assisting immediately put the responsibility of finding what they’re looking for on the three barely-adults who have never been to this realm before. OKAY THAT MAKES SENSE FOR SURE.
TL;DR: Prose was great, worldbuilding was interesting, but the pixie and the villain were the only interesting characters and the plot was a mess.

Aunt Tigress by Emily Yu-Xuan Qin is a captivating blend of dark fantasy and sapphic romance that immerses you in a world where myth and reality intertwine. The story follows Tamara (Tam) Lin as she embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind her aunt’s murder. Along the way, Tam confronts her complicated heritage, her fraught family dynamics, and her own unintentional role in a larger supernatural conflict.
What I loved most about this book was its rich storytelling, especially in the retrospective sections, gave the book a magical feel. The blend of Chinese and First Nations mythology was beautifully done, and I appreciated how the author used these elements to explore cultural identity. Tam’s journey was compelling—she’s flawed, relatable, and easy to root for, even when her decisions frustrated me.
Aunt Tigress is a very imaginative debut andI’m excited to see what Emily Yu-Xuan Qin writes next. If you enjoy stories that feel like modern folktales, this is definitely worth picking up!

I stopped reading Aunt Tigress at around 15% because I just couldn’t get into it. The writing style felt distant, making it hard to connect with the characters or the story. While the premise was interesting, the pacing didn’t pull me in, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged. I wanted to give it more of a chance, but ultimately, it wasn’t working for me, so I decided to move on.

If there is a best new release of 2025 I really hope it is this one because the story is unlike any other, it's peerless. If I had to compare it to another work, I'd say, tangentially, 'Harrow the Ninth' (iykyk) and 'Bestiary' (which also features another tiger auntie). The title is a reference to the Chinese myth of the 虎姑婆 but being set in Canada and peopled by immigrants from all over the world, the narrative incorporates a wide range of myths and religions, from Arabic to indigenous to Scottish.
Tamara Lin comes from a lineage of tigers. Her paternal grandmother was a famed tiger who ruled the mountains of Shandong a thousand years ago. Her father died when she was twelve, and for a short time, she was apprenticed under her aunt who ran a business dealing with the supernatural since there is no one else to teach her about her heritage. It was then when she saw first-hand what a cruel and bloodthirsty monster she was, but Tamara could not fully disavow her aunt until she made Tamara complicit in something unforgivable. One day, her aunt goes missing, putting her through hell and high water on an epic quest for answers.

Tam is the descendent of mythical tigers and can see wondrous and terrifying things around her. But she kind of just wants to live a normal life with her new human girlfriend, not run from tentacled creatures and fix the crimes her Aunt Tigress has committed. When her Aunt is found dead and skinned, Tam is forced back into the past she has left behind.
As somebody who has worked with actual tigers, it was fun to read about a tiger family in human skin, I thought a lot of traits were described so accurately. I wanted to sprawl out in a sunny spot on the floor right alongside Tam and her father. This book is so rich in weaving myths and stories together, combining Chinese and First Nations lore in such an intricate way. So many creatures and legends I had never heard of, and the descriptions of the In-Between especially were so vivid. Some of the book is a bit dark, but it still feels cozy. I liked Tam as a MC, she was not perfect but she has so much heart in the story and is willing to do anything to protect her family and friends. I enjoyed how we get chapters that explore some of the other side characters and their back stories, I think that added so much to the story. I loved the incubus and Tam's familiars the most.
I recommend this book to those who like urban fantasy and supernatural mythology. It was an interesting read and kept my attention! I wanted a little more from the ending, but it was enjoyable and overall a great book. I would definitely read more from Emily Yu-Xuan Qin! Also that cover art is pretty cool. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for my opinions.

The perfect book for those who enjoyed "The Bear and The Nightingale" but like their fantasy a tad more modern and urban.
Myth interwoven in the very fabric of reality, ancient bloodlines brimming with magic, the unlikely yet brilliant combination of Chinese and First Nation folklore, college students fighting eldritch beings, and a bittersweet sapphic romance - this book has it all! I especially loved the way the narrative became folktale-esque in the retrospections describing characters' backstories. The whole thing felt like a fairytale and while it might not be for everyone (e.g. the characters weren't super developed and sometimes felt archetypical/cliché, but in a good/justified/fairytale-esque way) but I ABSOLUTELY loved it. I was hooked and immersed in the dream-like yet so very familiar reality, rooting for Tam (even in the not-so-few instances when I was SO mad at her!) right from the beginning. And not only did Aunt Tigress start with an earthquake, the tension was really rising throughout the book! All in all, an extremely entertaining and amazingly atmospheric read!
But, because there's always a but, albeit this one is quite small. The pacing was decent in most of the book, but the ending felt very rushed and the tension and impact greatly suffered from that. Which is a great shame - I just feel like a few more scenes, more space for justifying some characters' arcs would do the book an insane amount of good. BUT since Aunt Tigress is a debut, I hope this is something the author will eventually improve at. I, for one, will certainly be there to witness Emily Yu-Xuan Qin's journey and you should as well!
Thank you to the author and DAW for the eARC provided via Netgalley!

Thank you Netgalley, DAW, and Emily Yu-Xuan Qin for sending me this advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I wanted to love this one so much, but unfortunately it was a struggle to get through it. I found myself confused by what was happening a lot of the time, and the worldbuilding just wasn't there. We were bounced from thing to thing without much explanation.
The main story moved at a snail's pace, with the smaller stories taking up most of the book. I think this could have been an amazing anthology or novellas, but as a whole book it just didn't work for me.
I did really enjoy all the interesting creatures and folklore elements. There were a few I haven't seen before.
Overall, I think this might not be the writing style for me, but if you enjoy atmospheric creepy vibes, you might enjoy it.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Aunt Tigress by Emily Yu-Xuan Qin is a mixed first and third person multi-POV contemporary Sapphic fantasy set in Calgary, Canada. Tam Lin has made herself as small and safe as possible, cutting meat completely out of her diet despite her nature as a descendent of a tiger spirit. When her aunt is murdered and skinned, Tam finds she can’t run from her true self forever and her new love, Janet, might be another piece of the past she can’t escape.
The majority of the book is from Tam’s POV and moves at a slower pace. The third person chapters are mostly memories of several other characters that help fill out the worldbuilding and give depth to their stories, such as Jack, a young First Nations man and Raja, a man married to a demon. The slower pacing helps give space for a darker atmosphere and mysterious tone to slowly build as we learn more about Aunt Tigress and the complexity of the world. Of the third person POV chapters, I really appreciated the ones from Jack’s POV as they go into the tragic truth that Indigenous women often are abducted or murdered and the system finds it easier to just stop looking instead of doing whatever they can to find them, specifically calling out a societal issue in modern Canadian and American societies.
What I found to be really interesting was how First Nations and Chinese traditional beliefs are combined without saying one is superior to the other or mixing them in a way that feels inauthentic. Emily Yu-Xuan Qin very specifically calls out that the First Nation beliefs do not belong to Tam and her family and that they are living on land that they did not historically belong to. There is the use of some First Nations beliefs that, to my understanding, are better left unnamed as they are called to the person who names them. I mostly say this so readers can make informed decisions even if the way I articulate is probably quite clumsy.
Tam and Janet’s relationship is very complex. I wouldn’t call the book a romance despite the second chapter being them meeting because the tone isn’t what I expect of a genre romance and the book doesn’t really change if Tam and Janet broke up or were only ever friends. Janet can’t see the supernatural world but is curious about the world Tam comes from, helping lead Tam back towards who she could have been in different circumstances. Their relationship is further complicated by a secret Janet is harboring from the very beginning and how she is connected to Tam.
Content warning for depictions of sexual assault, abuse and homophobia
I would recommend this to readers of contemporary fantasy looking for something exploring the complexity of traditional stories and immigration and fans of Sapphic fantasy who want something that doesn’t feel like a genre romance

Aunt Tigress is a contemporary east asian Sapphic fantasy. On it's surface it's about a girl (who is half tiger) who is trying to find out what happened after her aunt is murdered. What follows is a story about the erasure of cultures and colonization. About owning up to the part you played in tragedy, however unintentional it was. It's about complicated family dynamics and the people we chose to surround ourselves with. This is a book I'm going to be thinking about for a long time. And I can't wait to see what Emily Yu-Xaun Qin writes next.

"From debut author Emily Yu-Xuan Qin comes a snarky urban fantasy novel inspired by Chinese and First Nation mythology and bursting with wit, compelling characters, and LGBTQIA+ representation.
Readers of Seanan McGuire, Ilona Andrews, and Ben Aaronovitch will devour this gory story - and the sweet-as-Canadian-maple-syrup sapphic romance at its monstrous heart.
Tam hasn't eaten anyone in years.
She is now Mama's soft-spoken, vegan daughter - everything dangerous about her is cut out.
But when Tam's estranged Aunt Tigress is found murdered and skinned, Tam inherits an undead fox in a shoebox, and an ensemble of old enemies.
The demons, the ghosts, the gods running coffee shops by the river? Fine. The tentacled thing stalking Tam across the city? Absolutely not. And when Tam realizes the girl she's falling in love with might be yet another loose end from her past? That's just the brassy, beautiful cherry on top.
Because no matter how quietly she lives, Tam can't hide from her voracious upbringing, nor the suffering she caused. As she navigates romance, redemption, and the end of the world, she can't help but wonder...
Do monsters even deserve happy endings?
With worldbuilding inspired by Chinese folklore and the Siksiká Nation in Canada, LGBTQIA+ representation, and a sapphic romance, Aunt Tigress is at once familiar and breathtakingly innovative."
I can see the reason why this book is getting Ben Aaronovitch comparisons, which I love, but it's also so uniquely itself.

This is one of those books where I think I ultimately like the pay off more than the reading experience. Let me explain.
The Writing:
This novel has a slightly unconventional approach to storytelling from a Western perspective. It draws a lot of inspiration from its First Nations and Chinese descended characters, and I feel like a lot of that is echoed in the format. It's very common for the main storyline to be interrupted to tell the stories of the characters, but almost in a fairytale/mythology sort of way. While I ultimately do really like it and appreciate these little tangents, it wasn't something I was used to or ready for so it initially disrupted my immersion into the book.
The Characters:
I quite like the cast being assembled here and can see how they'd make for a decent core to start a new urban fantasy series. Everyone has been impacted by Aunt Tigress, no matter what walk of life they're from, and they all have incredibly different reactions to her antics.
The Reveal:
But what really made me appreciate the book and firmly lodged it in my brain is the reveal. I feel like I'll be chewing on that all week and would love to re-read the whole thing, knowing what I know now.
Art:
Also I just really need to call out that banger of a cover. Excellent, excellent work.

Content Warnings: Body Horror (Pregnancy, Birth, Trypophobia), Cruelty to Animals, Mild Gore (Descriptions of various types of injuries, dead bodies, victims of violence), Mild Homophobia
This book is one of connections between people, of stories that tangle and knot into one, larger story. It uses a mixture of first-person narrated sections from main character Tam Lin and briefer, third person sections that focus on other characters. Some may find this structure confusing or dislike how it affects the narrative flow, but I loved it. It allowed me as a reader to discover connections similarly to how Tam did, to shift perspective and gain greater understanding.
I also greatly enjoyed the mix of mythologies used in this work and how Qin used them to discuss issues of identity, cultural displacement, and cultural respect. The descriptions of creatures and locations were vivid, but also thoughtful in how they were used. For example, Qin clearly draws on the shared trauma of colonization and its effects on both Chinese and First Nations culture via the lens of Tam Lin, a second-generation Canadian immigrant of a Chinese family, but she also chooses to prioritize the First Nations’ cultural mythology and how it is fragmented, due to lingering issues from boarding schools that forced assimilation to the missing and murdered indigenous persons epidemic, because that is far more integral to the Canadian setting of the book.
The weakest part of this book is, unfortunately, the romance between Tam Lin and Janet. The romanced itself I thought was okay in terms of being part of the story, particularly view from Tam Lin’s side. It’s not “sweet as maple syrup” as was suggested, but honesty, I think that it’s more complex is a boon not a detriment. However, I found it the weakest element mostly because I hated Janet, as throughout the novel she is disrespectful, selfish, and largely… useless. However, I understand her role in the story and how her connections weave in with everyone else’s. I also think it’s okay to have a character readers may dislike, and others may disagree with me.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in mythology, dark fantasy / light horror, and okay with non-linear narratives. I was hooked from the moment The Suit showed up and remained invested up until the end. If there is a sequel, I’ll definitely pick it up.

I've got a bit of mixed feelings about this one. I loved the premise, and in some ways it delivered.
The blending and inclusion of Chinese and First Nation mythology was really interesting and I really liked all the stories included in the book. I do think they could have been placed better at times to not disrupt the flow of the story. The mythological creatures and beings were really cool to read about! I found the love interest so unlikable, and really wanted better for the MC! It is a kind of long book, but I didn't mind.
3.5 rounded up for a unique and ambitious debut, I'd read more from this author! Thank you DAW and NetGalley for the ARC!

March 18, Astra Publishing House
Old stories about tiger gods blend with urban fantasy and horror in this gorgeous mythological novel inspired by both Chinese and First Nations stories. Tam is the kind of tiger who wears a human skin. Her Aunt Tigress once treated her for an illness, and though Tam had been raised to believe she was human, Tigress’s interference gave her the ability to see the supernatural world. Now, she’s a college student, excited about her connection with free-spirited Janet and their first date together, which goes well despite being interrupted by an incubus.
But then Tam’s Aunt Tigress is murdered and skinned, and Tam inherits not only an undead fox, but also all of Aunt Tigress’s enemies. But the real danger may still be Aunt Tigress herself. While Aunt Tigress feels like an urban fantasy, both the hefty dose of horror and the length (over 400 pages) keep it from having a mass market feel. Yu-Xuan’s narrative swaps out of first person when needed, keeping the perspective close to Tam’s voice, but breaking narrative rules in a way that works remarkably well. If you scare easily, hold onto this one for sunny afternoons after it hits bookstores shelves in March.

I typically read about monstrous gay romance in a horror context, but this was a cozy hug of a book, and I adored it. The romance did actually get pushed aside in my mind, as the supporting characters captured my interest and my heart. My favorite thing about this book is not the amazing creatures, nor the starring two, but the side characters; when I think of this book, Jack, Paul, Aunt Tigress, even Raja and Mr. Rain come to mind with all of their beautiful complexities. They are some of the best developed supporting cast I have had the pleasure to read. I will say, the pacing is slow as the book really focuses on building up its side characters. I love Gothic horror, want my romances to be slow-burn, and care very much about how developed my characters are. If you agree, pick this up and enjoy!
The two factors that prevented this from being a 5 star were the world building and Janet's characterization. To be quite honest, I thought both could be a lot stronger, and I really did not like Janet. I don't even mind an unlikable female character- as I said, I read a LOT of horror- but she was so rude and snarky to everyone, all the time. I didn't feel she was developed well enough to be defensible or liked in spite of her attitude.
Huge thanks to DAW Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this digital ARC. My review is as honest and unbiased as possible.

**Thank you NetGalley and DAW Publishing for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Posted to: NetGalley and The StoryGraph (retail reviews pending release date)
Posted on: 24 February 2025
4 out of 5 stars.
Wow.
Wow wow wow- where do I even start with my review on this one? I don’t think I have the right words to even begin to share how this read made me feel… I’ll try my best-
I kind of requested Aunt Tigress on a whim after scrolling through NetGalley one day and seeing the cover. I’ve said it once and I’ll probably keep saying it- I judge books by their covers. I do! It’s an immediate eye-catcher, an attention grabber. A pretty cover doesn’t mean what’s inside will be equally as stunning though (eyeing the-book-that-shall-not-be-named that is still, unfortunately, sitting in a box waiting to be dropped off at a secondhand bookstore). That’s how I stumbled upon Aunt Tigress, however. When I was scrolling during a time I most certainly shouldn’t have been scrolling considering my backlog of ARCs that has yet to shrink, I saw this pretty cool looking cover that called me like a siren.
I’m SO glad I fell for its song.
Aunt Tigress, on the surface, is an urban fantasy with a hearty blend of myth, character, and intrigue. At its heart, it’s something so much more. In the summary alone, we know that there is a pretty vicious murder which seems to be the catalyst for everything set to happen. Tam’s Aunt Tigress is only an edge of the world within the pages though, as so much begins to unravel itself upon her death.
Something that I noticed a few others touch on is the fact that there is a lot of other stories brought into the main plot line. These other stories break up chapters or are entire chapters themselves. I personally didn’t have an issue with the break of main story into a side, usually past, story before going back to the present. My slight (and I mean very vague because the style was new and intriguing and eventually became a favorite) issue was the way tenses changed mid-writing. A majority of the novel follows Tam in the first person point of view. When more characters come into the mix though, we shift into a third person point of view that switches back to Tam’s first person pov. As I mentioned though, once I got used to this shift, it actually gave the book another layer. It made it more immersive somehow, almost playing like flashback sequences in a TV show or movie. I think that’s why I began to enjoy these flips, because it was a really new the way to introduce important information without just dumping it awkwardly into dialogues.
To shift gears from style to characters for a moment, I want to say that I also loved how we came to learn more about important people in the book. Each character, just about, received a glimpse back into their past. Again, I loved this form of storytelling because not only did we get to see and learn more about these characters, but it was also interesting the way we got to do so. There’s a reason, I’d say, for the set up of the storytelling in this, but to avoid spoilers I’ll leave that thought here.
I don’t read urban fantasy too much, but this one was such a solid pick for me. I absolutely loved the blend of Chinese and First Nation mythology, and some history that just aches as you begin to see the threads connecting events to people. It was almost a mild commentary piece, too, in that it discusses some traumas that different people/groups of people go through (like attacks on a woman/misogyny, missing persons/the fact that authorities don’t care about certain demographics, lgbt+ discrimination, and angry father-figures/toxic households to name a few). ‘Aunt Tigress’ feels like it’s something more than just another fantasy or horror novel (which I loosely classify it as horror only because there were body horror depictions that I think push it over close enough near the horror genre), but again, I just don’t have the words to express just what it feels like to me. It’s a story, it’s a lesson, it’s a social piece, it’s a memory of a read that I don’t want to forget. It may not be for everybody, but I loved it so much and I can’t wait to see more from Emily Yu-Xuan Qin!
TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNINGS:
LGBT+ hate/discrimination (from side characters in passing), misogyny (also in passing), body horror, trypophobia/mention of, gore, violence, blood, death, self-harm (to feed familiars), animal death, mentions of First Nation history (missing and/or murdered indigenous women, very very brief and not-detailed mention of school-setting trauma), cultural appropriation (by one semi-main character of different cultures but namely First Nation), (paranormal) child loss, hospitalization, minor and not-detailed sexual content

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Aunt Tigress is a wonderfully creative, strange, and compelling urban fantasy with fascinating characters, an addictive sapphic romance, and First Nation mythology galore.
Oh my goodness, this one was fantastic. From the start, I loved Tam and her relationship with Janet and the mythological creatures around her. The inclusion of mythology and magical creatures was incredibly well-written, especially the way Emily seamlessly wove them into a real-world setting. This story was darkly magical, mysterious, and haunting, and I could not have enjoyed the adventure Janet and Tam embarked on more. I loved their sweet romance and how it was threaded through and propelled by the story. The characters were interesting, and I adored the incorporation of many of the characters’ memories and stories. Aunt Tigress is a story filled with culture and stories that reminded me of the joy of reading storybooks and mythology. Emily’s prose presented the story and Tam’s character beautifully, and I enjoyed the pacing. The settings were entertaining, and the witty characters and inventive plot perfectly complemented the strange, wonderfully monstrous story.
Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!