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.

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.