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

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 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.

A kingdom in the desert, in the middle of a horrible draught. A princess who must fight in an arena each month to prove her strength and capability of being the queen. A rogue group called the Desert Boys who steal the depleting water rations right form under the kings nose. Nothing is as it seems in this sandy tale, Tiger Queen.

I was very excited to get an e-ARC of this book from Netgalley, and I'm very happy I read it! A retelling of the short story "The Lady, or the Tiger?", I really enjoyed the world that the author built around this tale and now feel like I definitely need to read this short story.

While slightly predictable, I still devoured this story. I thought Kateri's character development was believable and made her a strong female character. The Desert Boys reminded me of The Lost Boys from Peter Pan, but also Robin Hood's band of thieves that give what they steal to the poor. There are some interesting twists and deeper meanings throughout the book that gave the story just enough unpredictability to make it a fun read.

I do wish we had more insight behind Rodric and what made him become the "bad guy", but perhaps that's just me being picky.

Overall, I definitely think this book was worth the read!

A princess who wants to rule her kingdom faces a challenge she must win at all costs. Princess Kateri must fight her potential suitors, and beat each one of them, or marry the man who vanquishes her. If that's not motivation, what is? As she faces her own struggle for freedom, her kingdom suffers under an oppressive drought, made worse by the fact that rogue gangs such as the Desert Boys steal water, leaving less for everyone else. Kateri must come to grips not only with her own fight, but her responsibility to her (she hopes) future subjects and their survival.

In Kateri's world, "the desert chooses." This means the food is not extravagant, fighting for survival is common, and it is important to be self-reliant, lest the sand that blows everywhere (and I do mean everywhere) swallow you whole. It is this dry arid environment that serves to sharpen Kateri from an angry, needy girl into a strong and capable heroine as the story unfolds, and as romance blooms under otherwise unforgiving circumstances.

Full of interesting supporting characters, an unusual environment for a fantasy novel, and a heroine who's focused more on herself than chasing affection, Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan truly feels like a diamond in the rough. I enjoyed seeing Kateri struggle for freedom and for her people. If you're looking for a story that will quench your thirst for high adventure and great character growth, look no further.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this, because I haven't read any of the author's previous works. But guess what? I was pleasantly surprised! Especially because I had this weird stigma against desert stories after reading an awful book about...jinns? Wisdom teeth? I don't remember but know that it traumatized me until now.

Princess Kateri was a kick-butt female warrior. Every time I read about a good female warrior I get the urge to take up fighting. Kateri's character development was done so well. She went from almost callous, cruel, to having her eyes opened and her heart changed. She reminded me quite a lot of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, actually!

Cion was THE BEST. He has such a warm heart and will do anything to protect the people. Also, his training style was so Karate-Kid esque I just sat and smiled like an idiot.

Dimic deserves his own little paragraph because I would honestly have died for him. HE WAS SO PURE AND ODDLY GOOD AT PICKING LOCKS AND AGH. Seriously, read this book just for Dimic!

The plot kept me on edge the ENTIRE TIME. I guessed one plot twist but was actually caught pretty blind-sided by the other! Even when I was predicting things, I was still scared because what if the characters got hurt? Or died? I also found the concept so unique? Everything felt so cultural and I truly felt as if I were reading about another place on Earth. I haven't read the short story that this was inspired by but I may have to now that I've enjoyed this book so much!

The romance was slow and cute! You could call it predictable but I was honestly enjoying it too much to care haha.
The world-building was so effortlessly done!
Um, tigers. That is the only thing I have to say.

So all in all, a solid 4.25 star read!! I'd highly recommend preordering this, or adding on Goodreads! A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Annie, netgalley, and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Another great novel from the super sweet Annie Sullivan!

I was hooked from the start of the novel. I just had to keep reading to find out what happened. I loved all the training and fight scenes. I saw them clearly in my mind.

About 30% in, I thought I had figured out the outcome of the story. I was wrong and I’m so glad I was!

I loved the back and forth with the romance.

And just a fun fact: I’m in the acknowledgments! Thank you, Annie! 😘

Thank you to Annie, publisher, and Netgalley for an advance copy of The Tiger Queen.

I really enjoyed this one. From start to finish, it held my interest. I enjoyed all the characters, there were some good little twists and surprises involved. Annie Sullivan writes in a way that made me feel feels, even though the situation is clearly nothing I’ve ever been close to experiencing.

The Lady or The Tiger is one of the most memorable short stories I’ve read, and to have a book reimagine it is really unexpected and awesome.

When I first read the description I honestly wasn't so sure about reading a YA fantasy book written where the whole story is set in the desert. With an ongoing drought the kingdom, Achra, has a serious water shortage, meaning there was a whole population in a desperate situation with little hope. People slowly dying of thirst didn't sound like a fun read. But then I reread the description and thought 'you know...this one might be good.' And I was right!

Thoughts:
The Tiger Queen opens in the arena. A Desert Boy had been caught smuggling contraband goods into the city. The Desert Boys are infamous because they steal the water from the city, exacerbating an already tenuous situation due to the drought. These boys live out in the desert where no one can survive and the guards have difficulty finding them so they are rarely caught. They also killed Kateri’s mother and baby brother years prior. Within these opening scenes we are quickly introduced to everything at stake: the Desert Boys, the King and his daughter Kateri, and Rodric the captain of the guards. But here we also learn about the underlying tensions and plots – water stealing and then rationing due to the stealing, motives for Kateri’s anger and distrust of the Desert Boys, and the dangers the arena and the desert can bring. Not only is there a lack of water, but the arena holds two very hungry tigers and the desert holds even more dangers, such as sand snakes and scorpions.
To be honest, the middle section is where I will always worry about in a book. Does it keep my interest? Do the secrets get told early enough to where I am not frustrated by lack of knowledge? Is there enough in the plot to ensure it doesn’t feel like it is just filler section? Thankfully, the middle in the Tiger Queen is where the 2nd part of the story begins. The plot and the pacing kept a steady rhythm as Kateri leaves the safety of he city and is introduced to the real desert as well as the Desert Boys and their leader, Cion. Here she requests their training so she can defeat the opponent she was assigned to fight, but first she has to convince them to help her and that she’s not there to betray them.

I truly don’t want to give away too much of the plot. But, I was intrigued by two aspects. First, how little can one human drink each day and still survive? I take water for granted – somewhat. I know we should conserve it as best we can, but I also know that it is always at my fingertips at the press of a button or turn of a handle. But I was equally interested in how much thought I gave the issue of how one goes about controlling an entire population – especially in the desert. And more importantly – why would you want to do that? It makes no sense to me. The lies one would tell to hold onto power often overwhelm my sense of understanding.

This book was a fun read and I loved how time flew by when reading it. It is also a stand-alone fantasy book. Those aren’t easy to find, but you definitely leave feeling that everything is taken care of at the end as the author provides a few ‘where are they now’ moments. Definitely recommend this to those who looking for a YA fantasy adventure and perhaps a hint of romance.

Rating: 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Blink for the advanced reader copy and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I also want to thank the author for speaking on behalf of the Oxford comma in the Acknowledgment section. It gave me the opportunity to show someone who isn’t quite the believer in that comma and argue my point on why it should be used.

**scheduled to be posted to blog: agardenofbooks.com on Sept 7**

Tiger Queen is a new standalone YA fantasy novel that is coming out in the US next week (September 10, 2019). Unfortunately, this book was very predictable and filled with typical YA fantasy tropes. The name of the novel also pretty much spoils the entire plot. In addition, the writing style was not my cup of tea. The author had to many "sand" things in the novel and an exorbitant amount of sand similes (sand dancers, sand blessings, etc). Finally, I thought the world was not very well developed and the entire book is set in the one city and the surrounding desert.

That being said, I do think this book could appeal to young (i.e., Middle School) children, particularly girls. The main character is a warrior princess fighting for the throne. All characters are pretty much either totally evil or good and noble. The plot also includes elements of both Peter Pan and Robin Hood, where "Desert Boys," a ragtag band of orphans, steal water from the King's wells and distribute it to the people. I did like the fact that this is a stand alone. I think it will be more accessible to younger readers who do not necessarily want to get invested in a trilogy or a series.

Overall, I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars. It was not for me, but I can clearly appreciate that younger readers could love it.

I received e-ARC from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw that there was a retelling of Frank Stockton’s “The Lady or the Tiger”, I got excited. I remember reading and loving that story in school, but I wondered how such a short tale could be retold. Stockton’s story serves more as a jumping off point (never fear, though – the choice between lady and tiger is made and we get to see the fallout). We open the book in the arena of drying up desert kingdom where “supplies or tiger” is used as a common way of determining justice or punishment, but of course, our king cheats to ensure justice is actually served. As resources get lower and the proletariat gets more uprisey, its up to our main character, Princess Kateri, to save the kingdom.

The plot in this is fairly standard. If you are a regular reader of YA fantasy, you’ll know where the book is headed a few chapters in. The characters themselves are nothing special, although the author transforms Kateri in a believable way. You’ll hate her at the start and root for her at the end. I wish the Desert Boys had been Desert People – why no girls? Since Kateri is such a strong hero, I thought the complete and almost total lack of lady fighters was suspect. I also wanted more tigers (if you don’t like to read about animal cruelty, maybe skip this one). It’s based on a story called “The Lady or the Tiger” – give me ladies and tigers!
There’s clearly a lot not to like, but the some of the worldbuilding was spectacular. Sullivan builds a desert world complete with lethal creatures (watch out for those sand snakes!), interesting cuisine (make sure you eat the right lizard tongue) and well, ok, I mostly liked the animals she invented. I wasn’t compelled to read the book, as, like I said its pretty obvious as to where it was going, but the worldbuilding was enough to keep me at least somewhat engaged and the author gets points for writing a standalone. I can easily see this book being dragged out to a duology and I’m glad everyone involved resisted that temptation.

TLDR: The book had potential for days, but I found the execution to be a bit lacking. Fun worldbuilding details make what is otherwise a rather routine YA fantasy more interesting. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thanks to Blink and Netgalley for the eARC, which I received in exchange for an unbiased review. The Tiger Queen will be released on 10 September, but you can put your copy on hold today!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley, Fantastic Flying Book Club, and BLINK for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Content Warnings: Murder, Violence, Death, Betrayal

Diversity Rep: None explicit

Okay, seriously when I found out that I got approved for this on Netgalley, I was freaked out. Then when I found out I was going to be on this blog tour, I double freaked out. I’ve been so excited to support Annie Sullivan after seeing her on TBR and Beyond, and just experiencing the kind of person she is. And the premise of this story was so intriguing to me, that I couldn’t resist!

=The Characters=
Kateri is the princess of Achra. She is the only daughter to the king, and from the moment that her mother and brother were murdered, she has done nothing but train to be the very best fighter in Achra. She has to, if she expects to be able to be free from having to marry the victor. So far, she’s won every single battle against her would-be suitors. She’s strong minded, and hasn’t had a moment to be a kid in the 10 years since her life was uprooted.

Cion is the legendary leader of the Desert Boys, a group that causes havoc by stealing water from the kingdom and making everyone’s lives miserable. At first, Kateri thinks that he is to blame for the drought since he is the leader of the Desert Boys. She also doesn’t trust him when he agrees to train her in order to defeat Rodric, but after spending time with him and the rest of the Desert Boys, its clear that he is just a boy that is trying to protect those that can’t defend themselves. He would make a benevolent leader, and I think he’s one of my favorite people in the world.

Dimic is the boy that was in the arena in the beginning of the novel. At first, Kateri wanted him to die for being a part of the Desert Boys, the group that was responsible for killing her mother and baby brother, despite him not being alive by then. But he ends up saving her from the guards out to capture and enslave her, and she comes to find out that he is actually Cion’s little brother. He possesses a prowess in his movements, and it’s obvious that the desert has made him grow up sooner than a lot of children.

Rodric is Kateri’s father’s new guard captain, and his origins are unknown. His entrance into Achra was him killing the king’s old captain, saying that if his captain was that easy to kill, then he needs a new one. He’s cruel to Kateri, constantly ridiculing her during their training and never letting up for a moment. His cruelty may run deeper than Kateri ever realized, and with the King wanting Rodric to take over the throne, he may show his true colors to the people of Achra even more.

=The Plot=
Achra has been going through a major drought since before Kateria was born. The people seem to think that it is testament to the weakness of their ruler. Kateri is determined to prove herself worthy to rule her people – by battling twelve suitors and winning them all before her 18th birthday – in order to be her own woman and free. Not only this, but she has promised to avenge her mother and brother by defeating the Desert Boys, the group that has been blamed for their death from the very beginning. The King has made it so the people of Achra see the Desert Boys as a common enemy, while they go thirsty and die all around them.

When Kateri finds out that her father plans for her to battle Rodric for her final battle before freedom, claiming that she has disgraced him by getting injured during her previous battle and that she isn’t strong enough to be the Queen, she ends up running away to the desert to seek out Cion. He’s the only one that seems to be able to train her in a way that will defeat Rodric, especially since he has been training her this entire time.

She soon discovers that not everything in her kingdom is as it seems, and she must decide her own fate, and the fate of the rest of her people in Achra if she is to reclaim her throne and her freedom.

=My Likes=
The world building is pretty interesting. Having to go through a drought for seventeen years – longer even because it was since before Kateri was born – but somehow being able to survive takes a lot of resourcefulness. I don’t think I could do it, but the people of Achra do. That’s one of the things that Kateri will constantly comment on, how Achrans are survivors, and despite all of their hardships, they still figure out a way to make do. They shouldn’t have to, but when your King tells you that there’s not enough water for everyone, and each family is forced to only receive half a bucket of water a day, what else can you do?

"Cion was right. The desert was a living, breathing creature. And it was vicious." ~First day of training

Cion is one of the most… awe inspiring and selfless characters that I’ve ever met. I’m actually kind of surprised at how much I like him, when I usually don’t go for the good guys. Knowing that he has literally sacrificed his life and freedom for not only his family but others as well, shows to me that he knows what it means to be a true leader, not the way Kateri’s father is. He’s also patient with Kateri during their training, and teaches her how to trust again.

=My Dislikes=
The fact that she can’t even be her own person until she proves her prowess in battle against twelve opponents bothers me. Kateri says more than once that after these battles, she will be free. Which tells me that she is no more her own person than her maid Lavia is. I get that some kingdoms have to somehow make sure that their lineage continues, but why does she have to literally beat all these men in combat to prove herself? She’s already the princess.

Oh I also hate that the people of Achra literally attack Kateri every time she has to walk the streets to or from the palace. Despite having guards around to protect her, she gets her hair torn out, her dress torn, spit on, just the works. She’s their princess, and while she thinks she’s doing what she can to be the best would-be Queen that she could be, they don’t give her that chance. She wasn’t the one responsible for the drought, but they punish her, and nobody does anything to stop it. I just hate how much abuse she gets, and it’s somehow okay. She knows that they are just taking out their frustration on her, but it physically hurts to see her go through that every single time.

“They stop crying once they realize no one will answer them.”

=Memorable Quotes=
“… sometimes being the strongest isn’t about having the most physical strength. Control isn’t strength. True strength is about being kind. It’s forgiving wrongs with words and not with swords. It’s about caring for our people, to stand for those who cannot. You are their voice. Never forget that.” ~ Kateri’s Mother during Labor

Wow.

Just that whole passage really stuck with me, because I never really think about what kind of strength I want to have, or what else constitutes as strength besides the physical aspect of it.

I’d never really thought about what happened to my suitors after I’d beaten them. I knew they were exiled, and somewhere deep down I knew the desert would kill them. Finally having to face it made it real. And I could see what made me a monster in the eyes of the Desert Boys. ~ Kateri in the Cave

I think her realization that… she really wasn’t as innocent as she believed was a really good start to character development on Sullivan’s effort. Kateri really had to be pushed out of the comfort of her palace to see that she wasn’t anyone’s natural savior, and that while her intentions were good to her, they didn’t come off that way to a lot of other people.

She battled eleven suitors, ten of which was before the book started. We only get to witness this one being exiled after she defeated him, leaving his two daughters behind. What about the rest of them? Were they able to be saved by the Desert Boys, when their only crime was losing to Kateri in a battle of swords and skill? When she was able to come home and be relieved that she didn’t have to marry them, did she ever stop to think that they would never see their families again, and would have to suffer at the hands of the desert itself? Cruel and unyielding to anyone that dares to conquer it? I don’t think so. Not until this moment. And I feel like this was the moment that things started to change for her.

=Discussion Points=
The idea that those in control – whether a King, a President, a Dictator – would keep their people suffering in order to maintain their power is a theme that has always made me angry.

“Where were you when Rodric enacted stricter punishments for anyone caught stealing water each time the water levels dropped? Where were you when more sickness could be found in the city than sand? Where were you when the poor and elderly needed help rebuilding their walls after the sandstorms finally blew them in? Where was your ‘care’ when we were cast out because of your father’s two-child rule? Where were you when we became orphans and had no other choice but to steal to survive?” ~ Cion to Kateri in the Hideout

Do you know how much my heart ached reading this line? Even though this is a work of fiction, things like this happen every single day and I’ve been privileged enough to never experience it because of where I live. I couldn’t imagine anyone going through this, and Cion had a point. Kateri thought that she was doing what she could to gain her spot on the throne so she could help, but why didn’t she do anything before then? Literally, where was she when everything was happening?

=Final Thoughts=
I have so many emotions about this novel that I didn’t think I would when I first started reading it. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much emotion writing out a review or wanting to make sure that my thoughts were cohesive before this one. And it’s interesting because I didn’t think that I could think that way about a fantasy novel no less. I mean, it’s not a contemporary novel that matches our political climate today, but it still awoke a kind of anger in me for what happened in this novel that I had to just let it out. I think Sullivan did a great job with this novel.

Kateri, Princess of the Kingdom Achra in a desert kingdom ruled over by her father, gives this book a lot of hope right off the bat.

From the very beginning, we see the ruthlessness of Kateri’s father, her devotion to her kingdom, and her desire to do whatever is necessary to one day take her fathers throne.

This book started really strong. We immediately are introduced to the manipulation tactics of the King and Rodric, we learn about the Desert boys, Kateri’s dreams, and the intense training she goes through to win her fights in the ring. I liked Kateri immediately, she was fierce and knew what she wanted in life (and her absolute disgust at marrying a man she loses to in battle was perfect).

I figured the Desert Boys would be likable, and I was right. There’s quite a few of them but the one’s that stick out are Cion and Dimic, who are both absolutely adorable people. Dimic is a proud child, and I love how he was both strong and resourceful, but also naive and very much a child. Cion is a tough but lovable leader, although even though I read a lot of YA, I will never fully wrap my head around the “teenager is somehow a notorious leader” thing. Cion was extremely talented and capable considering he is an actual child. Kateri is said to be 17, and I don’t think his age is ever expressly stated, I would wager he was 18-19.

After the introduction of our adorable Desert Boys, this book started to go a little downhill for me. We had very clearly defined good guys and bad guys. Our villains were all evil, with no real rhyme or reason to it, they just suck. Our good guys are pure hearted, they just want what’s best for everyone, without even a hint of selfish behavior. And then we have the hero of our story, Kateri, learning that everything she believed in life was wrong and that *gasp* there’s a secret in the kingdom and she’s the only one who can save everybody!

There were some interesting twists that followed though, and I really loved learning about the desert. Between scorpions, windy sand dunes, and secret hideaways the desert had a very magical vibe to it that I liked it. The stories of the desert are weaved so wonderfully into the kingdoms mythos and I was enchanted. I wanted to learn everything about this kingdom, this desert, and the world beyond it.

This book wraps up very nicely, and although I was a tad but disappointed in the ending, it was a good end for a standalone. It was a tad bit cheesy overall, but still a pretty solid end.

The Tiger Queen was more than just about a girl finding her destiny. It was about finding yourself. As cheesy as that sounds. Kateri was a young girl shaped and manipulated by those around her in order to use her for the throne.

Kateri was the ultimate warrior queen throughout the book. She had her mind totally changed and rechanged through The Tiger Queen and I was in awe of the strength that she carried through in everything. Kateri became a part of the group that she had sworn to destroy in order to become stronger than her enemy.

Cion was the ultimate foil to Kateri and I loved their relationship. He was so supportive of her from the beginning when no one else was and it brought Kateri the most amount of self-importance. It wasn’t that it made her have too much hubris. It made her believe in herself more and not rely on someone else’s opinion on her.

The character development in Kateri was astounding. The writing was poetic and uber descriptive. Honestly, I’m wondering why I didn’t read Annie Sullivan before..

The Tiger Queen was almost perfect. I wanted a little more romance but it was nearly perfect. I loved it