Genuinely lovely and heartwarming - I read this on a sunny afternoon and would definitely recommend it

A beautiful magical tale that I enjoyed a lot. The characters and the friendship in the book is something young readers should read.
Thanks to NG and the publisher for this copy.

Fly is an orphan and a reluctant chimney sweep.
Her life changes when she drops into a cage that has a tiger in it.
The tiger bows to Fly, telling her that she has blue blood and is therefore royal. The tiger vows to restore Fly to her throne, but all Fly wants is to escape from her cruel boss.
Fly promises to free the tiger and the other caged animals, and ends up on a journey filled with danger.
Will the tiger return home?
Is Fly really a princess?

My main thought about Tiger Heart is that I really want a talking tiger as my friend. Tiger was my favourite character and I liked how he tried to protect Fly.
I liked Fly - she was brave and wanted to do the right thing. However, I did find the way she talked a bit annoying at times, but I know that Fly spoke that way because of the time period the book is set in.
The setting was interesting and I liked Fly's friendships with some other orphans.
I liked the themes that the author wrote about and thought they were handled well. There were some quite dark things that happened, which surprised me.
This wasn't quite what I expected, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

I got this as an eARC from @netgalle and I'm so glad I requested it! It's so beautifully written with lots of wonderful vocabulary to tell the story of Fly.

Fly is a "gutterling" who was left alone at the doors to the orphanage when she was only a baby. The orphanage then sold her on to be a chimney sweep for the horrible Bill and his wife. One day when she's sent down a chimney by him she realises that maybe she could escape and ends up in a cage with a huge tiger, as it seemed the better option to what was waiting for her at the top of the chimney. The book then follows her as she tries to save the tiger and the other animals she finds, getting herself into some trouble along the way. 🐅

Although aimed at children I really enjoyed this story and I definitely recommend it! There was also a few twists along the way which I wasn't expecting at all which is rare, especially in children's fiction.

There are some parts along the way that might be upsetting for younger readers so I would definitely say that this is a Middle Grade fiction for those aged 10+.

I really enjoyed this vivid adventure following the orphan Fly as she encounters an imprisoned tiger that talks to only her. With her own special dialect and feisty personality - a girl that "ain't afeard of nothing" - the story brings you in and has you rooting for Fly and her "gutterling" friends as she finds out about her shrouded past and is forced to uncover it in order to outrun the new dangers that has entered into her life.

This is very much a story about a girl's independence, bravery, compassion and strength, but also about family ties - no matter if they are by blood or not, or even human. If anything, I only wish that the story hadn't come to a somewhat quick ending. It felt slightly rushed and might've benefited from a bit more content in my opinion. I would, however, still recommend it for the beautiful experience it offers.

Because of the extensive use of Fly's many made up words (accompanied by a dictionary at the end of the book!) and some of the hardships Fly encounters I believe that this book would be most suitable to be read on its own by tweens and upwards, or accompanied by an adult with regards to younger children. But it is also the intriguingly imaginative language (next to the story and characters) that would be the aspect I'd highlight when promoting it to my KS3 students.

This is an absolutely mesmerising and deeply moving story, which is unputdownable and will stay with me for a long time to come. This is most definitely Fly and her tiger’s story and what an unforgettable story it is: a story of entrapment and freedom; of cruelty and kindness; and, of despair and hope. I adored Fly: ached at the cruelty she suffered; marvelled at her strength and courage; and admired her empathy, kindness and selflessness towards others.
Fly has had the most terrible start in life, having been abandoned outside a London workhouse as a baby and then bought by the truly horrific Black Bill who forces her to clean chimneys for society’s elite as well as steal from them. After one too many beatings from her cruel master, Fly decides to take her freedom, but instead finds herself trapped in a cage with a tiger who addresses her as ‘Your Majesty’ and vows to restore her to her throne.
Whilst Fly does not believe that she is of royal blood, she does feel an affinity with the tiger and is neither scared of him nor surprised that she can communicate with him. The tiger has made a decision to restore her to her throne in a faraway, exotic Kingdom, but Fly has also made a decision: to free him and all the other animals trapped in the London menagerie, and take them back to their home in that Kingdom. Fly knows what it is to be trapped and crave freedom, so she immediately empathises with their plight.
This endearing girl has had to learn to be tough on the outside in order to survive her harsh and cruel upbringing where she is shown no love by adults. However, she is loved by an amazing group of street urchins who are the only family she knows. The relationship between Fly and her street urchin friends is incredibly heart-warming and touching as they support, protect and look out for each other; their camaraderie, with the utterly wonderful Gutterling language they use to communicate with, is just gorgeous which makes it all the more heart-breaking for Fly when she has to make an unbearably difficult decision…
Fly is being hunted by some sinister and very dangerous figures in London, figures who appear to know more about her past than she does, and who have an interest not only in ensuring she never leaves London, but also in obtaining the dangerously alluring ruby which she possesses … so begins a daring journey towards freedom: a journey filled with danger, with discoveries, with joy, with heartache and with temptation …
The genuine friendship between the tiger and Fly is enchanting. He both comforts and chastises her; encourages her to hope; and, is willing to protect her selflessly whilst she blossoms in the feelings of warmth and protection engendered through their unconditional love for each other.
This is an utterly engrossing, magical story which at times broke my heart, then mended it before breaking it all over again … a truly special story which is unforgettable, absorbing and heartfelt.

I really liked this book. The story was thoroughly engaging and Fly is a great character, almost jumping off the page with her mannerisms and dialect. Personally I would have liked a bit more world building and development but I guess children's fiction needs to move quickly to hold its audience's attention. All in all though, a book most children should enjoy, though I would say at least 7+ due to several of the darker themes.

I loved this tale of Fly, a young girl left outside an orphanage as a baby with a mysterious box. We meet her some years later, half way down a chimney, working for a harsh master. This is the point when Fly decides she's had enough and makes a run for it, only to come face to face with a fearsome tiger. But this is no ordinary tiger and Fly no ordinary orphan. Her adventures take her hrough the streets of London and overseas, with some tragic events along the way.
This is set at a time not quite Georgian and not quite Victorian, in a London full of orphans trying to survive on the streets. Being a street urchin, Fly and her friends use London slang in abundance, giving great atmosphere to the story.
This book is grounded in reality but lifted into something special with a touch of magic, a gripping yarn - will they/won't they make it.
Thoroughly recommended.

This is a quirky and rather original childrens fantasy novel.

Fly is a loveable orphan child chimney sweep, who in an attempt to escape the clutches of her cruel boss, escapes down a chimney and right into a tigers cage.
Rather than eating her alive the tiger begins to speak and tells her she has blue blood and is therefore a princess. She helps him escape and the pair set off on an adventure to return to his native land and find her missing family so she can claim her birthright.

I found it entertaining and unusual but very far fetched and it would be great for kids with vivid imaginations.

Fly is accustomed to fighting to stay ahead of her owner’s bad temper and mean ways. She is quick on her feet and quick at lifting food to supplement the meagre allowance fed to her in return for climbing chimneys. One day, in desperation, she goes down a chimney instead of back up to return to her master. What she hadn’t banked on was landing up in a cage with a fierce tiger. Neither had she expected that tiger to talk to her. But the magnificent animal told her a tale even Fly, with her vivid imagination, could never have conjured up. She finds herself the leader of an escape party consisting of many exotic animals, servants rendered dumb, plus an assortment of sailors switching alliances depending on the value of rewards promised to them.
This is an adventure story with a strong female lead determined to do the right thing. Yes, many events defy belief, but what does that matter to a great story?

This was a romp amongst the Dickensian streets of London, resourceful children trying to survive against the odds and dastardly villains. Although I did enjoy it, it bore no resemblance to the arty cover, from which I was expecting a lyrically told tale, rather than the jocular cocky vernacular, which took a while to get used to..

This was a fun read with a focus of a magical friendship between a girl and a tiger. It was an easy, fast read, but I just couldn't get fully invested in the story or characters. If you enjoy a lot of middle grade books, then I would recommend checking this one out.

Tiger Heart tells the story of Fly, an orphan climbing chimneys for a brutal man who is more likely to beat her than feed her. Fly is popular among the other sweeps and mudlarks and thieving children living on the streets of London. They look up to her and will do anything for her.
On the day she decides to run away, she climbs down a chimney and into the cage of a man eating tiger.
An exciting start to an epic adventure featuring an evil king, an entire menagerie of exotic animals and a precious ruby.
I was instantly hooked from the first paragraph and knew this book was going to be somethIng special. Fly is immediately likeable and there is a strong sense of courage and determination in her. Her language is typical of a street urchin and there is a handy guide to the lingo at the back of the book.
Amazingly, the tiger does not eat her but licks her clean and says “Blue blood”. Fly can speak to and listen to the tiger making her even more special and now there is a hint to the rest of the story. It does not play out perfectly for Fly and she and her tiger are in constant danger from the fat man and his servants.
Using all her powers, her street friends and the ruby, Fly goes on a huge adventure to free the menagerie and escape back to her homeland.
Knowing nothing about herself, she is drawn to the ruby, and the tiger works to protect her from its darkness. She is the key to the freedom of her homeland.
I won’t say more as it could spoil the story for others but this is going to be a huge hit once published and I can see it winning an award!
I was hooked and read it in two sittings! It is one I would like to read again and I think it would make an excellent class text. It starts on an exciting note and this continues throughout the entire story. I was on the edge of my seat with my heart in my throat. I love a book that makes you feel so strongly!