Reviews

The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala

rachachisaur's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

Pretty standard solider vs. assassin, cat-and-mouse type romance fantasy. A few little twists and surprises that keep it interesting. Sympathetic and likeable, if mostly bland, characters that grow a little (but predictably) over the course of the book. 

I disagree with this being labeled “enemies to lovers” as Esha and Kunal pretty clearly like each other from the very beginning despite their roles keeping them on opposite sides of the conflict. They never seriously consider each other an “enemy.”

Esha’s character felt less dynamic and real than Kunal’s, like he was the main character and she was a supporting role. Hoping to see her character grow and develop more in the next book. 

Also hoping for more background on the binding process that keeps being mentioned, and some more intentional world building.

laura_cs's review against another edition

5.0

Um...

I think this is one of the most fantastic books I have ever read....

Assassin girl fighting for revenge. Soldier with a heart of gold. A game of cat-and-mouse. Enemies-to-not-quite-friends-to-it's-complicated. Lost princesses. MAJOR PLOT TWISTS!!!!! All on a backdrop of a world like India, full of wonderful food, rich landscapes, gorgeous clothing, and more.

I am now desperate for books 2 and 3, and eagerly await all news of this trilogy's future.

ainadei's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I'm gonna be honest, I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. The beginning half was okay; I was annoyed by Esha because she seemed to be really incompetent and clumsy for being The Viper. It seemed Kunal often bested her and discovered her too easily and often because she made a mistake in the first place, so I was nearing complete disbelief at how the author wanted us to see her as a vigilante of legend. I almost wanted to take a hiatus on the book, but it all paid off in the second half! I suppose Kunal was just Esha's "tiger at midnight," because once she was put into situations against other soldiers and people, I could finally see her as The Viper she was supposed to be! I enjoyed the slow burn romance and their character development throughout the book, especially Kunal!

 I will be reading the second book soon.

steph01924's review against another edition

2.0

Too bland and too many annoying plot contrivances. Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.

kotareadsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Wasn't a life-changing read or anything but I definitely enjoyed it - I laughed a lot at the banter between Esha and Kunal, loved how he never could quite catch up to her level. She was always one step ahead of him. I also liked that he accepted her fully for who she is, not just who she used to be. I like all the characters we start to see toward the end of the book, setting us up for more in the next two books. The magic in the book is a little less than I'd like to see but it IS the first book in a trilogy so I'll trust that it's coming. The writing was great, too - a lot of times in action I find the writing is sub-par, over in a few sentences instead of how a fight actually would go. I loved that Teerdhala spent time writing through the movements and all that. Loved it! Looking forward to the second one.

clberard's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

katelynenewman's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

stephalpi24's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

bryn23's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

readsbylaura's review against another edition

DNF @ 58%.

I received an ARC and I tried my hardest to read it all before the release date and that was the biggest fail ever.

I understand that fantasy is a lot of of world building and all that shit, but when over 50% of the book is just the two main characters playing cat and mouse it gets very tiring and boring. Like who the hell wants to read 60% of a book of absolutely NOTHING happening? It was a complete waste and I never felt so damn bored in my life and I finally came to the conclusion that I am never going to go back to this book and put myself through another game of a cat and mouse. Tom and Jerry is much better than this.