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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
This one, I think it might be about the nature of stories? Less mythic than the others, more fireside tales and fables but contrasting the same ones from different perspectives so that's super interesting.
"What are you doing?" hissed Si-yu.
"Telling a story."
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain is a classic tale: the protagonist must forestall their death by telling a story that lasts the night. The shape of the book is familiar, but the substance is new, and Nghi Vo takes advantage of the form to create forks in the tale, places where versions branch and leave room for footnotes. The result is a beautiful tale that pulled me along as I couldn't wait to learn the fate of Scholar Dieu—and Chih, of course.
I probably should have read The Empress of Salt and Fortune before I picked up the second book in the series, but I didn't realize it was the second book until I was already a few pages in. Regardless, I don't think my lack of background crippled my enjoyment—the story stood alone quite well, though it pointed toward a larger universe.
If you are in the mood for a quick and engaging read, give this novella a try.
The paws swung down, still tipped in silvery claws, and the orange was bright and living and the black was deep and dead."
"Telling a story."
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain is a classic tale: the protagonist must forestall their death by telling a story that lasts the night. The shape of the book is familiar, but the substance is new, and Nghi Vo takes advantage of the form to create forks in the tale, places where versions branch and leave room for footnotes. The result is a beautiful tale that pulled me along as I couldn't wait to learn the fate of Scholar Dieu—and Chih, of course.
I probably should have read The Empress of Salt and Fortune before I picked up the second book in the series, but I didn't realize it was the second book until I was already a few pages in. Regardless, I don't think my lack of background crippled my enjoyment—the story stood alone quite well, though it pointed toward a larger universe.
If you are in the mood for a quick and engaging read, give this novella a try.
The paws swung down, still tipped in silvery claws, and the orange was bright and living and the black was deep and dead."
adventurous
medium-paced
I loved this story within a story! It's a stand alone and much different in tone than Empress of Salt and Fortune. This is lighter, more straight forward.
Equally as enthralling.
Equally as enthralling.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Nghi Vo is unbelievably good at writing these "story within a story"-style books. In the outer story layer, the protagonist Chih meets the eponymous Tiger and negotiates the price of not being eaten. As part of this, Chih retells a historic tale about a famous tiger, and allows the Tiger to "correct" any mistakes they make. In other words, human and Tiger compare their respective versions of a tale about, well, a human and a tiger -- that's the inner story layer.
Both layers are beautiful in their own way. The entire world feels as though it's the mythology of some vaguely Asian real-world country. All of the fantasy elements and background details fit together to create a vibrant feeling of the world, and they're clearly arranged with great care and a good sense for worldbuilding.
Both layers are beautiful in their own way. The entire world feels as though it's the mythology of some vaguely Asian real-world country. All of the fantasy elements and background details fit together to create a vibrant feeling of the world, and they're clearly arranged with great care and a good sense for worldbuilding.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced