A review by anaisqsn
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo

challenging emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

"And so you came to my house on the soft pads of a midwinter kitten, the whisper of your black tresses sweeping your heels, and so you came to my heart just as quietly. Why, then, did you make such a terrible noise when you let go of my hand and departed, a great trumpeting of horns, a great beating of drums?"

★★★★★

What a great surprise to see When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain finally available on the Queer Liberation Library. Earlier this year, The Empress of Salt and Fortune left me eager to discover more of Chih's stories, so I couldn't help but borrow the audio book immediately.

I might repeat myself, but Nghi Vo's writing skills are phenomenal. (Maybe a little hard to understand, since English is not my first language and I've listened to the audio book only. That one is on me, my bad. This book was still far easier to understand than the first one.) One thing I particularly enjoy is how the author weaves the threads of stories inside one another.
Chih is a curious character and a skilled narrator. Their retelling of Dieu and Ho Thi Tao's story was a beautiful tale. I also enjoyed the different additions from the tiger sisters. It was very interesting to understand how the story is told, and how its characters are portrayed, both from the humans' point of view and the tigers'.
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain was easier to understand than The Empress of Salt and Fortune—it also provided me with insights that improved my understanding of the complex world Vo started introducing in the first book.

I'll keep an eye out for the next book in the series. The Singing Hills might be my best book discovery of the year!

TLDR: An inspiring tale told by a non-binary cleric when their life is threatened by shape-shifting tigers. Also, cute mammoths. I know it sounds weird, but really, I swear it was fantastic.

Initial Response 20/20
Would I recommend it? 5/5
Re-Readability 5/5
Writing Style 18/20
Plot & Structure 30/30
Characters 20/20
➵ Total: 98%