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sterling8 's review for:
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain
by Nghi Vo
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for review.
Popsugar 2021: a book where the main character works at your dream job
The main character in this book is Chih, a monk who wanders collecting stories to contribute to the archives of their monastery, Singing Hills. Chih usually has a hoopoe bird companion, Almost Brilliant, but Almost Brilliant is sitting with their clutch of eggs right now so Chih is solo. This would absolutely be a dream job for me- spend my time looking for stories with an intelligent animal companion? Sign me up!
There's also a good bit of adventure involved. In this particular instance, Chih is being escorted up a difficult mountain pass by scouts who ride mammoths ( I would ride a mammoth!). They are cornered, along with one scout and a small mammoth, by a trio of tigers. The only hope is for Chih and their companions to hold out until morning when reinforcements might possibly arrive. Since Chih has only stories to defend themselves with, they begin the story they know of a young scholar and the tiger that becomes fascinated with her, tracking her throughout the country. In this world, tigers can talk if they choose to, and Chih has been polite enough that they do, because the tigers have their own version of this story and unsurprisingly it does not match what Chih has learned. I love reconciling different versions of stories and history, and if not for the danger of being eaten this would be a great way to spend the night.
This story is a clever meditation on who tells which version of history and why. There are also magical talking tigers, mammoths, and cleverness, and I've got to say that I am truly impressed with this author. She's rising to the top of my favorite authors list faster than a striking tiger.
Popsugar 2021: a book where the main character works at your dream job
The main character in this book is Chih, a monk who wanders collecting stories to contribute to the archives of their monastery, Singing Hills. Chih usually has a hoopoe bird companion, Almost Brilliant, but Almost Brilliant is sitting with their clutch of eggs right now so Chih is solo. This would absolutely be a dream job for me- spend my time looking for stories with an intelligent animal companion? Sign me up!
There's also a good bit of adventure involved. In this particular instance, Chih is being escorted up a difficult mountain pass by scouts who ride mammoths ( I would ride a mammoth!). They are cornered, along with one scout and a small mammoth, by a trio of tigers. The only hope is for Chih and their companions to hold out until morning when reinforcements might possibly arrive. Since Chih has only stories to defend themselves with, they begin the story they know of a young scholar and the tiger that becomes fascinated with her, tracking her throughout the country. In this world, tigers can talk if they choose to, and Chih has been polite enough that they do, because the tigers have their own version of this story and unsurprisingly it does not match what Chih has learned. I love reconciling different versions of stories and history, and if not for the danger of being eaten this would be a great way to spend the night.
This story is a clever meditation on who tells which version of history and why. There are also magical talking tigers, mammoths, and cleverness, and I've got to say that I am truly impressed with this author. She's rising to the top of my favorite authors list faster than a striking tiger.