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A review by maryconnors6
The Tiger and the Wolf by Adrian Tchaikovsky
5.0
"Have you ever thought," she got out, "that we just did those things, and the spirits don't care?"
Adrian Tchaikovsky is such a master of prose! Although clearly a fantasy novel, the world he crafted felt so perfectly neolithic that it had the tone of historical fiction. This really helped to ground the more fantastical elements with the gods and shapeshifting. The brutality of both the setting and gender roles was certainly apparent, but it didn't feel unnecessary or like it was put in there to make a point. Granted, the female characters had so many great moments where they completely decimated accepted gender norms, but it fit in well with the story. The characters were so realistic and each one had moments of heroism and selfishness that really added dimension to the overall narrative, and made their decisions, even contrary ones, at critical points believable. The theme of tribalism and the discourse on individuality and equality were so interesting and well done. I did have some minor critiques with the way some of the characters conflicts were resolved so simply and the magic was conveniently introduced in a deux ex machina fashion, but I would 100% recommend! The Tiger and the Wolf is the first in the series, but it read like a standalone, which was great!
Age Considerations: violence, swearing, talk of rape, cannibalism? (still unclear if that counts as cannibalism), 18+
Adrian Tchaikovsky is such a master of prose! Although clearly a fantasy novel, the world he crafted felt so perfectly neolithic that it had the tone of historical fiction. This really helped to ground the more fantastical elements with the gods and shapeshifting. The brutality of both the setting and gender roles was certainly apparent, but it didn't feel unnecessary or like it was put in there to make a point. Granted, the female characters had so many great moments where they completely decimated accepted gender norms, but it fit in well with the story. The characters were so realistic and each one had moments of heroism and selfishness that really added dimension to the overall narrative, and made their decisions, even contrary ones, at critical points believable. The theme of tribalism and the discourse on individuality and equality were so interesting and well done. I did have some minor critiques with the way some of the characters conflicts were resolved so simply and the magic was conveniently introduced in a deux ex machina fashion, but I would 100% recommend! The Tiger and the Wolf is the first in the series, but it read like a standalone, which was great!
Age Considerations: violence, swearing, talk of rape, cannibalism? (still unclear if that counts as cannibalism), 18+