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jayl 's review for:
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain
by Nghi Vo
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.