A review by Jade Hounsell
A review by Jade HounsellThe Tiger Saga Book 2
Tiger’s Quest is the second book in the series; it starts off exactly as it was left in the first book, with Kelsey Hayes arriving back in Oregon fresh from her curse breaking quest with the tiger cursed prince brothers, Ren and Kishan, in India. Kelsey is still in turmoil about her feelings for Ren but decides that since he doesn’t call, write or visit in the weeks since her departure then he has moved on from her and so she should do the same. Kelsey starts college and settles in well and after a while starts going on dates with several different guys. Just when she thinks she is starting to mend her broken heart, Ren shows up on her doorstep. Kelsey now has the difficult choice of which guy to choose even though it’s clearly obvious that it will be Ren she will finally decide upon.
So just when things are looking rosy for the pair, it is discovered they are in danger, so Ren calls in reinforcements in the form of his brother Kishan. Not long after he arrives the danger manifests and the brothers have to fight to keep Kelsey safe and the end result is that Ren is captured while Kishan and Kelsey escape back to India. Once there it is decided that Kelsey, aided by Kishan, should continue with the curse-breaking quest while Mr. Kadam hunts for Ren’s location.
Since Ren and Kelsey became very close during the first quest, I suppose it is inevitable that Kelsey and Kishan become very close in the second. Kishan is very up-front with his feelings for Kelsey but also tells her he understands that she loves Ren and won’t do anything that could result in a repeat of the past. (The fight between the brothers over the princess Yesubai that resulted in their being cursed to live as tigers 300 years ago.) We see a different side to Kishan throughout this book, that shows that he is not just the charming flirty bad-boy he likes to portray himself to be, but a man with a genuine sweet and caring nature. We also see how tortured Kishan is over everything that has happened in the past and about his growing feelings for Kelsey.
I won’t say too much more about Tiger’s Quest‘s story line because I think that it will really give too much away, but the journey to breaking the second part of the curse is just as exhilarating as the first, maybe more so. The growing love-triangle is interesting to say the least and I can see a real Edward/Bella/Jacob (Twilight) feel to things here, but while I hated Twilight, I still like these books. It could be more to the mythology and legends that are used that capture my interest more so though. I have also found that as these books go along they are getting better, not that its still not a little simplistic, but the characters personalities are shining through just that little bit more, making it a more compelling read. Again this book ends on a real cliffhanger that leaves me, and I’m sure a lot of other readers, hanging for the next instalment in November.
Previously published in Dark Matter issue 5, September 2011. This blog has been pre-dated to reflect the date of original publication.
