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A review by theenchantedlibrary
The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala
4.0
Well this book was certainly an entertaining ride!
I really enjoyed the dynamics between the characters and the politics that followed the story throughout. Each of the characters had clear, unique views and I could understand each of their motivations which is refreshing in a genre where it can typically feel trope-y. Esha is a badass who is conflicted but ultimately determined while Kunal is questioning but fiercely loyal and when you put these two together, it’s wonderful. Their chemistry is clear and their back-and-forth - while sometimes repetitive - was so much fun to read.
In terms of the politics, I am not sure how much of it is based on history or how much was fictional but it was very interesting to see how everything played out and how the outcomes of this book will play into the next two.
As someone who admittedly has limited previous knowledge of Indian history or Hindu mythology, I found that Swati Teerdhala was able to bring the reader along and introduce them to a multitude of information without info-dumping or spoon feeding. When reading a fantasy with nods to true history or mythology, I appreciate them all the more when the author is able to integrate these details without detracting from the main story and I found that successfully done here.
I managed to read 80% of this book in one sitting and, if I did not have to work the next day, I would have easily stayed up to finish it. Sometimes you pick up the exact right type of book when you are in the exact type of mood to read it and that was certainly the case for me here. I know that a lot of young adult fantasy revolves around a political threat and two characters from opposing sides being thrown together but there was just something about The Tiger at Midnight that had me hooked and I cannot wait for the next installment.
For a debut, this story was well thought out, had a unique take on the standard young adult fantasy genre, elevated itself by including history and mythology as well as having well thought out characters and motivations. There were a few things that I could critique, such as the repetitive interactions, but even those didn’t overshadow how much I enjoyed these characters and their story.
I really enjoyed the dynamics between the characters and the politics that followed the story throughout. Each of the characters had clear, unique views and I could understand each of their motivations which is refreshing in a genre where it can typically feel trope-y. Esha is a badass who is conflicted but ultimately determined while Kunal is questioning but fiercely loyal and when you put these two together, it’s wonderful. Their chemistry is clear and their back-and-forth - while sometimes repetitive - was so much fun to read.
In terms of the politics, I am not sure how much of it is based on history or how much was fictional but it was very interesting to see how everything played out and how the outcomes of this book will play into the next two.
As someone who admittedly has limited previous knowledge of Indian history or Hindu mythology, I found that Swati Teerdhala was able to bring the reader along and introduce them to a multitude of information without info-dumping or spoon feeding. When reading a fantasy with nods to true history or mythology, I appreciate them all the more when the author is able to integrate these details without detracting from the main story and I found that successfully done here.
I managed to read 80% of this book in one sitting and, if I did not have to work the next day, I would have easily stayed up to finish it. Sometimes you pick up the exact right type of book when you are in the exact type of mood to read it and that was certainly the case for me here. I know that a lot of young adult fantasy revolves around a political threat and two characters from opposing sides being thrown together but there was just something about The Tiger at Midnight that had me hooked and I cannot wait for the next installment.
For a debut, this story was well thought out, had a unique take on the standard young adult fantasy genre, elevated itself by including history and mythology as well as having well thought out characters and motivations. There were a few things that I could critique, such as the repetitive interactions, but even those didn’t overshadow how much I enjoyed these characters and their story.