Tigers Curse - Collen Houck

 Pages: 501

Published: January 11th 2011 by Sterling

Genre: Fantasy/ Y.A

Format: Paperback

Acquired: My TBR Bookshelf

Date Finished: January 28^th 2013

Synopsis:

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

Quick Thoughts: Superb Mythology and a fantastic start to the series.

Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

A hell yeah, that is why when I looked at my bookshelf I knew that I could not hold of reading it for too much longer.

Chosen as December’s choice for the Richard Denney book club, I picked up Tigers Curse with excitement and was looking forward to reading along and discussing the book in due time. Almost two months later and it has been a long journey, much like Kelsey’s and Ren’s and while the first book is over I can safely say that I will be reading the rest of the series. I fell in instant love with Tigers Curse and for the first few days of reading it I was in a high. It encompassed so many facets of what I love about a good fantasy read, and so much more, and despite me jumping in and out it over the past few weeks when I did read it 98% of the time I didn’t want to do anything else.

I pretty much melted for Ren from the get go. I used to love Tigers as a child and I remember doing numerous assignments based on different kinds of tigers. There is something so majestic and entrancing about them and I think if I was to sum up Ren that would definitely not do him justice. He is a flawed creature- both Tiger and Man and I enjoyed getting to know both sides of Ren through Kelsey’s eyes and revisiting his past through getting to know Mr Kidham, who is a fantastic character and Kishan. I also loved the fact that he had limited time as a man. I could not imagine how painful it would be to only have those fleeting moments as a human and to have them stripped away; as someone who craves the human touch it pained me to see Ren battling against his man and Tiger form.

The best part of this novel was the experience through India. From the plan landing there is non-stop action and I felt like a backpacker traveling throughout the land learning about the language, the geography and the fantastic mythology that Colleen blended into the story superbly. Tigers curse was rich with description that took me there and allowed me to immerse myself fully in a land I would love to get lost in [despite the freaking and evil creatures lurking] I also fell in love with the story behind Ren’s curse and what that meant for Ren, Kelsey, Mr Kidham and Kishan. I am a sucker for amulets and temples and all creatures big and small.

The only real problem I had with Tigers Curse was Kelsey’s attitude towards the end, especially towards Ren. For the entire book there was a fantastic build up of tension between the two of them, and I for one greatly enjoyed the journey of that build up and then she did a 180 and turned into a nasty piece of work with no real reason aside from her need to protect her heart. I just didn’t buy it and was disappointed in her. I had heard from many reviews that Kelsey was an immature character who annoyed the shit out of people and up until that certain point I was thinking, what the hell I think she is mature and acting well above her age. I mean she is a strong minded character to start with, and she is loyal and fierce when she wants to be, and she has so much compassion and love in her heart. The way she responds to her destiny was fantastic and I was freaking loving the journey from the circus life to the underground kingdoms and everything between, but then I wanted to throw the book across the room or at least slap her.

However I continued to read onwards towards the ending and it was in those few final pages that I could truly understand her actions and once again I fell in love with the romance that sparked between Ren and Kelsey

I think my biggest downfall about reading Tiger’s Curse was that I kept putting it down. It is certainly a book to read all the way through and to read nothing in between to fully immerse yourself in the fantastic story Colleen has created.  It deserves anyone’s full attention and for those of you wondering whether or not to give Tigers Curse a try I certainly urge you to pick it up. It is a fantastic first installment to a series I am sure to love and devour and I cannot wait to continue with it.

I am going to give this:

★★★★★

Golden fruits of India