Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck

Tiger’s Curse

author: collen houck

the tiger saga #1
book 2: tiger’s quest
book 3: tiger’s voyage
book 4: tiger’s destiny

pages : [paperback] 406

memorable quote: What is real and what is not is for your heart to decide and for your heart to know.

favorite characters: ren & kishan

summary:

Passion. Fate. Loyalty.
Would you risk it all to change your destiny?
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.

review:

Oh, have I waited too long to read this book!

I’ve been stalking it ever since it was first released, wanting for my prey to come out in paperback. And that will be my only reference to tigers. I promise.

When I had the opportunity to get and read this book, there was no way that I was turning it down. If there is any genre (or sub-genre) that I’m always interested in, it’s retold or modernized fairy tales. Tiger’s Curse is different from anything I’ve ever read because it blends Indian culture and legend with the modern age, an American girl, and a plot reminiscant of Beauty and the Beast.

I loved the characters of this book! From the minor ones, gracing only a few pages, to people like Kelsey, Ren, and Mr. Kadam. Truthfully, at first, I didn’t think that I was going to like Kelsey. Her decisions seemed to come from nowhere and often frustrated me when I couldn’t see the sense behind any of it. But as her character began to come together and more of her past was revealed to tie in with her emotions, it was all perfect to me.

The one negative aspect that stuck with me for the entirety of the book was the stiffness of some of the dialogue. The descriptive scenes were beautiful and captivating. I could picture the landscapes and imagine that I was adventuring along with Kelsey and her tiger. But some of the things the characters said sounded too much like what another person would give them to say rather than having them speak in their own words. It reminded me that I was reading a book, while in other sections I was able to lose myself among the pages. I’m hoping that in the next books this won’t be so apparent to me.

Which leads to me saying that I need to get my hands on Tiger’s Quest, the second book in the saga, immediately. I need to know what’s going to happen, with a wonderfully orchestrated ending like that! Tiger’s Curse left me wanting so much more! I loved the challenges that Kelsey has to face, both the supernatural and the things that every teenage girl goes up against, the love interest, the banter, the antagonist . . . All in all, this book is an amazing mesh of different elements that I’m sure many, many other people will love as much as I do! I recommend this for YA fans, people who like mythology and fairy tales, Indian culture, and a great, great read.

POUNCE ON ANY OPPORTUNITY TO READ THIS. 5/5 stars

Want to learn more about the author?
Read this interview about her characters, the world of Tiger’s Curse, and its new paperback release!

What makes the paperback release different from the hardcover? The paperback release will bring in a whole other group of readers. I have several friends who prefer reading paperbacks over carrying around the heavier hardcovers and they’re very excited to get their hands on this new version. There is also the chance to update the book and add bonus material which all my fans know I love to write.

What are you most excited about with the paperback? I’m very excited to share Kelsey’s recipes! I’m a foodie as most of you can tell from my books and I can say from experience that there’s nothing better than sitting down with a new paperback and a hot batch of Ren’s cookies. Light a sandalwood candle too and it’s like you’re in the story.

 Is there something you can tell us about Tiger’s Curse that no one else knows? Yes! Pay close attention to Kelsey’s dreams because they are foreshadows of things to come later on in the series.

 Ren or Kishan? I honestly love both brothers and want both of them to get their happy endings. I didn’t think I’d love Kishan as much as I do but he has solidly wedged himself into my heart.

Kelsey can be sassy! Why did you choose to make her character so empowered? I wanted a heroine who could do all the cool things I’d like to do. I was a big fan of Wonder Woman. She was beautiful and could do amazing things. That’s what I wanted for Kelsey. My hope is that my female readers will see that ordinary girls can do extraordinary things.

Has your day-to-day changed since becoming a NYT bestselling author?!? What does your husband think about it? My day to day just gets busier and more hectic every week that passes. My favorite time is when I can just sit down at my computer and get lost in my story. My husband is proud and amazed. He likes to brag about his author wife to perfect strangers and hands out book marks to everyone he meets.

Last question—do you plan on visiting India? You’ve already done so much research about it! I have no immediate plans but I would LOVE to go. I think it would be amazing to see all the locations I’ve written about. I made a real effort as I wrote to layer my fantasy world on top of real world places because I like the idea of feeling like you could actually step through a doorway into another world.

Anyone else out there have a massive sweet tooth? I know that I do! I can’t wait to try out this recipe for cookies, courtesy of the prince himself:

Ren’s Cookies

2 sticks of butter

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

¾ cup dark coco powder

2 cups flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 bag of chocolate chips

¾ cup smooth peanut butter

½ cup brown sugar

Cream the butter then add sugars. When it’s light and fluffy, add eggs and vanilla. Sift the next 5 dry ingredients and mix with the wet until thoroughly combined. Add one package of chocolate chips (or as many as you like!) to the dough. Mix together the next 2 ingredients to make the peanut butter filling. Then place a spoonful of the chocolate dough on a baking sheet, top with some peanut butter filling, and cover with some more chocolate dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-20 minutes depending on cookie size.