Synopsis:
From Annie Sullivan, author of A Touch of Gold, comes Tiger Queen, a sweeping YA fantasy adventure that tells the story of a fierce desert princess battling to save her kingdom. Fans of Rebel of the Sands and Meagan Spooner will devour this retelling of Frank Stockton’s famous short story, “The Lady, or the Tiger?”
In the mythical desert kingdom of Achra, an ancient law forces sixteen-year-old Princess Kateri to fight in the arena to prove her right to rule. For Kateri, winning also means fulfilling a promise to her late mother that she would protect her people, who are struggling through windstorms and drought. The situation is worsened by the gang of Desert Boys that frequently raids the city wells, forcing the king to ration what little water is left. The punishment for stealing water is a choice between two doors: behind one lies freedom, and behind the other is a tiger.
But when Kateri’s final opponent is announced, she knows she cannot win. In desperation, she turns to the desert and the one person she never thought she’d side with. What Kateri discovers twists her world—and her heart—upside down. Her future is now behind two doors—only she’s not sure which holds the key to keeping her kingdom and which releases the tiger.
Book Information:
By: Annie Sullivan
Publisher: BLINK
Release date: September 10, 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance
Book Links
GoodReads | Amazon US | Barnes&Noble | Book Depository
My Review
Reading the synopsis, I was like ‘all the yes’ a princess who battles her suitors in the arena? I mean it sounds pretty cool on that alone, but this book turned out to be so much more than just battling against suitors.
First of all battling the suitors showed that she was strong enough to lead on her own, to pick her own suitor, if she could beat them all for one year until her birthday is super cool.
Secondly, it wasn’t just about the fights.
This is a desert kingdom that has been through a drought and has strict water restrictions in place. What doesn’t help is the fact that so called Desert Boys are stealing the water from the citizens.
Kateri is determined to stop them, she promised her mother that she would take care of their people, but finding the leader of the Desert Boys is harder than anyone anticipated. In order to prove herself, she’s going to need help in battling her last opponent, but in order to defeat him, she may have to ally against another enemy.
Again, loved the premise of this! This is a awesome twist to ‘The Lady or the Tiger’ in my opinion.
Not only that but as tough as Kateri thinks she is, she has so much to learn and she is humble about it and I love that about her. I also love her misplaced love of her kingdom and people.
There’s a nice rich world built by Sullivan and the creatures in this desert kingdom were so much fun to read about. I would have to say as far as characters go, though I loved Kateri, I think I had the biggest soft spot for some of the Desert Boys.
The ending was supremely satisfying for me and though I wish I would have seen more of the king, to know more about his ambitions and workings, I was happy enough with the way this was. A nice full story, no loose ends and did I mention a warrior princess who is a sheltered cinnamon roll outside the arena?
Anyway, this is definitely four cups of coffee from me and I CANNOT wait to get my hands on my hardcopy preorder.
[Speaking of, if you look on my bookstagram later, you’ll see my awesome preorder swag from Sullivan]
Thank you to the publishers and The Fantastic Flying Book Club for a chance to read and honestly review this, and not to mention joining in on the tour!
Favorite Quotes
[Reminder: These quotes were taken from my eARC copy and so may not be the same in the final copy!]
About the Author
Annie Sullivan is a Young Adult author from Indianapolis, Indiana. Her work has been featured in Curly Red Stories and Punchnels. She loves fairytales, everything Jane Austen, and traveling and exploring new cultures. When she’s not off on her own adventures, she’s teaching classes at the Indiana Writers Center and working as the Copy Specialist at John Wiley and Sons, Inc. publishing company, having also worked there in Editorial and Publicity roles. You can follow her adventures on Twitter and Instagram (@annsulliva).
Author Links
Giveaway
Prize: Tiger Queen poster and signed bookplate (USA only)
Starts: 9/4/19 | Ends: 9/13/19
Click Here for Giveaway Link
The Rest of the Tour
[Click on picture to be taken to the tour’s schedule]
The Caffeinated Reader 
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