Antonia Michaelis

Sold to be the eighth wife of a rich and cruel merchant, Safia, also called Raka, tries to escape her fate by telling stories of Farhad the thief, his companion Nitish the white tiger, and their travels across India to retrieve a famous jewel that will save a kidnapped princess from becoming the bride of a demon king.

Tiger moon

Jamieson

How does a story about India begin? Does it begin with the three great rivers? The Ganges, The Yamuna, the unseen Sarasvati pouring her dreaming waters down from the snowy mountains to the hot, dry plain. .. With a leap right into the midst of chaos? Yes, that is how it should begin. 


UM !! UNDERRATED BOOK ALERT

This story sucks you in right from the beginning. The descriptions of India are beautiful, and rich. You are truly transported into India and feel as if you're travelling alongside the heroes on their travels. 

Tiger Moon is about a young girl, Raka, who is bought as a wife to a rich merchant. She meets a young eunuch, Lagan, who is a Hindu just like she is. She decides to tell him a Hindu story, the story of a thief called, Farhad Kamal who accidentally steals the amulet of the Hindu God, Krishna. Krishna sends Farhad on a quest, to save his daughter who's been kidnapped by the Demon King, Ravana. And so Farhad, accompanied by a sarcastic white sacred tiger called Nitish travels across India to find and rescue the princess. 

The two stories, that of Farhad and Nitish and Raka and Lagan intertwine in the most glorious fashion. It is the intertwining of these stories that really made me fall in love with this book. 

I loved that this book was so different to so much other YA on the market. I mean, first of all, its set in India, instead of New York. The incorporation of Indian culture, and Hindu religion is so beautiful and melds with the story so perfectly. I was drawn in by the culture and the vibe of the book. 


  Her lips were not like rose petals, not like silk and velvet, not like the tender colors of dawn over the desert, or like the breath of the evening wind.

Her lips were rough as her hands, rough from the desert sand.

Lips like the storm that blinds you among the dunes, like the desert’s unbearable heat, like the trunks of palm trees in the oases, like the blasting sun at noon, like the sky just before it darkens with the rain that so seldom comes.”




And scenes like this!! So unlike all the other YA kissing I've read. The romance in the book was not too overstated. It was sweet, and I really enjoyed it. The writing is absolutely beautiful

The characters were refreshing too. Farhad, was my favourite. Quickly followed by Nitish. I loved Farhad's growth throughout the book. I loved that he was both cheeky, and compassionate. He was clever and quick-witted, but a good person and a great adventurer. I didn't expect to fall so in love with a white tiger but I did. I loved that Nitish was so brave. He was sarcastic and dramatic and the dynamic between he and Farhad was so great. 

Raka isn't in the story as much, but I adored her. She was an amazing female character I enjoyed reading her so much. I also loved Lagan. 

Other female characters, such as Eleanor and Sita were also strong and clever. I especially loved Sita, who was so spunky and heroic. 

The ending of this book is really controversial, for obvious reasons. And while I understand alot of resentment generated because of the ending, I liked that thing weren't wrapped up completely perfectly. I felt like the events were aligned with the context of the book (It is set in British India, right in the heart of imperialism in India) I felt like the book had a really bittersweet ending, and I loved it. I loved how the stories came together and intertwined. 

This story is one of the most unique and absorbing I've read in a long time. You are completely sucked into Farhad's story and the landscape he journeys across. From the roaring banks of the Ganges, to the desert oasis you feel as if you're standing in India right beside him. This book was truly one of a kind, I think everyone should pick it up. 

REASONS TO READ TIGER MOON
 → Unique and under explored setting (India) too often written about in YA
 → An talking, sarcastic tiger that's like my favourite character
 → Diverse ! Characters ! bye bye white people. Where are they ?? they're not here. 
 → Characters are Hindu and Buddhist and Muslim which is unusual for ya lit !
 → A story within a story. 
 → A cute romance that's not overdone
 → The writing is beautiful and so absorbing
 → Fast paced, funny and just like actually a really fun story
 → GENUINELY sad and traumatic at times. Broke my heart but that's good okay
 → Honestly just doesn't have many reviews and needs more exposure

Tiger moon

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