When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (The Singing Hills Cycle Book 2)

The second novella of the Singing Hills Cycle series is, fortunately, just as good as the first one. Stories within stories, it warps your mind into the depths of its deliciousness. It's not just a captivating mythical tale, but the beauty of Nghi Vo’s writing takes you from wherever you are to a scene within many other scenes. When you’re reading this book, you are the storyteller, the listener and also every other character. You are by the warm fire, you are also the sleeping tiger, a scholar, a cleric, you are also in whale oil-lit caves looking at the trophies on its walls, you are lying on a magnificent quilt, you are rowing the boat and eating a book. It’s all so fantastic!

I loved this one by far. I struggled with the pace of the first one but this one had a beautiful queer love dangerous love story. I love the concept of listening to both sides of the story. Beautifully written.

3.5/5

Oh yes. Some people are just more... edible than others if you are a tiger.

Cleric Chih is back for another adventure. This time a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride a mammoth goes sideways when they cross paths with hungry tigers, who really want a taste of their flesh. Armed with only their wits, and no Almost Brilliant!, Chih will have to keep the tigers at bay by retelling a story of a tiger and her lover doing their best to avoid upsetting the hungry felines.

Entertaining but a bit disorganized. Loved learning more about the world, the mammoths, the traditions of the north, and even supernatural beings like the tigers, but wasn't 100% sold on the story Chih was reciting nor the interruptions by the tigers. I still had fun and fully recommend reading it, I just don't have a lot to comment about it.

I thought this book was very romantic. I enjoyed it a lot!