Saturday, January 30, 2010

Tiger Moon (YA)


Tiger Moon. Antonia Michaelis. 2008. [November 2008]. Harry N. Abrams. 384 pages. (Translated into English by Anthea Bell.)

Of course this is a completely outlandish story. In India, all stories are outlandish, though only a few are completely outlandish.

Wow, wow, wow. I just loved this one! I did! Anyone who loves a good story, appreciates good storytelling, where telling the story is half the fun, should consider this one a must! Safia is the eighth wife of Ahmed Mudhi, an extremely wealthy merchant. Because he's been sick, he hasn't discovered that his new-wife "Safia" does not live up to her name, "Virtue." Safia knows that when he finds out that she is not a virgin, that it will mean death for her. What can she do in the meantime? She can tell a story! A story to one of the servants of the harem, a young man named Lalit. (Though his name is Lagan, "The Right Time.") Do words have power? Can a story change someone's life?

The story Safia tells is a fantastic one. About a young man, Farhad, called by a god (Krishna) to take on a dangerous journey, a quest. He's called to be a hero. To save a princess from the demon king. Farhad isn't a hero. He doesn't feel like he's one at any rate. And the idea of him undertaking such a long, dangerous journey, well, it's unthinkable. But he accepts this journey, takes on this task. Can he with the help of the white tiger (a sacred tiger) named Nitish, rescue the princess in time?

What did I love about this one? The story. The characters. The writing. The pacing of it all. Michaelis has really told quite an incredible story. I found it hard to put down and easy to recommend.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

5 comments:

Aubrey said...

Wow! This one looks great, yet another to add to my list! Thanks!

Emidy @ Une Parole said...

I love hearing great things about books that I would never think of picking up on my own. This one seems so awesome! Thanks for reviewing.

Emidy
from Une Parole

DesLily said...

oh my.. sure sounds like another one for the old wish list!!

Kate Coombs said...

I really liked this one, too--and the cover art is gorgeous!

Robin M said...

sounds like a good one!