When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain

Singing Hills Cycle Series, Book 2

De: Nghi Vo

Narrado por: Cindy Kay

The cleric Chih finds themself and their companions at the mercy of a band of fierce tigers who ache with hunger. To stay alive until the mammoths can save them, Chih must unwind the intricate, layered story of the tiger and her scholar lover - a woman of courage, intelligence, and beauty - and discover how truth can survive becoming history.

Nghi Vo returns to the empire of Ahn and the Singing Hills Cycle in When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, a mesmerizing, lush standalone follow-up to The Empress of Salt and Fortune.

©2020 Nghi Vo (P)2020 Tantor

Story

Loved this one! Her writing is wonderful. Definitely want to listen to all in a row.

different

it's feels like a alternative fairy tale set in a distant land. pretty good. I look forward to listening the rest of the series.

Genius

The story and the writing was beautiful. I loved the concept of telling a story that was passed down throughout history incorrectly and having the true story told right after.

interesting fuel povs

I adored the style of this story that gets told from both perspectives - that of the human and that of the tiger - to show you how history is changed to fit the narrative that is needed. Loved Chih's personality developing more in this book. The introduced characters were very interesting no matter how brief.

What a happy partnership!

First of course it's such a good story. There are echoes of Sheherazade telling a story to stay aliv e. There are the alternating versions of the story. Cindy Kay does a fantastic narration of the story

Another captivating tale with an engaging storytelling approach

I’m loving Nghi Vo’s work so far! These stories are so enjoyable. You get lush imagery, a folk tale/fairy tale vibe, some beautiful language, and a unique approach to how the story unfolds. I look forward to listening to these again and may have to get physical copies as well.

a story inside a story

the narrator is so quiet you have to crank the volume up to hear anything. aside from that, her performance is strong. but omg PLEASE speak up!

the story is less interesting than the first one, less dynamic. it's two stories set inside a framing story and while the frame does work, the whole thing is slow paced and the characters less engaging. Almost Brilliant's absence is also a disappointment.

The world is more interesting than the story...

I returned to this novella series after finding the first novella to be entertaining enough to read, but not my favorite. I find that once again, I am not connecting with this series.

THE GOOD

I can appreciate that I may not be the right audience for this book. As a 40ish straight white male, there are elements here that I don't necessarily personally identify with, but I can appreciate that others will find these novellas more meaningful due to that representation. There are plenty of stories about white guys, and I'm glad that stories such as these are out there for people with different life experiences from my own can read something they identify with. That being said, I've been reading books with characters who's sexual orientation and/or ethnic identity don't match my own since I was a teen, so those themes are just a background detail for me, and doesn't change my enjoyment of the story either way. As long as the story is GOOD, I am entertained...

THE NOT-SO-GOOD

...and this case, I once again just found the story to be just OK, not good. I did like this more than the first book, as the menace of the tigers gave the story more tension, but otherwise, it was just entertaining enough to keep me reading. The one element I really enjoyed from the first novella, the talking bird, was absent, which was disappointing as it was the only reason I decided to give this series another chance. Had the book been much longer I wouldn't likely have finished.

I did like the addition of the tigers, and the mammoth rider was fun. I think the world that these characters are inhabiting is more interesting than the characters and actual story. If the author can up the anti on the story, then I think this series may finally click with me. I am also warming up to the narrator, who has a very understated acting style, but a pleasant voice.

THE VERDICT

I'm not sure if I'll read the next installment, assuming there is one. If the premise sounds particularly interesting, I may give the series one more try. I really WANT to like it, but I'm not quite there yet...