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Ashes of Gold #1
The Tiger's Watch
Sixteen-year-old Tashi has spent their life training as a inhabitor, a soldier who spies and kills using a bonded animal. When the capital falls after a brutal siege, Tashi flees to a remote monastery to hide. But the invading army turns the monastery into a hospital, and Tashi catches the eye of Xian, the regiment’s fearless young commander.
Tashi spies on Xian’s every move. In front of his men, Xian seems dangerous, even sadistic, but Tashi discovers a more vulnerable side of the enemy commander—a side that draws them to Xian.
When their spying unveils that everything they’ve been taught is a lie, Tashi faces an impossible choice: save their country or the boy they’re growing to love. Though Tashi grapples with their decision, their volatile bonded tiger doesn't question her allegiances. Katala slaughters Xian’s soldiers, leading the enemy to hunt her. But an inhabitor’s bond to their animal is for life—if Katala dies, so will Tashi.
Tashi spies on Xian’s every move. In front of his men, Xian seems dangerous, even sadistic, but Tashi discovers a more vulnerable side of the enemy commander—a side that draws them to Xian.
When their spying unveils that everything they’ve been taught is a lie, Tashi faces an impossible choice: save their country or the boy they’re growing to love. Though Tashi grapples with their decision, their volatile bonded tiger doesn't question her allegiances. Katala slaughters Xian’s soldiers, leading the enemy to hunt her. But an inhabitor’s bond to their animal is for life—if Katala dies, so will Tashi.
180 pages, ebook
First published August 22, 2017
About the author
Julia Ember
6 books743 followersJulia Ember’s books include The Seafarer’s Kiss duology, a Norse myth inspired retelling of The Little Mermaid, published by Interlude Press (Duet Books), and Ruinsong, a standalone high fantasy reimagining of The Phantom of the Opera, published by Macmillan Kids (FSG) in November 2020.
Ember’s work has been featured in USA Today, Bustle, Book Riot and Autostraddle, among many others. Julia has a lifelong appreciation for history and classic literature, and holds an MLitt in Medieval Literature from the University of St. Andrews. She currently lives in Seattle with her wife and two very fluffy cats. When she isn’t working on her prose fiction, Julia writes for video and app games.
You can find her on Instagram.
NOTE: I no longer actively review books. If loved something, I may rate it a 5 and leave a small note, but I believe that other authors are my colleagues and I don’t leave critical reviews nor do I accept books for review purposes. I also do not read or respond to messages sent to me through Goodreads.
Ember’s work has been featured in USA Today, Bustle, Book Riot and Autostraddle, among many others. Julia has a lifelong appreciation for history and classic literature, and holds an MLitt in Medieval Literature from the University of St. Andrews. She currently lives in Seattle with her wife and two very fluffy cats. When she isn’t working on her prose fiction, Julia writes for video and app games.
You can find her on Instagram.
NOTE: I no longer actively review books. If loved something, I may rate it a 5 and leave a small note, but I believe that other authors are my colleagues and I don’t leave critical reviews nor do I accept books for review purposes. I also do not read or respond to messages sent to me through Goodreads.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
August 7, 2017
Failed BR with Lorenzo il Magnifico and this crossover person between Inej Ghafa and Santa Elena ♡
I was sent this book as an advance copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
DNF @ 45%
How sad. I really wanted to like this book. I was prepared for not loving it, which is fine because not every book can be your favorite, and it’s not even fair to say I completely hated it. If I had more time and if I was a faster reader I would have forced myself to finish this, but alas life is too short and I really swore to myself that if a book needs forcing in order for me to continue reading it, then it’s just not worth it.
The worldbuilding was confusing at best and not all that interesting to me. The concept that one’s soul can be bound (?) to another creature’s is interesting I suppose, but I just didn’t care and just wondered why would someone want or need to do that when if the creature dies you fall in an endless coma (at least that’s how I understood it), like is the benefit only the fact that you get a cat friend? I mean, I’m the biggest lover of cats you can find but still I wouldn’t want my lifespan to severely decrease just so my soul is bound to one, you know?
And I didn’t really understand why everyone was at war, like what’s the point of it all? I feel like nothing was really ever explained (I mean I could have just missed it???).
I could have endured it if it wasn’t for the fact that the more I read the less sense everything the MC, Tashi, did didn’t make sense. Unreasonable (read: stupid) decisions were made just for the sake of creating future drama (that I’ll never get to read, how tragic).
But my biggest problem was the romance. Or the premise to it. Tashi is apparently in love with their best friend but as soon as they see Xian they fall in...lust? with him even tho he’s the Big Bad Guy but oh he’s hot so……… and there was truly no chemistry between the two. Everything was forced and very not subtle, as if the reader needs to be spoonfed a romance they would otherwise never see coming. Spoiler alert: readers can see subtle signs of character development, they are aware of the enemies-to-lovers trope, it’s nothing they haven’t seen before. I am aware that this book is about half the size of the usual standalone fantasy novel, but I am fully convinced that a good slow burn (the only thing that will ever work for an enemies-to-lovers trope, btw) can be written in less than 170 pages.
That’s not what was going on here unfortunately. There was no subtle shift between the good and bad sides of Xian, no deep emotional struggle within Tashi when they realized (TOO SOON) that they were falling for him. This might work for some readers, but it doesn’t for me. Tashi needs to hate Xian for everything he and his people have done and they don’t, so the romance was immediately cancelled in my book, and since that seemed like one of the only things this book had to make it interesting, the whole book was cancelled as well.
The only thing I really liked was the fact that finally we have a genderfluid character in a fantasy world! I think that aspect was done well. It was explained very early in the book so that if someone was reading it with no knowledge of what being genderfluid means they would have a pretty clear idea of it. Also, there are a few instances of accidental misgendering when another character sees Tashi for the first time, but Tashi’s right pronouns are mentioned right away and nobody actually questions them. There were also a few casual reminders here and there of what Tashi might feel like on a given day (for example they sometimes felt comfortable in men’s clothing and sometimes they didn’t).
It just felt like good representation considering what I know about genderfluid people, but I say this as a cis person so I’m really hoping someone who actually is genderfluid will read and review this book to comment on this aspect themselves.
Other than that, this book is a case of “I’ve read too many great books to truly enjoy less-than-average ones”. I am especially picky with my romances and this just wasn’t it for me and I know for a fact that if I had continued reading it with this premise I would have actually hated it.
___
Genderfluid protagonist! In a fantasy novel!!
*begins quest to get an ARC*
I got the ARC 😎
I was sent this book as an advance copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
DNF @ 45%
How sad. I really wanted to like this book. I was prepared for not loving it, which is fine because not every book can be your favorite, and it’s not even fair to say I completely hated it. If I had more time and if I was a faster reader I would have forced myself to finish this, but alas life is too short and I really swore to myself that if a book needs forcing in order for me to continue reading it, then it’s just not worth it.
The worldbuilding was confusing at best and not all that interesting to me. The concept that one’s soul can be bound (?) to another creature’s is interesting I suppose, but I just didn’t care and just wondered why would someone want or need to do that when if the creature dies you fall in an endless coma (at least that’s how I understood it), like is the benefit only the fact that you get a cat friend? I mean, I’m the biggest lover of cats you can find but still I wouldn’t want my lifespan to severely decrease just so my soul is bound to one, you know?
And I didn’t really understand why everyone was at war, like what’s the point of it all? I feel like nothing was really ever explained (I mean I could have just missed it???).
I could have endured it if it wasn’t for the fact that the more I read the less sense everything the MC, Tashi, did didn’t make sense. Unreasonable (read: stupid) decisions were made just for the sake of creating future drama (that I’ll never get to read, how tragic).
But my biggest problem was the romance. Or the premise to it. Tashi is apparently in love with their best friend but as soon as they see Xian they fall in...lust? with him even tho he’s the Big Bad Guy but oh he’s hot so……… and there was truly no chemistry between the two. Everything was forced and very not subtle, as if the reader needs to be spoonfed a romance they would otherwise never see coming. Spoiler alert: readers can see subtle signs of character development, they are aware of the enemies-to-lovers trope, it’s nothing they haven’t seen before. I am aware that this book is about half the size of the usual standalone fantasy novel, but I am fully convinced that a good slow burn (the only thing that will ever work for an enemies-to-lovers trope, btw) can be written in less than 170 pages.
That’s not what was going on here unfortunately. There was no subtle shift between the good and bad sides of Xian, no deep emotional struggle within Tashi when they realized (TOO SOON) that they were falling for him. This might work for some readers, but it doesn’t for me. Tashi needs to hate Xian for everything he and his people have done and they don’t, so the romance was immediately cancelled in my book, and since that seemed like one of the only things this book had to make it interesting, the whole book was cancelled as well.
The only thing I really liked was the fact that finally we have a genderfluid character in a fantasy world! I think that aspect was done well. It was explained very early in the book so that if someone was reading it with no knowledge of what being genderfluid means they would have a pretty clear idea of it. Also, there are a few instances of accidental misgendering when another character sees Tashi for the first time, but Tashi’s right pronouns are mentioned right away and nobody actually questions them. There were also a few casual reminders here and there of what Tashi might feel like on a given day (for example they sometimes felt comfortable in men’s clothing and sometimes they didn’t).
It just felt like good representation considering what I know about genderfluid people, but I say this as a cis person so I’m really hoping someone who actually is genderfluid will read and review this book to comment on this aspect themselves.
Other than that, this book is a case of “I’ve read too many great books to truly enjoy less-than-average ones”. I am especially picky with my romances and this just wasn’t it for me and I know for a fact that if I had continued reading it with this premise I would have actually hated it.
___
Genderfluid protagonist! In a fantasy novel!!
I got the ARC 😎
August 19, 2017
I'm officially DNFing this out of frustration. This was a FAILED buddyread with Silv and Rin -links lead to their reviews. All of us DNFed which doesn't seem like a great sign??
➽ The biggest issue here was the worldbuilding. The beginning of this book is incredibly frustrating. We are thrown into the middle of war with Tashi and their friend running away and it's not explained... at all. I think Julia Ember wanted to avoid info-dumping and made up for it by explaining... nothing. That's not a good solution. I can easily ignore info-dumping for two pages if it leads to some fantastic content later, but this... I want to say that I understood nothing about the war. I can't care about something I feel nothing for.
➽ The entire concept and reasoning behind tiger bonding. I wanted the book to focus on this and I expected Tashi and their tiger would be the focus!! And yet... no. I was left misunderstanding the entire concept of tiger bonding and why anyone would want to give up half their lives to bond to an animal. How does it actually advantage Tashi?
➽ This book is also, as should be expected due to the 180-page length, very rushed. Yes, it's a novella, and I've never been a fan of novellas. But I genuinely think Ember should market herself more as a writer of novellas than a writer of books. My expectations might've been adjusted and I think I would've enjoyed this a bit more.
➽ I will say that Tashi, our protagonist, was maybe what I liked most about this. They do have a lot of moments of being slightly idiotic. However, it bothered me way less than it sometimes does. I tend to heavily dislike too-stupid-to-live type characters, which maybe doesn't reflect well on me. But somehow I still really liked them - their occasional naivety feels like a character trait more than authorial convenience, which is a decision I actually like.
➽ The nb rep also seemed pretty good so far!! I'm not nb and can't specifically say whether it's accurate, but it was done in a really casual way that I loved. I didn't feel like Ember was trying to educate, which I love - the whole "let's explain someone's existence" talk that happens in so many books often feels almost out-of-place. It's a part of Tashi's character but also doesn't define them.
➽ Unfortunately, they're also stuck in this incredibly cringey love triangle. It's one of those love triangles where there's a bad boy and a good boy. And as is usual for these love triangles, you know who they're meant to end up with from they're beginning. Thankfully, it looks like Tashi is going to end up with the best friend instead of the evil commander - that's definitely my preference in this type of love triangle. My question, then, is why does evil commander have to exist?
I was just ranting about this trope yesterday . Y'all have got to learn the difference between morally ambiguous love interests and love interests who read like they're on the verge of physically abusing their partners for 90% of the book. Xian is terrifying. His relationship with Tashi is one of the most cringeworthy and creepy things I've read this year.
And as I mentioned above, even ignoring the "this-isn't-enemies-to-lovers-it's-just-creepy" thing, this relationship felt totally rushed. If they hadn't gotten together in this book and the tension had been drawn out until halfway book two, this could've led to some delicious tension. But Tashi gets together with Xian really quickly. And of course, you can also tell that Tashi is going to end up with their best friend anyway. What's the point? It's written in this way like it's meant to be somewhat creepy but also... sexy?? And I'm not feeling it at all.
VERDICT: Maybe the second half is better, but honestly, I'm not sure I want to find out. If you can get past the terrible love triangle and the confusing plot, Tashi's character is fun and the possibility of a well-done friends-to-lovers trope is promising!! But for now, not so much.
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Youtube
➽ The biggest issue here was the worldbuilding. The beginning of this book is incredibly frustrating. We are thrown into the middle of war with Tashi and their friend running away and it's not explained... at all. I think Julia Ember wanted to avoid info-dumping and made up for it by explaining... nothing. That's not a good solution. I can easily ignore info-dumping for two pages if it leads to some fantastic content later, but this... I want to say that I understood nothing about the war. I can't care about something I feel nothing for.
➽ The entire concept and reasoning behind tiger bonding. I wanted the book to focus on this and I expected Tashi and their tiger would be the focus!! And yet... no. I was left misunderstanding the entire concept of tiger bonding and why anyone would want to give up half their lives to bond to an animal. How does it actually advantage Tashi?
➽ This book is also, as should be expected due to the 180-page length, very rushed. Yes, it's a novella, and I've never been a fan of novellas. But I genuinely think Ember should market herself more as a writer of novellas than a writer of books. My expectations might've been adjusted and I think I would've enjoyed this a bit more.
➽ I will say that Tashi, our protagonist, was maybe what I liked most about this. They do have a lot of moments of being slightly idiotic. However, it bothered me way less than it sometimes does. I tend to heavily dislike too-stupid-to-live type characters, which maybe doesn't reflect well on me. But somehow I still really liked them - their occasional naivety feels like a character trait more than authorial convenience, which is a decision I actually like.
➽ The nb rep also seemed pretty good so far!! I'm not nb and can't specifically say whether it's accurate, but it was done in a really casual way that I loved. I didn't feel like Ember was trying to educate, which I love - the whole "let's explain someone's existence" talk that happens in so many books often feels almost out-of-place. It's a part of Tashi's character but also doesn't define them.
➽ Unfortunately, they're also stuck in this incredibly cringey love triangle. It's one of those love triangles where there's a bad boy and a good boy. And as is usual for these love triangles, you know who they're meant to end up with from they're beginning. Thankfully, it looks like Tashi is going to end up with the best friend instead of the evil commander - that's definitely my preference in this type of love triangle. My question, then, is why does evil commander have to exist?
I was just ranting about this trope yesterday . Y'all have got to learn the difference between morally ambiguous love interests and love interests who read like they're on the verge of physically abusing their partners for 90% of the book. Xian is terrifying. His relationship with Tashi is one of the most cringeworthy and creepy things I've read this year.
And as I mentioned above, even ignoring the "this-isn't-enemies-to-lovers-it's-just-creepy" thing, this relationship felt totally rushed. If they hadn't gotten together in this book and the tension had been drawn out until halfway book two, this could've led to some delicious tension. But Tashi gets together with Xian really quickly. And of course, you can also tell that Tashi is going to end up with their best friend anyway. What's the point? It's written in this way like it's meant to be somewhat creepy but also... sexy?? And I'm not feeling it at all.
VERDICT: Maybe the second half is better, but honestly, I'm not sure I want to find out. If you can get past the terrible love triangle and the confusing plot, Tashi's character is fun and the possibility of a well-done friends-to-lovers trope is promising!! But for now, not so much.
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Youtube
May 1, 2018
For a book that boasts a fantastic premise with very needed representation, I was excited to read this book and I was ready to love it. Unfortunately though, I am sad to say that I was a little disappointed by The Tiger's Watch. I have such mixed feelings about this book too, but I'll do my best to articulate them all.
There were many things that I liked about The Tiger's Watch. What had attracted me to read this book was the idea of humans, or inhabitors, sharing a magical bond with an animal, an unbreakable soul connection between human and animal. For Tashi, the main character, they are bonded to Katala, a golden tiger who is as beautiful as she is powerful. The dynamic between Tashi and Katala was vivid and fascinating, as they share memories, dreams, and accesses to each other's consciousnesses, and one that is is filled with gratitude, power, love, but also grief and longing. The concept of inhabitors was fantastic, and an indisputable highlight of the book. Not only did Ember construct a fascinating culture surrounding inhabitors, their creed, and their practices, I was also compelled by the emotional dynamic between human and animal.
I also really loved Tashi, the nonbinary protagonist who is caught in a difficult position after being appointed the servant of the invader's commander, Xian. Tashi was a great character; they were interesting, flawed, and doing their best to be strong in the face of mounting loss in wartime whilst being surrounded by enemies. There were times when Tashi's actions irritated me, but I reined myself back and said, hold on, this is actually great character development. Stuck in a place where they can trust no one, Tashi genuinely doesn't know what to do. And I appreciated that; I appreciated reading about a protagonist who was vulnerable, made bad decisions in an attempt to save the people they loved, but were doing their best despite.
However, despite the great ideas evident in The Tiger's Watch, there were many things that I wished were better. Although I thought the concept of inhabitors and the culture constructed around them were excellent, unfortunately my appreciation for the worldbuilding stops there. There were many concepts and cultures introduced throughout the narrative, but very few were developed. The world was forgettable to me; there was nothing that would draw me back into this world. For a book that centers its narrative about war, I had a very vague conceptualization about the politics, cultures, and war rhetoric between the Myeik and the Thim. Why were the Myeik invading other lands? Colonialism and war sustain themselves through by justifications, narratives, and myths told to legitimize war. Though I didn't expect The Tiger's Watch to have a full and detailed account of this, because the book predominantly focuses on Tashi and their personal narrative, but I would have liked to have an iota of understanding why it was all occurring in the first place.
The Tiger's Watch does have interesting relationships, one that has a distinct power differential that is adequately addressed and explored, whilst the other is taut with tension and hidden feelings. Even so however, they felt underdeveloped. Tashi develops a complex and conflicting relationship with the commander of a Myeik regiment, Xian, and the internal conflict that follows was great to read. There's even a great discussion about power difference between them and the issue of ownership, and I liked how the relationship oscillated between hostile distrust and camaraderie. However, it's not that I didn't like the relationships in the book per se, but I just wished there was more development, a little more tension, more chemistry, and more buildup. In other words, the relationships in The Tiger's Watch could have been great, but they were lacking.
However, the biggest disappointment of The Tiger's Watch was its plot. Though there were some strong components to the story, it was lacking and lacklustre when strung together. In comparison to the inhabitor-animal concept, the overarching story paled. There were certainly times where I enjoyed the narrative, but a majority of the time, I felt a little bored and uninterested in the story's developments. Perhaps if other parts of the story were stronger and more developed, I would be more compelled or interested. The story, however, does take an interesting turn towards the end of the book, but we don't see these developments come to fruition because they were mostly setup to the book's sequel. For me, this was a little too late.
And here is where I would like to talk about something that I'm not entirely sure about. Often I don't express thoughts I am not wholly confident about, but since this book has yet to release and no one, as far as I know, has addressed the issue, I would like to open the discussion and bring your attention to another issue I had with this book.
I should preface this by saying that I'm not Bhutanese nor Burmese, so I cannot speak for the authenticity of the representation in The Tiger's Watch. However, halfway through the story, I began to feel really weird that all the Myeik, or the invaders/colonists, were coded as Chinese. They all had Chinese names - Chen, Liu, and Xian. That's not to say that characters or cultures cannot be influenced by real life cultures, but what I wanted was nuance: something that would portray the Myeik as something more than perpetrators of violence and imperialism. Unfortunately, I couldn't pick up on the nuance. So, on a very personal level, this was all very weird to me. (However, if anyone with more knowledge, from experience or learned, can weigh in, I would greatly appreciate it.)
Alas, The Tiger's Watch may indeed be brimming with an array of brilliant ideas that would make any fantasy-loving bookreader giddy, there were many things that left more to be desired. Ultimately, The Tiger's Watch could have benefited with more - more development and more nuance.
Rating: 2.5 / 5 (rounded up to 3)
-
Is this book for you?
Premise in a sentence: An inhabitor, human bonded to an animal, is caught in between a war, the eyes of a commander, and doing what is right.
Perfect for: Readers who are interested in a unique fantasy and who would like to read a story with nonbinary representation.
Genre: Young adult, fantasy, romance
Recommended? Personally, no, but I do encourage that you read the reviews of those who enjoyed this book.
Trigger/content warnings: misgendering, gore, violence, torture, animal violence
-
This review can also be found on my book blog, Read, Think, Ponder!
There were many things that I liked about The Tiger's Watch. What had attracted me to read this book was the idea of humans, or inhabitors, sharing a magical bond with an animal, an unbreakable soul connection between human and animal. For Tashi, the main character, they are bonded to Katala, a golden tiger who is as beautiful as she is powerful. The dynamic between Tashi and Katala was vivid and fascinating, as they share memories, dreams, and accesses to each other's consciousnesses, and one that is is filled with gratitude, power, love, but also grief and longing. The concept of inhabitors was fantastic, and an indisputable highlight of the book. Not only did Ember construct a fascinating culture surrounding inhabitors, their creed, and their practices, I was also compelled by the emotional dynamic between human and animal.
... linking with Katala gave me the courage to express what I'd always known: that my gender wasn't set, binary. I didn't feel like any of the things people expected of boys or girls fit with me. Some days I felt more masculine and others more feminine.
I also really loved Tashi, the nonbinary protagonist who is caught in a difficult position after being appointed the servant of the invader's commander, Xian. Tashi was a great character; they were interesting, flawed, and doing their best to be strong in the face of mounting loss in wartime whilst being surrounded by enemies. There were times when Tashi's actions irritated me, but I reined myself back and said, hold on, this is actually great character development. Stuck in a place where they can trust no one, Tashi genuinely doesn't know what to do. And I appreciated that; I appreciated reading about a protagonist who was vulnerable, made bad decisions in an attempt to save the people they loved, but were doing their best despite.
However, despite the great ideas evident in The Tiger's Watch, there were many things that I wished were better. Although I thought the concept of inhabitors and the culture constructed around them were excellent, unfortunately my appreciation for the worldbuilding stops there. There were many concepts and cultures introduced throughout the narrative, but very few were developed. The world was forgettable to me; there was nothing that would draw me back into this world. For a book that centers its narrative about war, I had a very vague conceptualization about the politics, cultures, and war rhetoric between the Myeik and the Thim. Why were the Myeik invading other lands? Colonialism and war sustain themselves through by justifications, narratives, and myths told to legitimize war. Though I didn't expect The Tiger's Watch to have a full and detailed account of this, because the book predominantly focuses on Tashi and their personal narrative, but I would have liked to have an iota of understanding why it was all occurring in the first place.
The Tiger's Watch does have interesting relationships, one that has a distinct power differential that is adequately addressed and explored, whilst the other is taut with tension and hidden feelings. Even so however, they felt underdeveloped. Tashi develops a complex and conflicting relationship with the commander of a Myeik regiment, Xian, and the internal conflict that follows was great to read. There's even a great discussion about power difference between them and the issue of ownership, and I liked how the relationship oscillated between hostile distrust and camaraderie. However, it's not that I didn't like the relationships in the book per se, but I just wished there was more development, a little more tension, more chemistry, and more buildup. In other words, the relationships in The Tiger's Watch could have been great, but they were lacking.
However, the biggest disappointment of The Tiger's Watch was its plot. Though there were some strong components to the story, it was lacking and lacklustre when strung together. In comparison to the inhabitor-animal concept, the overarching story paled. There were certainly times where I enjoyed the narrative, but a majority of the time, I felt a little bored and uninterested in the story's developments. Perhaps if other parts of the story were stronger and more developed, I would be more compelled or interested. The story, however, does take an interesting turn towards the end of the book, but we don't see these developments come to fruition because they were mostly setup to the book's sequel. For me, this was a little too late.
And here is where I would like to talk about something that I'm not entirely sure about. Often I don't express thoughts I am not wholly confident about, but since this book has yet to release and no one, as far as I know, has addressed the issue, I would like to open the discussion and bring your attention to another issue I had with this book.
I should preface this by saying that I'm not Bhutanese nor Burmese, so I cannot speak for the authenticity of the representation in The Tiger's Watch. However, halfway through the story, I began to feel really weird that all the Myeik, or the invaders/colonists, were coded as Chinese. They all had Chinese names - Chen, Liu, and Xian. That's not to say that characters or cultures cannot be influenced by real life cultures, but what I wanted was nuance: something that would portray the Myeik as something more than perpetrators of violence and imperialism. Unfortunately, I couldn't pick up on the nuance. So, on a very personal level, this was all very weird to me. (However, if anyone with more knowledge, from experience or learned, can weigh in, I would greatly appreciate it.)
Alas, The Tiger's Watch may indeed be brimming with an array of brilliant ideas that would make any fantasy-loving bookreader giddy, there were many things that left more to be desired. Ultimately, The Tiger's Watch could have benefited with more - more development and more nuance.
Rating: 2.5 / 5 (rounded up to 3)
-
Is this book for you?
Premise in a sentence: An inhabitor, human bonded to an animal, is caught in between a war, the eyes of a commander, and doing what is right.
Perfect for: Readers who are interested in a unique fantasy and who would like to read a story with nonbinary representation.
Genre: Young adult, fantasy, romance
Recommended? Personally, no, but I do encourage that you read the reviews of those who enjoyed this book.
Trigger/content warnings: misgendering, gore, violence, torture, animal violence
-
This review can also be found on my book blog, Read, Think, Ponder!
July 15, 2018
See more of my reviews on my blog the Book Deviant
I would like to thank Julia Ember and Harmony Ink Press for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was so much fun! Can't wait for the sequel.
Check out my full review here.
Trigger warning for misgendering, violence, moderate gore, abuse, and animals in a war situation.
I would like to thank Julia Ember and Harmony Ink Press for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was so much fun! Can't wait for the sequel.
Check out my full review here.
Trigger warning for misgendering, violence, moderate gore, abuse, and animals in a war situation.
July 25, 2017
AMAZING. I loved this book so much I don't even know what to say. My review is going to be a mess, that's for sure.
August 20, 2017
After reading The Seafarer's Kiss, I was really excited to jump aboard The Tiger's Watch. Though I was a bit hesitant about the length of the book (a high fantasy novel written in 180 pages?), the premise promised me awesome things, and on some levels, it delivered; on others, it did not.
First of all, the length of the book showed in its lack of development. While we did get a sense of the world-building and ongoing politics, it was just that - a sense. I would have liked a little more history in this, like why the Myeik and Thim were at war, or why Xian was so adamant on getting rid of the inhabitors. None of this was clearly explained - perhaps something left for the sequel, but that feels like crucial information when you're setting the scene. I did appreciate how culturally diverse it was.
The inhabitors are a group of people who can link themselves to a certain animal. For Tashi, this was a golden tiger by the name of Katala. This means that we saw most of the book through Tashi's eyes, but she also transferred herself to Katala's conscience at times, mostly during hunting scenes and other moments when Katala struck to attack. I thought this was a really cool addition, but on top of that, when Katala did show affection, it was all the more sweet.
Tashi is genderfluid, which seems so effortlessly blended into the story that you barely notice it. There are times when they have to correct someone to use the correct pronouns, but other than that, everyone around them pretty much accepted it and that was awesome. I did have some issues with their love triangle - although one of their love interests was more of a lust interest - but their love and concern for their friend really shone throughout the story and was one of its stronger aspects. The lust one... not so much. I'm all for the main character falling for the bad guy, but in this case, it didn't really work.
As the story ended on such a high note (and I'm left wondering why it didn't just continue, as it was only 180 pages long), I am definitely interested in reading the sequel. The balance of power has shifted noticeably, so I'm very curious to see what happens next.
Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy
First of all, the length of the book showed in its lack of development. While we did get a sense of the world-building and ongoing politics, it was just that - a sense. I would have liked a little more history in this, like why the Myeik and Thim were at war, or why Xian was so adamant on getting rid of the inhabitors. None of this was clearly explained - perhaps something left for the sequel, but that feels like crucial information when you're setting the scene. I did appreciate how culturally diverse it was.
The inhabitors are a group of people who can link themselves to a certain animal. For Tashi, this was a golden tiger by the name of Katala. This means that we saw most of the book through Tashi's eyes, but she also transferred herself to Katala's conscience at times, mostly during hunting scenes and other moments when Katala struck to attack. I thought this was a really cool addition, but on top of that, when Katala did show affection, it was all the more sweet.
Tashi is genderfluid, which seems so effortlessly blended into the story that you barely notice it. There are times when they have to correct someone to use the correct pronouns, but other than that, everyone around them pretty much accepted it and that was awesome. I did have some issues with their love triangle - although one of their love interests was more of a lust interest - but their love and concern for their friend really shone throughout the story and was one of its stronger aspects. The lust one... not so much. I'm all for the main character falling for the bad guy, but in this case, it didn't really work.
As the story ended on such a high note (and I'm left wondering why it didn't just continue, as it was only 180 pages long), I am definitely interested in reading the sequel. The balance of power has shifted noticeably, so I'm very curious to see what happens next.
Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy
August 18, 2017
I wish I had paid more attention to the synopsis before I requested this from Netgalley. If I had, I would’ve noted that the MCs are all 16-17, usually much too young for me when it comes to books. I haven’t been that age in quite some time and really can’t related to stories told from the POV of teenagers.
I requested this for 2 reasons. 1) Because I thought the idea of someone having a “bondmate” with an animal, where you can feel each other and see through each other’s eyes, sounded really fun and interesting. Plus, I love animals! 2) The MC, Tashi, identifies as “they”, which just isn’t in enough books, and I was really excited to read from the POV of a gender fluid protagonist. But, there really didn’t end up being anything that distinguished Tashi as gender fluid, other than the fact everyone referred to them as “they”. I would’ve liked to have seen more of Tashi’s past and acceptance of who they are, and maybe see something different with regards to the romance. Unfortunately, the romance was fairly contrived and not really believable, and I found that I didn’t care that much. I ended up wanting to read more from Katala’s POV than caring about Tashi’s, and ultimately, in the end, found Tashi to be exceptionally flighty and overly emotional. Making decisions that will greatly and gravely affect everyone around her, but doesn’t really care as long as she gets her selfish wishes. I honestly have no desire to continue with the series because I found Tashi to be just another hormonal, self-absorbed, self-conscious teenager that doesn’t know how to make any rational or analytical decisions.
However, I think this story is perfect for those readers that enjoy YA and find that to be their main genre of choice. I also think this would’ve been received better in the hands of someone that enjoyed fantasy more; which is on me. I also intend to pick up something else from this author to see if it’s just this story that I have an issue with.
Copy received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I requested this for 2 reasons. 1) Because I thought the idea of someone having a “bondmate” with an animal, where you can feel each other and see through each other’s eyes, sounded really fun and interesting. Plus, I love animals! 2) The MC, Tashi, identifies as “they”, which just isn’t in enough books, and I was really excited to read from the POV of a gender fluid protagonist. But, there really didn’t end up being anything that distinguished Tashi as gender fluid, other than the fact everyone referred to them as “they”. I would’ve liked to have seen more of Tashi’s past and acceptance of who they are, and maybe see something different with regards to the romance. Unfortunately, the romance was fairly contrived and not really believable, and I found that I didn’t care that much. I ended up wanting to read more from Katala’s POV than caring about Tashi’s, and ultimately, in the end, found Tashi to be exceptionally flighty and overly emotional. Making decisions that will greatly and gravely affect everyone around her, but doesn’t really care as long as she gets her selfish wishes. I honestly have no desire to continue with the series because I found Tashi to be just another hormonal, self-absorbed, self-conscious teenager that doesn’t know how to make any rational or analytical decisions.
However, I think this story is perfect for those readers that enjoy YA and find that to be their main genre of choice. I also think this would’ve been received better in the hands of someone that enjoyed fantasy more; which is on me. I also intend to pick up something else from this author to see if it’s just this story that I have an issue with.
Copy received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 18, 2017
I have wanted to read this book for so, so long. A fantasy inspired by (I think) Bhutanese mythology and folklore, and is queer all over the place to boot. I'm hooked. I'm ready. Give it to me.
Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. But, lets start with the things I did enjoy about The Tiger's Watch.
Likes:
- The magic system was absolutely spectacular. People called inhabitors bond with one animal throughout their lifetime and are trained to connect and control the animal that chooses them. It was a wonderful aspect to the story.
- It's queer. It so, so queer and I was living for it. Tashi identifies as non-binary (so 'their' and 'they' pronouns) and I absolutely adored reading from their perspective. There's also m/m relationships, bisexual and pansexual representation. It was absolutely spectacular.
Dislikes:
- The book was very short, which I feel like didn't give me enough time for relationships and plots to develop the way I would have liked.
- The romance. It links in with the shortness of the book in that certain relationships weren't as established as I would have liked and as such, I just couldn't root for them as much as I wanted to.
Overall though, I was so very glad this book popped up on my radar. It had such a unique atmosphere that a lot of readers will just fall into.
Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. But, lets start with the things I did enjoy about The Tiger's Watch.
Likes:
- The magic system was absolutely spectacular. People called inhabitors bond with one animal throughout their lifetime and are trained to connect and control the animal that chooses them. It was a wonderful aspect to the story.
- It's queer. It so, so queer and I was living for it. Tashi identifies as non-binary (so 'their' and 'they' pronouns) and I absolutely adored reading from their perspective. There's also m/m relationships, bisexual and pansexual representation. It was absolutely spectacular.
Dislikes:
- The book was very short, which I feel like didn't give me enough time for relationships and plots to develop the way I would have liked.
- The romance. It links in with the shortness of the book in that certain relationships weren't as established as I would have liked and as such, I just couldn't root for them as much as I wanted to.
Overall though, I was so very glad this book popped up on my radar. It had such a unique atmosphere that a lot of readers will just fall into.
August 19, 2017
*3.5 Stars*
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I will not summarize this book, I’m gonna throw you into the review, just like I was thrown into this book.
See, when the book started, I was lost, I almost wondered if my file was defective and I started it in the middle of the story. But, no. This book just has an abrupt start.
After that, the main character, Tashi tried to give us some backstory but still, even though I liked this captivating, original world, I felt like some explanations were missing…
Still, I enjoyed this story. The characters were loveable, especially our main character, Tashi. They had a sweet naïveté thing going on that made them endearing.
All in all, I feel like this could have been longer, with more worldbuilding… But I’m still looking forward to reading the next book.
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I will not summarize this book, I’m gonna throw you into the review, just like I was thrown into this book.
See, when the book started, I was lost, I almost wondered if my file was defective and I started it in the middle of the story. But, no. This book just has an abrupt start.
After that, the main character, Tashi tried to give us some backstory but still, even though I liked this captivating, original world, I felt like some explanations were missing…
Still, I enjoyed this story. The characters were loveable, especially our main character, Tashi. They had a sweet naïveté thing going on that made them endearing.
All in all, I feel like this could have been longer, with more worldbuilding… But I’m still looking forward to reading the next book.
February 7, 2018
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE. SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS BOOK.
RTC
RTC
July 30, 2017
I received a digital copy of this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and voluntary review
Rating: 4,5 stars!
I'm! Screaming! This was so cool?
The world building was impeccable. Julia Ember's writing immediately hooked me from the start. The Tiger's Watch is obviously a fantasy book, which usually requires a helluva world building and info about how this particular world works, what makes it tick. In this book, this is done extremely well despite its shortness. We never get overwhelmed with information but we're never left confused either.
The plot is also just so cool? The magic involved, and the whole concept of inhabitors, it was so unique and epic and it was awesomely worked out.
And don't even get me started on the characters, holy hell. Each one of them were complex - though not always morally right, you couldn't help but care for them and sympathise - and so well written.
On the last note, I want to talk about our protagonist, Tashi. As probably almost everyone already knows, Tashi is a genderfluid character. I'm not, so I can't say if it's an accurate representation but what I do want to say is that I loved how no one saw Tashi differently or anything in a negative way. When Tashi got referred to with the wrong pronouns, there was always someone to correct the person and from then on, that person would actually use the right ones without any explanation needed and I freaking loved that. Most importantly I think, was that Tashi's genderfluidity(is that an actual word?) did NOT change anything in the story. Because yes, the protagonist is non-binary, so what?
So yes, The Tiger's Watch is DEFINITELY a book you should read if you love a good fantasy book about magic and animals with great characters and a unique world, and hell yes am I looking forward to the sequel.
Rating: 4,5 stars!
I'm! Screaming! This was so cool?
The world building was impeccable. Julia Ember's writing immediately hooked me from the start. The Tiger's Watch is obviously a fantasy book, which usually requires a helluva world building and info about how this particular world works, what makes it tick. In this book, this is done extremely well despite its shortness. We never get overwhelmed with information but we're never left confused either.
The plot is also just so cool? The magic involved, and the whole concept of inhabitors, it was so unique and epic and it was awesomely worked out.
And don't even get me started on the characters, holy hell. Each one of them were complex - though not always morally right, you couldn't help but care for them and sympathise - and so well written.
On the last note, I want to talk about our protagonist, Tashi. As probably almost everyone already knows, Tashi is a genderfluid character. I'm not, so I can't say if it's an accurate representation but what I do want to say is that I loved how no one saw Tashi differently or anything in a negative way. When Tashi got referred to with the wrong pronouns, there was always someone to correct the person and from then on, that person would actually use the right ones without any explanation needed and I freaking loved that. Most importantly I think, was that Tashi's genderfluidity
So yes, The Tiger's Watch is DEFINITELY a book you should read if you love a good fantasy book about magic and animals with great characters and a unique world, and hell yes am I looking forward to the sequel.
August 15, 2017
I first heard about this book when I was browsing through diverse book lists back in January or February (somewhere around that time), and I remember being very intrigued by the plot because I had never read a book containing a gender fluid character, much less as the main character! This made me realize two things. One we are finally progressing toward a broader representation of genders and sexualities. And two, that due to this being the first book with a gender fluid MC for me, it means that we still have quite a ways to go.
I truly commend Julia Ember for bringing her character Tashi (referred to as a they) not only to the page, but also for sharing them with us. As someone who used to roleplay on sites online, I have years of character and story creation behind me, and during that time I have had a number of characters come to me who would either not 100% fit into the categories of male or female, or who plain refused to choose just one gender altogether. While a few roleplay sites were welcoming to characters like this, there were still many that were not. I was hesitant to bring such characters even to some of the more welcoming sites due to the reactions they (and myself) would receive from other roleplayers and characters. This is why I think it’s great that Ember’s character Tashi is not some character on an obscure roleplay site, but the main character of a book which is being published and made available to the world.
As you may have assumed, this book addresses certain issues involving genders, and what I found particularly interesting was how different types of masculinity and femininity were discussed throughout the narrative, as well as heterosexual matrimonial responsibilities and such. Even though this book is set in a fantasy world (which to me felt like perhaps China with magic), numerous subjects were brought up which are relevant to our actual world. This book would get even those who have never given gender roles, varying sexualities, and the like any thought to thinking about such matters.
The world building was fairly good, and I did keep in mind that due to this being a novella, there was a limited amount of space which could be devoted to descriptions (of world, or characters). Despite this being a novella, however, I did get a feel for the world in which The Tiger’s Watch is set, and I did catch myself at times wondering about the cultures, and other locations of Ember’s world. The writing in this book was also good and quite comprehensible. And while I did come across one or two colloquial word which threw me off, I found that these things did not generally hinder my immersion into the story.
The plot and characters kept me interested throughout, and I particularly enjoyed the relationship and magic between inhabitants and their animal partners. This is a unique type of magic, and I appreciate the detail and thought that went into creating this magic. There is quite some mythology which Ember has created for her world, which ties in with the plot as well as with the magic of the inhabitants (something which I always appreciate also). Overall, this was quite an interesting novella to read, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more work from this author.
I truly commend Julia Ember for bringing her character Tashi (referred to as a they) not only to the page, but also for sharing them with us. As someone who used to roleplay on sites online, I have years of character and story creation behind me, and during that time I have had a number of characters come to me who would either not 100% fit into the categories of male or female, or who plain refused to choose just one gender altogether. While a few roleplay sites were welcoming to characters like this, there were still many that were not. I was hesitant to bring such characters even to some of the more welcoming sites due to the reactions they (and myself) would receive from other roleplayers and characters. This is why I think it’s great that Ember’s character Tashi is not some character on an obscure roleplay site, but the main character of a book which is being published and made available to the world.
As you may have assumed, this book addresses certain issues involving genders, and what I found particularly interesting was how different types of masculinity and femininity were discussed throughout the narrative, as well as heterosexual matrimonial responsibilities and such. Even though this book is set in a fantasy world (which to me felt like perhaps China with magic), numerous subjects were brought up which are relevant to our actual world. This book would get even those who have never given gender roles, varying sexualities, and the like any thought to thinking about such matters.
The world building was fairly good, and I did keep in mind that due to this being a novella, there was a limited amount of space which could be devoted to descriptions (of world, or characters). Despite this being a novella, however, I did get a feel for the world in which The Tiger’s Watch is set, and I did catch myself at times wondering about the cultures, and other locations of Ember’s world. The writing in this book was also good and quite comprehensible. And while I did come across one or two colloquial word which threw me off, I found that these things did not generally hinder my immersion into the story.
The plot and characters kept me interested throughout, and I particularly enjoyed the relationship and magic between inhabitants and their animal partners. This is a unique type of magic, and I appreciate the detail and thought that went into creating this magic. There is quite some mythology which Ember has created for her world, which ties in with the plot as well as with the magic of the inhabitants (something which I always appreciate also). Overall, this was quite an interesting novella to read, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more work from this author.
August 23, 2017
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this young adult fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
Well, yet again, an interesting cover led me to take a look at this book. Gender-fluid protagonist who is bonded with a giant golden tiger? Yes, please. This book certainly was a quick read at 180 pages. I read it in one evening. It was an enjoyable read for me but not a fantastic one.
The pros:
- Gender-fluid protagonist. Hooray for diversity! Also Tashi is accepted by society and their friends. If only our world could be this way for everyone.
- The protagonist is conflicted. Tashi does cry and get confused and make uninformed decisions. I like that the main character has emotions.
- Tashi didn’t just magically become a kick-ass warrior in a second because suddenly there is war.
- Tashi’s spy training is laughable in a good way because their society has been at peace for so long that Tashi thought those studies weren’t extremely important.
- I loved the best friend Pharo. He is stubborn and rash and lovable and caring.
- Bonds with animals. Awesome of course. I loved all the unique animals that humans could bond with. I also enjoyed the consequences for possessing the animal bond. Not all fun and games but no spoilers here!
The cons:
- The protagonist is whiny. I don’t mind that Tashi cries sometimes or is scared. I did mind that they kept wanting someone else to save them. And yet they would rush into danger at the drop of a hat at other moments.
- An eventual love-triangle thing. It wasn’t instantaneous and there is a love-side and a lust-side. But why! So unnecessary.
- The politics and world-building are not really handled well. Cool concepts but not enough explanation. Plus Tashi becomes both a spy and a trusted companion in a really pathetic way.
- The plot is confusing. What plot there is seems to be driven by the love-triangle. Tashi’s lust gets in the way of rational thought. And plot points occur because they are not thinking. For example, the perspective on the lust-interest is a ‘He tortures people! He is so dreamy!’ kinda thing. Ugh.
- The ending! It was very abrupt and the protagonist makes a really dumb choice. Going from one extreme to another with no real thought. It is kinda explained but is a rather flimsy excuse for me taste.
I would have liked Tashi to use intelligence and wits to overcome their fear and uncertainty. I would have loved Tashi to have become an awesome spy. I would have loved for Tashi to make choices based on others instead of their own simple yet conflicted feelings and desires. That said I did enjoy many parts of this book. I just wanted more. The next novel apparently is from the different perspective of Pharo. It may be interesting to see the world from another perspective We shall see . . .
So lastly . . .
Thank you Harmony Ink Press!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
Well, yet again, an interesting cover led me to take a look at this book. Gender-fluid protagonist who is bonded with a giant golden tiger? Yes, please. This book certainly was a quick read at 180 pages. I read it in one evening. It was an enjoyable read for me but not a fantastic one.
The pros:
- Gender-fluid protagonist. Hooray for diversity! Also Tashi is accepted by society and their friends. If only our world could be this way for everyone.
- The protagonist is conflicted. Tashi does cry and get confused and make uninformed decisions. I like that the main character has emotions.
- Tashi didn’t just magically become a kick-ass warrior in a second because suddenly there is war.
- Tashi’s spy training is laughable in a good way because their society has been at peace for so long that Tashi thought those studies weren’t extremely important.
- I loved the best friend Pharo. He is stubborn and rash and lovable and caring.
- Bonds with animals. Awesome of course. I loved all the unique animals that humans could bond with. I also enjoyed the consequences for possessing the animal bond. Not all fun and games but no spoilers here!
The cons:
- The protagonist is whiny. I don’t mind that Tashi cries sometimes or is scared. I did mind that they kept wanting someone else to save them. And yet they would rush into danger at the drop of a hat at other moments.
- An eventual love-triangle thing. It wasn’t instantaneous and there is a love-side and a lust-side. But why! So unnecessary.
- The politics and world-building are not really handled well. Cool concepts but not enough explanation. Plus Tashi becomes both a spy and a trusted companion in a really pathetic way.
- The plot is confusing. What plot there is seems to be driven by the love-triangle. Tashi’s lust gets in the way of rational thought. And plot points occur because they are not thinking. For example, the perspective on the lust-interest is a ‘He tortures people! He is so dreamy!’ kinda thing. Ugh.
- The ending! It was very abrupt and the protagonist makes a really dumb choice. Going from one extreme to another with no real thought. It is kinda explained but is a rather flimsy excuse for me taste.
I would have liked Tashi to use intelligence and wits to overcome their fear and uncertainty. I would have loved Tashi to have become an awesome spy. I would have loved for Tashi to make choices based on others instead of their own simple yet conflicted feelings and desires. That said I did enjoy many parts of this book. I just wanted more. The next novel apparently is from the different perspective of Pharo. It may be interesting to see the world from another perspective We shall see . . .
So lastly . . .
Thank you Harmony Ink Press!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
August 8, 2017
we_tried_br w/ birthday girl 🎂 and this cutie
did someone curse me and silvia or smth, we only had 1.5 good BRs???
DNF @ 59%
so i requested this arc because i found the idea very intriguing. genderfluid MC in a fantasy world (not my place to speak about it, but i think genderfluidness was presented really well)! bounded to the tiger (kind of feels like soulmates but with an animal)! who has to spy on enemy invaders!
sadly, apart from promising idea and great take on Tashi's (the MC) genderfluidness, i found the book severely lacking. i didn't finish it, so i can only speak about 59% i did read.
first and foremost, the world building. there is like none. we're thrown right into the middle of everything and while i don't need authors to spoonfeed me everything, i would like the world to be explained at least a little. well, this didn't happen in the first half of the book. i've read more than 50% and still haven't got a picture. yeah, it might be explained by the lack of MC's knowledge, but there are a lot of other ways to incorporate the WB.
secondly, the romance. the romance here is reeeeally cringy and far-fetched. it's insta-love (lust?) that tries to make you think that it's not, but it is. Ember might've wanted to make this an enemies to lovers trope(best trope in fiction 10/10 would read everything) but she wasn't successful. there's not chemistry between characters, moments like "gasp they wanted to kiss their enemy gasp they felt attraction GASP" feel really weird especially after the MC witnessed said love interest being hostile/sadistic/abusive or else. i won't call it stockholm syndrome but it actually kind of gave me this impression.
and well, i didn't like Tashi to be very honest. they made really weird decisions (like, who decides to "prank" the enemy who's really hostile towards you?? hello?? surviving 101??), they were supposed to be a SPY who were taught a lot, but i didn't see any real SPYING and i've read more than a half of the book? i couldn't connect to Tashi at all and i didn't even want to sympathize with them.
well, my final rating is 4/10.
I’ve received an arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not influenced my review.
did someone curse me and silvia or smth, we only had 1.5 good BRs???
DNF @ 59%
so i requested this arc because i found the idea very intriguing. genderfluid MC in a fantasy world (not my place to speak about it, but i think genderfluidness was presented really well)! bounded to the tiger (kind of feels like soulmates but with an animal)! who has to spy on enemy invaders!
sadly, apart from promising idea and great take on Tashi's (the MC) genderfluidness, i found the book severely lacking. i didn't finish it, so i can only speak about 59% i did read.
first and foremost, the world building. there is like none. we're thrown right into the middle of everything and while i don't need authors to spoonfeed me everything, i would like the world to be explained at least a little. well, this didn't happen in the first half of the book. i've read more than 50% and still haven't got a picture. yeah, it might be explained by the lack of MC's knowledge, but there are a lot of other ways to incorporate the WB.
secondly, the romance. the romance here is reeeeally cringy and far-fetched. it's insta-love (lust?) that tries to make you think that it's not, but it is. Ember might've wanted to make this an enemies to lovers trope
and well, i didn't like Tashi to be very honest. they made really weird decisions (like, who decides to "prank" the enemy who's really hostile towards you?? hello?? surviving 101??), they were supposed to be a SPY who were taught a lot, but i didn't see any real SPYING and i've read more than a half of the book? i couldn't connect to Tashi at all and i didn't even want to sympathize with them.
well, my final rating is 4/10.
I’ve received an arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not influenced my review.
September 8, 2017
I was so excited to hear Julia was writing a YA fantasy series with a gender fluid main character, something that is sorely lacking in literature today. The fact that The Tiger’s Watch was also going to have human-animal bonding, magic and a badass heroine going behind enemy lies to spy was just the icing on the cake! It instantly became a must read. However as much as I wanted to love it, I’m sorry to say that I had a few issues with The Tiger’s Watch.
I had a slight issue with Tashi, well more with some of the actions they made but apart from that Tashi was an incredibly likeable character. What was great about the world Tashi lived in was the acceptance of gender fluidity. Yes there was a instance with another character who didn’t get why Tashi needed to be address as ‘they’ instead of ‘she/he’ but overall it was easily accepted and didn’t have to be explained during every one of Tashi’s interactions.
Tashi is bonded to a golden tiger called Katana and I was fascinated by the relationship they had. I love books with animals in and this was no exception. Julie created a complex relationship between humans and animals and the communication between them. Also I would totally want to be bonded to a tiger, Katana is an absolute badass, when Tashi was in a tough spot you just knew Katana was close by stalking her prey and ready to save the day.
So from the synopsis it’s easy to see than Tashi is on the run and then ends up becoming a servant/spy for the Xian commander. What wasn’t easy to see was the world building? I’m still not sure what was happening and ultimately why. The same goes for the plot, it just wasn’t there, I spent the majority of the book feeling like I’d missed some essential chapter and was left with more questions than answers.
My other issue was the romance. There was a large dose on insta-love on one hand and a complete mystery infatuation on the other. Tashi watched the Xian commander slaughter and torture people, their own people and yet still ends up with feelings for him. Not even the slow hate to love just an instant sexual attraction. And then we have love interest #2 who Tashi has shown no interest in whatsoever for the majority of the book but suddenly when his life is at stake Tashi is in love with him. Now that’s not to say it’s couldn’t work, I’m sure under certain circumstances such as life and death people will come to realise their true feelings BUT there was just no chemistry, or buildup or feelings for me to truly believe in it.
Overall I really wanted to love The Tiger’s Watch but due to the lack of world building and plot I wasn’t able to fully connect with the book. Tashi was a great character although her decisions at the end kiiiind of made me want to pull my hair out, I’m still looking forward to see what happens next as Julie has created a good foundation there, I just needed a little more substance.
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I had a slight issue with Tashi, well more with some of the actions they made but apart from that Tashi was an incredibly likeable character. What was great about the world Tashi lived in was the acceptance of gender fluidity. Yes there was a instance with another character who didn’t get why Tashi needed to be address as ‘they’ instead of ‘she/he’ but overall it was easily accepted and didn’t have to be explained during every one of Tashi’s interactions.
Tashi is bonded to a golden tiger called Katana and I was fascinated by the relationship they had. I love books with animals in and this was no exception. Julie created a complex relationship between humans and animals and the communication between them. Also I would totally want to be bonded to a tiger, Katana is an absolute badass, when Tashi was in a tough spot you just knew Katana was close by stalking her prey and ready to save the day.
So from the synopsis it’s easy to see than Tashi is on the run and then ends up becoming a servant/spy for the Xian commander. What wasn’t easy to see was the world building? I’m still not sure what was happening and ultimately why. The same goes for the plot, it just wasn’t there, I spent the majority of the book feeling like I’d missed some essential chapter and was left with more questions than answers.
My other issue was the romance. There was a large dose on insta-love on one hand and a complete mystery infatuation on the other. Tashi watched the Xian commander slaughter and torture people, their own people and yet still ends up with feelings for him. Not even the slow hate to love just an instant sexual attraction. And then we have love interest #2 who Tashi has shown no interest in whatsoever for the majority of the book but suddenly when his life is at stake Tashi is in love with him. Now that’s not to say it’s couldn’t work, I’m sure under certain circumstances such as life and death people will come to realise their true feelings BUT there was just no chemistry, or buildup or feelings for me to truly believe in it.
Overall I really wanted to love The Tiger’s Watch but due to the lack of world building and plot I wasn’t able to fully connect with the book. Tashi was a great character although her decisions at the end kiiiind of made me want to pull my hair out, I’m still looking forward to see what happens next as Julie has created a good foundation there, I just needed a little more substance.
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October 19, 2019
Dear God, what did I just read?
This book had so much potential! So much! A non-binary mc, in a world were certain people can connect with animals for life for the greater good, during a war... And this is all you can do? No hate to the author, but this is disappointing.
The mc is stupid, no character development, they can't understand what to feel for the enemy, "I love him", "his an asshole", "he's so wonderful", "he's a murderer", and like this for the rest of the book. Meanwhile they have a crush on a childhood friend, and they even give away the biggest secret to save the "love of his life". Not even one minute later, "yeah, but I like the other one too"... wtf!
So much of this book is so useless and uneventful. Such a disappointment.
This book had so much potential! So much! A non-binary mc, in a world were certain people can connect with animals for life for the greater good, during a war... And this is all you can do? No hate to the author, but this is disappointing.
The mc is stupid, no character development, they can't understand what to feel for the enemy, "I love him", "his an asshole", "he's so wonderful", "he's a murderer", and like this for the rest of the book. Meanwhile they have a crush on a childhood friend, and they even give away the biggest secret to save the "love of his life". Not even one minute later, "yeah, but I like the other one too"... wtf!
So much of this book is so useless and uneventful. Such a disappointment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2017
SPOILER FREE REVIEW
At the beginning I was a little bit confused as the whole gender world is a bit new to me and I needed some time adapt to it. Do not get me wrong I have nothing against non binary people nor the way they decide to define themselves I am totally OK with that.
This clarified let me jump into the
THINGS I LIKED
The cover! Seriously it is cover-porn I could stare at it for hours and would not get bored
0.0 should I be worried about this??
The Asian vibes I am all about Asia!! You say China? You say Buthan or South Korea or any other country/city in Asia I am IN!! Like only by the mention of that magical world I already bough the flight tickets and I'm ready to departure!
DIVERSITY! Say no more!
The descriptive writing style without being too much nor too less just perfect to make you imagine the whole scene with just the right amount of details to it
The whole idea of a world where none, not even the enemy questions your gender and your friends will correct the person that is addressing you
The wild animals! I loved how Julia managed to convey the sense of wild in this book and that the animals have feelings too and dreams and they should be respected
The shape-shifting and the connection with the animals. This was really a great idea and how it works and how the ''inhabitors'' connect with their animal and experience the life through their eyes and body.
Katala!! <3 I am a sucker for felines BITE ME! no don't do that >.>
The strong friendship between Pharo and Tashi. I really do like books representing a strong solid friendship and here we have it.
THINGS I DID NOT LIKE
Tashi's personality felt as a very confused character that does things without even thinking about what they are doing and why they are doing it. It made me confused as well and just turned me off at some points. I wanted them to be more decisive and not soo weak at times...
The relationship between Xian and Tashi was wayyyy tooo fast paced it felt like the whole world is spinning faster than it should
The love triangle troop. It would have been great if things remained, how can I say, just how they were in the begging. read the book to find out more^.^
Overall I did enjoy it and towards the end things started to get different direction and this was the most interesting part for me. There were some unexpected truths surfacing that I did not see coming. We got to see the setting for the sequel and I am really curious to find out what happens with the characters and what will happen with the pendant and most importantly how powerful it is and what it could do!!
I gave it 3.5 stars rounded to 4 and I would definitely be reading the second book!
At the beginning I was a little bit confused as the whole gender world is a bit new to me and I needed some time adapt to it. Do not get me wrong I have nothing against non binary people nor the way they decide to define themselves I am totally OK with that.
This clarified let me jump into the
THINGS I LIKED
The cover! Seriously it is cover-porn I could stare at it for hours and would not get bored
0.0 should I be worried about this??
The Asian vibes I am all about Asia!! You say China? You say Buthan or South Korea or any other country/city in Asia I am IN!! Like only by the mention of that magical world I already bough the flight tickets and I'm ready to departure!
DIVERSITY! Say no more!
The descriptive writing style without being too much nor too less just perfect to make you imagine the whole scene with just the right amount of details to it
The whole idea of a world where none, not even the enemy questions your gender and your friends will correct the person that is addressing you
The wild animals! I loved how Julia managed to convey the sense of wild in this book and that the animals have feelings too and dreams and they should be respected
The shape-shifting and the connection with the animals. This was really a great idea and how it works and how the ''inhabitors'' connect with their animal and experience the life through their eyes and body.
Katala!! <3 I am a sucker for felines BITE ME! no don't do that >.>
The strong friendship between Pharo and Tashi. I really do like books representing a strong solid friendship and here we have it.
THINGS I DID NOT LIKE
Tashi's personality felt as a very confused character that does things without even thinking about what they are doing and why they are doing it. It made me confused as well and just turned me off at some points. I wanted them to be more decisive and not soo weak at times...
The relationship between Xian and Tashi was wayyyy tooo fast paced it felt like the whole world is spinning faster than it should
The love triangle troop. It would have been great if things remained, how can I say, just how they were in the begging. read the book to find out more^.^
Overall I did enjoy it and towards the end things started to get different direction and this was the most interesting part for me. There were some unexpected truths surfacing that I did not see coming. We got to see the setting for the sequel and I am really curious to find out what happens with the characters and what will happen with the pendant and most importantly how powerful it is and what it could do!!
I gave it 3.5 stars rounded to 4 and I would definitely be reading the second book!
July 31, 2017
"The animal sees something in you that draws them, but as you bond,the thing that makes you successful as a pair may be something else entirely. Balance. At all times balance within yourself. Do not focus in on that one trait."
I am having very hard time gathering my feelings for this book. You see, it has every thing that I like about a Young adult fantasy book : interesting plot, great setting, complex characters. But then there were so many things missing that stopped me from enjoying the book to the fullest. I really wished that it was a full length novel instead of a novella because there were so many interesting things that were left unexplored and underdeveloped.
God, where do I start? Okay let's talk about the world building first. According to the writer, the setting of the story is inspired by Bhutan-a small country situated in the heart of Himalayan mountains. The story took place in Thim, which is a beautiful country with lush green scenery and sparse population. I absolutely loved the concept of inhibitors. The inhibitors were soldiers who spies and hunts, bonded with an animal and if the human or the animal they are bonded with dies, the other succumbs into deep sleep never to be woken again. I loved how bond and love between animal and human was potrayed. The animals were not described as slaves of inhibitors but rather seperate beings that were meant to be respected and loved. But I wanted to know more about the process of how these soldiers become inhibitors? There were few mention of spells and inhibitors meeting the animals but other than that there was nothing else. Towards the end of the book, many other apparent holes in world building were simply revealed to be protaganist's lack of knowledge. Pretty conveniant though.
Other than the magic system, we didn't get to know anything about Thim. For example, who were their rulers? What happened to them? Who was leading the armies of Thim against Myeik? Most of the story took place in a monastery but we didn't get to know anything about their religion at all.
Now the plot. The country of Thim was invaded by Myeiks and the capital had fallen. Tashi,along with their friend
Pharo, flees to a monastery to hide and both disguised as novice monks. When invaders turned the monastery into a hospital, Tashi was chosen by Xian,the commander of Myeik, as his servant. So Tashi got a golden opportunity to spy on Xian and (suprise suprise) soon discovered that there is more depth to him then his ruthless facade. Well tbh he is a bigger asshole and nothing else.
For a book that promised invaders,war and soldiers that controls animals, you'd imagine lots of action and fighting scenes. Unfortunately, there were none of them in The tiger's watch. Honestly, the plot was barely there in the first half of the book. It was just Tashi oggling Xian and trying to figure out their feelings.The story picked up during the second half as more secrets were revealed and Tashi discovered that the fate of Thim might rest on their shoulders. Tashi was supposed to make some hard decisions. I felt that second half of the book was extremely emotional because Tashi was forced to face some harsh truths.
Characters : I liked Tashi most of the time. They were kind,sweet but still badass in a way that they were ready to face some harsh truth that others blindly ignored. Sure they were not exactly the bravest and the strongest, but I think that is what made their personality interesting. Tashi was an inhibitor and they were bonded to magnificant orange tiger named Katala. Also,I loved how their gender was handled. Tashi was gender-fluid and was very confident in their gender. I liked how the world Ember created was clean of prejudices like that of our world. If someone mistook Tashi for a boy then they would politely tell them 'it's they' and everyone would be cool with it. Simple.
But Tashi made some extremely stupid decisions too. For one, their attraction toward the commander was almost laughable seriously. It doesn't even made any sense. I mean one moment they'd be like commander is a son of a bitch and another moment: oh I want them. Also,the decisions they made towards the end of the book really made me want to bang my head against a wall. I kind of understand why they made those decisions but I felt as if the author didn't spent enough time convincing the reader why they made those decisions.
Romance: There is a love triangle but it is not annoying and doesn't take the whole story. Tashi is actually in love with Pharo who is kind, sweet and happens to be Tashi's best friend. As for the second love interest,the commander, Xian, he is every bit voilent and malicious and Tashi only feels lust for him. And honestly, I didn't understand why Tashi felt even lust for them. I liked the relationship between Pharo and Tashi, it was very interesting and I was rooting for them. But Tashi's infatuation with Xian was completely random and unnecessary.
So in conclusion, I'd say that it is an interesting book with a fantastic premise and if you can ignore all the problems mentioned above, you can enjoy this book more than me. I'll still pick up the next book because I'm interested where the story goes and also it has a different protaganist. I really hope Tashi fix up all their mistakes in the next book please.*fingers crossed*
***I recieved an arc from the publisher via netgalley in exchange of an honest review.***
August 3, 2017
**Thank you to Harmony Ink Press and Netgalley for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review.
2.5 to 3 stars!!!
When I had first read the synopsis for this book, I was pretty excited. The concept of the novel really hooked me. However, I'm quite disappointed because the story hasn't really lived up to my expectations. All in all, this book was a rather average read for me with a few key highlights.
Firstly, I'd like to applaud the author for creating a genderfluid protagonist. I liked how the sexual conflict with regards to Tashi's identity was portrayed and how the minor characters easily came to their defense. It was also refreshing to encounter a plot where characters are so accepting of diversity. Unfortunately, that's where it ended for me. In terms of decisions made by the character, I was utterly confused. This was especially in the case of Xian for whom Tashi has feelings for. I was really befuddled with how the MC dealt with someone who is very cold and has hidden motives. As a result, we see the MC making some rather grave mistakes. Decisions which clearly would not have happened had the author made the MC was more fierce and level headed but I didn't get that.
Secondly, I enjoyed the idea of characters connected with animals. I thought the magic system in place was very interesting. But there wasn't much information given as to why it existed in the first place. There is no context of history. This makes for very poor plot development. This coupled with a lack of worldbuilding made the story lack richness. For example, the author has set the story in a world ravaged by war, but as a reader, we have no clue as to the reason behind it. This was very disappointing. The book does contain vivid descriptions of how the characters use the animals but it felt very disconnected.
Thirdly, the story has some romance thrown it. It's more of a love-triangle. I did like the relationship between Pharo and Tashi. I found the slow burn romance to be engaging and very realistic. On the other hand, Xian as a love interest was cringe-worthy. I was not getting any feels there. It was not at all relatable and I didn't understand why it was introduced in the first place. I guess it was for convenience and plot progression.
Overall, as I said the book is very average. I was expecting so much more. I was so excited to read a story based on an Ancient China or that's the feeling I got from the blurb. I don't think I would be reading the sequel as there are a lot of gaps in the plot. The characters also need to be flushed out more. The book had the potential to be great, but it flatlined for me.
2.5 to 3 stars!!!
When I had first read the synopsis for this book, I was pretty excited. The concept of the novel really hooked me. However, I'm quite disappointed because the story hasn't really lived up to my expectations. All in all, this book was a rather average read for me with a few key highlights.
Firstly, I'd like to applaud the author for creating a genderfluid protagonist. I liked how the sexual conflict with regards to Tashi's identity was portrayed and how the minor characters easily came to their defense. It was also refreshing to encounter a plot where characters are so accepting of diversity. Unfortunately, that's where it ended for me. In terms of decisions made by the character, I was utterly confused. This was especially in the case of Xian for whom Tashi has feelings for. I was really befuddled with how the MC dealt with someone who is very cold and has hidden motives. As a result, we see the MC making some rather grave mistakes. Decisions which clearly would not have happened had the author made the MC was more fierce and level headed but I didn't get that.
Secondly, I enjoyed the idea of characters connected with animals. I thought the magic system in place was very interesting. But there wasn't much information given as to why it existed in the first place. There is no context of history. This makes for very poor plot development. This coupled with a lack of worldbuilding made the story lack richness. For example, the author has set the story in a world ravaged by war, but as a reader, we have no clue as to the reason behind it. This was very disappointing. The book does contain vivid descriptions of how the characters use the animals but it felt very disconnected.
Thirdly, the story has some romance thrown it. It's more of a love-triangle. I did like the relationship between Pharo and Tashi. I found the slow burn romance to be engaging and very realistic. On the other hand, Xian as a love interest was cringe-worthy. I was not getting any feels there. It was not at all relatable and I didn't understand why it was introduced in the first place. I guess it was for convenience and plot progression.
Overall, as I said the book is very average. I was expecting so much more. I was so excited to read a story based on an Ancient China or that's the feeling I got from the blurb. I don't think I would be reading the sequel as there are a lot of gaps in the plot. The characters also need to be flushed out more. The book had the potential to be great, but it flatlined for me.
August 8, 2017
Wow! I already feel I will not be able to do this book justice with my review. When I read the blurb for The Tigers Watch I was intrigued. However, I wasn't sure if it was going to be for me. I'm so glad I gave it a shot. The writing style sucked me in, and I really enjoyed the story. The Tigers Watch just got better, and better. I can't wait for the next one. I want it now!
Tashi has a bonded animal who helps her to spy and kill enemies. She has to leave the capital after it is over run. She ends up going into hiding in a monastery, but her enemy has caught up with her. She poses as a servant. This is where the young, fearless commander, Xian finds her and wants Tashi to service him personally.
Xian is not the man she thought he was, and her own beliefs are being questioned. Tashi has a duty to her people to spy on the commander, but the more she learns, the more she has doubts. As time goes on she sees a softer more pleasant side to Xian, and a harder side to the faith she has grown up trusting. The lines become blurred, and Tashi has some difficult decisions to make.
5 stars out of 5. I want more of this series. The artwork for this book is good, however, I think it doesn't do it justice. It is part of the reason I was unsure about wanting to read it. As they say, don't judge a book by its cover. I'd recommend you try a sample of The Tigers Watch I was hooked right from the start.
*I received The Tigers watch in exchange for a fair review*
Blog tour date 21st August:)
Tashi has a bonded animal who helps her to spy and kill enemies. She has to leave the capital after it is over run. She ends up going into hiding in a monastery, but her enemy has caught up with her. She poses as a servant. This is where the young, fearless commander, Xian finds her and wants Tashi to service him personally.
Xian is not the man she thought he was, and her own beliefs are being questioned. Tashi has a duty to her people to spy on the commander, but the more she learns, the more she has doubts. As time goes on she sees a softer more pleasant side to Xian, and a harder side to the faith she has grown up trusting. The lines become blurred, and Tashi has some difficult decisions to make.
5 stars out of 5. I want more of this series. The artwork for this book is good, however, I think it doesn't do it justice. It is part of the reason I was unsure about wanting to read it. As they say, don't judge a book by its cover. I'd recommend you try a sample of The Tigers Watch I was hooked right from the start.
*I received The Tigers watch in exchange for a fair review*
Blog tour date 21st August:)
August 23, 2017
***4 STARS***
Full review can also be found on my blog Lair Of Books:
https://lairofbooksblog.wordpress.com...
PLOT
The Tiger’s Watch is a diverse YA Fantasy centered around Tashi our gender fluid main character. Tashi is a inhabitor which by definition means you are bonded with an animal. This also means your life lines are linked & so when one dies, the other does too. Tashi is bonded to a golden tiger named Katala who if need be they can inhabit. As a soldier trained to be a spy, Tashi and their tiger are a team with Katala doing the killing. Tashi and her best friend Pharro who is also a inhabitor, are both sent away to hide in a monastery when their capital is brought down by an invading army. In this monastery, they are instructed to lay low and not call on their animals as it would call attention to their inhabitor identities. They are considered valuable in the inevitable war to come and so the monks try to keep them hidden. In the process of doing so, they only managed to call attention to Tashi & the invading armies’ commander Xian’s interest was instantly piqued. Xian makes Tashi his assistant of sorts providing Tashi the opportunity to spy on the enemy. The problem begins when there’s a spark of chemistry between Tashi & Xian that makes them question everything & ultimately leads them to make questionable decisions…
CHARACTERS
Tashi- Our Gender fluid MC takes some getting used to, I’m sure many will be annoyed with just how weak they are presented but it’s part of their story. Tashi was paired with the fiercest of animals at the age of 8, a hunter & killer who gets a thrill out of the chase. Tashi however, is the complete opposite and the very thought of killing literally upsets their stomach. I am hoping the sequel sees Tashi finding their strength & also recognizing how some of their decisions have hurt others. In this book we see Tashi make impulse decisions in hopes of changing a system they believe to be cruel. However, a ton of it came across as not well thought out & selfish. This character has a ton of growing pains ahead of them & I hope it’s evident in the next book.
Katala- Tashi’s golden tiger was one of my favorite characters in the entire book! I LOVED Katala! she is fierce, loyal, protective, and will NOT hesitate to get the job done even when Tashi is uncertain. As gruesome as some scenes would appear to be if you have a vivid imagination lol, I also found humor whenever Katala proudly killed an enemy soldier. Katala couldn’t contain her excitement at her achievements & as such would tap into her link with Tashi to show them the catch of the day, meanwhile Tashi doesn’t have the stomach for their Tiger’s appetite.
Pharro-Best friend to Tashi & at times the lines could get a bit blurred which means that yes a love triangle forms by the end of this story…sort of lol. Tashi has real feelings for Pharro, another inhabitor linked to an old wolf. Their relationship is complicated because Pharro knows that unlike Tashi who is bonded with a tiger with a long life span, he is bonded with a old wolf in his last days.
Xian-Commander of the invading army, at first comes off as ruthless and sadistic. He knows he can’t look weak in front of his army but he also has started to grow feelings for Tashi. I had some issues with this character who gave Tashi a sense of being owned, as if they were his possession. Tashi has formed a strange attraction to Xian and this leads to a ton of confusion on Tashi’s behalf. Xian is my least liked character, I just don’t trust him no matter what Tashi sees in him *shrugs*
WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS
When I first heard of The Tiger’s Watch featuring a gender fluid MC, I was a bit worried about whether it would deliver good representation but also excited. I then saw the author’s name & instantly recognized her from Twitter. No, I haven’t read anything from Julia Ember til’ now but that’s about to change. Tashi is a much needed addition to the Young Adult books we have on our shelves. The world Tashi lives in, their society is much more advanced than our own real life world. Tashi being gender fluid wasn’t completely out of the ordinary in their world & whenever someone called Tashi “he” or “she” whoever knew Tashi would immediately correct the person by letting them know the correct pronoun is “they”. I absolutely LOVED the story & bond our MC shares with their tiger Katala. It was made up of mutual respect & trust at it’s core with Katala expressing her independence. Their bond was never a master/owner type relationship which I appreciated. I did however wish to see expansion in world building & growth from Tashi. With this eGalley, the author also sent a excerpt to the next book which is already promising. So I guess you can say my chief complaint is that I’d like to see more haha! but The Tiger’s Watch is definitely a must read for my diverse book blogging friends :)
*HUGE thanks to Julia Ember for providing me with a eGalley copy of The Tiger's Watch in exchange for an honest review.
Full review can also be found on my blog Lair Of Books:
https://lairofbooksblog.wordpress.com...
PLOT
The Tiger’s Watch is a diverse YA Fantasy centered around Tashi our gender fluid main character. Tashi is a inhabitor which by definition means you are bonded with an animal. This also means your life lines are linked & so when one dies, the other does too. Tashi is bonded to a golden tiger named Katala who if need be they can inhabit. As a soldier trained to be a spy, Tashi and their tiger are a team with Katala doing the killing. Tashi and her best friend Pharro who is also a inhabitor, are both sent away to hide in a monastery when their capital is brought down by an invading army. In this monastery, they are instructed to lay low and not call on their animals as it would call attention to their inhabitor identities. They are considered valuable in the inevitable war to come and so the monks try to keep them hidden. In the process of doing so, they only managed to call attention to Tashi & the invading armies’ commander Xian’s interest was instantly piqued. Xian makes Tashi his assistant of sorts providing Tashi the opportunity to spy on the enemy. The problem begins when there’s a spark of chemistry between Tashi & Xian that makes them question everything & ultimately leads them to make questionable decisions…
CHARACTERS
Tashi- Our Gender fluid MC takes some getting used to, I’m sure many will be annoyed with just how weak they are presented but it’s part of their story. Tashi was paired with the fiercest of animals at the age of 8, a hunter & killer who gets a thrill out of the chase. Tashi however, is the complete opposite and the very thought of killing literally upsets their stomach. I am hoping the sequel sees Tashi finding their strength & also recognizing how some of their decisions have hurt others. In this book we see Tashi make impulse decisions in hopes of changing a system they believe to be cruel. However, a ton of it came across as not well thought out & selfish. This character has a ton of growing pains ahead of them & I hope it’s evident in the next book.
Katala- Tashi’s golden tiger was one of my favorite characters in the entire book! I LOVED Katala! she is fierce, loyal, protective, and will NOT hesitate to get the job done even when Tashi is uncertain. As gruesome as some scenes would appear to be if you have a vivid imagination lol, I also found humor whenever Katala proudly killed an enemy soldier. Katala couldn’t contain her excitement at her achievements & as such would tap into her link with Tashi to show them the catch of the day, meanwhile Tashi doesn’t have the stomach for their Tiger’s appetite.
Pharro-Best friend to Tashi & at times the lines could get a bit blurred which means that yes a love triangle forms by the end of this story…sort of lol. Tashi has real feelings for Pharro, another inhabitor linked to an old wolf. Their relationship is complicated because Pharro knows that unlike Tashi who is bonded with a tiger with a long life span, he is bonded with a old wolf in his last days.
Xian-Commander of the invading army, at first comes off as ruthless and sadistic. He knows he can’t look weak in front of his army but he also has started to grow feelings for Tashi. I had some issues with this character who gave Tashi a sense of being owned, as if they were his possession. Tashi has formed a strange attraction to Xian and this leads to a ton of confusion on Tashi’s behalf. Xian is my least liked character, I just don’t trust him no matter what Tashi sees in him *shrugs*
WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS
When I first heard of The Tiger’s Watch featuring a gender fluid MC, I was a bit worried about whether it would deliver good representation but also excited. I then saw the author’s name & instantly recognized her from Twitter. No, I haven’t read anything from Julia Ember til’ now but that’s about to change. Tashi is a much needed addition to the Young Adult books we have on our shelves. The world Tashi lives in, their society is much more advanced than our own real life world. Tashi being gender fluid wasn’t completely out of the ordinary in their world & whenever someone called Tashi “he” or “she” whoever knew Tashi would immediately correct the person by letting them know the correct pronoun is “they”. I absolutely LOVED the story & bond our MC shares with their tiger Katala. It was made up of mutual respect & trust at it’s core with Katala expressing her independence. Their bond was never a master/owner type relationship which I appreciated. I did however wish to see expansion in world building & growth from Tashi. With this eGalley, the author also sent a excerpt to the next book which is already promising. So I guess you can say my chief complaint is that I’d like to see more haha! but The Tiger’s Watch is definitely a must read for my diverse book blogging friends :)
*HUGE thanks to Julia Ember for providing me with a eGalley copy of The Tiger's Watch in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2017
A copy of this novel was provided by Harmony Ink Press for review via Net Galley.
I really enjoyed The Tiger’s Watch. And here are four thoughts I had when reading it:
1) I wish it had been longer.
I actually enjoyed the tightness of the plot and storyline, but if it had been a little longer I feel like some of the characters, relationships, and world building would have been more fleshed out.
In regards to Tashi and Pharo’s relationship I think length would have benefitted that a lot, because I didn’t really feel the connection that Tashi said they had towards Pharo because Pharo wasn’t actually in the book that much.
2) Tashi is genderfluid.
That’s not really a thought, but I had to mention it because GENDERFLUID PROTAGONIST IN A YA FANTASY NOVEL OMG YES. There wasn’t a lot of exploration of Tashi’s gender, but in a way I kind of liked that? To try and explain: it was a story about Tashi, who was going through these intense things because of the war between their country and another, and they were also genderfluid. I’m definitely not saying that stories that focus on genderfluidity aren’t needed because they are, but the way The Tiger’s Watch didn’t solely revolve around Tashi’s queer identity is an equally important story to tell.
Also, the fact that almost everyone (except an asshole character) used Tashi’s they/them/their pronouns made my soul happy.
3) The magic was awesome.
These people mentally and physically link with animals when they’re eight years old and I love it. Like, it’s kind of sad because when the person or animal dies then the other pretty much does, too (after a long coma-type thing), but also ANIMAL SOULMATES.
I really liked the relationship between Tashi and their golden tiger, Katala. Again going back to my first point, a little more length to this book would have benefitted their relationship but it was definitely strong enough to have me invested throughout.
4) The love triangle was interesting.
It’s actually been a while since I read a book with a love triangle so it wasn’t as abhorrent as it could have been. Tashi kind of falls for their master, Xian, who is pretty darn evil. Sure, there were moments of kindness and vulnerability but I don’t think there was enough of him not being a torturous asshole for me to like him. I just needed Xian to be kind to someone other than Tashi because the fact that he was only kind to them didn’t tip the scales for me.
Pharo, who I mentioned in my first point, is Tashi’s other love interest. Even though I didn’t get to read about him as much as Xian I think I liked him better. He cared about Tashi and the other magic students, and wasn’t a torturous asshole so huge bonus point to him.
5) I really want to read the sequel.
I know I enjoyed the first book in a series when I want to read the sequel immediately, and I definitely felt that way about The Tiger’s Watch! I’m incredibly keen for the sequel, and I’ll be excited to see where the story goes after that big ending.
© 2017, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.
trigger warning: war themes, murder, torture, friend in coma, absent parents, death via animal attack, animal death, physical assault, attempted murder, use of ableist language, misgendering, reference to severely ill mother, and depictions of gore in this novel
I really enjoyed The Tiger’s Watch. And here are four thoughts I had when reading it:
1) I wish it had been longer.
I actually enjoyed the tightness of the plot and storyline, but if it had been a little longer I feel like some of the characters, relationships, and world building would have been more fleshed out.
In regards to Tashi and Pharo’s relationship I think length would have benefitted that a lot, because I didn’t really feel the connection that Tashi said they had towards Pharo because Pharo wasn’t actually in the book that much.
2) Tashi is genderfluid.
That’s not really a thought, but I had to mention it because GENDERFLUID PROTAGONIST IN A YA FANTASY NOVEL OMG YES. There wasn’t a lot of exploration of Tashi’s gender, but in a way I kind of liked that? To try and explain: it was a story about Tashi, who was going through these intense things because of the war between their country and another, and they were also genderfluid. I’m definitely not saying that stories that focus on genderfluidity aren’t needed because they are, but the way The Tiger’s Watch didn’t solely revolve around Tashi’s queer identity is an equally important story to tell.
Also, the fact that almost everyone (except an asshole character) used Tashi’s they/them/their pronouns made my soul happy.
3) The magic was awesome.
These people mentally and physically link with animals when they’re eight years old and I love it. Like, it’s kind of sad because when the person or animal dies then the other pretty much does, too (after a long coma-type thing), but also ANIMAL SOULMATES.
I really liked the relationship between Tashi and their golden tiger, Katala. Again going back to my first point, a little more length to this book would have benefitted their relationship but it was definitely strong enough to have me invested throughout.
4) The love triangle was interesting.
It’s actually been a while since I read a book with a love triangle so it wasn’t as abhorrent as it could have been. Tashi kind of falls for their master, Xian, who is pretty darn evil. Sure, there were moments of kindness and vulnerability but I don’t think there was enough of him not being a torturous asshole for me to like him. I just needed Xian to be kind to someone other than Tashi because the fact that he was only kind to them didn’t tip the scales for me.
Pharo, who I mentioned in my first point, is Tashi’s other love interest. Even though I didn’t get to read about him as much as Xian I think I liked him better. He cared about Tashi and the other magic students, and wasn’t a torturous asshole so huge bonus point to him.
5) I really want to read the sequel.
I know I enjoyed the first book in a series when I want to read the sequel immediately, and I definitely felt that way about The Tiger’s Watch! I’m incredibly keen for the sequel, and I’ll be excited to see where the story goes after that big ending.
© 2017, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.
trigger warning: war themes, murder, torture, friend in coma, absent parents, death via animal attack, animal death, physical assault, attempted murder, use of ableist language, misgendering, reference to severely ill mother, and depictions of gore in this novel
August 23, 2017
Here's my full video review!
The Tiger's Watch was an enjoyable read with an interesting set of characters and intricate world building.
I was excited to receive this ARC through Netgalley as I had heard so many great things about Julia Ember as a writer but hadn't read anything by her yet. I was interested to see the world she has created and how she would portray the bond between the inhabitor and their bonded animal.
There was a lot packed into this book even though it had just 180 pages. Even though the world building is overall well done and interesting, I still found myself confused about certain aspects of the world and plot. There's some aspects that I simply didn't understand and others that I still have lots of questions about. I don't really understand the history of this fantastical setting and feel like if there'd been more on that, it would have been easier to understand. You can tell Julia Ember put a lot of thought into the world building but it seemed almost too complex for a 180 page novel. As this is the first book in a trilogy, I'm hoping we get lots more on that in the sequels.
I think my favourite part of this novel is definitely the bond between inhabitor and animal. I think the way Ember described that bond was wonderful. I don't wanna give much away but I think it's a concept that, even though it's been done before in similar ways, Ember puts her very own touch to.
While there is a little bit of romance in the book and Tashi has interesting relationships with different characters, the relationship they had with their animal and how it was described, was by far my favourite out of all of them.
The main character Tashi is genderfluid and uses they/them pronouns. I can't say much about the representation as I am cisgender and I would strongly encourage you to seek out and boost ownvoices reviews for this book.
I liked that Tashi's identity got explained in the first 5% of the book. Even though it takes place in a Fantasy world, which often makes writers not want to use labels and descriptions we use today, it is clearly stated on page that Tashi is non-binary. While there is some misgendering happening in the beginning of the book when Tashi gets introduced to lots of new characters, no one ever misgenders Tashi after they've stated their preferred pronouns. Even confronted with opposing sides, Tashi's identity is respected and never used against them in any way.
Overall I think it is an enjoyable read with a lot of potential. I can definitely see myself continuing this series. I think there is still so much more to explore about the world but also the characters and their relationships.
Please feel free to correct me if I made any mistakes in this review as far as labels/pronouns etc. go!
The Tiger's Watch was an enjoyable read with an interesting set of characters and intricate world building.
I was excited to receive this ARC through Netgalley as I had heard so many great things about Julia Ember as a writer but hadn't read anything by her yet. I was interested to see the world she has created and how she would portray the bond between the inhabitor and their bonded animal.
There was a lot packed into this book even though it had just 180 pages. Even though the world building is overall well done and interesting, I still found myself confused about certain aspects of the world and plot. There's some aspects that I simply didn't understand and others that I still have lots of questions about. I don't really understand the history of this fantastical setting and feel like if there'd been more on that, it would have been easier to understand. You can tell Julia Ember put a lot of thought into the world building but it seemed almost too complex for a 180 page novel. As this is the first book in a trilogy, I'm hoping we get lots more on that in the sequels.
I think my favourite part of this novel is definitely the bond between inhabitor and animal. I think the way Ember described that bond was wonderful. I don't wanna give much away but I think it's a concept that, even though it's been done before in similar ways, Ember puts her very own touch to.
While there is a little bit of romance in the book and Tashi has interesting relationships with different characters, the relationship they had with their animal and how it was described, was by far my favourite out of all of them.
The main character Tashi is genderfluid and uses they/them pronouns. I can't say much about the representation as I am cisgender and I would strongly encourage you to seek out and boost ownvoices reviews for this book.
I liked that Tashi's identity got explained in the first 5% of the book. Even though it takes place in a Fantasy world, which often makes writers not want to use labels and descriptions we use today, it is clearly stated on page that Tashi is non-binary. While there is some misgendering happening in the beginning of the book when Tashi gets introduced to lots of new characters, no one ever misgenders Tashi after they've stated their preferred pronouns. Even confronted with opposing sides, Tashi's identity is respected and never used against them in any way.
Overall I think it is an enjoyable read with a lot of potential. I can definitely see myself continuing this series. I think there is still so much more to explore about the world but also the characters and their relationships.
Please feel free to correct me if I made any mistakes in this review as far as labels/pronouns etc. go!
June 26, 2017
I loved Julia Ember's other books, so when I was offered an advanced review copy of this by the publisher I was so happy! I loved Tashi so much. They were this precious little pacifist forced into being a spy&assassin, connected magically to this wild killer tiger, when all they wanted was to be left alone to build a life with their best friend who they loved. The magic bond between Tashi and Katala was unlike any magical animal book I've ever read. You couldn't exactly call this is a shifter novel because Katala is awake&conscious when Tashi inhabits her body. Usually when this happens the animal is totally passive, but not in this case. In this book, the tiger totally has her own ideas about what they should be doing and kind of drags Tashi along for the ride, not quite kicking and screaming, but pretty much.
I am enby so I am always looking for books featuring enby characters. This book is definitely that. The focus of the novel isn't on Tashi's gender but I thought what was on the page was handled well. I especially appreciate that when Tashi has flashbacks to their own childhood or sees a child who reminds them of themself the child is never misgendered. You'd be surprised how many books by cis authors where this happens, that the main character has all these flashbacks of people misgendering their younger self or even misgendering themselves in their thoughts, so I really appreciated that this was handled differently in this book. At the beginning of the book, there is a jerk character who wants Tashi to hide their gender, but everyone else is basically like 'no' ... so that gets addressed. After reading a Neill Gaiman book last where the nb characters were referred to as 'it' I found this depiction refreshing.
I am enby so I am always looking for books featuring enby characters. This book is definitely that. The focus of the novel isn't on Tashi's gender but I thought what was on the page was handled well. I especially appreciate that when Tashi has flashbacks to their own childhood or sees a child who reminds them of themself the child is never misgendered. You'd be surprised how many books by cis authors where this happens, that the main character has all these flashbacks of people misgendering their younger self or even misgendering themselves in their thoughts, so I really appreciated that this was handled differently in this book. At the beginning of the book, there is a jerk character who wants Tashi to hide their gender, but everyone else is basically like 'no' ... so that gets addressed. After reading a Neill Gaiman book last where the nb characters were referred to as 'it' I found this depiction refreshing.
April 24, 2018
I received a copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Julia Ember for the opportunity to read your book. This was an alright read. I was supposed to read this in July, but I am glad that I finally read the book. I thought the book started off great, but then started to get more boring as I continued to read. I thought the characters were interesting, but I did also find them a bit annoying and stupid at times. I did not love them, but I did not dislike them either. I felt like they were just okay. Out of all the characters, I liked Tashi the most. I thought the action in the story was good, and I want to know what will happen in the series. Overall, an okay read.
Thank you Julia Ember for the opportunity to read your book. This was an alright read. I was supposed to read this in July, but I am glad that I finally read the book. I thought the book started off great, but then started to get more boring as I continued to read. I thought the characters were interesting, but I did also find them a bit annoying and stupid at times. I did not love them, but I did not dislike them either. I felt like they were just okay. Out of all the characters, I liked Tashi the most. I thought the action in the story was good, and I want to know what will happen in the series. Overall, an okay read.
Want to read
August 18, 2016AHHHHHH OMG.
This book has everything I've ever wanted in life. A genderfluid protagonist. They as a third-person non-gendered pronoun. M/M and F/F pairings, too.
Thank you, Ms. Ember. I have been waiting for a book of this caliber to come along for so long!
This book has everything I've ever wanted in life. A genderfluid protagonist. They as a third-person non-gendered pronoun. M/M and F/F pairings, too.
Thank you, Ms. Ember. I have been waiting for a book of this caliber to come along for so long!
August 4, 2017
Vivid descriptions and a world painted in rich, delicious detail. Action-filled plot where loyalty, deceit, adrenaline, and emotions are at the core.
Ends with a great build-up to the sequel :)
Ends with a great build-up to the sequel :)
September 4, 2017
I received a copy of this book through the publishers in exchange of an honest review
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
Full review originally posted on my blog: Word Wonders
CW: Murder, torture, mild gore, violence, misgendering, animal death
Well, this review is about to be tough because I have many many conflicted thoughts and feelings. I had such high expectations for this book because the premise sounds brilliant, it has a genderfluid main character -which is severely lacking in books- AND I had absolutely loved the author’s previous 2017 release but I’m a sad bean writing this because I was mostly disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, the books has good to it, but to me personally, it was outweighted by the things I had a problem with.
The writing is unshockingly beautiful. As I’ve said before, I love Julia’s writing style, her prose is beautiful, soft and soothing. She just knows how to put words together to make it sound like music to my ears. She’s always able to shift her writing ever so slightly to make it match the tone she’s setting for the story and I must say that that’s not an easy thing to do.
The worldbuilding is where my problem with the book starts. I found it really lacking, very vague which made the world very hard to grasp. There is a sense of culture, politics, world etc… but it does not give the whole picture, it’s not explored enough and at the end, it raises more questions than it gives answers. Granted, I can understand that this being written from Tashi’s POV only, their knonwledge of the Myeik (the ennemies) would be very limited, because and as Tashi themself states, the Myeik keep their secrets secrets. But then what about when they became the servant of the commander? They were bound to discover things that can give a sense of how they function. What particularly bugged me is how they kept mentionning some war machines that were revolutionnary and permmited them to invade the Thim (Tashi’s people) but never what they are or what makes them so special.
Now, what’s even more unsettling is that even the Thim’s customs, politics, etc.. were not explained, some locations kept being mentioned time and time again without really explaining what they are which was really confusing to keep track of what was happening where. And that was a real bummer because the premise and concept have so so so much potential that could’ve made for a brilliant and very detailed world.
I had trouble with the plot as well, it took a long time to pick up and for something interesting to happen, for the better part of it, I felt like nothing of substance happened but then when one major thing happened I started liking it but that unfortunately was very far into the story and it just wasn’t enough to save it for me. I will say that I loved the inhabitors concept and liked the mysterious vibe around it and the bits of it that were explained. We -as well as Tashi- know very little about the source of their powers, why it is how it is and how it works exactly, which I liked quite a bit because it’s what kept me reading. The relationship dynamic between inhabitors and their animals was amazing, the emotions felt genuine and the link very strong. I just… I am weak for big animals being soft, okay? and that’s exactly how Katala (the tiger) was with Tashi.
Another plus in the story is Tashi themself. They’re very different from characters I’m used to reading in fantasy. They’re not depicted as strong and fearless. They have insecurities and are very flawed but they did their best to be strong in the face of all obstacles and challenges they faced which I really appreciated about them since that made them more interesting considering they kept making some questionnable decisions BUT they did so for all the right reasons and for the people they care about.
I also liked the contrast between both Tashi’s main relationships. The first is with Xian, the commander whom they serve which is purely based on lust, they do not love him but are attracted by the fact that he shows them a side of him that he doesn’t show other people. To other people, Xian is a cruel, ruthless army man (boy?) but he takes care of Tashi and is pretty gentle with them. What I liked is how through this relationship the power imbalance was explored instead of being completely brushed aside. Many times Tashi wonders if they really have a choice in what happens with Xian and doesn’t shy away from voicing their concerns.
Then there’s Tashi’s relationship with Pharo, their best friend which is pure love. Romantic love, that is. They have been in love with him for years and hid their feelings because of their precarious situation so it was interesting seeing them navigate the conflicting feelings. But both relationships were ultimately lacking depth and substance, there weren’t enough interactions -at least meaningful ones- to get me invested in either.
All in all, this book was a big disappointement for me but I am still intrigued by many things in it and hope the problems I had with it will be somewhat fixed in the sequel because I am definitely willing to read that one to see where the story goes, especially since it will be from Pharo’s perspective and I like his character.
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
Full review originally posted on my blog: Word Wonders
CW: Murder, torture, mild gore, violence, misgendering, animal death
Well, this review is about to be tough because I have many many conflicted thoughts and feelings. I had such high expectations for this book because the premise sounds brilliant, it has a genderfluid main character -which is severely lacking in books- AND I had absolutely loved the author’s previous 2017 release but I’m a sad bean writing this because I was mostly disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, the books has good to it, but to me personally, it was outweighted by the things I had a problem with.
The writing is unshockingly beautiful. As I’ve said before, I love Julia’s writing style, her prose is beautiful, soft and soothing. She just knows how to put words together to make it sound like music to my ears. She’s always able to shift her writing ever so slightly to make it match the tone she’s setting for the story and I must say that that’s not an easy thing to do.
The worldbuilding is where my problem with the book starts. I found it really lacking, very vague which made the world very hard to grasp. There is a sense of culture, politics, world etc… but it does not give the whole picture, it’s not explored enough and at the end, it raises more questions than it gives answers. Granted, I can understand that this being written from Tashi’s POV only, their knonwledge of the Myeik (the ennemies) would be very limited, because and as Tashi themself states, the Myeik keep their secrets secrets. But then what about when they became the servant of the commander? They were bound to discover things that can give a sense of how they function. What particularly bugged me is how they kept mentionning some war machines that were revolutionnary and permmited them to invade the Thim (Tashi’s people) but never what they are or what makes them so special.
Now, what’s even more unsettling is that even the Thim’s customs, politics, etc.. were not explained, some locations kept being mentioned time and time again without really explaining what they are which was really confusing to keep track of what was happening where. And that was a real bummer because the premise and concept have so so so much potential that could’ve made for a brilliant and very detailed world.
I had trouble with the plot as well, it took a long time to pick up and for something interesting to happen, for the better part of it, I felt like nothing of substance happened but then when one major thing happened I started liking it but that unfortunately was very far into the story and it just wasn’t enough to save it for me. I will say that I loved the inhabitors concept and liked the mysterious vibe around it and the bits of it that were explained. We -as well as Tashi- know very little about the source of their powers, why it is how it is and how it works exactly, which I liked quite a bit because it’s what kept me reading. The relationship dynamic between inhabitors and their animals was amazing, the emotions felt genuine and the link very strong. I just… I am weak for big animals being soft, okay? and that’s exactly how Katala (the tiger) was with Tashi.
Another plus in the story is Tashi themself. They’re very different from characters I’m used to reading in fantasy. They’re not depicted as strong and fearless. They have insecurities and are very flawed but they did their best to be strong in the face of all obstacles and challenges they faced which I really appreciated about them since that made them more interesting considering they kept making some questionnable decisions BUT they did so for all the right reasons and for the people they care about.
I also liked the contrast between both Tashi’s main relationships. The first is with Xian, the commander whom they serve which is purely based on lust, they do not love him but are attracted by the fact that he shows them a side of him that he doesn’t show other people. To other people, Xian is a cruel, ruthless army man (boy?) but he takes care of Tashi and is pretty gentle with them. What I liked is how through this relationship the power imbalance was explored instead of being completely brushed aside. Many times Tashi wonders if they really have a choice in what happens with Xian and doesn’t shy away from voicing their concerns.
Then there’s Tashi’s relationship with Pharo, their best friend which is pure love. Romantic love, that is. They have been in love with him for years and hid their feelings because of their precarious situation so it was interesting seeing them navigate the conflicting feelings. But both relationships were ultimately lacking depth and substance, there weren’t enough interactions -at least meaningful ones- to get me invested in either.
All in all, this book was a big disappointement for me but I am still intrigued by many things in it and hope the problems I had with it will be somewhat fixed in the sequel because I am definitely willing to read that one to see where the story goes, especially since it will be from Pharo’s perspective and I like his character.
August 16, 2017
Thank you, Julia Ember and Harmony Ink Press, for my ARC of The Tiger’s Watch. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review; this does not affect my opinion. Any quotes mentioned below are taken from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
As Julia Ember’s third published book, The Tiger’s Watch manages to still contain all the things I love about Ember’s work and continue to surprise me with new stories and concepts. The Tiger’s Watch is about Tashi, who is nonbinary, genderfluid, and uses they/them pronouns. Throughout the book, Tashi’s pronouns are respected and the few times someone uses the wrong pronouns for them, it’s immediately called out and corrected. The world we see in The Tiger’s Watch is filled with magic and culture, and Tashi among other selected are inhabitors: “As inhabitors, we all bonded with one animal at the age of eight, and our life force linked to theirs.” At first, the connection between Tashi and their golden tiger Katala reminded me of Sense8 with how they can enter each other’s minds and take over each other’s bodies. In their country, Tashi learned to become an inhabitor at an academy specifically meant for children, poor or orphaned, to be trained to become inhabitors and spies, with the ability to wield their unique magic.
“It was something we all were conditioned to understand, even if most of us never fully accepted it. Once you became an inhabitor and said the words of the binding spell, your soul literally fused with another creature’s. I could access Katala’s memories, feel her emotions, and see what she saw. When she or I died, the one who lived would slip away as Kalx was doing. For me, bonded as I was to a mountain tiger with a projected lifespan of more than thirty years, things didn’t seem so bleak. I could live to be forty or maybe older.”
I think what really makes you connect with The Tiger’s Watch and draws you is the characters, even if your feelings towards them are torn. Tashi really evolved in this book. They still doubt themselves at times, but they also come to the realization that they can be brave despite not always having been so in the past and Katala, their golden tiger and other half, balanced them out in the perfect way. However, it should be mentioned that all characters in this book, including Tashi, can be seen as morally ambiguous. There is no one that is 100 % good or evil, there is both in all of them and that makes the entire story that much more complex and intriguing. It’s a lot harder to know who to root for when you’re on the fence about everyone and their true intentions. I cannot wait to see where the sequel takes us because there is unfinished business, and questions I’m eager to get answers to.
The romance in the book is complex and for me, it was very unexpected. At first, I thought it was going in one direction and then it went into another. I’m still uncertain how I feel about any of the possible pairings that have been explored in this book. Despite this, I do lean more towards one of the pairings and hope it will be further developed in the future (or that maybe a new pairing pops up).
One thing I’d like to point out is that I do not share the marginalizations the main character, Tashi, and a few other the other main characters have. Therefore I cannot speak on the representation in the book. If I find any ownvoices reviews that discuss the representation I will make sure to update my review and include these reviews here.
The Tiger’s Watch is perfect for readers who love unique and diverse fantasy books, especially if you love ones you’ll get through quickly. There are characters you won’t be sure whether you hate or love, and there will probably even be some tears (there was for me). However, The Tiger’s Watch is a great read and I really recommend it.
P.S. A personal side note. I’m so happy, surprised, and grateful that a dream came through with this book; I was mentioned in the acknowledgments of the book. If you’ve read my blog post, Bookish Bucket List Goals, you already knew this was something I’ve always wanted to happen since I honestly think it’s the coolest thing ever. Anywho, I’m so glad to be a reader and supporter of Julia Ember’s books.
As Julia Ember’s third published book, The Tiger’s Watch manages to still contain all the things I love about Ember’s work and continue to surprise me with new stories and concepts. The Tiger’s Watch is about Tashi, who is nonbinary, genderfluid, and uses they/them pronouns. Throughout the book, Tashi’s pronouns are respected and the few times someone uses the wrong pronouns for them, it’s immediately called out and corrected. The world we see in The Tiger’s Watch is filled with magic and culture, and Tashi among other selected are inhabitors: “As inhabitors, we all bonded with one animal at the age of eight, and our life force linked to theirs.” At first, the connection between Tashi and their golden tiger Katala reminded me of Sense8 with how they can enter each other’s minds and take over each other’s bodies. In their country, Tashi learned to become an inhabitor at an academy specifically meant for children, poor or orphaned, to be trained to become inhabitors and spies, with the ability to wield their unique magic.
“It was something we all were conditioned to understand, even if most of us never fully accepted it. Once you became an inhabitor and said the words of the binding spell, your soul literally fused with another creature’s. I could access Katala’s memories, feel her emotions, and see what she saw. When she or I died, the one who lived would slip away as Kalx was doing. For me, bonded as I was to a mountain tiger with a projected lifespan of more than thirty years, things didn’t seem so bleak. I could live to be forty or maybe older.”
I think what really makes you connect with The Tiger’s Watch and draws you is the characters, even if your feelings towards them are torn. Tashi really evolved in this book. They still doubt themselves at times, but they also come to the realization that they can be brave despite not always having been so in the past and Katala, their golden tiger and other half, balanced them out in the perfect way. However, it should be mentioned that all characters in this book, including Tashi, can be seen as morally ambiguous. There is no one that is 100 % good or evil, there is both in all of them and that makes the entire story that much more complex and intriguing. It’s a lot harder to know who to root for when you’re on the fence about everyone and their true intentions. I cannot wait to see where the sequel takes us because there is unfinished business, and questions I’m eager to get answers to.
The romance in the book is complex and for me, it was very unexpected. At first, I thought it was going in one direction and then it went into another. I’m still uncertain how I feel about any of the possible pairings that have been explored in this book. Despite this, I do lean more towards one of the pairings and hope it will be further developed in the future (or that maybe a new pairing pops up).
One thing I’d like to point out is that I do not share the marginalizations the main character, Tashi, and a few other the other main characters have. Therefore I cannot speak on the representation in the book. If I find any ownvoices reviews that discuss the representation I will make sure to update my review and include these reviews here.
The Tiger’s Watch is perfect for readers who love unique and diverse fantasy books, especially if you love ones you’ll get through quickly. There are characters you won’t be sure whether you hate or love, and there will probably even be some tears (there was for me). However, The Tiger’s Watch is a great read and I really recommend it.
P.S. A personal side note. I’m so happy, surprised, and grateful that a dream came through with this book; I was mentioned in the acknowledgments of the book. If you’ve read my blog post, Bookish Bucket List Goals, you already knew this was something I’ve always wanted to happen since I honestly think it’s the coolest thing ever. Anywho, I’m so glad to be a reader and supporter of Julia Ember’s books.
September 19, 2017
I'm in two minds about this novella. While there was a part of me that was intrigued by the general premise, there were still too many moments of confusion and poor characterisation for me to fully immerse myself in the story.
WORLDBUILDING & PLOT
One of my issues is the world building, or lack thereof. The novel starts after the conclusion of a major battle, with Tashi, the protagonist, and their best friend on the run. We don't actually discover what happened until further in the novel, which is not usually an issue for me, but combined with the inclusion - but no explanation - of magical elements, I found myself confused for a majority of the book. The reader is not even told why the two cultures - the Thim and the Myeik - were even at war in the first place.
However, I did enjoy the general idea behind the magical system - that certain people can be inhibitors which means that they are bonded for life to the soul of an animal. But when that animal dies, the human is left in a comatose state until they succumb to starvation. Unfortunately, the execution of this idea wasn't the best, and the world building altered frequently, to the point where I couldn't follow along without re-reading pages.
Like the world building, the plot was puzzling. Nothing much happened for a good portion of the novella, and then we discover the central plot point at the very end. I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing, but as nothing really happens, my attention span was sidetracked.
CHARACTERS & SEXUALITY & ROMANCE
I was quite annoyed by the characters, especially Tashi. While I am so so so hyped beyond words that Tashi is genderfluid, they were incredibly indecisive. They were incapable of making any decisions, and when they finally did, they changed their mind a minute later. It got quite annoying, especially in a book that is only 180 pages long. Also, I am seeing an alarming rise of YA "spies" who are just terrible spies. Tashi sneaks out to see her bonded tiger - despite being in the middle of a monastery filled with invaders - they pull a prank on a high-ranking member of the enemy's army, and they forget to look for clues in the enemy commander's room while the commander is away, until reminded by a friend. Just ... come on.
I can't comment on whether the explanation of the gender fluidity was done well as I am not gender fluid myself, but the author did talk about Tashi's identity frequently, and how angry they were at being forced to change their image while in hiding. There are a few instances of misgendering, but it is always called out and corrected. What I did love about this novella is how normal sexuality and identity is viewed - there's no shaming or judgement from other characters. They simply accept Tashi for who they are.
However, I did have an issue with the romance, and that's probably my main issue with the novella. The love triangle felt quite unnecessary, and basically came out of nowhere. Tashi did state that they were in love with their best friend, Pharro, but as soon as they met Xian, they fell in lust with the enemy commander. I did enjoy Xian's character though - how he was both sadistic, but had moments of vulnerability - and I can see how Tashi would be drawn to him, but there were also many moments where I just found their scenes cringey. I also didn't understand how Tashi could be so in love with Pharro, when the reader is never really shown their relationship, aside from Tashi commenting on their crush. Just because characters are childhood friends doesn't mean an author can get away with not properly developing a romance between them.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I think the issues I found with the novel could have been fixed if the book were longer. Writing a novella-length fantasy with complex cultures, politics, and magical systems doesn't work too well with just 180 pages. There's either too much info dumping or lack of proper explaining for the reader to fully engross themselves in the story. Will I be reading the next novella in the series? I think I might. The novella ended on a little cliffhanger, and I do want to know what happens next.
WORLDBUILDING & PLOT
One of my issues is the world building, or lack thereof. The novel starts after the conclusion of a major battle, with Tashi, the protagonist, and their best friend on the run. We don't actually discover what happened until further in the novel, which is not usually an issue for me, but combined with the inclusion - but no explanation - of magical elements, I found myself confused for a majority of the book. The reader is not even told why the two cultures - the Thim and the Myeik - were even at war in the first place.
However, I did enjoy the general idea behind the magical system - that certain people can be inhibitors which means that they are bonded for life to the soul of an animal. But when that animal dies, the human is left in a comatose state until they succumb to starvation. Unfortunately, the execution of this idea wasn't the best, and the world building altered frequently, to the point where I couldn't follow along without re-reading pages.
Like the world building, the plot was puzzling. Nothing much happened for a good portion of the novella, and then we discover the central plot point at the very end. I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing, but as nothing really happens, my attention span was sidetracked.
CHARACTERS & SEXUALITY & ROMANCE
I was quite annoyed by the characters, especially Tashi. While I am so so so hyped beyond words that Tashi is genderfluid, they were incredibly indecisive. They were incapable of making any decisions, and when they finally did, they changed their mind a minute later. It got quite annoying, especially in a book that is only 180 pages long. Also, I am seeing an alarming rise of YA "spies" who are just terrible spies. Tashi sneaks out to see her bonded tiger - despite being in the middle of a monastery filled with invaders - they pull a prank on a high-ranking member of the enemy's army, and they forget to look for clues in the enemy commander's room while the commander is away, until reminded by a friend. Just ... come on.
I can't comment on whether the explanation of the gender fluidity was done well as I am not gender fluid myself, but the author did talk about Tashi's identity frequently, and how angry they were at being forced to change their image while in hiding. There are a few instances of misgendering, but it is always called out and corrected. What I did love about this novella is how normal sexuality and identity is viewed - there's no shaming or judgement from other characters. They simply accept Tashi for who they are.
However, I did have an issue with the romance, and that's probably my main issue with the novella. The love triangle felt quite unnecessary, and basically came out of nowhere. Tashi did state that they were in love with their best friend, Pharro, but as soon as they met Xian, they fell in lust with the enemy commander. I did enjoy Xian's character though - how he was both sadistic, but had moments of vulnerability - and I can see how Tashi would be drawn to him, but there were also many moments where I just found their scenes cringey. I also didn't understand how Tashi could be so in love with Pharro, when the reader is never really shown their relationship, aside from Tashi commenting on their crush. Just because characters are childhood friends doesn't mean an author can get away with not properly developing a romance between them.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I think the issues I found with the novel could have been fixed if the book were longer. Writing a novella-length fantasy with complex cultures, politics, and magical systems doesn't work too well with just 180 pages. There's either too much info dumping or lack of proper explaining for the reader to fully engross themselves in the story. Will I be reading the next novella in the series? I think I might. The novella ended on a little cliffhanger, and I do want to know what happens next.
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