Tiger's Promise by Colleen Houck (The Tiger Saga #0.5)

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy/Mythology, Romance, Novella
Publication Date: June 1st 2014
POV: Female - First-person, Past tense
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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Before the curse, there was a promise. A prequel to the bestselling Tiger’s Curse series, this much anticipated novella recalls the beginning of Ren and Kishan’s story. Before Kelsey there was a girl, raised by a villain, whose love for a hero changed the course of history.

Trapped under the thumb of her abusive and powerful father Lokesh, Yesubai struggles to keep her own magical abilities secret while evading his dark powers. When Lokesh promises Yesubai to the prince of a neighboring kingdom, she becomes the central pawn in his plot to destroy the ruling family and take power for himself. Yesubai is trapped by her father’s threats and desperate to protect the man she comes to love, but she knows that any decision she makes will have dire consequences. As dark forces gather around her, Yesubai must decide if she’s willing to reveal that somewhere deep within her she has the power to change everything.

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This book destroyed me! It was just the right combination of factors to rip my heart out.

First, it heavily featured Kishan, the 'book boyfriend' love of my life. Secondly, it was from the POV of a woman who loved him. When she met Ren and compared him to Kishan, she actually found him wanting. In Kishan's eyes she saw the warm sun and kindness, not a man who always fell short. And thirdly, the real clincher to my broken heart, is the fact that I knew what would happen in the end. I knew that once again, or for the first time, chronologically, Kishan's love would be ripped from him. Every time Yesubai thought of Kishan it broke my heart again, knowing that they would never be together. It was constant pain and suffering for me to finish this book. I can't remember the last time a book made me cry so hard.

 

And now I need to see Kishan find happiness one day. I know that he eventually marries Annamika, but the little we have seen of them together does not give me great hope for their happiness. I have to see it, read it with my own eyes. I used to always feel like Kishan marrying Annamika was like a betrayal to Kelsey. Even if she had treated him badly, and Kishan had lost her forever to his brother, I didn't want his great love for her to die. And I supposed a part of it never did, as he said in his letter to her. But I still didn't really want to acknowledge the fact that he married Annamika. 

I have now had time to come to terms with the truth, and after seeing the tragedy that was his relationship with Yesubai, I must see him find happiness with a woman who loves him most of all. Does Annamika love Kishan fully, as fully as he loved Kelsey? Or is it just convenient, a result of their circumstances? I can tell in the sneak peak that he is attracted to her, even if he is not acknowledging it yet. They better be featured heavily in Tiger's Dream. If Colleen can manage to show me their relationship become what Kishan has been without for centuries, what he so badly deserves, what I have been wanting for him for so long that I am at this very moment in tears, I will hunt her down and give her the hugest hug!

“Like the trees, his roots went deep, and I daydreamed that if he wrapped me in his arms, he could safely tuck me away within his branches and hide me from the world. He was shaken by nothing. He feared nothing.”

Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck (The Tiger Saga #4)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy/Mythology, Adventure, Romance
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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With three of the goddess Durga's quests behind them, only one prophecy now stands in the way of Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan breaking the tiger's curse. But the trio's greatest challenge awaits them: A life-endangering pursuit in search of Durga's final gift, the Rope of Fire, on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. It's a race against time--and the evil sorcerer Lokesh--in this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the bestselling Tiger's Curse series, which pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers' true destinies once and for all. 

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I'd like to say this was an amazing, beautiful ending to an awesome series. But its not the end! There is another book! How is this possible? How can we go on from this? But regardless, this was unbelievable. The best in the series so far.

I know that I must address the love-triangle. It gets all the attention around these books and I would really like to add my opinion on the matter, so I will get right to it. The first two books in the series focused on Ren and Kishan respectively, and although I loved Kishan after Tiger's Quest, there was no sign that Kelsey would. She remained faithful to Ren. But once I read Tiger's Voyage I was pretty torn. I grew to love Kishan even more, and I was pretty upset at Ren for how he handled the situation. He gave Kelsey up way too easily in my opinion. But Kelsey clearly still loved him, so I had to give him credit for that. Although it almost seemed like she had no choice in the matter. She loved him beyond reason. And I found Kishan to be a better person, far more grounded, easier to talk to, and a lot of fun. But it was Kelsey's choice, not mine, and I guess Ren was more her type. More sensitive and fond of grand gestures. But, although he had lost his memory at the time, I felt like he had no right to be upset over her relationship with Kishan, when he was the one who gave her up. He had still loved her at the time, memory or not.

But then we get to Tiger's Destiny, and I start to see where the Kelsey-hate comes from. I still love her. She is one of my fave heroines because she is so incredibly brave, determined, stubborn, and smart, and even a little snarky at times. But she seriously mistreated Kishan. I would understand if she didn't want to be with Ren. Because he hurt her. Because she was afraid. Because she felt she didn't deserve happiness when so many others hadn't found it. But that did not mean that she had to pretend to love Kishan more than she actually did. She could have decided to be alone. She could have waited until their journey was over before deciding on either brother. She could have done so many things besides leading Kishan on, when it was so clear that it was not going to last. She could barely get through the day without Ren. How could she think she could get through forever? And agreeing to marry Kishan?! That is forever, but their situation was not. I don't understand why she thought that she would feel the same way about herself and her situation a year from then, ten years from then. She could have told him it was too soon, to wait until after their final journey. There is no excuse for committing yourself to someone, when you are in love with another. It was a promise she would never have been able to keep. Kishan deserved better.

And Kishan is the one that made the sacrifice in the end. Kelsey always said that Ren had a superhero complex, but he didn't. He only risked his life for her, never for the mission, for their destiny, or for Durga. Ren is just as bad as Kelsey if not worse when it comes to all-consuming love. And I'll admit, grand gestures aren't my thing, but Ren could be really sweet. I did love him first, back in Tiger's Curse. I seriously swooned when he gave her the fireflower in the fire world. And I was really moved when he leapt in front of the gae bolga, and I saw the severe pain he was going through, all because he loved her. And Ren was extremely brave and was amazing in battle.

But Kishan is still my hero in the end. The more noble and selfless brother. I would never want to diminish Kishan's love for Kelsey, but he was willing to look at the bigger picture, willing to make the sacrifice that Ren refused. But I'm sure there was still a part of him that only did it because he knew it was what was best for Kelsey. And that is why I think the ending was so perfect. I knew that Kelsey would end up with Ren in the end, it was inevitable, but I really didn't want to see Kishan hurt. This way, the choice was Kishan's, not Kelsey's, and he eventually found happiness. I really appreciate that we got to see the letter from Kishan to Kelsey and Ren, and how he said that part of him loved her for centuries. As I said before, I don't want to diminish Kishan's love for Kelsey. I would have felt betrayed if he had found someone that he loved more than her. Colleen found the perfect alternative.

This series, and this book in particular, is so emotionally engaging, with characters that I love so much. It was so important to me that the ending be just right so that my heart would not be broken, and Colleen nailed it. I cant even say how much I loved the love in this book. A few poor decisions on Kelsey's part cannot overshadow the depth of the characters and the love that all three have for each other.

I feel like there isn't much else I can say about this book. Everyone who has read even one book in the series knows the reason it is so appealing is the unique focus on eastern mythology and its amazing adventure. And Destiny continues that trend and took it further. Their visit to the fire world was reminiscent of the journeys in book 1 and 2, but their journey to the past and their final battle against Lokesh was epic and amazing. The action and the fulfillment of destiny was breathtaking. Colleen really outdid herself and I really really hope and pray that Tiger's Dream will be a worthy successor, because I really can't think of a better way to end this incredible series. Thank you Colleen for officially writing my second favourite series of all time!

“There is still a piece of my heart that belongs to you. I have cherished it all these centuries.”

Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck (The Tiger Saga #3)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy/Mythology, 
Adventure, Romance   

My Rating: 5 out of 5

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With the head-to-head battle against the villainous Lokesh behind her, Kelsey confronts a new heartbreak: in the wake of his traumatic experience, her beloved Ren no longer remembers who she is. As the trio continues their quest by challenging five cunning and duplicitous dragons, Ren and Kishan once more vie for her affections--leaving Kelsey more confused than ever.

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This book was emotionally exhausting! Just like the first two. The ending didnt make me cry though, which is a first. The first and second books ended with an emotional cliffhanger, not an action one. I am quite excited to find out what happens next.

The setup of this book was a bit different from the previous two. The first two start out with Kelsey in Oregon, until she returns to India, then the bulk of the book takes place on their adventure in another realm. This one started out in India and Kelsey does not return home between her second and third adventures. Which is good because I don't really enjoy the parts in Oregon as much. The first half of this book is set on a yacht, before they start their adventure. Kelsey, Ren, Kishan, Mr. Kadam, and Nilima. The usual group, while they prepare for their next adventure. It is during this time that the love-triangle is taken to a whole new level. So much back and forth and fighting between the three of them. I think it may have been taken a little too far and shifted the focus of the book a bit too much away from the curse.

In Tiger's Quest I was very impressed with Kelsey's loyalty to Ren. I was impressed that she so strongly resisted such a hot, flirty guy when Ren wasn't around. I had new found respect for her. But Kishan is unlike most back-up guys and I knew it would be possible to turn the triangle around, and that Colleen Houck would likely do it. Although I couldn't figure out how it could be done without Kelsey betraying Ren. Well, Colleen did, and left me mad at Ren rather than Kelsey. She convincingly took Kelsey away from Ren and gave her to Kishan. She did it without me having to lose respect for Kelsey. Although I did lose a little respect for Ren, which is unfortunate. But I have a new found, immense love for Kishan which I am very happy about. I love him so much I could cry! Haha, maybe not literally but when you read so much teenage romance your emotions can get a little confused.

I was disappointed in how Kelsey kept saying that she loved Kishan, but she was constantly thinking about Ren. Even after she listed all the reasons why she chose Kishan, which were all good reasons, she could barely stay focused on him. She kept making horrible analogies like how Kishan was the steady player who would last the game but couldn't score the three-pointers. I found it extremely unfair to Kishan and I think he deserves more. He loves Kelsey a lot so I would want him to be with her so he could be happy, but at the same time I think he deserves someone who could love him more thoroughly. Although I would never want Colleen to do that thing where you throw in a new girl at the end so everyone can be happy. I hate it when that happens. But the girl always ends up with the main guy. Colleen will find a way to get Kelsey back with Ren, and she will most likely find a way to do it smoothly and naturally like everything else. But will she find a way to do it without breaking Kishans's heart? 

But this book still excelled where the first two did. The amazing adventure and mythology! This one may even be my favourite in that respect. They travel the ocean of another realm and face five dragons inspired by Chinese mythology. Each dragon gives them a different task to complete before they reach the end to claim their prize. My favourite was definitely the green dragon, although it was probably the characters' least favourite. It was very exciting. I really look forward to what happens next. It says Tiger's Destiny doesn't come out till September, but the first three all came out in 2011, so that seems a little unfair. Although these books like to torment me emotionally, Colleen has somehow managed to make me agree with all the changes that have happened to Kelsey. I am taking the ups and downs with her. I love Ren when she loves Ren. I love Kishan when she loves Kishan. So I hope whatever happens in the next book, I will agree with it too. I don't know how she does it!

Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck (The Tiger Saga #2)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy/Mythology, Adventure, Romance 
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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Back in Oregon, Kelsey tries to pick up the pieces of her life and push aside her feelings for Ren. Kelsey Hayes's eighteenth summer was crazy. The kind of crazy nobody would ever believe. 

Aside From battling immortal sea monkeys and trekking the jungles of India, she fell in love with Ren, a 300-year-old prince.

When danger suddenly forces Kelsey on another Indian quest, with Ren's bad-boy brother, Kishan,the unlikely duo begins to question their true destiny. Ren's life hangs in the balance--so does the truth within Kelsey's heart.

Tiger's Quest, the thrilling second volume in the Tiger's Curse series, brings the trio one step closer to breaking the ancient prophecy that binds them.

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This was very similar to the first book, Tiger's Curse. It starts out in Oregon, leads to an adventure in India, and ends on a sad note. At first I wanted to shake and smack Kelsey because I didnt understand why she left Ren, but luckily that didnt last too long, and they were together again and it was super cute, just like when they were briefly together in the first book. But then they got separated and she had to go on her second quest with Kishan instead, the next step in breaking the curse. 

Kishan was a great companion, even if a little too "hands on" at times. I was very impressed with how Kelsey resisted him and remained faithful to Ren. I was afraid they were gonna go all out with the love triangle, but it wasnt too bad. Even when Kelsey did hesitate or sway a bit, it was done believably and never too much. If she had given in to Kishan I would have held it against her. I missed Ren's sweetness, but Kishan is funnier. And then, after they completed the mission, they got Ren back and it again ended on a sad note. 

It wasnt just a little bit sad. It was heart wrenching. The adventure, and characters, and romance are enough to make up for the sad endings, but why does Colleen Houck like torturing us like this?! But judging by this book and the previous, things will be resolved in the next one. Although, only to leave us with another sad ending. The last chapter was so bad (when Ren and Kishan were arguing in the dojo)! I cried and I cried.

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck (The Tiger Saga #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy/Mythology, Adventure, Romance 
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

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Kelsey is an 18 year old girl from Oregon, who, while working at a circus for a summer job, befriends a tiger named Ren. When Ren is bought by a rich man in Indian, Kelsey is asked to accompany them to help transport Ren, due to her close relationship and easy way with him. Once she arrives in India they reveal to her that Ren is actually an Indian Prince who was cursed to live as a tiger for the past 400 years, and that Kelsey is the one that can save him. She then embarks on a great Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider style adventure to break the curse. She will have to complete several tasks and by the end of the book she has completed the first task, so I assume the process will take up the entire series.

This was a really great adventure like I was not expecting. It was a lot of fun. It took me awhile before I started to like Kelsey, although it took no time at all for me to like Ren. Like wow! What a leading man! He was so sweet, and for a while it was great. But then Kelsey started acting like a moron. She is not the first heroine to make a similar decision, thinking the hero needs to consider his options before he can decide what he really wants. But its still frustrating that she cant trust he is smart enough to know what he wants. At least there are several more books for them to sort things out, it still has me somewhat worried for the series. I dont want it to be one of those series that continuously goes out of its way to put barriers between a couple.

I totally love how the setting is so unique for YA and I love India, and Ren is so totally gorgeous, and its such a magical adventure. I cant wait to read the next book and I am very excited that this is going to be made into a movie!

“We looked at each other for a minute, not saying anything, but I could feel the air between us shift. It became thick, sultry, and tangible—like when the air changes right before a storm. I could feel its power envelop me as it brushed across my skin. Even though I couldn’t see it, I knew a storm was coming.”