Tiger’s Quest

 

by Colleen Houck

Published: 2011

This is the second book in Houck’s Tiger series, which started with Tiger’s Curse.  This book got an overall high 3/5 for me.  For more review and some VERY STRONG OPINIONS on love triangles, check out the spoilers below.  :-D

Okay, so basically, at the end of the first book, Kelsey has headed back to Oregon, leaving behind Ren (the prince cursed to be a white tiger) and Ren’s brother, Kishan (the black tiger).  Kelsey is madly in love with Ren, who is also madly in love with her, but Kells decides that she needs some distance, blah blah blah.  So basically, the first quarter of the book, at least, is Kelsey wandering around, starting college, and trying to date other guys.  B O R I N G.  So then Ren comes to Oregon to go to college (even though he can only be human for six hours a day…  careful class planning, I guess), and I won’t bore you with the details, but Kelsey and he decide to make a go of it so they’re an official couple and all is beautiful in paradise.

WELL there is this evil dude who is the one who cursed the princes to begin with and he is lurking on the edges and he comes and attacks them in Oregon and Kishan and Kelsey get away (because Kishan came, too, to help Ren protect Kelsey) and Ren gets kidnapped.  So, the rest of the book is Kelsey and Kishan having to go on a quest to complete the second part of curse-breaking.  Throughout, Kishan professes to also be in love with Kelsey, but Kelsey is adamantly loyal to Ren and determined that completing this part of the quest will help them find him.  Still, in her deepest of hearts, she admits to herself that she is also attracted to Kishan (*cue dramatic music*)

Blah blah blah they complete the quest, blah blah blah, they find out where is Ren is, blah blah blah, they rescue Ren.  Then, here’s the kicker–something has happened to Ren, and he has very selective amnesia:  he has only forgotten Kelsey.  She is, naturally, devastated.  And, not only has Ren forgotten Kelsey, he has a physical aversion to her: just being close to her makes him ill.   The book ends rather ambiguously, with Kelsey still in love with Ren, Kishan still in love with Kelsey, and Ren still very confused, but willing to try to like Kelsey again.

The writing was good, and the actual curse-fighting adventure also intriguing.  But it was just a BIT too much of Kelsey whining about which of two absolutely perfect men she should choose, which put me rather out of patience with her.