The cleric Chih finds themself and their companions at the mercy of a band of fierce tigers who ache with hunger. To stay alive until the mammoths can save them, Chih must unwind the intricate, layered story of the tiger and her scholar lover―a woman of courage, intelligence, and beauty―and discover how truth can survive becoming history.
Nghi Vo returns to the empire of Ahn and The Singing Hills Cycle in When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, a mesmerizing, lush standalone follow-up to The Empress of Salt and Fortune.
The format of this novella is so fun and unique. As Chih recounts the love story between the scholar Dieu and the tiger Ho Thi Thao, three descendant tigers constantly interject with their version of events. While this collaborative history unfolds, the reader has to ask several questions: Whose version is right? Why might the versions be different? And, in the end, does it even matter? The story-within-a-story format works well here because the verbal back-and-forth between Chih and the three tigers and the action-packed story of Dieu and Ho Thi Thao are equally captivating. I can't recommend Nghi Vo's writing enough; it's witty and magical without being overwrought. If you want a quick, enjoyable read, then this or her other novellas, won't disappoint.
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