When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (The Singing Hills Cycle, #2)

by Nghi Vo

[nannah]

(4.5)

The Empress of Salt and Fortune was one of my favorite reads last year, and it's also probably one of my favorite books of all time. There was no way I was not getting my hands on its sequel this year! But while I was still mesmerized by this lush world and these fantastic characters, I felt something was missing from this second installment that I had loved so much from the first.

Representation:
- the main character is non binary and from a place similar to imperial China
- the other main character, and most secondary characters, are from a place that seems to be inspired by Mongolia (I'm guessing?)
- this character has about one line, but I'm just so ecstatic that there is a woman with a mustache who is not presented as being ugly or freakish or anything else like that

When the Tiger Came down the Mountain is a standalone sequel wherein our cleric Chih; their new acquaintance, a member of the mammoth corps named Si-yu; and Si-yu's small mammoth, Piluk, are trapped high in the mountains by three hungry tigers. Reinforcements will be coming, but until then, Chih must buy themself and their new company time—by telling the story of a tiger who fell in love with a human.

Okay, so I mentioned that I was slightly disappointed in this one compared to the first novella, but even writing out the synopsis for this review made me realize how much I do love this story. I think the emphasis has to be on slightly. There was something about the writing of the first installment that I think fell a little bit short here, and it could have been something to do with deadlines or something, but who knows. It could also just be me.

Because I also never wanted to stop reading. There's just something so addictive about Nghi Vo's writing, her characters, and her world building. Damn, that world building. Immediately, I'm drawn into this world and this setting. It all feels rich and engulfing and real. The cover certainly helps with that—it's one of the most beautiful covers I've ever seen.

Once again the nature of stories themselves and storytelling are the focus here, even if what's discussed is not particularly new. The novella makes some commentary on how stories change depending on who's telling it, and especially depending on the culture and the cultural values of the teller, which is definitely true, and this is a very clever way to present that discussion: one character telling a story, and the other one "correcting" their mistakes—and neither version might be true at all.

And for a novella this definitely works! Even if I wish it were longer, just so I could have more of Vo's writing and those characters, especially that eldest tiger sister. I cannot WAIT to see what else is in store for this series.