Wednesday, July 29, 2020

SciFI/Fantasy Book Review: The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala


The Tiger at Midnight is the debut novel of author Swati Teerdhala, and first in a new YA* fantasy trilogy, one inspired by (per the marketing) ancient Indian history and (Hindu) myth.  Readers of this blog are well aware that I'm always excited to read SF/F based upon non White/European/American cultures, so I was intrigued when I first saw the sequel to this novel listed on a "new books coming out this Spring" and then found this first novel available in audiobook form on Hoopla.

*As I've noted before, one could argue this isn't YA since there's no schooling and the characters are somewhat out of their teens from what I can tell.  But it's marketed as YA, so that's what I'm going with, and there's nothing in this that I would think would be a problem for that audience.*

 And I really enjoyed The Tiger at Midnight, even if it never breaks out into a truly must read story.  The story features two lead characters both of whom have done some troubling things in their lives, and still feel it necessary possibly to do them if they are to help their peoples, in a land whose magic was torn apart seemingly by greed.  Both main characters are very solid and enjoyable and the plotting does take a few surprising turns along the way, keeping me interested enough to make me want to finish the book quickly in print after reading it for its first half in audiobook format.  I've already taken out the second book from the library and look forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Note:  I read this half in audiobook, half in print.  The audiobook reader is solid, so the book is worth a read in that format.

-------------------------------------------------Plot Summary--------------------------------------------------------
The Countries of Jansa and Dharka used to be allies, with the Jansan royalty being related to that of the throne of Dharka.  Moreover, the two countries were tied together by the gift given to them by the gods: the Janma bond, which was renewed through a blood sacrifice from both a Samyad woman - the Queens who ruled Jansa - and a Himyad man - the rulers of Dharka.  By renewing the bond, the land grew green and lush, and the people prospered.

But then came the Night of Tears - when a Himyad prince Vaardaan and his loyal General Hotha betrayed the Samyad Queens and killed all their bloodline, removing half of those needed to renew the bond from the world.  Since then Jansa has known increasing drought and famine, and the Pretender King has waged war on Dharka and his neighbors, and has transformed a peaceful egalitarian nation into one of suffering.

Esha's parents were slaughtered in the Night of Tears, and she has sworn revenge on the Pretender King.  Now she is the Viper, the legendary assassin who strikes terror in the hearts of Jansan officials, and she has been finally given the opportunity to kill General Hotha, one half of those responsible for her pain.  But when she doesn't count on two things happening: someone getting to the General first and meeting Kunal, a kind soldier at the fort who she can't let go of in her mind.

Kunal meanwhile is the nephew of the General, but has always been too kindhearted for his uncle's like, and wishes for a more just world.  Upon the news of his uncle's killing, he accepts the task of hunting down his uncle's killer: the Viper he quickly begins to suspect is Esha.  And yet the journey to try and catch Esha will result in Kunal discovering truths he once overlooked, and what he will do when he finds the strange woman who has haunted his mind is unclear....even to him......
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The Tiger at Midnight tells the story of two people on seemingly opposite sides, in a "Catch Me If You Can" sort of way for most of the book, in a country that has - before the story begins - fallen apart.  It's a setting that isn't an uncommon one - the dying land because of a magical ritual gone awry, the missing princess hanging in the background, the people struggling and a loyal soldier discovering the truth throughout...  And of course the chase setup of two protagonists, who you know are at some point almost certain to wind up on the same side - both politically and romantically - is hardly new as well.

But of course, searching for originality is a fools errand when you read enough, as old takes can be executed in different ways, often better than their predecessors.  And this book is mostly an example of that.  The setting works really well so that all of the actions of the various actors, and their sentiments, are very believable, The plot teases are tantalizing enough to keep the intrigue up and to keep you guessing about where things are going, and doesn't always take the direction you'd imagine.

And the main characters are really well done.  Esha is in some ways a classic antihero-esque heroine protagonist, with her being devoted to her cause of getting revenge and perhaps justice, even as she knows that doing so not only puts her in constant danger but has stained her hands with blood.  She doesn't even think about that last part until she begins to have romantic feelings in this book, in which case it does become a minor fear about what her significant other might think of her.  But after what happened to her as a child, and the cruelty she sees from the pretender king, such concerns do not matter, and she sublimates everything to her cause.  Or well mostly everything - as we eventually find out (and see hints of in her inner monologue), as she does have a people she considers family, friends, and possibly more.  This sounds contradictory - and it is!  She's a bit of a contradictory mess, which isn't a surprise given the tragedy of her childhood and it makes her an extremely interesting protagonist to follow.

And then there's Kunal, the soldier for the Jansan army, who spends most of the book chasing after her.  Kunal is his own mess of contradictions - he feels familial bonds and duty bound towards his uncle, who raised him after the Night of Tears, with the rest of his family lost to him.  The result of that is that Kunal is known for being a sticker for duty and the rules.  Yet his uncle's prioritizing of might and the "superiority" of men has never felt quite right to him, and he never wanted to be a soldier.  And when he leaves the sanctuary of the military fort to see the people from an independent angle, he's shocked at the poverty and despair he has been insulated from.  And then of course there's Esha, who he suspects quite quickly is the Viper, which causes a severe contradiction for him - she killed his one remaining family member and besides that his duty is to bring her in, and yet he can see the justness of fighting against his own cause.  Again, this is not an original archetype of character, but it's done very well.

The result is a plot that works quite well overall, ending in a way that is definitely cliffhanger-y, but also very satisfying in tying up most of the plot threads that are the focus of this book.  My only complaint is that the chase between the two main characters does get a bit repetitive at one point, with Esha escaping one situation via methods that are never explained, but it for the most part works.  And the plot threads left open are very intriguing and leave room for lots of possibilities indeed, which is what you want for the first novel in a trilogy.  So yeah, I'll be back shortly for the sequel.
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