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

Chih, an avid chronicler of facts, legends, myths – is a pursuer of truth. Here he compares the records that were available to him in his monastery to those told by a magical tigress that can speak and can change into a human form. The comparative history exercise is spiced by the looming possibility that the chronicler and his entourage (a small mammoth, her feisty driver, and an old man whose importance to the plot is sadly unexplained) are destined to become the tigress and her two sisters’ meal as the epilogue to the tale. As the first book of the series, the writing is superb and poetical, the characters enticing, and the pace appropriate to the contents. My four star score is based on these positive characteristics. But (and this is a very bit BUT), unlike the first book, in which the two main characters are eminently human and fascinating, this one is a lovely but somewhat vacuous semi adult tale. I was so enchanted with the first part that I ordered and devoured this up immediately. Sadly, this one was a good read, but little else and if not for the excellent writing skills of the author, might have garnered a mediocre three star score. BTW, the feminist/lesbian slant is charming and highly recommended.

Series Info/Source: This is the second novella in the Singing Hill Cycle. I bought a copy of this for my Kindle.

Story (4/5): This story continues to follow the cleric Chih on their journeys. This time they find themselves trapped by a fierce band of tigers and forced to tell stories until a mammoth tribe can come to save them. While this still employs a very clever method of telling stories within stories, I didnt enjoy it quite as much as the first book in this series. I just didnt find the story within the story quite as fascinating and in depth as it unraveled.

Characters (4/5): The characters were all enjoyable. I really enjoyed the mammoth rider who accompanies Chih and the tiger women were well done too. This was more about the story and the method of delaying the tigers than the characters themselves this time.

Setting (4/5): I enjoyed the frozen mountain setting and really liked the culture that was formed completely around the mammoths that live there. It was very well done. On a side note, I would have liked to be reading about a warmer setting given my current real life frozen setting!

Writing Style (5/5): This was again beautifully written and I love the method of nesting stories within stories. I did feel like this book wasnt quite as well done as the first one. However, I still really enjoyed it. It is a quick and beautiful read that conveys a wonderful story. Vo is definitely a wonderful storyteller that is focused on the art of telling a good story in an amazing format.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed this but didnt love it as much as the first book in the series. It was beautifully written and I loved the location that Chih journeys to. I love the concept of nesting stories as well, but just didnt find the nested stories quite as fascinating in this case. I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy stories within stories, this is very well done.

What a phenomenal follow-up to The Empress of Salt and Fortune!

Much like its predecessor, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain is told half in frame, half outand it is nothing short of brilliant. Chih is, as always, a wonderful main character who provides a strong anchor point to the folklore-esque events going on around them. I also love how this novella dives into ideas of history vs. myth, and how stories change depending on the teller. The framed story of Hi Thi Thao (a tiger!) and the Scholar Dieu was both tense and romantic.

Overall, the prose was beautiful and compelling as ever, exactly what I’ve come to expect from this author. Nghi Vo is easily one of my favorite storytellers right now, and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.

Im going to guess that some may not like this because its mostly an argument about the accuracy of a folktale between representatives of two groups with a stake in it. Or partially, or sort-of. Its really good, like its predecessor, inventive, and the stakes for that argument are high

So good I had to buy my own copy after I returned to the library. The tone is more light hearted and action packed than the first in the series. I missed Almost Brilliant but Chih still carries the show. Would readily read more about these characters & world.

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