The Tiger at Midnight
Swati Teerdhala
Katherine Tegen Books
Published April 23, 2019

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About The Tiger at Midnight

A broken bond. A dying land. A cat-and-mouse game that can only end in bloodshed.

Esha is a legend, but no one knows. It’s only in the shadows that she moonlights as the Viper, the rebels’ highly skilled assassin. She’s devoted her life to avenging what she lost in the royal coup, and now she’s been tasked with her most important mission to date: taking down the ruthless General Hotha.

Kunal has been a soldier since childhood, training morning and night to uphold the power of King Vardaan. His uncle, the general, has ensured that Kunal never strays from the path—even as a part of Kunal longs to join the outside world, which has been growing only more volatile.

Then Esha’s and Kunal’s paths cross—and an unimaginable chain of events unfolds. Both the Viper and the soldier think they’re calling the shots, but they’re not the only players moving the pieces. As the bonds that hold their land in order break down and the sins of the past meet the promise of a new future, both rebel and soldier must make unforgivable choices.

Drawing inspiration from ancient Indian history and Hindu mythology, the first book in Swati Teerdhala’s debut fantasy trilogy captivates with electric romance, stunning action, and the fierce bonds that hold people together—and drive them apart.

My Review

Forbidden love between a duty-bound soldier and a rebel assassin set in a lush, magical landscape? OH. YES. I knew as soon as I read the description of this book that THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT was something I needed to read.

What is it about characters who battle with loyalty to a cause once they realize their world isn’t the black and white place they thought it was? I loved that for both Esha and Kunal, decisions that were once easy become complicated. Suddenly their enemies have faces and names and causes, and it’s not so simple to cut them down.

There’s a lot of inner turmoil and wrestling, which I love because I tend to love stories that tackle moral issues. There’s also a beautiful landscape with jungles and palaces and town bazaars and everything described in a way that makes it all come alive.I think fans of Roshani Chokshi (THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN) and Sabaa Tahir (AN EMBER IN THE ASHES) will love this fantastic book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Written with inspiration from Indian history and Hindu mythology.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Profanity used very rarely.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl and pretty fierce romantic tension. Esha meets a girl who is running away to be with her lover, another girl.

Spiritual Content
A Samyad woman and a Himyan man must both make a sacrifice to renew the janma bond with the land, a bond which keeps the land fertile and growing. Since the disruption of the bond, the land is drying out and people are starving.

Some characters have the ability to shift into animal forms.

Violent Content
Esha is an assassin who primarily uses whips as her weapon of choice. She wraps the whip around the neck of victims she wishes to control or threaten. She kills several soldiers.

Some scenes show battle violence and situations of peril. No gore.

Drug Content
Some references to drinking alcohol. Esha pours alcohol on a soldier she has incapacitated, hoping that his superiors will think him drunk. Kunal drinks with other soldiers, but usually only a small amount. In one scene, he pours his wine out when the others aren’t looking.

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