The Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

 Kelsey Hayes is no ordinary college freshman. In fact, the eighteen-year-old girl has just returned from India, where she risked her life—and her heart—to rescue a handsome Indian prince from a terrible curse. Back home in Oregon, Kelsey is determined to move on, despite the lingering feelings she has for the man she left behind. She meets Li, a completely average guy who offers the promise of an ordinary, curse-free life. But just when Kelsey is ready to move on, Ren reenters her life, on a quest to reclaim her heart. Danger threatens their newly rekindled love and to save him, Kelsey must journey with someone else—a man who wants her for himself. The saga begun in Tiger’s Curse continues in Tiger’s Quest, as Kelsey finds herself in an epic battle between good and evil. From the shores of the Pacific Northwest to the jungles of India, the mountains of Nepal and Tibet, and the mystical realm of Shangri-la, this suspenseful tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption is not to be missed.

My Thoughts:

When I read The Tiger’s Curse in January, I did not think I was going to be able to wait until June to read the second book in the series, The Tiger’s Quest. I was obsessed with the story that Colleen Houck created! The plot was magical and captivating, the characters were awesome and the setting was beautiful. When I finally had The Tiger’s Quest in my hand I was so happy! Then I actually started it, and while I still loved the story, there were some things that disappointed me.

Kelsey was my main issue. She was so annoying! Every single time that she opened her mouth I wanted to punch her. I honestly don’t understand how both Ren and Kishan could fall in love with her. The aspects of her that I liked from the first book were still present-she was brave, selfless, and real. I could see someone like her being my best friend. But in Quest, she was just so dramatic and at times, ridiculous, that the good points of her character were overshadowed by the annoying parts. 

My other issue was the length of this book. While I loved the added stories Houck told about Indian culture and history, there were parts that I feel could have been cut out. Did we really need Kelsey to talk for a full page about every single thing that she and Kishan ate on their journey? I found myself wanting to skip over many, many parts.

Alright, now for what I loved about this book! I loved the story! Ren is kidnapped and tortured horribly by Lokesh, who Kelsey describes as a cross between Hannibal Lecter and Lord Voldemort, but much better looking. Now it is up to Kelsey, Kishan, and Mr. Kadam to break the second part of the curse and also save Ren. The book had action, romance, and history, and I thought that the storyline was even better then it was in the first book!

Besides Kelsey, who I couldn’t stand, I really enjoyed the other characters, especially Kishan, actually I loved him! We first met him in Curse, but we didn’t really learn that much about him. In this one, we learn that there are so many different levels to him and I loved seeing every single one of them. In my opinion, he was even better then Ren, which after book one, I didn’t think could be possible! He is very fun and very complex. He is not “emo" like Ren, which was a nice change of pace. I thought he added so much to the story, and I look forward to seeing where Houck takes him. I hope is able to find the peace he so desperately needs and deserves. 

The Tiger’s Voyage, which comes out in November is supposed to be 100 pages longer but Houck left us with such a “crazy, oh-know-she-didn’t” cliffhanger that I NEED to know what happens!  

This is a book that I would still recommend to my friends, even with its faults. Also, it looks so pretty on my bookshelf!