A Q&A with the author for this YA retelling... Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan (Interview, Review & #Giveaway) @BlinkYABooks @The_FFBC



Welcome! I've been excited for this book for some time. Check out an
interview with the author, my review, and the tour giveaway below...

Tiger Queen
By Annie Sullivan
YA Fantasy, Retelling
Hardcover & ebook, 336 Pages
September 10th 2019 by Blink

Summary

From Annie Sullivan, author of A Touch of Gold, comes Tiger Queen, a sweeping YA fantasy adventure that tells the story of a fierce desert princess battling to save her kingdom. Fans of Rebel of the Sands and Meagan Spooner will devour this retelling of Frank Stockton’s famous short story, “The Lady, or the Tiger?”

In the mythical desert kingdom of Achra, an ancient law forces sixteen-year-old Princess Kateri to fight in the arena to prove her right to rule. For Kateri, winning also means fulfilling a promise to her late mother that she would protect her people, who are struggling through windstorms and drought. The situation is worsened by the gang of Desert Boys that frequently raids the city wells, forcing the king to ration what little water is left. The punishment for stealing water is a choice between two doors: behind one lies freedom, and behind the other is a tiger.

But when Kateri’s final opponent is announced, she knows she cannot win. In desperation, she turns to the desert and the one person she never thought she’d side with. What Kateri discovers twists her world—and her heart—upside down. Her future is now behind two doors—only she’s not sure which holds the key to keeping her kingdom and which releases the tiger.

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Q&A with the Author

Tressa: Would you tell us a little more about the main characters from TIGER QUEEN?

Annie: Princess Kateri was practically born with a sword in her hand, and she is ready to enter the arena to win her right to rule—which she has to do because of an old law. She’s talented yet stubborn. She doesn’t think she needs anyone’s help…until her last opponent in the arena is announced as the one man she’s never been able to beat in a fight. Then, she has to scramble to figure out how she’s going to win her throne!

Tressa: How did Princess Kateri's mother pass away and how old was the princess when it happened?

Annie: The Queen was killed by a gang of thieves known as the Desert Boys, who race through the city stealing water. Princess Kateri was six years old when it happened, and it’s part of the reason she took up a sword and learned to fight because she wanted to protect her people.

Tressa: What one piece of advice would Kateri give about surviving in Achra?

Annie: Don’t go out in the desert. The desert is just there to kill you. You have to survive within the kingdom’s walls, which isn’t easy either—especially because water is running out.

Tressa: What does she believe about fighting in the arena and what inspired that aspect of the story?

Annie: Kateri is honored to fight in the arena. She loves putting her skills on display because she wants to be the best; she wants to show that her family is the strongest. She might think woman don’t need that old law, but she’ll abide by it because she doesn’t see herself losing.

The old law was inspired by a character named Tamlin who ran across the desert to bring news of an approaching army. He’d saved his people and they wanted a way for him to rule, so they devised a way for different people to fight in the arena to earn the crown because of him.

Tressa: What part of this story do you love the most?

Annie: I love the ending the most. This story is based off a short story with a cliffhanger ending. So the fact that I was finally able to give this story the ending it always should have had (in my opinion), is the best thing about this whole story!

Tressa: What challenged you about writing TIGER QUEEN?

Annie: In A Touch of Gold, it was all about Princess Kora finding her strength. But in Tiger Queen, it’s more about Princess Kateri finding her softer side and letting people in while learning she can still be strong. Working with these two completely different characters was a challenge at first, but I really enjoyed it.

Tressa: Do you have any specific snacks you eat or music you listen to when you write?

Annie: I love listening to music when I write. I’ll often put a song on repeat and listen to it for hours on end so I’m not tempted to take a dance break every time a new song comes on!

Tressa: What are you working on next?

Annie: Next, I have the sequel to A Touch of Gold—called A CURSE OF GOLD—coming out in 2020. It’s going to be filled with even more adventure, Greek mythology, and heart-pounding action!!!

My Review

TIGER QUEEN is a fantasy set in ancient history in a land of sand where a princess finds that her world is not as it seems. Highly recommended to ya fantasy fans!

It took me a bit to like Kateri, the protagonist of the story. She comes across as naive and easily gullible, as well as arrogant. However, her character changes as she faces lies, challenges, and finds friends in unlikely places. The villains play their roles quite well and there I really despised them. The romance is sweet and I appreciated that it didn't take over the story. I liked the training and the group of boys that reminded me of Peter Pan and the lost boys. Cion and the boys were probably my favorite part of the story. The action scenes were engrossing and well written. The ending was climatic ending on a sweet note.

There were a few things I felt could have used more development. A few of the characters were one dimensional and I would have liked them to be better fleshed out. Otherwise, I had no complaints about this story.

In the end, was it what I wished for? I enjoyed this one from beginning to end. Definitely worth the read if you're a fantasy fan!

Content: Violence and abuse.
Source: I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher, which did not require a positive review nor affect it in any way.

About the Author


Annie Sullivan is a Young Adult author from Indianapolis, Indiana. Her work has been featured in Curly Red Stories and Punchnels. She loves fairytales, everything Jane Austen, and traveling and exploring new cultures. When she’s not off on her own adventures, she’s teaching classes at the Indiana Writers Center and working as the Copy Specialist at John Wiley and Sons, Inc. publishing company, having also worked there in Editorial and Publicity roles. You can follow her adventures on Twitter and Instagram (@annsulliva).


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