The Tiger at Midnight audiobook

Sooo I'm a little biased here, because Swati is actually my writing mentor and a lovely person - but I REALLY loved this book (and I would have loved it just as much even if I didn't know her personally)! If you know anything about me, you know I'm a huge fan of the cat and mouse trope - and heated banter. Like please give me all the heated banter forever and ever amen. So with that said, my heart was so giddy over Kunal and Esha! They are my children now and I love them and ship them endlessly.But the best part (banter/heat aside) was the seriously incredible world building. First of all, the Indian mythology was SO COOL - and the foundation upon which the two warring nations are built. I've never read anything quite like it, but I love how the legends weren't just myths but had the power to disrupt life at its core. On top of that, we have a super rich history that depicts the relationship between Kunal's lands and Esha's, and it only grows more complex as the story plays on. I love how nothing is black and white - and complications arise from all ends. What really made the story fun was that we go on a journey through both character's eyes - traveling through towns and jungles and cities and palaces. You won't be sitting still.The story starts as Kunal, a soldier, sees a mysterious girl lurking around his fort. He approaches her, and she pretends that she's merely lost her way. The two strike up a conversation - harmless, by the looks of it, and he helps her return to where she claimed she wanted to be. The next morning, Kunal wakes to find his uncle, the general, dead in his bed - with the Viper (an unknown assassin of sorts)'s weapon left in the room. The next thing he knows, he's sent on a mission to find the Viper. If he catches them, he'll be promoted - and can make a real change for his country.It doesn't take him long to put the pieces together - that the Viper, is in fact, the girl from the fort. I really don't want to spoil more than that, but be prepared for a whirlwind ride through emerald forests and colorful towns as the chase begins, and soon both Esha and Kunal are questioning everything they know and everyone they trust.My Blog ~ Instagram ~ Twitter

weeeeOOOWWWW i'm so glad I have this on preorder (and it's coming on Tuesday!!!) because that was amazing??? 1) actually good romantic tension gimme gimme2) lush worlds!!! so much!!!3) if you've seen pictures of the hardcover, it's got this GORGEOUS super shiny gold spine that makes me swoooooon. *grabby hands*

HI THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING PLEASE READ IT OKAY THANK YOU

March 15, 2020: Everyone should be knowing how much I love Indian history and Hindu mythology...I was adoring this YA fantasy from afar since last year and now that I've listened to it, I want ALL OF YOU to pick it up too. A romance that gets you a OTP, chase & adventure, cultural references, and an amazing writing! Full review to come someday.December 10, 2018: Indian MC – Assassin female + Soldier male | Hindu Mythology | Ancient Indian history | PERFECT |

A deliciously twisty cat-and-mouse story that had me racing through the pages. I love stories that challenge their protagonists' beliefs, and both Esha and Kunal face complex, heart-breaking decisions in their journey to discover both themselves and each other.

I may have postponed reading this book for almost an year despite being very excited for it, but I’m glad I finally had the chance to read it now. It was the exact kind of fun fast paced YA fantasy I needed during these anxiety inducing times. I really liked Kunal and Esha as characters. Their cat and mouse chase, banter, a bit of a slow burn relationship development was all a lot of fun to read. I also thought they both were great individually, with their own values and convictions, and how understanding each other changed them was written beautifully. The plot is also very fast paced, with something happening and unraveling all the time, and the author’s use of short chapters also kept the tension going. I also listened to the audiobook in parts and thought the narration was excellent. Now I know why all my friends love this book so much and I’m actually happy that I only have about a month to wait for the sequel’s release. I hope that one will turn out to be as lovely as the this super entertaining debut.

Update: 6/24/21 Reread in preparation for Chariot at Dusk coming out in a few days. This book is still criminally underrated. Kunal and Esha serve nearly every trope the book community loves and yet I never see anyone talking about it. "Am I allowed to speak now without you threatening me?"Esha snorted. "The day I don't threaten you is the day you're already dead."He gave her a crooked smile. "Good to know."Like?? C'mon. Read it. You know you want to. Anyway, the review below still accurately sums up how I feel about this.------------------------------------------------------- Original Read: 5/10/21 "Never greet a tiger at midnight, for they are the manifestations of your past misdeeds." Holy cow!! This was sooo good. I'll admit that I didn't have many expectations going into this, because I'd heard so little about it- which is a crime, because this book is amazing. Things I Liked 1. The CharactersEsha and Kunal are amazing and I love them. All too often, especially in YA, the author will give you two strong, independent characters that melt into useless goo as soon as a love interest enters the scene. This was so not the case here. Yes, there's obviously attraction that distracts them from their goals from time to time, but they're self-aware enough to be annoyed by this and try to push past it. And beyond their (precious) romance, they have their own goals, their own conflicts. I also loved how Esha was ACTUALLY skilled. We weren't just told she was skilled, we were shown it. She was also allowed to be both beautiful and feminine, and kick everyone's ass. I loved it.2. The SettingI could visualize everything so clearly while reading, which is amazing in and of itself as I'm an exhausted shell of myself currently. From the landscape to the fight scenes to the crowded rooms of people, every inch of it was beautifully portrayed. 3. The DiscussionsOkay, I love a good book that talks about the way we're raised and how that creates our perception of the world. That's a big thing this book deals with. Kunal was raised to believe his cause was right, and that the other side was beneath him, other. We watch him grapple with this as he grows and sees the world in a way that's untainted by the words of his superiors. Things I Didn't Like 1. The PacingFor the most part, this wasn't a big issue. I truly enjoyed seeing the game of cat and mouse between Esha and Kunal, but there's a moment when something shifted and everything seemed to stall. It was kind of like trudging through quick sand for the last third of the book, and even though I still enjoyed it, it took me out of the story a bit.2. The Plot-twistClearly, I can't say much here without spoiling but all I'll say is that it kind of came out of nowhere and cheapened things a bit for me, as well as not being given enough time anyway. I get that it can be so hard to give everything, especially in the first book of a fantasy trilogy, the time and description it needs without being overwhelming so I totally understand. But, Idk, it felt quite bizarre to me. Perhaps I'd feel different if I was familiar with the mythology the story drew inspiration from, but as it stands, it felt forced to me. Overall I was so pleasantly surprised by this one. It deserves more hype, you guys. Seriously. You're sleeping on this amazing novel with great characters and some top tier banter. Read itttt.

I’m really, really soft for these characters, okay. And the romantic development in this book? Swati Teerdhala writes tension so phenomenally well! Julianna and I just ate it all up. IT WAS GREAT! Kunal and Esha are explosive together.Although The Tiger at Midnight greatly deviated from my expectations, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the almost literal cat-and-mouse chase across a brutally damaged fantasy land. I liked the elements of Indian mythology integrated into the world-building, as well as the copious amount of humorous banter between Kunal and Esha. This was fun and refreshing!4 stars* Read more of my bookish shenanigans in my natural habitat.

yes, I will be thinking about Kunal and Esha every single day for the rest of my life. what about it The randomness of fate once again struck her as being the ultimate cruelty and blessing of the gods. It seemed Kunal truly was her tiger at midnight, there to collect on her missteps. The old folktales never lied. Y'all, apparently this is a whopping 487 pages??? But it truly, seriously only felt like about 300 pages to me?? And I sped through this so quickly?? Life's wild when you're having the most fun in your life!!(Literally, when I finished, I said that it was TOO SHORT but then I checked the page count and I was shocked.)Guys, friends, pals, please look at this cover and tell me that it isn't one of the most GORGEOUS things you've ever seen, because otherwise you're lying. When I heard "cat-and-mouse relationship," I was here and I even sacrificed my own pride, my own nonexistent dignity to request this AGAIN on Edelweiss when I got denied the first time!!! Thank you to the publicist for taking pity on my pitiful and sad self, who just wanted to read a good romance fantasy. This is an #ownvoices Indian-inspired fantasy that is undeniably amazing, although it was... so different than I expected. Honestly, I thought the plotline would be more of a ground-shaking political-centered one, but it's really more of a fun adventure across this gorgeous land while one trying to catch-the-other-but-not-really. This featured glowing forests and military-torn villages and palaces and military grounds and I was just, in love.(There's kind of a love triangle though!!! It's really small!! But it's there and it makes me sad because I actually quite like the second lead 3)Also, guess what! (minor spoiler alert that I actually guessed in the first chapter, LMAO) This employs not only (view spoiler)[the remarkable trope of enemies-to-lovers, but childhood-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, ok!!! DEAD. (hide spoiler)]So, we have Esha, the Viper, an assassin who is swift, strong, and intelligent. Her primary weapons are two whips, and her first task is being entrusted to murder a general who just happens to be Kunal's uncle. Both Esha and Kunal faced devastation in their villages due to a military raid, but both have taken very different paths: Esha goes the way of the rebels, while Kunal dedicates his life to training as a soldier under the guidance of his uncle and helping King Vardaan. Of course, Kunal is assigned to assassinate the Viper, but things go awry when they actually meet and come in contact. This was so easily readable and so addicting and just, so good, and I love it so much, and it's honestly one of the most underrated books, okay?Not only does it have a light plot full of shenanigans, a fun crew, banter, badass people being badass, and the Best Romance... it also interweaves subtle themes of military oppression and being related to people who you love even though they are just Terrible! Also, me and Shealea 100% agree that this has one of the most amazing romances; SWATI! CAN! WRITE! TENSION! And, being the hopeless romantic that I am, I ATE! IT! UP! When I was only fifty percent in, I was thinking about what rating I would give it, and just... it's definitely five stars. There's no doubt in my mind.The only negative thing I can think of is how I was slightly surprised by what the climax was because I was expecting a huger plotline to come into play, but like!!! It was still amazing. And I adore both characters, and I would read a 700-page book by Swati if she wrote one. buddy read with this sunflowerThank you to HarperCollins for letting me read a digital review copy of this

How is there not more talk about this book?! I'm insanely impressed with this debut! The nonstop cat and mouse game + sexual tension was EXACTLY what my body and soul needed. There was no toying around with the attraction the way a lot of YA enemies to lovers go. I am...shocked to say I also enjoyed

This book is just proof that if something intrigues me in a story I have to give it a try myself instead of only looking at the reviews… because there are some mixed opinions about it, and I absolutely loved it :) I read it in like a day and here are some of my random and out of order thoughts and feelings about it :) no spoilers :)- it wasn’t until after I finished it that I read in one of the reviews that it’s a story perfect for the fans of “Zutara” :) *coughs* Avatar the last airbender *coughs* if you know, then you know… if you don’t, I don’t have the time to get into the big explanation :) and I cannot believe I didn’t see it sooner for myself :) obviously, I loved those feels ;)- the writing style was really good, especially for a debut novel :) I was hooked from the first chapter and wanted to read more :)- I really liked that there was a lot of grey area in this story… we had two sides of a conflict but also a lot of people who were just caught between that fight and now suffer the consequences… - most characters we meet in this book can’t be easily put into a “good” or “bad” category… they make all sorts of decisions, and all of them are parts of what makes them feel like real people… you get attached to them… the more you get to know them, the more you feel for their struggles- I really liked that there are no info dumps that make your head hurt trying to remember all of the information at once :) we are thrown straight into action and slowly learn more and more about the history and conflict and the world in general :)All in all I gave this book 5 stars and am really looking forward to continue with the rest of the series… but since the third and final book is not being published until like the middle of 2021 I think I might wait a bit more before reading the sequel… especially since I heard it ends on a painful cliffhanger… :) but I do highly recommend you giving this gem a try for yourselves :)XOXOA

this was really fun but i like esha and kunal more as friends? the romance/worldbuilding fell flat for me but i liked the characters individual and the plot seems cool 👍🏽*edit: the romance was actually built up really well and after finishing the trilogy i like the first book a lot more actually

THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT is without a doubt one of the best fantasy books I have ever read. Get ready to fall in love with Kunal, Esha, and a lush world as beautiful as it is dangerous. Swati's prose will have you laughing and crying and swooning, often in the same scene, and these characters stay wih long after you turn the page. 2019 can't come soon enough!

read the full review on my blog: here! "Never greet a tiger at midnight, for they are the manifestations of your past misdeeds."The Tiger at Midnight is yet another highly anticipated 2019 favorite of mine, which is why, as soon as I received my copy I started reading. I highly enjoyed the atmosphere, the characters and most of the plot, so let's dig into this review!What is this book about?Esha, the legendary assassin by the name of the Viper is out for revenge. Her mission: to kill the military general. When she encounters Kunal, the general's nephew and (seemingly) loyal soldier in the army, the two engage in a cat and mouse game that may result in a detrimental ending.“It never failed to Delight her, knowing that all these soldiers, these men, were terrified of her.” What did I think about The Tiger at Midnight?So.. the premise should give you a clue as to why I was so excited to read this book. Female assassins... hello? GIVE ME FEMALE ASSASSINS ANY DAY! The characters, then, are essentially why I'm giving this book such a high rating. The reason why I thought this book was such a strong debut was because I adored Kunal and Esha's dynamic. These two... made my so giddy. From the moment the two interact (very very early on in the book) I was hooked! Kunal is a soldier, who isn't actually cut out to be a soldier. His soft soul starkly contrasts the horrible deeds he has to execute as part of the army. Then there's Esha... oh boy... Esha. I loved her character a lot: from the way Esha interacts with Kunal - kind of standoff-ish, but simultaneously not immune to his kind soul, to her secret identity as the Viper. Her character is layered, and really drew me in from the very start. The hate-to-love trope that seems to be the focus of their dynamic very much captured my attention, and the contrasting alliances of both Esha and Kunal delivered some interesting angst!As for the writing, it's quite simple but effective. There are some good and powerful quotes sprinkled throughout the book, but it's not overly filled with poetic language. I did think the plot was solid in the sense that I was immediately pulled in, rather than having to wait to be captured. I do think the writing picks up and gets more climactic as we near the ending, but that's due to the world-building, which is explained rather slowly in the beginning. The last fourth of The Tiger at Midnight, then, marked the best part for me - plot-wise, and also introduced some more characters (the rebels, and Kunal's fellow soldiers) that spark the reader's interest. I do hope to see more of these characters in the future books because there's certainly something interesting there!2019 being the year of diverse fantasies, I really like that a large part of the book featured Indian history and Hindu mythology, which I feel like a lot of people might be able to relate to. I, myself, feel that fantasies get a lot more rich if they feature some kind of cultural component at its root, which was also the case here. The way the author has weaved elements of Indian culture into the story was so wonderfully done and really helped to set the story apart from other books that feature a similar plot.In my opinion, The Tiger at Midnight is such a solid debut novel, and I cannot wait to see what else the author has in store for us in the next book! I will definitely keep on reading this series for both the characters and the story. What a treat this was!