Tiger's Destiny (The Tiger Saga #4)

Tiger's Destiny (The Tiger Saga #4) by Colleen Houck

Rating: 5 stars

I'm totally speechless for once. I really don't know what to say! Colleen Houck, with Tiger's Destiny, you have made me whoop with joy, hanging to cliffs with my finger tips in suspense and sobbing my eyes out! (And to know, I hardly ever cry for books or movies) This book was a perilous yet unbelievable and can't-be-missed journey and I would take it on again any time. Tiger's Destiny was an amazing end to the Tiger's Curse and I really have no idea what or who Colleen is going to be writing about in Tiger's Dream (maybe a certain "distant" character? *wink wink* to those who have read the book. But I can't spoil anything!). But knowing Colleen, I hope it will be another edge-of-your-seat story with unforgettable characters. 

I had such an emotional roller coaster ride in Tiger's Destiny. I would hang on to each word like a lifeline just to reach the end of each chapter and then stop, take a deep breath, calm my nerves then continue. I was overwhelmed and deeply thrusted into the story world which I loved. I experienced every ounce of emotion, had clear images and understanding of each scene/action and character. I don't think any book has ever been able to have such a hold on me before. Colleen Houck's Tiger's Curse series will forever have an unique place in my heart.

I liked the amount of new knowledge I was able to learn from reading Colleen's work. She incorporated a huge amount of both Indian and American cultures into the books. Though admittedly, I wasn't really interested in Indian culture and mythology before I read the book, I was hooked into the colourful stories and objects almost instantly. I could see how much research the author had put into the book and it made the story all the more realistic. After reading this series, I still have lots to learn about another culture, but I have a better understanding of it as well as to other religions and mythologies. 

This was an adventurous and romantic story. The harsh yet satisfying journeys Kelsey, Ren and Kishan went on was not only interesting to read about but also drew me in. Colleen Houck paced the story at the exactly right speed and added in many unexpected twists and turns to the well structured plot. Being the fourth book, it connected and related back to the previous books and made me have realisations like "Oh! That's why ... happened!" The amount of suspense always led me on to flip through the book faster to find out what really happened. Not only was it a "physical" journey, it was also bogged down in the emtional department. Colleen Houck wrote it so well that I experienced all the distinguished emotions of the characters: the fear, the doubt, the love and the pain etc. It brought me closer to the characters and the situations. 

Lots of people were annoyed at the main girl Kelsey in this book, so I was worried I would have a similar reaction towards her. But to my pleasant surprise, I didn't dislike her. She was her normals self, not too strong (not even close to kickass) but full of another kind of strength. Yeah sure, there were annoying moments where I just wanted to yell at her for her decisions, but there were also times where I admired her for her strength. So overall, she wasn't too bad. Ren and Kishan were also at their best in this book. There wasn't that much of jealousy and rivalry on the surface and hardly anymore of the male dominance unlike much earlier on in the series, which is a really good thing. Kishan, especially, changed so much in this journey that I'd came to really like him.  But aside from all that, I was sad to say goodbye to certain characters. 

The bittersweet ending was satisfying and sealed with a finality. Yet at the same time it left the reader wonder about the world of the Tiger Saga and its characters (one character in particular for me). But I felt that it was a perfect way to tie up all the knots. Truly, Tiger's Destiny had just blown me away! There is no other book that makes me cry my heart out yet twirl with joy in its pages. Truly, it is an amazing creation.

After that beautiful finish, it really makes me wonder: what will Tiger's Dream be about? (Is it going to be a novella?) And please, I beg you Colleen, don't ruin these previous four books and the perfect endings to the character's stories! :) Other than that, I look forward to Tiger's Dream.

Synopsis

With three of the goddess Durga's quests behind them, only one prophecy now stands in the way of Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan breaking the tiger's curse. But the trio's greatest challenge awaits them: A life-endangering pursuit in search of Durga's final gift, the Rope of Fire, on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal.  It's a race against time--and the evil sorcerer Lokesh--in this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the bestselling Tiger's Curse series, which pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers' true destinies once and for all.