Paper Worlds and Swirls of Ink: A Series in Summation

This is a series that has the most beautiful covers. Seriously, take a look, they're eye catching. I remember always seeing the Tiger's Quest cover and being intrigued by the beautiful black tiger on the front and the intricate detailing and color on the cover. However, I could only find Tiger's Quest, which was the second book in the series. Eventually I caved and bought Tiger's Quest and started on the second book in the series (bad book habit I know but this was ages ago) and I delved into the world. Overall, I really enjoyed this series. I loved the intricate weaving of the modern day with Hindi mythology and ancient lore, which was a subject entirely new to me but very interesting. Now, let's briefly break down the series and talk about each book. As with any breakdown of series, the sequels' reviews may contain minor spoilers for those who haven't yet begun the series as a whole or reached the following books.

Tiger's Curse (Book No. 1)

I read this book after completing the series, and it was interesting to gain some insight into the characters' beginnings. I liked Kelsey and meeting everyone; I think that the beginning and introduction of the central conflict was very well done. However, the conclusion of the novel is what bothered me. We were introduced to whiney Kelsey, and she appears sporadically through the rest of the series and is quite irritating. I had heard in some reviews that people became irritated with Kelsey for being so moody over unfounded fears, and I find that I would agree with this in the end of the book. Aside from the end that was soured by some irritating characteristics of Kelsey, overall I did enjoy the book and gave it three stars.

Tiger's Quest (Book No. 2)

Alright, let's move on to my personal start in the series, and one that is tied for my favorite book in the series, Tiger's Quest. I really enjoyed this book. I'm actually glad I started with this book as opposed to Tiger's Curse, because Kelsey is a lot stronger of a character in this book. She is almost immediately introduced into a conflict and she has a lot to deal with, and Kelsey handles it well. It seems that whenever she has a serious issue or conflict in the series, Kelsey demonstrates her mature side and dedicated nature. This book was really interesting in its varied scenery, with everything from mountaintops to fantastical worlds. I also loved seeing more of Kelsey and Kishan in this book, especially since Kishan is my favorite character in the series, and I think starting with the second book did make me appreciate Kishan's character more than Ren's. I thought this was a very enjoyable and well written book, and gave it four stars.

Tiger's Voyage (Book No. 3)

This and Tiger's Quest are tied for my favorite books in this series. I really enjoyed this novel. It has a wanderlust vibe as our heroes take off on a fantastical other worldly journey and go island hopping. I loved the interactions in this book- although a love triangle-ish mix was sort of present it wasn't overplayed or creating another instance of whiney Kelsey. Sure, there were some moments when she got wishy washy and I feared the worst- a love triangle drowning the book in melodrama- but the author avoided the worst and kept the plot line prominent. I loved seeing more of all the central characters, and when they go to visit certain beings, we are introduced to witty and beguiling creatures. And the ending of this one threw me for a loop- another wonderful, four star book.

Tiger's Destiny (Book No. 4)

I'm sad to say that this is where the series fell flat for me. I was pretty disappointed with this book. To begin, Kelsey was whiney the entire novel, and here my fears were realized- the dreaded melodramatic love triangle. Also, the plot here was all over the place- it felt like trying to wrap up the central conflict yet at the same time introduce innovative changes. The beginning of the book still had my attention- it was interesting and Kelsey had a lot to deal with and, as with Tiger's Quest, she did well. However, she demonstrates immaturity when not dealing with the central conflict and life or death situations, which is what led to the love triangle being overkill. The ending was the worst part for me. After all the drawn out love triangle moments the ending felt like a cop out. Something I called immediately, and was not happy with. After the complexities and nuances introduced in the series, the ending just didn't do it justice. I gave the book three stars and I honestly think that I gave it that rating because I had loved the series so much and that was reflected in my overall thoughts of the book. After reading this I was less excited about reading the first book, and I think it was not the best end to a really great series.

Now, I have heard rumors on the Goodreads-sphere of a fifth book- Tiger's Dream. From what I'd heard, this was potentially an independent release that Colleen Houck wanted to do, and it's still listed as a book on Goodreads with a 2015 date, and some tidbits on her blog are still giving me hope for this. However, with Colleen developing a new series that has a similar premise with Egyptian mythology (side note: it sounds fantastic!) it may yet be awhile. While I was disappointed with the series's ending, I do plan to pick up the first book in her next saga and see where we go from there.

See the First Book on Goodreads

*disclaimer: because I am not familiar with Hindi mythology I cannot attest to the accuracy of any portrayed in the series.

From the paper world,