When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, the second instalment in Nghi Vo’s Singing Hills Cycle, follows the Cleric Chih on another of their journeys as this time they travel through the northern region of Anh. After reading the sheer brilliance that was The Empress of Salt and Fortune, I was understandably super excited for the second Singing Hills book, and I’m glad to report I ended up really enjoying this one!
At the beginning of the novella, we find Chih making their way to a local way station with the scout Si-yu and her mammoth Piluk. However, their journey comes to an abrupt halt when they are cornered by a trio of tigers who trap them in a barn. Chih soon discovers that the tigers can take up human forms and speak in the human tongue. When the tigers learn that Chih knows the human version of the legend of the tiger Ho Thi Thao – a story passed on among their kind, they demand Chih tell it to them.
Just like in The Empress of Salt and Fortune, this time too Vo opts for the story within a story format, which I personally find to be one of the aspects that makes these novellas so fascinating! At the tiger’s command, Chih goes on to recount the love story of the scholar Dieu and the tiger Ho Thi Thao as recorded in the Singing Hill archives. However, the tigers keep interrupting Chih to tell the tale as they know it, which turns out to be quite different from the human narrative. As the tigers insist their version of Ho Thi Thao’s legend is the real history, and the humans got it wrong, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain skilfully explores how there can be so many different interpretations of a narrative, and how only the victor’s side of a story is what history keeps account of.
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain once again showcases Vo’s signature writing style – which is just the right mix of elegant, enchanting, and whimsical. Vo’s exploration of queer love in this book is achingly beautiful; and her worldbuilding is lush and detailed this time around as well as she takes us to a completely different side of Chih’s world.
However, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain didn’t resonate with me as much as The Empress of Salt and Fortune. I’ll admit that is partly due to the fact that I’m a fan of political fantasy, and therefore just found the first book to be a lot more appealing. But except for that, I still didn’t really connect to any of the new characters introduced in this novella, and I really wish we had gotten to spend a little more time with them.
Having said that, despite the few drawbacks, I did still enjoy the second part of Chih’s saga, and I can’t wait to read more of Vo’s gorgeous, atmospheric writing! If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, you must give the Singing Hills novellas a try!
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
“Dangerous, subtle, unexpected and familiar, angry and ferocious and hopeful. . . . The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a remarkable accomplishment of storytelling.”—NPR
The cleric Chih finds themself and their companions at the mercy of a band of fierce tigers who ache with hunger. To stay alive until the mammoths can save them, Chih must unwind the intricate, layered story of the tiger and her scholar lover—a woman of courage, intelligence, and beauty—and discover how truth can survive becoming history.
Nghi Vo returns to the empire of Ahn and The Singing Hills Cycle in this mesmerizing, lush standalone follow-up to The Empress of Salt and Fortune
