The Tiger's Daughter

by K Arsenault Rivera

Overview

K Arsenault Rivera's debut, The Tiger's Daughter, the beginning of a new epic fantasy trilogy

"Rich, expansive, and grounded in human truth...simply exquisite.” —V. E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling author of the Shades of Magic series

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Even gods can be slain

The Hokkaran empire has conquered every land within their bold reach—but failed to notice a lurking darkness festering within the people. Now, their border walls begin to crumble, and villages fall to demons swarming out of the forests.

Away on the silver steppes, the remaining tribes of nomadic Qorin retreat and protect their own, having bartered a treaty with the empire, exchanging inheritance through the dynasties. It is up to two young warriors, raised together across borders since their prophesied birth, to save the world from the encroaching demons.

This is the story of an infamous Qorin warrior, Barsalayaa Shefali, a spoiled divine warrior empress, O Shizuka, and a power that can reach through time and space to save a land from a truly insidious evil.

A crack in the wall heralds the end…two goddesses arm themselves…K Arsenault Rivera's The Tiger’s Daughter is an adventure for the ages.

Ascendant

#1 The Tiger’s Daughter

#2 The Phoenix Empress

#3 The Warrior Moon

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765392534
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/03/2017
Series:	Ascendant , #1
Pages:	528
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

K Arsenault Rivera was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, but moved to New York when she was a toddler. When not managing a nutritional supplement store in Brooklyn, K is an avid participant in the roleplaying community, from which she drew inspiration for her debut novel, The Tiger’s Daughter. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her partner.

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/14/2017
Rivera’s wonderfully intricate Asian-inspired epic fantasy debut introduces two young women bound by fate: Shizuka, whose uncle is the Emperor Yoshimoto, and Barsalyya Shefali Alshar, whose mother is Kharsa Burqila, the ruler of the Qorin. Omens are present at the birth of both children, a month apart: a pair of pine needles visible between their eyes. Though they come from very different backgrounds— Shefali is a horsewoman of the Qorin steppes and Shizuka the pampered heir of the Hokkaran Empire—their mothers determine that the omen means the pair will be lifelong friends. This initial association propels the two young women into grand adventures that become the stuff of legend as they discover the extent of their superhuman powers. Rivera’s immense imagination and finely detailed worldbuilding have produced a series introduction of mammoth scope. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Tiger's Daughter

"K Arsenault Rivera turns many of the standard conventions of fantasy on their heads....A love letter... lavishly chronicling how two women fall in love.... thoughtfully rendered and palpably felt." — The Washington Post

"Rivera’s immense imagination and finely detailed worldbuilding have produced a series introduction of mammoth scope." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The Tiger’s Daughter sinks its claws into a reader and refuses to let them go until the very last page...As a word, ambitious sums up this debut." —Culturess

“The epistolary tale at the heart of The Tiger’s Daughter unfolds with deceptive elegance, leading the reader to a conclusion at once unexpected, touching, and apt.” —Jacqueline Carey, author of the bestselling Kushiel's Legacy series

"A layered and mesmerizing tale of love and legends, this fierce story will settle in your bones like a chill and leave your heart aching.” —Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen

"Delicate, intricate, inevitable...a stunning debut. It took my breath away.” —Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart a Doorway

From the Publisher

08/01/2017
Empress Yui of the Hokkaran Empire, O-Shizuka, is struggling to handle her royal duties when a message written in a language that few understand arrives. It is the language of Qorin, the horse traders who live on the steppes (think Mongolia), and the sender is her old friend, the Qorin warrior Barsalayaa Shefali. Born under the same omen of friendship, the two had spent summers together, learning about each other and the world. As they grew older, O-Shizuka discovered how to be an empress-in-waiting to a tyrannical uncle, while Shefali developed a deeper knowledge of demons—for she met them when she was ten. Their ordained friendship also turns into a much deeper—and taboo—love. With both foresworn to protect each other's people, the women work together to defeat the demons to defend their world. Unfortunately, this story is undermined by clumsy cultural references. The use of real Japanese terms such as naginata, along with one-syllable changes of others, will confuse those familiar with Japanese culture. And the physical descriptions and slurs spoken by some characters ("rice-eater" and "ricetongue") will disturb many readers of Asian backgrounds. VERDICT Despite its flaws, this expansive fantasy brings together lush worldbuilding, compelling characters, and an unfolding story that keeps the pages turning. Everyone will have an opinion about this book.—KC

Library Journal