Fireheart Tiger

by Aliette de Bodard

Overview

Award-winning author Aliette de Bodard returns with Fireheart Tiger, a powerful romantic fantasy that reads like The Goblin Emperor meets Howl's Moving Castle in a pre-colonial Vietnamese-esque world.

A British Science Fiction Award winner! A finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Ignyte Awards!

A Most Anticipated Pick for Buzzfeed | Mary Sue | Nerd Daily | FanFi Addict

Fire burns bright and has a long memory….

Quiet, thoughtful princess Thanh was sent away as a hostage to the powerful faraway country of Ephteria as a child. Now she’s returned to her mother's imperial court, haunted not only by memories of her first romance, but by worrying magical echoes of a fire that devastated Ephteria’s royal palace.

Thanh's new role as a diplomat places her once again in the path of her first love, the powerful and magnetic Eldris of Ephteria, who knows exactly what she wants: romance from Thanh and much more from Thanh’s home. Eldris won't take no for an answer, on either front. But the fire that burned down one palace is tempting Thanh with the possibility of making her own dangerous decisions.

Can Thanh find the freedom to shape her country’s fate—and her own?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250793263
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/09/2021
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	519,948
Product dimensions:	4.90(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Aliette de Bodard lives and works in Paris. She has won three Nebula Awards, a Locus Award, a British Fantasy Award and four British Science Fiction Association Awards, and was a double Hugo finalist for 2019 (Best Series and Best Novella). She is the author of the Dominion of the Fallen trilogy, set in a turn-of-the-century Paris devastated by a magical war, which comprises The House of Shattered Wings, The House of Binding Thorns, and The House of Sundering Flames. She has also published a short story collection Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight.

Editorial Reviews

12/07/2020

De Bodard (Seven of Infinities) crafts a high-stakes lesbian love triangle in this tightly plotted fantasy novella. The land of Ephteria sends guns and silver to Bình Hải in exchange for a series of increasingly bold demands: first exclusive merchant rights, then a princess to be kept as a guest-captive in Ephteria, and now extraterritoriality and a military presence in Bình Hải’s capital. Princess Thanh of Bình Hải is not a warrior or a politician like her sisters, but she was the one chosen to live in Ephteria and has since become romantically involved with the Ephterian Princess Eldris. She also has literal firepower thanks to her relationship with Giang, a fire elemental whose home, a tiger-shaped pendant, was stolen by the Ephterians, and who burns down Ephteria’s palace in an attempt to gain her freedom. Now Thanh and Giang are back in Bình Hải navigating Thanh’s family’s court. But when a noble blackmails Thanh over her affair with Eldris, Thanh faces a bitter choice: give up everything she has for a life with Eldris in Ephteria, or remain with Giang in a home where she’s treated as a pawn? The answer convincingly combines sex, politics, and betrayal. This is an ideal pick for fantasy fans longing for non-European settings. Agent: John Berlyne, Zeno Literary. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

A British Science Fiction Award winner! A finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Ignyte Awards!

"A delicate novella with threads of imperial politics, magical beings, queer romance and the psychology of trauma. It’s a bit of a miracle to feel as if you’ve read a six-book fantasy series in so few pages. This book is elegant and hypnotic as the flame of a candle, and I’ll be thinking for some time about the shadows it throws into relief." - The New York Times Book Review, Olivia Waite

"A beautifully written and deeply imagined story about reclaiming yourself. Highly recommended." - Kate Elliott, New York Times bestselling author

"What a commanding story of power and diplomacy. I was so captivated by the way this story never once flinches away from a deep sense of emotional honesty." - Sarah Gailey, bestselling author of Magic For Liars and The Echo Wife

"A fascinating story filled with strong female characters and lush prose, the relationships woven around Thanh evolve into themes of reclaiming the self and recognizing that love can hide the truth about people... de Bodard crafts a story of love, power, and what burns within." - Library Journal, starred review

"This lush and beautiful sapphic novella explores themes of colonization in a Vietnamese-inspired fantasy setting." - Buzzfeed

"Fireheart Tiger is a heartfelt, vibrant story with lots of magic and betrayal, dealing with abusive relationships, filial piety, and colonisation, even as it bursts with a tender, romantic relationship that unfolds throughout." - Nerd Daily

"Gorgeous and moving, with a sense of scale and an intimate, personal engagement with compelling characters, Fireheart Tiger is a worthy addition to de Bodard’s body of work." - Locus

"A high-stakes lesbian love triangle in [a] tightly plotted fantasy novella... an ideal pick for fantasy fans longing for non-European settings" - Publishers Weekly

“De Bodard, as she so often does, packs the world-building and emotional punch of an epic into a shockingly slim novella. This touching romance with the delicate negotiations of a small country’s survival against an imperial adversary would be a lovely place to start with de Bodard’s work, and fans will find more of what they’ve come to love about her stories.’’ - Booklist

"Sapphic yearning collides with political machinations, ancient and fiery magic, and a transparently colonial threat. The vivid world building in FIREHEART TIGER perfectly frames a brightly burning core of desire & the desperate struggle towards self-awareness, making this perfect read for anyone looking for a short and satisfying dose of Sapphic romance, intense character growth, and immersive imagery." - Mariana N Calderon, Second Star to the Right Books

From the Publisher

★ 12/01/2020

At age 12, Bình Hai princess Thanh was sent by her mother and Empress to Ephteria as hostage. Now 24, Thanh has been back in her home country for two years, but she is still haunted by a mysterious fire that destroyed the Eptherian palace, a fire that seems to have followed her. While given a position in the court, Thanh knows her mother believes her to be silent and meek, a weakness that cannot interfere with negotiations with Ephteria now. Part of Thanh's quietness stems from her past affair with Princess Eldris, who has come to Bình Hai as part of the delegation. As Eldris makes clear she wants Thanh back, along with other concessions, Thanh must decide if she will follow her first love, or a future flame. A fascinating story filled with strong female characters and lush prose, the relationships woven around Thanh evolve into themes of reclaiming the self and recognizing that love can hide the truth about people. VERDICT Nebula and Locus Award winner de Bodard (The House of Sundering Flames) crafts a story of love, power, and what burns within. Highly recommended.—Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

Library Journal