Apr 2, 2013

Review--Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck

Danger. Heartbreak. Choices.

Is forever too long to wait for true love?

Five mythical Chinese dragons and the open sea beckon nineteen-year-old Kelsey who must embark on a third voyage--this time to find the goddess Durga's Black Pearl Necklace and free her beloved Ren from both the tiger's curse and his sudden amnesia. Ren's bad-boy brother, Kishan, however, has other plans, and the two vie for her affection and try to outsmart those intent on foiling their goal.

Tiger's Voyage, the third book in the Tiger's Curse series, spins a deliciously suspenseful tale of enchanted creatures, love-torn battles, and edge-of-your-seat action as Kelsey, Ren and Kishan journey towards their true destiny.


Colleen Houck's Tiger's Voyage was an amazing read! These are pretty long books, and despite there being a few slow moments, each of them makes up for it with all the excitement and adventure that Kelsey and the brothers go on.

The first part of the book had Ren getting a little better, as we know from last time around, he has no memory of Kelsey at all, but remembers everything else. He still can't handle being around her, as it physically pains him, but he wants to try at rebuilding their relationship. Kelsey is thrilled with the idea, but becomes devastated when Ren decides to call it quits just as they are about to begin their journey to find the third item.

Their journey is to travel the oceans and visit each of the five Chinese dragons to find Durga's Black Pearl Necklace, and hopefully be one step closer to ending the brothers' curse. The journey will be tough, for each of the dragons requires a payment or favor of some sort that Kelsey, Ren and Kishan must pay.

Prior to their journey though, and what was some of the slower parts of the novel, involved the three having to learn how to dive properly. Diving was something they were going to have to do on this journey, so they hired an instructor. Wes is a Texan guy just a few years older than Kelsey. There was definitely some attraction between the two and Kelsey even had a date with him, she just couldn't get over Ren leaving her, again. And poor Wes even saw that too, that both brothers loved her and yet Kelsey couldn't be with the one she wanted.

Which is when Kishan walks in. Kishan has given Kelsey the space she's needed to get over Ren, but after Ren's breakup Kelsey realizes that she doesn't want to be alone and waiting for the day Ren decides he wants to come back. So she turns to Kishan, she loves him too in a way. You almost think Kelsey is being fickle with her affections for both brothers and there's that damn love triangle thing coming into the picture, and in a way that's true. But Kelsey even acknowledges this in a sense, saying that she doesn't want to be that girl who goes back and forth between the brothers.

So she dates Kishan and is happy. And right around then, Ren gets his memory back! We knew it was bound to happen, so I don't find me admitting its truth is a spoiler. I knew it had to happen in this book, because really, how long could we go without a Kelsey and Ren? But alas, it does happen. Kelsey is over wrought with emotions. Her Ren is back, yet he still hurt her terribly. She makes the decision that she cannot be with him just because he's back to himself. She's going to stay with Kishan. Although there were more than a few heated moments between Ren and her. And even after her decision, sparks still fly.

I am as confused as Kelsey in her predicament. True, Ren totally shattered her heart and I loved that she stood strong against getting back with him just because he had his memory back. But I can't say I am for Kishan, only because I see that there aren't strong sparks between them. Kelsey doesn't melt with the things he does for her. There aren't melt worthy moments really. But I still like Kishan and all, he's a good guy and cares for Kelsey, I just have this feeling that he won't be the one Kelsey ends up with by the series end. It will be Ren, because it's always been Ren. I still have one more book to go with how the series stands now, and then there's one more to go as well before we get to see Kelsey's final choice.

One of my favorite moments was when Kelsey decides to show the boys the movie Jaws! And shed a little light on why she was kind of freaked to learn diving! As you may know, I love that movie! So I appreciated the reference, because I would be thinking the same things as Kelsey when told I had to learn SCUBA diving. Going in the water with sharks?! Yikes! And sure enough, Kelsey and the boys do encounter a shark or two!

Lokesh is back as well, but his appearance isn't much, not that it ever really is. He's in the prologue and then pops up in the last quarter or so of the book. I feel like I don't know enough about this bad guy, true I know the story behind the curse and all that jazz and his involvement, but when he appears on the page, I don't feel much of anything. Usually with villains I might get mad or be scared for my heroes and heroines, but not with this guy. Perhaps its because he doesn't have much page time.

This was another wonderfully epic edition to the series! Meeting the dragons was pretty cool for they each had their own personality and their own task for the trio to complete; fixing a star,  rescuing a princess, bartering with one...and more obviously, but that's some of the more exciting ones. The bartering part is hard to explain in excitement wise, but once you read it, you understand why, it was just heart-racing! The whole book was one heart-racing journey! Despite the books starting off a little slow--meaning that we have to go through a few hundred pages of "prep-work" before the trio starts their quest for the next item--this series is truly remarkable! I enjoy each and every book and look forward to all the surprises and secrets that Colleen will reveal!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars


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