Marjorie M. Liu
Tiger Eye (2005)
Author: Marjorie M. Liu
Genre: Romance (Contemporary/Paranormal)
Plot Summary:
Wandering through a market in Beijing, artist Dela (Delilah) Reese purchases a mysterious box for one yuan. Dela is a strong, confident woman that exudes caring and compassion to those around her. Dela's life is threatened within minutes of making this fateful purchase. Little does she know, this is only the beginning of a dangerous journey that will change her life. Dela opens the mysterious box back in her hotel room, and from it springs a 7 foot tall drop-dead gorgeous man rippling with muscles and savage eyes. Dela is shocked to see this man appear and even more shocked by his announcement that he is her slave for life. It turns out that this man Hari is no regular man. Hari is a shapeshifter that changes shape between a man and a tiger. However, the evil Magi stole Hari's tiger skin 2,000 years ago as well as cursing Hari to become slave to whomever owns the magical box and to remain immortal. Hari has been mistreated and abused by all of his previous masters an
d mistresses and is unsure of Dela's kindness towards him. After a few more attempts by the Magi on her life in China, Dela decides to return home to the small town of Rose Apple where she owns an art gallery. Soon, the unconventional couple begins to fall in love. Dela exposes that she has the unique ability to tell a piece of metal's history. Others with magical abilities like Dela's (Blue, Eddie, Artur, Dean) have joined the Dirk & Steele detective agency, which is a front for an agency dedicated to saving the lives of American citizens in need. New attempts on Dela's life are made by Wen Zhang, a Chinese crime organization head who's niece was killed by a knife that Dela made and who wants revenge upon her. One thing that Dela doesn't lack is protection, as the immortal Hari and four members of Dirk & Steele move in with Dela and protect her. During the last explosive scene, the men are fighting Wen Zhang's men when the Magi tranquilizes Dela and drags her off to his lair. Hari realizes that his promise to always protect Dela was broken, and he must find his new lover before the Magi kills her. SPOILER: Hari does find Dela at the Magi's lair, but only after Dela is severely beaten up. Another shapeshifter, the Dragon Lady, meets up with the group at the Magi's lair too and informs Dela that a life must be given for one to be saved, and Dela chooses to die. Hari is heartbroken and gives up his tiger skin for Dela to live, and she is resurrected after Hari kills the Magi. In the end, the couple lives happily ever after.
Geographical Setting: Beijing, China and the fictional town of Rose Apple, California
Time Period: Present day (2005)
Series: Dirk & Steele Detective Agency Series (Book 1)
Appeal Characteristics:
Tiger Eye is an action oriented and fast paced steamy romance that will keep readers on their toes from start to finish, with a few pauses in the story to describe the love that grows between Dela and Hari. Those readers looking for an action-packed story will find themselves in luck when they pick up this book. Multiple complex plot lines make this magic-filled racy romance not for the faint of heart because a good memory and an imagination are needed to make this romance a success. Most of the characters are eccentric and quirky, but without much depth. It is clear from the prominent role of the secondary characters that this is part of a series in which each book will follow one of the characters. Liu's natural and simple style of writing would make this a good book to bring to the beach or for a lazy afternoon. Readers looking for elements of fantasy with exotic and magical characters will enjoy Tiger Eye.
Read-alikes: Shadow Touch, Marjorie Liu's second book in her Dirk and Steele Detective Agency series, would be a likely read-alike for those that enjoyed Liu's writing style and characters. Shadow Touch follows the telepathic character Artur, one of Dela's friends at the Dirk and Steele Detective Agency that was once in the Russian mafia, and the new woman in his life named Elena. Two of the most popular paranormal romance writers today are Sherrilyn Kenyon and Christine Feehan, which would both be good read-alike authors. Kenyon's Fantasy Lover (Dark-Hunter novel #1) deals with a 2,000 year old curse on Julian of Macedon in which he is forced to be a slave until the lovely Grace Alexander tries to break the curse. Unleash the Night, Kenyon's twelfth book in the same series, promises to provide a similar tale to Tiger Eye as this story follows the attempts by shapeshifter Wren Tigarian, a Were-Hunter born of leopard and tiger parents, to capture the woman he loves. A paranormal romance by Christine Feehan titled Mind Game (Ghostwalkers series, Book 2) might be a possible read-alike because it follows a woman named Dahlia who tries to stay isolated from the world due to her telekinetic abilities. However, Dahlia soon finds herself as a target by assassins and must be protected by a warrior named Nicholas. For those looking for a more historical paranormal romance, Catching Midnight (Midnight Series, Book 1) by Emma Holly could be a good readalike. Gillian, a falcon shapeshifter, is caught by the master falconer and human Aimery Fitz Clare in 1349, with a romantic relationship soon to follow. Romantic suspense writer Kay Hooper delves into this Evil Trilogy, Bishop Special Crimes Unit Book 1 story with Maggie Scott, a police sketch artist, trying to solve a crime aided by women psychic detectives. Lastly, porcelain expert Lia Frank travels to Beijing to assess the value of some recently discovered pottery and ends up finding a handsome researcher and possible lover from America in A Cup of Light by Nicole Mones.
Red Flags: One steamy sex scene where shapeshifter Hari changes from being a man to a tiger, sexual allusions, references to a rape, some violence, a few instances of bad language
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