Tiger's Voyage (Book 3 in the Tiger's Curse Series)

I was so looking forward to reading this book. The relationship drama was a bit much at times, but the story of the dragons was so imaginative and well written that I was able to overlook the pettiness and keep reading.

Okay, so there are plenty of reviews telling about the plot and I won't go there. I loved this book but there were forty pages missing in my copy right after the page with Kishan and Kelsey on the ship when Ren finds them...That was my only problem. I anxiously await the next one.

“Tiger’s Voyage” by Colleen Houck is the third novel in the “Tiger’s Curse” series. I really enjoyed getting to continue Kelsey, Kishan, and Ren’s stories. Ren doesn’t remember who Kelsey is about well Kelsey isn’t sure how to act around Ren. He is a very vicious circle. Kelsey at the very least wants to try to be Ren’s friend. She and Ren try to start working on that but it hurts Kelsey seeing Ren moving on. In a way it isn’t Ren’s fault that he doesn’t have any turmoil moving on but it does hurt Kelsey. Kishan also wants to give Kelsey time to figure out what she wants.

For the third novel, Kelsey and the Rajaram brothers have to face five dragons in order to obtain Durga’s necklace. These dragons aren’t going to make this task easy; they each want something from the crew. This takes the team on a whole new adventure and figure out different sacrifices in order to survive this round of tests. All the characters in this novel had big choices to make that will change their lives forever.

I as the reader was put though so many emotions with this novel. Houck drug my emotions through the mud. Sometimes I think Houck had a grand all time ripping the hearts out from her readers. First it is Ren and then it is Kishan, and then Ren, and then Kishan. I just want Kelsey to choose one of them and stick to it. I feel like everyone is just going to end up getting hurt in the end if no one makes a decision. Houck has captured my heart with this series and I love it to death. I am getting a bit bored with Kelsey's indecisiveness. I am looking forward to seeing what will happen to everyone. This was a big novel so it will be interesting to see how the series ends.

The audiobooks are fantastic. I love love love it!!!!!! The voices, the characters, all of it is so good on audiobook. The audiobooks bring the story to life. I highly recommend people listening to these audiobooks.

Tiger’s Voyage was a vast improvement from Tiger’s Quest. In this book we got to go along with Kelsey, Ren and Kishan as they met dragons and sailed the briny deep in search of the 3rd item that will save the brothers from the Tiger’s Curse (if you have no idea what I’m talking about, go read my other reviews on #1 and #2). SPOILERS CONTAINED.

This book was really fun to read. Honestly, it was hard for me to pull away, and I’ve been a pretty big critic of the series from the beginning. I almost put it down after #2, but I’m glad I continued on with #3. This book starts with Ren having lost his memory, and not feeling anything for Kelsey at all, leaving her to sort out her confused feelings with Kishan. There’s a lot of drama and conflict, which sucked me in and made it difficult to put down. I found myself thinking a lot about what was going on when I wasn’t reading, which as an author should always be your goal. I was constantly sucked into the fighting, tension and inner agony of all the characters, and it was great to watch them interact. If you like conflict in a story, then this is it, although most of the fans don’t like watching the main characters argue (for me it’s pure joy) and therefore don’t really like this book.

The last half of the book where the dragons come into play was fantastic. It was fun, imaginative, and perfect fantasy lore. It almost made me want to read it again (something I never do). The dragons made this novel. If they hadn’t shown up and the three would’ve gone and done something similar to the first two quests, I probably would’ve knocked the review down to a three.

The main problem with this book is how downright creepy Ren is. When he gets his memory back, he literally becomes abusive, controlling, and starts telling Kelsey what to do...who she can date...even tells her that she’s not allowed to cut her hair! Mind you, this is AFTER Ren is the biggest ass on the face of the world to her when his memory is lost and he tells her that he will never love her again. Psh, yeah right! Like you’re not going to regret THAT promise! Kishan has literally told Kelsey she can do whatever she wants, hell, even DATE whoever she wants, as long as it makes her happy. Ren is literally threatening to kill his brother if Kelsey picks him. That’s downright scary, people. I had this book held out at an arm’s distance almost the entire time I was reading the last half of it with a disgusted face because of how fricken demanding and terrifying he is. Ladies, I don’t know what’s so hot about abusive men in literature these days, but I’m not buying it. In this book Ren literally scared the s*** out of me. Luckily, Kelsey actually stuck to her guns and picked the non-abusive brother. Listen dude, you can’t just tell a girl she’s ugly and that you will never love her again and then come crawling back to her when your brains sort out. That’s not how it works.

I love everything most other people hate, so of course Tiger’s Voyage is my favorite of the series. I was sad my paperback copy ended up getting wet over vacation. Although I suppose it helped with the water theme...after this I eagerly continued on to Tiger’s Destiny.

The similarities between "Twilight" and the "Tigers Curse" series can't be ignored. It is like the author took the ancient vampire boyfriend and turned him a shape shifting tiger. Whenever the author writes about Ren's physical pain every time he touches Kelsey, my brain automatically thinks of Edward and Bella.

I really want to like this series. I want to care about Kelsey. Instead, I find myself loathing her and her selfish antics. The love triangle is tiresome. No self respecting woman would jump from one brother to the next with no consideration for the other's feelings.

Kelsey writes a poem about what love is, then does the exact opposite. She knows better. She just being a player.

I have a difficult time suspending belief that any man who's spent the last 300 years roaming the Earth would allow a 19 year old tart to play them like that.

Fidelity is really not that difficult. And yet, that's one of the big conflicts written throughout the books.

This book is rather verbose. She goes into great detail on everything. Instead of being immersed in the setting, I get the feeling the author googled most of her research. We get it. The mega yacht is big. Other than word count, I don't know why she gave us a detailed rundown of every floor, before any of the story took place on the boat. It seemed like a sales pitch.

At this point, I hope both Ren and Keshan leave Kelsey. They deserve better.

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: This is a really fun fantasy series that has a good plot with lots of action, romance, and fun characters.

Opening Sentence: Behind the thick glass of his Mumbai penthouse office once again, Lokesh tried to control the incredible rage slowly circling through his viens.

The Review:

In the last year Kelsey has gone through a lot. She has gone on two quests to get artifacts to try and break the tigers curse, she has fallen in love, and now the boy of her dreams can no longer remember who she is. There are still two more artifacts that need to be found to fully break the curse. To make matters even worse Lokesh is after Kelsey and her tigers. He wants the amulet that she has, but he also wants her and he will do anything to get what he wants. Their next quest brings more danger and Kelsey doesn’t know if she is strong enough to make it through.

Kelsey is also trying to deal with Ren forgetting her. She is so glad that they rescued him and that he is alright, but she is heartbroken that he can’t recall any memory of her. As they try to get reacquainted, they discover that it is also very painful for Ren to touch Kelsey and that being in the same room as her is very uncomfortable for him. Kelsey doesn’t know how she can ever be in a fully functional relationship with Ren when he can’t touch her, but she loves him and will do anything to be with him. Kishan is also very in love with Kelsey and he is a huge comfort to her. As things progress Kelsey gets more and more confused about what boy she is suppose to be with, but she knows that a choice has to be made and soon.

I really enjoyed Kelsey in this series so far. She has some good spunk and a cute personality. She has grown more confident as the series goes on and I like that. She still plays the damsel in distress card at times, but she is getting better at taking care of herself. One big plus is that she is very constant when she makes a decision, and she sticks to it no matter how hard it is. I do admit that at times she does take the easy way out of things, but she has been really hurt in the past so I can’t totally blame her. I don’t envy the choice she has to make, both of the brothers are so perfect in their own way. The only complaint I have with Kelsey is that I felt in this book she didn’t grow as much as the other characters did, so I am hoping that changes in the next book.

It was very interesting to see how Ren has changed without his memories of Kelsey. From the first book he has always been so dedicated and sure about his and Kelsey’s relationship, but that is all gone in this book. He is still a gentleman and a sweetheart, he just lacks the desire to be anything more with Kelsey. He does still feel drawn to her, but with it being physically painful to be around her it is really difficult for him to develop stronger feelings for her. I really love Ren and I personally think that he is perfect for Kelsey. Their connection is so strong that it scares Kelsey. She can’t lose someone she loves that much again so she tends to push away from Ren to protect herself. Ren has a really stubborn streak at times that can be frustrating, but in the end he really does want what’s best for Kelsey whether it is him or not.

To me Kishan takes the best friend role. He is so constant and a huge comfort to Kelsey when she is having a hard time. Yes she finds him attractive and she has feelings for him, but nowhere close to what she feels for Ren. She knows how much Kishan loves her and I think that she takes advantage of that a little bit. She is always honest with him about her feelings, and she does really try to open her heart to him. The problem is her heart already belongs to Ren and if she picks Kishan it will be because she is scared, which isn’t fair to him. I think that Kishan deserves a girl who is totally dedicated to him, because he is a really great guy. I love his devotion to Kelsey. He keeps changing for the better in each book and I hope that continues through the series.

I have really enjoyed this series. Houck’s writing is beautiful and very descriptive. The plot is very intriguing and fun. There were times when the book moved a little slow for me, but overall I really felt it flowed very well. There is good action and the story kept me very interested. My one complaint would be that I felt things were a little repetitive in the plot. With that being said, I still loved the book and I can’t wait to see what happens next. There is a slight cliffhanger at the end of this book so it’s a good thing book 4 has already been released. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a great fantasy read.

Notable Scene:

He concentrated. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll see.”

I looked at Phet again. “But, his memory is still blocked? What do you mean there’s a trigger?”

“Means tiger hinder himself. No from criminal one, evil one. From tiger mind. Only he be capable of fix.”

“Are you saying he’s deliberately doing this to himself? He’s blocking his memories of me on purpose?”

Phet nodded.

I gasped at Ren, stunned. He looked at Phet dumbfounded; then knit his brows together in confusion and stared at his hands. Tears filled my eyes.

In a tiny voice, I choked out, “Why? Why would you do this to me?”

He worked the muscles of his jaw and looked up at me. His blue eyes were bright with emotion. He opened his mouth to say something … then closed it. I backed toward the door and pushed it open.

Ren stood ”Kelsey? Wait.”

I shook my head.

“Please don’t run,” he softly pleaded.

“Don’t follow me.” I shook my head, tears dripping down my cheeks as I ran off into the jungle.

FTC Advisory: Sterling provided me with a copy of Tiger’s Quest. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

I want Kishan back...

...because whoever that was, that was NOT our Kishan.

Kishan, what happened to you? Where did all that charisma and bad-boy charm go? You had us swooning and clamoring for more in Tiger's Quest and then *poof* you went all boring on us. That sizzle and electric connection and chemistry vanished, leaving love triangle drama in its wake.

Can I just say, this is my LEAST favorite way to solve a love triangle dilemma. I think even killing off one of the vertices of your love triangle (which I also dislike) is better than morphing a beloved character into something so unrecognizable that you can barely remember why you wanted the girl to end up with him anyway. Kishan oozed with charm and temptation and allure in Tiger's Quest. He was Damon to Ren's Stefan. WHAT HAPPENED? When did our New York Triple Fudge Chunk become so vanilla?

In Tiger's Voyage the author reduces Kishan to the doormat, Guy #2 stereotype who's so bland that OF COURSE Kelsey will choose Ren. And you know, I never really thought Kelsey would end up with Kishan anyway (I've been predicting Kishan's death for two books now--hello! fifth sacrifice!) but I didn't want THIS to be the way Kelsey decided. Of course Kishan's going to die, but I wanted him to die AS KISHAN IN ALL HIS GLORY...not as this husk of his former amazing, alluring, charismatic self.

I once called this love triangle one of the best in YA, but I fully take it back. It has descended into absolute drama and chaos in this book, with Kelsey being the definition of fickle and toying with both boys' emotions with her indecisiveness. And then there's Ren getting his Edward on, becoming all possessive and jealous in a way that I think is supposed to be hot but just isn't.

And it's sad it had to be this way because this book has one of the most unique premises in YA. It's bursting with potential--that setting! the mythology!--but unnecessary details coupled with the love triangle drama are dragging this series down.

I've said it before, but this series needs an editor to toss about 150 pages from every book, especially Curse and Destiny. This book is H.E.A.V.Y. with descriptions, from pages describing how to scuba dive to detailed explanations of every morsel to touch Kelsey's lips. I'm cursing the golden fruit right now for how it's opened the way for Colleen to write even more description about every. single. meal. these people eat. These books are topping out at around 550 pages, and these are OVERSIZED hardbacks. Really, 400 pages should be the max or this series is really going to get bloated.

And poor Nilima? Could she please have a job to do besides getting Kelsey lemon water and picking out pretty dresses for her?

This series has immense potential, but the love triangle drama needs to be resolved stat. And Kishan, I'm hoping you get to be more than Kelsey's second choice. Could you please find your true character from wherever Colleen buried it?

The writing style was a little better than the previous books but still annoyed me at some point. Some dialogue was monotonous and unnatural. However the story was interesting enough that I was willing to ignore that.

If you don't want to be spoiled, I suggest you stop reading now.

When Kelsey stopped pushed Ren to remember her. He started to have a feeling for her. Still, touching or being near her caused him physically pain. But Ren determined to continue the relationship until the accident during diving caused Kelsey in need of CPR. Ren who couldn't touch her without feeling pain insisted to help her and got jealous when Kishan tried to interfere the CPR seeing that Ren got it nowhere. After that Ren broke up with Kelsey telling she needed someone who could protect her. Of course Kelsey didn't care about the protecting department she wanted to be with Ren. So Ren tell her he didn't want her anymore. That was really cliche! I hate it when guys break up with girl because they feel like they can't protect their girls by telling them they don't love them anymore. Not to mention start dating someone else to prove their point. Which was exactly what Ren did. Blah!!!

Later, Kelsey decided to leave Ren behind and started dating Kishan. It was ironic that their first kiss (after Kelsey made Kishan promise not to steal a kiss from her) was the trigger to Ren's memory. Ren wanted to pick up where they left off but Kelsey couldn't do that. He broke her heart so many times she didn't think she could handle it if she dated him and he left her again. This is when the situation got really intense. The angst between them was almost too much to handle. I was very frustrated when Kelsey decided to choose Kishan just because it was safer. Like if he dump her it wouldn't hurt her so much. Blah!! What kind of relationship is that? I wouldn't this much annoyed if she decided to choose no one at that moment.

The most interesting in this story is the relationship between three of them. Actually it's the thing that keeps me reading this series. There was some hint that I'm pretty sure in the end Kelsey would choose Ren. I want to know how the writer make Kelsey decide that.

One more thing, Kelsey claimed that Nilima was like her sister/friend. When did they hangout long enough to become friends. Let alone sister. For all I know, Nilima has no personality at all. Though at one point I thought she has a feeling for Ren. After Ren broke up with Kelsey, she saw Nilima was one of the girls Ren danced with at the party. Earlier before that Kelsey asked Nilima if she'd go to the party. She implied that she might go. I thought the love triangle was going to become a square. But no, Kelsey never ask Nilima about that. So much with the sister/friend. Not that I'm complaining. The original angst already exhausted me enough. Just what's the author's point writing that if she wasn't going to pursue it.

Fans of the Tiger Saga, prepare to be blown away -- and if you're not a fan, be sure to read the first book, and you will be!

Tiger's Voyage, the third book in the series, was full of new twists and turns, plot devices, romantic drama, and new cultural aspects. This book really took the series, plot, and characters to new heights, and I would have to say it was the best one yet.

I've always loved the author's portrayal of romance, but the romance in this book really floored me. Unlike so many other teen/YA novels, it wasn't all about the physical attraction -- though there was plenty of attraction. The characters in this series are truly human in the way that they think and feel, and they all have their own ways of dealing with things, which make the romance exciting (and sometimes frustrating) and completely relatable. With this novel, the author was able to really capture what it means to be in love, and what it means to sacrifice and make the best choices for those that you care about, and yourself as well. Romance didn't drive the plot, and it didn't drive the main character, Kelsey, but it was heartfelt and tragic in a beautiful way.

The plot of the story was wonderful as well, and was a bit different than in the other two books. The writing has definitely soared to new levels, and every fine detail in the plot seemed well-thought and intricate, like the author really took time to create the best story that she could. I also appreciated the cultural aspects in the book, which spanned over many different cultures; by the end, I felt like I'd not only read a great book, but that I'd learned something about the world as well.

All in all, I can't say enough good things about this book, because I loved it! Five stars to another great addition to the series.

I would recommend this book for older teens due to the plot and character's ages; as far as content, there was nothing to note -- no cursing, drug/alcohol abuse, sexual content, etc.

Alexandra Lanc~
Author of The Foxfire Chronicles

I frowned in disbelief as I literally forced myself to finish the book. I am a big fan of the first two books of the Tiger series. I even tried tirelessly defending the books against some very rude and negative reviews...but this third installment really gave me no reason to wanting to do so. Most of the 2 stars reviews pointed out exactly what bothers me the most about the story, Kelsey.

My impression of her started off positive. She might be a little naïve, a little whinny but she is humble, compassionate, and thoughtful. I was expecting to see her becoming stronger, braver and more intelligent in the third book because what she had gone through but no... not only did she not display a health level of maturity that I thought she would have developed by now, she has gone the opposite! Her new character really manages to kill my urge to finish the third book let alone the rest of series.

Another thing is that I can't help feeling slightly embarrassed while reading Tiger's Voyage. It almost feels like the book is for girls who are under age 21 or younger. I still like and appreciate the culture references, mystical setting and all the magical beings but it all starts to feel a little childish especially with Kelsey acting so painfully immature and unreasonable even a tiny bit obnoxious throughout the entire journey. After reading The Help, Hunger Game, and Girl with Dragon Tatoo, it frustrates me not being able to take Kelsey and The Tiger's series seriously like I had wanted to before. I'm sincerely hoping the final installment will do the first two books justice but I am not at all anxiously waiting for the final book.

Keeping with the other books from this series, the love triangle between Kelsey, Ren and Kishan isn't the only problems they have. They have another quest to go on. And this one involves dragons, not 1 but 5 of them! Not to mention a HUGE shark!

In this book, Ren has lost his memory of all things Kelsey. He can not remember anything from their life together leading up to when he was rescued from Lokesh. He can't remember the love they shared, but that doesn't keep him from feeling drawn to her anyway. He wants to get to know her better, but there is a problem. Being in close proximity to her makes him physically sick, and touching her is all but out of the question. It seems that a friendship may be the most they can do. This calls for a visit to one of my favorite characters from this series, Phet, to see if he knows a way to fix Ren's problem. But it seems that Ren has done this to himself and there is nothing that Phet can do to help him. Kelsey is outraged that he would do this to her. It also seems that Kelsey has a decision to make. Phet says the time is coming when she will have to choose between the brothers. Her heart of coarse belongs to Ren, but Kishan would be a good choice too. How can she make a decision like this, especially with their next task so close at hand?

There are many preparations that must be made before they will be ready to head on this adventure, and part of that includes them moving onto the family yacht. This is not just any yacht. This thing is huge and has everything on board that they could possibly need. Not to mention, they have to bring a scuba instructor on board as well so that they will be prepared if they need to dive on this quest. This particular scuba instructor is a cowboy from Texas. Lets just say, he does not help with the overload of testosterone on the boat. Jealousy is running rampant! But when Kelsey hits her head on a rock on a training dive and Ren isn't able to help her, he removes himself from the equation. Always trying to be noble. It really only makes things worse for Kelsey. Especially when he starts flaunting his new found freedom to be with other women. How will they be able to focus on the matters at hand when they can't even be near each other.

The more Kelsey considers her situation, the more she begins to turn to Kishan. Maybe this will be their chance to see where their relationship could lead without Ren standing in the way. Kishan is of coarse over joyed at the prospect, but doesn't want to rush things. They are taking their time. Spending time together when they can, while training for the next mission. Just at things start to heat up between them, is it time for them to begin their first quest. They begin this one like any other, with a trip to a Temple of Durga, to revieve her blessing over their journey. On this particular trip to the temple, Durga worries about Kelsey and tells her that she shouldn't become stagnate without Ren. She should move on as soon as possible. Maybe this really is the time for Kelsey to open her heart to becoming more than friends with Kishan.

Kishan and Kelsey are making the best of their new found relationship when the time comes for them to go on the first journey of their quest. This time they will be heading to the red dragons castle in the sky, where he will help them on their journey, only if they help him with the matter of a broken star. How can they fix his star? Is their another bargain they can make? While Kishan goes to work on negotiations, Kelsey and Ren begin trying to figure out what can be done. Kelsey tries to use her lightning power, but it just isn't strong enough. Her power falters and begins to go out, when Ren touches her and it strengthens again. Its like a explosion within her and her power pushes forth stronger than it has ever been before. Will their power comined fix the star so that they can move on to the next quest? What could this mean for Kelsey and Ren? Kelsey has already given her heart, or what's left of it to Kishan, can she hurt him and turn back to Ren? Plus, this is only be beginning of their quest. How will they be able to make it through this journey with so much hanging in the balance? Well, hurry and get your copy so you can find out! I promise you won't be sorry!

Title: Tiger's Voyage
Author: Colleen Houck
Publisher: Splinter
Date of Release: November 1st, 2011
Number of Pages: 560
Source: Bought at Schulers in GR
Summary from Goodreads:

With the head-to-head battle against the villainous Lokesh behind her, Kelsey confronts a new heartbreak: in the wake of his traumatic experience, her beloved Ren no longer remembers who she is. As the trio continues their quest by challenging five cunning and duplicitous dragons, Ren and Kishan once more vie for her affections--leaving Kelsey more confused than ever.

Review: Seriously so freaking brilliant. While the previous books all had one main quest this book was different. It had four smaller tasks encompassing one larger arc for the final mission. Then you throw in the other sub plots and BAM. One of the best books I've read all year. Now now friends, if you haven't read the first two, Tiger's Curse and Tiger's Voyage, you need to do so before picking up book three here. Another thing about this series that I love is just how gorgeous every aspect of the cover is, from color to texture, they have caught my eye. Colleen Houck has delivered yet again in this installment and left me dying, yes dying, for more!

Kelsey has proven herself as a force to be reckoned with. She is also only human though, and her heart is broken. The emotional turmoil going on inside of her is raw and potent, and I felt every ounce of it. Ren was awful in about 2/3 of the novel and then something HUGE happens and I don't know what to do. Kishan has stepped up in Ren's absence and proven he will always be there for Kelsey. Man, Kelsey has two guys vying for her attentions and it isn't even annoying. It feels incredibly real and sincere and it all makes sense that the plot would unfold the way it has. Every thought and action of Kelsey's were one I could see myself making which made this novel feel incredibly intense.

The end is a BOMBSHELL guys! I'm at a loss of words. Seriously it was that good. I thought maybe it would pan out that way but then I thought naw the Tiger's would never let that happen. So I went on reading and then a bucket of ice water was dumped on me.

Food for thought: HOW THE HELL DOES LOKESH HAVE POWERS??

I understand he has trained himself to tap into something but we don't know what that is! If we did then Mr. Kadam would surely be just as strong as Lokesh.

Anyways go buy this book. I am in agony for book four!

I didn't' plan on starting this series and reading one book right after the other but that is what happened. I mean, after how the second book left off, how in the world could I not pick up the third one immediately and start reading. I thought my heart was going to break.

I wanted Ren and Kelsey back together but...yeah, okay, maybe a small part of me wanted Kishan and Kelsey together too. Either way, Ren or Kishan, I knew I had to read on. I couldn't wait a couple of hours, let alone a couple of days before starting this one.

Yep. I am hooked.

Kishan. Hmm, where to start with him? I really loved his character even more in the book. He was so sweet and sincere. Even though he loves Kelsey, he wants her to be happy too, even if that happiness means she isn't with him. As much as I love Ren, it was really hard to not want Kishan to have his HEA with Kelsey too. Kishan was her quiet and strong comforter through this whole series. Really he was like a best friend to Kelsey, always there, always dependable, even when it hurt him.
And even though I love Ren, I was happy with some of the choices that Kelsey made concerning the two brothers.

I have said this before and I will say it again, I wouldn't want to be in Kelsey's place and have to choose between two absolutely wonderful men.

Now onto Ren. He changed a lot in this book. I don't even know how to describe the changes. Some were subtle and some not so much. He was a little more demanding and controlling and while I didn't always like his attitude and views, I could kind of understand them too. Based on the circumstances of the book and what transpired in it, there were understandable. I don't want to give anything away by saying anything else but even though Ren was sometimes a jerk, I still loved him.

It is very much obvious that whatever Kelsey decides to do, both men will always be a huge part of her life.

Kelsey's character changed in this one too. Sometimes she was that strong confident brave girl we have all grown to love and other times she was a complete mess. I was glad to see her get her confidence back by the end of the book and start making better choices and sticking with them.

This book was the longest one yet and still, I wanted more. I didn't want it to end.

Houck has completely sucked me into the fantasy world that she has created and the hold is strong. I know I will be thinking about these characters and their lives long after the books and the series are over.

You all know I love this series and feel everyone should read it. Each book gets better and better and this one does not disappoint. Colleen writing is pure magic and simply flawless. The story continues with new adventures and challenges await Kelsey, Ren and Kishan. I loved the dragon's and mermaid and the challenges they have to meet in order to break another part of the curse. It was also inter sting to have Kelsey work with Ren and Kishan on the challenges. I thought she would have to pick one. It makes sense and makes things very interesting. I love how Colleen has developed the characters. They are not the same as they were in book one. It is has been fun to watch them grow. So, you need to read Tiger's Curse and Tiger's Quest before you read Tigers Voyage. Colleen yet again leaves you wanting more at the end which I love and hate. You get your romance sprinkled with magic and packed with adventure mingled with danger. I am eagerly waiting for book 4 Tiger's Destiny which comes out July 2012! I must have series. Highly recommend for ages over 10. No bad language and just kissing.

Dear Colleen Houck,
I read all three of your Tiger books in about 10 days and they were very good. However I have a couple requests. First of all, please be done with this! Your books are great but realistically, it's just too much of an emotional roller coaster ride with KELSEY for it all to be BELIEVABLE. It got a little ridiculous with her. It's all so hot and suddenly cold with her that it's giving me a headache. At the end of this 3rd book I'm starting to REALLY DISLIKE THIS CHARACTER.

Secondly, I'm worried. I'm worried that Ren will not end up with Kelsey and if that happens, I will rain down a Readers Curse on my own head for wasting my time reading your books. It would be like Bella not choosing Edward--just wrong.

Perhaps Durga the goddess could be smitten, as she already seems to be, with Kishan, and take him for herself. He drank the divine ambrosia at Phet's house so now he's a god himself--perfect for Durga. And she loves tigers. It works.

And I want to thank you as well, for keeping Kelsey modest and chaste with those hunky guys. That says a lot about you. Thank you in the biggest way, as our teen girls read this stuff...we as moms want good examples for them to see. Really appreciate you.

Another fantastic installment. I keep comparing this series in my mind to my all-time favorite books series Ilona Andrews's Kate Daniels Adult UF series.
The mythology and idea behind The Tiger Saga are varied and well-conceived, which is SO rare, so very rare. I mean, many books have one good idea, or even a couple good ideas, these books have hundreds in each. And the romance, oh the romance! It’s like someone put my guts in a blender until I feverishly turned to the last page.
I think that many book addicts get jaded, I know I am quickly approaching, but these books are like surfacing from a lake of mediocrity and tired ideas. Not that other books I have read lately haven’t been good, great even (especially the ones by Juliet Marillier-which are just as fantastic), but this series is growing like a great tree in my book heart and casting a gentle shadow on its fellows.

The third installment of the Tiger's Curse series swept me up into the story just as much as the first! There are so many great things to say about these books! I love the story line, the development of the characters, and the suspense. I have listened to the entire series in audiobook format and I love the narrator. She does exquisite voices for each character and you really feel as if you are right there in the middle of the scene and are part of a movie. I have really become attached to each character and I can relate to what each individual is going through. I already started book 4 and I am almost done with that one. These are fantastic books and you must check them out. This is the first series I have ever encountered with this much imagery in the writing and I am loving it! 4/5 stars!

This book turned out to be better than I expected. Like I've said in my previous reviews of the other books, when I first heard the premise of this series, I was extremely excited, these seemed exactly like the kind of books I would like. However, after I finished the first book, I was extremely disappointed, and the second one was worse! However, book three is an improvement from book two. There is more character development in book three, however, the angst between Ren, Kelsey, and Kishan drags on for so long it quickly becomes tedious. Initially, when I heard the premise with the dragons, I was iffy on even reading this book as the intense fantasy element in books is not my thing, but I was pleasantly surprised with how it was handled. All in all, it is a definite improvement from the second book, that gives me hope for the series, but still disappointing. Hopefully the last book will fulfill the great potential that the original premise of the book has to offer.

When Tiger's Quest (book 2) ended, I was exceedingly happy that I had rented all three at once. It would have been quite a distraction if I hadn't been able to immediately pick up the 3rd. As with my other reviews for this series, it will have pros and cons.

I understand that Ren has been through something traumatic and that he cannot remember Kelsey. However, it seems to me that he's done a 180 degree turn in his personality. Granted, we do not know what the boys were like before their curse, except for hard working and ambitious. Ren still doesn't seem like the guy that would, to push a girl a way, would go to the lengths that he did. Although, Mrs. Houck did make it fit into believability for what it is.

Speaking of personality changes - Kishan reads to be a full blown, tamed Ren. That is debatable, as well, since it seems every male has generally the same personality traits. They all want to hold Kelsey's hand, wink at her, etc. Maybe even for different reasons, in Mr. Kadam's case. It also bothers me, in Kishan's case, that he allowed himself to pursue Kelsey. Understandably, circumstances were unusual. However, as someone that cannot date any of my friends'/family's crushes, it bothers me that he went after Ren's girlfriend. Has he not learned from past experience with Yesubai that it is probably not a good idea?

Kelsey - for being a smart & mature girl, she sure makes some immature and stupid mistakes. Haven't we all, though? The bouncing around, though, nearly gave me whiplash.

Most of the stuff I have said thus fair has been negative, so I'm going to try and change it up. The adventure is original! Mrs. Houck broached the subject of dragons and their own personality in a creative way. When they moved on to the other dragons, I would wonder what the difference would be for the next one.

Lokesh is a believable bad guy. Though, I'm hoping in the up and coming books Mrs. Houck will explain to us if there's a specific reason he wants what he wants from Kelsey so bad. I understand that it could be a "just because he does" reasoning, but I hope not. Might I just add that what he wants from Kelsey may be a bit mature for some YA readers.

Another good read in the Tiger Saga.

I deeply enjoyed reading Tiger's Voyage. This series has become one of my all time favorites. Colleen Houck has again amazed me with her ability to write such inspiring and incredible novels. Tiger's Voyage is funny, touching, enticing, captivating, and filled with adventure, love, danger, magic, and consist with most things that make a novel truly great.

The characters not only entertain, but they also feel real and each have a distinguished voice. The hardships and struggles that they go through on their journey to break the tiger's curse are riveting as they are captivating. There is never a slow moment within this novel. My only regret is that the book had to end, especially with a twist that will haunt me until I am able to read the next part of the story.

I highly praise and recommend this series to everyone, but I request that they start with the first novel, Tiger's Curse, to gain a full appreciation of the novel.

Warning: A lot of venting going on here. Kelsey really wasted my time.

Kelsey is completely frustrating and annoying and witless about the love triangle in this book that I find myself wishing to do very bad things to her through out the book. If you like this series, read it for the adventure and skip through how selfish she is and she doesn't even see that she is eventually going to cause even greater pain, unless oh, Houck decide to write the guys to be totally forgiving: "I'll be fine even after you pick me twice, lie and likely will eventually dump me or stay with me without ever really loving me." Blah. Ick. Read other 3 stars reviews and you'll see I'm not alone.

Spoiler: Kelsey's decision makes no sense at all. Oh, she can't live without him. The he remembers and she hold what he did when he didn't remember against her??? "Oh, I love him so much, I can't possibly go back to him because he'll leave again and I'll die."?!? And then she actually pick Kishan and suddenly is completely fine with not being with Ren after she's ached for him all this time? Sure, make sense-NOT!

The adventure is good. Houck write about mythology and India in great detail but I find myself skipping on certain detail that I really didn't care to know like how many level is the ocean divided into by depth, etc.

This book left me angry. Very angry with Kelsey. Why Houck would write about one perfect guy and one almost perfect guy being completely in love and loyal to a totally selfish girl I wouldn't know. But if she keeps this going, I'll be skipping a lot of the next book, reading only where Ren is involved and safe myself the aggravation, although I can barely stand how much he is suffering...

** spoiler alert ** First, Ms. Houck is an absolutely brilliant writer and storyteller. I love this series. The Tiger's curse series has some of the best written and best developed characters. With Voyage especially, I felt myself submerged in their world. The descriptions in this book are amazing and made me feel as if I were in the story with them. I find myself heartbroken after reading this book because of the turmoil of the love triangle. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and could not help crying towards the end of the book. Any author that can inspire such emotions from their readers is an amazing talent indeed.

I did want to shake Kelsey at times though to get some sense into her. As much as I love Kishan and want a happy ending for him it just felt wrong with the two of them as a couple and Kelsey is with him for the wrong reasons. My heart was breaking for Ren. I love Kelsey, I really do. I think she is a good, kind, strong moral character, but she is being a coward and hurting all three of them in the process. I felt in this book she did grow more into her own skin and is finally getting over her self esteem issues, but she needs to get over this personal hurdle, her "MO" as she puts it and face the fact that you can't reject the person you love and make excuses for not being with him because she is afraid to lose him.

I really hope it's Ren and Kelsey in the the end. As much as I know the series will be amazing either way with lots more surprises and twists coming our way, but I am afraid I would be a little disappointed otherwise. When it comes to memorable romantic couples, for me, Kelsey and Kishan would be like putting together Bella and Jacob, or Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Wickham or Romeo and Rosalind....It's just wrong.

This third entry in the Tiger Saga by Colleen Houck manages to be just as enjoyable as the first two! I was so happy to be able to spend more time with Kelsey, Ren, Kishan, Mr. Kadam, and Nilima. Having waited to read the books until the 4th one was about to come out, and reading them all in a row, I feel as if I've really gotten to know these characters, and, with the notable exception of the villain, of course, enjoy spending time with them! Once again, the book is well-paced, with a good blend of action, adventure, romance, and mythology. The blend of mythologies, particularly Indian and Chinese, remains enchanting. And of course, who wouldn't want to live in the wealthy world of our were-tigers?!

Once again, my only issue was in the love triangle, although, it is still one of the more well-written and well-developed love triangles I've experienced in Young Adult literature in recent years. The only real problem I had with it was how frustrating and heart-breaking it could be, but, then again, I suppose that is the mark of a good love triangle - how emotionally invested you are in it and the outcome! And I was/am VERY emotionally invested in this one! It seems obvious to me who Kelsey should end up with, but, of course, through various obstacles and people trying to do the "honorable" or "safe" things instead of following their hearts, it all gets muddled up big time. I will say, one of the reasons I am so looking forward to the next book is to see how all the love triangle-y stuff turns out.

I'm really loving this series, and looking forward to book #4 as soon as I can get my hands on it! I'd definitely recommend it to people who are okay with a little paranormal or fantasy in their stories, and enjoy a good blend of action, adventure, romance, drama, with a little dash of occasional humor.

Beware the review might contain some slight spoilers for the 2 first books. The third opus of the Tiger's saga didn't disappoint. I wonder how does Colleen come up with all these mysteries and quests our lovely Kelsey and the Tigers have to go through. It's always so brilliant and tied perfectly together to make the plot consistent. Every little hint has its importance. The plot is perfectly tied together and the flow goes easy. Making this book a pure pleasure to read. The quality is still here and Colleen beautiful writing style is still going strong.
Most of the plot in this book happens on the water and you never get bored (remember water world well...nothing like that J) and I think that can be a defy.
I loved the 7 tigers missions especially the 3rd one where the prize was really one worth fighting for.
And the Golden Tiger, I couldn't stop laughing at that even if it was somehow bittersweet.
What about the characters....Kelsey is very consistent and the way Ren is around her well, it breaks my heart but what I love about her is that she is not crumpling in a corner, she is fighting to keep her head out of the water and that what makes me like Kelsey so much. She also has her lightening power which makes her a lot more able and I really enjoy the books since she is as much a `fighter' than her tigers.
Colleen wrote Ren and Kishan so well that I couldn't help my heart to go to one and then the other. I might be team Ren, I wanted Kishan to get Kelsey sometimes.
The only little downside in this book is that I sometimes found Ren slightly too for my taste sometimes and a couple of his dialogues made me wince but I guess this commanding side is to be expected from a older time Prince warrior.
This love triangle will drive me crazy because even if you are upset and mad at Ren I mean.....he is Ren that perfect loving poet hot Indian god, you can't stay mad at him but Kishan is just so carrying and sweet....He loves her so much too (Sigh). That would be a really challenge for Kelsey...Colleen if you read it, next potential challenge they must face? Kelsey has to keep her hands off of Ren...Am I the only one to picture an epic fail? Who could blame the girl really?
Kells make a choice in this book....Kishan or Ren? We might not all agree with her choice but all in all it make sense, she has some logic behind it and at the end of the day no choice is definitive.
And the end of the book, I realized that Colleen is part evil. She leaves me hanging with a torturing cliffhanger.
In conclusion? COME ON GIVE ME `TIGER DESTINY' ALREADY!!

I know many people are probably very frustrated with this 3rd book. I must say I am too. Despite that, I still loved it. I feel like this book was sort of necessary even if I wanted to shake Kelsey's brains out most of the book. I kind of felt for her, even though it wasn't Ren's fault that he couldn't remember her. Kelsey already had such a struggle admitting her love for Ren and then to have him forget her and not want to be around her? That only made her doubt him more. I really hope Kelsey gets her act together in the next book and isn't so whiny. And yeah, despite her whininess in this book I still like her. After this mini-rant you're probably wondering why I gave it 5 stars. Like I said earlier, despite the book's flaws I still loved it.

My Summary:

Kelsey is living a nightmare. Her beautiful Ren is back and safe but he can't remember anything that has to do with her. In fact he feels pain just being around her and even more when he touches her. Will he even want to be friends with her let alone love her? Kishan is very willing to be friends but wants to make sure things are over with Ren. In steps Wes to teach her how to dive. He is certainly interested. And then there is Durgan's necklace to find. It becomes very complicated as she spends time in close quarters aboard the luxury boat with the brothers. As the search for the necklace moves forward, Kelsey's heart is torn apart as she tries to understand what her heart is telling her. Will there be anything left of her heart or the brothers when the voyage is over?

My Thoughts:

3 stars - a good read

So I'm team Ren and this book was hard for me. I love the world that Colleen builds for this series. I love the tigers and the Indian lure. It's all very unique. Tiger's Curse has been my favorite of at the series. Tiger's Quest broke my heart. This book was hard to read at least until I got to Lady Silkworm's chapter. In that chapter I found hope. It allowed me to settle down about the love story and enjoy the quest! And what a quest it was too. Five dragons plus the seventh pagoda. Lots of adventure and drama. I enjoyed this aspect of the story very much.

****Spoilers below****

Did you hear the "BUT" in my words. The part of the story that made me crazy was still the love triangle. Frankly by the end of the book, I wanted to smack Kelsey. She claims to love both tigers but it's obvious to everyone including her that she loves Ren passionately while what she feels for Kishan is more platonic. Yet she holds Ren's memory loss against him even though he did it to protect her. She fears that something else will come between them and she can't risk the pain. I kept yelling at her that to have that kind of love for even a brief time would be worth the risk of losing it. She worried that if she chooses Ren and loses him that Kishan will no longer be there for her to fall back on. Are you kidding me? Talk about selfish and manipulative. I rarely get to the point that I don't like a heroine that I have previously cared for but it happened with this book. I gave the book 3 stars because the rest of the storyline is brilliant but I'm not sure I can take another 500 pages of Kelsey's waffling between the two tigers. Maybe someone will take pity on me and just tell me who she ends up with and if they managed to break the curse. Probably not, I'm sure I will read it for Ren's sake.

If you are looking for an adventure and romance book aimed at tweens or teens or are a fan of that type of literature then this is the book for you. It's a combination of adventure/clue hunt with a lot of teen romance in exotic settings. There's also a healthy dose of poetry integrated fairly well into the narrative. I picked up this series for the adventure and mystery and enjoyed the first two books. The set up of brother against brother worked o.k. for me in the begining of the series. However, since I am not big reader of teen romance books, I was turned off by the romance in this latest book. It's too stereotypical for me. I'm just not a fan of guy forces girl to fall in love with him against her better judgement. The heroine's struggle to choose between two brothers runs into self made problems that seem contrived to stretch out the plot rather than an integral and natural part of the story line.
That being said I really liked the search for the cure to the brothers' curse. The challenges are fun and I liked the endless Indian knicknames the brothers call the heroine. The wise (and safe) older men introduce a lot of the history and have a healthy comic streak as does the Goddess that looks out for them. I don't know where the romance is heading and if it continues in the same vein will just have to skip those parts in the next book as well.

Maybe Kelsey will turn out to actually be a goddess. That will explain why almost every man, woman, and supernatural being she meets thinks she's so wonderful that she can easily manipulate them.

Tiger's Voyage opens with Ren rescued but suffering from soap opera-worthy ailments: amnesia about his love for Kelsey and having her touch cause him physical pain. Sooo, for the first third of the book we get an annoying back-and-forth of Kelsey and Ren alternatively pining or trying to make the other jealous. Then, FINALLY, we get to the fighting, curse breaking, and dragons.

I keep wishing that the only other female in the series, Nilima, would get to be a full character with more than two lines per book. She's supposedly super beautiful but hasn't held either Ren or Kishan's attention. She could pull an older sister role and tell Kelsey to stop being an idiot and be brave enough to commit to loving Ren. But no. Nilima doesn't get an interesting role. The only real thing she gets to do, for no apparent reason, is to literally fast on behalf of Kelsey's love life.

If only her sacrifice would make the excessive drama stop.

Tiger's Voyage sure has a truckload of drama and tension. But romance? Eh, not so much. Book one dripped with Ren's devoted first love and book two smoldered with Kishan's temptation. Sadly, Kishan loses his bad-boy, sexy, teasing self in book three and becomes Kelsey's quiet, jealous, boring fallback boyfriend. The poor guy is whipped in the worst way.

Sure, Ren pulls some awesome romance while he has amnesia and he does have some swoon-worthy lines after he recovers, but I wasn't big on him switching between hot and cold with Kelsey. Not that her choices help the matter. In this series, Kelsey is the epitome of a confusing girl who throws guys mixed messages. The minute you think she's finally figured it out- bam! She goes against her own heart. Sorry, but being an orphan is not a viable excuse for her irrational choices.

So you may be wondering why I'm still reading this series if the main character bothers me so much. It's because book one, except for Kelsey running away to Oregon in the end, was so much fun! I still love the suspense, fantastic settings, and magic of this series. Romance can be great too, but forcing the tension with love triangles takes away from the love. What's so bad about two characters being together, in a semi-normal relationship? Let me tell you, steady dating doesn't make tension and sexiness disappear.

I've marked my calendar for the Tiger's Destiny release in September. Here's hoping that the petty teen drama will cease and we'll have all the fantasy action with the happy, romantic ending we all want.