Tyger Tyger

This fast paced urban fantasy is loaded with appealing characters, and a host of figures – heroic and evil – from Irish and Welsh folklore. Young Teagan Wyllston is a promising student and budding scientist. Her close-knit family revels in poems and ancient stories; her father is a children’s librarian, her mother an author and artist of hideous goblins, magical glens, and enchanted creatures, and her young brother Aiden is a small sage with an uncanny musical ear. When they take in troubled cousin Finn (based on the Irish hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill), their lives are upended as they are stalked by goblins, shadow men, and mythical monsters who ultimately kill Teagan’s mother and kidnap her father. Teagan, Finn, and Aiden set off to show more rescue him and save themselves, which takes them on a terrifying journey into other worlds, fraught with ancient spells and steeped in legend. Accompanying the heart-stopping action is a taut romance, though the book is not without its issues. The story started slow, with extraneous scenes that detracted from the otherwise compelling book. This is the first of The Goblin Wars Trilogy.

Curriculum: This book has lots of elements of urban fantasy and ancient legend blended together. As with many stories from folklore, this one addresses many questions about the nature of humanity, free will versus destiny, Christianity as interpreted through (and reconciled with) traditional lore, and morally ambiguous choices. This book would be an ideal backdrop to discussions of these larger issues in a language arts, humanities, or social studies classroom.

PERSONAL CONNECTION: Kids love reading books with elements from mythology. The Irish mythology in this book is perhaps not as well known as classical mythology, but it makes for a very compelling read.

Hamilton, K. (2010). Tyger tyger. New York: Clarion Books. show less

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

TYGER TYGER is a dark faerie tale, and I mean that in the best possible sense. The scary creatures that used to frighten and terrorize children in the old original faerie tales skulk through the pages of TYGER TYGER in truly chilling let-me-pop-your-eyeballs-and-slurp-the-juices kind of ways.

All manner of creatures from Irish folklore pop up in this story including pixies that brandish needle sized swords for decapitating their enemies, goblins who steal children for eternity, and cat sidhes who crush babies just to hear them scream. They are dark, depraved, and mesmerizing.

The human (or nearly human) characters are less gruesome but no less entertaining. Teagan’s best friend and Mob show more princess Abby, her adorably precocious little brother Aiden (who shares my loathing of Elvis impersonators), her grizzled and cryptic sage of a grandmother, and the cursed but captivating Finn.

Finn, or course, would be the romantic lead and I loved him from his very first scene. He has a chivalrous and noble streak that balanced out his more reckless independent tendencies. And he has some of the best make-you-swoon lines that I’ve read in a long time.

Reminiscent of C. S. Lewis’s wonderful Chronicles of Narnia books, TYGER TYGER is a twisted tale of goblins and magic filled with honorable yet flawed characters, and a lovely dash of true romance that readers of all ages can enjoy. Sign me up for the next Goblin War book. show less

Did... I find everyone but the hero to be appealing and engaging?: YES. Finn was sadly one-dimensional; a recurrent tertiary character had more heft than he did.

Did... I like, admire, and cheer for Teagan, our heroine?: YES. Much like Aislinn from Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely, Teagan problem solved and kicked butt, cried and felt fear, fell in love and kept her spunk.

Did... the end of the book wrap up in a totally satisfying and yet awesomely cliff-hanger-y way?: YES. I put it down with a laugh and a shriek!

Review: The subtitle of this book -- Goblin Wars -- almost made me pass on reading it, but I really couldn't resist the Blake reference. I'm so glad I gave it try, because this was an unexpectedly engrossing paranormal adventure. show more Paranormal novels with a mythological basis are hardly new, but Hamilton's focus on the truly dark aspects of Celtic mythology is what made this story so interesting. That, and her really interesting characters!

I had gotten myself into a snit near the start of the novel, when it was revealed that heroine Tegan's mother was an artist. I wasn't sure I could sit through another book with a throwaway parent so I was deeply pleased to discover mama Aileen's career choice was quite deliberate and plot relevant. Whew! In fact, I found the characters -- even the most slight -- to be vibrant and thoughtfully fleshed out. Our heroine Teagan, is smart and funny, tough and emotional, empathetic and interesting. Despite the chemistry she feels for Finn, she remains true to her character and behaves admirably through the book. She didn't turn into a wilting wallflower the moment Finn arrived; she fought goblins and college-aged jerks with guts. Some of the funniest lines in the book came from her! The half star I took off comes solely because our hero, Finn, is the flattest of the bunch. To be fair, he had tough competition, but as the romantic lead and demigod of the bunch, he really should have been more than a Brad Pitt lookalike with an Irish accent.

That tiny quibble aside, I can honestly say I'm hooked! show less

You just don't see that many goblins in literature today. Tyger, Tyger, with all its evil goblins, shows readers exactly what they've been missing out on. This book is different with a distinct Irish feel. Celtic mythology and Irish saints are woven into this fantasy adventure creating a highly entertained and culturally educational look at the supernatural.

I loved Finn. He's protective without being scary obsessive, caring without being overbearing and takes his responsibilities as The Mac Cumhaill (a warrior against goblins) seriously. He's an Irish Traveler, something vaguely like a gypsy, descendant of Traveler's past and his calling as The Mac Cumhaill is hereditary. When his adoptive cousins, Teagan and Aiden must journey into Mag show more Mell (another dimension where goblins live) to rescue their librarian father, it's Finn's duty to protect them. Although he would have went anyway, his instant love for Teagan makes the trip all the more important and dangerous.

Many different kinds of Sidhe are included in Tyger, Tyger, some more familiar than others, but all more or less evil. Goblins are definitely the main bad guys in this book and it was an absolute pleasure reading about these creatures. This book was so much more than expected and I can't wait to read more Goblin Wars books. show less

Teagan Wylltson (“Tea”), age 16, believes she is from a normal (if whimsical), loving family of four. Her father is a librarian and her mother writes and illustrates books for children. Her younger brother Aiden can sing beautifully any song he has ever heard. He also has an uncanny sense of direction; Tea explains, “His brain came bundled with an MP3 player and GPS.” Tea works in an animal research lab, and hopes to go to vet school one day.

As the story begins, Tea’s best friend Abby tells her she dreamed that the goblins in the paintings done by Tea’s mom came alive and tried to kill Tea. Tea laughs it off, until her 17-year-old step-cousin Finn MacCumhaill comes to live with them. He does not arrive alone. Finn is the show more latest in the line of Mac Cumhaills - Irish travelers, or tinkerers, who were cursed by Fear Doirich, the goblin god, to be plagued by goblins for all eternity.

Suddenly Tea starts seeing bizarre creatures all around her. To make matters worse, she feels an incredible attraction to Finn that she knows he feels too. Then her parents are attacked, and Tea, Aiden and Finn decide they must go after them and confront the dreaded Fear Doirich himself.

Discussion: Irish mythology is incredibly complicated, and I think Hamilton does a great job of simplifying the parts of it she tackles, by having the adult characters tell stories to the younger ones, in order to explain their dilemma. She also does a very nice job of making the integrated mythology not seem stupid. In part, she accomplishes this by having her supernatural creatures evolved: a goblin is as likely to look like “an Abercrombie & Fitch model” as a green-skinned witch or deranged cat. She also has Tea’s father, faced with his scientifically-minded children, often quoting the Shakespeare line, “there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,” with Tea giving this sentiment due epistemological consideration. (Truth, she eventually discovers, comes in many guises.) In addition, Hamilton insinuates the fantasy elements into such a normal framework as to make them seem like part of the landscape that it just so happens only some of us can see.

Most importantly for the reader, the author makes it clear that the magic in the story carries a greater meaning than just exercising the imagination; it is all part of how we can derive insights into human nature for those open to the connection. Goblinhood, for example, is identified as a metaphor for the dark potential in each of us. It is not inevitable, however; we have a choice whether to “stumble down that road, pretending you can’t help it” or to walk down a better path, and fight to be better.

The biggest appeal of this book for me, however, on account of being stuck at the developmental level of a teenager, is the relationship between Finn and Tea. Finn is not only a sexy, forthright and electrifying suitor, but he does it all with a brogue. He delivers some of the most romantic lines ever. And as icing on the cake, Finn also has a wonderful rapport with Tea’s little brother, making him all the more attractive. He is definitely one of the best YA boyfriend-types out there.

I also really like the prayers Mrs. Wylltson recites with her children at night:

"I do not ask for a path with no trouble or regret. I ask instead for a friend who’ll walk with me down any path.

I do not ask never to feel pain. I ask instead for courage, even when hope can scarce shine through.

And one more thing I ask: That in every hour of joy or pain, I feel the Creator close by my side. This is my truest prayer for myself and for all I love, now and forever. Amen."

(Tea's friend Abby asks: “Why don’t you pray like normal people: No pain, God. Lots of money. Thanks.” Teagan answers, “Because we’re Irish. Mom says things never go well for the Irish for very long. She says we’ve got to be realistic.”)

The only negative I would bring up is that the book begins with a very entertaining section on Tea’s work with primates, but that whole story line is dropped.

Evaluation: Lots to like about this book, which is book one of a trilogy. Yes! Of course it is! show less

"Tyger Tyger" is a book which deserves to be given a second chance and that's the summary of my emotions after finishing the first book in the series.

Is it good or bad? Well it falls in the middle. I enjoyed reading it with somewhat confused emotions throughout the whole book. I will point out the bits and pieces which bothered me and made me not to enjoy it as much as I should have.

First of all, Aiden made me very confused. Sometimes in the book he was acting so mature that I was picturing him as a teenager. There's no way a 5 or 6 years old can think of making a guy kiss his sister to embarrass her and then later apologized for trying to do that. Well may be today's kids are that grown up but it was hard for me to take.

They defeated show more Fear Doirich with duct tape!!! The ultimate bad guy took couple of blows and got duct taped to defeat. It's just too easy. I mean come on, make the bad guy as a real challenge plsss...

All the members of Teagan's family turned out to be somewhat magical. I didn't feel it was necessary to make everyone magical. It just ruins the special feelings of being magical honestly. I was really hoping that at least her father will be completely non-magical. But no, at the end of the story I felt, their house became a fairy zoo. You think I am joking! Reach the ending and you will know it yourself.

But all these complaints apart, there was something in the story that got me hooked till the end. At least it was not the story of very common Vampires, werewolves or fallen angels. Goblin stories are hard to come by, so this will definitely hold your attention.
The magical Mag Mell really wont want you to get out of her. Your heart will definitely crave for more to explore in there. And of course after the ending you will succumb to the greed of knowing more of the story as conclusion was far from it what we got in this book's ending.

So yes, even with my complaints, I like this book and wanna give the second one a try as well. I have a feeling it will get better, it has the potential to be and I am still thirsty for more adventures into Mag Mell... show less

Tyger Tyger is the first book in a captivating new YA trilogy called the Goblin Wars. I was not sure what to expect with a book about goblins, however I found these goblins are actually scary, evil fae. I learned a lot more about the goblin world mythology and legends in this book. I was drawn into the story from the first pages and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it!

Teagan’s life is going great. She has loving parents, an adorable little brother Aiden and a devoted best friend Abby. She has a great job working as an intern with animals at the Chicago Zoo, and she has a bright academic future ahead. Teagan (Tea) has no time for boys right now, her life is plenty busy. Then, Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives and turns Tea’s show more life upside down. Finn is a distant relative of Tea’s mother, and he is an Irish Traveler who fights goblins. Tea and Finn are instantly drawn to each other, which surprises them both, and worries Abby. Abby has been having troubling dreams about goblins. Unfortunately, it seems that when Finn arrives, so do the Goblins.

One of my favorite things about this book are the quirky characters. Tea’s best friend Abby is the comic relief who claims to be psychic, frequently gets words wrong and whose family has mafia ties. Tea’s five year old brother Aiden has a beautiful voice, has a photographic memory, and is called the human GPS for his navigational skills. Her father is a librarian, and her mother an artist who draws and writes about the goblin world. Tea always thought these were made up stories and never considered this fantasy world existed. All of the characters are well drawn and interesting, sometimes out-shining Tea.

The adventure is fast-paced and full of suspense. The fantasy world is vividly drawn and the supernatural characters are complex. Some are frightening, others intriguing, and some can even be charming.

There is some romance between Finn and Tea, but it is not the focus of the book. Finn is protective of Tea, and they have an electrifying connection. Their relationship was one of the strong points for me, and I hope to see their relationship explored more in future books.

The story includes a mix of Celtic mythology, fantasy elements and Irish culture that keeps the story fresh and intriguing. It made me want to read more about the myths and Finn Mac Cumhaill when I was finished reading.

Tyger Tyger concludes with a powerful and surprising curve ball ending. I can’t wait to read what happens next!

Recommended for fans of YA fantasy. Tyger Tyger is available for purchase on November 15.

You can read more about Kersten Hamilton’s books on her website.

Thank you to the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for providing this book for review. show less