Review Detail

TIGER HONOR is a riveting and action-packing middle grade sci-fi read about family, loyalty, and defining yourself. Sebin is the youngest in the Juhwang Clan of tiger spirits, who can shift between human and tiger and have many innate special abilities, such as being able to smell emotions and superior hearing. They dream of joining the Thousand Worlds Space Force like their Uncle Hwan. When they finally receive the news that they have been accepted, the clan also receives the news that Hwan has been branded as a traitor, abandoning his duty in pursuit of a special artifact.

Sebin swears fealty to the clan and sets off to craft their destiny. However, nothing will be simple, and they will be thrust into a new world of intrigue, questioning loyalty, family, and their own destiny.

What I loved: This was such an entertaining and riveting story with a hefty mystery around Hwan's betrayal of the Space Forces. The world-building was really fascinating, especially around the tiger spirits and their structure and outlook. The blend of sci-fi and mythology was spot-on, and this combines elements in a way that makes for an action-packed and highly engaging read. The diversity of characters and representation is also really great here, and I appreciated that Sebin is non-binary as well as the reps among other characters.

The themes are really thought-provoking, including around finding yourself and defining who you will be outside of your family/origin, family, loyalty, friendship, and the power of honesty and doing what's right, even when it seems unclear. The themes will appeal to an older middle grade audience and young YA audience, as well as the fascinating world and elements.

What left me wanting more: As a very small thing, the book can be a little hard to follow in places when read as a stand-alone, and it would definitely be helpful to have read the first book before diving into this one. There are a lot of characters to follow and remember, but this gets better as you get deeper into the story.

Final verdict: With fascinating world-building and a unique premise, TIGER HONOR is an intriguing and entertaining middle grade sci-fi/fantasy read that I would definitely recommend for older middle grade and young YA readers.